By Peter Funt
Give Donald Trump this much: he knows how to play the media like a violin. If I had half his business brain I’d send him a bill for this column, because every time a serious journalist treats his campaign seriously it feeds his coffers.
Call Trump a bona fide political threat, and he’s laughing all the way to the next campaign appearance. Call him a clown, and he’s laughing all the way to the bank.
Few in media are fooled by Trump — even his admirers at Fox News. They all know he has zero chance to win the Republican nomination let alone be elected president. Yet, the higher he climbs in early, irrelevant polls the more ink he gets.
It can be argued that even those voters who tell pollsters they prefer Trump are playing along — for now. Many are frustrated by the sheer size of the GOP roster, by the tedious length of modern presidential campaigns, and by the seeming inevitability of Hillary Clinton’s nomination on the Democrat’s side. What better way to goose the process than by saying, “I’m for Donald Trump!â€
A CNN poll ranked Trump second, behind Jeb Bush, among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents nationwide.
This happens in high schools when a unpopular kid with few friends inexplicably shows up as a favorite for prom king or queen. It’s the students’ way of pushing back against a process they never really liked.
In Trump’s case, it’s win-win. The other day The New York Times ran not one but two op-ed columns about Trump’s candidacy. In one, GOP veteran Peter Wehner noted, “…the press are only too happy to highlight Mr. Trump’s stream of invective and outrageous utterances…â€
And why not? In mid-summer, nothing sizzles more than news of a bombastic billionaire stating flatly that Mexico is intentionally sending drug dealers and rapists our way.
Actually, for comedians like Jon Stewart and Jimmy Fallon, it’s almost too easy — like shooting elephants in a barrel. But for news reporters and columnists the Trump phenomenon is not so simple to deal with. Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post artfully called him “a farce to be reckoned with.†That’s precisely what Trump is counting on.
Here’s the thing about Trump’s campaign. He’s scoring with some ultra-frustrated conservatives at this preliminary stage by appearing to boldly speak his mind without the calculated caution practiced by conventional politicians. In fact, Trump’s boldness comes from knowing he has no chance and therefore can’t be hurt by speaking out irresponsibly.
The Trump campaign is modern, social-media driven political theater.
Maybe this is what the public and its media deserve for allowing presidential campaigns to begin so early. The first GOP “debate†is less than a month away. And thanks to Donald Trump’s presence, the Fox News Channel telecast might actually draw a sizable audience.
Will Trump walk on stage naked? Wearing a Mexican sombrero? Holding a gun? He’ll think of something, because he doesn’t really care. Nor should we.
Trump speaks his mind. He tells the truth. Nobody owns him. He says what we all, or most of us are thinking. He is successful by anyone’s measure. How absolutely refreshing this man is. I agree, it is way too early to predict with any fair amount of certainty who will win the nomination. However, there ar many in this crowded field I will not vote for. Trump is not yet one of them.
(Insert the name Sarah Palin into the cheap, insignificant and ignorant blather that balloonpilot wrote here. It works perfectly.)
You have no real argument to my post so you name call. Typical liberal.
I have a FEVER!
And the prescription is MORE DONALD TRUMP!
I didn’t name call. Not even once. I made observations about the words you posted. In fact, you’re the one who called me a name – a liberal!
Balloonpilot, I think maybe you got knocked off your game by the total accuracy of observing that Trump is not a helpful candidate whatsoever to the GOP; that ironically, he’s a gift to the Democrats.
Maybe Jeb is being helped by Trump…he appears to be the only voice of reason to the real Republican Party – those who have jobs, who vote, who want fiscal responsibility, who advocated the removal of the confederate flag from public property, and who have teeth.
I thought you liberals were proud to be called liberals.
“If you are not a liberal at 20, you have no heart. If you are still a liberal at 40 you have no brain.” W. Churchill
James Carville is famous for saying, “I love Sarah Palin. She is the best thing to happen to the Democratic Party since sliced bread. We need more Sarah Palin!!”
To the Democrats, Trump is a gift. An absolute GIFT.
And the GOP’s problem is not Donald Trump. No way. The GOP’s biggest problem is the 1/2 of the Republican Party comprised of the loud, hoot’n’holler ignorant rednecks who agree with Donald Trump.
Mr. Becker,
It is quite clear that you are one of the Lib/Dem fools, much like the writer of the article (hit piece). You have no basis for your disagreeing with ballonpilot. All you can do is come on here and try to disparage folks with honest opinions, by starting with the name calling and the insults. Then you try tactic number two by attempting to change the whole conversation to match some preconceived notion you have been told to posses by your puppet masters. Trump may not be highly qualified for the position of President, but I beige our current loser in chief also had (and still lacks) any experience in the real world, let alone foreign affairs, governing, military issue, economics or any thing else besides community organizing.
Mr. Trump has experience in negotiating, he has experience building a company, he has experience handling payroll and employees and following laws. Please give me some idea of what Hilary has ever accomplished? Bernie Sanders? Lindsay Grahm? Jeb Bush?They all have lived off the government teet for most of their lives. They know nothing of the real world, just their secular little confines of their political bubbles.
When will you, and people like you realize that the leaders you adore do not want to make America great. They want to make their power greater. They want to control how the rest of the populace acts/behaves, but not follow the same rules. Trump may not be a seasoned politician, but that currently is what makes him better than the rest of the yahoos running for President.
Brandon, I’m a GOP Establishment member. Always have been. The GOP members who think Trump is a member of the clown car are NOT liberals. And I still insist Trump is a gift to the Democratic Party.
+1000
Prisoners
Illegal aliens
Terrorists
Baby part sellers
The democrat party in a nutshell.
—— and national Democrat leaders are Communists, Marxists, socialists, pervert panderers who hate police, the U.S. military, religion, old fashioned values, and anyone who does an honest day’s work. And they are determined to turn America into a third world hellhole.
Well, let’s use so much hyperbole commonsense, that everyone immediately dismisses your comment.
Really want some truth? I am not saying these thing are good….I am saying there are MASSIVE Democratic wins taking place….and if what you are saying is so true….then WHY are the Democrats kicking ass and taking names:
1. Obamacare is now a permanent part of America’s future no different than Social Security. (People you hear saying it aint after the SCOTUS win on Obamacare, are Tea Party fundraisers, paid by commission, who will promise you ANYTHING including repeal. They’re lying.
2. Obamatrade – major, long term win affecting ALL future US trade. ALL future trade.
3. Marriage equality – permanent law change. Against same-sex marriage? That is now unconstitutional.
4. Loss of Hispanic population of America trusting the Republican Party for at least one, and more than likely three Presidential election cycles.
5. After swearing that Obama is the worst President ever…..HE WINS A SECOND TERM. (Right. everyone believed you when you said that too.)
Do I need to go on?
My point is……IF YOU ARE SO RIGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE SAYING…….THEN WHY DO YOU AND THOSE WHO AGREE WITH YOU……WHY ARE YOU SITTING ON THE LOSER BENCH? Cause you are ETERNALLY on the loser bench. If you’re so right COMMONSENSE, why?
Dem leader daily checklist
Meet with Politburo send out email telling widget makers how many widgets to make, and what price to sell them.
Contact state run media and tell the glorious accomplishments of the people.
Decide which industry we will nationalize today(Oops scratch that we can’t take over any industries since we’re commies we already run everything)
Decide what perverted act I will do today, promote it with my fellow libs/commies/Marxists/socialists or whatever the heck we are today.
Hate on police and praise them for killing somebody who stole a candy bar in 1994 or forget to turn on their turn signal because they undoubtably deserved it. (oh wait sorry wrong party)
Lunch
Run to Arlington cemetery and spit on some graves
Burn a Bible and some US flags
Ask Billionaires to pay an extra 2.9% on their income over $250K Oh wait sorry I mean ask poor people to pay even more in sales tax( Dammit sorry wrong party again)
Make list of stuff to do tomorrow to make American be a hell hole
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