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Sloan: Trump off to bad start with picks

Unlike Obama haters, I want Trump to succeed in making our country better for everyone.

To paraphrase Obama, the office transforms ideology into sobering reality.

Russia is attacking us with cyber warfare. Immigrant workers keep prices low. All those “worst deals in history” — NATO, Obamacare, nuclear and trade agreements — required complex negotiations.

In the real world, “America First” requires compromises with countries who want to put their country first.

Wendel Sloan

Trump’s picks for his staff will reveal his seriousness in uniting the country.

Stephen Bannon as chief strategist is a bad start. Even if Bannon renounces past racist and misogynist statements, his appointment is tone-deaf.

I don’t think Trump is racist toward individuals, but his dog whistling to supporters about ethnic and religious groups was appalling and scary for targeted groups.

His consideration of Rudy Giuliani, who has devolved into silly Sarah Palin-ish bombast, for anything is also foreboding.

As a businessman, Trump should concentrate on jobs and improving the economy. Since he doesn’t like to read or study issues in-depth, experienced bi-partisan experts can focus on other areas.

Efforts to return to darker times by infringing on Constitutional rights — including for women and minorities — will not go well. (Mike Pence’s views on gay conversion therapy is laughable.)

In our democracy, dissenters are free to speak up without fear to a president who works for all of us.

It’s a positive that Trump is more pragmatic than ideological. Hopefully, he will base decisions on knowledge (including scientific) instead of myopic, jingoistic advisors.

He should apologize for groping women, mocking the disabled and threatening to send refugees home.

If he wants a legacy as a great president, he needs to inspire an inclusive America that is a model of acceptance for the world’s citizens regardless of race, religion or lifestyle.

I would caution Trump supporters gloating while making hypocritical statements about him deserving respect while their non-stop (sometimes racist) disrespect toward the Obamas was abhorrent, the lower and middle class will, unfortunately, see little trickle-down benefit from his policies.

Many of Trump’s histrionic campaign promises will go unfulfilled — which gives me hope.

Contact Wendel Sloan at [email protected]