Thursday, January 28, 2016

Trump Achilles

Focus on Trump: will Achilles leave his tent?
My memory is that the Iliad starts off looking at Achilles, petulant in his tent, unhappy about some slight.   

In one sense the great Greek warrior hero is seen as diminished by boycotting the fighting.   Warrior heroes are there to fight, not pout.   But notice that the subject of the book is Achilles: the focus is on him.

Trump may well have the winning hand here.   People are talking about him, not about the other guys.   And possibly this is a general election move, acknowledgement to the non-Fox world that he, too, finds Fox objectionable.

But mostly we are seeing what happens when Trump negotiates.  If you want someone unafraid to take on someone big, someone who will force them to make some concession or will do walk away from the table and do his own thing--well, you are seeing it now.

Trump said Megyn objectifies herself with this photoshoot
Fox is attempting to describe this a Trump being weak and afraid of big, bad Megyn Kelly.   Wrong move: Trump cannot be made to look afraid.    But he can be made to look like a prima donna.    And the rich guy who insists on his own way because he is a spoiled and selfish would hurt his brand even as the rich guy who insists on his own way projecting power and self confidence IS his brand.

Trump is in the catbird's seat.   He has the power to define what happens today:

 Plan A:    If he gets some sort of Fox concession he can go onto the debate stage and trumpet his negotiating prowess--just how he will treat China and Mexico and Putin.

Plan B:    He goes to Drake University, holds some sort of interesting TV event, raises money for Wounded Warriors, says that Fox never promised him or the Wounded Warriors that they would donate the money from the extra ratings to help America, that he was tired of Fox taking advantage of him and stiffing our beloved vets.   Then he could promise to make it up to Iowa with yet another day of Town Halls in Iowa.   Good for Iowa, good for veterans, gave people a better show than yet another debate,  made Fox look petty and selfish instead of him.

Either way he wins.    Oh, and meanwhile people are talking about him.

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