Since bursting onto the political scene with his presidential campaign way back in June 2015, Donald J. Trump has been eager to let everyone know a few things. Two of his regular announcements have been the following:

1. That he’s brilliant.
2. That he only surrounds himself with the best. The very best.

….Actually, throughout my life, my two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart. Crooked Hillary Clinton also played these cards very hard and, as everyone knows, went down in flames. I went from VERY successful businessman, to top T.V. Star…..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018

….to President of the United States (on my first try). I think that would qualify as not smart, but genius….and a very stable genius at that!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018

The need to constantly exclaim one’s genius is a red flag no matter who is doing the proclamation. It speaks to childishness, severe confidence issues, and overflowing narcissism. While it definitely does not prove that one is, in fact, at a genius level of intellect, it also does not automatically confirm that they are, in fact, a moron.

Since the 2016 campaign season, the tendency to turn everything into a binary battle has become the default setting for most participants and casual observers of American politics. This reaction to anything and everything emanating from Washington, D.C. is the height of laziness and tribalism. But in the Trump Era, “binary” is the name of the game. If you’re not for Trump you surely must be against everything he says and does. The same is true when discussing his consistent detractors.

In 2017 and now, 2018, you are only allowed to play one political note. Any deviation brings about swift criticism from the card-carrying cult members who inhabit the Left and the Right.

As I’ve stated many, many times before, I did not vote for Trump. I also did not vote for Hillary. My vote went third party, which some call wasting a vote. I call it not sacrificing my principles for politics. But I’m sure the usual suspects will continue to castigate me for not answering the call of the GOP motherland. Frankly, I don’t care. Right now, though, we’re living in post-election times and the best we can do and should do is follow Ben Shapiro’s lead of “Good Trump/Bad Trump.” Call out the bad and praise the good. There is no other way to approach this or any other presidency.

So what about Trump’s social media claims of genius? Stability? And being, like, really smart? To look at Trump’s past business accomplishments and his unhinged, though effective, political campaigning and declare it “idiocy” is not correct. However, to look at the same and announce it as “genius” isn’t quite right, either. He has had missteps, foolish deals, and bankruptcies while running the Trump empire.

If you lean back a bit and look at the situation as it is and not just how you want it to be, you’ll find that Trump is neither idiot nor genius. What you’ll truly see is a man who for all the bells, whistles, and bloviating is someone who lacks wisdom. And that deficit is no small thing.

A wise man would not feel the need to spew forth his “obvious” genius whenever he has an opportunity. A wise man would think twice about words and actions especially when resting upon such a public platform. A wise man would focus on tasks at hand more than what his opponents are saying while seated at the daily roundtables on a number of cable news channels. A wise man would work on his temper and tone as leader of a diverse and growing nation.

Trump is not a wise man.

The same thing goes for the mental stability issue. Don’t tell the country you’re stable. Instead, show us that you’re stable by not flying off the handle in public appearances or on Twitter just because you can. Mr. President, I realize that a large portion of those who supported you at the polls did so because they were more interested in being entertained than anything else, but that’s no reason to give them what they want. Leading does not mean granting to the slobbering cultists in MAGA hats a great show during the primetime news hour. It may even be – gasp! – boring to the throngs who flocked to your campaign appearances, but if anything, the country needs more boring.

As expected, Saturday morning’s tweets of genius and stability were met with the usual reactions.

“Trump is a knuckle-dragging moron who functions on a lower level.”

“Trump is a genius!! You’re only bothered that he decided to brag about it.”

Sigh. Like I’ve said, it’s much more complicated and less sensational than all that.

President Donald Trump will continue to give the crowds what they want. He’ll play the part he’s been playing because it will never dissuade his loyal fans and will always stir up the media.

The theatrics and animated reactions – from everyone – are mostly noise. Behind the curtain, there’s nothing but an insecure, unwise man who should never have been given the presidency in the first place.