What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered?
Remember that line from the movie “Groundhog Day?” That’s exactly how I feel listening to and reading the news day after day.
Earlier this week, Robin Smith effectively outlined on this page many of President Trump’s accomplishments since he took office. Yet, those things are lost among endless fake news headlines about collusion with Russia, allegations of a disgraced James Comey, investigations and special prosecutors.
But, unlike the despair reflected by Bill Murray’s character in “Groundhog Day,” we have cause to be optimistic. First, the democratic (small “d”) process worked last fall. Tennesseans elected Trump overwhelmingly. Is he arrogant, bombastic and often impetuous? Yes, but Trump supporters weighed those negatives before the election. They picked him from among many capable Republicans in the primary. And he has delivered (or made valiant efforts) on his campaign pledges. No other president in my life time has done so much to fulfill the promises he made to his electorate.
Second, Trump is attempting to shift political power back to the states. We see this through proposals in health care, education, infrastructure development, environmental issues and laws affecting moral issues, such as allowing states to determine appropriate restroom use. Tennesseans know our own needs better than New York or California bureaucrats.