Ronald Reagan got a substantial boost from the performance of the American athletes in the Los Angeles games in 1984. Given that the Democrats are making a concerted effort to appeal to American patriotism in the face of Trumpian gloom and doom, could the same thing happen in Rio?
Probably not, for the following reasons:
- The incumbent cannot benefit, because he can’t run for re-election.
- The 1984 Olympics coincided with a dramatic improvement in the American economy. That isn’t happening today.
- The country is more polarized now than in 1984.
That said, if we don’t win the medal count, you can expect Trump to blame it on the “losers” Obama and Clinton.