Webb: The American reset

I went back to work this past Monday after a much-needed break from my radio show, television appearances and writing. It was my first break in 20 months since the beginning of an arduous and contentious presidential election cycle from the primaries to the general election. I’m not writing this for sympathy but to the point that many Americans I have spoken with needed a break. And in the recent political cycle they demanded a break, or more accurately relief, from an overwhelming government intrusion into their daily lives and failure to address effectively key issues. This is not to say that there isn’t intrusion at the state level, but that’s for another article.

The official recording of the Electoral College in the Senate has occurred, and on Jan. 20 President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in, much to the dismay of millions on the left. This is the opportunity for a reset in leadership and the beginning of a much-needed break for America, our allies and those that want to be good actors on the global stage.

{mosads}At first it appeared that Trump was putting together a “team of rivals” but what has developed since is a “team of capables.” This week Cabinet hearings include Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), retired Gen. John Kelly, Betsy DeVos, Elaine Chao, Rex Tillerson, Ben Carson, Wilbur Ross, Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) and retired Gen. James Mattis. For their respective positions there can and will be disagreements on policy and personal beliefs and in prior positions they’ve held. It is difficult for any honest assessment to deny the level of experience they bring to the table.

The assessment of the confirmation hearings and the decision placed by vote is forward-looking. There are current disagreements between Cabinet nominees and the president-elect. That should hearten, not dishearten, detractors because honest disagreement and debate often leads to better solutions. In general, this is much different than what we saw in President Obama’s Cabinet.

Many on the left have become a real-life version of the movie “My Super Ex-Girlfriend.” Just insert the word crazy in place of super and Democrat in the place of girlfriend. Their Trump derangement syndrome goes beyond loyal opposition. There are many Democrats who don’t even recognize their party, which under Obama has lost consistently across the board at all elected levels and is now run by the progressive wing of the party.

Obama’s final days have been marked by poisoning the political well and last-ditch attempts to put executive orders, executive actions and regulations in place that further his agenda into the next administration. Obama may well be one of the most active former presidents as he sets the stage to be the progressive leader. Remember that Organizing for America was setup from the top down under the guise of a grassroots organization as a secondary progressive Democrat Party structure. As the saying goes, this is not your father’s Democrat Party.

Since the election of Donald Trump, the stock market has benefited from the Trump bump and the attitude of corporations for a variety of reasons now seems to lean more in favor of keeping jobs in America. Small business confidence coupled with consumer confidence has seen a spike that did not exist in the Obama years. It’s time to stop the hype of false unemployment numbers. Many of the over 90 million Americans of working age not in the workforce need jobs. We have to reverse the Keynesian economics of deficit spending and begin to reduce the national debt. Now, more than ever, our domestic and international interests are intertwined when it comes to illegal aliens, refugees and foreign policy. The American people voted to repudiate the Obama administration and the Democrats’ failures when it comes to our security.

All of this looks good on paper, and there is a lot of work for the Trump administration to fix the economy, domestic security, national security and our relationships around the world. A key thing we as Americans will have to accept is that alliances are not necessarily friendships and effectiveness in addressing our sovereign interests is more important than petty differences.

The American reset begins on Jan. 20, 2017.

Webb is host of “The David Webb Show” on SiriusXM Patriot 125, a Fox News contributor and has appeared frequently on television as a commentator. Webb co-founded TeaParty365 in New York City. His column appears twice a month in The Hill.