Monday, January 23, 2017

Befuddled

"I'm not laughing, I'm just befuddled."--Chuck Todd, Meet the Press, January 22, 2017

This is the game, folks.

In case you missed it, the day after his inauguration, President Donald Trump's Press Secretary, Sean Spicer had has first press conference--and he spent a good portion of the time lying about the size of the crowd at the inauguration and telling the press what they should report and how (essentially, "anything that makes us look good, and as favorably as possible"). On Sunday, Kellyanne Conway, whose job title I don't know, went on Meet the Press and basically controlled the interview and pretty much owned Chuck Todd, drawing the above quote from Todd.

This is the game of the administration, folks. This is what we have to look forward to. The point of attacking the press is to change the narrative. While Spicer is berating reporters at a press conference, while Conway is running rings around Todd, while Trump is snarking at the huge turnouts at women's marches across the country and around the globe, no one is asking the big question, the most important question: "What are we not talking about while we're arguing over inauguration attendance?"

A skilled magician works by misdirection. Even when we know to watch for the ball disappearing into or being pulled from a pocket, it's amazingly hard to see. And it's fun to watch. But not when it's the office of the President of the United States. Keep watching, and don't take the bait.


 

8 comments:

  1. DT (and his "staff") reminds me of an author who lambasts a reviewer for a 1 star review. There isn't any good that can come from commenting and it will only make the author look bad.

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  2. I heard there's a bill being sent to congress that might have the United States pulling out of the United Nations. If that is true and this debacle is great misdirect indeed.

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  3. It's a crazy--and scary--America right now.

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  4. -Stacy--Unfortunately, this situation is far more serious than that!

    -Sheena-kay--The good news is, pretty much the same bill has been introduced every year for the last 20 years, where it gets banished to committee and dies. I think the UN is the least of our worries.

    -Donna--Yep.

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  5. I don't think DT is smart enough to do this strategic plan on purpose. He just can't admit losing anything. Ever. He's always been this way because his father brain-washed him. I'm petty sure Bannon is the brains behind the op, and carefully dangles the alt-right conspiracy flag in front of the bull when he wants DT to run one way or another. Crossing my fingers that with enough rope, DT will hang himself.

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  6. Lexa, I'm not sure whether Bannon being the brains behind this is worse than Trump!

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  7. It's been a mess to watch things unfold since DT showed up as a candidate. The post-inauguration lies he and his staff are spouting to the media, and the despicable executive orders he's been signing since are making me so afraid for this world. I don't think any sensible person who is already displeased with him will be blinded by his attempts to deceive us at this point, surely it's too late for that. :(

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  8. -Bonnee--the sensible people who are already displeased with him have to find a way to make everyone else see the dangers here. Roughly 3 million people more voted for Clinton than Trump; add in third party candidates and you've got a LOT more people who were anti-Trump (or at least not pro-Trump) than pro. Unfortunately, Congress is Republican, and since Trump is Republican (sort of; I'm not sure anyone is really sure about that), well, you can't disobey the party, can you? I'm hoping more Republicans start following the lead of John McCain and Lindsay Graham.

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