True Lies (3/3)
Surya,
Your answers are interesting. Thank you.
I think the heart of the matter is your “alternate theory” and “increase their discomfort” answers, so I’ll focus on those. (Readers are invited to read the more minor, back-and-forth stuff by visiting the comments section of both of the previous articles.)
Surya: My alternate theory is that this is intentional to create so many targets that the opposition doesn’t know where to focus and so fails to galvanize energy and progress against a singular topic.
I think your primary theory (superficiality) is stronger and sounds less like a conspiracy theory. More to the point, Trump doesn’t have to try to create targets of outrage. All he has to do is be himself, talk like himself or do the things he promised he would do. Since the opposition/media hates all of the above, they will react with outrage — guaranteed. No manipulation necessary.
I’m reminded of the hate directed toward President Bush in that it became laughably contradictory. He was a ‘total moron’ who was also an ‘evil mastermind.’ (To avoid being too obvious in their silliness, the opposition would sometimes use Cheney as they are now using Bannon; i.e., Cheney was the evil mastermind pulling the moron’s strings.) Your alternate theory is heading in that direction given you think Trump is too dumb to be well informed, but you also suspect he may be a brilliant strategist.
Returning to your superficiality theory, I tend to agree with you. However, I think President Trump is only superficial about superficial things, which is to say most of the things the media obsesses about. When it counts, I wouldn’t underestimate him. You don’t get to his level of success, and maintain it for so many decades, if you have a poor command of important facts.
Surya: I think highlighting the obvious (to me) lies and distortions by this president will increase their [Trump supporters] discomfort.
In my opinion, it will also have the opposite effect. Take me. I was never a big Trump supporter, and I didn’t vote for him. Now I am fully aboard the Trump Train. Why? Because of how unfairly the media and opposition have treated someone who espouses many of my values.
You have to remember something: The Right has been complaining loudly and obsessively about liberal media bias (aka “lies”) for decades. Talk radio, conservative news sites and the like have been crying foul — with fact checking — for years. Has that increased the discomfort of liberal journalists? Doubtful. Has it made them change their minds or behave differently? Not if the coverage of Trump is any indication.
So if you’re pro-Trump, how do you interpret the media’s obsession with his speaking gaffes, “truthful hyperbole” or whatever you want to call it? Do you feel uncomfortable? Or angry at the hypocritical, unfair and typically biased media? Speaking for myself, I’ve experienced both feelings — but the latter is the greater. And that pushes me (someone beyond “the base”) toward President Trump and makes me more forgiving of his gaffes, not less. In other words, it makes me an apologist when (as a libertarian with several opposing views) I might not have been.
Jordan
