Thanks, media, for shoring up Trump's base

The Los Angeles Times ^ | September 1, 2018 | Virginia Heffernan

[2ndDivisionVet]

The always-on Trump campaign tested its new slogan Thursday night at another one of its loopy rallies. The mostly filled Ford Center in Evansville, Ind., seemed pleased.

President Trump asked: “You ever hear this before: ‘Make America Great Again’?”

They had.

“You know our new slogan that we will be switching to because we are ahead of schedule to make America great again? It’s called ‘Keep America Great!’” The fair-skinned figures in candy-colored T-shirts and dark sports coats — the gung-ho crowd unfailingly known as Trump’s “base” — cheered again.

Oh, the inanity. “Ahead of schedule?” Sure, bud. No wall built. No Clinton jailed. Your inner circle en route to the supermax.

Reporters in the room seemed to roll their eyes and shake their heads. Who would cheer for this?

Paula Reid said on CBS, “People here believe the president has kept many of the promises he made on the campaign trail.” She spoke in a will-wonders-never-cease tone.

Such is the straitened stagecraft of the event. The base says something loony tunes — like that Trump has “kept his promises” — and the media, without correcting anything, reports on the misperception with a note of defeated irony....

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Plenty of evidence suggests that Trump’s crowds, like the crowds of many politicians, have been recruited.

All evidence suggests that journalists print their wishes in preference to facts.

[2ndDivisionVet]

No, he’s saying you got paid to attend.