Trump lost by refusing to be nice

In the classic movie “Road House,” bouncer-extraordinaire Patrick Swayze teaches his staff how to deal with adversity:

“Be nice. If somebody gets in your face and calls you a (expletive), I want you to be nice. Ask him to walk, and be nice … If you can’t walk him, one of the others will help you, and you will both be nice. I want you to remember, it’s the job — it’s nothing personal.”

If Donald Trump had heeded those words, he’d be sailing into a second term. Instead, because he steadfastly refused to “be nice” for the last four years, he lost re-election, and with it, a legacy that could have ranked among the best presidents.

Don’t misunderstand the quote. “Being nice” sounds … nice. But, fact is, the only thing Americans enjoy more than building people up is tearing them down. But here’s the critical point: Americans draw the line when it comes to politics. Donald Trump, as reality TV star yelling “you’re fired” on “The Apprentice,” was lauded. But Donald Trump, as president who behaved inappropriately, was not. It was a clear-as-day distinction that Mr. Trump, for whatever reason, failed to grasp.

That’s not to say Americans don’t relish a good fight when their president acts boldly (war on terror, get-tough with China, go to the moon, secure the border) because they most certainly do. But, unequivocally, they expect their commanderin-chief to act presidentially. Teddy Roosevelt, JFK, and Ronald Reagan personified leaders who walked tall and, when necessary, wielded a sledgehammer, but did so with grace and charm. Conversely, when Americans perceive that dignity has been relegated to the gutter, and respect for the Oval Office has been jettisoned, they turn on the incumbent, even when it is against their self-interest.

The president’s behavior over the last two weeks is a microcosm of the last four years, illustrating why many Republicans and Independents pulled for Joe Biden.

• The president hasn’t attended a Coronavirus Task Force meeting in over five months, despite the pandemic being the most important issue to Americans. Pouring salt in the wound, Mr. Trump has not only remained silent during the current cataclysmic surge — the ultimate example of not acting like a president when the country desperately needs one — but he refuses to coordinate with the Biden transition team on the virus.

Acting like a petulant child, which could well be contributing to the death of Americans, is wretched behavior. If there is any wonder why Mr. Trump lost, re-read this paragraph.

• After two weeks, Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine acknowledged Joe Biden as president-elect, ostensibly to keep the ball rolling on the federal response to the virus. The president responded by tweeting a veiled threat that Mr. DeWine would be primaried in his next election.

Let’s get this straight: Gov. DeWine, co-chair of Donald Trump’s campaign in a crucial battleground, delivered Ohio by the largest margin of any swing state. Yet he gets attacked simply because he is trying to save citizens’ lives? Donald Trump is still a force, but every time he lashes out at his own for idiotic reasons, his base fractures that much more.

The Trump campaign, along with the sycophant loyalists, continue whining about election fraud. Yes, since it is the president’s right to pursue legal challenges, it ain’t over ‘til it’s officially over. But the constant harping about election theft, despite no evidence of widespread cheating, is making these people appear like the “snowflakes” whom they derided four years ago.

Sorry to break the news, but re-votes, Supreme Court intervention, and GOP legislatures throwing out Biden electors won’t occur solely because a president and his base say an election was rigged. Having no self-awareness is bad, but being delusional is even worse.

Here’s what isn’t delusional. This author informally polled hundreds of people after the election, the majority of whom were Republican-leaning suburban women. No surprise that the majority voted for Mr. Biden (or third-party), and Republican the rest of the way. They aren’t “deep state” plants, nor are they Joe Biden lovers. Infinitely more important, they are the Great American Middle — the sliver of such voters in crucial battleground states who decide every election.

They deserted Donald Trump in droves, but not because of his policies. He lost them simply because he refused to change from flashy real estate mogul and reality TV star, to a dignified president of the United States.

How ironic that the road to keeping the White House, and most powerful position in world history, came down to the simplest of concepts: Being nice.