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I agree with your "factual" statements about Trump, but keep in mind, the media is trying to hold him accountable not just for what he said, but for what he mea

I agree with your "factual" statements about Trump, but keep in mind, the media is trying to hold him accountable not just for what he said, but for what he meant to say. Rubio didnt say Trump had a small penis, he just implied it. Saying Rubio never actually said that, in my view, is more dishonest than missquoting him with actually saying it. Trump, being a presumptive nominee has a really big megaphone. He should be able to convey a very clear message. When he says, Obama has something else going on, the media is right to press, so what exactly are you saying? And Trumps response is: people should fill in the blanks, I don't know. In other words, I agree politicians lie and exaggerate, and sometimes say things they don't mean to say, but they correct the message, move on. Trump doesn't, he doubles down. He cites completely crazy and outrageous conspiracy theories, again, correctly saying, "I heard" or "some people think"... that is complete bs. I hate Ted Cruz, yet I was outraged when he was, again, factually just saying a tabloid run a story claiming Ted's dad was involved in the JFK assassination. "I'm not saying he was involved, but some people think so, and nobody talks about it". Factually correct, yet completely insane coming from a presidential candidate.

smsm42 10y ago
> Rubio didnt say Trump had a small penis, he just implied it I don't believe Rubio ever talked about any such details of Trump's anatomy, and it would be really bizarre circumstance for him to have or claim any knowledge of the subject. It is Trump alone who brought attention to this subject, and the only reason I can see for it is because Trump thinks it contributes to his macho image. > When he says, Obama has something else going on, He means Obama is too soft on Islamic terrorism. It may be true or false but this is way separated from saying Obama is involved in actually organizing specific terror attack, which is batshit insane. The difference is like between saying intelligence mishaps and incompetence during Bush's administration that allowed 9/11 to happen are Bush's fault and saying Bush personally orchestrated events of 9/11. > Trump doesn't, he doubles down. That's his media strategy. There's no bad press. And the press falls for it hook, line and sinker, and on the way exaggerates and inflates everything Trump said by order of magnitude. This leads to two thinks: a) Trump's media coverage is overwhelming, and it costs literally nothing to him and b) it's no longer possible to distinguish which outrageous story about Trump is true and which is not, which numbs people to anything outrageous Trump may actually say. Plus, every time somebody calls Trump out on a real outrage, he can cite a fake outrage as a proof the press is out to get him, and thus blunt the effect of a real thing. Trump has responsibility for it, but the press falling for it and helping him to perform this strategy - while thinking they are heroically fighting Trump - has equal, if not greater, responsibility - Trump is expected to behave selfishly, they are expected to be the counterbalance for such behavior, not the amplifier of it.

smsm42 10y ago

> Rubio didnt say Trump had a small penis, he just implied it I don't believe Rubio ever talked about any such details of Trump's anatomy, and it would be really bizarre circumstance for him to have or claim any knowledge of the subject. It is Trump alone who brought attention to this subject, and the only reason I can see for it is because Trump thinks it contributes to his macho image. > When he says, Obama has something else going on, He means Obama is too soft on Islamic terrorism. It may be true or false but this is way separated from saying Obama is involved in actually organizing specific terror attack, which is batshit insane. The difference is like between saying intelligence mishaps and incompetence during Bush's administration that allowed 9/11 to happen are Bush's fault and saying Bush personally orchestrated events of 9/11. > Trump doesn't, he doubles down. That's his media strategy. There's no bad press. And the press falls for it hook, line and sinker, and on the way exaggerates and inflates everything Trump said by order of magnitude. This leads to two thinks: a) Trump's media coverage is overwhelming, and it costs literally nothing to him and b) it's no longer possible to distinguish which outrageous story about Trump is true and which is not, which numbs people to anything outrageous Trump may actually say. Plus, every time somebody calls Trump out on a real outrage, he can cite a fake outrage as a proof the press is out to get him, and thus blunt the effect of a real thing. Trump has responsibility for it, but the press falling for it and helping him to perform this strategy - while thinking they are heroically fighting Trump - has equal, if not greater, responsibility - Trump is expected to behave selfishly, they are expected to be the counterbalance for such behavior, not the amplifier of it.