Trump broke the rules by saying out loud the racism, xenophobia and misogyny Republicans had reserved for behind closed doors and on golf courses. Democrats and even his fellow Republicans have difficulty countering him because saying you don't hate black people, women and foreigners sounds almost silly and extraneous. That it isn't defines the truly sad state of our current sad political life.
More Kamala Harris fan fiction. "Imagine that she said THIS! How bold and persuasive that WOULD have been??" Instead of the prevaricating, dodging questions and evading responsibility for the policy decisions taken by the administration of which she was the "last person in the room."
Trump is real alright- in all the above. The Clown act of a psychopath living in his own delusional world is hardly real. He speaks loudly and dances badly. No lie is small, the bigger the better. His idiocy ,ego and bags of hate are the only real things about him. Put the evil genie back in a bottle.
Harris is smart and tough. She won the “debate” without spewing hackneyed nonsense and lies. Her voice isn’t as loud as a man’s, but one look and she nailed it. She made her points. How refreshing .
Trump speaks what appears ‘common sense’ that is naive to the complexities of the real world with such confidence that the progressively more under-educated populace believes it, while the over-educated opportunists rally behind knowing the falsity, purely to get power.
The Bloomberg interview was a prime example of Trumps speaking nonsense in a disarmingly confident way that will play well to his base but not to anyone who has a passing knowledge of anything economic. The challenge is that Republicans who should know better will see and hear the economic message and still vote this in because…Kamala is an unknown, Kamala is woke etc… all just nonsense… power is the reason. They are happy to once again spend 4 years as the dog that caught the car, dealing with the chaos and exhaustion as the price.
Right now, faslehoods are defended to the death, and any truths are forensically parsed and hounded to death. There is therefore limited scope other than to apply propaganda techniques and effectively either lie till something is true or just speak in roundabout and defensive ways that avoid answering questions.
Of all the issues that are at play here, the only one that really matters is the discourse and fracturing of the social contract between the political classes and the people. Truth is the way forward on this.
One possible refinement to consider Joe: Perhaps he doesn’t believe it but believes the exaggerations delusions are fair play, that everyone does them, and that he just does them better. HE was a regular guest on Access HOllywood with my brother and one one episode, when Billy asked him about the decline of the ratings on “The Apprentice”, Donald retorted” :have you seen the Thursday numbers?” Flustered, Billy said no. The producer in his ear was scrambling looking for the “THursday numbers”.
“Thursday showed us WAAY UP” Donald crowed. Especially among the 18-34 ladies..very exciting. I dont blame them, we have a great show.”
“Well congrats Donald i guess you are back!” Responded my flustered brother.
After the interview Donald took Billy aside, and said, “I’m going to tell you a little secret. Tell people what you want them to believe and if they want to believe it, they will. Just tell them and tell them, and they will”
It’s not that he believes his lies. It’s that he believes his audience wants to believe them HE chooses lies for their desireability for the demographic he is developing. HE is their wonderworld. He fights for their desire to go backwards and his in this pursuit are comfort food.
Yeah, the Trump derangement here seems to be a tad overblown if you ask me; so much for bringing down the temperature that the left bleated about after the first assassination attempt. Fair enough.
Any sentient person understands that Trump readily invites the invective that comes his way. Part of the hatred from the left is that unlike say, hapless Queensberryesque Mitt Romney, Trump throws cheap shots right back. But for once, forget Trump—what can explain the level of vitriol directed at one of the really decent guys in journalism (granted, maybe a low bar 😉), Bret Baier?!
Joe, you called Baier “rude” for his interruptions of Harris during the precious 20 minutes of interview time he was allotted (after being promised a half an hour) but if he had allowed the pro forma Harris blatherfest (“hope…dreams…aspirations…holistic…and my favorite, “return on investment”😂), the interview would have consisted of three questions and a cloud of hot air! And if you think that mild mannered Baier was really rude, you must get the vapors when you watch a Republican get interviewed on a Sunday morning talking head by the DNC approved “journalists.”
As a conservative, I am buoyed by the fact that Trump will never again appear on a ballot after 5 November. (Fittingly, Guy Fawkes day!) But I am deeply troubled that we may very well end up with the most unqualified, untested, empty vessel of a President we have had since Warren Harding. (Whom at least was a genial host and a good poker player.) And it isn’t Trump.
Brilliant piece!!! You nailed why Trump is popular and why Harris cannot break through! Why can't Harris admit it when she -- or Biden -- erred? Why can't she take a political position that will anger the base but allow anti-Trump Republicans and independents to trust her enough to vote for her? Why is she so scripted and cautious? She doesn't need to be! As Peggy Noonan said, the race is between Awful and Empty.
“His disgust with ‘the system”’ is real for a people so coddled they don’t understand how rare and lucky their prosperity is.“ I think you’re being unfair to DJT supporters who saw their sons, daughters, and relatives sent to be wounded or die in Afghanistan and Iraq with little from it, ultimately, than grief. And the prospect of American troops being sent to the Middle East, again, looms. Ezra Klein’s latest show, which included a clip of DJT railing against the Iraq invasion, is a useful reminder of what DJT represents to a lot of voters. For them the US has spent blood and treasure to support a world order that has excelled in exporting jobs. “The system”, however it’s defined, doesn’t work for many in the US, and DJT serves as angry, nihilistic messenger. It’s sad it’s come to that, and speaks poorly of those voters’ civic values, but the politicos and pundits who thought all must be well because for them things seemed to be just fine, should refrain from passing judgment too readily.
I could care less about “authenticity”. I just want a President who’s competent and who speaks and conducts themselves with dignity in public.
Trump broke the rules by saying out loud the racism, xenophobia and misogyny Republicans had reserved for behind closed doors and on golf courses. Democrats and even his fellow Republicans have difficulty countering him because saying you don't hate black people, women and foreigners sounds almost silly and extraneous. That it isn't defines the truly sad state of our current sad political life.
What's he going to say next? that's easy.
Racism
misogyny
celebratory ignorance
willful stupidity
general hatefulness
political illiteracy
economic illiteracy
illiterate illiteracy
fuckwittery
general shitheadedness
specific shitheadedness
moron stupidity
claims that the world dumbest fucking moron is in fact the world's greatest genius
Then he'll lather up, rinse and repeat.
I can't wait till this worthless traitor is dangling by his heels from a gas station sign.
More Kamala Harris fan fiction. "Imagine that she said THIS! How bold and persuasive that WOULD have been??" Instead of the prevaricating, dodging questions and evading responsibility for the policy decisions taken by the administration of which she was the "last person in the room."
Sounds like the fever barometer rose a bit today.
Trump is real alright- in all the above. The Clown act of a psychopath living in his own delusional world is hardly real. He speaks loudly and dances badly. No lie is small, the bigger the better. His idiocy ,ego and bags of hate are the only real things about him. Put the evil genie back in a bottle.
Harris is smart and tough. She won the “debate” without spewing hackneyed nonsense and lies. Her voice isn’t as loud as a man’s, but one look and she nailed it. She made her points. How refreshing .
This is a great take.
Trump speaks what appears ‘common sense’ that is naive to the complexities of the real world with such confidence that the progressively more under-educated populace believes it, while the over-educated opportunists rally behind knowing the falsity, purely to get power.
The Bloomberg interview was a prime example of Trumps speaking nonsense in a disarmingly confident way that will play well to his base but not to anyone who has a passing knowledge of anything economic. The challenge is that Republicans who should know better will see and hear the economic message and still vote this in because…Kamala is an unknown, Kamala is woke etc… all just nonsense… power is the reason. They are happy to once again spend 4 years as the dog that caught the car, dealing with the chaos and exhaustion as the price.
Right now, faslehoods are defended to the death, and any truths are forensically parsed and hounded to death. There is therefore limited scope other than to apply propaganda techniques and effectively either lie till something is true or just speak in roundabout and defensive ways that avoid answering questions.
Of all the issues that are at play here, the only one that really matters is the discourse and fracturing of the social contract between the political classes and the people. Truth is the way forward on this.
One possible refinement to consider Joe: Perhaps he doesn’t believe it but believes the exaggerations delusions are fair play, that everyone does them, and that he just does them better. HE was a regular guest on Access HOllywood with my brother and one one episode, when Billy asked him about the decline of the ratings on “The Apprentice”, Donald retorted” :have you seen the Thursday numbers?” Flustered, Billy said no. The producer in his ear was scrambling looking for the “THursday numbers”.
“Thursday showed us WAAY UP” Donald crowed. Especially among the 18-34 ladies..very exciting. I dont blame them, we have a great show.”
“Well congrats Donald i guess you are back!” Responded my flustered brother.
After the interview Donald took Billy aside, and said, “I’m going to tell you a little secret. Tell people what you want them to believe and if they want to believe it, they will. Just tell them and tell them, and they will”
It’s not that he believes his lies. It’s that he believes his audience wants to believe them HE chooses lies for their desireability for the demographic he is developing. HE is their wonderworld. He fights for their desire to go backwards and his in this pursuit are comfort food.
That's a great story. Thank you, Jonathan.
Yeah, the Trump derangement here seems to be a tad overblown if you ask me; so much for bringing down the temperature that the left bleated about after the first assassination attempt. Fair enough.
Any sentient person understands that Trump readily invites the invective that comes his way. Part of the hatred from the left is that unlike say, hapless Queensberryesque Mitt Romney, Trump throws cheap shots right back. But for once, forget Trump—what can explain the level of vitriol directed at one of the really decent guys in journalism (granted, maybe a low bar 😉), Bret Baier?!
Joe, you called Baier “rude” for his interruptions of Harris during the precious 20 minutes of interview time he was allotted (after being promised a half an hour) but if he had allowed the pro forma Harris blatherfest (“hope…dreams…aspirations…holistic…and my favorite, “return on investment”😂), the interview would have consisted of three questions and a cloud of hot air! And if you think that mild mannered Baier was really rude, you must get the vapors when you watch a Republican get interviewed on a Sunday morning talking head by the DNC approved “journalists.”
As a conservative, I am buoyed by the fact that Trump will never again appear on a ballot after 5 November. (Fittingly, Guy Fawkes day!) But I am deeply troubled that we may very well end up with the most unqualified, untested, empty vessel of a President we have had since Warren Harding. (Whom at least was a genial host and a good poker player.) And it isn’t Trump.
God bless America please.
Brilliant piece!!! You nailed why Trump is popular and why Harris cannot break through! Why can't Harris admit it when she -- or Biden -- erred? Why can't she take a political position that will anger the base but allow anti-Trump Republicans and independents to trust her enough to vote for her? Why is she so scripted and cautious? She doesn't need to be! As Peggy Noonan said, the race is between Awful and Empty.
“His disgust with ‘the system”’ is real for a people so coddled they don’t understand how rare and lucky their prosperity is.“ I think you’re being unfair to DJT supporters who saw their sons, daughters, and relatives sent to be wounded or die in Afghanistan and Iraq with little from it, ultimately, than grief. And the prospect of American troops being sent to the Middle East, again, looms. Ezra Klein’s latest show, which included a clip of DJT railing against the Iraq invasion, is a useful reminder of what DJT represents to a lot of voters. For them the US has spent blood and treasure to support a world order that has excelled in exporting jobs. “The system”, however it’s defined, doesn’t work for many in the US, and DJT serves as angry, nihilistic messenger. It’s sad it’s come to that, and speaks poorly of those voters’ civic values, but the politicos and pundits who thought all must be well because for them things seemed to be just fine, should refrain from passing judgment too readily.
Precisely.....