Posted on 04/16/2011 12:17:45 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
After the 2008 election, I spent an enormous amount of time and money documenting the media-induced ignorance of Obama voters for my documentary film, “Media Malpractice: How Obama Got Elected and Palin Was Targeted.” The video I shot of Obama voters on Election Day has been seen by over 2.5 million people (not including millions more via television coverage) on YouTube.
The two scientific polls I commissioned to back up the video proved beyond any shadow of a doubt that Obama voters were frighteningly misinformed about basic facts like which party controlled Congress. While McCain voters weren’t exactly “A” social studies students, at least they fared significantly better.
I have always believed that, in general, Republicans are far more informed than Democrats. I thought this was true mostly because very few people are born “conservative” and therefore some sort of education process has to take place for one to emerge from the natural human state of being a liberal.
However, the emergence of Donald Trump as the sudden “frontrunner” for the Republican presidential nomination has made me question just about everything I thought I knew about GOPers.
How in the world a soulless self-promoter who has declared bankruptcy several times, defaulted on huge loans, claimed that George W. Bush was “evil” and the worst president of all time, had a pro-life conversion that makes Mitt Romney’s seem credible, praised Obama in 2008, recently donated to liberal Democrats, once supported universal healthcare, possesses no apparent knowledge of basic civics, already threatened to run as an independent and ensure Obama’s reelection, and probably doesn’t even have the money to self-finance a legitimate campaign, got to this position literally overnight is one of the most depressing developments in the history of the party.
While I am not yet panicked that somehow Trump will be the eventual nominee (though after watching Obama win in 2008, my view of what is politically possible has expanded enough to at least include that among the theoretically possible outcomes), there is no doubt that even if Trump never actually gets in the race, he has already had a profound and permanent impact on it.
Before I get into what Trump’s rocketing to the top of the polls really means, I wish to examine how this has happened.
Obviously, the primary reason that this has occurred is that we have become such a bizarrely celebrity-obsessed culture (and therefore our ratings-driven media is totally celebrity-driven) that if one is well known enough, then literally nothing is off the table. It is almost as if we have created an unofficial class of royalty whose members are automatically taken seriously in almost any endeavor simply because they are one of the “chosen people.”
What makes this development particularly offensive is that there isn’t any distinction between fame and infamy anymore. Being well known is just about all that matters, regardless of how or why it happened.
So when Trump approached CPAC with the proposal to speak (for what would become an episode of his Golf Channel reality show), he already had at least half of the credentials needed to qualify for a spot on the podium: He was famous enough to “trump” his extremely questionable “conservatism.” While obviously I can’t prove it, based on what I know about how things are done at CPAC (as a former co-sponsor), I would be surprised if some sort of “donation” from Trump didn’t smooth over any lingering doubts that they may have had about handing over the conference to such an obvious fraud.
How Trump caught fire
Instead of being ignored or banished to media Siberia as anyone else who has tried to promote “birtherism” has been, Trump, thanks to his celebrity and the perceived power of his alleged fortune, was able to actually make the issue seem legitimate. This gave him a political base with which to make noise in the polls.
Once the polls started to move in his direction (even though his “supporters” were probably too busy constructing tinfoil hats to know much about the real Trump), this created the perception of a “movement” and “momentum.” This of course was all the media (thanks again to the fact that Trump is famous and therefore ratings friendly) needed to rationalize covering him as if he was legitimate, which of course further increased his standing.
The most stunning example of this phenomenon was when Sean Hannity gave most of two episodes of his Fox News show this week to his “Trump Interview.” The conservative talk show host sat on his hands and watched (no doubt distracted by thoughts of how good his ratings would be those nights without having to do much work at all) as Trump made numerous statements that would have caused someone who truly cares about who will be the Republican presidential nominee to immediately take Trump down. Instead, I have no doubt that Trump, now armed with a seal of at least “no disapproval” from a rock star like Hannity, will continue to rise in the same opinion polls he is already routinely leading.
Trump is now in a position where he could be extremely dangerous. Conservatives are aching for someone with the gonads to take it to Obama and really shake things up in Washington if he happens to win. Many are so fed up that they are willing to jump on almost any bandwagon that even appears to be headed in that direction, even if the driver, like Trump, is totally unreliable. Others have given up to the point where they may be backing Trump simply for the entertainment value (heck, if the ship is sinking you might as well make sure there is some fun music playing on the deck as it goes down).
Trump will now start to attract the non-crazy crowd and will be so formidable in the polls that he is here to stay until/unless he says he isn’t running, or he inevitably/hopefully gets killed off in Iowa (can a guy who doesn’t like to shake hands really compete in Iowa?!). Because he has no substance and his supporters don’t seem to care, Trump will not be vulnerable to the standard political attacks. Only losing big or not running at all can stop him now.
Why Trump has already hurt the nomination prospects of Palin, Romney and Pawlenty
Will he run? Who knows? But he is certainly putting on an extremely convincing act that he is (why else the pro-life conversion and the sudden embrace of Christianity?), and thanks to these poll numbers, he almost seems forced into making a go of it. Regardless, his presence has already had a potentially decisive influence on the race’s outcome.
There is no doubt that, in different ways, Trump has had a deep and negative impact on the nomination prospects of Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty.
No one knows if Palin is even running (for the record, I am still pretty sure she has not yet ruled it out), but Trump has attracted many of the “give me someone with balls and the celebrity to use them” crowd that might naturally be Palin supporters. Whether they would return to her if she were to announce is unknown, but the fact that they have at least temporarily abandoned her in polls saps her cause of energy and leverage.
Obviously Trump also steals the mantle of “successful business guy” that would otherwise go to Romney. Since Mitt’s entire strategy is based on getting to 35 percent and outlasting everyone else with his cash, Trump’s emergence is a deathblow to him.
There is also little doubt that Trump has sucked a lot of the oxygen out of the air which would ordinarily go to Pawlenty. Pawlenty is closest to actually announcing and is most in need of an increase in recognition, which could easily spark a victorious run based on the notion that he possesses a unique biography that can work in both a primary and a general election.
There is an adage that a society tends to get the government it deserves. If the same is true of political parties and their presidential nominees, based on how easily at least a quarter of Republicans have already been duped into supporting Donald Trump, four more years of Obama might actually be better than we deserve.
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John Ziegler is currently a documentary filmmaker who most recently released a movie on the 2008 election called, “Media Malpractice… How Obama Got Elected and Palin Was Targeted.” He has also been in radio talk show host in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Louisville and Nashville. Ziegler has written two books and has appeared live on numerous national television shows including the Today Show, The View, Fox News Channel, CNN and MSNBC.
Here is why Trump is making such a strong showing; (His letter to the New York Times, explaining his BC investigation. It makes complete sense.)
[”And as his recent letter to Gail Collins of the New York Times indicates, Trump is doubling down on the birther issue. Here is a relevant excerpt from Trump’s letter to The New York Times’ Gail Collins:
There is a very large segment of our society who believe that Barack Obama, indeed, was not born in the United States. His grandmother from Kenya stated, on tape, that he was born in Kenya and she was there to watch the birth. His family in Honolulu is fighting over which hospital in Hawaii he was born in-they just don’t know.
He has not been able to produce a “birth certificate” but merely a totally unsigned “certificate of live birth”-which is totally different and of very little significance. Unlike a birth certificate, a certificate of live birth is very easy to obtain. Equally of importance, there are no records in Hawaii that a Barack Hussein Obama was born there-no bills, no doctors names, no nurses names, no registrations, no payments, etc. As far as the two notices placed in newspapers, many things could have happened, but some feel the grandparents put an ad in order to show that he was a citizen of the U.S. with all of the benefits thereto. Everybody, after all, and especially then, wanted to be a United States citizen.
The term used by Ms. Collins-“birther”-is very derogatory and is meant in a derogatory way. Had this been George Bush or almost any other President or Presidential aspirant, they would never have been allowed to attain office, or would have been thrown out of office very quickly.
For some reason, the press protects President Obama beyond anything or anyone I have ever seen. What they don’t realize is that if he was not born in the United States, they would have uncovered the greatest “scam” in the history of our country. In other words, they would become the hottest writer since Watergate, or beyond.
Open your eyes, Gail, there’s at least a good chance that Barack Hussein Obama has made mincemeat out of our great and cherished Constitution!”]
Donald Trump may be the most hated or most interesting individual on the political landscape, but I would vote for Donald or even a cockroach before I could reduce my standards so low I would ever consider Obama. Trump understands business and is able to “close the deal.” Obama hasn’t yet grasped the real world other than that of Saul Alinsky, the man who dedicated his life’s work to Satan!
Ronadl Reagan wasn’t a Democrat when he took on Carter. He had a career of conservatism. Trump has a career of getting rich leaving creditors high and dry. That sounds like Obama to me. The same guy trump praised when he was elected, with zero mention of his birth certificate. And Trump gave zero support to the Tea Party or it’s candidates. And zero support to Scott walker in Wisconsin.
Someofvyou are so brain damaged you would support Pee Wee Herman or Charles Manson if they brought up the birth certificate. It is a fine idea, but it is not a qualification to lead the country. Especially for a lifelong committed liberal.
What a tax right-off? Yeah he’s so bankrupt that his Trump Organization is worth to the tune of 3 - 6 billion dollars . /sarc
BTTT
And mostly of all, even Jesus Christ knew there was only one way to fix this.
"Conservatives" and ever body else around here ought to snap to, to that fact.
You just gave me a bright idea!
Maybe “influential people” could convince Trump to run against Obama on the Dem ticket?
It is true. Look at the candidates he has supported. Show me one pro life candidate in the group. He gave to Harry Reid for Gods sake. I take it you believed everything Obama said when he ran, because he said it. That seems t be what I takes for a con artist to win you over.
We need to use some common sense or we could be played by someone who probably played people to get where he is. We have to ask ourselves a few things:
I have never seen his show, but he sounds like a manipulator of people. Does he ever play people against each other or tell others to? Does he think some people are gullible and those looking to get ahead should use that to climb the ladder?
In the past Trump has always supported leftist candidates. Just months ago he gave money to them. Why the change of heart?
Why would New York Times, nbs,cbs, abc, cnn, msnbc....all give him time on their morning shows and news shows to slam Obama? We all know they lick Obama shoes. Does that make sense?
He jumped into the tea party crowd really quick. He knows that the tea party is Obama’s biggest threat. He sees the negative climate obama he is facing and knows the odds of him winning. If he claims to be one of us and gets our trust, he could split us or maybe.....he will say he found the birth certificate and its genuine and give some legal reason he can show the certificate; he’s being sued and he can’t talk about it. The suit doesn’t have to be from obama. It could be family or who know? He will ask for us to trust him, after all he’s one of us now. Then it goes away for Obama.
Or maybe Obama birth certificate is real and Trumps is working for the left leading us away from the issues Obama that he wants us to forget. If the bc is real that will give Obama a real nice October suprise. IMAGINE THE POOR CANDIDATE WHO STARTS QUESTIONING THE BC. You can imagine what the left will come up with about that candidate. (If Trump can mislead him/her, maybe Iran can too..)
I think there is more going on than we think and he might very well be playing us. For those of you who Christians, the scripture says:
I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
Exactly! It is something that they clearly would not have the courage, decency and respect for the constitutional rule of law to do, despite the oath so many of them have taken.
You really ought to watch “Celebrity Apprentice” to get a feel for the guy. Plus, it’s probably the most entertaining show on TV right now. And I HATE reality shows, except for “Storage Wars” and “Pawn Stars.” Gary Busey, LaToya Jackson, John Rich and Meatloaf by themselves are worth watching. Hilarious!
Ziegler is also a massive palin fan and probably jealous like most of the palinistas that trump is now the tea party fav.
Even given his moxie and notoriety, I can't see how the resources of the MSM, with their vicious devotion to their fashionably-brown messiah, won't be successful in diminishing his voice due to his apparent unwillingness to focus and pick his battles. He sounds like just another kook, but who happens to have big-time name recognition.
Those 2 egos going at each other in a debate would have high entertainment value, but be a pretty pathetic spectacle as the 2 choices to lead the Free World.
“Politics today is FAR more about celebrity, personality & charisma than it is about anything else,...”
It’s been that way since at least 1960, if not 1952. The media age, doncha know? Name recognition is always any candidate’s foremost asset, regardless of office sought.
He gave to Harry Reid for Gods sake
In Trumps world, he gave him chump change. If you know anything about big business you give contributions to every politico Dick and Jane who might cause your business problems ; who see your business as a political target to be exploited. Trump gave to everyone both Republican and Democrat. He lives in liberal New York, so he pays the smelly politicians tribute. Both Federal and local alike so they stay out of his business.
“I know of no one” [who went back to being pro-choice].
What you mentioned is pretty much Obama’s nature: Figure out someone or something which the opposition gathers around, and then dump the trash on it at the worst moment. He did it in Illinois, and I am pretty confident he well do it again.
Only this time, Donald Trump and the BC is the ace. The big trick here, however, is to be at least in the middle on this. By in the middle I mean be in such a situation that whether or not the birth certificate can be shown, it doesn’t matter. That way, even if I does show it to slam Trump, so what? We’ll keep hammering him on every other issues.
Obama’s biggest game is about finding strawmen or scapegoats in the opposition. If he tries it with the BC, it could work against him, so long as people don’t take the bait from Trump.
And if he can’t show it, it won’t hurt him still. The COLB and the newspaper articles from 1961 announcing Honolulu births are enough for most laymen to see the people demanding the Birth Certificate as nutcases who can’t be satisfied with whatever simple proof that can be given.
Even if Trump genuinely is unhappy with Obama, I wouldn’t waste my time pursuing or believing the guy. The media’s coverage of him does irk some suspicion. As I mentioned in an earlier post, let’s keep his role highly limited, because he is incredibly far from being the end-all for the current administration.
I think there is more going on than we think and he might very well be playing us. For those of you who Christians, the scripture says:
I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
In better terms, principle above party.
As are all the current crop of possible Republican presidential hopefuls...but the difference is, most of them have proof. With the Donald, you're just gonna have to trust his word. He was for universal healthcare before he was against it.
Red Steel
I believe people can change. Take youmfor example. You probably used to have some sense.
As for Trump and his donations, unless he was bribing people, why did he only donate to liberals? Are they the only ones that accept bribes? Why did he support Charlie Crist over Marco Rubio? Odd behavior for the “favorite of the Tea Party”. Why didn’t he support the Wisconin conservative Supreme Court nominee so the new legislation is not repealed? Could have used some of his “ chump change”. I guess you would say he just changed in the last two weeks. So you don’t expect ANY conservative track record, except his PR move about the birth certificate. That is enough to convince you that he has changed from the hard core liberal who supported Hillary Clinton and Harry Reid.
I think you have changed. You have become a Democrat Droid.
What do April Polls tell us?
FLASHBACK APRIL 3 2007
DEMS
Clinton 25.5
Edwards 23.2
Obama 16.3
REPS
Guliani 17.5
McCain 14.4
Romney 9.6
http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2007/april/040307poll-data.pdf
People want a person with the courage to speak out against Obama and what is wrong as a result of his rule and someone who can turn this economy around. Whoever can make the case in those two areas will be light years ahead of the others. People already know Trump is a business man and very rich. People are scared right now and want a strong determined person to turn this ship around before we sink.
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