By: Keith Kappes
Columnist
Carter County Times
Many of us who follow politics were surprised, perhaps even amazed, by the effectiveness of President Trump’s simple “fix-it” message in the closing weeks of last fall’s campaign.
“Trump will fix it” was focused on the price of groceries, especially eggs, and gasoline, and many other aspects of life in America. Voters were promised that each of us could count on him to fix the economy and other things he and Republican politicians were saying was wrong with our country.
Moreover, he said he would start those repairs on his first day in office. True to his pledge, he has signed a flurry of executive orders in his first two months on the job.
His grassroots appeal to voters was particularly successful in the seven so-called swing states where voters ultimately decide who wins and who loses in presidential elections. Post-election polling said “fix-it” had resonated incredibly among voters of all types.
It didn’t require some advertising expert from Madison Avenue or a trendy “influencer” from a pricey public relations firm or a high-tech pollster to confirm that Americans had serious anxieties about the future and how they could maintain or improve their family’s standard of living.
The Trump campaign hammered home the simple but effective “Trump will fix it” slogan and voters responded in astounding fashion.
Now the exciting campaign is over, and the task of governing is proving to be more challenging. In my opinion, President Trump and his administration have overlooked or ignored the sage advice of whomever first uttered these prophetic words about politics or life in general:
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Keeping campaign promises is one thing but trying to downsize the federal government too quickly has already resulted in the firing and rehiring of thousands of federal employees whose agencies have important responsibilities, some with life and death consequences.
Perhaps a more defensible approach to ending fraud, waste and abuse in the federal government is like what the bi-partisan Hoover Commission achieved between 1947 and 1949.
More simply, let’s make sure we don’t need it before we toss it out.
Contact Keith at keithkappes@gmail.com.
