Last week, President Trump debated former Vice President Joe Biden in the first of three debates. I thought the match up was a draw. Biden did what he needed to do: appear to not have signs of cognitive decline. Trump had most issues on his side.
Unfortunately, if the polls are any indication, a draw was not what Trump needed. Biden is ahead to Trump in nearly every national poll, and he is beating Trump in most battleground states. Trump needed to focus on raising doubts that Biden was up for the job.
Trump was rude, even for Trump. He continually interrupted Biden. He needlessly battled with the moderator, Chris Wallace. He looked bad. If Trump was hoping to convince the few undecided voters in important key states, it is doubtful that he was going to attract their support.
Election Day is four weeks away.
Trump, if he is to win re-election, needs to turn this situation around.
There are reasons for Trump supporters to be hopeful.
Last Friday, we learned that Trump tested positive for the Coronavirus. For a 74-year-old man who is more than a bit overweight, this is a potential serious matter. He spent the weekend in the hospital. As of this writing, his health has made significant progress and he was discharged earlier this evening. If he makes a full recovery, he may get a modest boost in the polls.
The vice presidential debate will take place this Wednesday. Given the ages and the health concerns of the two running for the top job, this debate will have greater importance than normal. Senator Harris, a former prosecutor, will be prepared to hit Vice President Pence on the federal government’s handling of the pandemic, as well as other issues such as health care and gay rights. Pence, a former radio talk show host and skilled debater, will be well-prepared to handle questions. Harris, on the other hand, as we discovered during the Democratic Party primary debates, is not terribly quick on her feet when questioned about her own record (TULSI GABBARD!). She may have some difficulty explaining her support for the Green New Deal (which would end fossil fuel use within a decade), “Medicare for All” bill (which would end private health insurance for nearly all medical procedures), and providing free health care for those in the country unlawfully. A Pence win on Wednesday will help the Republican ticket.
This Friday, the Norwegian Nobel Committee will announce the 2020 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump received three nominations for the prize. The first for his role in the United Arab Emirates-Israel peace deal; the second for Trump’s help in securing normalized economic relations between Serbia and Kosovo; the third for his foreign policy philosophy (the Trump Doctrine). There is a real chance that Trump could walk away with the prize. If he is announced the recipient of the award this week, it will enhance his stature as an international leader. The American people will have a more favorable view of the president, which will likely show up in future polling and, more importantly, votes in the general election.
Trump and Biden will square off two more times before the election. If Trump can (1) successfully tie the Democratic Party and, by extension, Biden, as the party of Antifa, riots, and anti-police and (2) promote himself as the president who cut taxes, made America energy independent, and a leader who both made the world safer place, the president would have made the case to continue the work for another four years.
One week from today, the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to begin confirmation hearings for Trump’s nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, Judge Amy Coney Barrett. It is too soon to tell how smoothly the hearings will go, but one can guess that Democratic senators will try to paint Barrett as an extremist on questions such as health care and abortion. The fact that she is a devout Catholic might come up. Still, the Republicans have the votes to approve the nominee. Absent new information or an unforeseen event, by month’s end, the nation will have a new Supreme Court Justice. On the eve of the election, a political victory of this importance will cement Trump’s image as an executive who gets things done.
Even with the unforced errors in the past, the month of October can produce opportunities for the voting public to see Trump as a president who deserves to be re-elected.