Trump has no interest in actually governing. He never had any interest in governing. He just wants an audience so he can play a “winner” on TV. He thought, like any starring role, playing a World Leader would be a great way to get rich.
Trump told his staff that he wants to be on the campaign trail every day between now and the election. Campaigning (which Trump views as a performance opportunity) is the part he likes. Solving problems? Governing? Nah. That’s booooring.
I suspect his “fans” (the ones who go to rallies) want to be entertained. Politics is boring. They don’t understand it or have the patience for it.
Trump tells them they’re the elite, and would be at the top of the hierarchy if the ‘others’ weren’t taking what belongs to them.
The explanation is that Trump is incapable of doing anything other than what he is doing. He can’t plan. He can’t govern. He can’t alter his behavior. He can’t care whether people die of COVID.
He does the Trump act.
The Trump act worked throughout his presidency because Trump is being shielded by a major political party, and the right-wing has built a powerful propaganda machine.
The Republicans have made “politician” and “political” dirty words, the way they made “liberal” a bad thing. Politics literally means associated with the governance of a country. Liberal means open-minded.
I remember the first time I heard “liberal” used as a smear. I think it was the 1988 Bush-Dukakis debate, but it could have been earlier. I was shocked.
I also remember the first time I heard a Republican use “politician” as a smear. He was talking about Bill Clinton. He resented—and I mean hated—the way that Clinton compromised, brought people together, and projected empathy. In a snide voice, he said, “He’s a good politician.” I understood he meant, “He’s a good liar.”
He assumed that Bill Clinton’s empathy was fake.It’s that cynical “all politicians are liars,” thing. He couldn’t believe that Bill Clinton is actually an empathetic person.
For America to heal, we have to teach all citizens to value public service. Eventually, I hope we can reclaim as a good thing the word “politics.”
The real solution: Make Voting Cool Again:
