This editor does not think Trump is the best Republican choice for president or even the best populist choice if they want to see change that is sustainable. Here are some reasons:
Some missing trophies
Trump talks a good game to the fans, did some things we hired him to do as President, let others slide or was overwhelmed by them.
Now his biggest fans will always maintain that it is always someone else’s fault. We are only modest fans, because we see Trump as not that great at reading or bringing along the opposition necessary for most policies to see fruition. We are not talking about him compromising, rather his ability to make the Democrats do so.
In four years Trump did not finish the wall (he was willing to use all manner of other EOs) yet if he could not make the case that it was a national emergency even in 2019 to proceed with all deliberate speed then he is a pretty weak communicator, one who cannot reach beyond the choir.
Hillary is still walking around and she is as dirty as Biden. No investigation. That after how many rallies with people chanting LOCK HER UP. Trump played that to the hilt, who can deny it?
Obamacare is still in place, Trump’s improvement on the situation minor.
Trump’s opposition to seriously needed social security reforms are irresponsible and portend more deficit than even Biden could accomplish in four years.
Trump elicited little politically in his readiness to sign deficit burdening spending bills.
He is not as beloved as he seems to think — there is the 2022 election fiasco.
He is actually a RINO. He basically appoints the RNC Chair but will have nothing to do with its processes. He will not pledge to support the nominee of the party yet he wants its nomination so badly and somehow expects its complete loyalty when he will not give it in return. He won’t debate, and so cannot expect Biden to debate (again) giving up that juxtaposition for its full worth.
Besides dissing the party that provides the primaries he covets, he must think his little bon mots will devastate his challengers and yet he and his uber-supporters go into high dudgeon when one or more of his competitors for the nomination criticize his governmental administrative abilities, his tendency to distraction and his failures.
Many claim Trump has the experience and heart necessary to win but the one that we favor has more executive experience, legislative experience, veteran experience (Trump could not be bothered as it would have delayed his real-estate career and date nights) and who has thus served the country longer — indeed MAGA years before Trump when he was still singing Hillary’s praises and supporting Romney-Ryan.
Trump’s blowhardiness is so ingrained that he refuses to realize if you realistically can’t do something don’t say you will do so as that just becomes the political BS like so many others issue. Such extravagant promises are the theater of professional wrestling not responsible politics.
Trump’s current demeanor is such that, should he win, everything he does to clean things up will be handicapped by his aura of vendetta.
Further, I am tired of his bluster and drama and stupid name calling which is such that it has produced a woman problem, not on issues but his personna.
Trump was not a great administrator, was easily distracted and is as likely now just to surround himself with a different set of flatterers.
My greatest complaint, the aforementioned being comparative picadillos, is Trump’s total lack of contriteness over his part in inflicting on this country, indeed the world, the warped process and results of mRNA non-vaccine which only thoroughly immunized while super-funding Big Pharma. The mRNA concoction is a novel genetic manipulation unlike any true vaccine, largely untested in a dependable way, pushed en mass Trump was OK with using the population as a whole as lab mice — and what could possibly go wrong.
NOW with a plethora of peer reviewed reports of its iatragenic effects many long-term it is actually the most deadly vaccine ever. And yet candidate Trump still wants credit for its development and promotion and never mind that his two weeks of shutdown to include closing schools was a precursor for generational disaster ( perhaps no more extravagant a statement than those Trump makes about his claimed success).
Now all this said I believe Trump could win but it is mostly because of the horrible Democrat candidate(s), Biden’s performance, policy, and the radical nature of his supporters and his general ickiness. But I want the smoothest sailing in the general. Trump only engages by throwing epithets not debating. Trump’s refusal to pledge to support the nominee other than himself, the judgement of the people whose nomination he covets, is disloyal and disqualifying for the Republican Party nomination.
Truth is Trump was never an outsider to the political game. He played it his entire adult life in New York and everywhere he had to navigate local state and national politics and politicians to build his hotels. Who thinks he was unaware of jealousies, corruption, treachery, “access” (payoffs), lawfare, everything he has run into as President (some of which he practiced for crying out loud)?
He was not naive or an immature player but he has and continues to have a penchant for requiring flattery and loving celebrity, to his and our detriment.
We are all sinners and every politician has baggage but some gondolas are not the easiest for us schlubs to schlep.
I feel Trump is a riskier choice in the general for those reasons and more and that he is an inferior administrator who will just pick a different group of flatterers for his entourage. Trump with all his distractions will not have as successful a term as an experienced governor like DeSantis who is less encumbered. Everything Trump does will be considered revenge seeking because he has pretty-much telegraphed as much, creating such an aura about himself.
We may like the idea of revenge and rubbing the Dems face in it but who else cares is relevant if you want to defeat the Democrats.
I understand the vociferous Trump-only support wanting some sort of in your face catharsis regarding all the wrongs visited on Trump. It is the “we will show you by nominating him again” emotion and the campaign then becomes one of having to defend Trump.
It is just not all that great a convincing aura for the general election voter.
Let’s say Trump has 60 to 65% support of men (unfortunately not all likely voters) . He will need 40% plus support of women to allow for their greater voting percentage, Dems cheating etc. Trump has more of a visceral women problem not due to issues but to his personna, than DeSantis. I think DeSantis can achieve more of the women vote and hold onto men assuming Trumps men support is more engaged and philosophical than professional wrestling fans. That is the flavor of polls at this stage, it is more chest beating bruha than substantive serious thinking about the general and who will “govern” with the most effectiveness and least drama..
Who cares? Anybody who wants to win the general — as a lot of people vote straight Democrat, and a lot of people do not like Trump. I guess they care, however wrong or ill-informed they are, but they vote.
