Waiting for the debates

Those were the early days of Donald Trump’s presidential bid. He was known to be a loose cannon – but how loose? The Pakistanis had their first taste of Trump’s incomprehension of South Asian dynamics when he suggested that in case things went out of control in Pakistan, the US should act with India to meet the challenge.

Was it just another outburst from the casino owner turned celebrity TV show host turned presidential candidate? Or did he know that some elements had been working to muddy the waters to create those conditions in Pakistan in order to justify an intervention in this country?

Trump is eligible for briefings by the US intelligence apparatus. He will get to know firsthand about threats and challenges to US security. He might not be told how the US spies on its friends.

In case of unlucky allies like Pakistan, the CIA has been particularly diabolical, sending hundreds of US ‘contractors’ to infiltrate sensitive areas, ostensibly to assess the intentions of terrorist networks to spread chaos in Pakistan to capture the country’s strategic assets.

Trump is also unlikely to be informed about the US ‘diplomat’ Raymond Davis who was found contacting unsavoury characters, or about the CIA bureau chief hastily withdrawn from Islamabad. There are limits to how much even a superpower can do in flagrant contempt of a friendly country’s security agencies.

In the past few months, Trump has stepped on too many toes and unruffled feathers all around. May God save America – and the world – from Donald Trump’s hallucinating visions.

The number of Americans distraught with his hate-filled speeches is on the rise with each passing day. The media, which had built his image, is now busy portraying his dark side. Mass media is like a double-edged sword that cuts both ways. When Lady Diana died in a car crash escaping the paparazzi, some alluded to the media having killed her after making her an idol.

Trump’s rollercoaster ride with the media is looking more like a case of everyone having taken part in the killing. Nobody wants to be left out and new characters are emerging each day to push the knife in harder. Trump is livid with rage and probably considers the press as bad an adversary as Hillary Clinton.

A testimony by Trump’s former boss at the NBC can only add to Trump’s miseries. Bob Greenblatt, whose division produced Trump’s Apprentice, says that the former show host’s mind is so demented that his “effect will unfortunately linger long after he’s been told to get off the stage.“ Trump’s foray into politics ended the NBC’s collaboration with him. Contrary to Trump’s claims, Greenblatt asserts that the TV show consistently ran last in the ratings.

The NBC executive’s comments came in response to an op-ed by Nicholas Kristoff in the New York Times claiming that “all across America Trump is mainstreaming hate.” He recounted an incident in Oregon in which a group of white students jeered at Latino classmates chanting “Build a wall! Build a wall!”

Trump’s intervention on foreign policy has left people scratching their heads about what the US’s actions would be if he gets elected. It was punctuated with contradictions and negated some of his earlier pronouncements. Trump had called for US withdrawal from Iraq in 2008 but faults Obama for doing the same.

In actual fact, the Bush administration had signed an agreement to keep the forces in Iraq till end-2011. Talks about their further stay collapsed as the Iraqis refused to grant immunity to the US troops in a new agreement. Obama, who had already committed to end the ‘unjust’ war in Iraq, did not lose any sleep over the Iraqi refusal and accordingly the troops were withdrawn.

Trump claimed that Hillary lacked physical and mental strength to deal with Isis. Yet, the steps he called for to defeat Isis, like using more drone attacks and human intelligence, form part of the Obama administration’s present strategy. Trump’s ideas of heavily vetting people coming to the US are considered impractical and opposed to the constitutional values of the US.

Trump’s economic agenda is marked by contradictions. Appealing to the working class vote, he has yet to come up with measures to improve their lot. His tax breaks will benefit the highest earning brackets. Hillary, on the other hand, promises actions to expand social security and wage increase to help the most vulnerable.

As Trump trails well behind Hillary in opinion surveys about voter intentions, he has ‘overhauled’ his team to concentrate on ways of improving his popularity. It has been reported that Roger Ailes, the veteran Republican presidential campaign strategist and founder of Fox News, has joined the Trump bandwagon.

Though denied by the campaign press secretary, Ailes is believed to be working on a new strategy to boost Trump’s sagging popularity. Nobody knows how Ailes, or any campaign strategist, can save Trump from his penchant for self-inflicted wounds.

The campaign is entering its crucial phase with both sides working on their tactics for the three gruelling ‘presidential’ debates to take place prior to the vote on November 8, 2016. The first debate is scheduled to be held on September 26 in New York, followed by the second on October 9 in St Louis and the third on October 19 in Las Vegas.

Traditionally, the debates have enabled the candidates to present their positions on various issues to a nationwide audience. No fireworks are expected as the contenders project the image of reliable and safe leaders, aiming particularly at the undecided voters.

With someone like Trump on the stage, the debates could become more spectacular and dramatic. At best the debates could save Trump from defeat but there is a possibility that he goes down shouting. His habit of making outlandish statements and then taking cover of being sarcastic will have run its course.

Email: saeed.saeedk@gmail.com