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This is what people have been noticing during and since the election, you can't pin down Trump on anything because he is a controversy machine. He says somethin
by TheGRS 10y ago
This is what people have been noticing during and since the election, you can't pin down Trump on anything because he is a controversy machine. He says something ridiculous and the media gives it attention and even begins to get some momentum on the story, but a week later, sometimes even days later, he does or says something that's even more ridiculous and now most people are concentrating on that new thing. Its hard to say if this is intentional or if his bombastic style is just something we're not used to in politics, but it seems to be effective in that the media is always chasing after the latest controversy.
For me it looked like the media had really nailed him on not releasing his tax forms, even going so far as to uncover damning ones from the 90s, but then the inside edition tapes came out and everyone focused on that instead.
- toyg 10y agoBerlusconi used to do the same. They know the media cycle and play it to their advantage. It's a sort of "fire and motion" strategy where you keep enemies talking about the previous position while you're already gaining a new one. Anyone can play it, but your "suppressing fire" must be strong enough to distract effectively; that sort of bombastic bravado doesn't come naturally to "reality-based" personalities on the left who are constantly walking a tight rope between very different positions in their base.
- brennebeck 10y agoI think your description is definitely spot on and Trump has also been playing this game — in one form or another — since the 80s.
- joeguilmette 10y agoThe similarities between Trump and Berlusconi are terrifying - and Berlusconi was in power for what, 10 years? Trump has tapped in to something and I fear it's going to work quite well.
- edran 10y agoMore like 20, considering the years in which he passively controlled part of the political narrative.
- toyg 10y agoMore like 20 years, but Italy does not have the hard culture of "8 years and GTFO" that is so ingrained in the US. There are no term limits for Prime Ministers, election losers are not required to step down from party-leadership roles, and even the unofficial limits for President (which is mostly a ceremonial role) reelections, have recently been broken. It is one of the great achievements of US democracy, although one has to question how much meaningful change can realistically be achieved in a massive country with little more than 7 years available (because re-election campaigns and lame-duck status in practice will consume a full year). For all the drama that they generate and the feeling of electoral power, strict term limits are a very conservative measure. On the other hand, you're guaranteed Trump will be gone by January 2025 at worst.
- digi_owl 10y agoMakes me think of a certain tech personality that is no longer with us...
- sorokod 10y agoI think that Joel Spolsky popularized "fire and motion" (https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2002/01/06/fire-and-motion/ https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2002/01/06/fire-and-motion/) but the Hebrew original more accurately translates to "fire in motion" or, more awkwardly "firing while moving"
- Arkaad 10y agoThe Youtube channel Charisma on Command has interesting videos explaining Trump's success. https://www.youtube.com/user/charismaoncommand/search?query=trump https://www.youtube.com/user/charismaoncommand/search?query=...
- forgetsusername 10y agoIt's completely intentional, and very effective. Mix big lies and small lies with truths and half truths. Lie about friends and enemies, and that's what the media will focus on. So much misinformation that nobody knows was what is truth.