As election day draws nearer, the beads of flop sweat on Donald Trump’s wrinkled brow are turning into a tsunami of orange cosmetics running down his face and turkey neck. There is the unmistakable stench of defeat emanating from him as his tweets and public commentaries grow ever more unhinged from sanity. Not that they were ever particularly well connected.
The fuming desperation that is the driving force in the final days of the Trump regime is producing behavior that ranks near the lows of his public life. He’s issuing ludicrous demands to prosecute Barack Obama and Joe Biden for imaginary crimes. He’s making wild, baseless claims about communist Democrats plotting the destruction of America. And he’s continuing to downplay the tragic consequences of the coronavirus that he allowed to spread uncontrollably across the country. And even after being infected himself, he attempts to cast it as a positive development and a sort of messianic sacrifice he took on.
Naturally, Trump’s Ministry of Propaganda (aka Fox News) has backed Trump every step of the way. They have been devotedly fulfilling their mission to defend Dear Leader from all criticisms, while viciously attacking his critics. And joining him on the front lines of this battle are the “Curvy Couch” potatoes of Fox and Friends.
On Tuesday morning the F&F crew was on the job. In a segment discussing the lopsided political horserace (video below), co-host Steve Doocy concedes that Biden is significantly outraising Trump. But he skims over that fact to extol the “enthusiasm” of the glassy-eyed disciples who populate Trump’s cult rallies. “You can’t buy that,” says Doocy, despite the fact that that’s exactly what Trump does by staging these ego-paloozas. Of course, Trump shares Doocy’s position on enthusiasm, as expressed in this tweet where he claims that “you win races with enthusiasm.”
Actually, Biden’s accumulated donations of massive amounts of money is a far better indicator of enthusiasm than getting unemployed hicks to show up for a free rally. Doocy then follows up by rattling off the names of cities to which Trump will be taking his Coronavirus Super Spreader Tour this week. Then he goes on to say that Trump’s tour schedule will soon expand into…
“…two or three events a day. And then in the final sprint – in the final week or so – he’s going to do half a dozen events a day. And think about it…if you are in those battleground states, and the President comes and gives one of those great big rallies, you’re gonna wind up with a lot of free media and a lot of excitement. And that is what he thinks got him over the finish line last time.”
What Doocy is describing here is the complete surrender of Donald Trump. It’s a surrender, first of all, from his duties as the alleged “president.” Apparently, he sees his only job now to be starring in pseudo-religious revival shows in airport hangers. Secondly, he’s conceding electoral defeat by abandoning any effort to persuade voters to back his candidacy. He’s focused solely on those who are already committed to the Church of Trump. And that isn’t nearly enough to win a national election.
What’s more, Doocy correctly notes that Trump’s 2016 victory was largely dependent on free media. Every news network irresponsibly and unfairly aired his rallies live and uninterrupted. But what Doocy – and Trump – fail to recognize is that 2020 is not 2016. This time around, the only network that is airing the Trump Show is Fox News. And, once again, the only audience he is reaching are the already converted and lost souls of Trumpism.
So Trump isn’t doing his job as president (which is a big plus for the country). And he isn’t doing his job as a candidate (which removes an annoyance from the airwaves). So what the heck is Trump doing? He’s laying the foundation for his post-presidency career on the road and in the media. But he may be in for a huge letdown.
How many of Trump’s “fans” will actually pay to see his smarmy, ego-logues over and over again? And his hostile, crackpot rants would likely wear out after a couple of episodes on TV. Which would leave Trump with nothing but his worthless name and a newly disinterested benefactor in Moscow. Oh, and a half dozen state prosecutors filing indictments for everything from tax fraud to crimes against the state. However, one thing is certain: With Trump circling the drain financially and legally, America will be great again.
How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.
Fox News is impressed with Trump's Super Spreader Cult Rally tour schedule.pic.twitter.com/9k7JIz0u9c
— News Corpse (@NewsCorpse) October 13, 2020
Occasionally I amuse myself by wondering what the CurvyCouch Potatoes say to one another when the cameras are turned off. Do they giggle over the stupidities they’ve just spouted from their scripts? Do they quietly anguish that this is not what they wanted when they became “TV journalists”? Or do they actually slap each other on the back in glee at being so much of an integral part of Herr Trumpler’s New Order? What do they say to their families at the end of the day, families which have watched them at work? Are there teenaged offspring who regard them as pariahs & want to change their surnames & move to Amsterdam? Would Michael Moore please make a documentary about Fox & Friends, I think we all need to know who those people really are.
A Michael Moore doco would be most rewarding! Having been customer service work most of my life – yes, there’s a fearful amount of giggling goes on in private at customer absurdities. But I believe there would be a lot of anguish at what TV journalism has come down to, not only in the US but world wide.
I’d also venture to suggest that the hectic self congratulation – more hectic lately – that TrumpetArse has been going in for is because he ISN’T getting it from the usual sources. They’re starting to fade quietly out of the picture. And today’s behaviour, if you care to check out Twitter, is the real pits. He’s tweeting his bollocks as usual – and forget his own daughter’s birthday. No doubt the sheepies that make up the cult will find an excuse for it.
Jo, I think we have to recognise the very real (IMHO) gulf between TV journalism as aired by the likes of Fox News, OANN & the Sinclair stations, against the kind aired by the likes of MSNBC, CNN & PBS. They’re from different worlds & they often appear to be reporting on different worlds. Fox is sheer propaganda, like all of Rupert Murdoch’s rightwing media outlets, including the ones in his native Australia & even the Sunday Times in the UK. Mercifully, the US still has legions of responsible, intelligent & honest journalists, across all media; that’s why Trumpler’s at such pains to slur them all as Enemies of the People.
Totally agree -I am very embarrassed that Murdoch has the nerve to call himself Australian and his public support of TrumpetArse came very suddenly and out of left field. SkyNews (HA! news it aint…) puts the most nauseating snippets in online news content – they aren’t news and they aren’t from journalists. One the other day was from a retired talk-back radio shock jock host and it was utter rubbish. Another was an alleged quote from a minor WH aide saying that he’d seen Trump ‘ be really really nice to people lots of times’. Really intelligent, in-depth stuff like that – NOT. I can only think he’s senile or in TrumpetArse’s pocket. There is some fabulous observational news appearing on Twitter from the responsible sources you mention – and it’s a sad state of affairs when a friend who lives in Texas watches Australian TV news (such as ABC, Channels 7, 9 and Ten) because he gets more information from there than he does from news sources in the US. Murdoch has no controlling interest in any of these – he’s got SkyNews and Fox, but certainly not the lion’s share of news reporting. The channels he has no financial interest in constantly poke sly fun at TrumpetArse. In print, the major paper he owns is The Daily Telegraph which has degenerated over the last several years to one step above tabloid.
The one thing that will be even better than when Trumpf (R) is Voted out by real Americans, who do not adore Rupert Murdoch’s anti Democracy rag, is for that little scum spreader to go Bankrupt just like Vladimir Putin’s stooge in America’s White House. The Murdochs are typical worthless hate mongers for Profit, nothing more- at all. It is why Britain Banned their tripe.
You may have noticed that James Murdoch, Rupert’s youngest son, has quit daddy’s media empire, citing its “legitimisation of disinformation” & has donated $2 million to the Biden campaign. If James’ elder brothers were of the same moral fibre & integrity, not to mention courage, they too could stand up to the despicable Rupert.