re: How do you think Trump is coming along with the swamp draining?

There is a reason populism is widely considered the most powerful double-edged sword of a democracy. It's achilles heal, but also it's great elevator.

Why many historians consider its role crucial in leading Rome down a path toward ruin. But also helping build great nations.

Why many founders of this country looked for ways to curb and contain it.

People are emotional and often vote based on group identity instead of rational and calculated assessments.

If this weren't the case, we wouldn't naturally gravitate toward social groups and political parties the world over. Tend to vote in the best cult of personality. Constantly end up voting for people that say one thing but their policies and their sub-surface actions clearly indicated they intend to govern another.

The greatest downside to this is that people can come along and do and say all the things that elicit a particular strong group identity, but at their core they don't actually embody and pursue those underlying characteristics. They are frauds. Or worse.

The challenge in democracies has always been to keep society and the system in a place where they can best minimize giving power to the truly damaging hucksters in a system that encourages even the most noble politician to engage in it.