Despite all the hoopla and braggadocio surrounding Trump's campaign, a closer look reveals other factors that might make him a more effective President than any of his major competitors:
1. Executive Experience. Senators make notoriously bad Presidents because every decision they have ever made is a political calculation without any responsibility for its implementation. While being a Governor is the best experience for a President, being a Chief Executive Officer of a large, complex organization is the next best experience.
2. Situational Decision Making. Trump is often criticized for a lack of specificity when describing what his policies would be as President, but this also indicates a realization that executive decisions have to be made in real time, rather than debating various considerations (see #1) at one's leisure. In addition, locking oneself into a particular position during a political campaign (e.g., withdrawing troops according to a specified time table) can lead to disastrous consequences.
3. Controlling the Government. This is perhaps the biggest blind spot most Republicans have in evaluating a candidate's "conservative credentials." They need to understand that over 90% of federal laws are creations of Executive Branch agencies, and that these regulations are promulgated for the benefit of these agencies rather than the public they are supposed to serve.
At most, Congressional legislation merely sets out broad guidelines while leaving the critical details up to these agencies. As a result, even "conservative" policies are subject to bureaucratic interpretation and revision at the operational level.
Unless someone like Trump is able to control these agencies through the appointment of non-political business people to run them, we will continue to rearrange the deck chairs while ignoring the direction of our Ship of State.
1. Executive Experience. Senators make notoriously bad Presidents because every decision they have ever made is a political calculation without any responsibility for its implementation. While being a Governor is the best experience for a President, being a Chief Executive Officer of a large, complex organization is the next best experience.
2. Situational Decision Making. Trump is often criticized for a lack of specificity when describing what his policies would be as President, but this also indicates a realization that executive decisions have to be made in real time, rather than debating various considerations (see #1) at one's leisure. In addition, locking oneself into a particular position during a political campaign (e.g., withdrawing troops according to a specified time table) can lead to disastrous consequences.
3. Controlling the Government. This is perhaps the biggest blind spot most Republicans have in evaluating a candidate's "conservative credentials." They need to understand that over 90% of federal laws are creations of Executive Branch agencies, and that these regulations are promulgated for the benefit of these agencies rather than the public they are supposed to serve.
At most, Congressional legislation merely sets out broad guidelines while leaving the critical details up to these agencies. As a result, even "conservative" policies are subject to bureaucratic interpretation and revision at the operational level.
Unless someone like Trump is able to control these agencies through the appointment of non-political business people to run them, we will continue to rearrange the deck chairs while ignoring the direction of our Ship of State.
