• Home
  • Blog
  • Contact
The Screaming Moderate

Is this the beginning of a new relationship, or just a one-night stand?

3/1/2017

0 Comments

 
When Democratic talking heads on cable news give President Trump positive reviews, is that when we’ll see him turn the corner and be less combative? Well, we’re about to see.

Trump’s performance last night in his non-State of the Union address was as close to presidential and cordial as we have seen him. He reached out to Democrats in the hall to join him, and make progress for the American people. In one segment he did criticize harshly the Obama Administration and then asked Democrats to work with him. A slap and a smooch. But at least there was a peck on the cheek. Then again yesterday morning he basically called Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi incompetent,  but at night sought her support.

So, which is the real Donald Trump? Well, I think we’ve seen that answer, that the tweeting, combative Trump is the true personality. But did he learn last night that he might see his poll numbers reverse themselves if he tried the charming, reach-across the-aisle Trump for a while?

Maybe it was the change in ties. Each man on the podium – Trump, the Vice President and the Speaker of the House – wore blue ties. Which I guess means blue is the new red.

Then again, Trump wore a striped tie, maybe to show he can change stripes when he chooses?

He did fall back on “radical Islamic terrorism,” a phrase his new NSC advisor, and most in the diplomatic world,  thinks should be scrapped. Then again he owed his base some red meat too, so he threw that in and  the great wall on our southern border to boot.

He didn’t offer any specifics. Of course, few presidents in such a speech offer any specifics so he shouldn’t be marked down for that. But as he hits the trail to reinforce his speech messages, let’s hope he offers some specifics and sticks to his more presidential personality.

And so far this morning, no nasty tweats from the Tweeter-in-Chief. But he has tweeted an all-capital letters “THANK YOU.”

Scotty Pelly on CBS said after the speech that it was a speech “about we, not me.” And that was the key difference.  

This morning there is a parade of politicians and pundits running to catch up to the Trump bandwagon. That isn’t atypical after a decent speech but we must remember the bar was as low as it’s ever been for the President.

The question is: Can he maintain last night’s posture or will it, too, be treated as just one more transaction to him?


0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

     
    Follow @bjaycooper

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013

    B. Jay Cooper

    B. Jay is a former deputy White House press secretary to Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush. He also headed the communications offices at the Republican National Committee, U.S. Department of Commerce, and Yale University. He is a former reporter and is the retired deputy managing director of APCO Worldwide's Washington, D.C., office.
    He is the father of three daughters and grandfather of five boys and one girl. He lives in Marion, Mass.

powered by bjaycooper.com