The Candidate with the Glass Chin

Published in Die Presse
(Austria) on 6 April 2016
by Thomas Vieregge (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Ron Argentati. Edited by Melanie Rehfuss.
Wisconsin proves Trump can dish it out, but he can't take it.

Five years ago, it seemed it would go on and on when Barack Obama in his role as master of ceremonies at the Washington Correspondents Dinner jumped on Donald Trump because the shrill billionaire was spreading the tea party movement's conspiracy theory that the president was foreign-born. Trump's smirk got smaller and smaller over the ensuing years until it finally disappeared silently into the night.

After the Iowa kickoff, the Wisconsin primary election showed beyond doubt what a poor loser the tycoon with the super-ego truly was. His opponent Ted Cruz characterized him as a Trojan horse and a puppet, and the Republican elite began closing ranks against him but he has — first and foremost — only himself to blame for ignoring women's issues and lacking consistent ideas that go beyond clumsy slogans.

That he sent his wife Melania, the ex-model, in for the final stretch turned out to be counterproductive. “When you attack him, he will punch back 10 times harder,” she told the crowd. But he often aims below the belt. And sticking to boxing terminology, the guy's got a glass chin. He's great at dishing it out, but he can't take it. That's not a good quality in any politician and definitely not in a president.


Der Kandidat mit dem Glaskinn
Von Thomas Vieregge
06.04.2016

Wisconsin zeigt: Trump kann austeilen, aber nicht einstecken.


Vor fünf Jahren wollte es schier kein Ende nehmen, als Barack Obama beim Korrespondentendinner in Washington als oberster Kabarettist über Donald Trump herfiel, weil der schrille Milliardär die unter Tea-Party-Anhängern notorische Verschwörungstheorie propagiert hatte, wonach der Präsident nicht in den USA geboren sei. Trumps Grinsen wurde immer schmaler, und am Ende entschwand er grußlos in die Nacht.

Nach dem Auftakt in Iowa hat die Vorwahl in Wisconsin neuerlich vorexerziert, welch ein schlechter Verlierer der Tycoon mit dem Super-Ego ist. Als Marionette und als Trojanisches Pferd qualifizierte er seinen Rivalen Ted Cruz ab. Die republikanische Elite machte in der Tat geschlossen Front gegen Trump. Doch die Schlappe hat er sich zuvorderst selbst zuzuschreiben – und seinem Defizit bei Frauenthemen und an konsistenten Ideen, die über plumpe Parolen hinausgehen.

Dass er zum Endspurt seine Frau, Melania, ein Exmodel, nach vorn schickte, war eher kontraproduktiv. „Wenn man ihn angreift, schlägt er zehnmal härter zurück“, charakterisierte sie ihren Mann. Oft zielt er dabei unter die Gürtellinie. Um im Boxerjargon zu bleiben: Der Mann hat ein Glaskinn. Er teilt aus wie kein anderer, kann aber nicht einstecken. Schlechte Voraussetzungen für einen Politiker, schon gar für einen Präsidenten.

E-Mails an: thomas.vieregge@diepresse.com

("Die Presse", Print-Ausgabe, 07.04.2016)
This post appeared on the front page as a direct link to the original article with the above link .

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