December 15, 2016

Kanye West is "at once a prop and, because Trump’s political calculations can’t be unsnarled from the narcissistic Trump Show playing in his mind, a bauble for the kingpin to gloat over."

Writes Katy Waldman in Slate in a piece with the drama-queen headline "Donald’s Beautiful Dark Fascist Fantasy/What do Trump and Kanye have in common? Totalitarian aesthetics and disconnection from reality."

How about all the times celebrities have appeared with Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton? Did you call them all props and baubles for a narcissist to gloat over?

Waldman goes on to talk about the "fascist undertone" of West's art. (She doesn't use the word "dark," by the way. That racially questionable adjective only appears in the headline.)
Mussolini’s favorite thinkers exalted the heroic, and curiously amoral, promise of man hurtling toward perfection; West speaks in similarly bombastic terms when he declares that, as a musician, “I can do whatever I want to do. … If I’m gonna take a stage and like, open up a motherfucking mountain I can do that.”... West and Trump’s dynamic—the artist and the strongman—evokes a traditional symbiosis between aestheticism and fascism. In the visually ravishing films of Leni Riefenstahl, the crisp goose-stepping of smartly uniformed troops, the propulsive fervor of futurism, we’ve seen politics married to the pursuit of the beautiful before.
Ironically, it's Waldman who is marrying ideas and images. If she's aware of how propaganda like Riefenstahl's films work, is she circumspect about what she herself is doing? It's not too aesthetically appealing, so there's little chance that it will sway large crowds, but it is, in its own tawdry way, propaganda.

IN THE COMMENTS: MadisonMan said:
So it's come to this. Slate writers assuming that Black entertainers are useful stooges to The Man.

Nothing racist at all about that assumption. 
It's the Clarence Thomas treatment. A black person is given less room to have opinions of his own.

92 comments:

MadisonMan said...

So it's come to this. Slate writers assuming that Black entertainers are useful stooges to The Man.

Nothing racist at all about that assumption.

Disclaimer: I didn't click the link. If it's not Dear Prudence, I try not to read slate.

Fernandinande said...

Slate's fake opinions.

Slate's fake news:
“NY Subway Riders Stand By as Three Men Verbally Assault Muslim Teenager”
Dec. 4, 2016:
"Three white men who were apparently intoxicated repeatedly yelled anti-Islam insults at a Muslim student in the New York City subway and no one did anything."

Sebastian said...

@MM and AA: "Slate writers assuming that Black entertainers are useful stooges to The Man . . . It's the Clarence Thomas treatment. A black person is given less room to have opinions of his own." Correct. Because politics trumps race. Can't wander off the reservation. It's the fugitive black voter law of prog politics.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Leftists are cornered animals. Poor babies. Here - have a pillow and scream, you racists.

Once written, twice... said...

Ann, why don't you do a post complaining about the unfair review of the Trump Grill (Grille?) in Vanity Fair? Oops, the Donald already complained about it this morning on Twitter.

Michael K said...

The Democrats show no sign of recovery from the psychotic break that began November 9.

Maybe reality will creep back after the Electoral College votes next week but I wonder.

When I worked with psychotics back as a medical student, the first thing I was taught was to avoid getting into their delusions. Never ever get into their delusions.

The second thing was to never get between a paranoid schizophrenic and the door. A social worker in Santa Monica at a free clinic forgot that one time and was murdered by her patient.

Let the Democrats get to the door.

Once written, twice... said...

Ann, what is the most critical post you have done about Trump in the last three months? The last year?

He's your man and let's review one year from now how smart it was to make a reality TV star the President then.

Wince said...

More from Katy Waldman, Oct 19, 2016.

Reports of Ivanka Trump Talking About “Mulatto Cock” Are Exactly What This Election Needed

Perhaps you were sitting around today thinking that what this election needs is more cocks. You are in luck! Although, in fact, what this election got at 4:42 p.m. EDT was the specter of cocks unseen. BuzzFeed chief executive Jonah Peretti tweeted from an airport in Burbank, Calif. that Ivanka Trump’s reaction to her father’s infamous Access Hollywood recording (she called the GOP nominee’s pussy-grabbing remarks “a bit jarring”) gave him, Peretti, pause.

“Surprised Ivanka would be shocked by lewd language,” Peretti wrote. “I met her once & she casually said: ‘I’ve never seen a mulatto cock, but I’d like to.’ ”

On the phone to a BuzzFeed reporter, Peretti elaborated: “She was saying how she first said she had never seen an uncircumcised cock and then she said, ‘I’ve never seen a mulatto cock. There’s lots of cocks I’ve never seen,’ or something like that.”

From this we learn that there are vast constituencies of American cock to which Ivanka has turned a blind eye. At least she would “like to” expand her knowledge base, though it’s unclear whether she wishes to do so in the spirit of genuine discovery or cultural fetishization. The next question is which D.C. bars will immediately start offering “Ivanka’s Tragic Missing Mulatto Cocktail” (ingredients: pale ale, stout, tears) in advance of the third debate tonight. I think I could use one.

Update, 6:34 p.m.: In a statement to Jezebel, Ivanka Trump denied Peretti’s account, calling his statement “a complete and total lie.”


Once written, twice... said...

Conservatives, following the lead of Donald Trump, spent eight years questioning if President Obama was born in Kenya.

It is a hoot that now these same conservatives have their panties in a bind because everyone is not getting behind their Assclown-Elect.

Brando said...

Can't stand Kanye generally, but give him credit for at least breaking away from the usual Hollywood political bent. And I'm sure nothing makes blacks feel better than telling them they're pawns and props.

How are we to distinguish the props from the genuine supporters?

CJ said...

Trump's election was absolutely essential for two reasons, and this #slatepiece illustrates why:

1) To vividly highlight, for the majority of people in the country, the legion of hypocrisies the elite Left assumes on a daily basis.

2) To heal America. How? If Clinton had won, the Left would've rightly concluded that they could continue to roll over half of the population, and that half could be legitimately discarded. You can't be wedded to someone you don't respect - Trump's election will force the Left to at least respect the ability of the Right to still win a national election. and ultimately respect (even if it's a respect that comes from fear) will result in, at a minimum, detente. The Left won the culture wars, they were about to salt the earth - it may not seem like it now, but Trump's victory will ultimately lead to a more unified America.

Good take on the #slatepiece, Ann.

Dude1394 said...

My goodness this is racist as all get out. And not that fake SJW-racist crap, real racism.

Trump must really be scaring the crap out of democrats, a republican who is not an ideologue who had a natural rapport with black people. Trump using celebrities to promote his politics, what a shocker. Heh

Curious George said...

Once written, twice... said...
Ann, why don't you do a post complaining about the unfair review of the Trump Grill (Grille?) in Vanity Fair? Oops, the Donald already complained about it this morning on Twitter.

Once written, twice... said...
Ann, what is the most critical post you have done about Trump in the last three months? The last year?

He's your man and let's review one year from now how smart it was to make a reality TV star the President then.

Once written, twice... said...
Conservatives, following the lead of Donald Trump, spent eight years questioning if President Obama was born in Kenya.

It is a hoot that now these same conservatives have their panties in a bind because everyone is not getting behind their Assclown-Elect.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's like watching a tired swimmer frantically flailing to keep his head above water....

Once written, twice... said...

Thanks for reposting Curious George

Henry said...

Wait a minute. I thought Trump's aesthetic was all gold-slathered architecture, and overcarved antiques. That's not a fascist aesthetic.

CJ said...

"The Democrats show no sign of recovery from the psychotic break that began November 9."

I said on this blog that I didn't think much of Scott Adams's theories on persuasion or his predictive power. I was very wrong about that, and reading his description of human ego - we are all either heroes or victims in our own narrative movies, never the villains - makes a lot more sense to me now. This quirk in human ego has caused the Democrats to have a legitimate psychotic break with reality, and it's going to continue to get worse, as Scott Adams says, as Trump turns out to not be Hitler.

People on the Left on twitter are legitimately ruining their careers right now, saying things that will be brought up for years and make them unemployable (assuming that journalistic integrity and the ability to assess reality ever makes a comeback in the media, which I admit would be quite a leap).

David said...

Kate Waldman is an English major from Yale and a published poet. I have not seen her poetry but she seems to lack awareness of alternative interpretations of situations. That's not a great trait in a poet.

Milia Fischer from the Podesta post was an international studies major at Pomona. Flit from job to job since then. It would be interesting to learn how she got this close to Podesta. Not lifetime achievement for sure.

The Clinton operation appears to have been overstaffed with self important mediocraties. All she could get for $1.2 billion.

Sydney said...

How much longer is this kind of crap going to on? Are there no worthy writers, no true journalists in our media any longer?

YoungHegelian said...

Would someone please wake me up when Trump starts saying stuff like:

All within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state.

Nighty-night.

Thanks!

veni vidi vici said...

Kanye and Trump are clearly using one another, as appears obvious in the brief TT lobby video from their visit but there appears to be a genuine respect between them too. Trump's farewell comment to him was a nice window into the mano a mano guy versus the guy on the mic at the rallies. But Kanye's appearing with him and the appearance of support to his administration is what the Dems get for the president very publicly calling him a "jackass".

They really have taken a lot for granted; hopefully the next 4-8 years will dial back the aggressive entitlement-to-be-dickheads. If that's all that's accomplished and everything else proceeds on the continuum of the federal gov't's last 25 years, it may be enough.

YoungHegelian said...

Shorter Version Katy Waldman story:

Kanye West visits Trump at Tower. Shucks & Jives.

veni vidi vici said...

Kate Waldman sounds too much like Kurt Waldheim to be a coincidence. Just sayin'...

Chuck said...

My gut reaction is to agree with the Althouse post in its entirety.

But at another level, I sort of like the alternative notion that in the spirit of racial equality, we need to realize that just as there are boorish, obnoxious, over-exposed assholes who are white (Donald J. Trump), there are also boorish, obnoxious, over-exposed assholes who are black (Kanye West).

William said...

I read somewhere that rap has now been the dominant music form longer than rock. I don't think I've ever listened to a rap song wth the single exception of The Rapture by Blondie. I suppose some of the people working in the rap field are talented. It's not my music,but it's music. Maybe Kanye is to rap what Chuck Berry is to rock. If so, I wish him good fortune and luck. What I don't understand is why people think the opinions of musicians are worthy of notice or respect or even disparagement in any field besides their music. I just don't see why anyone should care one way or another about Kanye's political opinions.......Now Lena Dunham is another story. She's the conscience of her generation. Slate should devote more time and space to expounding on Lena Dunham's opinions. Lena Dunham is endlessly fascinating.

MAJMike said...

Criticism of Kanye Kardashian? That's racist!!

Chuck said...

I remember when Republicans all recoiled, when Kanye pulled that "George Bush doesn't care about black people" stunt.

Are Republicans now going to side with Kanye after that?

Not this Republican.

Mark O said...

High tech lynching.

Clayton Hennesey said...

Where is Julia Ioffe when we need her?

Ron Winkleheimer said...

Wait a minute. I thought Trump's aesthetic was all gold-slathered architecture, and overcarved antiques. That's not a fascist aesthetic.

Definitely, It's a Goa'uld aesthetic.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=sg1+goa%27uld&view=detailv2&&id=167F5C5CB4407269D44D7AEC73A2243829322F3A&selectedIndex=26&ccid=Gb7fkmPb&simid=608030494071783649&thid=OIP.M19bedf9263dbd9eccc7158583b5a9fa1o0&ajaxhist=0

Michael K said...

just as there are boorish, obnoxious, over-exposed assholes who are white (Donald J. Trump), there are also boorish, obnoxious, over-exposed assholes who are black (Kanye West).

Not to exclude boorish, obnoxious, over-exposed assholes who are commenters I skip past usually.

Michael K said...

"spent eight years questioning if President Obama was born in Kenya."

Most of us didn't but I can understand how some did after he claimed in book promotion material that he had been and Hillary picked it up and spread it around in 2008.

John henry said...

So Kanye can do anything he wants? Does this mean that women will let him grab their pussies? (Key word "let")

I would be surprised if there were not some women who would love to let him grab their pussies. We call those women starfuckers or groupies.

John Henry

Chuck said...

Michael K said...
"spent eight years questioning if President Obama was born in Kenya."

Most of us didn't but I can understand how some did after he claimed in book promotion material that he had been and Hillary picked it up and spread it around in 2008.


By all accounts, a publishing house's promotions agent made that claim. (Admittedly, the claim was made in a writing, a pamphlet put out by the publishing house.) And Trump was either stupid (he's stupid but even Trump isn't that stupid) or malevolent, to claim -- after Obama was sworn in as president and after his life's story was known to all -- to continue such a claim.

So, no, Michael K. Both you and Trump don't get off, for any birther stupidity.

And let's remember that in addition to being a birther, Trump's been a truther and vaxxer. The Triple Crown of Stupid.

John henry said...

So Kanye can do anything he wants? Does this mean that women will let him grab their pussies? (Key word "let")

I would be surprised if there were not some women who would love to let him grab their pussies. We call those women starfuckers or groupies.

John Henry

lemondog said...

"The Democrats show no sign of recovery from the psychotic break that began November 9."

December 19 is D-Day... or is that R-Day. Voted against HC but my district went 84% Hillary, 13% DT, 3% other. Monday should see plenty of heads **snicker** exploding......

Brando said...

"Are Republicans now going to side with Kanye after that?"

Trump has managed to get some Republicans to decide crony capitalism is just fine, keeping a lot of (or hell, maybe all of) Obamacare is fine, free trade isn't so great, the Iraq War was in fact a pack of lies and Russia is no longer a threat.

Say what you will about Trump, but he has exposed a number of Republicans for the people they really are.

Bob Boyd said...

Remember when Obama called Kanye West a jackass?

Jupiter said...

Chuck said...

"And Trump was either stupid (he's stupid but even Trump isn't that stupid) or malevolent, to claim -- after Obama was sworn in as president and after his life's story was known to all -- to continue such a claim."

Chuckles, Obama was sworn in as President in 2009, but I don't recall when his life's story became "known to all". I'm not sure even Obama knows who his father was, and it goes downhill from there. Are you suggesting that taking the oath of office (which he had no intention of obeying) placed Obama's biographical claims beyond question? Do you plan to observe that novel convention after Jan 17?

Left Bank of the Charles said...

Calling Kanye a prop and bauble? We'll see if Katy and Slate are forced to apologize.

Chuck said...

Brando said...
"Are Republicans now going to side with Kanye after that?"
Trump has managed to get some Republicans to decide crony capitalism is just fine, keeping a lot of (or hell, maybe all of) Obamacare is fine, free trade isn't so great, the Iraq War was in fact a pack of lies and Russia is no longer a threat.
Say what you will about Trump, but he has exposed a number of Republicans for the people they really are."

Well, unless you are talking about Hannity, Limbaugh, Coulter and Ingraham, I am not so sure abut your premise. We shall see, if indeed there are any Republicans who adopt all of those Trumpisms, when we count the votes in Congress.

I didn't vote for Trump because I accepted any of those things. I voted for Trump as a vote against the Dems, and for as much of a Republican agenda as a Republican Congress can force upon Trump.

Ficta said...

The "Dark" in the headline is legitimate; it's just a reference to one of Kanye's albums.

Chuck said...

Jupiter, I am suggesting that Obama was born in Hawaii, to a native born American mother.

And I am suggesting that if you think otherwise, you are a fringe/dangerous maniac.

And I am further suggesting that Donald Trump was a fringe/dangerous maniac when he made public claims that there was anything suspicious about Obama's legal heritage or constitutional qualifications for the presidency. And Trump was a sociopath, when he claimed that he had his own team of private investigators in Hawaii, who were discovering amazing things that Trump would soon thereafter announce.

Brando said...

"Well, unless you are talking about Hannity, Limbaugh, Coulter and Ingraham, I am not so sure abut your premise. We shall see, if indeed there are any Republicans who adopt all of those Trumpisms, when we count the votes in Congress."

We shall see indeed. But so far I haven't seen a single episode of the Republicans actually holding him in check on anything--and they know quite well he got almost 90 percent of GOP votes in the general election. Whether reluctant or otherwise, they may cluck and tut, but they'll still get in line like the good soldiers they are.

Hannity and Co. are just businesspeople who know how their bread is buttered. But I'm thinking more along the lines of Paul Ryan.

Chuck said...

Right, Brando. Me too. And just as much as Paul Ryan, I am thinking about Mitch McConnell. With Mrs. Mitch McConnell in the Trump cabinet!!

We'll start with a Senate Select Committee on the Matter of Supposed Russian Influence in the General Election of 2016.

Curious George said...

"Chuck said...
I remember when Republicans all recoiled, when Kanye pulled that "George Bush doesn't care about black people" stunt.

Are Republicans now going to side with Kanye after that?

Not this Republican."

Well aren't you something.

Brando said...

"We'll start with a Senate Select Committee on the Matter of Supposed Russian Influence in the General Election of 2016."

Thing I'd like to see is a Senate committee handle the ethics complications--the whole "my kids will handle my businesses" is a laughable attempt at a solution. But I can't imagine him actually divesting everything, either, and would be interested in seeing what sort of reasonable mitigation they could come up with. I know in my work when we have a conflict of interest issue like that we have to weigh all sorts of options from walling people off from decisionmaking to getting waivers from potentially affected parties. I'm sure if the GOP were serious about this (and not just lackeys) they can come up with something, and use their leverage to get Trump on board. But if they tut and do nothing at all, there's our model for the next 4-8 years.

Known Unknown said...

suppose some of the people working in the rap field are talented.

Maybe they're just not sending us their best.

Known Unknown said...

"I remember when Republicans all recoiled, when Kanye pulled that "George Bush doesn't care about black people" stunt.

Are Republicans now going to side with Kanye after that?

Not this Republican."

Chuck conveniently forgets that Kanye apologized.

AllenS said...

I'm beginning to think that Obama was born in Russia.

Brando said...

"Chuck conveniently forgets that Kanye apologized."

Did he actually apologize? I recall him giving some sort of half-assed unpology along the lines of "bad choice of words" but nothing genuine. Remember, Bush literally drowned all those black people because he hates them, would have saved them if they were white, and the media loved to push that story.

Kayne is a douchebag. Screw him. But it's still a bit rich to see Leftists losing their cool over him buddying up with Trump.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

The left has no shame. Now projection, well they got a shitload of THAT! But no shame, Man.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Once written, twice: Conservatives, following the lead of Donald Trump, spent eight years questioning if President Obama was born in Kenya.

A) He was a registered democrat liberal in good standing (contributor to the right people, like Hillary) then and immune to racism charges

B) No "conservative" leader or party official or widely published writer ever did that and you can't provide even one example, let alone enough to qualify for your plural tense

C) The President's own bio on his own autobiography described him as "born in Kenya" and "raised in Indonesia" so pardon the rest of us for confusion on that point

D) You and Mick are the only ones who care about the birther issue. It was never an "issue" to 99.99999% of Americans.

Chuck said...

Oh, come on. I don't care whether or not Conway West apologized. I'd have to care, substantively, about Conway West's actual words in order to get upset, and then to accept any apology. And I don't care about either one. Conway West is such a laughable loose cannon; why should I care? I'm certainly not impressed with Conway that he met with Trump, or with Trump for meeting with Conway.

Both men appeared on NBC's Today Show, speaking separately to host Matt Lauer. In an interview recorded on Tuesday (9 November), West expressed regret for saying, during a telethon appearance in 2005, that Bush "doesn't care about black people". "I would tell George Bush, in my moment of frustration, I didn't have the grounds to call him a racist," West said. "But I believe that in a situation of high emotion like that, we as human beings don't always choose the right words. And that's why I'm here."

Last week, Bush described West's 2005 comments as an "all-time low" in his presidency. "It's one thing to say, 'I don't appreciate the way he's handled his business,'" he explained. "It's another thing to say, 'This man's a racist'. I resent it, it's not true."

Yesterday, Lauer played West's apology to Bush and asked if he could now forgive the rapper. "Absolutely," he said, going on to mispronounce West's name. "I'm not a hater, I didn't hate Conway West ... I was talking about an environment in which people were willing to say things that hurt ... It wasn't just Conway – Kanye – West who was talking like that during Katrina."

Despite this apparent reconciliation, West opened fire on Lauer before either interview had aired, accusing the TV host of manipulating him. "HE TRIED TO FORCE MY ANSWERS," West tweeted on Tuesday night. "It was very brutal ... It's all a fucking set up!!!!" The rapper has since resolved not to "do press any more".

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/nov/11/kanye-west-apologises-george-bush

Chuck said...

Mike said...
...
...
...
D) You and Mick are the only ones who care about the birther issue. It was never an "issue" to 99.99999% of Americans.


It was a big issue for Donald Trump. And Trump tried to make it a big issue for the whole world:
http://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2016/09/10/trump-most-outrageous-birther-claims-orig.cnn

Just because we all realize how silly and stupid the whole controversy was, doesn't lessen Trump's personal role in it.

Brando said...

Actually based on Chuck's excerpt above it does look like Kayne apologized. Kayne's still a douchebag though. It was a nasty and uncalled for comment.

Brando said...

"A) He was a registered democrat liberal in good standing (contributor to the right people, like Hillary) then and immune to racism charges"

Actually Trump raising the "birther" issue was when the Left started turning on him (prior to that, they railed on his "vulgar rich guy" thing but didn't really have a beef with his politics--at some times they considered him progressive on their pet issues). He'd also started gaining a following among Republicans, hence Romney going for Trump's endorsement and the regular spots on Fox.

The "birther" issue didn't make Trump crazy or stupid--he shrewdly pushed an issue he knew was nuts and got all kinds of extra attention for it. Anyone actually buying into the theory though is bonkers. Once they start in with "Obama was not born here!" you know you can tune them out as the rest they're going to say is nuts.

Quaestor said...

Obama was himself the author of the birther theory. Why remains a mystery, which is likely to be connected to the reason why Obama's college and law school transcripts are closely guarded secrets. I suspect that he fraudulently benefitted from admissions considerations reserved for "third world" students.

Chuck said...

The "birther" issue didn't make Trump crazy or stupid--he shrewdly pushed an issue he knew was nuts and got all kinds of extra attention for it.

a) Crazy
b) Stupid
c) Nuts
d) Mendacious
e) All of the above


Brando said...

"a) Crazy
b) Stupid
c) Nuts
d) Mendacious
e) All of the above"

I'd go with just D). If he knows it's BS and just wants to troll the media and fire up the crazies, he doesn't have to be crazy or stupid himself to do so.

It's still vile, of course, but Trump has always used the same methods and it seems to work for his own ends.

eddie willers said...

I suppose some of the people working in the rap field are talented.

Which is what burns my biscuits.

We are deprived of some great music because someone talented has to toil in the musical equivalent of a coloring book.

It's like demanding Michelangelo do finger painting because "that's what sells".

Chuck said...

One could choose from about a hundred different edited, respectable news articles in which "birtherism" is generally debunked, and in which the old literary promotional pamphlet that erroneously indicated that Obama was born in Kenya was explained.

But in light of Steve Bannon's ascendancy in the Trump transition, I am choosing a Breitbart article:

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2012/05/17/the-vetting-barack-obama-literary-agent-1991-born-in-kenya-raised-indonesia-hawaii/

Patrick Henry was right! said...

Leftist, Progressive Fascist projection. It should be a new Olympic Sport. The EU would dominate, though. Americans, like Slate contributors, would lose badly.

Patrick Henry was right! said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bad Lieutenant said...

Chuck said...
The "birther" issue didn't make Trump crazy or stupid--he shrewdly pushed an issue he knew was nuts and got all kinds of extra attention for it.

a) Crazy
b) Stupid
c) Nuts
d) Mendacious
e) All of the above


12/15/16, 1:26 PM

f) Effective
g) So what?

You just don't get it. I thought you wanted to be right. Doesn't that imply you understand what is going on?

Known Unknown said...

Without Kanye's nasty and uncalled for comment, we never would've had the comedy gold of awkwardly-staring Mike Meyers.

Brando said...

"Without Kanye's nasty and uncalled for comment, we never would've had the comedy gold of awkwardly-staring Mike Meyers."

That shot of Myers did actually make it pretty entertaining...especially as he kept trying to stay on message and Kayne is all "oh no, I gotta get out with this!"

Chuck said...

Bad Lieutenant:
Why don't you tell us what is going on. Because what I see, is Trump saying all kinds of meritless, mendacious, ugly, wrong-headed, false and/or laughable things. That is what I see. That is what I understand. I further understand, that for reasons I don't quite understand, some people actually find that stuff to be attractive. Other people find it to be troubling, but are willing to overlook it in the interest of promoting Republican policies of governing.

Most Americans -- as demonstrated in a general election and in countless repeated polls -- find it all offensive, irrespective of whether Trump was the preferable choice among the November candidates. I am including in that "most," a large number of the people like me who voted for Trump but who also think that Trump is the biggest asshole in modern American history.

What am I supposed to "get" about the whole birther controversy? It was wrong; Trump was wrong to promote it and he made an ass out of himself in doing so. There was no merit to what Trump was promoting. He was wrong. Pretty much everything he said was wrong. I got that. What else am I supposed to get?

Brando said...

"What am I supposed to "get" about the whole birther controversy? It was wrong; Trump was wrong to promote it and he made an ass out of himself in doing so. There was no merit to what Trump was promoting. He was wrong. Pretty much everything he said was wrong. I got that. What else am I supposed to get?"

Chuck, I don't disagree that the birther thing was a cynical and dishonest promotion of an idiotic and crazy theory that belongs in the pages of Weekly World News and revealed a lot about Trump's character. No argument there. But what it also revealed is Trump's method, and it's a method that works well for him. He's always been able to play the press like a fiddle, get the attention he craves and sometimes use that attention to make money or most recently become president.

He is a con artist, and I think even most of his voters would agree with that--they're not oblivious to his lies and frauds--but it's possible that in mid-con he'll actually promote Republican policies. That's what Paul Ryan and Co. assume, and that's what we're hoping for. To channel the con man skills towards something we'd like to see.

But it'd be foolish to assume he's crazy, stupid or doesn't know what he's doing. There's a method here.

donald said...

When a review goes there, you know it's not honest. You know the reviewer is not a professional.

What I get out of the review is I'm eating there at some
Point in the next year. I'll get there, I'll be polite, they'll realize I'm a tourist and will provide me that awesome New York service level (Which when it's on, is the highest level anywhere) because I won't be an asshole and will
Gladly pay for that service. Then maybe I'll stroll over to Vanity Fair, of which I keep getting in the mail many years after canceling and piss or fart on the building depending on my level of inebriation or opportunity.

JaimeRoberto said...

So Kanye is a fascist because his music is bombastic and braggadocious? Doesn't that describe an awful lot of rap music? Maybe that's not fascism but rather black culture. I guess that thought would be too dark for Slate to consider.

Chuck said...

Brando:
He is a con artist...
As with most of your writing, I agree.

I just don't want to be associated with any cons. I don't want the GOP to be known as The Con Artist Party.

Gahrie said...

I just don't want to be associated with any cons. I don't want the GOP to be known as The Con Artist Party.

Why?

According to the Dems and the MSM we are already the party of war criminals, racists, misogynists, gun freaks, religious fundamentalists and homophobes.....

Besides name a modern politician who can't be labeled a con artist..they all promise something they won't or can't deliver.

Gahrie said...

Because what I see, is Trump saying all kinds of meritless, mendacious, ugly, wrong-headed, false and/or laughable things

I think exactly the same thing about Obama, Hillary, Reid, Pelosi and pretty much every Democrat.

My best friend thinks the same thing about most Republicans....

You are basically accusing Trump of acting like every other politician.

Gahrie said...

Obama was himself the author of the birther theory. Why remains a mystery, which is likely to be connected to the reason why Obama's college and law school transcripts are closely guarded secrets. I suspect that he fraudulently benefitted from admissions considerations reserved for "third world" students.

I've been saying this for eight years........

Gahrie said...

And I am further suggesting that Donald Trump was a fringe/dangerous maniac when he made public claims that there was anything suspicious about Obama's legal heritage or constitutional qualifications for the presidency.

How about those who challenged McCain or Cruz?

You sure spend lots of time defending Democrats and attacking Republicans, and very little time attacking Democrats and defending Republicans for a lifelong Republican.

I'm just saying.....

Chuck said...

Gahrie, I know exactly how to attack Democrats, and how to defend Republicans.

I have no defense for the things Trump says.

I can't think of a single thing ever said by Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, Jeff Sessions, John Cornyn, Marco Rubio, John McCain, Mike Lee, Ted Cruz, John Thune, or by John Kasich, Mitt Romney, Mitch Daniels, Scott Walker, et cetera, that could come close to ranking on a list of the 500 Stupidest Things Ever Said by Donald Trump.

I think that there is real hope that, on balance and guided by Republican congressional leadership, a Trump Administration will at least DO some appropriate things. Even while Trump continues to SAY idiotic things. But I see no hope that Trump will ever become what a president should be, which is a great and inspiring communicator for the free world. And, for my preference, a paragon of conservative ideology.

Todd Roberson said...

I'm depressed.

We have hears literally nothing from Rhythm & Balls in several days.

WTF?

Chuck said...

Gahrie said...
...
You sure spend lots of time defending Democrats and attacking Republicans, and very little time attacking Democrats and defending Republicans for a lifelong Republican.

I spent quite a lot of time fighting with Garage Mahal.

And, I spend more time than anyone here, defending congressional Republicans and the Midwestern Republican governors (Kasich, Walker, Snyder, etc.)

But the Trump-Friendly Environment of Althouse has driven off most Democrats, it seems. When Ann Althouse is doing criticism of the NYT and network television news, I agree with her. When the Althousians try to gloss over Trump's incomprehensible gaffes, I disagree with them. All that is left at Althouse, mostly, are the Trumpkins. And me. To fight it out.

traditionalguy said...

Kanye is a great communicator in the black culture. Trump values that. In fact he values many men and women that come from the black culture, probably because they are strong people that believe in mercy and loyalty. Not many white men believe in mercy and loyalty because they have never had to. Trump believes in it. That's why he won a landslide.

Let Kanye be Kanye.

Brando said...

I hear you Chuck--I find today's GOP pretty embarrassing too. If the Dems weren't their own type of repellent and had room for conservatives id have joined them. But the only hope for conservatives now is to hope some non-lackey Republicans will use their leverage to keep Trump from selling them out. Their best bet? Being the most recent person to pay him a compliment. It's Trump's kryptonite.

JTR said...

Kanye was only recently hospitalized. He's supposedly zonked on heavy lithium and physical changes are already apparent. It's not really the time for a visit to Trump Tower - or maybe it's the Perfect Time in Cheeto Reality.

Chuck said...

traditionalguy said...
Kanye is a great communicator in the black culture. Trump values that. In fact he values many men and women that come from the black culture, probably because they are strong people that believe in mercy and loyalty. Not many white men believe in mercy and loyalty because they have never had to. Trump believes in it. That's why he won a landslide.


See, Trump didn't win in a landslide. Trump won in what was one of the narrowest victories in American history. Trump lost the popular vote. That may be irrelevant to the validity of his win, but it sure puts the lie to "Landslide." Trump's electoral college margin was narrower than any in modern history with the exception of the two GW Bush elections.

We have had actual landslide elections -- Franklin Roosevelt with 98 percent of the electoral votes in 1936; Ronald Reagan with 97.6 percent in 1984 and 90.9 percent in 1980; Richard Nixon with 96.7 percent in 1972; Abraham Lincoln with 91 percent in 1864; and Lyndon Johnson with 90 percent in 1964. And George Washington rolled up 100 percent in both of his elections -- and Trump's win was not a landslide. Not even close. Trump, by all reasonable measures, won a very narrow victory.

Isn't it funny, what people's prejudices, hopes and desires do to their cognitive abilities?

Sam L. said...

One more reason for Slate being on my Ignore list. Not that I needed another.

Brando said...

If this last election was a landslide, then everything qualifies as a landslide.

n.n said...

Black man prop sounds like something a [class] diversitist would say. I wonder if this latest revelation of rabid class diversity will be lost in a black hole, which is now a gray hole, but not before class diversitists sucked its mass.

Michael said...

Chuckster

It was a landslide, an emotional landslide that has sent a goodly portion of otherwise sensible people into the intellectual and emotional rubble. On that basis it is the biggest landslide in American history.

traditionalguy said...

A landslide is in the eye of the beholder. OK. It was only an earthquake, a volcanic eruption and a tsunami wipe out.

The landslide was the remaking of the battle field forever by the destruction of media narrative spinners. They were flattened into grease spots.

Chuck said...

Mmkay, so having shown the Trumpkins that the '16 election was in no qualitative way "a landslide," and that Trump's own claims of a "landslide" are false, the comeback is that it was "an emotional landslide." And "the desteruction of media narrative spinners." Of course it was like Christmas and the 4th of July rolled into one, for the very large contingent of dominant right-wing talkradio spinners; Rush, Hannity, Ingraham, Savage, Levin, Alex Jones, Larry Elder, etc. A huge media presence. Without whom Trump would likely never have gotten off the ground.

Anyway, y'all can take this webpage, print it, and shove it up your asses. You fuckheads are seemingly determined to let no fact slow you down from your appointed rounds on behalf of the Trumpster. Trump didn't win any landslide. He won very narrowly. It is good that he won. Better than the alternative. Now act accordingly.

Kthanksbye.

traditionalguy said...

Shall we play taps for Chuck? That would be appropriately emotional, and we who are not the totally rational like Chuck still enjoy the smell of victory in the morning, victory after victory.

Jon Ericson said...

I'm depressed.

We have hears literally nothing from Rhythm & Balls in several days.

WTF?

Don't worry, He's just been given a time-out.
He'll be back.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

It's not like we raised Trump up and declared him a God. We just elected him, Chuck. You're the one with an obsessive compulsive need to criticize him, show us how pure and republicanny you are. But you have a giant orange blind spot. Everything BAD you think of Trump, we see in the other side, and we're tired of seeing those losers try to run the country. WTF put a stick up your ass with Trump's name on it?

Why are you so all-focused on trying to convince us -- the group that predicted his win and celebrate it -- that WE WERE FOOLED. We weren't. Look dumbass, I saw ALL HIS FLAWS* and I didn't care. I voted for him knowing he is vulgar and can be rude BECAUSE HE'S THE BETTER MAN FOR THE JOB.

IT WAS A BINARY CHOICE. GO CRY WITH HILLARY AND GIVE UP YOUR GODDAMN TRUMPATHON.


*Some of them might even turn out to be advantages.

JAORE said...

If this last election was a landslide, then everything qualifies as a landslide.

That is about 57:43 on EV.

What would it have been if Hillary had won with 306 EVs?

Historic? Mandate? Landslide? Destiny? Seismic shift? A new era? All of the above?

And no one would have blinked an eye at those terms. Is the difference in plumbing so important?

Or, how about expected?