Douglas E. SchoenDouglas E. Schoen
Author of Hopelessly Divided
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Linked In
Skip to content
  • Home
  • Bio
  • Books
    • America: Unite or Die
    • Putin on the March
    • America in the Age of Trump
    • Putin’s Master Plan
    • Return to Winter
    • The Nixon Effect
    • The Russia-China Axis
    • The Threat Closer to Home
    • The End of Authority
    • American Casino
    • Hopelessly Divided
    • The Political Fix
    • Mad as Hell
    • What Makes You Tick?
    • Declaring Independence
    • The Power of the Vote
    • On the Campaign Trail
  • Articles
    • Commentary
    • Forbes Blog
  • Multimedia
  • Contact

Moving to the Center Benefits Trump’s Presidency and the Country

09/08/2017 Published on Forbes.com

As a centrist and somebody who believes in bipartisan, and sometimes nonpartisan, coalitions, I have to take my hat off to the President for beginning what I hope is a long-lasting effort to promote bipartisan governing.

In the early days of Trump’s Presidency, there were many parts of his agenda I was especially critical of.

President Trump’s immigration reform, particularly the border wall and Muslim ban, were highly controversial and divisive ideas.

Even more divisive was the way the Trump Administration tried to reform healthcare. The bill was written behind closed doors, and almost passed in a completely partisan manner- something the Obama Administration previously did, which was just as divisive and problematic.

image

WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 06: U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) (L) makes a point to President Donald Trump in the Oval Office prior to his departure from the White House September 6, 2017 in Washington, DC. President Trump is traveling to North Dakota for a tax reform event with workers from the energy sector. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

However, the most disappointed I have been in Donald Trump, having known and worked for him in a commercial capacity many years ago, was with his initial remarks after Charlottesville. I thought that they were needlessly divisive, and in many ways, just wrong on demerits. I was especially disappointed in his reference to anti-Semites and White supremacists and seeking moral equivalence between those on the right and those on the left.

I say these things to make it clear that I have been critical of the Trump presidency, and will be critical once again if necessary.

But I think we are at a turning point in the Administration. The short-term deal on the debt ceiling between the Democrats and the Trump Administration is hopefully a precursor to a broader set of bipartisan initiatives on health care, immigration, and tax reform.

” webReader=”47″>

As a centrist and somebody who believes in bipartisan, and sometimes nonpartisan, coalitions, I have to take my hat off to the President for beginning what I hope is a long-lasting effort to promote bipartisan governing.

In the early days of Trump’s Presidency, there were many parts of his agenda I was especially critical of.

President Trump’s immigration reform, particularly the border wall and Muslim ban, were highly controversial and divisive ideas.

Even more divisive was the way the Trump Administration tried to reform healthcare. The bill was written behind closed doors, and almost passed in a completely partisan manner- something the Obama Administration previously did, which was just as divisive and problematic.

image

WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 06: U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) (L) makes a point to President Donald Trump in the Oval Office prior to his departure from the White House September 6, 2017 in Washington, DC. President Trump is traveling to North Dakota for a tax reform event with workers from the energy sector. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

However, the most disappointed I have been in Donald Trump, having known and worked for him in a commercial capacity many years ago, was with his initial remarks after Charlottesville. I thought that they were needlessly divisive, and in many ways, just wrong on demerits. I was especially disappointed in his reference to anti-Semites and White supremacists and seeking moral equivalence between those on the right and those on the left.

I say these things to make it clear that I have been critical of the Trump presidency, and will be critical once again if necessary.

But I think we are at a turning point in the Administration. The short-term deal on the debt ceiling between the Democrats and the Trump Administration is hopefully a precursor to a broader set of bipartisan initiatives on health care, immigration, and tax reform.

Read more at Forbes.com

← Bannon’s Exit Is A Step In The Right Direction For Trump Administration
Now is the Time to Finally Get Rid of IPAB →
  • Subscribe to Blog

    Enter your email address:

  • Latest Book:

    Read More Buy Book
  • Recent Posts

    • As Populism Surges Globally, Governments Must Respond Accordingly
    • With Seniors’ Healthcare At Risk, Congress Cannot Strike Midnight Deal
    • Why Businesses Need to Engage in the Fight Against Gun Violence
    • ‘Assertive Democratic Idealism’ Needed to Solve Venezuelan Crisis
    • Investigations Remain Important, But Bipartisan Policies Are Now Essential
  • Follow @douglaseschoen
  • Archives

  • Tags

    • america
    • american
    • americans
    • articles
    • barack obama
    • books
    • business
    • byline=doug schoen
    • california
    • channel
    • chief
    • clinton
    • congress
    • country
    • democratic
    • democrats
    • department
    • facebook
    • foxnews
    • george
    • government
    • governor
    • house
    • king
    • major
    • national
    • obama
    • op/ed
    • party
    • people
    • policy
    • politics
    • polls
    • president
    • president-obama
    • private
    • republican
    • republicans
    • secretary
    • state
    • united
    • university
    • washington
    • white
    • world
  • Tweets by @DouglasESchoen
© 2023 Douglas E. Schoen
    • Bio
    • Books
    • Articles
    • Commentary
    • Forbes Blog
    • Multimedia
    • Polls
    • Contact