But historian Jean Edward Smith, author of four presidential biographies, thinks Trump will be all right.
“You have to know something about the world, and it is helpful to have some executive experience,” said Smith, the John Marshall professor of political science at Marshall University.
“Trump has had executive experience, and I think he also knows something about the world.”
I’ve never voted for a Republican in my life, but I don’t think he’s that worrisome,” Smith said. “I think Ted Cruz would have been a far more significant worry. Ted Cruz believes he was God’s agent here on earth. George W. Bush believed that too.”
Smith describes himself as a “yellow dog Democrat,” a term that originated from people who said they would vote for a yellow dog before they’d ever vote for a Republican.
“The Democrats elected Trump when they nominated Hillary,” Smith said during a conversation in the living room of his Huntington home.
“I’m a yellow dog Democrat, and I felt I voted for a yellow dog.
Biden would have beaten Trump. Probably Sanders would have beaten Trump. I think she lacked it. That’s why she lost. She had her chance eight years ago and Obama beat her for the nomination. She should have retired.”
If that seems critical of Clinton, it might pale in comparison to Smith’s examination of George W. Bush in his 2016 biography “
Bush.” That one inspired examinations like an op-ed in the Washington Post entitled “
Arrogance, recklessness and scorn for ideas — no, not Trump. George W. Bush.”
In Smith’s assessment, Bush ignored advisers and let events spiral out of control in Iraq because of overreach. He bounces off Trump’s earlier claim that President Obama founded Isis by saying it’s Bush who deserves the blame.
“George W. Bush founded Isis when he got rid of Saddam Hussein,” Smith said. “The military thought it was going in, removing Saddam Hussein, finding weapons of mass destruction and getting out. And Bush changed that. The military hadn’t planned on that.”
Trump will be fine, predicts presidential biographer in W.Va. - WV MetroNews



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