The President believes he is losing this race

[BlueWavePsych]

For the last night of the convention, President Donald Trump did something unusual -- he largely stayed on script and on message. For a candidate who has always trusted his own political instincts, this was notable.

The President's decision to shy away from his raucous campaign rally speaking style is the most compelling evidence that he believes he is losing this race.

Behind in most national polls, the President has been adamant that he is winning the race publicly. On Sunday, he even tweeted, "Actually, I think I'm leading in the Polls!" But his sudden message discipline indicates otherwise.

It has been hard to pinpoint what percentage of voters support the President's policy positions but are wavering in their support because they dislike his exaggerated rhetoric and constant Twitter attacks.

These voters do not like the direction of the Democratic Party, fearing it is being pulled too far left, but they are embarrassed by Trump. And if they stay home in November, Trump will lose.

The Trump campaign doesn't need to win back Biden voters. But it does need to convince Trump-friendly voters to turn out to vote for him.

And his speech on Thursday night was for them.

Last week, the Democratic convention featured Republicans like former Ohio Gov. John Kasich and former Secretary of State Colin Powell warning about the dangers of a Trump second term. Former staffers for Mitt Romney and John McCain came out to endorse Joe Biden. And that follows several former Trump administration officials who have now turned against him publicly.

Though the final night of the RNC featured a video of Democrats for Trump, the substance of Trump's speech itself was targeted to those more likely to fit inside the Republican tent. In fact, his speech had something for almost all of his supporters -- immigration, religious liberty, free speech, jobs and the economy.

But behind the words and policy promises was another message. By staying on script, he told those who support his policies, if not his style, that they can ignore his detractors who have claimed he is unfocused and unhinged behind the scenes.

As Trump said on Thursday, "they're coming after me because I'm fighting for you." And that is the message that he needs to sell to those voters between now and November. But can he stay on script for a little over two months?

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/28/opinions/rnc-night-four-commentary-roundup/index.html

[a kennedy]

1. Interesting.......

and welcome to DU.

[jorgevlorgan]

2. Good l. Let's deliver on this self fulfilling prophecy of his

[rockfordfile]

3. That looks like it was write by a right-winger

[Kali]

10. possibly

Sarah Isgur is a CNN political analyst. She is a staff writer at The Dispatch and an adjunct professor at George Washington University's School of Media and Public Affairs. She previously worked on three Republican presidential campaigns and graduated from Harvard Law School.

bold highlighting mine

[JI7]

4. That's why he is cheating

[SpaceNeedle]

5. It won't be too hard to expose him and make him veer from the script.

[magicarpet]

6. KKKarl Rove is burnishing, polishing, and sharpening trDumpie's political instincts and image.

[dawg day]

7. Biden is over 50% nationally

It's the swing states that matter, of course. Unfortunately.

[Thekaspervote]

11. Yes it is the swing states that matter, but all the pollsters agree the swing state polls are

pulled along by the National polls.

Once a candidate begins polling above 50% they are hard to catch. So says Rachael Bitecofer for one.

[dawg day]

16. I wish I could relax!

But when I see that more than 40% of our fellow Americans could vote AGAIN for Trump, I just despair.

But at least most of us aren't %$#*%.

[Wounded Bear]

21. Don't relax. Maintain discipline. We can do this...nt

[Thomas Hurt]

8. exaggerated rhetoric?

That sentence about Trump's exaggerated rhetoric is minimizing what Trump does. The author hasn't been paying attention or is him/herself lying.

Trump's speaking style is nothing short of lies, bragging with lies, attacking with lies, fear mongering with lies, blaming with lies.

Coddling a pathological liar is all that is.

[dawg day]

17. Yeah, and it's not even that he lies a lot.

He never tells the truth.

Never.

He lies about everything, and his entire administration goes along with it. We can't trust anything that comes out of the entire GOP now.

[LakeArenal]

9. Because he is.

Joe is winning. No panic, no advise, no 2016 repeat. Democrats are not in chaos.
There is no real radical wing. Our goals are all the same. #1 Vote trump out.

[Thekaspervote]

12. Absolutely!!

[LakeArenal]

18. 😉🇺🇸❣️

[NJCher]

13. didn't stay on message for long

CNN published the following article today, Saturday. Above article in OP was posted on Friday.

snip
(CNN)President Donald Trump and his rival Joe Biden presented two alternate realities of the state of America at their conventions over the past two weeks -- and the President's ability to persuade wavering moderates and independents will hinge on his ability to stay on message.

But the restraint that Trump showed on Thursday night in an unusually muted speech accepting the renomination of his party had vanished by the time he touched down in Londonderry, New Hampshire, Friday night where he told supporters — who were not socially distanced and booed when the public address announcers asked them to wear masks — that he felt free to "wing it."

After charging that Biden is "weak as hell" and an enabler of "rioters" and "anarchists," Trump suggested that protesters in Washington, DC, who surrounded and harassed Sen. Rand Paul as he left the White House on Thursday night would have killed him if police had not intervened, and then launched a baseless new attack on Kamala Harris at a time when he's facing a historical deficit with women.

"Joe Biden is coming out of the basement, because the poll numbers have totally swung -- they've totally swung," Trump said, mocking Biden's announcement Thursday that he would be resuming campaign events after Labor Day. "Sleepy Joe is coming out. ... Ten days! That's like an eternity in Trumpville."
snip

Link.

If you read the article, you will laugh at the fifth paragraph. He says the voters want Ivanka, LOL.

Ah well, so much for Trump staying on message. But I absolutely do believe the OP's article says one thing that's true: his "decision to shy away from his raucous campaign rally speaking style is the most compelling evidence that he believes he is losing this race."

He just doesn't have the discipline or smarts to pay attention to his experts.

[SheltieLover]

14. Restraint? Pffft

Heavily sedated.

[SheltieLover]

15. Welcome to DU!

[KentuckyWoman]

19. Honestly? I don't care what he thinks. VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE

I'm voting absentee, like I usually do and will hand deliver my ballot to the county BOE box in front of their office. I'm also helping people who need it request an absentee ballot and get it completed and returned. So far there are plans for early in person voting and also voting day polls. I've volunteered to drive people living in senior facilities who want to go in person.

[Wounded Bear]

20. It's what he did in 2016...

Remember that in the last couple of weeks of that campaign, he stayed pretty much "on script" and on message.

Can he do that for 2 months? Inquiring minds want to know.

As a narcissist, he can usually control himself when he knows it is in his self interest. Hopefully, with TLP out there goading him weekly, we can keep him off balance and stupid, his natural state.