You probably know some: politicians more interested in being somebody than in doing something. They crave the fame, the title. As social climbers, maybe even more fame and a grander title than the one they have now. But they aren’t that interested in the job itself. Both major parties have them.
The acting president is one of those. He claims all of the power and none of the responsibility. Plus credit whether or not he’s due any.
It’s why Donald Trump claimed “total” authority this week over state governments’ decisions to lift social-distancing restrictions and restart their economies. A day later, he claimed he was “authorizing” governors to make their own decisions. Because if he gives an order he has no authority to give and states ignore him, he’s even more of a public laughingstock.
Avoiding responsibility is why Trump claims authority he won’t use under the Defense Production Act to order private industry to produce the medical supplies needed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. If he wields the power he claims, he takes responsibility for the pandemic response.
Donald Trump thinks he’s leading the most powerful country on the planet by following the Pottery Barn rule.
We need a national testing strategy the White House refuses to propose and lead. Yet, even as states report shortages “in testing supplies and shortages of PPE for people doing the tests,” Trump claims his administration has provided all the testing capacity states need to fight the pandemic. But if he has, where are the pallets and pallets of testing supplies? What a tremendous, self-glorifying photo-op for a man infatuated with game-showmanship. You’d think he’d jump at that opportunity:
Mike Fraser, executive director for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. “There’s a big disconnect with what the White House says and what’s happening on the ground in states.”
So, Trump insists governors handle it. He’ll claim credit if things go well. He won’t accept responsibility if things go badly. He’ll blame governors and mayors for that. Especially Democratic ones.
After boasting on Wednesday that the Senate had confirmed a “record numbers of federal judges and appellate judges and two Supreme Court judges,” he whined that they had delayed in approving other nominees. Trump claimed the power to adjourn Congress if they continue holding pro forma sessions and not allowing him to make recess appointments. (That’s not how it works.)
“I have a very strong power,” said Pro Forma the First. “I’d rather not use that power.”
Donald Trump is worse than a paper tiger. He’s pathetically weak and hopelessly gutless at a time the country needs a strong leader. People are dying. #ResignTrump
Update: Added Greg Sargent tweet I just saw. Illustrates the point.
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For The Win, 3rd Edition is ready for download. Request a copy of my free countywide GOTV mechanics guide at ForTheWin.us. This is what winning looks like.
Note: The pandemic will upend standard field tactics in 2020. If enough promising “improvisations” come my way by June, perhaps I can issue a COVID-19 supplement.