Well, Trump really wasn’t a politician, so that’s what sets him apart.
I don’t believe Dole intended to lose (Willard and McQueeg DID), but he took the wrong approach in campaigning. He wanted to look like the mature and grown-up leader. Dole was leading Clintoon in 1995 as the country had quickly realized they made a terrible mistake. What ruined it was largely due to Gingrich folding like a cheap suit over the government funding “shutdown” in late ‘95. Had he held firm to the last and prevailed, the GOP would’ve had clear sailing to the ‘96 election (even with a lackluster Dole).
Even had Dole not gotten into the race, we didn’t exactly have a dazzling team of candidates. That the party wanted to recruit Colon “Blow” Powell (as he led Bubba in the polls) demonstrates how bad it might’ve ended up. Powell would’ve been a one-man Marxist wrecking crew as President, a total fake. That he was so excited for Zero proved that this buffoon was race first, country dead last.
I think I would agree that Dole intended to win.
I supported Buchan in ‘92 and ‘96.
I still don’t think he would have done any worse than Dole. And think he probably would have done better.