smackeddog wrote:BRIGGS wrote:smackeddog wrote:holfresh wrote:Colin Powell classic line on Trump...Powell suggested in another email that even critical coverage of Trump didn't really work: "To go on and call him an idiot just emboldens him."
Calling him an idiot is irresistible but counter productive because the depressing truth is a large chunk of Americans share his stupid views, by insulting him you insult them which makes them less likely to listen to you and more likely to support him. People believe what emotionally resonates with them- if they feel particularly strongly then there is no reasoning with them because they will just distort and deny any information that contradicts how they feel.
Might be more effective to just focus on the fact he's a con man- he's a complete bull****ter- back in the times of the wild west he'd be honking his wagon from town to town selling his miracle wonder-tonic.
No doubt Trump is a showman an exaggerator a narcissist. But I think he kind of gets some common things and if he had acted like he has over the last 3-4 weeks the whole time this would be a walk away. Hes the only candidate who has talked about rebuilding infrastructure controlling illegal immigration helping curb drugs pouring into the uS via Mexico helping our military restructure itself working on behalf of Americans to provide more jobs. He has the energy and the will--hes listening to two women who have done a great job with him--that shows flexibility--he has gone to Mexico into the inner cities--hes giving effort and trying. Like the post says "where is Hillary" she's done none of these things. I don't think trump is a bad guy he seems to have very nice pro active intelligent children. Hes taken care of his daughter from a previous marriage. None of the ex wives are coming out and slamming him. Hes said some stupid things a long the way--but hes also been non stop at this for 14 months. Hes worked hard for the job--I think he deserves it. I ws once a Hillary fan but Im not anymore. Shes a tired woman--she's a manipulative dishonest woman with much less bonafides that I thought she had. If Colin Powell said anything in those emails--my biggest take away--EVERYONE HATES HILLARY. To me thats God awful--thats her direct colleague.
I hate Trump though I do think he cynically taps into a global shift, namely:
An end to stage managed, personality free robot politicians
Curbs to immigration
Increasing xenophobia and racism (as usual in times of economic woe, these spike)
A backlash to globalization and free market economics- a lot of people want protectionist policies
A 'leave them to it' or 'kill them all' approach to foreign policy- humanitarian intervention (sometimes used as a cover for realpolitik and resource theft) is pretty much over.
I think it generally comes from people generally feeling fed up, disillusioned, disempowered, angry and scared, a mixture of decades of foreign policy disasters, terrorism and economic crisis. That's the emotional resonance. The joke is I doubt Trump will actually do what people seem to think he is saying.
When did we not have Foreign policy disasters? Terrorism? or some economic crisis? Name the decade? Last 100 years.
1910's Terror in europe sparksWorld War I, failed peace treaty
1920's Prohibition creates black market economy and stock bubble leads to stock crash.
1930's Failed foreign policy, failed League of nations, Economic depression, Hitler in Europe gains power.
1940's Failed oil and steel embargo causes Pearl Harbor Terrorism, World War II, japanese US citizens interened, History's only use of nuke on Japan to end war.
1950's Failed froeign policy, conflict in Korea (war) Internal McCarthyism which hunt.
1960's Cuban Missle crisis, Kennedy's shot, MLK shot, Race Riots, Vietnam war!!!
1970's Vietnam war, Watergate, economic recession, Terror on TV in Munich starts new age of terror. But knicks win 2 chips!!!
1980's Fall of Iran, Iran Hostage, Still recession, Prime rate at 21%!!!! Reagan breaks union, 1987 stock crash, Reagan cuts Lebonon and Marines die!
1990's Recession, Aids, 1st real estate problems, Oklahoma bombing, Monica, OJ, Uss COLE....
2000's Tech bubble, 9/11, banking crisis
What fairy tale world naive world thought process thinks the last 100 years did not have problems similar to what we have been thru?
And what happend under OBAMA that is so god awful in the context of the last 100 years? Maybe he is black has something to do with it?
Terrorism? was not an Obama Invention. Banking crisis? Happend in the bush administration. Isis? Born form Iraqi war. Afganistan? we already there.
Seems to me America has been great all along even with the events above. Trump is not going to make you rich, or take you back to some childhood babyboom dream world.