Tim Alberta argues in today’s Politico that America has (metaphorically, of course) had a beer with Donald Trump every day for the last four years, and finds him repulsive. Is that really Trump’s core problem?
Not exactly. Even leaving aside the fact that Trump doesn’t drink, he never encouraged anyone to have a beer with him. He doesn’t have close friends; he doesn’t even like dogs. His sales pitch isn’t empathy, but that he is the indispensable superhero who alone can fight off the evils of the Other–cancel culture, socialism, Mexicans, the Chinese, etc. His most dedicated fans still believe that. The rest of us look at the results and note that the country is far less safe than it was four years ago. The virus, to continue the metaphor, was his kryptonite.
If he’s not a superhero, what’s the point? Why would we identify with a stupid, corrupt billionaire who wants to be a man on horseback, but can’t pull it off? We might as well vote for an ordinary, compassionate mortal with whom we really could have a beer. That’s Biden.