I went to bed late, waiting for Fox news, who’d rather be right than call things too early,. They called Pennsylvania for Trump, but there remained the suspicion that Mrs. Clinton would dispute the result, and we would have weeks of lawsuits, appeals, discoveries of “lost” boxes of absentee ballots going 80% to Mrs. Clinton, and more horrors. As I was getting to bed, Trump appeared at his victory party: Mrs. Clinton had conceded. Trump was gracious, full of Dignitas, and quite Presidential, complimenting Mrs. Clinton on her years of public service, and refraining from any criticisms. He also accepted Speaker Ryan’s olive branch, beginning down the path to at least a semblance of unity.
I woke up to discover that it was all true. Trump was indeed the President Designate, and will become President Elect once the Electoral College has done its work.
If Hillary Clinton had won we would know exactly what was coming: Obama’s third term. With Trump the future is less clear. I do expect him to keep his word on the Supreme Court: he has promised us “original intent” scholars similar to Mr. Justice Scalia, and there is every reason to believe that is what we will get quite early in his term. I expect that he will be able to appoint at least one more Justice and perhaps more. The Constitution is not in danger of being dominated by “living document” advocates who decide as the elite intellectual zeitgeist dictates no matter what the governed may have consented to. The Republic will, I think remain one in which governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.
We can also expect nearly immediate repeal of the recent constitutionally questionable Executive Orders. I invite you to submit your favorite candidates for repeal. I have already asked my friend Dr. David Friedman for his candidates.
Changes that will require action by Congress will take a while; we can hope that Mr. Trump does not lose patience. Getting things through Congress takes some skill; fortunately Mr.Trump will have experienced expert advice. He seems determined to make peace with Speaker Ryan, who did yeoman service in delivering Wisconsin. |
