There is no doubting that former President Donald Trump has become a major political force to be reckoned with in today’s America. He generates fierce loyalty among his followers, to the point that some might even say there's a cult of personality around the 45th president.
But America definitely doesn’t need that in a president. What America needs more than anything is stability. Less drama, less chaos, less ‘cultishness’, and much, much more genuine leadership. I often think back to the days of then President Ronald Reagan. Reagan was indeed a leader. Strong and steady, with principles and beliefs that were unambiguous. People knew exactly where Ronald Reagan stood on every issue.
Reagan experienced much of the same hatred from Democrats and the news media that Trump has had to deal with, but the difference is that Reagan didn’t resort to name-calling or other sophomoric and juvenile behavior in response. He either ignored it instead of lashing out in personal attacks, or he turned the tables on his detractors by using humor to disarm them.
We have now reached a point in our nation’s history where game show hosts and corrupt career politicians have ascended into positions of power, and sadly they control nearly every aspect of our lives. Good, decent, and conscientious individuals interested in running for office are more often than not overshadowed by the corrupt political establishment.
I will acknowledge that President Trump had some notable achievements during his four years in office. But he also experienced some significant failures. Failure number one being his inability to even try to establish relations with his political opposition. Add to that his nonexistent relationship with the traditional news media, which resulted in Trump being unable to sell his administration and his agenda to a larger segment of the American people.
Most Americans get their news from the traditional news media sources, so Trump’s going to war with them hampered his ability to get his message out to the audience they reached. Calling them “fake news,” while not necessarily off target, did nothing to help Trump tell Americans about the positive accomplishments of his administration. All many Americans ever saw were unflattering video clips of President Trump’s antics. Not the kind of image that attracts ‘Independent’ and ‘middle-of-the-road’ voters, which are necessary for anyone to win re-election.
I can certainly understand any reluctance Trump might have had to invite Nancy Pelosi or members of the news media over to the White House of an evening, much like Ronald Reagan did with then Democrat Speaker of the House Tip O’Neil. But completely alienating the Democrats and only counting on many of his less than enthusiastic ‘allies’ in the Republican Party, limited his ability to pass significant, long-lasting legislation. This failure required Trump to rely heavily on issuing executive orders which were only a temporary fix for what ails this country. Trump’s executive orders were rescinded within five minutes of Joe Biden taking office, so much of the good that Trump achieved was short-lived.
So while Trump’s die hard supporters believe he alone is the only person who can save America, many others believe that Trump’s time has passed, and that there are others running for the Republican nomination who can save this country from its leftward lurch. And who also bring much less negative baggage into a political campaign with them. Trump’s behavior and antics may well entertain his die hard supporters, but it doesn’t build the relationships that will be necessary to fix all of the damage that’s been done to America.
Should he receive the Republican nomination and beat the odds to win the 2024 election, any of Trump’s new executive orders will only last for four years. It’s going to take more than four years to repair the damage that the Democrats and the Obamunists have wreaked upon our nation. Four more years of the daily drama and chaos that Trump will likely create (it’s in his nature), won’t help Republicans win or maintain control to fix America and win again in 2028.
Trump is no longer the answer. A united and committed Republican Party is the answer, and Trump can’t even unite his own party. He would do better to become a ‘senior statesman’ and offer his talents to a successor where his help would be appreciated, and a better place for him in history assured.