What concerns me is which one is the most diplomatic. Who can and will work with our allies? Which one will show respect for other world leaders? What are those other world leaders saying? Let's face it: it's not Trump. We have seen his behavior pushing others aside to focus the attention on himself. As a retired TV News Director, Trump plays the national media in court, on the campaign trail, and on social media. He knows how to keep the spotlight on him rather than the issues.
He does indeed. In fact it is probably only the size of his ego the keeps his head from imploding as there is nothing rational occupying the space.
The long tie is probably there to distract attention from his small hands and stubby fingers: how the hell he can get his hands around a 'Big Mac' escapes me.
When I read your columns and critiques of journalism, I keep on returning to what is happening at our colleges and universities that are teaching prospective journalists? Is reporting on gaffes and pratfalls required and reinforced? Maybe 'returns' is the operative word, for the media focuses on returns of investment over returns from helping to inform the populace? I also think individuals are discouraged from spending time at understanding issues. It is easy to visualize a verbal gaffe, if not more entertaining, than it is to fact check and dive into an analysis. Perhaps Mark can address these questions in future columns.
So, so true! I've never seen it boiled down so well: "We should be less concerned about minor things politicians do accidentally than major things they do on purpose." I've put it this way in the past---reporters are far more eager to write about the President's dog than complicated tax policy. Why? Because it's so much simpler.
But of course. Reagan was a 'Republican', wasn't he? And don't forget the other 'crook', Nixon. whose lies pale to insignificance when compared to Herr Drumpf.
One problem with the obsession with gaffes is the larger question of the complete inability of so many to understand what evidence is. We certainly saw it from the yowls that the "Stop the Steal" courts were ignoring the SWORN statements that boxes full of fake votes were being hauled into voting count facilities. SWORN, that proves it!! Even if the swearer actually lacked X-ray eyes and had no clue what was in the boxes they witnessed.
I'm a retired lawyer so the rules of evidence, arcane as they are, still matter to me. But it isn't THAT hard to understand why speculation isn't evidence. Still, many people believe it is.
It is much harder to see why national news media is so ignorant. What exactly is a misstatement in an otherwise comprehensible speech evidence of? Whether it is saying "Mexico" instead of Egypt or "Iran" instead of Israel, it is evidence that everyone makes mistakes, as Big Bird vainly tried to tell most of the press corps since they could sit up to watch Sesame Street. Mike Johnson's gaffe may be evidence that he is venal (I don't know what the speech was about) but not senile.
On the other hand, the repeat of an oft repeated, now amplified, statement about "free-loading" NATO members is actual evidence of a total lack of understanding of how NATO works AND of the effect on our allies of such statements. In some contexts the remark might be construed as "joking" but now when it is a repetition of a position that trump actually tried to implement when in office. And the construer of it as a "joke" is definitely venal, even if not senile.
Amen to all of that. An Austrian friend of mine used to refer to this kind of petty trivia as 'peepeefuks'. We all make little gaffes like that, and the older we get the more of them we are inclined to make.
Biden may not be the smartest POTUS the USA has ever had, but he does what a good CEO should. He gets opinions from his Board of Directors, discusses the options with them to establish consensus, then gives the go-ahead.
Tyranno Rumpasaurus rants and bellows like an angry dinosaur, surrounds himself with sycophants who tell him what he wants to hear instead of what he needs to hear, then goes ahead and does what he wants and to hell with the consequences (which he doesn't bother to think about anyway). He doesn't care about any collateral damage just as long as he, The Boss, gets all the credit for his signature on the dotted line.
putrid doesn't need any 'dirt' on tRump, he's got something far more powerful: MONEY. All he has to do is wave a potential wad of it in front of Tyranno Rumpasaurus and it's like offering him a mountain of free 'Big Macs' to gorge himself on: his soul is gone for all seasons.
As a senior Canadian journalist both print and TV from Canada I must say you are spot on and today the media is obsessed with the cult of personality. The People magazine approach has encroached the crevices of journalism everywhere and the endless, mindless, coverage is testimony to that. And by doing so it gives oxygen to a dictator of monstrous proportions. And the worst part is most journalists, you are one exception, continue doing it daily. The old maxim for them hols true - if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. I am mindful of how vicious the White House press corps was after he addressed the special counsel’s report on him whereas that approach does not exist when Trump lies, obfuscates and gets confused.
Sorry to disagree, but Tyrrano Rumpasaurus may be (Cro Magnon) humanoid in shape but he is a bad tempered ill-mannered mindless Dinosaur. Take the 1 off his claimed 158 and you may be getting close even if it does still seem a little high.
I accept your stuff as opinions, but I am disappointed in your equating the Biden administration with a healthy economy. The president has virtually no effect on the economy or the stock market. Ask any reputable economist. Look at history. It doesn't matter whether there is a Democrat, Republican in office. The economy operates independently.
Presidential acts in cahoots with a corrupted Congress definitely affect the economy.
- Stripping away the guardrails from the financial/banking industry that allowed the mortgage mess under Bush II to lead to the Great Recession? [Obama and Biden had to clean that up?]
- tfg focusing scarce tax resources on his maniacal “build a wall” Potempkin Village, ineffective ultimately because illegal drugs are coming into the US in so many other ways than on the backs of desperate migrants swimming the Rio Grande, all while not doing any policy work to fix border and fix the “push” issues of crumbling states in Central America/northern South America? [Biden attempting to fix that by conceding to MAGA-Rs’ former border plan put forward by Lankford, only to have sock puppet Johnson kill deal after one call from wannabe-dictator that any solution would damage his campaign issue?]
- tfg’s tariffs, anyone? Possibly to bully China into granting daughter #1’s Chinese patents? [Biden had to clean up tfg’s tariffs mess.]
What concerns me is which one is the most diplomatic. Who can and will work with our allies? Which one will show respect for other world leaders? What are those other world leaders saying? Let's face it: it's not Trump. We have seen his behavior pushing others aside to focus the attention on himself. As a retired TV News Director, Trump plays the national media in court, on the campaign trail, and on social media. He knows how to keep the spotlight on him rather than the issues.
He does indeed. In fact it is probably only the size of his ego the keeps his head from imploding as there is nothing rational occupying the space.
The long tie is probably there to distract attention from his small hands and stubby fingers: how the hell he can get his hands around a 'Big Mac' escapes me.
When I read your columns and critiques of journalism, I keep on returning to what is happening at our colleges and universities that are teaching prospective journalists? Is reporting on gaffes and pratfalls required and reinforced? Maybe 'returns' is the operative word, for the media focuses on returns of investment over returns from helping to inform the populace? I also think individuals are discouraged from spending time at understanding issues. It is easy to visualize a verbal gaffe, if not more entertaining, than it is to fact check and dive into an analysis. Perhaps Mark can address these questions in future columns.
Terrific column! Thank you!!!
So, so true! I've never seen it boiled down so well: "We should be less concerned about minor things politicians do accidentally than major things they do on purpose." I've put it this way in the past---reporters are far more eager to write about the President's dog than complicated tax policy. Why? Because it's so much simpler.
Great column as always. Media fixate only on gaffes made by Democrats. Didn't they pretty much ignore Reagan's condition in the 80's?
But of course. Reagan was a 'Republican', wasn't he? And don't forget the other 'crook', Nixon. whose lies pale to insignificance when compared to Herr Drumpf.
Trump referred to 9/11 as 7/11 a few days ago
One problem with the obsession with gaffes is the larger question of the complete inability of so many to understand what evidence is. We certainly saw it from the yowls that the "Stop the Steal" courts were ignoring the SWORN statements that boxes full of fake votes were being hauled into voting count facilities. SWORN, that proves it!! Even if the swearer actually lacked X-ray eyes and had no clue what was in the boxes they witnessed.
I'm a retired lawyer so the rules of evidence, arcane as they are, still matter to me. But it isn't THAT hard to understand why speculation isn't evidence. Still, many people believe it is.
It is much harder to see why national news media is so ignorant. What exactly is a misstatement in an otherwise comprehensible speech evidence of? Whether it is saying "Mexico" instead of Egypt or "Iran" instead of Israel, it is evidence that everyone makes mistakes, as Big Bird vainly tried to tell most of the press corps since they could sit up to watch Sesame Street. Mike Johnson's gaffe may be evidence that he is venal (I don't know what the speech was about) but not senile.
On the other hand, the repeat of an oft repeated, now amplified, statement about "free-loading" NATO members is actual evidence of a total lack of understanding of how NATO works AND of the effect on our allies of such statements. In some contexts the remark might be construed as "joking" but now when it is a repetition of a position that trump actually tried to implement when in office. And the construer of it as a "joke" is definitely venal, even if not senile.
Amen to all of that. An Austrian friend of mine used to refer to this kind of petty trivia as 'peepeefuks'. We all make little gaffes like that, and the older we get the more of them we are inclined to make.
Biden may not be the smartest POTUS the USA has ever had, but he does what a good CEO should. He gets opinions from his Board of Directors, discusses the options with them to establish consensus, then gives the go-ahead.
Tyranno Rumpasaurus rants and bellows like an angry dinosaur, surrounds himself with sycophants who tell him what he wants to hear instead of what he needs to hear, then goes ahead and does what he wants and to hell with the consequences (which he doesn't bother to think about anyway). He doesn't care about any collateral damage just as long as he, The Boss, gets all the credit for his signature on the dotted line.
putrid doesn't need any 'dirt' on tRump, he's got something far more powerful: MONEY. All he has to do is wave a potential wad of it in front of Tyranno Rumpasaurus and it's like offering him a mountain of free 'Big Macs' to gorge himself on: his soul is gone for all seasons.
We’re both in the zone. Very amusing thank you
As a senior Canadian journalist both print and TV from Canada I must say you are spot on and today the media is obsessed with the cult of personality. The People magazine approach has encroached the crevices of journalism everywhere and the endless, mindless, coverage is testimony to that. And by doing so it gives oxygen to a dictator of monstrous proportions. And the worst part is most journalists, you are one exception, continue doing it daily. The old maxim for them hols true - if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. I am mindful of how vicious the White House press corps was after he addressed the special counsel’s report on him whereas that approach does not exist when Trump lies, obfuscates and gets confused.
Gaffes are human. Intentionally wicked thoughts and actions are evil. Trump is both
Sorry to disagree, but Tyrrano Rumpasaurus may be (Cro Magnon) humanoid in shape but he is a bad tempered ill-mannered mindless Dinosaur. Take the 1 off his claimed 158 and you may be getting close even if it does still seem a little high.
I would prefer to have coverage of the multiple incomprehensible statements rather than focusing on the misidentified person in that word salad.
You overlooked another difference. One of the two is a communist sympathizer.
Not so much a Communist Sympathiser as a Communist Dictators Pet Poodle.
Any reputable economist will tell you that the President has little to no effect on the economy or the stock market, regardless of party.
I accept your stuff as opinions, but I am disappointed in your equating the Biden administration with a healthy economy. The president has virtually no effect on the economy or the stock market. Ask any reputable economist. Look at history. It doesn't matter whether there is a Democrat, Republican in office. The economy operates independently.
Presidential acts in cahoots with a corrupted Congress definitely affect the economy.
- Stripping away the guardrails from the financial/banking industry that allowed the mortgage mess under Bush II to lead to the Great Recession? [Obama and Biden had to clean that up?]
- tfg focusing scarce tax resources on his maniacal “build a wall” Potempkin Village, ineffective ultimately because illegal drugs are coming into the US in so many other ways than on the backs of desperate migrants swimming the Rio Grande, all while not doing any policy work to fix border and fix the “push” issues of crumbling states in Central America/northern South America? [Biden attempting to fix that by conceding to MAGA-Rs’ former border plan put forward by Lankford, only to have sock puppet Johnson kill deal after one call from wannabe-dictator that any solution would damage his campaign issue?]
- tfg’s tariffs, anyone? Possibly to bully China into granting daughter #1’s Chinese patents? [Biden had to clean up tfg’s tariffs mess.]
- Etc., etc., etc.
Wow...Great column. Agree with everything you wrote! Keep it up!