America’s Authoritarian Exceptionalism

Demagogues usually arise in times of chaos and privation. In America, our demagogues have become powerful during a period of peace and prosperity.

Former President of the United States Donald J. Trump delivers remarks at Windham High School. (Photo by Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

1. Decadence

We’re going to keep doing this and I’m sorry. Here are some tidbits from yesterday’s Wall Street Journal poll:

By an 11-point margin, more voters see Trump rather than Biden as having a record of accomplishments as president—some 40% said Biden has such a record, while 51% said so of Trump. By an eight-point margin, more voters said Trump has a vision for the future. And by 10 points, more described Trump as mentally up to the presidency. Some 46% said that is true of Trump, compared with 36% who said so of Biden.

What?

Trump has more of a record of “accomplishment” in office than Biden?

I would pay a lot of money to sit down with that 51 percent of respondents and ask them to tell me five things Trump accomplished in office. I’d even spot them the first four: a tax cut; the appointment of three SCOTUS judges; the killing of Qasem Soleimani; Operation Warp Speed.

Meanwhile, whatever you think about voting for Biden for another term, just on the basis of balls and strikes, this has been one of the more successful first terms most of us have lived through:

• Beating COVID

• American Rescue Plan

• Bipartisan gun reform

• Bipartisan infrastructure

• Inflation Reduction Act

• CHIPs

• Killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri

• Managing the allied support of the war in Ukraine

As for being mentally up for the presidency, again, I understand people who have doubts about Joe Biden. Fair enough.

But they think Trump is up to the job, mentally?

This guy?

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This guy?

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This guy?

I do not understand how anyone who has been awake for the last seven years could see Trump as “mentally up for the presidency” if Joe Biden is not.

But wait. It gets worse.