Posted on 02/23/2016 5:54:31 AM PST by Kaslin
During a CNN town hall last week, Donald Trump offered up that he probably works too hard and if he had worked "a little bit less," he "probably wouldn't have had two marriages that didn't work out." Moderator Anderson Cooper then thanked Trump for participating in the event, and the last town hall before South Carolina Republicans hit voting booths was over. There were no follow-up questions about the role of Trump's -- so public it was front-page news -- affair with second wife, Marla Maples, in the breakup of his first marriage.
I understand CNN's rationale for staging one-on-one interviews in lieu of a debate to give the public a peek at the more personal side of each GOP hopeful. As a journalist, I appreciate the delicate balancing act of trying to ask probing questions without being so confrontational that you become part of the story. But Cooper shouldn't have let Trump turn his airtime into an infomercial.
I sympathize with the plight of any journalist who interviews the reality TV star. Trump tells so many whoppers that the relentless moderator would have to challenge practically everything he says. On Sunday, I watched CNN's Jake Tapper and Fox News' Chris Wallace ask Trump about something he said at the CNN town hall: "I like the mandate," Trump had said, even though he wants to repeal Obamacare. That Sunday, Trump ran from that quote, saying that he and Cooper were talking at the same time. "There's no mandate, no mandatory anything," Trump told Tapper. In fact, Trump had volunteered to Cooper that he supported the mandate, because he supports health care for all.
Tapper and Wallace are no pushovers, but eventually they let it slide and moved on. That's how Trump gets away with his endless fabrications. He is such a constant and shameless liar that there's no way to pin him down without throwing out interview decorum.
In South Carolina on Friday, Trump told the story of an American general who is said to have captured 50 Muslim prisoners and ordered his troops to shoot 49 of them. The general told the 50th, "Go back to your people and you tell them what happened." There were no problems for 25 years, Trump concluded.
That seems to be the template for his strategy with TV news. Trump famously went after Fox News' Megyn Kelly for asking him about comments -- fat pigs, dogs, slobs -- which "The Donald" made about women. To retaliate against Kelly for reporting what he said, Trump waged a Twitter war, boycotted her Fox News show and even passed on a later debate because Kelly was a moderator.
Watch other shows and you see the "Megyn Kelly Effect." It sure seems as though some TV newsers shrink from pinning down Trump because they fear his fire, while others play up to Trump to boost their ratings. "Le Show's" Harry Shearer aired audio of off-air banter in which Trump teased "Morning Joe" hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski: "You get all the ratings and a raise. Me, I get nothing." Actually, he gets guests and hosts who marvel at his ability to break the rules without breaking his campaign.
I think back to the 2008 media feeding frenzy that bloodied GOP runningmate Sarah Palin. She didn't have the gravitas to be on the ticket, critics asserted. It was the media's job to expose her shortcomings for the good of the country. Where she was greeted with disdain, Trump enjoys accolades. It turns out Palin's biggest weakness was not that she was unworthy, but that she wasn't as good as Trump at kicking back.
I hope Donald has a YUGE rally the exact same time as the wed FOX debate. Cannot be in two places, America needs Trump more than the Fox.
What, there were no “ follow up questions” about the details of Mr Trump’s 2 divorces?
Given the state of the nation and the world, surely this matter must be pursued in great detail to the satisfaction of all interviewers and their audiences.
You go girl! Chump will cheat on his wives, but he wouldn’t lie to you...
“He is such a constant and shameless liar that there’s no way to pin him down without throwing out interview decorum.
“
To qoute Dr. Phil, trying to pin down the Donald is like trying to nail Jello to the wall.
But, that’s a salesman for ya!
UNfortunately, there are NO other viable choices. Nobody better has bothered to rise to the occasion. If a better man exists in the United States, he has failed to show his face and do his duty.
NONE of the other candidates can possibly do the job that needs to be done right now. Heck, they can’t even hire trustworthy people to work on their teams without those people throwing big lies out there to obfuscate the ineptness of their bosses.
Not one of them has a resume` to qualify them for today’s needs and issues. All they have and are is an extension of the NWO which has already destroyed the nation.
If you haven’t got what it takes to hire a good team to help you become president, then you haven’t got what it takes to build a cabinet, a supreme court, or ambassadors to the nations.
If you can’t manage your own family, you have no business trying to manage a nation.
If you are already in government and you can’t do the job of a senator, a governor, or whatever your position is, then you have no business being president.
I don’t think the Donald lied about the healthcare mandate, but he did not complete his thought, either. What about the mandate does he like, what doesn’t he like? What did HE mean about liking the mandate? Obviously he likes the idea of everybody having access to healthcare, but he also doesn’t like the way the current mandate is structured. He’s said that many, many times.
But these reporters will take a half thought, an incomplete topic, fill in the blanks with whatever they want, twist it and then call the man a liar.
Does Trump need to think more carefully about possible questions and good answers? Ya, I think he does! He doesn’t articulate well yet, he’s done a fantastic job of raising his children to be articulate, focused, productive, successful, happy adults.
Get the Donald on a one on one conversation and he becomes sensible and focused. He’s definitely not a good speaker in terms of poise, but he does know how to reach into a person and draw out the good stuff...if there’s any in there to begin with. He knows how to motivate and cause a person to want to do their best, and then exceed one’s own goals.
Say what you will dear media, but sitting in front of those cameras with that pompus know it all looks on your faces as you tell others what you want them to think, will come around to bite you on the butt. It’s already happening.
He can be a liar, or the perfect candidate depending on how you choose to fill in those blanks.
Choose wisely.
There will be lots of follow up questions, just as soon as Trump gets the nomination. The MSM is holding back for now. They think they can take him down,
“Tapper and Wallace are no pushovers, but eventually they let it slide and moved on. That’s how Trump gets away with his endless fabrications. He is such a constant and shameless liar that there’s no way to pin him down without throwing out interview decorum. “
This is total crap... go to hell with it...GArbage in and garbage out.
WE are a joke to the world powers. IN 8 years, we’re a laughing stock, and the remedy is to read this shyte.
If you’re going to post something, post something that we can learn from...
Waste of time and space.
Bash a member of the MSM, your polls go up.
It’s pretty simple.
I was surprised.
Everywhere you turn “Trump lies, journalism dies.” It’s obviously the agreed GOPe line of attack.
Everywhere you turn “Trump lies, journalism dies.” It’s obviously the agreed GOPe line of attack.
The bottle blonde bimbo who slept her way into her job is a joke
She slept her way to her job
The reality is everyone already knows his personal backstory. It’s old news and no one is going to get upset about it at this late date. He didn’t beat his wives, they are all still friends and have great kids.
Familiarity inoculates him in a way other candidates are not.
Ivana invited him to one of her weddings. How many ex wives invite their ex husbands to their wedding?
And therein lies the crux:
“I think back to the 2008 media feeding frenzy that bloodied GOP runningmate Sarah Palin. She didn’t have the gravitas to be on the ticket, critics asserted. It was the media’s job to expose her shortcomings for the good of the country. Where she was greeted with disdain, Trump enjoys accolades. It turns out Palin’s biggest weakness was not that she was unworthy, but that she wasn’t as good as Trump at kicking back.”
That’s right Ms. Sanders. Trump saw what you guys did to her, and he learned from it.
Debra Saunders is a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, their toke conservative like David Brooks for the New York Times. She worked for the last Republican majority leader in the California State Assembly a liberal RINO if there ever was one. She has been a long time supporter of gay marriage, a climate change supporter, and has supported every national RINO candidate. Her writing are listed most frequently from the WSJ and National Review.
Her husband is a lawyer and is on the international task force on euthanasia and assisted suicide. Almost all his published articles are for major liberal publications.
She is just one more tool in the box of the GOPe and Uniparty.
Shhhhh, they’re running with “He’s Satan!”, and that won’t help.
Try to be more thoughtful.
/s
Oops. Sorry, I didn’t get the memo.
I’ll do better next time. But that will be difficult because a there will be a next time.
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