Trump’s critics are one reason he’s President

The build-up to the US presidential elections is going to seem a whole lot longer than the few months of juvenile tribalism we still have to endure.

Already the news bulletins are full of pictures of Donald Trump shouting into (half empty) stadiums and grown men who think baseball caps work well with a suit and tie (each to their own, I’m no fashion expert). This will be offset by angry, over-earnest types who think the way to bring down Trump is to constantly shout terms like ‘racist!’ and ‘sexist!, as if everyone else will suddenly have a moment of clarity. It might have escaped their notice but this tactic didn’t work too well for Hilary Clinton and her supporters last time.

It’s almost as if self-righteous fingerwagging and namecalling is not the best way to achieve mass appeal. See also: last year’s UK elections.

The army of people make a virtue - and a living, in some cases - of shouting down Trump should perhaps look instead at the reasons he’s in The White House, rather than just telling us how awful he is (don’t forget, voters can see for themselves).

Trump was was elected in the first place because of the failure to present an appealing alternative for floating voters. People generally want practical politics, not holier-thanthou middle class radicalism. Posting your devastating arguments on Twitter might not translate to a landslide election victory in the real world beyond social media. On the plus side for the anti-trumpers many of whom would actually be bereft if he lost in November - the Los Angeles Times reports this week that his Democratic rival Joe Biden is ‘not as disliked as Clinton’. Something to work with there.

If I was a US election strategist, I’d advise those who want the President out to give up on the whining and instead present a more constructive argument than not being Donald Trump. And most people don’t find your placards that funny.

‘People want practical politics, not holierthan-thou middle class radicalism. Devastating arguments on Twitter might not translate to a landslide victory’