I think one thing we can conclude from John Bolton’s peremptory exit from the Trump Administration is that Trump values loyalty (defined as agreeing with him and otherwise keeping your mouth shut). Every president of my lifetime has fit Alice Roosevelt’s famous characterization of her father, Teddy:
My father always wanted to be the corpse at every funeral, the bride at every wedding and the baby at every christening.
and Trump more than most.
John Bolton was brought on as a “wartime consigliere” to make a statement. President Trump was preparing to confront N. Korea and Iran, and his opening bid was John Bolton and Mike Pompeo. It was a good cop, bad cop strategy.
There is no way President Trump was unaware of Bolton’s uber-hawkishness, and President Trump made a remark about John wanting to go to war with everybody.
I think the problem was that Bolton refused to publicly back the official positions he did not like. I think what he values is opposing viewpoints until the policy is set.
Is he a blowhard who wants to be the center of attention? Sure, but so what?
As I said in the body of my post, that’s been true of every president of my lifetime. I think it goes with the job. It may be truer of Trump than of most but, as you say, so what?
Biden is not a good campaigner, but he is more of a centrist than mom to the others and isn’t much given to extremes. However, even though he is a bad campaigner he would run, if nominated, against one of the few people in the world he would make him look really good.
Steve
Ok, that should read most of not mom to. Love my new spell checker.
Steve
“I think the problem was that Bolton refused to publicly back the official positions he did not like. I think what he values is opposing viewpoints until the policy is set.â€
Exactly. Something about serving at the pleasure……
Trump values loyalty to Trump above all else because he is the ultimate egotist. He can never admit he is wrong either – the whole stupidity over the tweet about Dorian hitting Alabama is a case in point. He could have let it go or just ignore it, but no, he has to be right and anyone that contradicts him is disloyal. So his Commerce Secretary makes a call and threatens heads because scientific reality dared to contradict Trump.
This isn’t a normal political ego – Trump goes way beyond the narcissism of a typical politician.
As for Bolton, my guess is that he didn’t fully understand this – he thought Trump was pliant and that he could mold Trump to Bolton’s foreign policy vision. Nope, isn’t going to work and Bolton’s didn’t realize he’s supposed to be a yes man.
Regardless, I’m glad Bolton is gone.
My general view is that half a loaf is better than none and the farther John Bolton is from power the happier I am.
That sums up my thoughts exactly on Bolton.
“This isn’t a normal political ego – Trump goes way beyond the narcissism of a typical politician.â€
Seriously? His immediate predecessor had/has an ego the size of Montana. It just wasnt reported as such, and he wasn’t constantly pecked.
“Seriously? His immediate predecessor had/has an ego the size of Montana. It just wasnt reported as such, and he wasn’t constantly pecked.”
Seriously.
Sure, Obama had an ego.
But Trump takes it to a new level. The man is obsessed with what people say about him, he demands loyalty above all else, he’s incredibly thin-skinned, doubles down even when he’s wrong, is incredibly vindictive toward anyone who might make him look bad, etc.
Shit dude, even people on the right understand how self-absorbed he is.
https://hotair.com/archives/allahpundit/2019/09/09/amazing-wilbur-ross-threatened-fire-people-noaa-contradicted-trump-hurricane/
Andy,
People on the right, Allahpundit. Seriously? AP is the designated lefty shithead on Hot Air.
I see it less about Trump’s personality then the fact there are very few policy experts for the Trump/Jacksonian worldview; including Republican ones.
The Republican foreign policy elite populated (is?) by the hawkish interventionists symbolized by Bolton; or commerce – free trade types like Robert Zoellick. How could anyone with those views work comfortably with President who subscribes to neither.
I don’t recall many experts before 2016 that had strong hawkish isolationist tendencies.
It is also true that the principals of the NSC can have tempestuous relationships with the President. Bush fired Rumsfeld. Gates didn’t think much of Obama; and Obama and Hagel seemed to disdain each other when Hagel quit.
I see Roy beat me to it. Allahpundit? Surely you are joking.
Look, YMMV, but presidential,egos are huge. Obama’s was the biggest in my lifetime, IMHO. Trump? Yeah, a big one. This just shows how mainstream reporting and the formed viewpoints get distorted. This very day new info came out on Obama and SA, and how Obama’s ego and legacy driven desire to cut the Iran nuclear deal warped his SA policy.
Obama was about Obama. Period, full stop.
“It ain’t bragging if you can do it” ~ Paul “Dizzy” Dean
Donald Trump assumed the presidency with more accomplishments under his belt than any president in my lifetime, with the possible exception of Dwight Eisenhower. His accomplishments since are, objectively, greatly to the benefit of the country.
Any animus you continue to harbor towards him are between you and your own personal demons. I can’t help you with that.
Rather than argue about Donald Trump’s accomplishments, let me suggest that you can be the greatest tennis player in the world and completely flop as a pro football player. Good government is not a solo event but a team event.
I’ve been a regular HotAir reader since the site began and to me it’s just bizarre that anyone would consider Allahpundit “left wing.”
Estimates of who has a bigger ego are a bit subjective. We can’t read people’s minds, so all we have to go off of is actions and behaviors. On that basis, Trump is the clear winner in my judgment.
Dave,
More apt analogy – Great figure skater does a double Buttigieg with a darling flip at the end vs. Roenik – he shoots, he scores.
Good government may be a team event but “II,1,1: The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.”
Good government is about “Help Wanted” signs instead of “For Rent”.
Good government is about the lowest unemployment rate in history for black Americans, not turning a thug into a hero because of the color of his skin.
Good government is about “I’m Proud to be an American”, not “Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow” or Obama’s favorite, “Hail to the Chief”.
And as for Commander in Chief,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzlFn4U_FeE&feature=youtu.be
I agree with that. You might want to look at the duration of Trump’s hires.
“Donald Trump assumed the presidency with more accomplishments under his belt than any president in my lifetime, ”
Wow, you win the internet. The memorable Barry Switzer covered this.
“Some people are born on third base and go through life thinking they hit a triple.â€
― Barry Switzer
But hey, maybe your mother drove you to school in a Rolls Royce too so you think that is normal. Some of us live up here in the northeast and have followed how he made all his money. So maybe if he was running for real estate person in chief he would have been OK. Clearly someone like Eisenhower who helped run WW2 brought a lot more useful experience to bear. Reagan was governor of the 6th or 7th largest economy in the world. Roosevelt was Assistant Sec of the Navy during WW1 and governor of a large state.
Maybe you were referring to that great success, Trump University?
His success as POTUS? He passed a tax cut. God knows Republicans seldom do that, so lets give him credit there. Otherwise we have slightly better growth at the cost of increased debt, but then you guys dont care about debt if your guy is in office do you?
Steve
Weak tea, guys.