Trump's Presidency After A Month - Some Quick Hit Thoughts

Reality is a tough thing, and here is reality: I cannot possibly keep up with everything that this Administration is putting down. Not in my life, and certainly not if I attempt to write about all of it. For every one take I post there are at least half a dozen that fall by the wayside. This, of course, is part of the Trump strategy, both throughout the campaign and now into his Administration. Keep the ball constantly moving and don't let anyone (voters, Democrats, Republicans, the media) focus in on any one thing. This also benefits President Trump, as it did candidate Trump, by allowing so much noise that any misstep is quickly forgotten by the next.

And so, today, I introduce the "Quick Hits" post. This is intended to throw you, the reader, some links to articles I've read as I try to keep up with the political cyclone encompassing our country right now. I'll give you some brief analysis for each, but encourage you, as always, to read yourself and determine how what I present fits with your own analysis and worldview.

• First things first: Trump and his 2/16/17 press conference. To say that there's been nothing like this in presidential history is an understatement. Trump ranted, went on tangents, and continued to bring up non-sequitur arguments with shocking frequency. His fascination with ratings, approval, and meaningless factoids (many of which are not facts, but falsehoods) would be entertaining if it wasn't coming from the Chief Executive of our Government and Commander in Chief of our Military.   
• The story of Michael Flynn's (likely) illegal pre-inauguration activities, coupled with him lying to the Vice-President, coupled with the Administration knowing about the lies for weeks, not telling the Vice-President about the lies for weeks ... can you see what I mean about this Administration and how hard it is to stay on top of it? This story is still in the news, but has fallen off far quicker than it would have in any other previous Administration. That the Administration seemingly was not going to fire Flynn until it became public knowledge should raise major concerns about the ethical competency of this President and his Administration. Let's just say that there is a ton to unpack in this story, and many good reasons to want to do so. I hope that this is the thing that forces the GOP to stand up, starting with a thorough investigation of this situation, no matter where it may lead. 
• While President Trump may be saying, to the press, that his Administration is running like a "fine tuned machine," plenty of other information indicates otherwise. With stories that President Trump is looking actively for fall persons within his Administration, and that much of that pressure is falling on Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, it is probably worth noting that Steve Bannon's Alt-Right opinion outlet, Breitbart, is pushing heavily for Priebus to be fired. It doesn't appear that everything is paradise within the West Wing after all, but given Trump's stated goal of creating conflict within his team by pitting people against each other this can't be much of a surprise. 
• I would encourage you to read this series, from Nate Silver at 538, about the 2016 election. I haven't found a better retrospective/autopsy of what happened in 2016 and what it means moving forward. Recently, Silver talked about the Electoral College blind spot.
• Finally, a perspective on how ineffectual Trump and his Presidency might prove to be.