100 Days Meets Reality – April 26, 2017

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Campaign, Dear 1600 Penn Ave, Dear Donald, Disappointment, Dissension, Donald, Donald Speak, Donald Trump, Election, Fox News, Media, News, People, Politics, Poll, POTUS, Trump, Trump Administration, Trump Life, USA, White House

Dear Donald,

As your 100^th day in office approaches, so many are trying to collect and summarize all that has happened since you took up the position. Every president aims to accomplish so much, aspiring to set the new Roosevelt standard.

Your beloved Fox News issued a poll trying to get a good picture of your effectiveness. Although, it seems like that is getting some mixed reviews, probably due to the fact that you are currently only holding a 45 percent approval rating. It also looks like some serious improvements will have to occur if you hold any hope for reelection.

Your support base seems to be waning. The election was won in your favor by people who wanted to see a real change, which largely relied on your promise to ‘drain the swamp’.  I don’t think people feel like you are upholding that promise.

I think people thought that because you were not a politician that things would be cleaner and more transparent when you took office, when in actuality that was not the case at all. People seemed to have this idea that you were a sort of every day fellow that could relate to them and bring about the changes that they so desperately were hoping could make their lives better. I’m not sure how people came to these conclusions, but your campaign certainly knew how to foster those hopes and paved the way to your win with the dreams of those poor fools.

There doesn’t seem to be any true honesty or transparency with your administration at all. The refusal to release your tax returns was the first example of this. Every day I wonder how long you will be able to maintain control of this country as the bitter disappointment and dissension grows.

Sincerely,
A Solicitous Citizen

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Temporary Victories – April 25, 2017

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Appreciate, celebrate, Dear 1600 Penn Ave, Dear Donald, Donald, Donald Speak, Donald Trump, Federal, Judge, Media, News, POTUS, Small, Temporary, Trump, Trump Administration, Trump Life, Truth, Tweet, Twitter, USA, Victories

Dear Donald,

Glad to see that you decided to not push the issue of funding for your wall this week. Hopefully the government shutdown can be avoided now that the controversial wall funding isn’t compounding the issue. Don’t worry, I am not getting my hopes up that this wall business will be avoided, I got your tweet loud and clear.

“Don’t let the fake media tell you that I have changed my position on the WALL. It will get built and help stop drugs, human trafficking etc.” @RealDonaldTrump  5:36 AM – 25 Apr 2017

As for it helping stop drugs, human trafficking etc., that might not work as effectively as you think. People will always find a way to do what they want.

In other news, I saw that a federal judge has temporarily blocked a key portion of your January executive order on immigration. Judge William Orrick agreed with Santa Clara County, San Francisco and other jurisdictions that believe this threat of withholding funding from cities that do not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement could be deemed unconstitutional. He made his ruling nationwide, handcuffing that key point of the executive order. While this is another setback for you and your administration, it is a win for so many.

We have to celebrate the victories we get, no matter how temporary they may be.

Sincerely,
A Solicitous Citizen

It’s Time to Step Up to the Plate – April 20, 2017

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Dear 1600 Penn Ave, Dear Donald, Donald, Donald Speak, Donald Trump, Election, Government, Journalism, Journalist, Media, News, People, Plate, Politics, POTUS, President, Step up, Travel, Trump, Trump Life, Truth, USA

Dear Donald,

I came across an article today that seemed to portray you in a different light than I’m used to seeing. I know there is never one side to a story and if some of these things the journalist said is another angle of truth, I bet you are in quite a pickle.

Running the country is a completely different world for you. You did not come into this position with any political or military know how, and now  you are on the top of the chain in both of those fronts. The pressure of the job may just now be finally settling in. If not, I really wish it would.

You are described as a homebody who dislikes interpersonal conflict and try to leave the resolutions of issues to others. The journalist claims that you are not comfortable sleeping outside of your own bed, and that you are probably not happy with the adjustments you are having to make. At 70 years old I can imagine how stuck in you ways you must be.

The most thought provoking part of the whole article that I find is that she thinks you are lonely and she almost portrays you as a poor old guy that just needs to be surrounded by his family in the comforts of his own home.

If this portrayal of you is in any part accurate, it only makes me question why you went forward with the whole election. A lot of people said that they didn’t think you thought it would go anywhere.

Perhaps you just did it for fun, and expected to be out of the running early on, but once your train got going and it picked up traction, maybe you thought it was too late to back out. Or was it that you like the attention and the adoration. Did you feel obligated to carry on after you saw the people put so much faith in you.

The people were hanging on to your every word thinking that because you weren’t like any of the other that came before you that perhaps you could be some kind of savior. They wanted to believe that you could completely and radically transform this country back to some warped recollection of a time when “America was great”.

I don’t know what your motivations were, it’s too late to think of what should of, could have, would have happened at this point. What matters now is that you are in this position and I think you need to really step up to the plate and do the best that you can, not for yourself, but for America.

Sincerely,
A Solicitous Citizen

You Get What You Give – April 19, 2017

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Bias, conservative, Dear 1600 Penn Ave, Dear Donald, Donald, Donald Speak, Donald Trump, liberal, Media, Negative, News, POTUS, President, Trump, Trump Administration, Trump Life

Dear Donald,

As we approach your first hundred days I imagine the pressure is on to have something substantial to reinforce the great claims you made at the start.

It will be funny to see what your administration tries to pull together to put a positive spin on all that has happened. However, I feel that there might be a lot of disagreement to be voiced from the people and the media.

I didn’t vote for you. You did not give me any feelings of reassurance that when you took office that you would look out for people like me and the people I loved. In fact, you said a great many things that would lead me to believe that you would actually do harm to those I loved and myself.

While some people may take joy in being right, in this case I was desperately hoping to be proven wrong. I wanted to believe that you were not as ignorant as you seemed to project, or that perhaps you said outrageous things just to receive more publicity and traction. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen you do anything to change my opinion on you.

I read an article that outlines how much the media reports only negatively on you, and it seemed to be written from a conservative viewpoint. It would seem that they want the reader to see how unfair the media has been in negatively portraying you.

Interestingly enough though, they did not provide an equal amount of stories that could have been covered that would portray you positively. There were no flip side positive spins on how the media could have spun the stories. I wonder, if they considered the fact that perhaps the media can only report on what is. Perhaps the reality of the matter is that the substance that they have to report on is not positive no matter how you spin it.

Your product is only as good as the ingredients you have. I understand that everyone has biases, but I think that positive spins only go so far if there is really no substance.

Sincerely,
A Solicitous Citizen

A Leader With No Followers Is Just Someone Taking a Walk – April 13, 2017

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Afghanistan, American, Bombing, Campaign, Congress, Dear 1600 Penn Ave, Dear Donald, Donald, Donald Speak, Donald Trump, Followers, Leader, Lies, Media, News, People, Politics, POTUS, President, President Bush, Promises, Trump, Trump Life, Trust, Truth, USA, War

Dear Donald,

After hearing about the bombing in Afghanistan today I wondered if this was yet another bombing you did on a whim or if perhaps this one was granted Congressional Approval. Now, I tend to lean more toward you acting of your own accord, because I truly don’t think that you feel that you should have to be granted authorization.

I think in most cases Congress has probably found it easier to allow the president to do as they desire, but with someone so green to politics holding the position that you do, I really wish you would do things as they should be done.

Was this recent attack you trying to make good on the campaign promises regarding ISIS? Perhaps by doing this you were hoping to regain support back from your initial supporting base? Your approval ratings are not looking so good, and I wonder if this is an attempt to bring those numbers up again.

It seems that your popularity is waning. A campaign supporter of yours is quoted to have said ‘We expect him to keep his word, and right now he’s not keeping his word,’. In this bombing you issued today, I wonder if people will see this as you trying to keep your word.

The problem is, that you say a lot of things. It’s hard to know what you will actually follow through with. I think that people are starting to become skeptical about how effective you truly are as President. I have a feeling that the people who supported you, are starting to doubt whether or not they have been used.

Are you a leader if there is no one behind you?

Sincerely,
A Solicitous Citizen

Email: Dear1600PennAve@gmail.com         Twitter: @Dear1600PennAve

Silence is Better Than Bullsh*t – April 11, 2017

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American, Bullshit, Dear 1600 Penn Ave, Dear Donald, Donald, Donald Trump, Government, Hitler, Insensitive, Jewish, Jews, Media, News, Passover, Politics, POTUS, Press, Press Briefing, Quote, Ridiculous, Sean Spicer, Silence, Stupid, Trump, Truth, US, USA, White House, WTF

Dear Donald,

All I can do is shake my head sometimes. The lack of insensitivity that you and your administration show time and time again is so frustratingly mind blowing.

Today I am specifically referring to Sean Spicer’s comments comparing Hitler’s tactics to the chemical attack on Syria. “You had someone as despicable as Hitler who didn’t even sink to using chemical weapons,…. I think when you come to sarin gas, there was no, he was not using the gas on his own people the same way that Assad is doing.”

While Sean acknowledged that he made a mistake after the collective outcry of disapproval.

“In no way was I trying to lessen the horrendous nature of the Holocaust. I was trying to draw a distinction of the tactic of using airplanes to drop chemical weapons on population centers. Any attack on innocent people is reprehensible and inexcusable,”

While I do not think it’s ever a great idea to be making Hitler comparisons, I do find this all especially outrageous due to the fact that Jew’s everywhere are in the midst of recognizing Passover. His job is to be the voice of the White House, you’d think he is well versed on topics that are safe and others that are controversial and should be left alone.

Even if he has no true respect for the Jewish community, he is representing the freaking White House, you’d think when you are working at that type of level you might have a better handle on what is appropriate.

I feel like is yet another example of people doing jobs they are ill suited for.

Sincerely,
A Solicitous Citizen

Please Don’t Spend the Hopes of Our Children – April 10, 2017

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Airstrike, American, Approval, Dear 1600 Penn Ave, Dear Donald, Democracy, Democrat, Disapproval, Donald, Donald Trump, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Government, Media, News, People, Politics, Poll, POTUS, President, Quote, Republican, Statistics, Syria, Trump, Trump Administration, United, United States, US, USA, War

Dear Donald,

In trying to get a handle on how people are feeling after your attack on Syria last week, I came across a poll that breaks down the approvals and disapprovals by Republican, Democrat, Independent and overall. I find it interesting to note that overall as a collective majority there is a 57% approval on the strike that occurred, but that few Americans are willing to see the US get more involved than airstrikes with Syria.

It comes as no surprise to me that the majority numbers seem to be won over by the sheer majority of Republicans leaning in favor. While the Independent and Democratic voters seem to be more evenly torn on the approval and disapproval I find it equally worth noting that of the three parties polled, the Democratic voters are the only of the three to lean more towards disapproval than approval.

One thing that all three parties did agree on however, was the need for Congressional approval for further military action. All three parties were more than 50% in agreement on this matter. I certainly hope this speaks volumes to you as something to consider before any further actions are taken.

It’s unclear as to how much of a threat these chemical weapons pose to the US, but personally I think the matter should be handled as delicately and as thoughtfully as possible.

We have a fair amount of support internationally regarding the strike, I still hope issues can be resolved in a way that does not lead to an actual declaration of war.

This is not a time to allow egos to dictate how responses should be conducted. People’s lives should never be a trifling matter.

Sincerely,
A Solicitous Citizen

At the Edge of the Unknown… – April 9, 2017

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Aggression, American, Attack, Dear 1600 Penn Ave, Dear Donald, Donald, Donald Trump, Emotional, Iran, Media, News, People, Politics, POTUS, Power, President, Republican Party, Retaliation, Russia, Stupid, Syria, Tillerson, Trump, Trump Administration, Truth, US, USA, War, White House, WWIII

Dear Donald,

I feel like we are teetering on the edge of big changes up ahead with all of what’s been going on after the chemical attack that happened in Syria, and the attack that you issued in response.

Russia, and Iran are not happy with this attack and think that the US has crossed a line. A warning of retaliation was issued should any further aggression take place.

I’m concerned as to what will happen next, as it seems that a second strike on the same town that was hit with the chemical attack was stuck once again, but this time by airstrike. Is this an act of defiance in response to your attempt at putting them in their place? You show no sign of backing down should signs of a challenge arise, and people are already starting voice the possibility that this make turn into a World War III.

Secretary of State Tillerson made some very bold statements of blame directed towards Russa regarding the chemical attacks.  “The failure related to the recent strike and the recent terrible chemical weapons attack in large measure is a failure on Russia’s part to achieve its commitment to the international community,” While I believe it is very important for people to own their mistakes, I think in a sensitive time like this when our relationships are not very strong, things perhaps should be handled a bit more delicately.

As a common civilian, I feel so powerless and can only hope for the best.

Sincerely,
A Solicitous Citizen

Apprehension is Rising – April 7, 2017

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Assad, Attack, Babies, Bombing, Chemical Attack, Congress, Dear 1600 Penn Ave, Dear Donald, Democrat, Donald, Donald Trump, Graham, McCain, Media, National Security, News, Obama, Obama Administration, Paul, People, Politics, POTUS, President, Republican, Strike, Syria, Tomahawk Missles, Trump, Trump Administration, Truth, Tweets, Twitter, United States, USA, War

Dear Donald,

Yikes, I don’t even know where to begin. Not long after I posted my letter to you yesterday, I saw the news about your attack on Syria. You were quoted to have said “It is in this vital national security of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons.”

So many people seem unsure of where to stand on the whole ordeal. It completely seemed to just come out of nowhere. Many people are pointing out how over the years you have made it explicitly clear that you thought that “Syria is NOT our problem” and how we “should stay the hell out of Syria”. Time and time again you appeared to express that you really though we should have nothing to do with Syria, yet yesterday it seemed you made a drastic switch on your stance in the whole thing.

You did say yesterday that your attitude toward Syria did change very much. Was it the deaths of children that made a big impact on your change towards Syria and Assad? “Chemical attack was so horrific in Syria against innocent people, including women, small children, and even beautiful little babies. Their deaths was an affront to humanity. These heinous actions by the Assad regime cannot be tolerated,” If this was truly the reason for the attack, I wonder if this reactionary attack was truly the best or most effective method to put an end to this. Especially seeing that your attack killed children as well.

I honestly hope that this was not just purely emotional, or perhaps just you attempting to flex your muscle and prove something.

While Senators McCain and Graham support your actions completely, Senator Paul felt that you should have consulted Congress. He is quoted to have said “While we all condemn the atrocities in Syria, the United States was not attacked,”…“The President needs congressional authorization for military action as required by the Constitution, and I call on him to come to Congress for a proper debate.”

As always, I can only wait to see how things unfold…

Sincerely,
A Solicitous Citizen

I Keep A Fool’s Hope Alive That You Can Change – April 6, 2017

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American, Attacks, Dear 1600 Penn Ave, Dear Donald, Democracy, Democrat, Donald Speak, Donald Trump, Hope, King Abdullah, Media, News, Politics, POTUS, President, Republican, Syria, Trump Administration

Dear Donald,

I wish you could get it through your head that true leadership is not about superiority or prestige. I wish you could understand that you would truly be respected if you actually took ownership of what you and your administration are doing, instead of always trying to pass blame, but be the first to claim credit whenever you think you can.

If you showed that you were truly invested in the good of all Americans and not just those that can afford to live as lavishly as you, people might feel a little differently towards you.

I watched you speaking with King Abdullah about the attacks on Syria and as per usual it was really hard for me to understand if you were actually saying anything of consequence or just rambling off words.

You don’t ever seem to answer questions and it drives me crazy! A lot of times it comes off as you not knowing what to say so you try to just ramble and say nothing too committal so you can’t be held to anything you say. Then of course you always have to have the last word and try to pass of any blame that might fall on you and say “the world is a mess” and that you “inherited a mess” but of course you’re going to fix it.

Truly admirable leaders always take lesser than their share of the credit and more than their share of the blame. Until you learn that leadership is not all about the hoopla and praise, but truly concerning yourself with the safety and overall wellbeing the people beneath you, you will never find the true admiration it seems you crave so badly.

I always feel stupid for keeping this small shred of hope, that people can change, even people that seem to be as stubborn as you. Although, if I didn’t try and keep the hope alive, I think the crushing disappointment would feel far worse.

Sincerely,
A Solicitous Citizen