Trump could be the most honest president in modern history

[CF DolFan]

I was going to add this to a different thread the other day but figured it could stand on it's own. It's a long article but these are some of the better points IMO.

Donald Trump may be remembered as the most honest president in modern American history.

Don’t get me wrong, Trump lies all the time. He said that he “enacted the biggest tax cuts and reforms in American history” (actually they are the eighth largest) and that “our economy is the strongest it’s ever been in the history of our country” (which may one day be true, but not yet). In part, it’s a New York thing — everything is the biggest and the best.

But when it comes to the real barometer of presidential truthfulness — keeping his promises — Trump is a paragon of honesty. For better or worse, since taking office Trump has done exactly what he promised he would.

........

Where Trump has failed to keep promises, such as building the wall or repealing Obamacare, it has not been for a lack of trying. Only in a few rare instances has he backtracked on a campaign pledge — such as when he admitted that he was wrong to promise a complete withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan and reversed course. I’m glad he did.

But whether one agrees or disagrees is not the point. When Trump says he will do something, you can take it to the bank. Yes, he takes liberties with the truth. But unlike his predecessor, he did not pass his signature legislative achievement on the basis of a lie (“If you like your health care plan, you can keep it ”) — which is clearly worse than falsely bragging that your tax cut is the biggest ever.



https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-could-be-the-most-honest-president-in-modern-history/2018/10/11/67aefc5a-cd76-11e8-a3e6-44daa3d35ede_story.html?utm_term=.e7102254d783

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I judge truthfulness just the opposite.  I can forgive someone who makes a good faith promise but because of factors outside his control or a change in situation fails to complete that promise.  I can not forgive making a blatantly false statement.

But even on that score, Trump fails miserably.....His two biggest promises were Mexico would pay and locking up Hillary.  He hasn’t attempted either of those.  He also promised to replace Obamacare with something better.  He made no such proposal.  He promised his tax plan would help the middle class and hurt billionaires like himself.  It raised taxes on the middle class and benefited the ultra wealthy.

[Fau Teixeira]

I agree with CF's point tho .. when Trump admitted to being a serial sexual molester to Billy Bush, i believed him.. he was being honest.
When he told howard stern he barged in on underage girls in their dressing rooms cause he could, i believed him.. he was being honest.
When he told america that neo-nazi's and nazi protesters were morally equivalent in his mind, i believed him.. he was being honest.

[Spider-Dan]

When Trump says he will do something, you can take it to the bank. Yes, he takes liberties with the truth. But unlike his predecessor, he did not pass his signature legislative achievement on the basis of a lie (“If you like your health care plan, you can keep it ”) — which is clearly worse than falsely bragging that your tax cut is the biggest ever.

Trump in April 2016: I Believe In Raising Taxes on the Wealthy, Including Myself

Trump's "signature legislative achievement" was lowering taxes on the wealthy and increasing them on lower- and middle-income taxpayers.

So yeah, you'd have to both ignore all the things he promised to do while doing the opposite (e.g. raising taxes on the rich, balancing the federal budget) AND all the things he promised to do but failed to accomplish (healthcare reform superior to the ACA, a Mexico-funded wall) to call Trump an "honest president."

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Having read the entire article a better title would be “Marc A. Thiessen is the least honest columnist at the Post”

[Cathal]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Oh, this was posted with sincerity and wasn't meant as a joke? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

[CF DolFan]

You guys crack me up. I honestly can't tell if you say the things you do because you actually believe them or just realize you have nothing to counter so you make things up. For instance ... Poll the people who voted for Trump and ask them if they voted for him because he said Mexico would pay for the wall. It didn't cause you or anyone complaining to vote for him so not sure why that is even an issue.  As well ... just because you say the middle classes taxes have gone up does not make it true. Mine went down, as well as my middle class friends but my company took out way less so I have to pay in quite a bit. Considering my company is based in Boston I have to believe that liberals had an issue so they purposely screwed me. hahahaha

[Dave Gray]

The title of this article is bait, but whatever..the point the guy makes is valid.

Trump is definitely pushing his promises....sort of.
He promised the wall paid by Mexico.  That was never going to happen, but he's still pushing for the wall.  I can't really fault him (or any politician) for making promises on things they intend and try to do, but turns out to get blocked.  ...that's just politics.  I'm not sure he ever really tried to get Mexico to pay for it, but whatever.

He's probably the most dishonest politician we've ever had, on a day to day.  But he is pushing the agenda that he told his base that he would, in general.  I'm not sure I'd call that honesty, though....that's a stretch.

[CF DolFan]

Dave ... Really the only thing I disagree is about how he thought they’d pay for it. I always thought it would be on some sort of trade deal refund more than just asking for money.  Otherwise I think pretty much like you do.

[Spider-Dan]

Poll the people who voted for Trump and ask them if they voted for him because he said Mexico would pay for the wall. It didn't cause you or anyone complaining to vote for him so not sure why that is even an issue.

My vote for Obama was not because of a promise that I can keep my doctor, and you (and the article author) didn't vote for him.  So by the same logic, why should anyone listen to hollow belly aching about keeping doctors?

As well ... just because you say the middle classes taxes have gone up does not make it true.

They aren't scheduled to go up yet.  They go up later, because they have to in order to make the upper-income tax cuts permanent. It's in the bill.

[Dolphster]

Being considered the "most honest president in modern history" is akin to being the tallest dwarf in a group of dwarfs. 

[CF DolFan]

My vote for Obama was not because of a promise that I can keep my doctor, and you (and the article author) didn't vote for him.  So by the same logic, why should anyone listen to hollow belly aching about keeping doctors?

He swayed votes for his Obamacare policy by saying that. It has nothing to do whether I voted for him but the people who voted for his lying legislature.

[Spider-Dan]

He swayed votes for his Obamacare policy by saying that.

Whose votes did he sway... congressmen?  He was already elected and in office when he said it.  The public did not get a vote on Obamacare.

Even setting all that aside, the same logic applies: Trump "swayed votes" by promising during his campaign that he would deliver a wall on the southern border, paid for by Mexico.  It seems to me that making a promise during the campaign, in order to convince people to vote you into office, is actually MORE significant than making a promise after you already got their votes and are in office.

[CF DolFan]

Whose votes did he sway?  He was already elected and in office when he said it.  The public did not get a vote on Obamacare.

Seriously ... why are you playing to be so dumb? I don't see how that benefits your argument to pretend that congress didn't have to vote for Obamacare to make it happen.

[Spider-Dan]

I guess you were pretty quick on the reply, as I edited and added "congressmen" almost immediately (so quickly the forum software doesn't even count it as an edit).  But that response doesn't even make sense, as congressmen could definitely keep their doctors.

But if you want to stop playing dumb, I suggest that you cease trying to pretend that a broken promise from Trump doesn't mean anything, while a broken promise from Obama means he's a proven liar.  Either they both count or they both don't count.  Doesn't much matter to me - Trump has mountains of other lies to choose from - but it's central to the argument you cited.  So which one is it?