Posted on 07/16/2016 10:44:19 AM PDT by Jim W N
Long before former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich found himself in the final running for Donald Trumps VP pick, he spoke about the presumptive nominee in a rather interesting way. And by interesting, I mean not entirely positive, as the recently suspended Fox News contributors private remarks this past February reveal. Whats more, according to what Gingrich told the Republican State Leadership Committee during their meeting in Washington, D.C., it seems he was praising and insulting the New York real-estate mogul. So much for that running-mate gig, Newt.
Per Pro Publica, it all started when Gingrich broached whether Trumps successful campaigning would ever translate to governing. At the time, the press was all over studies dissecting the businessmans penchant for speaking at a sixth-grade level. Hence why, when the topic of Trumps ability (or lack thereof) to dialogue with the public came up, Gingrich wasnt sure if itd translate to actual politics:
How we make the transition from, you know, language for fourth-graders to real policy, I dont know. Yes, Gingrich equated Trumps speeches to the language of fourth graders a full two grades lower than the science cited by the Washington Post and other outlets. Yet his description of the popular Republican candidates words wasnt meant as a full-blown insult, per se. Turns out Gingrich was actually lauding Trump for his simple word choices, and even gave some off-the-cuff analysis to support its use:
This is not a guy whos shallow or simple, but he is a guy who knows an immense amount about marketing, which is why he talks at a fourth-grade level. He talks at the lowest level of any candidate in either party, not because hes stupid. He does it because he knows if you talk at a fourth-grade level everybody can understand you. Combined with his recent comments about race relations in the United States and past criticism of Trumps questionable attacks against a federal judge, maybe fourth-grade level-gate will help Gingrichs VP chances. Then again, considering the increasingly strong likelihood that Indiana Gov. Mike Pence has the job, it probably doesnt matter anymore.
The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism ~ Emmanuel Goldstein
Most ads that we are bombarded with are sophomoric if not insultingly stupid. Yet they work or they wouldnt run them. So theres no risk in dumbing down messages targeted at the general populace. Advertisers have proven that.Well, I think you can reach the American people without coming across like a grade school bully. IMHO Reagan's messages were just about perfect. But maybe the country has changed since then.
The risk would be just the opposite: trying to present a fact filled, coherent argument would get you nowhereDefinitely, and I frequently see conservatives falling into this trap. The Democrats, much as I despise their policies, do seem to get this.
Einstein said, “If you can’t explain something to a five-year-old you don’t know it yourself.”
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