Pirate's Cove

Mr. Obama has been running roughshod over the Constitution and restrictions on the Chief Executive for the majority of his term. He’s show a lack of care for doing things the proper way, instead relying on executive actions and order, complaining that Congress won’t pass legislation that he never crafts and sends over, and just simply doing whatever he wants. But, what if Trump wins? Politico’s Bill Sher tells us what Trump’s first 100 days would look like

Would a Trump presidency be a madcap extension of his reality TV show? Except instead of the guilty pleasure we enjoy while watching the hapless get fired, we would be watching the tragicomic destruction of our international alliances, our economy and our national reputation without the option of changing the channel?

Huh. Liberals haven’t cared too much about those exact things (except the firing part, since almost no one gets fired for incompetence and bad behavior in the Obama admin. They usually get promoted) happening under Obama.

“Mexican, Chinese military officials report unauthorized breach of air space by U.S. F/A-18 fighter jets.” That’s what the Washington Free Beacon predicts will be the news out of the Trump inauguration. Another satirical press release envisages “loser,” “dummy” and “moron” replacing the usual diplomatic language out of the State Department. Former Obama speechwriter Jon Lovett imagines it all ending with a “budget crisis, President Trump’s impeachment [and] Vice President Cruz’s inauguration.” Is this really the future that awaits us under president Trump?

Probably not.

As much as Trump likes to project an aura of someone who plays by his own rules and always gets his way, once in the Oval Office he would be just another politician, bound by the laws of political gravity. He may want to break some china, literally and figuratively. But in his first 100 days, the constitutional constraints of the office would become apparent, and the fears of instantaneous disaster would dissipate.

First up, as Politico notes, would be rescinding Obama’s Executive Orders on illegal aliens, stopping, as they put it, “deportation relief”. Also, labeling China a currency manipulator.

Those are actions solely within the purview of the executive branch. What Trump could not do at the point of a finger is undo Obama’s policies established by the formal regulatory process. Trump may think that global warming is a hoax, but he can’t wipe the EPA’s carbon rules off the books without undergoing a laborious regulatory process of his own. Even then he could be stymied by environmentalist lawsuits charging him with violating the Clean Air Act.

Suddenly, Trump is not allowed to use his own Executive Orders. Obama has enacted a raft of “climate change” initiatives via EO: Trump could rescind those. As POTUS, Trump could easily craft his own EO’s directing the EPA to stop enforcing any “climate change” laws, in the exact same manner Obama told them to expand their scope, and the same as with his “deportation relief”.

Liberals will suddenly believe in the “constitutional constraints of the office”, something they’ve utterly ignored during the Obama years, if Trump wins.

People horrified at the prospect of a President Trump can take some solace that our constitutional system of checks and balances constricts his ability to turn America into a gold-plated laughingstock. But those who believe Trump’s bravado is the only way to make Washington work should disabuse themselves of that fantasy. We’ve shocked the world before, only to be shocked to learn that it takes a politician to practice politics.

Interesting. Obama’s entire time in office has been about bravado and doing things his own way, of picking fights with Congress (and going back on deals he agreed to when anything actually gets done), of making demands then issuing EOs. Suddenly this would be Bad for Trump, or, let’s face it, any other Republican. Go figure.

Crossed at Right Wing News.