Ozymandias: Trump is Starting to Crumble

The Unraveling is Beginning Already.   First Shock and Awe.  Then Fear.  Then Humor.

Putin looks menacing, but not to Trump.  Mistake.

It is one of the oldest stories in literature and politics: a dangerous and forbidden romance brings down the great man.  This is not Juliet infatuated with Romeo.  It is Bill Clinton needing that sweet adoration from Monica.  

Trump appears to have a man-crush on Vladimir.   It is visible and and Trump cannot seem to help himself.  It isn't just stupid and awesomely un-politic.  Trump could survive that.  It is laughable, which he cannot survive.

Trump is a phenomenon.  Conservatism and Republicanism are traditions with staying power but Trump himself is a phenomenon built on spectacle.  The election was a bout of professional wrestling, where the more interesting character captured our attention and deep traditions attached themselves to him.  

Trump's pursuit of adoration, which served him well in the past 18 months as a populist candidate, is revealed as a weakness as a head of state.  

Wall mural

Trump appears blinded to the perils to his brand.  He looks like a silly teenager, certain that her boyfriend is dreamy perfect, while she defends indefensible behavior.  He ignores his intelligence services warnings.  He excuses and minimizes Putin's actions in Crimea, in Ukraine, in Syria, and in our election.  He is blind with love and as foolish as Bill Clinton on the sofa with Monica.

Popular culture saw it and pictured it in the wet kiss of Putin and Trump.  It was widely circulated but it did not have real power to disrupt Trump's brand because Trump was positioned against Hillary.  Hillary was smaller, weaker, shorter, and female.  Trump sold masculinity and it felt right.  Male Trump vs. Female Hillary.  It made sense.

Now there is a rising tide of mocking and it is picking up the theme that Trump is not the strong one after all.  Putin is.  A new, stronger meme is growing and Trump's public behavior is validating it: Trump is Putin's bitch.

Trump's brand is starting to crumble

"Oh Vladimir, I love you oh my dear,

Tell me what to do

I owe it all to you.

I'm Putin's bitch.

I'm Putin's bitch.

I'm Putin's bitch, bitch, bitch."

Trump, who had been so surefooted in his political messaging is making an error of extraordinary consequence to his own brand.  Trump represented American masculinity and American greatness but his relationship to Putin is a message of infatuation.  

Trump's Republican allies can excuse and overlook many of Trump's errors of apostasy from Republican orthodoxy but some things cannot be dismissed.   Putin's muscle flexing in eastern Europe puts pressure on NATO.  Republicans have already committed themselves to saying that the Russian conquest of Crimea was wrong and Obama's weakness allowed it.   Republican incumbents have their own brand to protect.  They are the party that supports our intelligence services and our military.   They are the party that responds to fear with strength, not excuses and minimizations.  Trump is not merely hurting his own brand.  He is hurting theirs.

I cite the following amusing scenarios from frequent guest post author Thad Guyer as more evidence.  The problem for Trump is that comic scenarios of Trump mocking America goes directly against the Trump brand because Trump has taken the role of friend to Putin.  Obama can be accused of being weak, but Trump's position is worse.  Trump appears to be in love with the bully.

Eight months ago this blog speculated that the one thing that would destroy the Trump brand was a credible allegation by some hyper-masculine man that Trump had had homosexual relations with him. 

I removed the post because some readers thought it offensive and utterly inconceivable.  Of course, the relationship between Trump and Putin is not physical.  But Trump is communicating a relationship to Putin's bullying that is mockable, and it is being mocked.   It isn't that Trump is wrong.  It is that he looks silly.   He is Barney Fife in Mayberry or Chester in Dodge City: the weak sidekick.

Putin's strength and bullying, as presented in the scenarios below,  does not read as Trump choosing a strong ally.  Putin's bullying and disdain and strength reads as Trump's weakness and infatuation.

Note:  These observations on Trump branding are mine alone and not written in consultation with Guyer, who created these scenarios on his own, from his workplace home in Saigon, Vietnam.  My comments precede Guyer's because I consider his comic scenes to be evidence for my argument.  Putin's strength and mockery are beginning to undermine Trump.  Guyer does not necessarily agree with my premise that Trump's defense of Putin has a metaphor in a relationship of subservience or that this meme will gain traction.

Scenarios written by Thad Guyer

“America the Victim- A Screen Play”

[Scene: A line drawn in the sand].

“Go ahead, cross this line”.

[Slowly backing up and drawing a new line].

“OK, cross THIS line!”

[One more step back].

Guyer

“Double dare ya, cross this line”.

[Scene: Suddenly, swoosh, a blast of sand in the eyes].

America: “You're a bully you kicked sand in our face!”

Vladimir, shirtless and smirking: “What will you do big shot, draw a new line like you did with Assad before he humiliated you? Or cry it was Allah cartoons when they burned your ambassador alive in Benghazi?”

Vladimir feigning mocking fear: “Oh no, sanctions, what shall I do, I'm shaking, I can barely enjoy my new found ramparts in Crimea and Ukraine. Oh and don’t forget about the airliner my boys shot down, haha, please don't hurt me!”

[Scene: A new line drawn in the sand].

Vladimir: “Oh look, a new line in the sand, a cyber-line this time? What’s this, you're weeping that we hacked your election, better not do it again or else? Oh yes, strongest democracy in the world, like eating the lunch of a weakling, we shudder at your threats-- this time. Your media, its like an episode of your Real Housewives, fighting over ‘secret intelligence’. ‘Did too. Did not! You're a liar. No you are’." 

[Scene: An anxious world beholds America at the Wailing Wall in Israel, arms raised to the heavens].

Vladimir: “You’re groveling over scraps of electoral blame, it’s entertaining, like gathering chads on the floor of your Florida polling booths. By the way, it was fun watching Netanyahu slap you around. Love it that you’re new embassy will be in Jerusalem!” 

America: “Oh brutal world, they skewed our election, them and the Wikileaks guy imprisoned in Ecuador’s embassy in London. Assange, and that evil Romanian Guccifer, and Putin. They all ganged up and mugged us.”

[Scene: The shirtless man struts away as the Victim cleans sand from its eyes].

America: “That's right you better run, Vladimir, you better run!”

Vladimir: “Sorry, gotta go meet our returning aircraft carrier, you know, ‘mission accomplished’, as you cowboys say. So, I guess that line getting crossed had to hurt, your US funded rebels crushed in Syria-- done and done.”

"Oh, and your American election- done and done."