Why Trump is still a factor
It took a while for it to sink in, but now I get it. There is no real “news” anymore. When I was a kid, the news was a thing. On TV and in the “newspapers” reporters researched stories, and wrote down quotes. There was nobility in it. Reporters and their editors were arbiters of the factual. A random claim about the Government of Mexico “sending its worst” could not get into the “news” unless it was checked and double checked against what was “true” and “accurate.” If it was found to be inaccurate or false it would not run, or if it did run, it did so as part of a story about a claim that is out of touch with reality.
We don’t have that anymore. We have Fox News, which is openly bias, but that isn’t the worst of it. An openly biased “news” source can be discounted and ignored. They’ve had that in England forever, and nobody expects newspapers to be objective.
No. It isn’t about objectivity, it is that the news has simply quit. We now have have TV and Newspaper “news” that has thrown in the towel on begin arbiters of accuracy. There is no forth estate to check Trump’s (or Huckabee’s, or anyone’s) statements against what is real. They’ve admitted that they don’t consider that their role anymore. The forth estate is simply gone. Vanished from the ecosystem like a failed species. What will take its place? What will filled the void? Apparently, complete bullshit. Bought wholesale and sold retail.
Trump is still a factor because the GOP primary has become a complete id-fest. And Trump knows how to pitch to the id of TV viewers and the reporters and producers who need to produce ratings. Because sometimes you can’t tell the difference between news and reality tv. The last GOP primary was a real horror show until the “establishment” pick finally started looking inevitable.
There is no doubt that the political media in the main is a mess with its obsession on horserace and its absolute avoidance of context lest it make them look “biased”. Trump knows that forgoing the usual talking points in favor of speaking to the fierce anger and prejudices of the GOP directly is a winner. For how long? Frankly I think that Trump will decide at some point to just stop spending his money on this and find some other venture that will get him attention.
I don’t think he will win the nomination. So he’ll probably win the nomination, as I’ve been wrong about everything having to do with Trump.
If he wins the nomination, I will be very worried about the general.
“begin arbiters of accuracy”
ironknee
People are tired of the same old politicians. I’m not a supporter, but people what their government to think outside the box & not their next election.
It’s not surprising. Bill O’Reilly aka Ted Baxter is their most popular blow hard propagandist. Same personality as Trump. Conservatives like bellicose know it all bullies who aren’t influenced or bothered by factual, scientific and cerebral processes..