Looking Back, Looking Ahead

What can we say about 2017? Historians will someday write that 2017 was a major turning point for the United States of America, the beginning of a new era of expansion of technology, economics, and ideas. It was the year when the momentum for the redistribution of wealth was transformed into a new momentum for the redistribution of power. The control that was entrenched with an elite few in government, industry, academe, and commerce, began to unravel and be returned to the States and the people, where the true strength of this country has always resided. Things can never go back to the way they were for the previous eight years. Whether Donald Trump's presidency lasts for four years or eight years, whoever follows him, Democrat or Republican, whether they agree with him or not, will not be elected by stumping to reverse his policies, but for proposing to build upon them.

The destiny of this country from 2018 forward was astutely summed up by the CEO and Chairman of JP Morgan Chase this week. Jaime Dimon describes himself as barely a Democrat; no big fan of President Trump, he is rumored to be considering running for President himself because things are "so messed up". He believes Trump will likely be a one-term president, but cautions fellow Democrats that if they are to take back the White House, they are going to have to change. “The thing about the Democrats is, you know, they — they will not have a chance, in my opinion if they don’t have a strong centrist, pro-business, pro-free enterprise person. Y’know, the American public is not clamoring for more government.” Dimon further advised that the Democratic Party will need to come up with a reasonable candidate with fresh ideas for even more jobs and economic growth or Trump will win another four years.

If Dimon is right, this changes everything. None of the Democrats mentioned in the running for the next presidential election cycle come anywhere close to these criteria. What Dimon is saying is that the American people don't want more government; they don't want to be dictated to by the government or by the media or by Hollywood or by the NFL elite. If the Democratic Party does not come into step with the changing times it is going to enter into a dystopian world of total, permanent political irrelevance, if they’re not careful.

The person who wins the next presidential contest will be the one with the best ideas for the electorate, and not the one who wants to go back to the way things were. Trump is making things happen, despite the negative spin of the mainstream media. He is already fulfilling Obama's dream of fundamentally transforming America.  Dimon, despite his liberal leanings, thinks the momentum of the country has shifted in a positive way and expects 4% growth of the GDP in 2018. He is pleased with the recent tax legislation and foresees an expanding business environment with retained capital now becoming available to grow businesses — R&D, hiring, wages, competition – and believes it will be very good for America for a long time.

When the opposition is pleased with the consequences of Trump's policy decisions, it doesn't leave them much room to sell the electorate on reversing the President's "evil" agenda. The only option left is to one-up Mr. Trump in 2020 and offer the American people more of what he is so far succeeding at. Trump is the first president to run the country like a successful business. He is a savvy gamesman.  The Democrats can only beat him with good cards.  Intimidation and the old tricks will no longer work.  Someone is going to have to meet his wager and raise the ante to beat him in a game he is very good at playing. Right now the Democrats are just not paying enough attention to the existential changes occurring in this country for that to happen. Dimon's advice for the rest of us: "When you are on a plane, you root for the pilot."