The troubling thing here is that we no longer agree on a common set of facts. Conservatives and liberals are increasingly in their own silos, turning to their own opinionated media sources and constructing their Facebook and Twitter feeds the same way.
A Foreign Intelligence Analyst Report on President Trump
It is highly likely that we are witnessing a tectonic shift in the conduct of U.S. domestic politics and foreign policy. A populist movement across the United States, driven by perceived corruption and inequality, culminated in the election of Donald Trump. As is typical of populist leaders, Trump is attempting to consolidate power within his immediate circle. Trump’s approach is to discard traditional policy-making processes, then amplify his choices through social media in order to garner support.
- Trump appears to be engaging in a strategy of undermining long-standing impartial U.S. Government institutions that are cornerstones of the national security and foreign policy apparatus. His tactics include public criticism, discounting the validity or worth of the organizations, and extreme budget cuts.
- .. The opposition Democratic Party, while vocal, remains largely ineffective. The Democrats have lost seats in Congress and state government for the last 7 years.
- .. A national wire service later reported the decision was made as a result of Mr. Comey’s unwillingness to preview testimony he gave before the U.S. Congress last week.
- .. Trump’s lack of discretion on Twitter creates a rich source of direct insight into how he processes information and handles the challenges of governing.
The Republican-controlled Congress does not exhibit signs of restraining the Presidents’ agenda. Despite predictions of U.S. political scientists and others following the U.S. presidential election, the Republican-controlled Congress has not, to date, restrained Mr. Trump.
- .. Trump had adopted an aggressive approach towards Congress, including one-time Republican allies. Trump publicly issues harsh criticisms of member who he perceives as opposing or questioning his vision or agenda. As with other public communications, Mr. Trump’s preferred method is through Twitter.
- .. Members of Congress are more likely to be sensitive to the public opinion than Mr. Trump is.
This one poll finding is a big problem for Democrats
The vast majority of Americans now think the Democratic Party is not “in touch with the concerns of most people in the United States.”
.. The current number — only 28 percent think the party is in touch — has been noted elsewhere, and that number is concerning enough on its own: It’s 10 percentage points less than the number of people who think Trump is in touch and 4 percent less than the number who think the GOP is
.. In 2014, 48 percent of voters felt the party was “in touch,” a 20-percentage-point collapse in just three years.
.. three quarters of independents and nearly half of Democrats think the party is out of touch
.. the nomination of Hillary Clinton as the Democrats’ new standard bearer was one factor.
.. Some obvious places to start include expanding Social Security, increasing infrastructure spending across the country and lowering prescription drug prices.
.. The Democratic Party’s problems run somewhat deeper at the state level, which cannot be ignored, but nationally it will not take much for Democrats to recapture one or both houses of Congress by the end of Trump’s term.
Charlies Rose: Robert Costa on Trumps first 100 days
Robert Costa of the Washington Post assesses the first 100 days of the Trump administration.