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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: Gaffer

Are the moderate Muslims the ones who don’t follow the Koran? Are they allowed to cafeteria style the koran, and if so, can they then just write that off to the maximum Muslims by saying they were just lying? They can do anything except eat a ham sandwich, as per the koran, in order to make the infidel headless? I don’t trust the moderate, medium, mega, or maximum Muslim, period. Go Trump! I like mine extra crispy with bacon!


81 posted on 11/30/2015 3:34:32 AM PST by Boardwalk
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
What is off limits, "unfair," in a primary?

The attempts in New Hampshire to keep Trump off the ballot for not being Republican enough are an example of being unfair.
82 posted on 11/30/2015 3:34:55 AM PST by Dr. Sivana (There is no salvation in politics)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

He’s crushing the competition for a reason.


83 posted on 11/30/2015 3:36:56 AM PST by toddausauras ( Leftplosion.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

I remember it being on networks AND local news....people cheering.

So do many others. So all the pc reporting posted won’t make us all discard our memories.

Why is it bad to say that anyway? Is it not the case that many were pleased we got what we deserved?

Has anyone asked those who allegedly cheered? No.

CW avoid falling into the terrible trap of being discouraging others to speak out. It’s the enemy’s goal to keep people from saying things they don’t like. It wasn’t hate speech that caused the shooting in Colorado, the speech was a result of something else. They want us to not talk about using baby parts instead of just not using them.

Trump notwithstanding don’t go pc on us.


84 posted on 11/30/2015 3:37:06 AM PST by Principled (...the Supreme Court of the United States favors some laws over others...)
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To: SMM48; Cincinatus' Wife

>> Last we heard, she is still “analyzing” the candidates.

“Ready for Hillary”? :-)


85 posted on 11/30/2015 3:41:13 AM PST by Nervous Tick (There is no "allah" but satan, and mohammed was his demon-possessed tool.)
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To: mkjessup

LOL!


86 posted on 11/30/2015 3:43:12 AM PST by exit82 ("The Taliban is on the inside of the building" E. Nordstrom 10-10-12)
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To: flaglady47

You’re welcome.


87 posted on 11/30/2015 3:43:57 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Principled
...CW avoid falling into the terrible trap of being discouraging others to speak out. It's the enemy's goal to keep people from saying things they don't like. It wasn't hate speech that caused the shooting in Colorado, the speech was a result of something else. They want us to not talk about using baby parts instead of just not using them....

I can understand why you believe this is my purpose, but it's 180 degrees from what I am doing.

88 posted on 11/30/2015 3:45:46 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Here's what has troubled me throughout this.

No one from the right side of the media has produced anything in the way of a report or film that collaborates the numbers.

Not Rush. Not Hannity. Not Levin. Not Beck. Not Alex Jones. With the exception of Jones and Levin, the others are syndicated by Premiere/iHeart which is the largest radio owner in the country, has hundreds of stations with newsrooms and talkshow hosts and yet no one has produced a copy of a film through research showing thousands of Muslims celebrating on the news. Have they tried or have they too come up empty but are milking the we hate the media so let them wallow in it.

For that matter, both Limbaugh and Hannity were on the air during those days and they seem to be able to go back and pull a sound bite from their programs at will, but so far nothing to support this.

Where are the Buckhead's of this on the FR site? Has everyone also come up empty handed? Isn't there a thread during those days from this site speaking to thousand of Muslims seen on tv celebrating in those days in which the towers fell? What about one of the other sites that existed back in those days?

Seems to me Trump stepped on his manhood with his golf shoes on this one because no one has been able to produce conclusive evidence to back up his assertion.

The WashPo piece that has been produced is weak at best and is a generality rather than a specific verification of Trump's claim.

89 posted on 11/30/2015 4:11:00 AM PST by joesbucks
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To: Cincinatus' Wife; onyx; All
Courtesy of FReeper Jane Long, and a true patriot, Jason Lewis:

Image and video hosting by TinyPic
90 posted on 11/30/2015 4:18:41 AM PST by mkjessup (Islam is the ENEMY of all civilized people. Obama is a Muslim. What's that tell ya?!?)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
I trip over negative articles about both Jeb and Hillary - they are cutting, critical, devastating and everywhere.

Really? Post some of them.

91 posted on 11/30/2015 4:24:26 AM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: flaglady47

Woke up thinking about this. trump just won the Irish- Italian and other ethic groups living in NYC NJ , MI who are tired of being ignored. They know the Muslim celebrated 9-11. They or their family and neighbors have their own memories and stories which they all shared around the Thanksgiving table
He is siding with them. (He understands their fears and anxieties ) And they will support him -— checkmate


92 posted on 11/30/2015 4:25:33 AM PST by hoosiermama
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
To even cite Cooke, one of the most lunatic Trump Derangement Syndrome attackers, is silly. The man (and his ilk at NRO) has published at least one attack column per day on Trump. You're sounding like the Palin Derangement Syndrome in 2008.

We have seen dozens of confirmations of NJ Muslim celebrations. Do you think slimy Cooke would print those? Is that a "feedback loop?"

93 posted on 11/30/2015 4:35:26 AM PST by LS ("Castles Made of Sand, Fall in the Sea . . . Eventually" (Hendrix))
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Defense? Truth needs no defense. Did Muslims celebrate in large numbers in NJ after 9/11? If so you owe Trump an apology. (Correct answer: yes)


94 posted on 11/30/2015 4:37:26 AM PST by LS ("Castles Made of Sand, Fall in the Sea . . . Eventually" (Hendrix))
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Rick Perry

Scott Walker

Please, I ask you on behalf of all of us dirtbag lowlife Trumptards,

please tell us that you now officially support -- with all of your heart and your fighting spirit  →  Mr. Handsome.

95 posted on 11/30/2015 4:40:53 AM PST by greedo
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To: central_va

Here’s a small sample.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/3300392/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3298350/posts

http://209.157.64.201/focus/f-news/3358310/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3261946/posts?page=1

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3346993/posts

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

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3324559/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3335554/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3326472/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3344764/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/3331153/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/3295135/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3324561/posts


96 posted on 11/30/2015 4:46:44 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

There is nothing critical of these candidates in these stories. There are no disparaging their records or mannerisms, personal attacks etc. You are FOS.


97 posted on 11/30/2015 4:52:54 AM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: central_va

Have it your way - the “just make it up as you go” way.


98 posted on 11/30/2015 4:56:41 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance.

Looks like NR has moved on to *anger*.


99 posted on 11/30/2015 4:58:15 AM PST by Flick Lives (One should not attend even the end of the world without a good breakfast. -- Heinlein)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Half those links are vanities. LOL


100 posted on 11/30/2015 4:58:59 AM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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