I'm reminded of the early part of the Reagan administration.
Depending on who you ask - from what I saw, observed, lived and have since read - we are talking about one of the biggest expansions of our economy in its history.
(Historically, the biggest was the early sixties, and given the timing, new technolgies and our rise in the developed world - that's not surprising).
If you recall - the first couple years of Reagan's first term were - well - underwhelming. At that time, beating him 84 seemed a pretty good prospect.
The economy wasn't doing well, and the left were busy calling him Bonzo and saying the chimp was smarter. We had another recession.
Inflation was back and unemployment was up - again.
While I thought firing the air traffic controllers was perfect - the left didn't see it that way. The GOP lost 27 seats in the mid-terms.
Not a great start. While I did not vote for Reagan - I supported his first couple years. Even some of my conservative friends didn't like him,
and thought he was a nitwit. I remember a roommate rolling his eyes when Reagan was on the phone congratulating the Redskins on their
1982 Superbowl win.
It got better - a lot better. The economy exploded. Mondale was sadly, the go to guy for 84 and got beat in an election - the second worst in
U.S. history - that he never had a chance of winning.
Because when you roll a snowball down a hill, it starts out slow and looks like nothing - until it becomes an avalanche.
I do think the Democrats - the smarter ones - KNOW this. They want to stem the part of the party that wants to celebrate and push
agendas that will lose, big. My dad used to use a phrase "coasting". He'd say you're coasting before you get to the top of the hill (using snow
and a sled as a metaphor). "You know what happens, son, if you coast before you reach the top? You go backwards". THAT is why the
brighter Dems are cautioning the party - they've seen it before.
There IS a chance - and I think a good one - that the tariffs will achieve the desired result - fair trade. That IS the goal. Hell, if it was just
revenge, it'd be stupid. If it was to raise money - because tariffs are government money - the Dems should be dancing over the idea of free money -
they ought to get behind it. I think it's a tough slog - because some countries, as we've seen in Canada, have an entrenched system that depends
on their subsidies with their tariffs. Cutting them or curtailing them i response to the U.S. will be tough. Ditto China. China is even more difficult
because their economy is almost 100% state run, which means, everything is the government. Imagine if our government didn't just run
interference for Google and Apple - but it was normal and legal.
I think there is a good chance that Trump will win out, but like Reagan, it will take time. I can still hear the voices back in 81 and 82 saying,
do you still think he's going to be a good President?