What would a "successful" Trump presidency have looked like? An alternate universe [View all]

[catbyte]

Trump believed his base wouldn't let him be a normal president. That's not true: The failure was his alone

By Bob Cesca
December 1, 2020 1:00PM (UTC)

snip

Due to a laundry list of character flaws, mental illnesses and the blindingly obvious trappings of his "brand," Trump was only ever going to be a failed poseur president at best, beloved by no one but similarly damaged, similarly uneducated, similarly aggrieved, similarly pitiable Americans. His myriad personal glitches have been collectively amplified by his fanboys and therefore worsened through their misguided and unsubstantiated adulation — positive reinforcement for his worst traits — rendering him completely trapped by his own reputation, blinded to what was a relatively easy path to success and a second term.

For years, certain members of the cable news media eagerly anticipated a Trump pivot to being more "presidential." Talkers like Van Jones seemed desperately spring-loaded to crown Trump as finally having grown into the gig, but had they actually paid attention to who Trump was and is, they never would have assumed he was capable of such a transition.

snip

In his final year, Trump faced his "Cuban Missile Crisis test" and failed it catastrophically, infecting himself in the process. Again, he could have succeeded if he were capable of adjusting to reality, but he's not.

Trump, along with everyone who enabled his worst instincts, is why he'll be a private citizen again in 49 days. Full stop. Trump is why Trump will be remembered by history as apocalyptically bad at his job, sparking myriad long-term fiascos that we're only beginning to understand. It didn't have to be this way. Americans typically want their presidents to succeed, and history shows we have a penchant for two-termers. But it's far too late for Trump, who made it impossible for Americans even to tolerate him, much less like him. Now history will have its way with him — and his legacy won't look anything like he wants it to look.

https://www.salon.com/2020/12/01/what-would-a-successful-trump-presidency-have-looked-like-an-alternate-universe/