THE LAST DAYS OF DONALD TRUMP?
How the Democratic convention helped wash away the gloomy vision of the Republican leader.
If much of the world is hiding under the covers in fear of a looming Donald Trump presidency, now may be the time to peek out and squint again at the sunshine. This has been perhaps the most pivotal week of this astonishing U.S. presidential campaign.
Although it will take several days for the polls to catch up, I suspect we are finally seeing the beginning of the end to this horrific Trump nightmare. Over a dramatic 24-hour period, leading Democrats eviscerated Trump at their convention on Tuesday and Wednesday. And in a stunning response, Trump committed a form of political suicide by urging Russia to violate U.S. law and wage cyber espionage against his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.
There was considerable media attention given to polls this week that suggested Trump had received a “bounce” in popularity from the chaotic Republican convention in Cleveland.
But these results are conflicting and fragmentary. There are other indications that Trump’s appeal is beginning to fade. According to the Gallup polling firm, Trump’s keynote convention speech — dubbed by some as “Midnight in America” for its dark, alarmist tone — was the most poorly received speech by a major party leader since it began polling on this question in 1996.
In addition, far more Americans tuned in to the TV broadcasts of the first two nights of this week’s Democratic convention than the Republican one. A combination of political and celebrity star power — bolstered by an optimistic and largely unified Democratic message — suggests that Clinton’s post-convention “bounce” in the polls may be substantial.
Also, Trump’s blunder this week about Russia raises all sorts of extraordinary national security issues. The ensuing uproar placed a new spotlight on Trump’s bizarre affection for Russia and its President Vladimir Putin. Three related developments are worth noting. First, during the Republican convention, Trump’s team flipped traditional party policy on its head by blocking any commitment to arm Ukraine in its conflict against Russia.
Second, Trump signalled that, as president, he would no longer automatically come to the aid of other NATO states, such as the former Soviet republics, if they were invaded by Russia.
And third, Trump recently hired Paul Manafort as his campaign chairman. Manafort worked closely with ousted Ukrainian president, and Putin ally, Viktor Yanukovych.
Given the persistent speculation that Russian companies have financed Trump’s empire in the past — one reason perhaps that Trump refuses to make public his tax returns — it raises the important question of whether something larger is going on.
By any measure, Democrats had a very successful convention. It is easy to forget this, but Americans do appear to be on the brink of electing their first woman president. That is historic.
As President Barack Obama said on Wednesday evening, she arguably is more qualified to be president than anyone else who has run for the job — including Obama himself and Bill Clinton.
My worry about her is that she is a military hawk — probably closer to George W. Bush in approach than Obama. But on many issues — for better or worse — her views are in line with mainstream American thinking.
And she is very smart. In February 2010, as U.S. secretary of state, she visited Doha, Qatar, to attend a U.S.Islamic forum. She asked to meet with the senior leadership of the Al Jazeera news network.
As the managing director of Al Jazeera’s English network, I was part of the small group that met with her for more than an hour. We discussed various coverage issues, particularly those related to U.S. political and military strategy. It was a lively and productive exchange, and I remember thinking that this was one secretary of state who was extremely well-briefed and informed.
In December, I wrote that I “fervently hope that Donald Trump wins the Republican nomination” for president: “Only in that scenario — with Democrats then sweeping both houses of Congress as well as the White House — can the demons in America’s very sick political system be exorcised.”
That’s still my wish, so I’m sticking with it. But that assumes one important thing: that the adults in America who showed up at the polls in 2008 and 2012 to elect Barack Hussein Obama as U.S. president — not Benito Mussolini — realize how crucial this upcoming election is. Tony Burman, former head of CBC News and Al Jazeera English, teaches journalism at Ryerson University. Reach him @TonyBurman or at tony.burman@gmail.com.