Category Archives: Popular Culture

Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Popular Culture, Social Commentary

Russian Actors And Seminar Callers

11 Comments

An interesting theory about the Trump phenomenon:

No doubt some of the protestors at Trump events protesting against Trump were also paid protestors. But what if much of the social agitation online for Trump is manufactured?

On radio, I assure you it is. Last Tuesday night, my radio show saw a wave of callers calling in to complain about what I was saying that very night on radio. The callers assured my call screener they were listening. The calls were coming from area codes all over the nation and they were very angry about what I had just said on the radio that very night about Trump.

I was on vacation. The guest host had been talking about local matters and had not even mentioned Trump. Hello, seminar callers. Likewise, many of the calls to my radio station demanding I be fired or disciplined for insulting Trump have come from people making statements about my radio show that clearly indicate they have not listened to the show or the station.

Similarly, whenever I get a wave of emails attacking me for things about Trump, frequently the same IP address pops up. On Twitter, the waves come from people with rarely used or new Twitter accounts that are suddenly all in for Trump — every tweet an attack against someone or Trump propaganda. More often than not, the accounts have pictures of someone other than the the person tweeting and most do not use real names.

Certainly it could be people with low social connectedness, as Michael Barone has noted, but it sure seems odd to suddenly get a a wave of #whitegenocide tweets from accounts that are just suddenly active and all in to attack people who oppose Trump.

Donald Trump right now has support from about 35% of the smaller of the two American political parties. That is different from 35% of the nation as a whole. His polling is so terrible, Utah, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, and other states become in play for Hillary Clinton in ways they would not with a different candidate.

But his supporters are convinced they are actually a majority because they have entered an echo chamber (and a cult) where everyone agrees with them, they are the loudest voices, and they don’t see anyone online who can stand up to the overwhelming presence of Trump support. Everywhere they turn there are more people just like them.

Given that Trump has only the support of a third of the smaller of the two American political parties, that level of support makes no sense unless there is more than meets the eye.

I think this is definitely a part of it.

Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Popular Culture

Trump’s Wisconsin Debacle

53 Comments

I agree with Ed Morrissey: Even ignoring what a terrible president he would be, I think it showed that he would be a disastrous candidate in the general election as a Republican.

It only took two weeks for Trump to demolish what looked like a lock in Wisconsin. His campaign spent weeks in Wisconsin, and yet did nothing to learn what voters there think or what they want in a nominee. Trump’s fortnight was a disaster of his own making, and a glimpse of the high risk a Trump general election candidacy would provide the GOP.

That risk might be tolerable if Trump gave an indication that he recognized the problem. In his statement after the loss, however, Trump instead railed about having to endure an “onslaught” of negative advertising and hostile media. Just what does Trump expect to find in the general election if he wins the nomination? If Trump folds only because of negative advertising and hostile media, that alone should have unbound delegates thinking twice about a Trump nomination, especially with Hillary Clinton and a mainstream media already hostile to Republicans waiting after the conventions.

He’s worse than ignorant. He’s incapable of learning.

Law, Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Popular Culture, Social Commentary

Wisconsin Loser

3 Comments

…issues loser statement on losing.

What a dummy.

As Steve Hayes and others have suggested, every reporter in every interview should demand that he provide evidence that Cruz broke the law.

[Update a couple minutes later]

Irony:

[Update a few minutes later]

Why Carly Fiorina is such a good surrogate.

She’d be an excellent VP pick for Cruz.

[Update a few minutes later]

Will Trump learn from Wisconsin?

Magic 8 Ball says, “Outlook not so good.”

[Update a while later]

I love this:

As our own John Podhoretz noted, Donald Trump has lowered the bar for himself to such an extent that even displaying the ability to read a prepared text from a teleprompter compels some political analysts to coo over Trump’s “presidential” comportment. It is certainly true that another display of basic literacy may force some columnists to make their peace with Donald Trump as the likely Republican nominee. But that person — the rational, reassuring, policy wonk – is a fabrication. The real Donald Trump, who reveals himself in the candidate’s extemporaneous ramblings, refuses to be stifled. Candidates set the tone for their campaigns; not the other way around. The Trump campaign is a reflection of the reality of their candidate, and the reality is just nuts.

Let’s make him Commander in Chief!

Business, Economics, Political Commentary, Popular Culture

Trump’s Campaign Staff

29 Comments

Remember, he hires the best people.

Remember when Obama’s people claimed that he could manage the government because his campaign was being run so well? Well, Trump can’t even manage a campaign.

[Update mid-afternoon]

Why I’ve changed my mind on Trump:

I realized — like I was shot with a diamond bullet — that there is no “there” there. Trump has no ideas, no philosophy, and no governing principles. He is little more than a salesman selling himself. He is a hollow man, a stuffed man, headpiece filled with straw.

Not only doesn’t he know much, he doesn’t care to find out, which is much worse to my mind. Read this article from Spengler about how Trump doesn’t read. (“What I noticed immediately in my first visit was that there were no books,” says D’Antonio. “A huge palace and not a single book.”) If somebody like this were to run the foreign policy of the world’s most powerful country, it would be an unmitigated disaster. In a narcissistic fit, he may start World War III without a clue as to what to do after it begins. Only then will it dawn on him that not everything in the world is a transactional deal.

Once I realized this, other examples became evident. There are Trump’s extensive ties with top Democrats, like Senator Harry Reid and the Clinton family, as well as establishment Republican figures like Senator Mitch McConnell. There is also his (very recent) past support of left-wing causes, including illegal immigration. Most tastelessly, he has personally attacked conservatives who have been fighting the good fight for a lot longer than Donald Trump has, and with much fewer resources. Take his disgraceful feud with Michelle Malkin. Donald, Michelle was pulling her weight back when you were cutting checks to Anthony Weiner and employing illegal aliens.

A con man, a show man, and empty-headed buffoon.