Uncharted Territory

Published January 15, 2017 in The Jamestown Post-Journal

One of the exciting aspects of being alive in 2016/2017 is that we have witnessed a lot of “firsts” in American politics. It is the first time that we have elected a person with no governmental experience to the highest office in the land. It is also a “first” that he did this with little support from the establishment of his own party and he did it single-handedly by being his own communications director. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

In saying that President Trump had no “governmental experience,” we must acknowledge that others came to that office who had never been elected before. Herbert Hoover comes to mind. However, Hoover had extensive experience dealing with public issues and had been Secretary of Commerce in the 1920’s. Presidents Grant and Eisenhower also had no elective experience, but they had been deeply immersed in the politics of the Nation through their military service. Because of that, they had a strong sense and appreciation of the complexities and challenges associated with becoming President and Commander-in-Chief.

If nothing else, Donald Trump is now living proof that, in America, experience in politics and government is not a prerequisite to becoming President. That also means that though we are rooting for him to be successful, we are also “holding our breath” a bit hoping that he doesn’t fail.

It also is becoming apparent that Mr. Trump’s ascension to the Presidency is coming at a time when the world, in general, is in a topsy-turvy mood. If this were another country (take Argentina as an example), one wouldn’t be much worried. The world doesn’t usually look to Argentina for global leadership. However, this is the United States of America which fought two World Wars in the 20th century and is now looked to as the leader of the world. It would have been reassuring had Mr. Trump been tutored at least a bit in the intricacies of international diplomacy.

As Van Miller used to say: “Fasten your seat belt folks!”

But, all of this is now conjecture. As Van Miller used to say in announcing Buffalo Bill’s games: “Fasten your seat belt folks!” We have a new President, and we must wish and hope for him to be successful.

I see some bright spots in his leadership team. His nominee for Secretary of Defense, James “Mad-dog” Mattis had a stellar career in the Marine Corps and was exposed to the quagmire of the War in Iraq. Mike Pence, his Vice President, served in the Congress and as Governor of Indiana—he knows how difficult it can be to run a government.

Then, there is his son-in-law, Jared Kushner: a young, 35 year-old man, but a person who seems to have depth and perspective. He studied sociology at Harvard, and received his JD and MBA at New York University. You cannot have gone through that and not picked up on the complexities and challenges of running a country like America which has obligations of leadership throughout the world. Mr. Kushner will now be Senior White House Advisor to the President.

So good luck, Mr. President. You won the election and now all of us will be affected and governed by your decisions. We are in the same boat now!

Rolland Kidder
Stow, NY