You make a good point...
“he stupidly decided to listen to others.”
I think that RDS is and always has been a very weak man. He listens to others, has NO plans of his own, but takes credit for what others have thought and done. He is NOT a leader and never has been!
So it really is a good thing that he has exposed himself now, before it was too late and nobody ( voters ) really knew WHO and WHAT he truly is.