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Trump and His Fans Are Stuck Inside a Feedback Loop
The National Review ^ | November 29, 2015 | Charles C. W. Cooke

Posted on 11/30/2015 12:09:57 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife

On Meet the Press this morning, Donald Trump insisted that:

he was "100 percent right" when he said he saw thousands of Muslims in Jersey City, New Jersey, cheering the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, even though fact-checkers have debunked his assertion.

In a phone interview on NBC's "Meet the Press," Trump said he has heard from "hundreds of people that agree" that there were televised Muslim celebrations of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, which he used as evidence to show his remarks were true.

"I saw it. So many people saw it," said Trump, who, in the race for the November 2016 election, has been among the most vocal of the Republican candidates in expressing skepticism about Muslims in the United States. "So, why would I take it back? I'm not going to take it back."

When NBC anchor Chuck Todd suggested the people Trump heard from are supporters and might want to agree with him, Trump interrupted to note the "huge Muslim population" New Jersey has. >

"Why wouldn't it have taken place?" he said of a celebration there. "I've had hundreds of people call in and tweet in on Twitter, saying that they saw it and I was 100 percent right."

This affair serves as the perfect illustration of the ugly manner in which the Trump phenomenon now works. That there is no evidence of "thousands" of American Muslims cheering 9/11 from New Jersey is, frankly, immaterial. Why? Well, because Trump is playing a character on TV, and his script includes no room for error. By the rules he has set out for himself, whatever Trump says he is, he must be. As such, he can't possibly have misremembered what happened after 9/11 - as might any human being - because he has the World's Greatest Memory, and the guy with the World's Greatest Memory doesn't misremember.

This rule applies consistently. If Trump says he's a conservative - despite holding positions that usually make conservatives shriek - then he's a conservative. If that requires redefining conservatism, so be it. If he says he wasn't mocking a journalist whom he was quite obviously mocking, then he wasn't mocking that journalist. If that requires his admirers to suspend disbelief beyond all possible limits, then so be it. And if he says that he saw something of which there really is no evidence, then he must have seen it. Worse still: If you like him, then you must have seen it too.

In this late stage, Trump's whole campaign has become a ghastly feedback loop from which there is no hope of escape. Typically, we do not accept "why wouldn't it have happened?" as much of an argument for anything. Customarily, we would privilege the ancient principle of ei incumbit probatio qui dicit, non qui negat (the burden of proof is on the one who declares, not on one who denies) above an appeal to the mob. Not here, though. There's a SuperTrump to prop up. If 2+2 has to equal 5 to annoy Chuck Todd or to stick one in the eye of the politically correct, then 2+2 is 5.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: New York
KEYWORDS: 2016; artofthelies; campaign; catch22; charlescwcooke; demagogicparty; donaldtrump; feedbackloop; gopprimary; itstdstimekids; memebuilding; partisanmediashill; partisanmediashills; realitytv; tds; trump; trumpcult; whiteobama
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Still no defense of Trump’s politics/behavior?

Defense, hell, he's on constant offense.

Defense is for losers.

101 posted on 11/30/2015 5:06:34 AM PST by Balding_Eagle (The Great Wall of Trump ---- 100% sealing of the border. Coming soon.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

NR has become like the 3 year old at the dinner table who blurts out things like “Pass the F%^King peas!” while mom and dad shrug and say, “I don’t know WHERE he could have heard such language.” They write what the scummers in the GOPe sat behind closed doors.


102 posted on 11/30/2015 5:11:40 AM PST by jmaroneps37 (Conservatism is truth. Liberalism is lies.)
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To: central_va

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3361534/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3360777/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3357942/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3357936/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3356187/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3347300/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3342998/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3336925/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3335092/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3327408/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3324623/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3324566/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3320381/posts


103 posted on 11/30/2015 5:17:14 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: jmaroneps37
NR has become like the 3 year old at the dinner table who blurts out things like "Pass the F%^King peas!" ....

Using that defense, it would be like the pot calling the kettle black.

104 posted on 11/30/2015 5:22:56 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...

GOP establishment to back Hillary if Trump nominee

WAPO'S Gerson: Time To Confront Not Just Trump But His Followers As Well

Planned Parenthood Exec Blames 'Hateful Language, Hateful Speech' [but not industrial infanticide]

Clinton Appoints Ex-Congressman Who Blamed Defeat on Jews to 'Leadership Team'

COP 21 climate change summit: 'Never have the stakes been so high'


105 posted on 11/30/2015 5:32:23 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Those not on a personal vendetta KNOW that there were a sizable number of Islamic people around the world cheering when the towers fell. They hate the United States. They loved the fact that someone stuck it to us. They loved it even more that they did it in the name of Islam. THAT’S the whole point. Trying to “get” Trump on a point in which he’s probably right is just anti-trump hate. Thousands of Muslims in New Jersey probably DID cheer the fact the fact that Islamist terrorists had taken down the terrorists.


106 posted on 11/30/2015 5:36:57 AM PST by DouglasKC (I'm pro-choice when it comes to lion killing....)
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To: DouglasKC

I agree completely.

Sure there are valid points on which reasonable people can disagree with Donald Trump.

The poster of this thread however, is on a jihad of sorts, against Trump.

This thread is an example, in my humble opinion.


107 posted on 11/30/2015 5:39:00 AM PST by Cringing Negativism Network (http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c5700.html)
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To: libbylu

“I woke up, I figure others will also.”

I checked your previous posts, and I could never find where you supported Trump. So this “I woke up” is your feeble attempt to pile on. You have always been for Cruz.


108 posted on 11/30/2015 5:40:58 AM PST by odawg
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Trump supporters expect him to deliver on his campaign promises. Why does everyone have to use conspiracy theories to explain why others disagree with them?


109 posted on 11/30/2015 5:41:02 AM PST by JmyBryan
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To: eastforker

I remember out too, but who you going to believe the media our your own lying eyes.


110 posted on 11/30/2015 5:50:19 AM PST by bray (Trump/Cruz 2016)
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To: onyx

‘’That horrid Mark Bellingham is the guest host today ‘’

I’d be interested to hear Bill Whittle sub for Rush a time or two just to see how he does. Interesting guy. Well-spoken. Is up on pop culture as Rush is. I love his “Afterburner” videos.


111 posted on 11/30/2015 6:20:48 AM PST by MayflowerMadam (#BlackJellyBeansMatter)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

So what. He also said he’s going to build a big beautiful wall to keep the Mexicans out that we are a country of borders and he will deport those here. Nobody else is saying that even Cruz.


112 posted on 11/30/2015 6:24:49 AM PST by Sybeck1 (John Hardy Allen 10-6-44 - 11-23-15)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

‘’Still no defense of Trump’s politics/behavior?’’

This might be bigger than simple “politics/behavior”. Trump may not be perfect, but we don’t know what God has in store for the U.S. In the past He has used imperfect, even bad, people to accomplish His will.

Judas was terrible and evil, but he was an impetus for fulfilling God’s will. You’d hate the prostitute Rahab for her lifestyle, but she did great things. Jacob was a horrible liar. Again...

Maybe cut back on the time spent in deranged “behavior” (you appear to be big on “behavior), and replace that time in prayer asking for God’s will to be done.

Personally, I think the U.S. is over and fear that His will is to end us. But it’s possible that Trump has been placed here to facilitate our resurgence. It will take a strong person to do that. Other candidates may be better people but no one is as strong.


113 posted on 11/30/2015 6:45:27 AM PST by MayflowerMadam
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To: Hostage

Lol :)

Chas Cooke and National RINO Review have gone full blown GOPee/establishment. They no longer have ANY credibility. They’re ‘reporting’ out of sheer desperation and fear, at this point.


114 posted on 11/30/2015 7:28:05 AM PST by Jane Long (Go Trump, go! Make America Safe Again :)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife; mkjessup; miss marmelstein; eastforker

I hope that honesty and open debate will thrive on FR.


It does and it will.

Numerous FReepers have posted FIRST HAND accounts of actually seeing the muslim community celebrating in NJ, NY right after the twin towers were pummeled and collapsed.

The fact that the GOPe is criticizing Trump for speaking the truth is quite telling.


115 posted on 11/30/2015 7:33:15 AM PST by Jane Long (Go Trump, go! Make America Safe Again :)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife; Hostage; nopardons; BigEdLB; smoothsailing; onyx

Steve Doocy (Fox & Friends -11/30) said he saw Muslims celebrating on television

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3366324/posts


116 posted on 11/30/2015 7:36:52 AM PST by Jane Long (Go Trump, go! Make America Safe Again :)
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To: libbylu
>> I woke up, I figure others will also <<

Sure, just as the Italians finally got around to repudiating Il Duce. The supreme demagogue inevitably runs out of invective and his bluff is called, just as a "reality" TV star eventually begins to bore his fawning fans and falls in the Neilson ratings. I think it's bound to happen, sooner or later.

Still, to my great dismay, current trends make me fear that the Great Awakening will probably occur only after The Donald (whether as 'Pub nominee or as an independent) is swept away in a 40-state Hilary landslide -- a disaster that also will hand the Senate back to the Dhimmis and bring us two or three new left-wing SCOTUS Justices.

117 posted on 11/30/2015 7:52:09 AM PST by Hawthorn
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To: flaglady47; Cincinatus' Wife

>> behind closed doors. Thousands upon thousands <<

Yep, that pretty much says it all.


118 posted on 11/30/2015 7:55:02 AM PST by Hawthorn
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

“behavior?”

His behavior only scares the eGOP types.


119 posted on 11/30/2015 7:55:59 AM PST by CodeToad (Stupid kills, but not nearly enough!)
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To: TexasFreeper2009

>> I saw news coverage of Palestinians dancing in the streets <<

Are you sure that your memory is correct? I thought they were having tailgate-style parties on rooftops.


120 posted on 11/30/2015 7:57:32 AM PST by Hawthorn
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