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Donald Trump Is Boring
I have written around 115 Ricochet posts. I’ve written about food trucks, Sweden, Frank Zappa, hairdressers, the EU, John McCain, global warming, Taylor Swift, scarcity, gun control, teenagers, Obamacare, traffic cameras, and lots of other stuff in which I have enough interest to write a post but not enough knowledge to write anything worthwhile. The one topic about which I have never written also happens to be the one topic that consistently garners the most interest here on Ricochet: Donald Trump.
I don’t avoid writing about Mr. Trump because I find him distasteful (although I do) or because I’m sick of hearing about him (although I am). No, I have a different reason for writing about other things. A reason that might surprise you: I find Donald Trump to be, well, boring. I also think he may one day end up being one of our greatest presidents. Which is great. Really. But I find him hard to write about – too boring. Let me explain.
His interviews may be more explosive and combative than we’re accustomed to in American politics. His personal life may be more, um, salacious than us Mitt Romney/Scott Walker fans are accustomed to. His habit of putting his name in giant gold letters on every building that he walks by may seem a bit over the top. But his lack of restraint and subtlety do not make him interesting. At least to me.
Pundits, intellectuals, and thought leaders disdain, and often despise, Mr. Trump. I think this is largely because he is not an intellectual, and also because he shows no interest in their life’s work. College professors are often jealous of successful businessmen – “I’m smarter than that car salesman! I have a Ph.D. and he barely made it out of high school! Why does he drive a new Mercedes and I drive a ten-year-old Subaru?” It’s possible that Trump has read Adam Smith, Nietzsche, Bastiat, Burke, and so on. But I doubt it. His thinking may be nuanced and complex. But if so, he conceals it well. And I find that uninteresting. Not despicable, just uninteresting.
So conservatives who view conservatism as a collection of ideas and philosophies are unlikely to be fans of Mr. Trump. Likewise, conservatives who view conservatism as a temperament or an ethical framework are unlikely to be fans of Mr. Trump and his adultery, outrageous personal taste, and his endless pursuit of not just fame, but celebrity. I personally find this aspect of his persona to be distasteful. But, for a New York billionaire, it’s not especially novel or interesting.
A few years ago there was a news story about a passenger on a domestic flight that had become disruptive and dangerous. Another man who was a passenger on the flight went down the aisle and asked if there was anyone who might be able to help him resolve the situation. A 60-something-year-old man raised his hand and said, “I’m a retired drill sergeant.”
The man responded, “You’ll do.”
A minute later, while the 65-year-old drill sergeant is wrestling the dangerous passenger to the ground in the middle of a big commotion, another passenger asked the drill sergeant’s wife, “Your husband is up there wrestling a madman. Why are you reading your book? Aren’t you interested?”
His wife responded, “I know how that’s going to turn out. I don’t know how this book is going to turn out.” And she went back to her reading.
That’s how I feel about Donald Trump. And I find that strangely comforting.
Suppose you want to improve the security of your tool shed because some thieves have been stealing stuff in your neighborhood. Who do you want outside your tool shed? John Kerry, to discuss economic disparities with potential thieves? Or a Doberman Pincer, which has never had a thought cross its mind beyond territorial impulse and aggression? I’ll sleep better with the Doberman outside the tool shed.
A few days ago LeBron James said something nasty about Donald Trump. I knew how that was going to turn out. Why have the Iranians stopped pestering American ships? Because they know how that’s going to turn out.
Should John McCain have been more aggressive in his campaign against Barack Obama? Hard to say how that would have turned out. But you go against Donald Trump, and his response is simple, predictable, and always the same. It might seem ruthless, but I don’t think that’s a good description. You might call it simplistic. You might even call it a form of honesty. You might like his response, or you might not. But you know exactly what that response will be.
The thing is, I like knowing how it’s going to turn out. And so does everyone else on this planet. An unpredictable U.S. President is dangerous. To a lot of people. The world is a safer place when everyone knows how the world’s most powerful military will respond to things. This is why Democrat presidents are dangerous. Why did the night janitor in that middle eastern aspirin factory die? Because Monica Lewinsky gave an interview. Who knew? Certainly not that janitor.
Trump is a lot of things, but he is not unpredictable. His apparent lack of nuance and introspection is a feature, not a bug.
Are his domestic and economic policies based on Burke? Marx? Smith? Friedman? They don’t appear to be. They’re just based on a simplistic, direct impression of what serves America’s best interests at the time. No one else’s. It’s simple. It’s also boring. But not in a bad way.
His policies on immigration, the EU, global warming treaties, the UN, and just about everything else are the same. I’m not sure there is an over-riding philosophy more complex than simply, “What serves the interest of American citizens the best right now?” He is working on behalf of his employers. That’s it. Some of his policies are troubling to me, but most aren’t. And I know what they are, so there’s that.
You can’t criticize his intellectual framework, because he doesn’t seem to have one. You can’t criticize his ethics, because he doesn’t seem to have any. You can’t criticize his past voting record, because he doesn’t have one. All that matters to Donald Trump is what is happening right now. And that’s boring.
Trump’s dogged pursuit of improving the lives of his constituents (employers) may seem simplistic. Even ruthless. But he may be exactly what this country needs at this crossroads in our history. American culture, politics, and self-image is a mess right now, and his direct approach might be just perfect for our current needs. I suspect he would have been worthless in 1770 (although I’m losing interest in betting against him). But in 2018?
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but he might – just might – end up being one of our greatest presidents of all time, despite the predictions of lots of smart people.
Like me, for example. During the campaign, I thought he was an embarrassing joke. After the election, I predicted catastrophe. Now, I’m not so sure. I still think he’s a lousy person. He’d be a terrible Sunday School teacher. But he may be a great president. He may be just exactly what this country needs right now. The right guy at the right time.
Which is boring.
But that’s ok.
Published in General
That is a very interesting take on Trump, and in my opinion there is a lot to be said for it. Among other things, it is something kind of new, and I didn’t think there was anything new to say about Trump. But if Trump is predictable, he is a model of chaos theory in comparison to his political opposition. He has made the Democrats so predictable, not to mention unhinged, that you wonder why they even bother to show up for work. How boring must life be for Chuck Schumer, when he doesn’t know his position on any issue until he finds out what Trump says so he can say the opposite?
And Jonah Goldberg. And Gary Robbins. And my mechanic, who loves him. I’m not sure what Trump’s belief system is, but he certainly seems to clarify the belief systems of others. Trump may be boring, but I find THAT interesting.
Interesting essay, Doc. I’ve avoided writing about Trump, too, largely because I don’t know what to add to the conversation. Everything seems to have been said.
Then along came your essay.
Even with this small error*, this article is on The List for 2018. Superb mind-reading of an under-appreciated minority.**
*The long-ago change in spelling of a family name, dropping the terminal “f”, may have led to your misspelling; in the opinion of the judges, this is a sufficient mitigating factor.
**Me. And, it turns out, you.
And he might – just might – achieve this in only one term. (Actually, once you get to about fifth on that list, the bar really isn’t all that high. Four years may be enough.)
I harbor a sneaking suspicion that Trump will declare his mission complete after one term. I call this his Seinfeld Option. As in, go out while you are on top.
Good point…
For a topic in which you have little interest, you sure put together a great analysis. Would that you were uninterested in just about everything — Ricochet would be hoppin’.
I am so looking forward to having a boring “normal” President in the future.
I am so looking forward to the day when Trump will be only a bad memory, and not a potential danger.
Gary Robbins (Not Jonah Goldberg who is much more nuanced than me.)
____________
After being implored by She to write about anything other than Trump, I filed an OP about Orders of Protection.
I keep saying it. If the left were sane we would be very bored right now.
I completely understand that sentiment. In fact, I think I share your view. At least, I did. In the primaries, I wanted Scott Walker. He’s a good man.
Could he have accomplished all this? Heavens no.
Bill Clinton is a stereotypical “normal” president. A likable, handsome, political genius. Trump is an unpleasant, ugly, political novice.
And I’d rather have Trump.
One of my criticisms of Bill Clinton was, “Character matters.” Reagan, Bush, and Romney were all men of character. I disagreed with Mr. Clinton’s politics, but I also couldn’t stand his lack of ethics.
And here I am. Considering the virtues, such as they are, of Donald Trump.
I’m with you, Gary. I really am.
I admire you (and Jonah) a great deal. I can’t argue with the substance of your point.
But I’m starting to think that Trump might serve our current needs very well. I may end up being wrong. We’ll see.
My way of thinking is, from my perspective, neat and tidy. Reality is not.
I don’t argue that you’re wrong. I simply admit that I’m not sure.
It is possible that I could be all wrong about Trump. It is possible that his negotiation style is what is needed in dealing with Kim Jung Un, and with trade disputes. I don’t think so, but I don’t know so.
For the sake of my country, I am willing to be wrong about trade and national defense. I don’t think that I am wrong, but I would rather eat crow and have my country win, than be right and have everything go to hell.
For the record, Trump has been great on Judges, taxes and regulations. I hope that every Republican Presidential candidate in the future says that they are willing to delegate the selection of judges to lists from the Federalist Society.
@drbastiat, that was a great, and very thoughtful post. You must be very bright (’cause I agree with everything you said!).
I’ll take boring IF you mean Coolidge-style boring. Unfortunately, we are a long way from being allowed to elevate character like that anymore. Until such time, eight (or more) years of Trump-style disruptive influence…and the slight deceleration in the managed decline of the late Republic it brings…is the best we can hope for. Modern-boring is nothing more than easing back into the business as usual glide slope into the abyss. No thank you, sir.
Yep.
I didn’t vote for Trump in the primary, I did in the general. I have followed and studied politics for a long time. BT (before Trump) I did not grasp how compromised every candidate that runs for a high office in our country is. They are all beholding to a myriad of special interests. Not Trump , unless you believe Russia owns him which I do not. The other thing that I am impressed by is his work output. The man works at it. Also this is not a stupid person or uneducated. I have had some run-ins with Wharton grads but it is arguably the best in the world at what itdoes. I think Trump will possibly go down in history as the country’s rescuer. He is saving our economy, saving our culture from mass immigration ,making socialism look silly and most of all he rescued us from Hillary Rodham Clinton the most corrupt person that has ever run for President.
Thank you for this – I agree with almost all of it. Superb argument, top to bottom.
But I am too much of an historian to think we really know how things will turn out, especially with the debt and with foreign powers who may start shooting. I doubt anyone knows what Kim might do next – and neither does Trump.
Alas, this would doom the Federalist Society to be the next target for a Leftist Infiltration Takeover.
It would be pretty easy to spot the infiltrators! Just give them a statute that violates their preconceived politically correct notions, and see if they stretch to hold it unconstitutional. One great quality is that we have a huge bench of conservative Judges on the Circuit Courts of Appeal.
I like your essay @drbastiat, but I would agree with you only concerning his actions. The words that come out of his mouth and Twitter feed are almost totally unpredictable, and often untruthful. I learned long ago to not pay attention to anything he says, but to try to judge him on his actions.
Excellent OP, excellent comments. Thanks, @drbastiat et al.
Great post. I’ve been thinking the same thing for awhile.
I’m no fan of Donald Trump; in fact my first humorous post on Ricochet was a satire about him. (You’ll also notice if you read that post that I was absolutely, completely, utterly 100% wrong.) I have not made fun of him for awhile because of the reasons you mention. While the MSM is nattering breathlessly about the latest whore du jour, most people are “been there, done that.” You can only repeat a joke so many times.
For leftists, President Trump is the only thing they can joke about, while, for the reasons listed, being impossible to say anything funny about. Outside of the president himself, his administration has gone from the clown college of the first year to becoming a bunch of boring bureaucrats. And how are attacks on his family working out, Ms. Samantha “fatuous {COC}” Bee?
On the other side, you have the most inept presidential candidate in history, a corrupt charity, a nattering supercilious crone, a dotty septuagenarian, proven pathological liars, a pervy creep, a grumpy old man, a pampered upper-class twit, and a credentialed do-nothing. And the Clinton family is just a microcosm of the rest of the Democrat party. These people should be comedy gold, but you can’t do it because you’ll be a traitor to THE RESISTANCE. (Maybe that’s why so many comedians are giving up comedy, @jon.)
Those are the policy and appointments that matter most. So is it the immigration issue? No he’s got that right, at least in rhetoric, he hasn’t done much. Confronting thugs like Putin, Kim, ISIS, the Mullahs no he’s done more there than former presidents. So it’s just his New York non intellectual and often tasteless approach to things that get press attention and and foreign trade. Most of us agree with those criticisms. It turns on whether you are comfortable with the growing drift now gallop to the far left by the Democratic party, the rampant corruption of the Federal and State governments, i.e. the accumulated results of a century of drift away from constitutional governance toward concentrated power. It seems these don’t bother you but Trump’s persona does.
Morning Dr. Bastiat,
I think President Trump’s battle with the media is one of the most beneficial parts of his presidency. What is your opinion? I do think that the press is the enemy of the West.
Very nice analysis, @drbastiat. There is one other thing about Trump that most of his supporters feel and that was completely missing from the previous POTUS. Trump actually likes us. He feels a connection with the average American about which Obama and most other Presidents have no clue. I believe Trump gets his love of Americans from all the time he spent in the construction zones of his myriad projects…face to face and shoulder to shoulder with the men and women–white, black, or brown–who actually build this country. President Trump knows how great Americans are, how much we can achieve. He truly appreciates all the hard work and skill of those that have built his buildings. And now I believe he wants to repay us all for what we have done to help him achieve his own success. Why else would he give up his king like lifestyle? Especially to face the constant ridicule and harassment from such little petty people.
Phenomenal post !
It perfectly catches the way and why I’ve been enjoying life in America since about nine months after he took office. I feel just like the wife who kept reading her book.
It’s so nice.
Superlative wrting! I enjoyed it immensely. It spoke to exactly where I am coming from but have been unable to frame. I detest just about everything about Trump, but other than a few policy decisions, I think he is doing an incredible job. I think the reaction of the media is, perhaps, the best indicator of how effective he has been in doing exactly what his voters had in mind when they elected him.
Trump lies. From Birtherism to Ted Cruz’s Father helped Oswald kill Kennedy, Trump either cannot or will not stop lying. There are two things lawyers get disbarred for, stealing from clients and lying to the Court. Birtherism is a execrable lie that Trump used to gain publicity.
As for stealing, it appears to me that Trump is corrupt, and has been corrupt for years. It appears that he has been under Putin’s influence for years, acting in plain sight. I am waiting for the evidence on that.
If you’ve followed Trump over the past 41 years, since he first burst onto the public stage with the Grand Hyatt project in 1977 (something that was easier to do if you were in New York at the time), the reality is Trump is exciting in the moment, but boring in the aggregate. That’s because you know what the style he’s going to take will be, it’s simply the situations of the moment which are different.
Trump made his name — thanks to the help of Rupert Murdoch buying the New York Post six months before Trump’s Hyatt project, and the fact that 1977 was otherwise one of the most horrible years in New York City’s history — by being the guy who called out the local politicians for their incompetence and corruption. Murdoch simply took the type of coverage the Post already was giving to the circus up in the Bronx with New York Yankees’ owner George Steinbrenner, and transferred that in-your-face arrogant confidence persona to Trump for Page 1 headlines, where he’d attack the city’s pols in the same way Steinbrenner would hammer Billy Martin, Reggie Jackson or any other Yankee who was under-performing on the back sports page.
There’s been no change in Trump’s personality since then. Zero. Zip. Nada. But the other thing about Trump also has been when he vents, he’s always vented based on what he thinks the majority of the public is angry about, and it’s his ability to command media attention in more than just Murdoch’s outlets that convinced people over the years he’s angrier about whatever the problem of the moment is than they are (it’s the same reason he’s flipped sides over the years, because sometimes the swing voters are angry and want a government solution and sometimes they want government to butt out. That’s the constraining thing in Trump — he wants 50.1 percent of the public on his side — that the media either accidentally or deliberately refuses to understand ).
I agree, @jimbeck. Other Republican politicians are scared to death of the media. I think it’s helpful for Trump to mock the media and point out that they are not honest or impartial.
He is uniquely qualified for this. First, this combative technique matches his personality. Second, he is untouchable, I think. That’s why I wrote this in the OP:
That was not just typical Trump bashing. My point was that he is scandal-proof. I can’t imagine what you would have to accuse him of to create an outrage. We know who he is, and we’ve accepted that.
CNN: “TRUMP SAID SOMETHING MEAN AND CRUDE!“
American citizen: “Wow – thanks for the news flash. Whatever.”
I still don’t like his apparent lack of ethics. But there are upsides. It inoculates him against the media, and enables him to hit them back, over and over and over and over again. And that’s valuable.
Name another national Republican who treats the media with the disdain they deserve. No one else can do this. Until Trump leads the way. Over time, as Trump steadily deteriorates the reputation of the media, it may become safe for the Mitch McConnels of the world to go after them as well.
This is likely to be one of President Trump’s greatest lasting legacies, after he leaves office.