"The most consequential president in the modern era"

Michael Smerconish of CNN is no fan of Donald Trump -- mainly because Trump panned his show in 2014. But Smerconish has principles and insights from Philadelphia that put the Washington-Manhattan crowd to shame.

"I think he could become the most consequential president in the modern era. Consequential meaning, most important and significant, having the biggest overall impact," he said on his show on Saturday.



Smerconish sees what I see: a new economic policy, a new outlook on the world, and a new judiciary.

From Smerconish:

He broke a Senate record this year by confirming a dozen new U.S. circuit court judges, the most during a President's first year in office in more than a century. At the rate that he's going, by next year, more than 12 percent of federal cases heard will be by Trump appointed judges. Those picks will be his longest lasting legacy. The tax bill that he's just signed is the first major overhaul of policy since the Regan era, whatever the effect, that won't be undone anytime soon. And by ending the individual mandate, President Trump has fell a major domino that will upset the economic viability of the Affordable Care Act. 

After all, how can you provide coverage with those with preexisting conditions if you don't have everybody in the insurance pool? Trump has made cutting federal regulations a priority. He's revoked 67, he's delayed or derailed more than 1,500 others. He's pulled out of the Paris climate accord, OKd the Keystone pipeline, recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and refused to recertify the Iranian nuclear deal. 

On his watch, the Iraq Prime Minister just declared victory over ISIS; the "New York Times" Ross Douthat called it a war Trump won. In immigration enforcement, ICE has arrested more than 100,000 people who entered the U.S. illegally, 70 percent of whom were already convicted criminals. His State Department has undergone massive restructuring and shrinking, again, for better or for worse. 

Substance, not style.

That's how you grade a president.

Obama was all style. His smooth act hid the most corrupt and anti-American administration in history.

Trump is the bull in the china shop. But you know, that china shop needed to be destroyed because its wares were lousy.

Smerconish had Larry Sabato, who said, "I don't know about being the most consequential, but I'll tell you this, he's the most different president in the modern era."

Style, not substance.

And historian Douglas Brinkley weighed in: "Well, just take a look at what you said pulling out of the Paris Accord. Yes, he did that. What does that mean in the end? And it means that Donald Trump's turned his back completely on climate change. What history may show is the overridingly important issue of our time. I mean, we've having unusual wildfires, hurricanes, glaciers melting, the planet is really alarmed right now and Donald Trump decides it doesn't exist; I don't want to believe and listen to the scientist. So by that very inaction this year, we're losing momentum."

Hmm, a historian who knows the future. Most have trouble agreeing with what happened in the past.

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Please enjoy my two books about the press and how it missed the rise of Donald Trump.

The first was "Trump the Press," which covered his nomination.

The second was "Trump the Establishment," which covered his election.

To order autographed copies, write DonSurber@GMail.com.

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As always, Make America Great Again.