By Papa Doug Manchester
What a wonderful, vibrant, dynamic and diverse country we live in. What a beautiful time in history to stand shoulder-to-shoulder to make life better for those who seek greater economic opportunities, a stronger sense of safety, more affordable health care, and a heightened presence in the world based on equitable business principles, good deals, and the well-being of humanity. I believe this with all my heart.
Yes, there are a lot of boiling topics circulating: immigration, national security, international relations, jobs, the economy, healthcare and education. The narrative has become loud and contentious. Much of this comes with the territory: the transitioning of any president after eight years of a different party platform and a different philosophy of how to conduct business, where to focus, and how to lead.
President Trump has stepped into the commander-and-chief role with strikingly different policies and approaches than any president before him. He inherits a dominant Republican Party in the Congress and Senate, as well as a potential and likely shift in ideology on the Supreme Court.
One thing is certain: President Trump has changed politics for generations to come. From campaigning to governing, the landscape looks and feels different. It is open, transparent, disruptive to the political norm, fluid in operations and striving to find the greatest resources and solutions to make our country great again.
Many have called the current state of affairs in Washington a strategy of disruption. Harvard Business School Professor Clayton Christensen, the world’s foremost authority on disruptive innovation, defines this as an innovation that creates a new market and value network that disrupts an existing market and value network, displacing established market-leading firms, products and alliances. He notes that disruptive innovations tend to be produced by outsiders and entrepreneurs, rather than existing market-leading companies.
“Think of everything we can achieve and remember who we must achieve it for,” Trump told Republican lawmakers. “Now we have to deliver. Enough talk, all action. We have to deliver.”
In the past, there were always the promises, but not the action. The populace didn’t really know what a politician truly believed in or what he/she would do if elected. Alternatively, Trump took his message directly to the people. He embraced his “outsider” image and lambasted political insiders as ineffective, bogged down in failed policies, and deaf to the peoples’ needs. Trump leveraged earned media to the tune of billions of dollars, and talked directly to his constituents daily through social media.
He said he would “shake things up,” and he’s done exactly that. He has hauled business and auto executives into the West Wing and warned they will pay a heavy price for manufacturing abroad. He signed an executive order that moved forward transcontinental oil pipelines and eliminated excessive Obama-era environmental regulations. He is doing exactly what he promised.
Trump has launched an approach to leadership never seen before in American politics. He has made bold campaign statements and promises, he has blasted long-held strategies on trade relationships and immigration, and he has talked about approaching international relationships with a powerful, balanced business approach. And he has acted quickly after taking the oath of office to implement his beliefs.
Any politician running for office from this day forward will need to review and consider the Trump approach and take his or her case directly to the people. Politicians will quickly come to realize that promises are made to be met, and quickly. The Presidency, Congress and the Senate will be judged by what they deliver, not what they consider (or don’t consider). The era of saying anything to get elected will disappear as the voice of the American people stays strong and determined.
I believe we are a stronger and safer nation under Trump. We have far greater opportunity for the middle class to find jobs, our immigration policy will strengthen, we will achieve better deals for America with our global partners, and we will have more affordable healthcare. The future of our nation and our children will be brighter under Trump. God bless America.
Douglas “Papa Doug” Manchester is chairman of San Diego-based Manchester Financial Group, which is developing office and hotel properties in San Diego and Austin.
