Bloomberg says Trump is a fool

Is Trump an incompetent, narcissistic idiot? If so, Bloomberg is the remedy.

But Democrats may well think incompetence isn't really the worst thing about Trump. The worst thing is that he is a dangerous enemy who holds them in contempt.

When an incumbent president is running for re-election, voters make a decision either to continue for more of the same, or to reverse course. Typically voters give a political party eight years in the cycle, not four. Then they vote in a candidate who represents a course correction of some characteristic voters sense as a problem.

Quick history: JFK offered a young, vigorous image to counter the old, stogy, too-comfortable Eisenhower. Jimmy Carter offered pious righteousness to counter Watergate-stained Nixon-Ford. Reagan was the optimistic morning-in-America to Carter's twilight malaise.

Democrats may have generally been happy with Obama's cultured graciousness, but on the right Obama was perceived as too empathetic, too nice, and therefore, too weak. Romney discerned that and initiated his campaign with a book titled No Apology. Romney didn't yet succeed. It was only four years of Obama, not eight, plus Obama bailed out the auto industry and the Upper Midwest remembered.

Democrats were caught flat footed in 2016. Generally they liked Obama's mild eloquence, his internationalism, and his sensitivity to racial injustice and misogyny, so they underestimated the appeal of brash, pugilistic, anti-cultured, anti-PC nationalism. They heard it from Rush Limbaugh and thought it was fringe; Trump understand it was the new mainstream for Republicans.

Trump was the "remedy" for Obama. No more Mr. Nice Guy.

There is a majority coalition ready to replace Trump.  What remedy is needed?

Oligarchy and corporate power. Bernie Sanders understands Trump to represent entrenched wealth and oligarchy relentlessly on the attack against working people. Sanders says Trump uses the time-honored method of aristocracies, dividing working people against each other, using race or ethnicity, so that working people fight each other, not at the billionaires, their real oppressors. Sanders is the remedy for that.

Culture Warrior. Trump also represents the heightened war against identity groups associated with the left: liberals, climate activists, people of color, women, academics. He scoffs at them. He calls them names.  He proudly works to erase anything-Obama, including the ACA. He appeals to people who dislike Democrats and are proud of it. "Make liberals cry again," is a familiar meme in Trump world.

All of the Democratic nominees perceive this as a key problem and themselves the remedy. Sanders, too, but he is an outlier because he doesn't just  play defense. Sanders relentlessly plays offense, with his positive agenda of change, which some people like, some dislike.

Incompetence. Bloomberg is another outlier. His remedy for Trump is an appeal to competent non-partisan management, not protection of the left's tribe.  Bloomberg presents himself as the matter of fact businessman who knows how to solve problems. Bloomberg's appeal is that he will implement some of the left's policy goals. The fact that he gave money to Lindsay Graham in the past, then to Democratic candidates for Congress in 2018, doesn't hurt his non-partisan competency case, only the tribal loyalty case, and that isn't what he sells. He comes in from the wings,a hero CEO to save an ill-led country, when the current stable of potential replacements (Biden, Sanders, etc.) aren't up to the job.

Will it work?

Democrats do consider Trump to be dangerously incompetent. The news media and tell-all books all cite key elements of the Trump presidency: unread briefings, vacant offices, the people serving in an "Acting" roles, the presence of Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, the revolving doors, the loyalty purges, silly tweets. Just yesterday there is a new revelation, about a college senior heading Trump's appointment office, charged with culling actual experts in federal jobs in order to make room for loyalists.

Bloomberg has a case to make, but it may not be the case Democrats want to hear. Democrats' feelings are hurt by Trumps insults, and many want a defender, not a manager. Moreover, the Sanders critique made wealth a disqualification, while Bloomberg says it is proof of competence. Bloomberg says our president is a fool, but Sanders says he is a malevolent  and skilled villain, systematically oppressing American workers.

Bloomberg's campaign: The competency argument

Bloomberg cannot avoid the reality that he is yet another oligarch exercising power. However, Bloomberg has the money to make his case that the key issue is Trump incompetence.

That is his shot.