The 45^th President of the United States of America will be sworn in in Washington, DC on Friday, January 20, 2017.  That man will be Donald J. Trump along with his Vice President, Mike Pence former governor of Indiana.  Mr. Trump will face opposition like no incoming president has ever experienced.  I am quite sure that virtually all Presidents or Presidential Candidates were or are ‘egotist’ and possibly suffer from some degree of ‘narcissism’.  Mr. Trump is no exception and has demonstrated that he is not a ‘diplomat’, in the normally understood sense of the word.  He is also not a ‘statesman’ in the minds of most.  He is an individual whose history and background has made him a fighter.  He is an action-oriented individual that does not like ‘red tape’ nor does he follow the normally accepted and demanded ‘protocol’ of politics.  His background is business and in business, you ‘make deals’ to achieve your objective and often bypass steps in the ‘pomp and ceremony’ of what is deemed political decorum.  We have seen this before in Washington but never in an environment where every word and deed is reported around the world in a matter of minutes.  He will be under the microscope 24/7/365 and those who hate him will continually seek for any flaws or failures perceived or real.

The American people deserve a government that is not intrusive but for many reasons we do not have that any longer.  There have been sinister forces at work for well over 100 years to sabotage our system, fundamentally transform it into something other than the government “of the people, for the people, and by the people” our founders and the framers desired.  We have shifted from Citizen Representatives to Professional Politicians. We moved from Senators being representatives of their individual states to power brokers and a political aristocracy.  We have transitioned from Representatives who served a term or two and then went back to private life and lived under the laws, rules, regulations, and restrictions they imposed on the rest of us.  We have allowed the politicians to make the rules, determine the game, and call the plays as we enjoyed liberty and the fruit of capitalism.  They are guilty and we are guilty of allowing our Republic to get in this state.  They (politicians) like leopards won’t change their spots so the change must come via WE THE PEOPLE.  That will not be easy nor will it be quick.  It did not happen overnight and will not be corrected overnight or even in a decade or two.  The tentacles of corruption run so deep that major surgery is required and radical surgery is never easy nor painless.  Do we have the fortitude and commitment to achieve that objective?  TIME WILL TELL.

The Next President, Donald J. Trump has made some bold promises and he will be judged positively or negatively based on his fulfillment of those pledges.  Some of them, most of us knew when they were made, were hopes rather than reality.  Some of us have observed Washington for enough years to know that the politicians are not going to cede power that easily and will resist in a unified coalition to defend their turf.  If they were Citizen Representatives, Constitutional Defenders, and had entered politics to serve America and Americans they would welcome some of the changes he has suggested, but they will not. They will seek to appear to support while taking actions that will hinder if not prevent them from becoming reality.  Position, Power, and Purse are more important to the Elitist Political Establishment than America or Americans.  History is far more reflective than campaign promises and that is true from top to bottom in the political food-chain.

Friday, even with the outcries and opposition, planned disruption, and behind the scenes scheming, God willing, we will have a new President and Donald J. Trump will become the 45^th President of these United States of America.  My prayer is that those in his inner circle will positively influence him to do what needs to be done even if it is not popular or understood by many.  America First, truly needs to be the mantra by which his administration operates.  We have issues domestic and international that require strong, definitive, and swift action.  We can see our economy restored by removing the stranglehold of the federal government on business large and small.  We can see our borders secured by addressing the porousness of the Southern border and enforcing our laws.  We can see our national security strengthened by identifying our enemies, providing our Armed Forces with that which they need and becoming a friend to our friends and a danger to our enemies.  We can see our nation healed but only if we are willing to set aside our personal biases, preferences, and prejudices. We must put America First. 

My prayer for the new administration is that it will be willing to consider all options and place America’s needs ahead of ideology or preference.  I pray they will make the Constitution the cornerstone of their governance and take the oath of office to heart as they promise to ‘protect and defend’ the American constitution.  I pray that this administration will take actions that will allow us to return to our moral moorings and once again become the United States of America.  I realize that my prayer will require a miracle to become reality for there are millions who are committed beyond concession to DEFEAT, DESTROY, and DAMAGE the new President.  I am not a Donald Trump cheerleader, as someone accused, but am an American and realize that for him to fail, America is the real loser and that I do not want.

The politicians and celebrities boycotting the Inauguration in protest of Mr. Trump are, in my view, disrespecting the office and our system of government.  The Inauguration is a symbol and reflection to the world that America enjoys the peaceful transfer of power, not bloody coups.  I believe that out of respect to the Constitution, the Presidency, and our System of Government, as well as their constituents Elected Officials should attend. Their presence does not mean they support the new president but that they respect the office.  But, the Democrats boycotted Abraham Lincoln’s Inauguration so this is nothing new.

God, bless you and God bless America!