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More than most care to admit, Trump stands with Biden in many ways. I count 18 similarities. How many can you name?

Trump-Biden Similar Positions

1. Tariffs: Trump and Biden are the two biggest protectionists in history. Biden kept all of Trumps tariffs and added to them. Trump recently Leapfrogged Biden proposing a 10 percent tariff on all imports.
2. Free money handouts: In 2020, Trump was angry that House Republicans would not give him, a bigger fiscal stimulus package to fight Covid. Biden got the hugely inflationary free money handout that Trump wanted.
3. Eviction Moratoriums: Trump started the eviction moratorium. Biden continued them.
4. Afghanistan: Trump vowed to get out of Afghanistan, Biden actually did it. Biden messed up the exit, but at least he got it done.
5. Israel: Trump and Biden are both big backers of Israel, willing to send the country more money.
6. Defense Spending: Trump and Biden both hugely increased the defense spending.
7. Both support US drone policy. However, Trump wants to bomb Mexico to stop drug traffic. That’s an act of war.
8. Social Security: Despite the fact that Social Security will soon be insolvent forcing payout cuts, both Biden and Trump have vowed to not touch Social Security.
9. The Fed: Biden and Trump both pressured the Fed to not hike interest rates.
10. The Media: Both Trump and Biden blame the media for being against them. Neither is willing to blame himself for anything. It’s always somebody else’s fault.
11. Both Trump and Biden want the other to be the nominee thinking that is the person they can most easily beat. One of them will be wrong but they believe the same thing.
12. Both are willing to set policy by declaration. Biden learned from Trump and really pushed the scale. Both had Supreme Court rulings against them.
13. Both are at an age where one wonders if they can last another four years. Trump is questionable but Biden isn’t. It’s pretty clear Biden won’t last four years.
14. Both are extreme candidates, especially on energy policy although on this point in opposite directions.
15. Trump was twice impeached and it appears Biden is headed that way. Neither was or will be removed from office.
16. Both are fiscally irresponsible. Both pretend not to be. Deficits and debt prove it. So does the fact that neither wants to address Social Security and both want more money for the military. Trump is the bigger hypocrite.
17. They are both big liars to a degree far beyond what one can say about any politician.

Similarity Discussion

Points 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 are ongoing.

Many aspects of points 12-14 are in opposite directions. If Trump wins, he will undo some of Biden’s energy policy madness.

Points, 1, 5, 6, 8, and 16 have big ongoing economic impacts in the same direction no matter who wins.

Biden pledged to be a healer and a moderate. He turned out to be the Progressive wet dream candidate.

Among a slew of notable lies, Trump kept repeating Mexico would pay for the wall, that trade wars were good and easy to win, that tariffs would be used to reduce the national debt.

Tariffs are a tax on consumers so Trump’s 10 percent tariff proposal is a big inflationary tax hike.

Trump Singes the GOP as He Blazes Ahead

The Wall Street Journal comments Trump Singes the GOP as He Blazes Ahead

Mr. Trump moved ahead of Mr. Biden for the first time in the Dec. 4 Wall Street Journal poll, 47% to 43%. Two early December CNN battleground polls put Mr. Trump ahead of Mr. Biden, in Michigan 50% to 40% and in Georgia 49% to 44%.

But nothing is ever normal in Donald Trump’s turbulent world. Witness two campaign decisions very likely made by the candidate himself.

First, he constantly brags about his lead, saying “I’m up on these people by 60 points and 59 points. And I don’t mean I’m at 59, I’m leading them by 59.”

Any consultant worth his salt would advise his client not to exaggerate his lead. Front-runners should lower expectations. Polls tend to tighten, and you don’t want supporters to get demoralized if you win by a smaller margin than expected—or lose.

Then there’s Mr. Trump’s name-calling. He sarcastically intoned at a rally that his supporters shouldn’t call Chris Christie “a fat pig.” Ms. Haley is “Birdbrain.” Mr. DeSantis is “DeSanctimonious.” Mr. Trump claims each of his GOP opponents would be “a puppet nominee . . . who will do the Deep State’s bidding” and “get along with the sinister forces that are destroying our country.”

Mr. Trump insults their supporters, too. He rails that voters who back his opponents are “disloyal, globalist” and “two-faced, backstabbing RINOs.” They would “rather see Joe Biden win,” he says. RINO—an acronym for Republican in name only—is rich coming from a man who registered as a Republican only in 2012.

This isn’t new; Mr. Trump has never been able to control his delight in lobbing slurs and abuse at his opponents, including Republican competitors and their grassroots backers and donors.

Front-runners should work to unite their party and make it easier for intraparty rivals and their supporters to come on board. Mr. Trump’s gutter assault on party rivals makes that much harder.

The above article pertains to points 14 and 15. Neither is a uniter. Both are big liars.

Trump is not a Republican or a Libertarian. He is an arrogant blowhard whose opinion is subject to radical change depending on who he wants to criticize or believe at the moment.

Independents decided the election in 2020 and will do so again in 2024. The way to lose independents in a hurry is to keep calling your opponents fat pigs and birdbrains.

Trump is only ahead because Biden is both inept and incoherent. Almost no one really thinks Biden can last another 4 years.

To what extent voters will weigh Trump’s constant derogatory bullying against Biden’s economic incompetence remains to be seen.

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