Freaky Thursday

Over the weekend, Republican Party strategist Scott Jennings was on CNN, where he is an analyst, and gave his thoughts on something that Trump could do that Jennings believed could impact the presidential debate on Thursday, June 27, and give a big, crushing win to Trump.

I saw the headline and was intrigued, wondering what insider insight the GOP expert had that could be problematic for the president, so I checked out the story.

Jennings said that first, Trump needed to rein himself in, "stay over the target" — and let President Biden do the talking, in hopes that he shows issues that confirm concerns about his age.

Well, that sure let me breathe a deep sigh of relief, followed by a huge belly-laugh.  I mean, honestly, good luck with that. 

That is the Republican secret plan??  Most people would describe it as projecting.

For starters, I had a hard time getting past the first requirement – Trump reining himself in, and staying focused.  Does Jennings even watch his party’s leader?  Trump is the same guy who recently went off on a tangent about getting eaten by sharks or being electrocuted if you fall into the ocean.  Just this past week, Trump is the guy who went off-book and started ranting about not having enough water in showers.  And the first thing Jennings says Trump has to do is not do that.  Not do what he has done in almost all his speeches.  In other words, Not be himself.  Suddenly change who he is at the age of 78. 

But it’s worse than that – because Trump going off on unfocused tangents isn’t only Trump being Trump, but it’s gotten worse because psychologist say that Trump is suffering from early dementia.  So, while Trump tangent rants are bad enough at his best, this is now no longer something that he can control.

And the second thing Jennings says Trump has to do is stop talking and let President Biden do most of the talking.  To repeat:  Does Jennings even watch his party’s leader?  Trump can no more be quiet and let others do the talking than fish can stop swimming.  Talking endlessly over people and interrupting is what Trump not only does, it’s what he lives to do.

In fact, Trump’s one saving grace is that when each candidate’s time is up, their microphone will be turned off.  That’s great for Trump – and President Biden, too, since it means he won’t be interrupted.  Or at least interrupted as much, because it’s likely that Trump, being Trump, won’t be able to help himself and will keep talking even with his microphone off.  And Biden’s mic will likely pick it up, showing Trump infantile, unable to follow simple rules and out of control.

Which leaves Jenning’s one remaining hope – a hope, it must be repeated, that only means something if Trump can get over that first hurdle (which he can’t, so it’s moot).  But if some magical thing happens and Trump is able to stay focused and stop talking, ceding the platform to his opponent to talk and explain all the things very wrong, deeply dangerous and anti-democracy about Trump (which are huge triggers for Trump, trying to remain silent), while reminding voters of his own successes as President, in the hope that he screws up seems a deeply weak strategy to hang one’s dreams on.

Is President Biden likely to have some stumbles?  Sure, it’s who he is.  He’s 81 and has a stutter.  But “some stumbles” is not remotely the same as being meandering and incoherent, ranting in a dystopian manner, and making up words to replace those he can’t remember.  That’s describing Trump, not Biden.  Those are the symptoms of early dementia, which Trump has, not President Biden.

Which is why Scott Jenning’s great strategy is for Trump to act like Joe Biden does, and for Biden to act like Trump.  Which is why Scott Jenning’s great strategy is nothing more than mere projection.

In fact, confirming this is that Jennings knows all this and even said all this on CNN, without seemingly knowing he was doing so.  Saying the quiet part out loud.  Because he said (out loud) that the reason Trump should rein himself in is because Trump’s own worst enemy is himself!  Further, he even acknowledged that this is not only who Trump is…but that he’s done it before, noting that Trump has to “avoid the disaster” of his 2020 debate with Joe Biden!  And even more, Jenning added – out loud – that for Trump, "The biggest risk is being overly aggressive, getting bogged down in things that aren't what is on the minds of the American people.”  In other words – words he admitted and said out loud -- the biggest risk for Trump is being Trump.

And that’s the great strategy for Trump to undermine President Biden.  For Trump to stay focused, quit talking and let President Biden talk as much as possible, in hopes that he screws up.

I don’t know what will happen in the debate.  I don’t know if President Biden will do poorly.  I don’t know if Trump’s aggressiveness will come across as strong.  I don’t know who will win.  I know who I think will win, and that President Biden will do well and that Trump will show himself as out of control.  But I don’t know that.  It may not happen.  Indeed, I only know one thing –

What Republican strategist Scott Jennings says the one big strategy for Trump to undermine President Biden will not happen that way.  Because the strategy is for both men to have a Freaky Friday out-of-body experience and become the other.