And So it Goes

Come January 21st, after all-night partying when the revelers go home, the new President will wake up to the reality it's no longer a political campaign or the free-for-all of the president-elect days, but being the leader of the United States.

It will start, or we hope, with the first official President's Daily Briefing (PDB), informing him of events, situations and circumstances of the world. Everything is on the President's plate to know, understand and decide.

Or so we can hope the seriousness of the office, job and work will sober the new president into reality, but in reality, many Americans aren't holding their breath he'll learn and change. He hasn't shown any signs to date.

And so the next four years will be a challenge, not for him, he thinks he's over prepared, over experienced, and over talented, but for us. The country will change considerably and very significantly with the Republican-controlled Congress and the Republican President.

There is no doubt in anyone mind it will be a contentuous presidency, even with republicans doing everything they want on their wish list, and not because of the democrats in Congress, who don't seem to have any good ideas of a strategy or tactical plan to fight republicans.

It will be contentuous because of the American people, many angry the president's opponent won the popular vote by 2.9 million voters, only losing the Electoral College by 3 large states by 100,000 votest combined.

It will be contentuous because the majority of the American people don't like or approve of the president (to be), the majority don't trust him, and the majority think he's unfit and unqualified to be president.

So we'll learn who's right, but you can bet, as some have already noted, his honeymoon was over before he was inaugurated because of his antagonistic view and relationship with the media and his propensity for alienating people with his remarks, often tweets.

We'll learn what we believe is true, but will have to live with him for 4 years. We will have, though, a way to show him our view of him in 2018 should we get out and vote the democrats in control of at least the Senate and maybe the House of Representatives too.

The Congressional republicans know this, but too many want change now and not after the 2018 elections. But if they change they'll see the voters expressing their buyers remorse of the President through the mid-term Congressional elections.

That's the conumdrum for the republicans, do now for their base, angering the opposition, or do after 2018 to be re-elected first, before changing everything but angering their base. The bets are on the former, they're betting the House and Senate they can do what they want and still be re-elected.

But that's a bet the president doesn't blow up their reputation and encourage more democratic voters to come out and reject them. That's the historical norm, the party in power loses seats in the House and the Senate in mid-term elections.

The question is how much. That's the unknown now and will be until November 2018. Makes for an interesting next two years, happy for the minority of repubicans (by voter registration) and angering for the majority of democrats.

And so it goes. As Bette Davis said, "Hang on, it's going to be a bumpy ride."