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Donald Trump and the end of the American Century…
The Daily Dose/January 21, 2017
By Gaylon Kent=
America’s Funniest Guy
“WE ARE TRANSFERRING POWER FROM WASHINGTON, D.C, AND GIVING IT BACK YOU, THE PEOPLE”: Donald Trump – Donald Trump! – the divisive winner of the most divisive election in American history took the helm of a fractured and splintered country Friday in Washington, D.C.
“This Moment Is Your Moment…” Trump started out strong. Really strong, actually, and after a couple of minutes we were about ready to weep. Had he been able to keep this going the entire speech, History would be ranking it right up there with George Washington and John F Kennedy.
Die! Die! Die! But then he pissed the Muslims off by vowing to destroy the Islamic State and from there it deteriorated into something more resembling a campaign appearance than anything an incoming president of the United States speaking for History’s sake, with us citizens mere bystanders, might say.
Get Out Your History Books: Like you probably have, we’ve read every inaugural address here at the Daily Dose and we give Trump below average marks. He talked nothing about America’s place in the world, about our responsibilities to our fellow nations. It was if he was heralding the end of what some have referred to as the American Century.
The Bottom Line: Pros: While he didn’t look completely presidential, there was no doubt Trump was in complete command and not some wishy-washy politician trying to be all things to all people. He was Trump being Trump; if you like him, great, if you don’t, I don’t really think he cares.
Cons: Trump is, of course, a complete freakazoid. He made a complete ass of himself, and humiliated us, during the campaign and we remain confident he will be an utter embarrassment as president because the best indicator of future performance is past performance.
Me! Me! Me!: Considering Trump’s only real talent is drumming up interest in himself, and that he is one of the great egotists of all-time, the fact he only used the word “I” three times in his inaugural address is nothing short of miraculous. Here in the office, we had put the over/under at 546.
Dry, Technical Matter: Trump’s speech checked in at a bit more than 1,400 words, a bit less than the historical average of 2,000 or so for presidential inaugural addresses.
MEANWHILE, FROM THE AFRICA DESK: Friday’s peaceful transfer of power in Washington is in stark contrast to what is going in that bastion of democracy known as The Gambia, where president Yahya Jammeh initially refused to cede power. He had taken power 22 years ago in the obligatory African military coup but lost December’s election to Adama Barrow. During his term, Jammeh had the usual accusations such leaders are accustomed to, such as suppressed resistance and curtailed press freedoms, so it’s not a bulletin he was hesitant to give up power.
Dry, Technical Matter: Elections in The Gambia are conducted with marbles. We are not making that up. Voters receive a marble and place it in a sealed drum that has a picture of their desired candidate on it, a method that virtually eliminates disputed ballots.
Back On Message: Reports from The Gambia seem to indicate, however, that Jammeh – after some arm twisting by neighboring heads of state – has decided to step down.
IT’S GOOD TO BE THE KING, AT LEAST UNTIL YOU’RE BEHEADED: Louis XVI, formerly the King of the French, is executed by guillotine on this date in 1793. The previous August Louis had been dethroned and arrested on charges of treason. He was indicted in December and had been convicted on January 15.
“The Saddest Day Of My Life…”: His home state of Mississippi having already seceded from the Union, Jefferson Davis resigns from the United States Senate on this date in 1861. Three days later he would be appointed a major general in the Army of Mississippi and in February elected provisional president of the Confederacy.
Thought For The Day: Finally, we must think big and dream even bigger. In America, we understand that a nation is only living as long as it is striving. – Donald Trump, January 21, 2017
Answer To The Last Trivia Question: The only other time in American history when four of five presidents were elected to and served consecutive terms was the period when George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe served two terms, sandwiching John Adams single term. The period that began with Ronald Reagan in 1981 and ended Friday with the end of Barack Obama’s term was the other.
Today’s Stumper: Which president of the United States gave the longest inaugural address and which president gave the shortest? Answer next time!
