I imagine most people were confused by the president’s address last night. It was weird, disjointed, and filled with false statements and vitriol. In fact, it was, on the face of it, the furthest thing from a “presidential address” that one could imagine.
But if you dig beneath all of that, the underlying message was clear. I will try to summarize what he was really trying to say:
“Look folks, I’m an 80 year old man. My physical health is fading, and as you can plainly tell, so are my mental faculties. I wouldn’t survive in prison, any more than my buddy you-know-who would have.
“So I’m asking you, begging you really. Please drop this whole ‘free and fair elections’ nonsense. I need to stay in power as long as I can — ideally until I kick the bucket. The alternative is simply unthinkable.”
The man is clearly at wits end, and asking for our pity. Doesn’t that just tug at your heart strings?