tjm,
I most did certainly say that most people "liked" Obama. I used the " " because he went from popular to unpopular to popular, again. The surge at the end was (IMHO) mostly due to the nasty campaign going on at the same time, not to his governing abilities.
Climate Change? Most Americans are worried about climate change and do support alternative energy, but most still support the Keystone Pipeline, by a wide margin.
And most American do not support the Paris Accords.
Progressive taxes? Trump supports a 3-bracket progressive tax code. Mosty Americans support tax cuts, as well. I think Trump does, too. I would prefer a Flat Tax, btw. I didn't mention tax cuts, but I appreciate you bringing it up.
Please remind me on the "qualifed voter" issue? Is there one? Trump is concerned about "unqualifed voters" voting. We should all be. My uncle is a Canadian citizen, has never been an American Citizen, even though he's been here for nearly 60 years and is a US Army vet. With Oregon's new automatic voter registration law (linked to driver's licenses) he was recently informed that he was now a registered voter, Independent, in Oregon. I imagine he's not the only one.
Nixon was pretty centrist in his policies, but I specifically mentioned that my comps for Hillary-Nixon were not political; they personal and insularly. Hillary the MOR candidate would have won, even the Electoral Count. But she isn't very MOR, or at lease wasn't perceived that way by a significantly large number of voters. I'm not sure I get the G.H.W. Bush comparison, but will consider carefully. As I said, I think she best comps to Obama, and others are a bit of a reach, although I sort of like the limited NIxon comp I made.
Most of the people of the world have been alienated? Such was said, in their first days, about Reagan and Bush, the younger, too. But the English just voted for the most conservative referendum in their history (OK, it's close, anyway); France is a mess; Germany it recoiling from its own failed immigration policies; Russia, as many on the left would have us all believe, is dancing a joyful jig; Israel? Alienated? Really?; Haven't heard much ado from India; The Saudis? I bet not! And so it goes. China is reevaluating, surely, but that's because their own ecnomic interest is a bit cloudier right now.
And like it or not, a President's oath isn't to Preserve, Protect and Defend global order. And even if it were, global order and globalism aren't necessarily the same thing (altough you did not actually make that point, I must admit). BTW, along those lines, I think Trump's one policy error so far has been the TPP withdrawal. He was dead right on the Keystone and the DAPL and I've even got some street cred in the alternative energy sector.
As I've said, I didn't vote for President Trump. I don't have to defend a ballot cast. He has personal and professional issues that kept me from going his way. Government (or campaign) by tweet offends the dinosaur in me. He will never be a classic statesman as he won't have the demanding patience for statecraft, but I will stand by my appraisal; he's better for the US than a Hillary presidency. Had she the political skills of her husband she would be nominating a supreme court justice today. She doesn't.
Donald Trump was a deeply flawed candidate. Hillary was just a bit more so.
Up to this point, while I can dislike his tweeting style, I can't really disagree with many of his actions. I'm not a fan of EO's, but there is little (real and legal) concern that Trump has violated law or constitution in his actions.
He's done what he said he would do and done it promptly. That isn't always the presidential case.
Respectfully,
Keith