In public policy, tradeoffs are inevitable.
Health care is a vivid example.
Negativity bias: losses may get more attention than gains.
Overpromising: "If you like your current plan..."
Agency strategies (Hood, ch. 4): "the mess we inherited"
Blame acceptance (Hood p. 54). After the Bay of Pigs disaster, JFK said, "There's an old saying that victory has 100 fathers and defeat is an orphan ... I have said as much as I feel can be usefully said by me in regard to the events of the past few days. Further statements, detailed discussions, are not to conceal responsibility because I'm the responsible officer of the Government."
Yemen: early sign that Trump would avoid blame acceptance.
The messes he inherited:
No president ever worked harder than me (cleaning up the mess I inherited)!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 11, 2019
I inherited a total mess in Syria and Afghanistan, the “Endless Wars” of unlimited spending and death. During my campaign I said, very strongly, that these wars must finally end. We spend $50 Billion a year in Afghanistan and have hit them so hard that we are now talking peace...— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 1, 2019
Our Country was built on Tariffs, and Tariffs are now leading us to great new Trade Deals - as opposed to the horrible and unfair Trade Deals that I inherited as your President. Other Countries should not be allowed to come in and steal the wealth of our great U.S.A. No longer!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 15, 2018
Coronavirus?Don't believe the main stream (fake news) media.The White House is running VERY WELL. I inherited a MESS and am in the process of fixing it.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 18, 2017
May 14
We inherited a broken, terrible system. And I always say it: Our cupboards were bare. We had very little in our stockpile.March 13
Q Dr. Fauci said earlier this week that the lag in testing was, in fact, “a failing.” Do you take responsibility for that?
...
THE PRESIDENT: Yeah, no, I don’t take responsibility at all, because we were given a — a set of circumstances and we were given rules, regulations, and specifications from a different time.
Villains
John McCain (died August 28, 2018)
Spreading the fake and totally discredited Dossier “is unfortunately a very dark stain against John McCain.” Ken Starr, Former Independent Counsel. He had far worse “stains” than this, including thumbs down on repeal and replace after years of campaigning to repeal and replace!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 16, 2019
The Fed
The Federal Reserve is wrong so often. I see the numbers also, and do MUCH better than they do. We will have a very good Third Quarter, a great Fourth Quarter, and one of our best ever years in 2021. We will also soon have a Vaccine & Therapeutics/Cure. That’s my opinion. WATCH!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 11, 2020
Our pathetic, slow moving Federal Reserve, headed by Jay Powell, who raised rates too fast and lowered too late, should get our Fed Rate down to the levels of our competitor nations. They now have as much as a two point advantage, with even bigger currency help. Also, stimulate!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 10, 2020
The Deep State
“Trump has outmastered the Deep State. He’s light years ahead of us.” MSDNC. I disagree. We have a long way to go. There are still some very bad, sick people in our government - people who do not love our Country (In fact, they hate our Country!).— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 9, 2020
Antifa
It’s ANTIFA and the Radical Left. Don’t lay the blame on others!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2020
Elderly Catholic Peace Activists!
Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur. 75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment. @OANN I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up?— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2020
Transparency and Accountability
Jefferson: "the whole art of government consists in the art of being honest."
- Telling more than 19,000 lies;
- In particular, lying about COVID-19;
- Firing inspectors general;
- Obstructing Congress
