I have an internet friend of the conservative persuasion, who, let’s be honest, is more aligned with the current president than are many classical conservatives. Whenever one of these columns hits the street, more likely than not, I will be receiving a critique challenging my liberal assumptions and biases.

I respect and appreciate my friend. He keeps me grounded.

Recently I wrote a column wherein I described our president as something of a hustler and raised questions about his latest feat of prestidigitation called “Spygate.”

As predictable as rain in Indianapolis in the summertime, into my “in” box came a missive from my friend.

He said of our current president, “He will continue to fulfill the promises he made way back when (kind of refreshing that a president is actually doing good on his promises.)”

Here’s the thing: Not every promise should have been made in the first place, and not every promise made should be kept, when the keeping of it is not in the best interest of the country.

He promised a wall.

No one argues about the need for border security, but while the promise of a wall may play well with a base looking for simple solutions, history tells us physical barriers do not work no matter how much money is lavished upon them.

The president promised a “zero tolerance” policy on Latinos attempting to enter our country—including those seeking political asylum. That policy is being interpreted by his Justice Department as justification for separating children from their parents at the border, with no guarantee when, or if, they will ever be reunited.

As noted, we need border security, and not everyone should be admitted, but what will be remembered? The legalistic reasons for the policy, or the specter of the forced separation of children from their families?

Is this something America will be proud of in the future, or will it be seen by history as another example of where our actions betray the ideals for which we say we stand?

The president promised to remove the United States from “unfair” treaties. His promise was that he would cut better deals than ever before.

He has kept the first part of this promise on several occasions but has yet to negotiate better deals.

The world has simply gone ahead without us. Where we were once the irreplaceable player, the vacuum left by our exit from our prior commitments is now being filled by others, not all of whom are our friends.

His unilateral actions call into question whether the United States is still a reliable partner, or only a partner of convenience until we change our minds. Such doubt is corrosive in the extreme to our long-term interests.

It may come as a surprise to my friend, but I want this president, any president, to succeed. What American would take comfort in watching this president, or any president, fail, when such failure would be detrimental to our country?

Having said that, our president is a gunslinger. He shoots from the hip in support of, or opposition to, whatever happens to catch his attention in the moment.

This can be tolerated in a candidate. It is unnerving in a president.

Promises made on the campaign trail are harmless. Promises made in the Oval Office are not.

I have an uneasy feeling that this distinction is lost on our president. He is in perpetual campaign mode, playing to the same adoring fraction of our electorate, throwing out the same red meat, and repeating the same promises, that worked so well for him in 2016.

The problem is he is more than a candidate now; he is the president. It is 2018, not 2016. The promises he makes, the old promises he checks off, have consequences.

I hope my concerns are unwarranted, but if you think about it, few gunslingers come to a good end.

I’ll await your response, my friend.