“He’s not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.” Donald Trump describing John McCain on July 4th, 2015
Conquering Hero
It was a perfect situation for Donald Trump. Fresh from his miraculous recovery from COVID-19, he refused to follow the Commission on Presidential Debates rule requiring that he debate Joe Biden “remotely”. As Trump told Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo, “I’m not going to waste my time doing a virtual debate.” Instead, he called it a “joke” and an effort “to protect Biden”.
The Trump 2020 strategy is to make Biden look old and feeble. In their first debate, Trump constantly interrupted Biden, trying to prevent him from making a coherent statement. Now, after his “Superman” moment returning to the White House from the hospital, he didn’t want someone else to have a “mute” button.
So he blew up the second debate. Biden immediately scheduled a ninety-minute “town hall” interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, ending speculation that the debate would be rescheduled. Trump then arranged his own Town Hall at the same time across all of NBC’splatforms (NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, and Telemundo).
Miami
So Trump had an hour in Miami last night to drag Joe Biden’s audience away. And he automatically “wins” the ratings – ABC doesn’t have the broadcast reach (ABC and ABC 24 Hour News) of NBC.
But then there was Savannah Guthrie, moderator of the Trump Town Hall and NBC’s Today Show host. During the hour on stage in Miami without a second candidate, Guthrie used the audience questions to “fact check” Trump in real time. When the President used his usual “alternative facts”, Guthrie immediately responded with the actual facts. Trump tried to “bully” his way through Guthrie’s responses, but she didn’t back down.
This morning there is a hue and cry among the Trump loyalists. Savannah was “out to get” Trump. The President is a “victim” of an NBC hatchet job. That “nasty woman” attacked him. This Facebook post sums up their feelings:
“I’ve never seen such a disrespectful person during a town hall meeting literally your job is to moderate, not debate. The answers were given but you didn’t believe him so you grilled him harder and harder thinking he would change his mind. This meeting was for the people that needed answers straight from the man in charge yet you kept that from them, Savannah Guthrie you’re a dirt bag. All these journalists need to leave their beliefs at the door and be professional during times like this. It just shows how much pain biden (sic) supporters are if all they can do is attack trump. #Trump2020.
Philadelphia
Meanwhile in Philadelphia, George Stephanopoulos had a ninety-minute conversation with Joe Biden and America, with the topics triggered by audience questions. Biden has never been a “smooth talker”, and he sometime searched for words. But he had the facts and figures at hand, and a clear understanding of his own plans to repair the United States. And Biden, as usual, took more time than most politicians to explain his answers. He couched his programs in his own life experiences: we heard a lot about his father’s views. But in the end he knows what he wants to achieve, and has a vision of his own for our nation.
Biden then spent another hour or so talking to the audience, after the cameras were off.
Superman
Rumor has it the Trump considered wearing a Superman T-Shirt under his dress shirt on his return from the hospital, and then ripping the dress shirt off to emphasize the success of his recovery. But Superman wasn’t a victim, and Mr. Trump can’t have it both ways.
In a broader sense the entire Trump “movement” is based on victimization. Republicans in the Senate set up an entire scenario where Judge Amy Coney Bennett would be “victimized” by Democrats for her religious beliefs. She wasn’t. Christians claim to be “victimized” by Courts that rule in favor of LGBTQ rights, but it’s difficult to see how granting equal rights to one group victimizes another. And folks are being “victimized” by being forced to socially distance and wear masks, the simple and effective responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. They can’t wear a mask, but fight like Hell for the right to wear their red “MAGA” hats.
The President has tapped into a sad side of the American psyche. Instead of encouraging Americans to improve their world, he gives them solace for their perceived losses. He wants them to see themselves as “losers”. And, as we saw four years ago, there are a significant number of Americans who want to be – victims.
I like my Presidents who aren’t victims.
