The danger from Trump stems from his incompetency. Sure, it’s interesting how he became the way he is, but that doesn’t necessarily help matters. Her insights help explain why he’ll never resign, but we knew that, anyway.
The virus has put Trump’s incompetency on display in a way that nothing else could. The virus can’t be cajoled, cowed, sued, or otherwise intimidated. Guessing about absurd cures, as Trump has done, shines a further light on his incompetence, which includes his lack of ability to assign responsibility and authority to relevant experts.
538 discusses what would happen to Trump’s reelection chances if he dumps Pence. We really can’t speculate on that until Biden announces his running mate. If it is a woman, say, Harris or Duckworth, he could balance that with Haley. Otherwise, I think it’s not on the top of his to-do list as he may be planning on life after the presidency already. Load up with loot and walk away declaring victory. Pol “Killing Fields” Pot, who, in 1975, killed so many people they could never count them all, was not imprisoned until 1997. Given Trump’s successes in slowing, monkey-wrenching or just plain ignoring the legal process, it could well be that Trump is well into his 80s before he sees the inside of a cell. Indeed, he could have several years of the sweet life, just golfing and grifting, in his post-presidential years. And he could build a library for all his tweets.
“Her insights help explain why he’ll never resign, but we kind of knew that, anyway.”
I don’t think we know what Trump will do. I think of it like boxing. No one steps into the ring with any intention of quitting and indeed successful boxers all have very strong wills. What the best boxers then do is to break you down, round by round—inflict enough punishment so that eventually you give up, whatever your original intention was. They force you to surrender.
We can’t physically beat up Trump but we can inflict psychological pain on him. Clearly that is being done with all the political attacks and quite effectively too. Keep increasing the level of pain and old Bunker Boy may very well eventually find himself doing something he didn’t initially intend to do. Never say never (unless the “never” is followed by “Trump”).
If only. Trump and his advisors/sycophants understand that political fortunes can turn on a dime, and at the last minute. His debates with Biden are a case in point. Trump figures he might come out on top by winning the debates (with bluster, through Biden gaffs, whatever). And a real virus cure and/or an effective vaccine, resulting in a big run-up in the stock market (Trump’s surrogate for success) could happen at the last minute also. It’s how he operates, so, no, he won’t resign because too much can happen between now and the election, in his view.
Sort of relatedly, I was posing the question to myself of what I would do if a genie gave me the choice between having the pandemic completely disappear tomorrow - but at the price of having Trump re-elected - and having COVID continue to get worse and completely wreck what remains of the U.S.
Me too, but I like Jones’s coif characterization more so. He doesn’t go for that wild flat top monstrosity pancaked to the top of tRump’s head. He goes with an all-out wild, freaky and untamed hairdo in all its windblown, slovenly and chaotic mess.
Literary qualities are of incidental value in a book of this nature. It has the same value as investigative journalism. It’s either factually correct or not.
