Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Trump's Worst Enemy


            The Republican Party can breathe easier now that North Carolina’s 3rd and 9th congressional districts are seating Republicans—at least until the 2020 elections.

            Greg Murphy coasted to a comparatively easy victory in our 3rd district, which has voted Republican reliably for many years. But Dan Bishop’s win was a close one; next year he may not enjoy another bump from President Trump who rallied the troops on the eve of last week’s election. The GOP has every reason to worry, considering Trump’s fall in his North Carolina favorability ratings from 52% to 47%.

            The president can take credit for a robust economy resulting from his business-friendly tax cuts and deregulation. That one factor alone should guarantee his re-election. But Donald Trump’s falling popularity outside of his base indicates that he has not been able to overcome his worst enemy: Donald Trump.

            The three leaders among Democrat candidates to replace him in the White House are a doddering old man and two radical socialists. In ordinary times an incumbent president with a solid economy behind him should be able to flick off those three challengers like dandruff off his lapel. Yet, all three lead him in head-to-head polls. Why? The same reason Republicans lost the House in 2018: more and more Americans are growing tired of a shallow, ignorant leader whose giant ego prevents him from taking advice from associates who often have a far better grasp of the issues than he does. Rather than listen to them, he dismisses them.

            John Bolton is the latest victim of the president’s vainglorious belief in his own superiority. As a pugnacious National Security Advisor, Bolton had his detractors in Washington, but the five countries cheering loudest at his demise are China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, and Venezuela. Think about that.

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