Like him or hate him, he's an unusual president who's going to provoke unusual reactions.
As an example, probably the one of the first things I found particularly crazy about trump from during the campaign, was how I can't recall a presidential candidate campaigning by repeatedly promising to lock up their political opponent.
Great point, thank you for giving the example. As some love to point out, the man's words rarely match his actions (doing 'that' is bad...but then he starts doing 'that'), or all the times people point to his words as lies. I'm not going to absolve him of these, as I find it disappointing for anyone to engage like that, much less our President. However, it has set a steady pattern of proving you cannot put value to his words. I honestly didn't pay much attention to him until he was elected, so as a businessman or tv personality I am assuming he has always been more about making noise with his words as opposed to actually meaning them. Whether it is a distraction from what he's actually trying to do (as his supporters may claim) or proof the man can't be counted on for anything (as his opposition will claim), I find myself unable to put weight to his words either way.
So, I then look at his actions. For the most part, those align with what I'd want. He's not taken office and turned the gov't into his personal hunt of HRC to lock her up and support the outlandish statements. As much as he's been attacked and investigated, he has allowed his camp (his son comes to mind foremost) and Barr (who did appear before congress) and others to cooperate with these attacks and investigations. Yeah, he's drawing a line now saying enough is enough, but he has not avoided or blocked these things out of the gate. Even with his requests to obstruct (if interpreted that way), his team did not obey out of knowing it was wrong to do so. I'll give him credit for (accidently?) having staff in place that prevents him from screwing up such things that have to be eating at him personally. Honestly, that's the biggest takeaway for me, his actions show he is not the childish self serving person he sounds like, because he hasn't done things to act petty or vindictive towards his attackers. That, in the face of what he's up against, does improve my opinion of him.
I also consider how easy it would be to lose time arguing against these accusations, and instead, he is taking on domestic (less) and global (more) areas that I would want my President to be addressing. The ability to focus on the real issues to address whilst under investigation and scrutiny, impresses me. His snarky tweets, do not. But his tweets aren't going to change my country, his actions are.
I think you are spot on (as usual). HE did bring a lot of new types of criticism that previous Presidents haven't faced, by his rhetoric, and such lambasting is due. But his actions, in comparison with those against him, are unbalanced, IMO.
TLB you were around for Birtherism. What are your thoughts on how that compares to Trump crying wolf?
Honestly, I shrugged it off at the time as noise from a petty childish person on the outside of it. Trump wasn't the only one bleating about it, and to your point (as I read it) he is now being subjected to the type of 'check it out, he aint right to be there' which he was supporting and throwing at Obama. Tell me, how far did Reps or anyone else take the birther claims? And, when any sort of investigative results were provided....did they pursue looking for anything, no matter how small, in Obama's history with which to attack him with hopes of removing him from office? Or did it die off, and the country moved on? I'm not seeing the left 'move on' (ha, nice re-use of a slogan) except to look for another issue, any issue, to attack.
