Five Good Things I Can Say
. . . About Our New President

I was surprised, during the debates, when the candidates were asked to say something they admire about their opponent.  I thought it was actually a brilliant and insightful question.  I was disappointed that Hillary Clinton could not come up with anything truly admirable to say about Trump himself.  And I was pleasantly surprised at what Donald Trump said.  It may have been THE ONLY time I was pleasantly surprised – by either candidate :- ).

He found something he could admire in his opponent.  And he spoke honestly about it in that moment.  So I’ve been considering WHAT I CAN MYSELF ADMIRE in this new president who I did not vote for.  This is my list.  So far ;- ).

HE RAN a campaign – and was elected – without amassing or spending a war chest of campaign money.  This defies conventional wisdom.  And turns business as usual campaign-style on its ears.

HE RAN on his own beliefs and views – rather than creating “homogenized and sterilized” ones to lure us to him or to buy our vote.

HE WAS NOT easily persuaded by those around him to change – simply for the benefit of getting you to think he was different, or better, than he seemed . . . just to get your vote.

RATHER THAN HIDING his worst faults under layers of carefully honed and scripted political image and rhetoric – he brought his most private, behind-closed-doors self to the campaign.  He did not brand, image makeover, take acting lessons nor focus group his message.  In fact, he ignored his advisors and nearly everything that would have done those very things, creating a less true image of him.

HE SINGLE-HANDEDLY broke the influence of big money and politics as usual in the white house – because most on either side of the aisle would not endorse him – and the vast majority of the media slayed him every single day with their pens and keyboards.

He’s more independent – in some truly stunning, nearly inconceivable ways – than any other president in that regard.

Perhaps we’ve seen his worst.

Now maybe he can surprise us with his best.