I'm not a Donald fan and the list of negatives is a very long one but in the spirit of the New Year, I'm trying to think of everything good he is currently contributing or could contribute.
1. He has appears to have rediscovered the original Tea Party and is forcing the political class in DC to care.
Back in the beginning before the Tea Party was highjacked by the right wing, it was referred to as "the angry middle". It drew from all parts of the political spectrum Republicans and Democrats alike. Mostly working class and middle class movement of people who were being ignored by the political class in DC. Generally not politically involved people but becoming newly politically involved because of the severe recession, angry at DC's crony capitalism and the economic mismanagement espoused by BOTH political parties that they were paying for in more ways than one.
Most of these people drifted away after the tea party was commandeered by the right wing. But they didn't disappear, they are still there and they are still angry. Instead of fixing the things they care about DC has gone back to ignoring them. Republicans are catering to the extreme right wing and Obama representing the Democrats has been catering to wealthy Greens and limousine liberals. They have been unjustly forgotten by the elites again!
2. He's forcing the political class on both sides of the aisle to actually talk about issues that they'd rather ignore. And to go on the record with their positions.
3. Trump like JFK and Reagan genuinely believes in American exceptionalism and making America great again. The psychological impact of a charismatic president who genuinely believes in the USA (JFK and Reagan) is HUGE. He may differ from them on other issues as they differ from each other. But the three have in common the ability to inspire people to believe in their country.
4. He turned millions into billions, understands business and can actually make a deal. Hello trade treaties. Maybe we'll actually benefit from one for a change.
5. He's right in many ways about China. The political elites of BOTH parties and their crony capitalist friends are so busy making deals that will bring them short term wealth that they ignore elephants in the rooms like China's state sponsored cyber attacks, China's state sponsored corporate espionage, China's increasingly aggressive posture toward it's neighbors, China's currency manipulation, China's trade agreement violations, etc.
