The first is from international security scholar J. Peter Scoblic, who writes about Rump's characteristic lack of impulse control, manifested in a "pathological anger" that often impels him to act against his own self- interest:
During his presidential run, he has lurched from one angry outburst to the next, attacking anyone who dares criticize him, childishly belittling his opponents and excommunicating news organizations (including The Washington Post) that don’t sufficiently flatter him. He is so reflexively combative that, according to Fox News’s Howard Kurtz, his staff has stopped presenting him with interview requests to reduce the “risk of the candidate making mistakes or fanning minor controversies.” [snip]
To understand why Trump would act against his own interests that way, it helps to understand something about anger. Like other emotions, anger triggers cognitive judgments that influence our perception of events. According to psychologists Jennifer Lerner and Larissa Tiedens, anger’s “appraisal tendency” is marked by high certainty, which lowers sensitivity to risk, and by a high sense of control, which increases optimism about the ability to influence outcomes. Anger also leads people to see others, not situations, as the source of their rage. Angry individuals have been shown to rely on stereotypes , to assume hostile intent in others, to demonstrate increased bias against outgroups and to base judgments on fewer diagnostic cues. Perhaps most important, anger spurs action to address the perceived affront. All of this means that angry people tend to have great confidence that confrontation can “fix” the cause of their anger with little risk to themselves. (our emphasis)That description of angry individuals sure fits Rump. The article also contrasts Rump's "style" with Presidents who've faced provocations in the past and have dealt with them effectively. It's really a shocking reminder, again, of what an existential calamity a Rump presidency might be.
The second piece is a long, but worth the read, commentary by Alan Sloan on Rump's lack of impulse control in his long, bankruptcy- filled business career. Sloan, who's covered Rump for a quarter century, certainly knows the ins and outs of Rump's dealings, and while he notes that Rump may one time have profited from his unpredictability, now the stakes for all of us are infinitely higher:
...[T]here’s a downside — a huge one — to his behavior, and it’s starting to become apparent now. He’s incredibly reckless. He seems to sometimes license his name to questionable enterprises, without doing much (if any) research into them. He makes enemies he doesn’t have to make because he baits people and institutions that don’t bow down to him, and he reacts badly when organizations such as The Post (which he has banned from his campaign events) challenge him by asking perfectly reasonable questions.
He put his name on Trump University, which systematically victimized middle-class and lower-middle-class people, according to an investigation by the New York attorney general and an ongoing class-action suit in California.
Those are the kind of people who are perceived to be his core constituency. I wonder how many middle and lower-middle types had no idea about what Trump U was up to until recently and didn’t know how Trump has stiffed all sorts of contractors over the years, resulting in lots of blue-collar workers losing their jobs. I wonder whether this knowledge will erode the faith of some Trump fans. [snip]
Until a year ago, Trump’s lack of impulse control was amusing (except to some of his targets) but didn’t really matter to the country at large. Now, with him having a significant chance to become the leader of the world’s foremost country, it matters a lot. (our emphasis)Much of this is already familiar to those of us who've been following Rump for some time. Likewise, when we look at the appalling numbers of people who continue find this dangerous demagogue to be acceptable presidential material, we realize that none of this is likely to penetrate their "thinking." Beyond a misguided "brand" loyalty to the Republican Party, a main motivation is that Rump's behavior enables them to express their racism, prejudices and sense of aggrievement. While we're hoping that "persuade-ables" are starting to pay attention and look at the risks posed by Rump and vote accordingly, we can't be sure that, between now and November, events -- combined with an amoral corporate media's desire to "normalize" Rump -- won't move this narcissist into the Oval Office.
BONUS: Driftglass says it, too:
Best case scenario, Donald Trump will pull at least 40 percent of the vote in November. Of the Americans who can be bothered to haul their asses to the polls and vote, no matter what you or I say or do and no matter what Trump says or does, at least four in ten voters will affirmatively choose a fascist thug and a theocrat goon to lead this county.
Something to chew on.
