I’ve said it before and it bears repeating. Trump should have followed the advice of Teddy Roosevelt. “Speak softly and carry a big stick” but he couldn’t help himself.
Take the Iran foray. Started well with the clear objective of denying Iran nuclear capability and if he had kept the pedal to the metal, it could have been over as he suggested in a month or two or three.
But he hesitated.
Instead of bombing the crucial and critical infrastructure (road, bridges, power stations to cripple the regime (as Clinton did in Serbia in 1999) he backed off and gave Iran some breathing and “talking” space.
He talked about doing a deal and the Mullahs balked, stalled and played for time.
The talk about a deal with the Mullahs was infantile. He believed his own bullshit. In WW2 the allies didn’t “do a deal” with Hitler. The US didn’t do a deal Japan.
In the year of the midterms, the Mullahs played for time and Trumped got sucked in, trumped and believed he was dealing with honest brokers.
He didn’t understand the Persian/Iranian/Arab/Muslim mindset. Play for time and make all the right noises. He was gullible and naive.
If Iran is the reason he lost (cost of fuel and general instability) etc it is because he talked and bragged too much and didn’t follow through with action.
It wasn’t the war as such but the way he prosecuted it.
If he were serious instead of big-talking it should have been over in weeks or at least by April. The objective was righteous and clear from the beginning but the prosecution and the ability to read the play was way off.
Now it seems quite apparent if something doesn’t happen over the next two months when the Democrats take over, the world will have a North Korea in the Middle East