Trump and the Scouts

People should acknowledge that Trump, after six months as president, still  does not know how to behave, at least a lot of the time.  His bringing politics and criticism of his predecessor  into what should have been an avuncular and apolitical speech to the Boy Scouts is one more example of that fact. It was tasteless and inappropriate. (At that it still was immensely  less bad  than the execrable actions of some   leftists who likened the scouts to the Hitler Youth. )  Trump and his administration have done many  more good than bad things in their first six months, and the country is much better off  than it would have been with Hillary Clinton. However Trump’s arrogance and boorishness can leave people  hoping he does a good job in the White House while being very glad he’s not  their boss or next door neighbor.

Of course this is nothing new among recent presidents. Obama is an arrogant and supercilious narcissist who seemed to despise  the country and millions  of the people in it.  Clinton is a mendacious  and shifty operator who topped off a shady career by seduced a young girl in his employ and then lying about it and pretending scarcely to know her. The only seemingly nice guy to occupy  Oval Office in the last twenty five years is George W. Bush, and he was a lousy president.

I wish Trump  would show more class and grace and less pettiness, but  it is important to remember the actions he and his people take are what really matters for the welfare of the country.  If the substance is preponderantly good,  we can  tolerate, if not excuse or  ignore,  the style.  So far it has been.  It would be good if he straightened up his act, but that’s not something one should expect to happen.