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| Trump is good at it. |
Donald Trump is a troll. It works for him, and he loves it.
Definition of a troll: "One who posts a deliberately provocative message on a newsgroup or message board with the intention of causing maximum disruption or argument."
Donald Trump does not win arguments. He doesn't need to. Instead, he captures and dominates the media coverage of the argument, changing the subject to a frame that suits him. He says provocative things, things so outrageous, that the media thinks it simply must cover it.
In his book, Crippled America, Trump described what he does to capture the media attention: "If you do things a little differently, if you say outrageous things and fight back, they love you."
It is no secret. He is proud of it.
It is no secret. He is proud of it.
The media covers the bright, shiny object, the outrageous and provocative, and Trump provides it. The media is a sucker for it. He controls the news. His primary opponents were furious and frustrated. It was all Trump all the time.
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| Vox article: Click Here |
Ezra Kline made this point in an article in Vox this summer. Trump wins by dominating the news, not winning the argument He cited the then current example of Comey's testimony on evidence of Russian involvement in the Trump campaign. Trump uses his formula of deny, de-legitimize the critic, then make the subject Trump's accusations about Comey-the-leaker.
It is not just the media who gets trolled. The left falls for it, too.
The current news is about Trump's flagrant, outrageous hypocrisy in having made accusations against Al Franken. Trump is well aware that his comments are shocking. That is the point. The media covered it, changing the news to just how guilty Franken is: a little guilty or a lot guilty, and whether Franking's apology was good contrition or confirmation of guilt. There is no winning outcome because the very subject is degree of Democratic misbehavior. Meanwhile, people on MSNBC panels talk nonstop about just exactly what Franken did, the quality of his apology, just exactly what the sin was.
Cynical, brilliant, and very effective.
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| A better issue for Democrats |
Democrat are chasing the shiny object, ignoring the big news. This week the House passed a major tax bill.
The tax bill's primary elements of change are to cut the corporate income tax rate and to eliminate the estate tax and alternative minimum tax--items of value only to the very wealthiest Americans. Democrats could be framing the issue over whether this bill is a gigantic giveaway to multimillionaires and a betrayal of the middle class, or merely a really big giveaway and betrayal. That question has the benefit of being factual, being important, and being one that helps define the GOP as indebted to the very wealthy at the expense of the middle class, and defines Democrats as the party fighting for regular Americans. That is a winner.
But MSNBC is on my television right now. Look at what Trump said! Trump of all people accused Franken. What exactly did Franken do. A panel of six all chime in.
Trump trolls, and it works.
The tax bill's primary elements of change are to cut the corporate income tax rate and to eliminate the estate tax and alternative minimum tax--items of value only to the very wealthiest Americans. Democrats could be framing the issue over whether this bill is a gigantic giveaway to multimillionaires and a betrayal of the middle class, or merely a really big giveaway and betrayal. That question has the benefit of being factual, being important, and being one that helps define the GOP as indebted to the very wealthy at the expense of the middle class, and defines Democrats as the party fighting for regular Americans. That is a winner.
But MSNBC is on my television right now. Look at what Trump said! Trump of all people accused Franken. What exactly did Franken do. A panel of six all chime in.
Trump trolls, and it works.
A college classmate, acting as a spokesman for Trump, put it this way: "Asked to comment on this latest development, his spokesperson responded, in a rare moment of truth-telling, 'You still don't get it? He is just f**cking with you, because he knows it drives you crazy. He gets off on that."
Trump does love it. He taunts Hillary, telling her please, please run again. Steve Bannon urges Democrats to keep fighting. Democrats fight over the subjects Trump puts out there. It drives them crazy.
He gets off on that.
1 comment:
I wonder how deliberate Trump is. I have felt that it does not seem like a fully thought through strategy, but more a conditioned reaction honed by years of self promotion and shady dealing, much of which worked for him in the down and dirty real estate business. It seems more like instant gratification, and yes, the thrill of saying something ridiculous and outrageous for effect. He takes every opportunity to promote his own potency, daring us to dispute him.
His cult chose someone to represent them who would stick it to the world that has cheated them; the hated bosses, crooked politicians and "elites". He is serving them well, exacting their revenge.
His cult owns him. Whatever he may think in the moldy mush of his brain, they are calling the shots and if he doesn't continue to dance to their tune, or is revealed to be the fraud he certainly is, it will "not be pretty".
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