As the greatest Democratic President of them all once said.
Greg Sargent:
"A fresh round of hand-wringing among Democrats broke out over the weekend, and at the core of it was the same old storyline that we keep hearing again and again: Donald Trump is unconventional and unpredictable! The normal political rules don’t apply! Democrats are getting caught off guard by this, and you should be terrified!"
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2016/05/31/clintons-lead-over-trump-may-be-bigger-than-you-think/
As Matt Yglesias put it a few weeks ago, while certainly we should be concerned and not complacent, the antidote to complacency is not panic.
Those who panic are also counterproductive and actually making a President Trump more rather than less likely.
You have all kinds of silly hagiography about Trump's brilliant unconventional tactics. I argued yesterday that Scott Adams has become his chief ideologist.
Greg disagrees:
"Someone pointing out Trumps MO isn't a propagandist and honestly other than the feeling of being able to say "I told you so" I don't think Adams wants Trump as president. He would be against many of the policies a candidate Trump seems to support but again, candidate Trump has supported many different things."
Greg Sargent:
"A fresh round of hand-wringing among Democrats broke out over the weekend, and at the core of it was the same old storyline that we keep hearing again and again: Donald Trump is unconventional and unpredictable! The normal political rules don’t apply! Democrats are getting caught off guard by this, and you should be terrified!"
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2016/05/31/clintons-lead-over-trump-may-be-bigger-than-you-think/
As Matt Yglesias put it a few weeks ago, while certainly we should be concerned and not complacent, the antidote to complacency is not panic.
Those who panic are also counterproductive and actually making a President Trump more rather than less likely.
You have all kinds of silly hagiography about Trump's brilliant unconventional tactics. I argued yesterday that Scott Adams has become his chief ideologist.
Greg disagrees:
"Someone pointing out Trumps MO isn't a propagandist and honestly other than the feeling of being able to say "I told you so" I don't think Adams wants Trump as president. He would be against many of the policies a candidate Trump seems to support but again, candidate Trump has supported many different things."
"Trumps effectiveness is more a comment on us than him. People have to want to be hypnotized. If you think hypnosis is bullshit you won't be hypnotized."
"But even if you aren't hypnotized everyone can be influenced in ways they are unaware of by someone who uses different techniques, which are well described in many books and courses.
Trump doesn't need to make everyone like/trust him, he just needs to make a majority like/trust him more than Hillary. If he's a 4 on a likability/trust scale and Hillary is 3.95 he can get the nod."
"Scott is just telling us why he's effective and how he's doing it."
http://lastmenandovermen.blogspot.com/2016/05/scott-adams-has-became-trumps-chief.html?showComment=1464700313577#c3166242238498177784
I have no idea what makes Trump and the way he has manipulated the laws for his own personal gain at the expense of the public more likable-the one thing you have to love about Tom Brown is he like Scott Sumner sees nothing remotely likable about Donald Trump.
Trump doesn't need to make everyone like/trust him, he just needs to make a majority like/trust him more than Hillary. If he's a 4 on a likability/trust scale and Hillary is 3.95 he can get the nod."
"Scott is just telling us why he's effective and how he's doing it."
http://lastmenandovermen.blogspot.com/2016/05/scott-adams-has-became-trumps-chief.html?showComment=1464700313577#c3166242238498177784
I have no idea what makes Trump and the way he has manipulated the laws for his own personal gain at the expense of the public more likable-the one thing you have to love about Tom Brown is he like Scott Sumner sees nothing remotely likable about Donald Trump.
I can only assume that anyone who sees him as more likable than Hillary Clinton grades him with a much more gentle curve than Hillary Clinton. Just like many did for Hitler vs. the Social Democrats in 1933.
For me, the question is simple. Do you want to take the possibility of Hitler 2.0 off the table or don't you? That is the only thing I care about. Those who say something other than "Hell yes' make their preference clear.
I agree with Greg that Adams doesn't want Trump to win necessarily for ideological reasons but I also agree with him that Adams wants him to win just so he can say he told you so.
But while Adams obviously is sanguine about a President Trump-he figures life will go on for himself much as it has until now-it would be a tragedy for many people.
Those who, unlike Adams, are not white, male, wealthy, and quite privileged.
So for Adams, the answer is no. He doesn't want to take President Trump off the table. In fact, he hopes there is a President Trump-so he can be the genius who predicted him. The fact that this will harm many people of color, poor people, and women, is just a byproduct of him getting to be the genius.
Another example of Trump apologetics is Lorenzo from Oz-a regular commentator at Scott Sumner's Money Illusion who also writes his own blog.
http://lastmenandovermen.blogspot.com/2016/05/a-question-begging-post-on-trumps-appeal.html
The message of Scott Adams is 'Trump is just fooling with his talk about building a wall and banning Muslims. He's just a Master Persuader.'
Lorenzo from Oz's message is that 'No Trump's not a fascist, he's just a demagogue, which is nothing to get too worked up about.'
Basically both Lorenzo and Adams are either fine with President Trump or actively want it.
This election is going to test us like none ever before. This is an election where democracy itself will be on the ballot.
Those who are anything other than 110 percent opposed to Hitler 2.0, full stop, will be found wanting.
I agree with Greg that Adams doesn't want Trump to win necessarily for ideological reasons but I also agree with him that Adams wants him to win just so he can say he told you so.
But while Adams obviously is sanguine about a President Trump-he figures life will go on for himself much as it has until now-it would be a tragedy for many people.
Those who, unlike Adams, are not white, male, wealthy, and quite privileged.
So for Adams, the answer is no. He doesn't want to take President Trump off the table. In fact, he hopes there is a President Trump-so he can be the genius who predicted him. The fact that this will harm many people of color, poor people, and women, is just a byproduct of him getting to be the genius.
Another example of Trump apologetics is Lorenzo from Oz-a regular commentator at Scott Sumner's Money Illusion who also writes his own blog.
http://lastmenandovermen.blogspot.com/2016/05/a-question-begging-post-on-trumps-appeal.html
The message of Scott Adams is 'Trump is just fooling with his talk about building a wall and banning Muslims. He's just a Master Persuader.'
Lorenzo from Oz's message is that 'No Trump's not a fascist, he's just a demagogue, which is nothing to get too worked up about.'
Basically both Lorenzo and Adams are either fine with President Trump or actively want it.
This election is going to test us like none ever before. This is an election where democracy itself will be on the ballot.
Those who are anything other than 110 percent opposed to Hitler 2.0, full stop, will be found wanting.
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