I watched the president's CPAC performance this morning. To borrow from a classic "Frasier" episode, the meat that Trump threw to the assembled crowd was so raw, a skilled veterinarian could have saved it.
Trump commenced his ramblings with yet another assault on the free press. He said he dislikes its quoting of anonymous "sources," which, he implied, were as imaginary as his secret plan to defeat ISIS. (That plan, by the way, is now is place, said Trump, although even the enemy, it seems, is to be kept in the dark as to its valiant unfolding.) From there he went on to complain about election polls. Why? Who the hell knows. He then swung back to the wicked press and unveiled his ramblings' most ominous passage: "We're going to do something about it."
From there he re-introduced the truly peculiar notion that Trumpism is a political "movement" like the world has never seen before. The earthshaking breadths of the French Revolution, Bolshevism and Maoism begone. The crowd, steeped in a Trumpian understanding of history, roared in agreement.
When defining the "movement" came most of Trump's raw meat — not one sinew of which was novel. From here on, he said, America will look after itself first; it will build a Southern wall; it will conquer the federal debt (by adding more $6 trillion to it); it will reinvigorate the coal industry (oh, those poor miners who've bought into the fantasy); it will rebuild its depleted military (the world's vastest by far); it will crush job-killing regulations; and it will rid itself of "bad" trade deals.
From nowhere — and I do mean nowhere — Trump added that "it's time for Americans to get off welfare."
And there you have it, the essence of Trump's morning ramblings.
Does this writing seem rather flat? Good. I've achieved the intended effect, which is to mirror Trump's speech. It was flat, familiar, tired and altogether clichéd. For a budding political movement, Trump's Trumpism seemed dead already.
With CPAC members today apparently waving Russian flags, recall the sheep, in a 180 turnaround, bleating at the end of Animal Farm:
"Four legs good; two legs better."
Posted by: Max | February 24, 2017 at 12:14 PM
"Performance". Good choice of words.
Posted by: Joseph Ernst | February 24, 2017 at 12:15 PM
The Republican Party reminds me of Pogo saying "Having lost sight of our objective, we redoubled our efforts."
Posted by: WDC | February 24, 2017 at 12:33 PM
I thought about watching the speech but to be honest my mind is not as agile as it one was. I did not think I could parse a Trump speech in real time. I have become somewhat dependent the English language as an exact tool for conveying precise thoughts. I do not speak Trump. So I read the transcript.
Having checked with a couple of the nearest people to determine whether or not I was exhibiting signs of a stroke and this not being the case I am able to conclude that Donald Trump is a fucking idiot.
Posted by: Peter G | February 24, 2017 at 01:50 PM
"Commonly recognized symptoms include irritability, loss of ability to concentrate, delusional thinking, and grandiosity,” said Beutler. “Memory, insight, and judgment can become impaired. Insomnia may occur. Visual problems may develop, including the inability of pupils to react to the light. This, along other ocular pathology, can result in photophobia, dimming of vision, and squinting. All of these things have been observed in Trump. Dementia, headaches, gait disturbances. and patchy hair loss can also be seen in later stages of syphilis.”
https://www.rawstory.com/2017/02/trumps-bizarre-volatile-behavior-could-be-from-untreated-syphilis-infectious-disease-doctor/
Posted by: The Dark Avenger | February 24, 2017 at 03:10 PM
It's masterful trolling:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/cpac-russia-prank
Posted by: Max | February 24, 2017 at 04:13 PM
Whether or not he has STD, thanks for bringing his 1997 statement to my attention:
“I’ve been so lucky in terms of that whole world,” he told Howard Stern in 1997, referring to his dating life the decade prior. “It is a dangerous world out there—it’s scary, like Vietnam. Sort of like the Vietnam era. It is my personal Vietnam. I feel like a great and very brave solider.”
Such a sense of entitlement. Such an inappropriate comparison. Such a lack of respect for those who did have to serve in Vietnam.
Posted by: Tony | February 24, 2017 at 04:41 PM
Perfectly captured. This is a keeper, like the "grab 'em by the pussy . . ." etc. to remind us of the party of personal responsibility and the party of family values.
Posted by: Max | February 24, 2017 at 07:02 PM
How funny. I just used to say that as an off handed joke about him. I suppose his deferments from the Vietnam war may have saved him from the. V. C., But but not the v.d.
Posted by: Anne J | February 24, 2017 at 09:51 PM