Welcome to the idiocracy’s first political love triangle. A low-information presidential candidate propped up by a low-information media, all in the hopes of rallying a low-information electorate to overthrow the Republican Party.
Which probably deserves it, mind you, albeit from conservatives and not this motley crew from the cast of Lake Woebegone.
Case in point, in response to his inability to acknowledge and/or understand the long-running reality show that is securing delegates to become a candidate for the U.S. presidency, Donald Trump made this complaint last weekend: “That’s not how democracy works.”
Except that’s exactly how it works. Right out there for everyone to see. Because we’re not a pure democracy. We’re “a republic, if you can keep it,” said good old Ben Franklin. You know, where we elect people called senators, congressmen and delegates to represent us. You can learn about it in school and then get involved whenever you want to as an adult. America is crazy like that.
At least it’s supposed to be. But we have given up our liberties on so many fronts that victimhood is now our perpetual spirit animal instead of vitality. What other conclusion should be made about a people who are more “educated” than ever before, yet simultaneously believe that the arc of human achievement bends towards not knowing which bathroom to use?
We don’t know who we are on the most fundamental of levels, and since that can’t help but be an undignified state of affairs we devolve into Trump 2016: because thinking is just too damned hard.
Mr. Trump was also complaining about how terrible the press is, which is true, but his own mismanagement of his campaign isn’t the fault of the press but his own. Not to mention rarely does the press put its best foot forward for a “Republican” like it does for Trump.
According to a study by the Media Research Center, Mr. Trump has once again dominated the last four weeks of media coverage. Despite the fact Ted Cruz won five consecutive states during that span. In fact, the worst offender of them all was “fair and balanced” Fox, which devoted 60 percent of its airtime to Mr. Trump and just 20 percent to Mr. Cruz.
Oh, to be treated so shabbily, Donald. Are you OK? Can I get you a tiny violin for your small hands to play?
The man with the highest negatives in the modern history of presidential politics is being treated like the belle of the ball, not Quasimodo. It’s the Jerry Springer Show on Washington, D.C., steroids.
Snaggle-toothed baby daddies and men in drag paved the way for immature 70-year-old presidential wannabes to take center stage in our national discourse, and have the time of our lives lecturing us about how to “Make America Great Again” by not even remotely understanding how American become great in the first place.
America is being turned into a double-wide and being told it’s Trump Tower. Business in the front, party in the back is a rallying cry once more.
When it comes to the media, Mr. Trump has been latched onto by viewer and pundit alike as some kind of an escape from the typical media narrative, when in fact his candidacy is the very fulfillment of the long-running con to supplant the public’s right to know with propaganda and progressivism. This can only happen to a people who are constantly screaming about wanting something better but, in the end, desperately desire to be ruled by way of lies and distraction. Rather than travel through the narrow gate of accountability and truth.
For example, a recent study by the Media Insight Project claims that only six percent of the public trusts the media, stating that nearly 90 percent of Americans say it’s extremely or very important that the media get their facts correct. Four in 10 people also say they can remember a specific incident involving a lack of accuracy or a clear case of bias that eroded their confidence in the media.
Sure. Whatever.
There’s no way our current Trump reality show ever came to life if we actually believe that. Much of my industry might be garbage, but we really don’t resent it like we say we do, because for each lie we resent there are just so many more that are right in our sweet spot.
So it is with the faux delegate count controversies, where Mr. Trump is actually winning a disproportionate share of delegates compared to his vote total. And the low-information has given Mr. Trump’s whining 24 times more coverage than they’ve given those delegates threatened by his minions for daring to think for themselves.
Yet Mr. Trump still whines about sham injustices like some University of Missouri brat, whose parents should’ve spanked their little snow flake long ago, thus doing all of Western civilization a solid. The reason Mr. Trump knows many in the media are “among the most dishonest people you will ever meet in life” is because real recognize real.
Perfect then! What a team! Trump the low-information candidate, the low-information media, and low-information America united in common cause to permanently hand American Exceptionalism over to the idiocracy of our dreams. Not the most stable of three-legged stools, to be sure, but some will think it’s the Rock of Gibraltar compared to the rickety racket called “Surrender Theater” run by the GOP establishment all these years.
And to a certain extent I can’t blame them.
Sadly, this is kind of like that television show “Dexter,” where a serial killer is directed to kill only those that are deemed worthy of being killed. Darkness and evil cannot cast themselves out, but we sure are going to give it the old college try, aren’t we?
Yet America, as John Adams famously said, was designed for a “moral and religious people and no other.”
Which is why I’m supporting Mr. Cruz and I’ll #NeverTrump.
(Steve Deace is broadcast each weeknight from 9 p.m.-Midnight on the Salem Radio Network, and is also the author of the new book “A Nefarious Plot.”)
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