To win, be competitive!

When I reflect upon the past presidential election, I’m convinced that to win (in any context), one must be competitive, so what are the traits of competitiveness? Of course, in Politics like anywhere else, competitiveness encompasses a range of traits that drive individuals to strive for success and outperform others. 

Some of them, like drive and ambition often coupled with a willingness to work hard and put in the necessary effort. Hard to produce when a person is clearly on a steep mental decline like Biden was. There’s also determination and resilience, something Biden exhibited by trying to run for a second term and refusing to leave when the rest of the world thought he was toast. 

Perhaps Biden’s sole quality was his stubbornness in seeking a second term and refusing to yield after melting down at his first debate with Trump. In that category, both were at par, perhaps with vastly different motivations. Ability to focus and concentrate was yet another ingredient that still existed with Trump but was quickly fading away with Biden.

Both had an equal dose of self-confidence or ego so that didn’t make much difference. Risk-taking ability was another area where Trump overpowered Biden who was just content to repeat the political routine that was his for more than half-a-century while Trump always was an iconoclast. 

As for strategic thinking, Trump’s team did their homework while Biden thought that a continuum of what he’d always said and done would suffice. Finally, the desire to win advantaged a Trump who didn’t want to go to jail, while Biden was just going after the frosting on the cake. 

Sure, some might argue that Trump was an unhealthy competitor (driven by ego, a need for dominance, and a lack of respect for others) while Biden was delivering some healthier competitiveness, but in the end, Joe Biden who was unprepared was woefully not competitive against Trump!