It’s the midway point of the convention season, and here’s what I think:
Objectively speaking, President Donald Trump gives you every reason to believe he’s …
It’s the midway point of the convention season, and here’s what I think: Objectively speaking, President Donald Trump gives you every reason to believe he’s not a good person. He has not treated the people in his personal life well, and several professional associates went to jail or are perhaps headed that way. Not saying that Trump is responsible for their bad judgment, but… come on. He says rude and self-defeating things which leave members of own party defending the indefensible. He’s driven everyone crazy (including the media, which is endearing to his supporters). His embrace of conspiracy theorists is a dead end for his party and corrosive to our national political culture. He has said things during moments of crisis that were, charitably, extremely harmful to his political position, leaving the nation wondering what the hell is going on up there. On the other hand, he has delivered on deeply held Republican priorities and offers a reasonable center-right path for the nation — tax cuts, conservative judges, pro-life policies and scaling back government regulations. He built a rocking economy that worked for everyone. He cut a major peace deal in the Middle East, proving wrong those who said his style would lead to instability or war. He is dead right about Democratic mayors allowing lawless rioters to destroy parts of American cities. And he has stood up to China after presidents of other parties would not. Next week, Trump will hopefully explain how he can Make America Normal Again, which is really what everyone wants. He needs the election to be a choice between himself and the radical Democrats who would “transform” (Joe Biden’s word) America for the worse. This is the framing of the race he can win. Objectively, Joe Biden is clearly past his prime. Confused, out-of-touch, and a 50-year record that leaves people wondering — what does this guy really believe? Unlike Trump, it is often other Democrats who put Biden in the position of defending the indefensible, but he just accepts it for the most part (he moved shockingly left on abortion and immigration in the Democratic primary, and promised massive tax increases, too).
