The Apostle Paul urged Christians living in Rome to “think with sober judgment” as they engaged in regular self-examination (Romans 12:3).
That is good advice for individuals, but also for us as a nation collectively.
Now that the end point of the first 100 very long days of Donald Trump’s presidency has passed, I believe we would do well to reflect with sober judgment on the state and direction of our nation.
From my perspective, it is a very discouraging and disturbing picture, not least because his presidency has cast a pall over us a people.
Beyond the anxiety and anger and frustration millions of us feel, the mood of the nation seems to be somber, almost sullied, as if our self-respect and reputation as a people have been tarnished by his brash words and adolescent behavior, and especially by his inability simply to tell the truth.
I think the reason for all of this is both simple and obvious: Donald Trump is not even close to being as good a person as the American people he is supposed to represent.
We are not a perfect nation, to be sure, but we are better than the man who is our president.
David Gergen, a veteran political advisor to several Republican and Democratic presidents, put his finger on it when he described his reaction to Trump’s “campaign” speech in Pennsylvania last weekend.
“This was the most divisive speech I’ve ever heard from a sitting American president” Gergen said, “a deeply disturbing speech.”
Why did he react that way? In his own words: “He [Trump] played to his base and he treated his other listeners, the rest of the people who have been disturbed about him or oppose him, he treated them basically as ‘I don’t care, I don’t give a damn what you think, because you’re frankly like the enemy,'”
That assessment, made with a level of sober judgment one would wish other commentators possessed, spoke volumes about why there is a pall over the country.
And as a nation, we deserve better. At its core that is what is wrong with the Trump presidency.
It’s the man that is the problem.
It is clear that he has no understanding of the job he has, how the legislative process works, or even the actual content of the bills his own administration has proposed, but it is his childishness, his pettiness, his vindictiveness that are embarrassing the country.
He is like an uncouth relative to whom we are forced to introduce to our friends.
I always considered Ronald Reagan’s “it’s morning in America” a great turn of phrase without much substance, but it was effective in expressing his desire to lift the spirits of the American people at a time when pessimism was widespread.
In spite of President Obama’s best efforts, the mood of the nation in 2016 was similar to what it was in 1980.
But Trump did not seize the moment and call on our better angels as a people. He chose, instead, to exacerbate our differences and tap into base desires and hatreds in order to use them to his political advantage.
Understanding how anyone can support this man or cheer the speech he gave last weekend is beyond my comprehension.
But this much I do know. We have never been here before.
It is true that liberals thought George W. Bush was a terrible president, and conservatives thought Barack Obama was, but Donald Trump is in a category all by himself, leaving thoughtful liberals and conservatives alike wondering how this could have ever happened to our country.
We need answers to that question, as well as ideas about what can be done to help the nation survive, all of which we will discuss next time.
But we must first underscore the critical fact that the situation our nation is facing is because we are a better people than Donald Trump is a man.
That is why he is a president who embarrasses the nation rather than making us proud, and nothing about him would suggest things are ever going to be different.
linnposts.com 
Thanks, Jan, thoughtfully written and so much how I feel. I believe his boasting and his constant habit of blaming someone else is what makes me so depressed every day. Then add to that as to what is going to happen with healthcare and North Korea and taxes and an un-needed border wall, and I realize it is no wonder I feel so discouraged every day. It doesn’t help to feel powerless either. Keep writing — just knowing there are others out there feeling this way somehow gives me a boost.
Thanks for your encouragement as well, Colleen. I will keep doing my part.
While the man is a problem, the bigger problem are those who put him there and continue to deny that there is a problem. Don’t scapegoat. This post feels awfully close to doing that.
Luke, saying Trump the man is the problem with why he is a bad president does not preclude focusing attention on those who voted for him. In fact, that will be some of the focus of the next blog. Not sure why you would read this as being close to scapegoating.
My apologies. My narrow thinking. I read “At its core that is what is wrong with the Trump presidency. It’s the man that is the problem.” as being the ONLY thing wrong is the man. That’d be scapegoating, which is not what you’re saying. The man is part of the larger equation. Thanks for clarifying.
And thanks for responding to that, Luke.
Thanks, Jan, for your clear statement of the problem, with which I definitely agree. I look forward to your next post, seemingly about how we got here and what we might do about it.
Cheerz!
Gene
Well said, Jan. You and I are at different places politically, but I absolutely agree with the sentiments you express here. I have learned much about leadership over the years and Donald Trump consistently violates the principles I’ve been taught: own your mistakes, don’t blame others, give others credit when things go well, cast a clear vision, bring out the best in people rather than the worst, etc. If I thought he would read books other than his own, I could suggest some helpful reading for him.
What used to be a reason our nation was great was the fact that people of differing political views could at the same time find common ground. That seems to have been lost today, so thanks for reminding us that it can still exist. And by the way, I think you articulated what’s wrong with Trump’s leadership about as clearly as it can be said. Thanks for that as well.
One other thing, Scott, I didn’t say last night. People looking to you for leadership need to hear someone politically conservative speak to issues of today out of the kind of integrity of faith you have so they understand that loving others never means be afraid to speak truth. I am sure you know that, but wanted to underscore it.
I think we got here due to ignorance & stupidity on the part of a lot of people. The big problem I see is Now What? I don’t see much, if anything, the average person can do. It’s depressing. I think the guy has mental health issues..
We can’t give up, Wally. I believe the average person has much more power than he or she may believe. It’s called voting, the ultimate power in a democracy. Thanks.
Yes, voting is power, but we don’t get to do it very often. In this case about 3 7 more years. I don’t think my patience can hold out.
I agree with this assessment but even without Trump as president my scope of vision sees the deep state as a larger concern. The security departments took a mere 2 months to convert Trump to their world view leading him to quickly abandon Flynn, back away from cooperation with Russia, bomb Syria and discontinue efforts to NOT be the world’s policeman. Decades in the making, they run the show more than the politicians, especially on the global stage. For those depressed about the nation’s political state DO consider looking at the work Bernie is doing with his “Our Revolution” organization traveling the country to promote progressive issues and candidates at all levels of government. Also, consider reading Cornell West’s “Opinion” article of April 24 in The Guardian titled: “The Democrats Have Delivered One Thing The Past 100 Days, Disappointment”. It highlights the work of millennials, led by former Sanders organizers like Nick Brana, to form a new progressive party based on Sanders’ campaign base. Dr West sees hope in the energy and vision of these 29 and unders. There ARE positive activities happening on behalf of progressives!
If they will follow through and vote, Bob, then we have hope.
Jan, I am constantly amazed at the purposefulness, meaningfulness and clarity of most all of your posts. So, in my case, if you are “preaching” to the choir, count me in as one of your singers. That said, I am reminded of one of your posts immediately following the election of Donald Trump. You, in my mind, stated “pragmatically” that we all must hold him and them accountable for their current and future actions. To me, this is what will be necessary for America to become a “Better America”. I personally am not “depressed” about our current state of affairs. I see it as a “lightning bolt” of opportunity. And, I see it as “democracy in action”. I am buoyed by the Democrats response to the last 100 days. And, I am buoyed by the overall general reaction to the “Trump Presidency”. Our good friend Wally makes a good point. That is that the current American electorate may not care enough or may not be intelligent enough to make a difference. But, I see real examples of these people beginning to second guess the outlandish choice they made in the last election. For them “we” must educate them on circumstantial truth and reality. And, we must all do our part to continue to “hold them accountable”. I look forward to your next post. John Hamerski
John, I really, really like what you have written. It faces the current crisis with realism without giving up hope. I, too, see signs of that since Trump’s election. Wally is right, I think, about many voters, but the challenge is getting those who do know the issues to see that voting is the key to citizen power. That is how we hold politicians accountable, and it works! Thanks so much for commenting.
Would it be OK if I cross-postred this article to WriterBeat.com? I’ll be sure to give you complete credit as the author. There is no fee, I’m simply trying to add more content diversity for our community and I liked what you wrote. If “OK” please let me know via email.
Autumn
AutumnCote@WriterBeat.com