The Donald Trump Show featuring a monologue of amateurish snide remarks, personal attacks, and name=calling has been on top of the ratings — until now.
Ben Carson has edged ahead of Trump in Iowa and national polls for the first time. Let’s see if “The Donald” will continue to act like a spoiled schoolyard name-calling bully as he did when he consistently led all polls.
Trump has a glass jaw ego that can’t take a critical punch. He can give but obviously can’t take.
You would think that Trump, after maintaining a lead for months, would want to move away from making petty verbal assaults on critics and opponents as he has been since the beginning of his campaign.
While Ronald Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 showed class and character and let media and political opponents’ criticism roll off of their backs, Trump has a very thin skin that is easily penetrated by the slightest perceived affront. He exhibits a “disparage me at your own risk” philosophy.
He has made undignified and belittling comments about those in the media whom he feels have been unfair or unkind including Fox News’ Megyn Kelly (“I do not think Megyn Kelly is a quality journalist”); syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer (“totally overrated clown”); NBC’s Chuck Todd (“a real loser”); and pollster Frank Luntz (“total looser”).
He reserved some of his most vicious attacks not for President Obama and Hillary Clinton, but for his own GOP opponents: South Carolina Sen. Lindsay Graham (“an idiot”);”Jeb Bush (“unhappy person” with “low energy.”); Carly Fiorina ("Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that?”); former Texas Gov. Rick Perry (“He should be forced to take an IQ test before being allowed to enter the GOP debate"); Marco Rubio, R-Fla, (“this clown”); and Rand Paul, R-Ky. (“shouldn't even be on the debate stage").
Such malicious low blows get headlines and laughs but they are not very becoming to one who seeks the highest office in the land.
In a not so indirect slap on Jeb Bush, he even suggested that the 9/11 terrorist attack was George W. Bush’s fault because it happened on his watch. That makes about as much sense as saying that Franklin Roosevelt was at fault for Pearl Harbor, Ronald Reagan was responsible for the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing, or the Challenger disaster or that Bill Clinton was at fault for the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993.
As one journalist said, Trump’s allegation was not only “sensational” but was also “beyond the pale.”
We know that Trump, born with a silver spoon in his mouth, is rich as he is only so happy to tell us. Maybe he feels that his wealth entitles him to say whatever he wants about anyone and that he is beyond reproach. After all, who is going to — or dares — tell him to stop? That’s called arrogance.
Trump is the new media darling and he knows it. After all, how many GOP — or Democratic — candidates had Fox News begging them to come back or NBC inviting them to host “Saturday Night Live”?
With such media fawning and support, Trump can’t help himself. Now he is going after Carson who has passed him in polls in Iowa where Evangelicals play an important role by making references to Carson’s Seventh Day Adventist religion: “I’m a Presbyterian. Seventh Day Adventist I don’t know about.”
Trump may have answers to some of the nation’s major problems as exhibited in his tax proposal to name one.
However, a political house based on repeated sound bites and slogans of bringing jobs from China and Japan; stopping illegal immigration by building a really, really big fence paid for by Mexico; deporting 11 million illegals; and, making our country great again--with no description of how — all held together by the glue of innuendo and pettiness will not long stand.
If Trump is comfortable using such an intimidation and personal attack strategy as a candidate, just think of what he could do as president with the IRS and Department of Justice at his disposal. Remember Lois Lerner?
Clarence V. McKee is president of McKee Communications, Inc., a government, political, and media relations consulting firm in Florida. He held several positions in the Reagan administration as well as in the Reagan presidential campaigns and has appeared on many national and local media outlets. Read more reports from Clarence V. McKee — Click Here Now.
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