Donald Trump’s 100 days of u-turns, bombs and cake

Some of those supporters presumably see their president as a decisive leader using the full power of the presidency to tackle enormous domestic and foreign issues.

To them, he’s doing precisely what he promised, and given time and space to act, he will deliver real change to America.

Business leaders are waiting for his tax cuts to invigorate markets, while the core voters wait for their promised new jobs and cheaper healthcare.

But if Trump is right that running America really is like running a business, he should be able to produce an income-expenditure model that indicates more is being achieved with less, with a surplus to show as a result.

No such model is forthcoming.

Yes, the proposed investments in infrastructure and the border wall are meant to be balanced by cuts to public programmes in science, health, welfare, and even the coast guard.

But combined with promised tax cuts and increased defence spending, the books simply will not be balanced – especially with expensive new overseas military adventures now on the cards.

In search of a metaphor with which to capture these first 100 days of the Trump presidency, I’ve landed on the Tasmanian devil.

The real animal is described as having a “cantankerous disposition”; it will “fly into a maniacal rage when threatened by a predator, fighting for a mate, or defending a meal”.

As rendered in cartoon form for Looney Tunes, it’s a swirling vortex of frenzied activity with an empty core.

The thrust and parry of politics is inevitable, as interests and power intersect in complex and contested ways – but actual change is achieved through consensus and compromise.

Obamacare was only passed in 2010 after a year of face-to-face encounters, discussions, and compromises forged in committee rooms and caucus meetings.

The bill that emerged wasn’t what everyone wanted, but it contained enough of what most of them wanted.

If Trump’s first 100 days prove anything, it’s that politics is not business.

CEOs and presidents need very different skills, and commanders-in-chief need to think about more than the bottom line.

The self-proclaimed master of the Art of the Deal has much to learn if he is to thrive in his first term.

By Todd Landman. This article is reproduced from The Conversation

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