Once again, this president cannot speak without denigrating someone else.
Once again, he feels compelled to speak of “past failures” in order to build himself up.
Once again, his own idea isn’t compelling enough or persuasive enough on its own to go without an insult aimed at someone else, someone who is not even his adversary.
I wrote this comment (above) on the White House Facebook page, reacting to the Vice-President’s statement that “President Trump’s strategy for South Asia will undo the failed policies of the past and put the safety and security of the American people first.” [Italics added]
As if on cue, a defender of the White House rushed to respond. She wrote about “THE MESS LEFT BY OBAMA”, how Obama is “the WORST” president in history, and – not to overlook Hillary – that “Obama and Hillary Clinton are a SHAME and DISGRACE to OUR country.” She closed here two lengthy comments with “Obama is a back stabbing weasel, liar, thief, racist, traitor, murderer (Benghazi), and the WORST president in the history of America.” [Capital letters in the original – of course]
Yes, Benghazi. Still.
Clearly, and unsurprisingly, this passionate defender missed my point (and, by doing so, reinforced my point).
Nothing that is going on now is about President Obama or Secretary Clinton. What is going on now, and in the future, is about Trump – no one else is making the decision about what we do next.
So the attack on previous administrations and their “past failures” that he tossed into his speech and into the White House statements – that attack is gratuitous and quite beside the point.
Yet he could not resist throwing in this “hot word” bait.
And that is true to the form that Trump has shown us over the last 2 years. He cannot speak unless he is attacking someone – anyone – deserved or undeserved, he must always attack, always denigrate, always demean, and always cast himself as a victim of that other person’s failings.
Trump is now in the Oval Office. Trump is now responsible for what happens. How we got here is irrelevant. How we move forward matters.
What happens next is entirely to his credit … or his blame. But if past is prologue, he hasn’t the courage to accept the blame.