Is Donald J. Trump Machiavellian enough to turn off his inner voice in a desperate attempt to win the 2020 Presidential Election? Does he have the emotional intelligence to simply stop talking his way out of reelection?
For the most powerful politician in the world these questions are critical considerations. Yet, Candidate Trump is a mess. He clearly has no one around him willing to stand up and simply say, “Stop…stop now, Mr. President!”
The only way (it seems outside a Constitutional crisis over mail-in voting) to avoid defeat is to exude leadership on defeating COVID-19 through bold actions. The US ineptitude at the federal level has been legion to date with more than 4.3 million confirmed Coronavirus cases, some 150,000 people dead, and a ham-handed testing and tracing program. Time is against the president with less than 100 days before the election.
But, Trump still has options…
…To paraphrase James Carville:
“It’s the pandemic, stupid!”
Sound Like a Wartime President
The equations are straightforward right now – voters hate Trump’s response to the pandemic. They roundly disapprove of how he has handled the crisis. Trump currently trails in polls in several key battleground states (i.e. Texas, Florida, and Pennsylvania) that he must win if he hopes to emerge victorious in the Electoral College. However, a closer look at many of these surveys reveals that the results fall within the margin of error that could make them much closer than they appear on first glance.
The second half of the 2020 Presidential election equation is that people are fairly ho-hum about Joe Biden. His poll results (right now) are derived more-or-less by being the anti-Trump. Unlike his counterpart, Biden is staying relatively quiet. Less talk equals less chance that he might let loose with one of his many verbal ticks or miscues.
Let’s be realistic, though when it comes to politics. Many Americans have short-term memories. If President Trump righted the course and could realistically claim victory over COVID-19, he would probably be rewarded, despite the significant flaws and missteps made over many months.
President Trump could begin challenging his fate if he simply started speaking like a leader. Of course, as possibly the least actualized person on the planet, the counter is that he can’t do it...could never show this kind of transformation. Yet, a possible second term hangs in the balance. In an “It’s the pandemic, stupid!” world, the president of the nation leading the world in COVID-19 outbreaks must talk like a leader. His words matter, so a different kind of oratory may provide hope and inspiration for all Americans.
Shut it Down – Shut it, Shut it Down!
Bold, decisive leadership requires that President Trump do the one thing he is most dead-set against—completely shut down the country. Not only would it require him to sound presidential, but it would oblige that he act presidential.
With one courageous proclamation, Trump would immediately change the trajectory of his presidency:
“Today, following the guidance of the scientific community and my medical experts, as well as bipartisan leadership nationally, we are shutting down the nation, instituting mandatory masks in all indoor spaces and outdoors when people are unable to socially-distance, and banning nonessential interstate travel. All schools will be online for the rest of 2020, which will enable us to plan for a successful 2021.”
The scientific evidence and examples from many European and Asian nations is that by six to eight weeks of shutting down the nation, the US could flatten the virus to the point that testing and tracing could isolate and possibly squelch hotspots as they arise.
The follow-up:
“I realize that we are asking a great deal of Americans, but these critical steps are the only way that we can defeat COVID-19. After six to eight weeks, we will have a stronger nation and be fully prepared to re-launch the economy. America will also be much closer to a vaccine.”
The Outcome
While the call for shutting down the nation might seem like the last thing in the world that Trump would advocate, the move would finally demonstrate that the president is putting the nation’s concerns before his own seemingly impulsive thoughts and reactions. A total shutdown would reveal Trump as willing to place the lives of Americans foremost. One again, though, the kind of decisions that Candidate Trump must make to win the 2020 election are diametrically in opposition to what President Trump has done since the pandemic broke out.
Does he have the maturity as a leader to change course? Possible options are dropping by the day. As we hurtle toward November a chance for a Hail Mary victory are growing slimmer and slimmer.
