Trump’s latest headline grabbing shock statement is his plan
to kill the families of terrorists:
“The other thing with terrorists—you have to take out their
families. When you get these terrorists, you have to take out their families.
They care about their lives—don’t kid yourself. But they say they don’t care
about their lives. You have to take out their families.”
So, we have a presidential
candidate campaigning as a war criminal.
Whew!
I think I have figured out Trump’s
campaign. He knows how to get
publicity. He knows how to grab the
headlines. He knows how to drive up his poll numbers.
SHOCK.
It puzzles thoughtful people as to
why whenever he says appallingly shocking and disgusting things that his poll
numbers rise. But, the people he is
appealing to are attracted to his daring to say shockingly politically
incorrect things. It seems to them that he is demonstrating strength,
courage. “Say it like it is!” They think
we need a very, very, very strong leader, and anyone who says such outrageous
right wing shockers is someone they cheer.
But he’s not being strong or
courageous, he’s just getting headlines and ratings. To him, poll numbers are the same thing as TV
ratings. He is a pro - at ratings - not at governing. He’s not in a political
campaign, he’s the star of a reality TV show – “Republican Primary 2016”.
The folks who support Trump are facing real problems in their lives as their middle
class working lives have been evaporating before their eyes for decades. So outrageous screeches of anger are
expressions of how they feel. That is
very understandable.
But, the problem for Trump is the
problem of any addiction. In the
beginning one drink got you tipsy, but in the end it takes a quart of scotch a
day to get a buzz. And then you die of
liver failure.
Same with Trump, you start with
insulting Mexicans to shock the political system, and have to keep upping ante –
calling McCain a loser for being captured in Viet Nam, wanting a data base of Muslims
in America, and now calling for the killing of the families of terrorists.
Where can he go from here?
I expect he’ll be calling for
throwing the terrorists to the lions in Yankee stadium eventually. You live by
the shock to get ratings, you die by the shock to get ratings.
He is running out of room to
shock. Then his act gets old - and he “dies”-
his ratings drop and his show is cancelled.
Such is life in show business.
