>> I have in mind his whole approach to the presidency. A presidency is consequential. It should be sober and thoughtful and earnest and substantial. He's treating it like a reality show, not a real country with history and meaning and real, live people, in which we all have an existential stake.
Okay, well, that is a different thing. I think he is thoughtful, serious, earnest and substantial. All of the above. But I do think the outward appearance is different from that of other presidents. This is part of manipulating the behavior of other people to get a desired outcome.
The current NK situation is an example. Remember Trump's "fire and fury" comment? The outrage, the criticism, "Trump Critics Say UN Speech Undermines North Korea Diplomacy", I could go on for an hour.
But sometimes it is really hard to argue with success. What is happening with NK today is a direct result of Trump understanding how to deal with Little Kim.
Now, he is criticized for dealing with Putin differently, Iran differently still, the UN, NATO, various trade agreements -- all this stuff is about negotiating with different partners and understanding what makes deals work. And you have to know when no deal can be reached, which can happen in any deal. It is not always possible to sweeten deals sufficiently to make them work.
When you go to buy a new car the salesman or "finance manager" may look rather clownish. But if they get another $500 out of you they've done their jobs. |
