"As the first Republican debate approaches, I have an urgent appeal to the candidates: Please adopt the good things Donald Trump did and skip the catastrophic parts (i.e., everything after the campaign ended on Nov. 8, 2016).
"Although he presided over the most wasted presidency in history, the 2016 Trump campaign was magnificent, without peer, perfect in every respect. I described the many useful innovations of that campaign in my book "In Trump We Trust." Please start there, Republicans.
"President Trump may have been a pathetic crybaby too ascared to fire his own attorney general -- much less ask Speaker of the House Paul Ryan for wall funding -- but in 2016, it was all image, and candidate Trump came across as strong.
"Don't fall into these consultant-created traps of presenting yourself as a weakling, candidates. Remember that you're running to be leader of the free world. Cat ladies aren't voting for you. Republicans are.
1) Stop using the royal "we," e.g., "We testified before the grand jury ...," "We did our duty ...," "We decided to run ...." Committees did not do these things. You did. Be a man and say so.
2) Do not tell us about the time you were discriminated against -- and yes, I'm looking at you Sen. Tim Scott and Gov. Nikki Haley. We've all had obstacles and don't need to hear about yours, least of all that time in grade school when someone was mean to you.
3) Do not say "When I am president ...." This is a flashing neon sign announcing that you have zero chance of ever being within a thousand feet of the Oval Office.
4) Finally, for the love of God, please stop telling us about your families. We don't care about your spouse, your parents or your kids. In fact, we'd prefer a first lady who doesn't speak English.