Day 1168 – Brilliance in Stupidity – The Magic of The Donald
Tuesday March 31, 2020
215 Days until the election on November 3rd
295 Days until the Inauguration on January 20, 2021
I heard Trump lie again last night. It was an audio clip of him with the governors on a phone call. As I thought about it afterwards I realized I had heard this same shuck and jive before from him – many times.
The guy is not smart, and therein lies his brilliance. He’s repetitive so it’s easy to imitate him. It’s also easy to know what he’s going to say because of the fact that he uses the same phrases and the same adjectives and the same behaviors in the same ways over and over again.
Alec Baldwin said in his studying to imitate Trump he saw a man looking for a word that he wanted to use, who searched his brain trying to find that word, and when he couldn’t find it, used another word – over and over again. And there you have it! That’s Trump. But it’s not just a word or a phrase, he does this with the way he handles himself: be it when he’s being asked a question, being criticized, or trying to sell something. The shuck and jive is the same. There’s no change. There is absolutely no change. Which is to say the man doesn’t learn.
Last night I heard the audio clip where the governor of Montana was telling Trump that he was not going to be able to get ventilators because he would not be able to compete. Trump replied that he’s never heard of people not being able to get ventilators. This would be a John Oliver “What the Fuck are You Talking About” moment, but it was Rachel. Even she in her erudite way asked that question.
When was the last time we heard Trump pull this stunt? The “We haven’t heard that before” bit or in it’s other guise “I don’t know. I didn’t do it. Maybe, someone else here did it, but I didn’t do it.”
He did it at his press conference in the last week. Where he denied doing something he himself had done. He turned to his right and asked the person he saw there if they had done it. Then the video of him doing and saying whatever it was surfaced.
Sometimes he gets caught out by a reporter who uses his own words or actions against him. Then what does he do? The adjectives used are “terrible”, “nasty”, and “bad.”
Remember “Bad Hombres”? “Nasty Women”?
Last week when Yamiche asked him to explain how he was more prepared than the Obama administration was for this pandemic when he had dismantled the pandemic response team, she got a “That’s a nasty question” response.
When Peter Alexander asked him to say something to the American people that were scared, he got a “You’re a terrible reporter” and “that’s a nasty question” response.
Yaniche went on, later in the week to earn another “nasty” for asking another legitimate question.
That’s why Trump plays so well in the era of the 20 second sound bite. You already know the script. It’s just a question of putting it together in slightly different ways. Maybe not even that, just substitute the new person’s name.
If you listened to the sales pitch he did for Trump University and the one he used as a candidate for president there isn’t any difference. It’s the same shuck and jive. Remember, “I’m going to have the best people” bit? Quick, which sales con is that from? His presidential run or his sales pitch for Trump U? If you said both – you’re right!
Now, we are facing a pandemic that has killed thousands and will probably kill hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, and we’ve got the same shuck and jive.
What did you expect? Action? Leadership?
Those are nasty questions and you’re a terrible person. Next.
215 Days until the election on November 3rd
295 Days until the Inauguration on January 20, 2021
PS Railroad tracks – Cairo
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