We found that those who had voted enthusiastically for Trump were still on board, and were prepared to overlook his private conduct, however regrettable they found it.
From the politicisation of committees and the near-deification of Corbyn to the absurd ‘fake news’ row over ‘Hatgate’, the parallels are troubling.
The President is clearly prepared to put politics before economics, even at the expense of America’s traditional allies.
David Frum expresses the dismay of an upright North American conservative at the triumph of Trump.
The NRA’s influence remains formidable – but the temptation to appear to be a bipartisan dealmaker might be an even more powerful influence on the President.
The GOP’s attempts at reform have failed, and the President’s account of his own views on the topic seems to vary all the time.
And the Republicans have forgotten how to stop a demagogue from becoming their presidential candidate.
Indeed, the next shutdown might come before very long. And there’s no sign that Trump or his opponents are in a compromising mood.
It can be hard to look past the President’s excesses – but the realities of government and the economy tell a more mixed story than you might assume.
The circumstances may be exceptional, but the populist hurricane that bore him into the White House is clearly on the wane.
With an alarmingly few legislative days before Christmas, a looming shutdown is the last thing Congress and the White House needs on their plates right now.
The Republicans are so determined to rid themselves of their candidate the leadership is thinking of running a write-in challenger.
Not surprisingly, the country remains sharply divided as to the merits of its leader – a division that can hardly be missed in this new polling.
Regional allies will be reassured by the President’s presence as White House watchers try to see what ‘America First’ means overseas.
His high-risk legislative strategy seems to be based on writing off 2017-18, and relying on the midterm elections returning a much more supportive caucus.