OK. I have a new Trump theory. One he might even like.
I’m a traditional, mainstream Republican who preferred at least a half-dozen Republican presidential nominees over Donald Trump. I have a hard time dealing with his forays into silly issues, his tantrums, his gigantic ego, his narcissism and any number of other flaws.
But I’m beginning to believe that to disrupt Washington and really turn the country around, it’s going to take a Trump-like ego, assertiveness, and maybe even his flawed personality to get it done. This theory is making even more sense as I witness Trump battle with the Washington establishment – the change-resistant bureaucracies in every federal agency, the liberal news media that dominates communications, the lobbyist/corporate complex, the gigantic environmental activist network, powerful unions, well-funded liberal activist groups, major elements of Congress, and even the courts.
The all-powerful, all-encompassing Washington establishment has essentially had its way for many decades, no matter who is president or who controls Congress. These dominant interest groups all have a stake in preserving the status quo, and they will fight to the death to maintain their dominance.
And as a result, the federal government has grown too large, too costly, too indebted, and too dysfunctional – to the point that the future of the country is threatened.
In business, a small startup that is faster, cheaper and better can disrupt a gigantic corporation. That doesn’t work in government. In government, you have to blow it up.
Had I been elected president (or Jeb Bush or John Kasich or other GOP candidates), I would have gone to Washington seeking dramatic change and a new direction. But as a mainstream Republican who doesn’t especially like bare-knuckled combat, I would have tried to work within the system, forming coalitions and using the power of persuasion.
And I would have likely been eaten for lunch by the overwhelming weight and force of the Washington establishment. I might make some incremental gains here and there, but I would have been beaten back quite handily.
Watching the establishment groups recoil in utter horror at Trump and his plans, it’s apparent how tough the job is to really disrupt Washington. It’s going to take a modern-day Ghengis Khan, a revolutionary, a resolute insurgent to break through.
The last real political mutineer in the White House was Ronald Reagan. He made some progress taking on the establishment, but not enough, and it didn’t last.
I don’t actually know if Trump can do it. I don’t even know if he really wants to change the country the way it needs to be changed. And he keeps hurting the effort by getting sidetracked on inconsequential issues.
No doubt, Trump comes with a lot of baggage. But his insurrectionist personality may be what is needed to not let anything stop him in accomplishing the big goals. If he does so, most Americans will be willing to overlook the silly stuff.
I don’t know if this will end well. Maybe Trump will be an enormous flop and the Washington establishment will reassert its dominance and we’ll be worse off than before.
It’s going to be interesting to watch.
