But there are serious political dangers that come from pressing too hard.

First, health care reform. Although ObamaCare suffers in popular opinion with every year of rate hikes, one of the law’s chief political liabilities was the amount of disruption it brought to arrangements that many families had invested in. (Hence why Obama was so anxious to assure people they “could keep” any plan they like.) Straight-up repeal could anger at least 20 million Americans who get their health insurance, or at least get it subsidized, through the exchanges. Replacing it with wonky little tax credits could shift annoying levels of planning and paperwork back onto customers who shop on the private market. And almost immediately, if cost-cutting means reducing the number of health services offered, there will be genuine sob stories about what medical treatments have been denied to people.

There are dangers on taxes, too. Although a reduction of the U.S. corporate tax rate has great consensus among economists, it also offers a free stick to Democrats to use against the Republicans who will be seen as reducing taxes for “the rich.” And of course, Republicans may reduce income and investment taxes that really do disproportionately fall on the rich.

Then there are dangers that come with picking Cabinet officers, like Ben Carson, who have a deep sense for their own principles, but a very shallow understanding of the public mood.