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The Republican Utopia

knapplc

By knapplc,
in Politics & Religion

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RedDenver Offensive Coordinator

RedDenver

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I would agree that killing the TPP has been bipartisan. It just seems that from each party they're coming from the non-center wings.

Something supported by both the left and the right is what I'd define as a "center" position.

 

You could say the same thing about the TPP itself: support from both the left and right.

 

True.

 

The original question was whether Trump had done anything that would be considered moderate, which I think killing the TPP qualifies. Trump could have done nothing about the TPP. But that's the only thing I can think of that would be "moderate".

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zoogs Head Coach

zoogs

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Yeah, but I think my point here is just that letting the TPP go could also be considered moderate. Actually, I think it would maybe qualify as more moderate than killing it -- it's been relatively mainstream. Which isn't to say that this would be the right answer.

 

Killing the TPP seems for better or for worse to be a bold new direction. It's not outright evil as many of his other claims to fame are, which is good. I'm curious to see where this all goes.

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zoogs Head Coach

zoogs

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I'm not sure. Actually if you guys feel strongly about the TPP please fill me in on your perspectives, too.

 

My sort of superficial understanding is that anti-trade is basically a quite leftist position, though I wouldn't say especially radical. The argument for it from the right was, I thought, rooted in this sort of America-first nativism that I consider a little misguided. So I always thought of Trump's support for nixing the TPP to be very against the Republican orthodoxy, and so I would have said it's only loosely got any support from the "right", if at all. This is one of the ways Trump doesn't really seem in line with the GOP. Though perhaps I'm wrong and they've shifted on it, too?

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RedDenver Offensive Coordinator

RedDenver

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I'm not sure. Actually if you guys feel strongly about the TPP please fill me in on your perspectives, too.

 

My sort of superficial understanding is that anti-trade is basically a quite leftist position, though I wouldn't say especially radical. The argument for it from the right was, I thought, rooted in this sort of America-first nativism that I consider a little misguided. So I always thought of Trump's support for nixing the TPP to be very against the Republican orthodoxy, and so I would have said it's only loosely got any support from the "right", if at all. This is one of the ways Trump doesn't really seem in line with the GOP. Though perhaps I'm wrong and they've shifted on it, too?

I'm fairly strongly against the TPP. My biggest problem with the TPP is the ISDS provisions. There's also a general pro-corporate, anti-labor theme to it that I'm not a fan of.
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zoogs Head Coach

zoogs

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Yeah, I agree with that -- to me, pro-labor sounds like a strongly leftist economic agenda item. I don't mean that in a derogatory way; these days, I'm quite sympathetic to democratic socialism. So it's not clear to me that losing the TPP is a real loss, although I'm disappointed it happened.

 

It just seems like a victory for the "staunchly left" camp as far as economic/trade policy goes. The right loves that pro-corporate anti-labor stuff.

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Danny Bateman Defensive Coordinator

Danny Bateman

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FWIW, I agree about the TPP. Kudos RedDenver. I suppose the way one could think about that is it was more of a bipartisan policy to kill it, albeit with an coalition supporting it: The far-left due to their anti-trade/pro-labor sentiments and any Trumpian protectionists. Like it or not, there is a very vocal anti-trade contingent emerging in the country right now, after both Bernie and Trump railed on trade deals as being good for elites/corporations and bad for people. I don't know that I'd call that contingent a consensus, but it's definitely noticeable right now...

Perhaps another way of framing the original question: What bipartisan solutions to anything has Trump accomplished since he's taken office. As someone who leans left more than right, I feel mostly dejected and ignored by Trump's policy prescriptions.

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knapplc Legend

knapplc

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Things are not going so well inside the Republican Utopia.

Republicans in Congress struggle with this question: Do you trust Trump’s judgment?

It’s a simple question, but for Republicans in Congress, it’s not an easy one.

Do you trust President Trump’s judgment on major decisions?

“I’m not answering questions like that,” said Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) after hopping off an underground tram shuttling him from the Capitol to his Senate office building. “That’s ah . . . ” he trailed off as he walked toward an elevator.

Four seconds later, the easygoing Arizonan picked back up: “The president is overseas. I don’t think we’re allowed to ask any questions while the president’s overseas.”

Flake was one of a dozen Republicans from across the ideological spectrum asked this week to reflect on Trump’s judgment. Most of them weren’t eager to address the subject head-on. They diverted and demurred. They paused contemplatively before answering. Some grew visibly uncomfortable. Others declared their conviction in Trump — but then qualified their words or expressed confidence in the people around him. Only one of those interviewed — Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) — offered an unqualified yes regarding Trump himself.

This wavering confidence, and perhaps loyalty, comes after a torrent of controversial decisions by the president and explosive revelations regarding the ongoing investigations into possible coordination between Trump associates and Russia. It also comes amid signs that members of Trump’s own administration don’t fully trust the president’s decisions.

When Trump revealed highly classified information to two Russian officials in the Oval Office earlier this month, senior White House officials took steps to contain the damage, placing calls to the CIA and the National Security Agency, according to a Washington Post report earlier this month.

And when Trump asked the director of national intelligence, Daniel Coats, and Adm. Michael S. Rogers, the director of the National Security Agency, to publicly deny the existence of any evidence of collusion during the 2016 election, both refused — deeming the appeal inappropriate, according to another Post report this week.

GOP lawmakers, meanwhile, have labored to project at least some semblance of unity with the White House over the first four months of Trump’s presidency, in hopes of salvaging their legislative agenda.

 

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