THE TRUMP-HITLER THING PLUS PRESIDENTIAL RATINGS

To emphasize Donald Trump’s fondness for authoritarianism, he is often likened to Adolf Hitler. It’s a popular comparison, particularly for older people for whom the Nazi dictator is much more than a black-and-white image from seven decades ago. But younger people may be challenged seeing similarities between the 5’9,” vegetarian, toothbrush mustache, droop-hair of Hitler in a trim military uniform compared to the 6’2” orange face, yellow-mustard hair Trump in a dark suit that fails to contain a Big Mac gut. When you remove the visuals of these despots and focus on what they both said, they do seem to operate from the same playbook. You know Trump-talk, here is a mouthful of the Nazi leader’s favorite lines.

“Strength lies not in defense but attack.”

“It is not truth that matters, but victory.”

“The art of leadership consists in consolidating the attention of the people against a single adversary and taking care that nothing will split up that attention.”

- “The great masses of people will more easily fall victims to a big lie then to a small one.”

- “Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it and eventually they will believe it.”

- “What good fortune for governments that the people do not think.”

So while the Trump-Hitler comparison may be over-used, it certainly does seem fearfully relevant.

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SPEAKING OF LEADERS…It might be comforting to remember a president with an approval rating of 22%, the lowest grade in history. But now, historians rank Harry Truman among the top ten best.

This does not suggest that history will eventually upgrade Donald John Trump’s cheerless ratings given his gross ineptness and elastic relationship with reality. But we can compare and contrast Trump to Truman when it comes to mental and physical stability.

The 73 year old Trump weighs 236 pounds, eats Big Macs, doesn’t touch alcohol and exercises by riding around in a golf cart.

At 5’9” and 175 pounds, Harry Truman awoke at the crack of dawn, took long brisk walks at 120 paces per minute, ate breakfast consisting of toast, bacon, sometimes an egg and an occasional medicinal shot of bourbon. He lived to 88 years old.

Perhaps the current president should lose the burgers, a buttload of pounds, stop pacing aimlessly around the White House lawn and lighten up a bit. An occasional beer or wine just might help him — and all of us.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AUDIOBOOK -The Accidental President, Harry Truman by A.J. Baime. Audiobook: 14 hrs, 21 mins, First-rate narration: Tony Messano (Print: 360 pages)