Beware of the Man Behind the Curtain
Our Commander-in-chief apparently moonlights as a presidential historian.
He knows “presidential” when he sees it. (Or doesn’t see it)
I suppose that qualifies him to bestow upon himself the mantle of being only second to “Honest Abe” Lincoln as the most “presidential” president in American history.
That’s quite an honor. (Even if it’s only self-bestowed)
I’ve done a number of Google searches, and, to be honest, I can’t find an exact definition of “presidential” as it regards a president’s behavior.
Oh, there are lots of “presidential” libraries, but those don’t count.
Last week, when Mr. Trump decided to elevate himself to just below the rarified air of Abe Lincoln’s “presidential” demeanor, he was pandering for applause.
He got it.
But he was also making another point.
When given the opportunity to avoid being a thin-skinned, immature, bullying, vengeful, prevaricating braggard when somebody doesn’t fall all over themselves to support him, he’d prefer to attack in less than “presidential” ways.
“Political correctness, for me, is easy. Sometimes they say, he doesn’t act presidential. And I say, hey look – great schools, smart guy. It’s so easy to act presidential, but that’s not going to get it done,” he blustered.
I’m no presidential historian, but I’d wager there has been more discussion about the lack of “presidential” behavior regarding the 45th president of the United States of America, than for the previous 44 – combined.
There are daily cases-in-point to support that thesis.
Last Wednesday, the morning following the Republican’s last-ditch effort to revive hope to repeal and replace Obamacare, Trump tweeted a less than “presidential” attack on one of the two Republicans who voted against it.
“Senator @lisamurkowski of the Great State of Alaska really let the Republicans, and our country, down yesterday. Too bad!” he wrote.
It’s as if JFK had really said, “Ask not what this country can do for you, ask what you can do for me.”
Or, if FDR had proclaimed, “The only thing to fear, is a fellow Democrat who doesn’t support everything for which I stand.”
As a self-described “smart guy,” you’d think that Trump would have figured out by now that requiring unquestioned loyalty only goes so far — or that lots of people, and even those in his own party, tend to have minds of their own.
As simplistic as that last sentence may have appeared have been to you, I’m not sure Mr. Trump’s ego allows him to believe that.
When Trump isn’t igniting Twitter-controversies with his fellow Republicans, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, or his own attorney general, he resorts to below-the-solar plexus punches aimed at “FAKE NEWS.”
While his supporters may delight in Trump’s non “presidential” stabs at the news media, he’s probably not mindful of the fact that Mark Twain once said, “Never pick a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel.”
Or, if Mr. Twain had lived long enough to see CNN, or MSNBC, he might have updated that quote to say, “Never pick a fight with people who can fact-check you at lightspeed.”
But this isn’t specifically about Trump’s lack of truth-telling skills.
It’s more about his inability to understand that by frequently lashing out as if he’s a spoiled adolescent, he’ll never be perceived as being “more presidential than any president that’s ever held (this) office.”
In his free time, he might want to sit down and take a look at “The Wizard of Oz.
He should think of the Emerald City as being the White House.
He should think of Dorothy and Toto as being MSNBC and CNN.
He might think the Wizard (himself) can function with impunity in the short run.
Alas, that ends when Toto and Dorothy make a mad dash to see what’s going on behind the curtain.
There is, we all know, a man who depends on utter puffery.
Edward A. Owens is a three time Emmy Award winner and 20-year veteran of television news. E-mail him at freedoms@bellatlantic.net