You're right it's all dangerous. But it's dangerous regardless of what any president could do considering the circumstances. Would the situation be different for a President Clinton or Sanders? What would you do if you were president?
A fair question. I'd almost certainly be a one-term president because I'm not ideological enough to shore up my base - I'm a fairly extreme pragmatist at heart. Let's start with positions that are more "conservative" in nature
I'd likely take a position similar to the just-stated approach to China and North Korea that was announced the other day.
I believe that, as a practical matter, entitlements should be means tested.
I believe that our corporate tax approach needs to be revisited (even though the language the current R leaders are using to make that point is pretty weaselly)
I think that the fact that some 50(ish)% of people eventually net out to close to a zero effective tax rate is bad, and to levy even more asymmetric taxes on the wealthy isn't the correct solution to federal revenue issues.
Most importantly, I'm a true civil libertarian. I support a strong defense of *all* of our elucidated and implied rights, including gun ownership, freedom from unreasonable search and seizure, and freedom of assembly and travel.
On the other hand, I think Obama was on the right track with his treatment of non-violent offenders. Sessions is screwing the pooch big time on this.
I strongly disagree with the rollback on environmental regulations. Robust energy company revenues, despite the decline in oil prices, indicates that regulations aren't harming our core industries.
I think we would save more American lives by investments in science and research than an increase in military spending.
I don't really give a damn if someone thinks we are "strong" so long as they think we are competent. The fact that the US is "strong" is pretty obvious, and we don't need to shove it in everyone's face 24/7.
Finally, the idea that acting the way we are now lessens everyone else's standing in the world because we are suddenly "scarier" is, IMHO, 100% flat dead wrong.