Years ago, Thomas Friedman over at The New York Times fantasized about President Obama having Xi-like powers, even if for only one day. How many laws could he push through, how much of his policy could he enact if only he could simply ride over the Congress, courts, and public opinion and do pretty much whatever he wanted? People pointed out that Democrats often showed a dictatorial tendency and that democratic systems are intentionally plodding. By having multiple branches of coequal government, things would be slow but right in the United States.

But what happens when nothing works in Washington? As I write, the U.S. may be exiting the 40th day of a government shutdown. There are people who are not receiving their salaries for doing honest work. There are people who are not receiving legitimate payments and/or services because the relevant offices or programs have been kaput for longer than ever before. President Trump has a strong mandate from We the People, but thin majorities in both houses make the passage of almost any legislation all but impossible. The president has asked for the end of the filibuster. People have noted that when, and if, the Democrats take over the Senate, that will be a huge gift to them. They should instead note that the Democrats will do away with it anyway, and the only Republican regret will be that they did not do it sooner. President Trump wants to enshrine in law his executive orders that include, on the elections side:

The president has also mentioned other important legislative goals, like no guys in women’s sports and an end to cashless bail. While these are all important goals supported by a majority of Americans, let’s focus on the electoral issues. We were told and berated that voting machines never lie. Those who claimed otherwise were sued and silenced. Yet, Tulsi Gabbard has brought the receipts that such devices, like all electronic devices, are subject to hacking and misuse. Even in last week’s election, a person said that a voting machine showed only one candidate to choose; the Republican’s name was nowhere to be seen. There have been claims that in the 2020 election, numerous votes were either deleted or changed........

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