Here are two things that many journalists (for example, those at CNN) do not understand:
- Negotiation
- Delegation
Donald Trump is a negotiator. If he asserts proposition p at time t1, this is not to be taken as a commitment to p; it is the first move in a negotiation. If at time t2 he asserts some contrary proposition, he has made a second move in the negotiating process. What accounts for this lack of understanding by journalists? I submit that it's because they lack experience in business. They think of politics as commitment to the truth of propositions (resulting in occasional "flip-flops" or "reversals") rather than as a negotiation designed to accomplish a goal. Donald Trump is a master negotiator. He is not a politician. Applying standard political concepts to him shows lack of understanding.
As for delegation, Donald Trump delegates authority to his military inferiors. Lincoln did this; Roosevelt did this; most presidents do it. That Barack Obama didn't do it says more about his distrust of the military (dare I say "incompetence"?) than it does about the presidency. What accounts for this lack of understanding by journalists? I submit that it's because they lack experience in management. They've never been in a position to delegate authority to anyone (except to fetch coffee) and so do not understand its point. They also believe that humans must be micromanaged. This, I think, is an aspect of their progressive ideology. Donald Trump believes in hiring competent people and delegating authority to them. If they misuse this authority, they get fired and replaced.
