Donald Trump spent most of his working life as a businessman. An outstanding one. Though he made bad investments occasionally—all such people do—billionaires, however they do it, tend to be pretty good at making money. I know that from personal experience because I’m lousy at it. The few investments I tried in my life went south faster than Jill can change Joe’s Depends. So, I envy those guys with the Midas touch.
I never thought much about Trump before he ran for President. He was in another world, one I will never be in, and I figured he might be a greedy, arrogant, egotistical prick, like some people who inhabit his sector of the universe. I found a picture once, for my ESL classes, of Trump clowning around with Bill and Hillary Clinton. That didn’t impress me very much, but didn’t surprise me, either. He had a successful TV program, but I never watched it because I never watch modern TV, period. I have better ways to ruin my mind. As it would probably have taken a month of my salary to play nine holes on one of his golf courses…well, Donald Trump, to me, was a name, that’s all.
But he came down that escalator. I still didn’t think much about him, but then I began to listen. And I read a book somebody wrote for him. This guy sounded good. And better. And better.
And he wasn’t a politician. That earned him a lot of brownie points.
He struck the same chord with millions of other Americans, too, obviously. And Mr. Trump played his cards brilliantly in 2016. For a man with no political experience, his political instincts were nearly perfect in the run-up to the 2016 election. His populism, his somewhat boyish smile, his “America First” message were just right. He had three other advantages as well.
One, his opposition in the Republican primaries was mediocre, at best. Nobody else caught the fancy of the American people.
Two, lots and lots of us were sick of that self-righteous, whiny, self-absorbed, America-and-Christianity-hating charlatan named Barack Obama. Eight years of that guy was enough. Millions of Americans wanted a President who loved the country and was willing to unapologetically say so. Obama clearly didn’t. Not another one of those, please.
Three, Mr. Trump also had the benefit of running against one of the slimiest, most despicable figures in American political history. A more effective emetic than Hillary Clinton would be difficult to find. She rivals Nancy Pelosi in that. I’m not sure how many people, in 2016, voted FOR Donald Trump, or AGAINST Hillary Clinton. Staring for four years, every night, at the Wicked Witch of the East—well, too many Americans didn’t want to do that, especially at dinnertime.
Yet, Hillary, apparently (maybe) got more popular votes that Trump. That doesn’t speak well for the direction America is heading.
But, given the wisdom of our Founding Fathers, who didn’t want California and New York electing every President by population, the Electoral College gave us Mr. Trump. And four grand years.
Mr. Trump’s political instincts were brilliant in 2016. They haven’t been so much in evidence since.
Maybe winning the Presidency went to his head, or, possibly, showed us the true Donald Trump. The billionaire, “I can do no wrong” Donald Trump. That may work in business, but it doesn’t work in politics, where every other politician thinks the same way and knows how to schmooze a whole lot better than Mr. Trump does.
Mr. Trump, for whatever reasons, lost to a moron in 2020. It should not have happened. The country had had four solid, successful years under Trump, but he couldn’t parlay that into a sound majority that would give him a second term. He became repulsive to countless Americans; not all, of course, but too many. Maybe the Democrats cheated and won (probably), and this year, too. But ballot harvesting, mail-in ballots, and early voting are the system now. Mr. Trump and the Republicans have been totally blind-sided by it, and that’s not what we pay them for.
Whatever political instincts Trump had in 2016 completely deserted him in 2020, and he hasn’t regained them yet. Attacking the most popular Republican governor in the country is just downright dumb. Having dinner with a creep like “Ye” West and Neo-Nazis is, um, a little short of what we might consider top-of-the-line political tactics. Herschel Walker’s loss in Georgia, rightly or wrongly, will be seen as Trump hurting the Republican Party. What Mr. Trump is saying, policy-wise, still strikes a melodious chord with millions upon millions of his fellow countrymen. What Mr. Trump is doing is costing him, dearly. Somehow, he found a magic wand in 2016 that apparently transformed a frog into a prince. Or, more likely, we just didn’t see the frog because we were so desperate to keep an uglier frog out of the White House. Either way, Trump 2016 is long gone.
He could still win the Republican nomination in 2024. He could even win the White House. Joe Biden is almost as revolting as Hillary Clinton, and he can’t hide in his basement next time. And if he keeps flushing the country down the toilet, enough Americans could hold their noses and return Mr. Trump to Washington. If the Republicans learn how to work the new voting system, they could win, even with someone whom so many people despise. But hoping on Joe Biden’s incompetence and trusting Republican Party intelligence aren’t optimum scenarios as we look into the future.
It would be wonderful if Mr. Trump could rediscover his magic wand of 2016. Where did he misplace it? Find it, please, Mr. Trump, or bow out gracefully. America, not China, has to win in 2024.
