Donald Trump seals his fate
Opinion by
Columnist
Oct. 8, 2020 at 10:52 a.m. CDT
Any
sliver of hope to avoid a Republican wipeout slipped away from President Trump
on Thursday morning thanks to his refusal to
attend the next presidential debate in a virtual format (necessitated by his
covid-19 diagnosis), his hysterical demand that
Hillary Clinton be indicted and his decision to throw insults at Democratic
vice-presidential nominee Kamala D. Harris (he called her a
“monster,” “totally unlikable” and a “communist"). It is noteworthy that
one of Trump’s objections to a virtual debate is that the moderator can cut you
off. In other words, deprived of the chance to bully and interrupt, Trump is
pitifully weak.
Trump’s
latest crazy-talk should suffice to convince all but his sycophantic enablers
that he is entirely unable to perform the duties of his office. The difference
between the two campaigns — one calm and winning, the other unhinged and losing
— is evident. The Post reports:
“I’m
not going to waste my time on a virtual debate. That’s not what debating is all
about,” [Trump] said in an interview with Maria Bartiromo on the Fox Business
Network.
Shortly
afterward, Biden spokeswoman Kate Bedingfield said Biden welcomes the chance to
participate in a virtual debate.
“Vice
President Biden looks forward to speaking directly to the American people and
comparing his plan for bringing the country together and building back better
with Donald Trump’s failed leadership on the coronavirus that has thrown the
strong economy he inherited into the worst downturn since the Great
Depression,” she said in a statement.
Trump campaign manager
Bill Stepien blasted the commission’s decision in a statement, saying Trump
would “do a rally instead” of accepting what he characterized as a “pathetic”
decision.
Stepien
has tested positive for
the coronavirus, so perhaps he is a poor spokesman for the position that the
campaign intends to disregard health guidelines and put even more Americans at
risk.
Joe
Biden wisely told reporters that he did not know if Trump would stick to his
position. “We don’t know what the president’s gonna do; he changes his mind
every second,” Biden said. If Trump
does not show, it is unclear whether the debate commission would afford Biden
the stage to answer audience questions. If not, certainly one of the news
networks would be happy to host another Biden town hall, a format that he recently
demonstrated works well for him.
The
reckless disregard for others’ well-being and the gross insults at the only
African American woman ever to be on a major presidential ticket will only
heighten Trump’s problem with women. It is noteworthy that the most memorable
line of the VP debate may have been “Mr. Vice President, I’m speaking.” There
is not a woman in America who has not been talked over, interrupted or put down
by a male peer. The all-male Republican ticket remains oblivious.
In 26
days, voting will end. (Remember millions of votes are being cast as Trump
slogs through the worst days of his presidency.) While Biden’s victory seems
extremely likely, many questions remain:
·
Will Trump’s horrid poll numbers and especially appalling
conduct in recent days depress the Republican vote, serving as a
self-fulfilling prophecy of a blowout?
·
Will Biden score wins deep into Republican territory where polls
show him highly competitive (e.g., South Carolina, Georgia, Ohio and Texas)? If
so, will this serve as a major realignment of the parties and the collapse of
the Republican Party as we know it?
·
How many Senate seats will Republicans lose? One can imagine
that Democrats will lose Alabama but enjoy a double-digit pickup. The list of
states in play for Democrats is long: Maine, Colorado, North Carolina and
Arizona look like easy wins. Iowa, South Carolina, Montana, Alaska, two Georgia
Senate seats and even Texas are competitive.
·
How many Republicans will openly and dramatically break with
Trump, going so far as to condemn his reckless behavior and racist rhetoric?
·
Can Biden rack up enough clear wins early on election night to
dissuade Republican efforts to disrupt or discredit the results?
Barring
an unforeseen calamity, we are witnessing the end of our national nightmare.
The end cannot come soon enough — especially for those Trump still might infect
and endanger.
