General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhy is the country obsessed with Donald Trump?
I think Trump has captured the attention of the country in a way similar to OJ Simpson.
We knew OJ from his football and broadcasting days and we did not want to believe that he was capable of such an act. But, he was.
We have known Donald Trump for many years as a wealthy, NY real estate man. We never thought much about his connections with the builders and concrete people. Most never thought of any mob connections or shady dealings.
We never thought he would start a charity Foundation named after himself, and use it as vehicle to prevent paying any taxes and as a slush fund. We should remember that NBC contributed a reported $500,000 to the Trump Foundation.
He requested that people that owed him money could just donate to the Foundation. There were no taxes. Donald then used the Foundation money for different purposes, such as buying "big-ass" pictures of himself.
He nicknamed himself the "King of Debt". He borrowed from some of the biggest banks in the country and when he became involved in six bankruptcies, most banks refused to give him credit. He had connections with someone that knew the Russians and was able to develop a very significant line of credit with the government of Vladimir Putin.
He become a big shot in the business world. He began to rent out his name to other businesses, as a way for them to add to their prestige. They would pay him just to use his name on their buildings.
Now, he is one of two people that will become the next President of the United States. Hillary said he hadn't paid any taxes and he seemed to agree. He said, it made him "smart". Let everyone else pay for those airports that he lands his big jet upon. Let someone else pay for the expensive military that protects our country. Donald don't play that game. He refuses to release him income tax returns.
So, why is the country obsessed? Some of us are wondering if our Justice System is too weak to handle big crooks like Donald J. Trump? Some are wondering if the FBI is more content looking for lost emails than looking at the guy that is playing footsie with Vladimir Putin and the Russians?
When our Founders were discussing enemies, "both foreign and domestic", they must of thought of similar times and conditions?
We don't want to believe that Donald is guilty of anything criminal. But, he is.
C_U_L8R
(45,014 posts)Especially when an odious villain is behind the wheel
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,806 posts)There is something fascinating, in a rather horrible way, about the Trump campaign. When have we ever seen a political garbage fire of this magnitude?
Agnosticsherbet
(11,619 posts)And has made all of us a possible bit player.
How many Americans have spent hours, days, weekend obsessing over a TV show? This is built into our culture.
saltpoint
(50,986 posts)longstanding Anti-Intellectualism as part of its profile. Probably far too large a part of the profile.
Trump is Anti-Intellectualism personified.
The GOP has been pouring gasoline on that fire for decades.
Throw in naked greed, dangerous egotism, global business skullduggery, stochastic incitement to violence, and overt racism, and you get Donald Trump.
LisaM
(27,820 posts)I think his building are atrociously ugly, and his whole concept of a show that fires people struck me as mean-spirited and really not something I'd care to see. I changed the TV channel during the primaries whenever he came on.
Now I'm being forced to watch more of him than I want to (well, forced in that if I want to watch election coverage at all, I'll end up seeing him), but I don't get why anyone would watch him on purpose otherwise.
loyalsister
(13,390 posts)That is where his media personality was expanded. Just look at how the genre grew popular. I haven't watched, but it is my understanding that it is based on ridiculing people and stimulating conflict.
Opposing pundits antagonizing each other on MSNBC, FOX and CNN. It's as if people were itching for a fight and got a vicarious opportunity. Media don't operate in a bubble. They give people what they want. Anger, bigotry, conflict,
Reality TV and infotainment media have viewers and are therefore successful because of "our" patronage. Entertainment and "news" media ARE Donald Trump and unfortunately, Donald Trump is us, in a sense. People actually paid attention to his birther crap. He should have been written off as a fool, but media took him seriously enough to broadcast it.
He has taken it beyond ridicule to outright bigotry and people are eating it up. You know, a lot of media outlets like him because they think of his demonization of PC as a reinterpretation of advocacy for free speech.
That he has an attentive audience is disturbing, but I think that we shouldn't be surprised because conflict has been celebrated.
spanone
(135,857 posts)the media has covered for him from the moment he declared.
jalan48
(13,878 posts)He has received more free air time than any other candidate competing in the election-by a lot. It's as if the media decided he would be the Republican candidate over a year ago and promoted him to that end.
spanone
(135,857 posts)jalan48
(13,878 posts)Response to jalan48 (Reply #8)
kestrel91316 This message was self-deleted by its author.
jalan48
(13,878 posts)spanone
(135,857 posts)Brother Buzz
(36,453 posts)Response to kentuck (Original post)
kestrel91316 This message was self-deleted by its author.