If Sun Tzu is right, that in the midst of chaos there also is opportunity, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is creating chaos effortlessly and squandering a prime opportunity.

In late August, with more than two months left in the campaign, the former president is losing a winnable election. Why? Four reasons.

According to national polling, Trump is trailing slightly behind Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Of course, polls tell only one part of the election story and can change as November nears. Even in Texas, where I reside − a deep red state − Trump's lead has narrowed. Some polls show him up by only about 5 percentage points.

Trump's biggest hurdle is not President Joe Biden, Vice President Harris or her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Trump's biggest obstacle is Trump.

I've listened to Trump speak hundreds of times. Reporting on a news conference is a nightmare because Trump cannot commit to the self-discipline that it takes to prepare ahead of time, pare his thoughts to a handful of strong talking points and then cogently answer questions on what his administration would look like.

From the Democratic National Convention:Harris was fully herself in acceptance speech. That should worry Trump.

Trump insists on coming across like a moron. I'm not saying he is one, but he sounds like one. His thoughts and ideas flow with a stream of consciousness that makes William Faulkner look like a children's nursery rhyme. He jumps from idea to idea like a hip-hop artist doing a break dancing routine at the Olympic level.

As a result, he's unable to make a strong case for anything − and politics is nothing if not the art........

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