As Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump moves forward with his campaign, the political polls show he looks strong. But Trump is still adding a new aspect.
If not a lone wolf, Trump’s campaigns have previously shown an abiding interest in only his political success.
Wanting to win is any politician’s primary motivation, but an assassination attempt is forming an appeal to unity.
Cohesion is always good in a political campaign and as much as Donald Trump is a steadfast admirer of Donald Trump, he is also now seeing how a united campaign helps.
In statements late last week, Trump was sounding a message of togetherness and success.
Talking about how he was approaching his nomination-night speech, Trump said that after he was wounded in an attempt to kill him, things changed.
“It is a chance to bring the country together. I was given that chance,” Trump said in a news report.
Earlier in the convention, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley said, “President Trump asked me to speak to this convention in the name of unity.”
She and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis were smart to find early spots on the unity bandwagon as Trump’s campaign grew.
Tamara McKay, Hawaii GOP state chairwoman, in a news release issued from the GOP national convention in Wisconsin, also said the party must come together.
“Throughout the convention, the delegation from Hawaii had the privilege of meeting our strong Republican leaders from across the nation. It was a reminder of the power and dedication within our party and the importance of working together for our shared goals.”
Haley was quoted by the Al Jazeera news agency as saying, “We have a chance to put aside our differences and focus on what unites us and strengthens our country. Let us join together as a party, let us come together as a people, as one country strong and proud.”
“No president can fix all of our problems alone. We have to do this together. America has an amazing ability to self-correct,” Haley said.
One Los Angeles Times columnist, who described Trump’s past rhetoric as more a “bar fight” than statesmanship, said that for whatever reason, Trump is now showing a different side.
“Relying on mockery, vilification, threats and a willingness to say pretty much anything that would elicit a cheer from the like-minded, he appealed to those who agreed with his strongman approach and/or mistook unfiltered emotion for truth,” wrote columnist Mary McNamara.
Calling for unity and being united are different.
Today Trump needs the unity of thousands of campaign workers to organize and work in his campaign. All that togetherness makes for the sort of a movement that wins campaigns. On the other side is a Democratic Party that might be united against Trump — but who and what are they for, and where are they going? Those are a lot of questions, with not much time to find answers.
Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays. Reach him at 808onpolitics@gmail.com.
