This led my friend to try to imagine himself a strategist for Trump and to think about what moves the Trump campaign could make to improve their chances. Here’s what he came up with. I think it’s very much worth pondering.
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For Donald Trump to gain control of the race and defeat Hillary Clinton, he needs to accomplish several things over the next two weeks.
First, he needs to select a vice presidential running mate who is unquestionably qualified to assume the presidency. Doing so would begin to assuage the concerns of voters who question whether Trump is prepared to build a team of serious leaders.
Second, Trump needs to change the prevailing narrative of the campaign. If Trump merely adds a little pizazz to the GOP convention, it is likely that the subsequent Democratic meeting in Philadelphia will stop whatever momentum the GOP gathering in Cleveland could generate and send Hillary Clinton into the fall with a solid lead. Trump must try to prevent that from happening. Therefore he should try to do something at the GOP convention that reshapes the race.
Finally, Trump needs to reduce the anxiety level among some Republicans and independents who aren’t prepared to set him up on Pennsylvania Avenue for eight years.
Trump can accomplish all three of these objectives with a combination of bold moves. First, he could withhold his nomination of a vice presidential candidate until late in the convention week—perhaps even waiting until his acceptance speech to present a name to the convention. Second his selection should be a choice that would meet any objective assessment of qualifications for the position, and that would be perceived as someone who could be a strong presidential candidate in his own right. Finally, and perhaps most important: In his acceptance speech Trump should announce his intention to serve only one term.
A dramatic renunciation of a second term would steal the thunder from Hillary Clinton and the Democratic convention. Nothing she can do after the GOP convention can match a move like such a disclaimer—which will make it hard for the Democrats to blunt Trump’s momentum. Moreover, by pledging to serve one term Trump can relieve a lot of the anxiety that exists among voters who loathe Clinton but can’t bring themselves to back Trump. He could persuade a large number of these reluctant potential supporters to decide, “I guess I can live with him for four years.” Furthermore, pledging to serve one term would make it more likely Trump could get a high-quality selection to agree to accept the vice presidential slot.
Here’s how such an announcement—near the end of his acceptance speech—might go:
…So, my fellow Americans, that is my platform. These are the changes that need to be made in Washington if we are going to make America great again. These are the reforms we must enact if we are going to recapture control of our country from the political professionals, the career bureaucrats, the media elites, and the lobbyists who, together, have stolen the dreams of millions of our fellow citizens in order to accumulate wealth and political power for themselves. But to get it done we need a president who is prepared to spend every waking hour working exclusively to shake up Washington. That means the next president must be able to devote single-minded focus to fighting the establishment every single day in Washington without regard to the political consequences. As important, the changes we bring to Washington must survive and be maintained for the next decade or the progress we make will be reversed if the Washington elite are able to reclaim power in four years. That is the reason I am now making a commitment that has not been made by any nominee for president in my lifetime or yours. If elected this November I pledge to not seek reelection in 2020. I have chosen a running mate who is prepared to be president now. He/She will be even more prepared in four years when I step aside, and will be ready to do all he/she can to make sure that the revolution we have started this week, is continued for eight more years under the able leadership of our next vice president. I am making this pledge for several reasons. First, because I want every American to know that I am not seeking the presidency for the glory associated with the job, or because I covet the limelight and power of the office. If those were my reasons for running I would never pledge to limit my tenure to four years. I am running to completely change the way Washington works. Period. That means no dynasties in the White House. It means citizens not politicians making the decisions. And it means electing a president who does not see the White House as a pit stop between lucrative speech making and overseas junketeering. Second, I am making this pledge because I have seen too many elected officials lose sight of their objectives once they gain office. Too many waste time and energy positioning themselves to win reelection. I don’t plan to waste one minute doing that. The changes we need in Washington require the full commitment of the next president. They require the president to undertake some very unpopular decisions—actions that will not occur if a president is worried about the next campaign. Crooked Hillary will start running for reelection the day after she is elected. She will immediately start shaking down special interests for money, cozying up to lobbyists for cash and basing her decisions in office on polls instead of principle. They will have to drag her and Bill out of the White House just like last time. I will leave, happily, in four years after we’ve set America on the winning course once again. So to all those Republicans, Democrats and independents in our great nation who know that this country is on the wrong track, who still believe that America’s greatness lies ahead, who doubt that the same people whose leadership have brought America to its knees can put it back on its feet, I ask for your vote tonight. I will serve only one term. Then I’ll hand over the reins to my able vice president to continue the revolution. And so let’s take back our country from the Washington elites and restore citizen leadership, common sense and traditional American values and priorities to our government.
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I have no idea whether Donald Trump will follow my friend’s advice. I hope he’s in no position to, having been denied the nomination by the convention. But it’s always good to think ahead and speculate on what a campaign, an imaginative campaign, can do. The one-term gambit strikes me as an interesting speculation.
