Posted on 05/04/2017 7:55:32 AM PDT by Kaslin
Donald Trump has many worrisome, regrettable and even deplorable traits. But after studying him for the past two years, I have concluded he has an overlooked quality that cancels out many of his bad ones. Say what you will, the man is lazy.
This is a discovery that should gladden people of all parties, philosophies, races, sexes and religions. His detractors can be glad that he will never muster the drive or discipline to actually bring many of his worst ideas to fruition. His admirers can rest easy knowing he will not work himself to death.
The comic strip "Dilbert" has a character named Wally, whose chief talent is finding ways to avoid doing anything productive. A few years ago, his pointy-haired boss informed Wally that he was being replaced by a robot. "All it does is drink coffee and look at inappropriate websites," he said.
If that's the definition of sloth, the president has Wally beat, because he doesn't drink coffee and he doesn't look at inappropriate websites. We can be sure of the latter because he apparently never bothered learning to use a computer -- a symptom of his antipathy to exertion.
It was always clear that Trump does not like putting himself out. At the height of the general election campaign, he averaged only one event per day. Over two months leading up to the Iowa caucuses, Reuters reported, Ted Cruz did some three dozen events; Trump did eight. He insisted on flying home to New York almost every night of the campaign to sleep in his own bed.
We've also known Trump is intellectually lazy. He admitted last year that he has never read a biography of a president, citing a lack of time -- even though he claims to sleep no more than five hours a night. Tony Schwartz, who ghostwrote "The Art of the Deal," has said, "I seriously doubt that Trump has ever read a book straight through in his adult life."
Asked last year where he gets military advice, Trump replied, "Well, I watch the shows." He does put in long hours in front of a flat-screen, gathering random tidbits that inspire outbursts on Twitter. Atlantic writer Elaine Godfrey rounded up all the evidence and estimated that he currently watches five hours of television per day.
He's also averse to breaking a literal sweat. Unlike Barack Obama and George W. Bush, Trump doesn't work out. He said last year he didn't need to because of all the exercise he got speaking at his rallies. (In truth, jumping the shark does not burn calories.)
The closest he gets is golf, and he apparently minimizes the physical demands by using a cart, which makes the game about as strenuous as shuffleboard. Golf is not work but leisure, and Trump consumes it in quantities that must inspire envy in duffers with full-time jobs. He played 19 times during his first 100 days -- far outpacing Obama, whom he roasted for playing too often.
Trump prefers to be at his Mar-a-Lago resort rather than in Washington; he spent all or part of 25 days there in his first 100. Even when he's in the White House, his public schedule indicates a lot of, um, unstructured time in his day.
Despite all this, the president sounds like a first-time marathoner hitting the 20-mile wall. "This is more work than in my previous life," Trump complained. "I thought it would be easier."
Much of Trump's cluelessness about issues stems from his refusal to make more than a minimal effort at his job. As his comments about Andrew Jackson and the Civil War confirm, Trump is not merely too lazy to learn; he's too lazy to notice there is anything others know that he might need to. His is indolence on an epic scale.
And that, on balance, is good news. The people who fear that Trump is trying to subvert democracy, persecute Muslims and dismantle the rule of law can take heart that he won't put much effort into it. Inaugurating a reign of terror requires a work ethic he just doesn't have.
Trump would be far more dangerous if he had the energy to pursue all his bad ideas in a systematic way. The more time he spends in a golf cart the less harm he will do. If the job is not so easy as he expected, I have some advice for him: Don't work so hard.
It's hard to take an author serious when there's so much obvious hatred towards a person.
WTF is this idiot smoking? I find POTUS Trump is one of the hardest working men in our government. He gets things done and how he uses his time is his prerogative. This is the same garbage said about GWB: lazy,stupid and out of touch. Lazy is most of Congress and the Federal workforce. This Chapman loser is projecting his miserable life and career.
The things the non-deplorables miss is massive.
I agree 100%. They say he only sleeps like 4 or 5 hours a night and it sounds like he's almost a workaholic. He didn't become a billionaire by playing golf.
This is the same garbage said about GWB: lazy,stupid and out of touch.
I know. But every Republican president has been portrayed by the media with some ugly caricature. Ronald Reagan was portrayed as stupid and asleep at the switch. GHWB was portrayed as a wimp. GWB was conveyed as a dolt who had no idea what he was doing. And now they portray President Trump as a crass, stupid maniac.
By contrast, the media portrayed Obama as a wonderful family man and a great orator and statesman. Until his scandals changed him into the correct perception as a liar and serial adulterer, Bill Clinton was also portrayed as exceptional.
Wow, this is a real stretch, a real stinking bucket of BS. (not bible study)
The media attacks on Trump are unprecedented and disgusting.
So, I will be disgusting too.
Working was definitely a foreign word to him.
YOU MISSED OBVIOUSLY MY BARF AND HURL ALERT AFTER THE TITLE!!!
Steve Chapman is a columnist and editorial writer for the Chicago Tribune.
His twice-a-week column on national and international affairs, distributed by Creators Syndicate, appears in some 60 papers across the country. Steve Chapman came to the Tribune in 1981 from the New Republic magazine, where he was an associate editor. Steve Chapman has contributed articles to several national magazines, including Slate, The American Spectator, National Review and The Weekly Standard. Born in Brady, Texas, in 1954, Steve Chapman grew up in Midland and Austin. Steve Chapman attended Harvard University, where he was on the staff of the Harvard Crimson. He graduated with honors in 1976 and later did graduate work at the University of Chicago. Steve Chapman has three children and lives in suburban Chicago.
Here is that morons column in the Chicago Tribune
How many pictures have we been treated to of Trump playing golf since the inauguration? I remember a couple but that’s it...There don’t seem to be any current figures on the question online... Does he play and we are never told about it? Doesn’t seem probable....
He always had his cabinet with him at his Ranch and he met quite a few foreign dignitaries at his ranch, and even at Camp David. Also he always went to Crawford after Christmas, so the staff and Secret Service could celebrate Christmas with their families.
That arrogant pos former occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave (0bama) only cared about himself.
I just wonder why you are so fascinated with posting such things
NOW GO JUMP FROM A 700 FEET CLIFF FOR ALL I CARE!!!
Chill ax man. I just asked for your thought process. I now know you don’t have one
Libs make it sound like he sits in his underwear watching Fox News all day. As if someone like that would be a successful businessman and get elected President.
Again, Trump frustrates me frequently. But I think his work ethic is pretty strong.
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