I heard poorly rated @Morning_Joe speaks badly of me (don't watch anymore). Then how come low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe, came..— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 29, 2017
...to Mar-a-Lago 3 nights in a row around New Year's Eve, and insisted on joining me. She was bleeding badly from a face-lift. I said no!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 29, 2017
These tweets were apparently in response to MSNBC's Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski making a remark about Trump's "teensy" hands.
Honestly, I don't even know where to begin regarding this utterly asinine development, so I'll just convey a few random thoughts.
- There were many things I admired about President George W. Bush, but one in particular was the dignity he exuded despite the abject hatred and maniacal sentiments levied towards him. Never once did Bush even acknowledge the leftist media's brutal (not to mention outrageously unfair and utterly false) indictments of his character and intellect. To respond in kind would be, in Bush's mind, beneath the dignity of the office.
- The Trump tweets also further the narrative of his propensity to demean and mistreat women. However, I believe this is more an issue of Trump's overall personality. Did you watch any of the GOP presidential debates? The vast majority of the candidates were men. Trump was just as mean, nasty and condescending towards them.
- First Lady Melania Trump essentially stood by her husband in this incident, indicating his reputation for hitting back ten times as hard as he's initially struck. Such a stance would seem to fly in the face of her platform to stop cyber bullying.
- Speaking of bullying, Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders explained away this incident by saying the President will not be "bullied" and thus will "fight fire with fire." Some folks are going to have to get their narratives straight. Either Trump is a fearless leader who's in Washington to take a proverbial blow torch to politics as usual or he's so vulnerable that he's capable of being "bullied." Can't have it both ways.
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Re: Melania and bullying. I don't see a contradiction here. Given the media's continued abuse of power I am unable to conjure up an image of them as victim - even if Trump is hitting back. To say he's doing it "ten times as hard" doesn't transform it into bullying since it's envisioned as being a retaliatory strike against those who are themselves bullies.
ReplyDeleteRe: Having it both ways. I can't agree with you here either. I think it is clear that the media is trying very hard to bully the president. The reason they are winning the culture wars isn't that more people have agreed with them, but that they have been able to exert power over people. They are clearly trying to do this with Trump.
The narrative that he is a fearless leader who is taking a "blow torch to politics" is expressing the idea that he, unlike many conservatives, isn't going to take the abuse silently. These two narratives fit fine together.
None of this is to say that anyone has to like Trump or approve of him. But clearly he is a man of the moment. Perhaps the question is, "Will his way of being a Republican/conservative serve the country well in the long term or not?" I don't know. I think I would prefer a party of Scott Walker types - quiet and resolved to act no matter the hysterics. But the D.C. GOP doesn't seem that courageous.
Re: Melania and bullying. I don't see a contradiction here. Given the media's continued abuse of power I am unable to conjure up an image of them as victim - even if Trump is hitting back. To say he's doing it "ten times as hard" doesn't transform it into bullying since it's envisioned as being a retaliatory strike against those who are themselves bullies.
ReplyDeleteThe most powerful person in the world hurling insults at a co-host of a low rated cable TV news show? Sorry, that's textbook bullying. It's also downright chilling that such a powerful figure would get so personal. And it was just as wrong when Obama singled out Hannity et al at Fox News.
Re: Having it both ways. I can't agree with you here either. I think it is clear that the media is trying very hard to bully the president. The reason they are winning the culture wars isn't that more people have agreed with them, but that they have been able to exert power over people. They are clearly trying to do this with Trump.
Again, the idea that the most powerful individual in the free world is capable of being "bullied" is utterly absurd. Letting the media have their perpetual snit fit over their preferred candidate (i.e. Hillary) not winning is sinking their credibility in Middle America. So this idea that they are exerting some sort of power over people seems far fetched. I fear that Trump's insults (and occasional baseless assertions) only serve to give a proverbial life jacket to the drowning media.
The narrative that he is a fearless leader who is taking a "blow torch to politics" is expressing the idea that he, unlike many conservatives, isn't going to take the abuse silently.
This take has been uttered incessantly and it's still nonsense. Here's a novel concept: Go ahead and work on the agenda that won the election. That will speak louder (and be much more satisfying to supporters) than punching back at critics.
I think we understand the power dynamics in America differently and, therefore, we understand these issues differently. If you are correct, there is still a fundamental normalcy in our institutions and we need to rely on that. I think this most closely resembles a kind of platonic ideal of "engaged conservatism."
ReplyDeleteI don't believe that Trump has more power than they do by the virtue of his office. He only has as much power as he is able to exercise. It seems to me that this is what all of the hullaballoo is about. Those other forces, spearheaded by the media, are trying to deny him the power of the office. That is bullying behavior. Whether they succeed or not is the question. I will not lend a word to their defense. Quite to the contrary, I hope he breaks them. Not because I don't want a free press, but precisely because I DO want one.
I ramble. Long story short. I perceive, and have perceived, press to be abusive in their exercise of power. Trump has that potential, but they have the track record and the obvious intent. Down with them.
I guess where I'm coming from is I'd be more inclined to acquiesce to Trump's tactics if I felt there would be some sort of conservative agenda advanced as a result. Unfortunately I get a sense he's engaging in these coarse tactics merely because he's a thin-skinned individual who can't even endure substantive criticism (though I grant you the MSM has rarely, if ever, been substantive in their assessment of Trump).
ReplyDeleteI hope my senses prove incorrect, because I would love nothing more than for Trump to have success with health insurance overhaul, tax reform and the war on radical Islamic terror. The foremost reason being is those are good things for the country, but the media having a snit fit in having to acknowledge undeniable success would be a huuuuuuge serendipity.
But if my instincts prove true in that Trump is merely in this to "settle scores," he has the advantage of riding off into the sunset to his posh lifestyle when his presidency is done while the country potentially suffers long-term damage.
But if my instincts prove true in that Trump is merely in this to "settle scores," he has the advantage of riding off into the sunset to his posh lifestyle when his presidency is done while the country potentially suffers long-term damage.
ReplyDeleteThis provides a bit of a window into where we are feeling differently, I think. You are worried about the damage he might do. I believe that America is farther gone than you do and that doing more damage is beside the point. What matters instead is changing the paradigm. If that doesn't change, any damage he might do will be dwarfed the next time a Democrat is in office. Trump seems to be fishing for very large fish. If he can pull if off, he will be lauded as a truly great president. If he fails, he'll be blamed for a lot, but he won't have destroyed anything that wasn't already about to be hacked to pieces.
I guess I've come to believe that he is actually working on a very conservative agenda, but in such a way that it befuddles friends and enemies alike.
I guess I've come to believe that he is actually working on a very conservative agenda, but in such a way that it befuddles friends and enemies alike.
ReplyDeleteAgain, I hope that is the case. But I wouldn't put it past Trump that he's viewing this whole saga (i.e. his being POTUS) as one big ego trip.