Trump won, they didn't
The second anniversary of Donald J. Trump (R)'s unexpected victory is approaching, but his "Resistance" opponents are still behaving as if they can unseat him. Trump keeps swatting them down, as this absolutely delightful exchange with Lesley Stahl of 60 Minutes demonstrates.
President Trump: One thing I really learned, I never knew how dishonest the media was and I really mean it. I'm not saying that as a soundbite. I never knew how dishonest...
Lesley Stahl: I'm going to change the subject again.
President Trump: When you ask me a question like separation. When I say Obama did it you don't want to talk about it.
Lesley Stahl: No, no, I'm going to run your answer...
President Trump: I'm just telling you that you treated me much differently on the subject.
Lesley Stahl: I disagree but I don't want to have that fight with you.
President Trump: It's OK. Lesley, it's OK. In the meantime, I'm president and you're not.
For some reason, the media labeled the interview "contentious."
Of course, when President Barack bluntly replied, "I won" when questioned about his proposals, the media swooned. Exactly five years ago, Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post sympathetically explained Obama's problems dealing with those nasty Republicans who didn't fall into line for him.
A visibly frustrated President Obama delivered a blunt message to Republicans with whom he had feuded over the government shutdown and the debt ceiling over the past month on Tuesday: Elections matter. I won; you lost. Deal with it.
That's a paraphrase – obviously. Here's what Obama actually said:
You don't like a particular policy or a particular president? Then argue for your position. Go out there and win an election. Push to change it. But don't break it. Don't break what our predecessors spent over two centuries building. That's not being faithful to what this country's about.
"Go out there and win an election." That's about as direct as you will ever hear a politician be about how he feels about his opposition and how they are conducting themselves. (It's not the first time Obama has used the "I won" construct. Remember the health care summit in early 2010, when Obama told Sen. John McCain, "The election is over"?)
There are slightly under two and a half years remaining of Trump's first term – hopefully, with another win, six and a half years of Trump winning, Trump as president, liberals are not.
MAGA!