by Jon Rappoport
August 30, 2015
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“You could take the five major news networks and filter Jesus Christ, Buddha, Hitler, Stalin, Attila, Gandhi, and Lawrence Welk through them, and eventually you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference among them. They’d all come across in the same way. That, in fact, is the purpose of television.” (The Underground, Jon Rappoport)
I have nothing against hope, but the brand of naïve hope that surfaces during every presidential election season is truly ridiculous.
Candidate after candidate lies through his teeth, and the people buy in.
Now some are saying The Donald is running to form a third party and thus hand the election to Hillary. Whereas the preferred alternative would be what? Prince Jeb? There’s a difference between Hillary and Jeb? Who’s kidding who?
Or they say The Donald is running to provide a safety valve, so the American people can blow off steam, but ultimately wind up with nothing to show for it.
If that were true, so what? Public despondency will set in? What grotesque political swamp-soup are we wading in now?
I approach this from a different angle.
Trump is unpredictable. He’s the only unpredictable presidential candidate in recent memory. That’s a major plus, because the press can’t do anything with him. They attack him on point A, and he responds with his own attack, or he replies with a non-sequitur, or he just changes the subject because he’s bored with the reporters.
He’s mentioning taboo subjects. Bring back tariffs on US imports. Get rid of inner city gangs.
He says something culturally and politically incorrect, and the press jackals go after him with flashing teeth and claws, fully expecting a take-down, demanding a grovel—and he shrugs—and his approval ratings go up.
Putting the press into the wall—this alone is a feat worth celebrating. Reporters want Trump to be one defined thing they can identify, and then they want to assault that…but he keeps shifting ground and juking and putting on new moves and faces. He drives them crazy.
And the crowds at his speeches are building. Maybe he’ll fill a football stadium one of these days.
What brings the people out? They sense he hasn’t got a script. They love that. They think he’s a different breed from Politician 1-A Normal. They love that, too.
The press hates that.
Right now, The Donald is all throwaway lines—and that’s good. If he resorts to analysis, the press will bring on an army of experts to refute him “on the facts.”
Megyn Kelly thought she’d make a bigger name for herself by trumping the Trump, and instead helped power his new numbers-busting popularity. Another defeat for the press.
When it comes to election campaigns, you have to understand that the job of the media is to grind down every candidate to a small series of meaningless truisms.
The press wants empty generalities. They want android candidates in the debates. They want to make a possible something into nothing.
This is a form of intended political correctness that goes largely unnoticed.
Trump has broken the mold. Therefore, he must pay. But…it’s not working. Not so far. Something in the machinery has gone wrong.
Trump has triggered a response in an audience who feels they’ve been bottled up and straitjacketed for far too long. They’ve been seething and straining. They can’t say this, they can’t say that. And they can’t look to presidents for solutions. Presidents spout rhetorical bullshit.
And then a man shows up who seems to feel the same way they do and isn’t afraid to say so.
The press doesn’t know what to do. Every line they feed Trump, in an effort to slam him, becomes the occasion for one of his comebacks that carries the day.
Trump doesn’t use filler. He improvises. He doesn’t play fast and loose behind the scenes; he does it right out in the open.
Worst of all, the media, for decades, built up the image of Trump. He was great copy. His hair, his marriages, his business deals, his scandals, his greedy eagerness for self-promotion.
Now here he is, and he can’t be cast off like an old suit. He’s front and center.
Presidential campaigns ARE the press. That’s the way it’s been for decades. Campaigns are media events manufactured out of slime you’d sue the city for if it bubbled up in your back yard.
The press takes the slime and lies and packages them into neat little products and puts them in front of television viewers. The press runs the campaigns and wins every election.
But right now…a monster has showed up.
Making a joke out of him doesn’t help, either. People laugh, but the laughs are becoming with-Trump rather than at-him. So what if he’s a self-serving cartoon? Isn’t all presidential politics a cartoon?
You can be sure the foul stench-ridden execs at the major networks are trying to figure out how to torpedo Trump. They’re in a dither. This is supposed to be their presidential campaign, not his. They own the franchise. But he’s ripping huge chunks out of their hides.
Is it possible they could unearth some horrendous cheating scandal from Trump’s past, expose it to the sky, and then watch Trump nod and say, “Yeah, I screwed up, so what?”—and his ratings would jump another ten points? Yes, it’s possible.
Regardless of the issues coming to the fore in this presidential season, the real issue, as always, is the press itself. That’s not supposed to be noticed, but more and more people are noticing it. And because they instinctively hate the powdered and coiffed anchors with their presumptive attitudes, every time Trump hits a home run against one of these smug bloodless motherfuckers, it’s an occasion for great glee.
Trump is doing much more than gaining ground on the other candidates; he’s attacking the whole framework of the Show.
He’s sawing off the pillars of the studio sets. He’s slapping the faces of the news hosts. And as the ultimate insult, he’s lifting their ratings.
An interview with Trump isn’t an interview. It’s a circus. He’s essentially saying, with every breath he takes, “See, audience, see this whole charade, it’s ridiculous, isn’t it? Why should I agree to their terms? Why should I consider these doofus Demo-Repub media mouthpieces are any better than I am or you are? Watch me crack the illusion of television. It’s fun. Let’s kick some high-priced ass together…”
On the media front, it’s looking like Trump is too big to fail. The only thing the networks can do is try to shut him out. I’m not sure that’s going to work. He’s cranked up too much visibility jizz.
On the Disney spectrum of personality, Trump is Scrooge McDuck with some Goofy thrown in, plus a slice or two of Mickey Mouse’s good will. But then there is also a piece of Sheriff Joe Arpaio, a clump of Ralph Nader (Nader would hate to admit it), a splash of Salvador Dali, and a passable imitation of Ronald Reagan.
Let the press try to reduce that down to a mainstream presidential candidate.
The television medium, in particular, sets itself up to accommodate the lies candidates tell. It builds studios and lights them for those lies and empty promises. It provides camera angles to feature those lies. It hires hosts and moderators who will facilitate the candidates who lie.
But even all this is not enough. The networks set themselves up to offer a style of lying. Candidates are expected to deploy all sorts of hollow, sanitized, and familiar phrases. They’re expected to affect a fake sense of passion. They’re prompted to offer some fake “new beginning,” as if no other candidate has ever tried that before.
Through these mechanisms, the viewing public is conditioned to expect predigested soulless corporate PR and accept it.
This, as much as anything else, is the death of modern politics. It’s bright grinning groomed zombie android death.
Any man or woman who can come along and punch a gaping hole in that illusion is a threat to the Big Sleep.
Trump is warming to the job.
Could he win the election? It’s hard to fathom it. But again, consider his crooked business past against the crimes of the Bush and Clinton families. In those terms, Trump is a mere piker.
But right now, he’s providing another service. He’s cracking the media egg. And any presidential candidate who even mentions laying on protective tariffs and getting rid of gangs is outdistancing Queen Hillary or Prince Jeb.
Trump is trying to roll crazy sevens and elevens. Hillary/Jeb roll snake eyes every time.
(To read about Jon’s mega-collection, Exit From The Matrix, click here.)
Jon Rappoport
The author of three explosive collections, THE MATRIX REVEALED, EXIT FROM THE MATRIX, and POWER OUTSIDE THE MATRIX, Jon was a candidate for a US Congressional seat in the 29th District of California. He maintains a consulting practice for private clients, the purpose of which is the expansion of personal creative power. Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, he has worked as an investigative reporter for 30 years, writing articles on politics, medicine, and health for CBS Healthwatch, LA Weekly, Spin Magazine, Stern, and other newspapers and magazines in the US and Europe. Jon has delivered lectures and seminars on global politics, health, logic, and creative power to audiences around the world. You can sign up for his free NoMoreFakeNews emails here or his free OutsideTheRealityMachine emails here.
Since the day he, Mr. Donald Trump, announced that he was running for President, I was became intrigued and watched, and noticed the nuance, undertone and timing of his announcement to run for President of the United States. I have written much about this on/at both http://www.westernjournalism.com and beforeitsnews.com
Your above article is right on, excellent and highly accurate with your insights and observations..He is an incredibly bright and astute individual…I’m not so much for him as I am watching, listening and aware of how he his positioning himself, evolving as an overt/”in front of the scenes” politician. and also the how, why and what of his statements… He has vast experience in the business side of world affairs which has made him mindful, observant and aware of the “adjoining” or parallel political side of these same events, observations and also familiarity of many world leaders. It is as if we are seeing what it would have and what could have been, like watching another man of similar ambition, intelligence and tenacious desire for success and also concern for this nation..say in 1940, 1944 or 1948…his name was Joseph P. Kennedy. A man of ambition, pride, success,self-confidence, blunt honesty and just as important if not MOST importantly, a man of highly significant financial INDEPENDENT means and self-made resources with an major independent backbone and equally honest ( perhaps too honest) approach to issues and topics…this sound familiar???
His approach and strategy is right out of “The Art Of War” (I’m sure Joe Kennedy read this book !-I’ll bet he and Mr. Trump were/are very familiar with this book) Since he has no overt or known electoral base to either work from or with, or either hinder him, he has had to approach ( or had the liberty to approach) events , topics and rivals with a blunt, honest and “outsider” approach.
This can be seen, or was early on, could have been a double-edged sword…From the moment he announced I “picked-up on” and was fascinated by the odd, glaring and bizarre “attack” on him from the moment, literally the seconds and minutes after he announced he was a candidate for President…First the timing of his announcement: the very next day, after Jeb Bush made his own announcement to run for President. This could have NOT been lost on media pundits, commentators and their boardroom bosses and managers, who I am sure have their own deep connections to centers of influence and power, including across and within the very epicenters of BOTH political parties, and here especially in regards to JEB, his deep and influential backers, sponsors, endorsers and fundraisers,,,most, if not all neo-cons and also most, if not all (of whom are still around) naturally and inevitably tied to Bush “41” and Bush “43”. That’s a powerful network !!! They have been “around” AND around for a longtime and have deep pockets, tentacles and connections within all the major corridors of US power and power centers…They must be beside themselves as of now, as the “The Jeb Train To The Nomination” has been severely (but currently) slowed down…BIG TIME something that ROVE, BAKER and the many others never anticipated, even this early in the 2016 “game”…
Safe to say, this is also not lost on or unnoticed by Mr. Trump. He needed to make a “BIG splash” and galvanize attention that first day, even for possible “heat” and the risk of short term “loss” for immediate impact, attention, long-term “gain” and press play.and media “gain” (copy)..coupled with his sense of timing and business acumen he succeeded and has over-shadowed JEB ever since…Something that Jim Baker, Carl Rove, etal never saw coming…the literally next and very few following minutes after he announced, it was as if “buttons” were pushed, “levers” were pulled and calls were made to activate “The Mighty Wurlitzer” ( those of you may know, exactly what this is!) as if, I sensed something was put into in play… some immediate program or “action in play” was put in motion to tear him down almost spontaneously with his announcement…I have never seen such an immediate negative almost blind and biased, for lack of a better term, ATTACK, from media centers like MSNBC and even more so on CNN that fast .even to the point of panel discussions on both networks, but much more flagrant and blatant on CNN when even within a few moments after his announcement you would have thought they were talking, laughing about, mocking Soupy Sales, Jerry Lewis or Jeffery Seinfeld running for president and not a man who appeared BEFORE his announcement highly respected within media outlets, who was their local, NY “favorite son” to some degree, “their guy” locally so to speak, to have amassed a highly admired and respected reputation in financial, business and real estate circles and just happened to also amass and acquire through diligence, hard work and with his father built a huge real estate empire in NYC and then he took it even further and higher level and became one of, if not he most successful INDEPENDENT Businessman in the world, building up a reported $13 Billion fortune and dealing with major politicians and world leaders. Thus, Making him vastly independent. BUT, and this is the point of observation here: like out of some Orwell or Huxley novel , very bizarrely, as soon as he announced, like a bolt of lightening (from the Gods or the self-perceived “Gods”?) “all of a sudden” (literally !) perceived and projected as a buffoon and a clown, especially from Gloria Burger, and Wolf Blitzer …either of which just happened to have on hand and just happened to reach for and held up in front of the cameras, a “new” edition those very few minutes, right after Mr. Trump’s announcement, of a NY tabloid style newspaper with an “enhanced” picture on its front page of (supposedly) Donald Trump in a circus clown outfit with some real put down type of accompanying headline….that sounds and looks like ‘something” was activated and “put into play” here…it seems or seemed at the time unmistakable…Gloria Berger was really enjoying herself in this role and loving every word and minute of this panel “discussion” which NEVER ever reach any level that would have or could have enlightened the viewer or themselves as to what impact or potential impact Mr. Trump’s presence would have, as an announced candidate for the 2016 Presidential election, no question ever raised what he would have brought to the table for the 2016 race…only ridicule, scorn and laughter. Something I’ve never seen before to that level or that quick…real quick…and that’s just for starters !!! This is more than anything an observation, as if “looking down” at the unfolding and continuing dynamic and interplay here…Those self-entitled neo-con Jebsters must be ready tp explode like a thermometer or filled with so much white heat as to implode…so far he’s outsmarted his rivals and especially the very well connected ones, one of which is backed and part of a very well established and well placed, deep network which feels very self-entitled to the keys to the WH at 1600 PA Ave. in Washington, D.C. An man with that much wealth, and independence, business experience and quite astute, announcing and becoming a Presidential a presidential candidate can be perceived as a major threat, regardless of his politics (assuming not too extreme) to many…especially to the one’s who feel self-entitled and vastly more connected and “well-oiled” (OILed-pun intended !) that this “loud mouth new guy”…
More observations to follow..i’ll be much briefer !!!
Mr. Krall: You have many interesting points to make, but your post is difficult to follow. May I suggest that in future posts you summarize your points more succinctly, use shorter sentences, and use more paragraphs.
Johnny
You keep promoting Donald trump as the only alternative to the brainwashers What about sanders. He’s been an outcast his whole career. You pat trump on the back for wanting to take out gangs and impose tariffs(which are good ideas)but u don’t bring up the fact the Bernie talked about taking on Wall Street. Breaking up these big banks. Those things need to be done too. And what about the irs and income equality. Both need to be fixed. And the irs is just the collective hand of the fed,that keeps this whole country indebted no matter what we do. How come you don’t bring up the bilderberg group,the cfr,or the trilateral commission? Starting to think there are other reasons you want trump elected. It’s not gonna happen though. Clinton will be put in office by the people who really run the world,the rothschilds and friends
trump ran 4 of his companies into the ground,then used the elite bankruptcy system to save himself. Even if he does piss off the mainstream media and occasionally have a good idea do we want this person in power. He is a business man and I’m sure he’s friends with at least some of the world running power elites. Never know a rich person to actually care what happens to every day citizens Just about their bank accounts and how to make them bigger. And how to gain more power and influence. Don’t you see,they keep us arguing amongst ourselves about race and religion and politics,etc. the whole time they are taking our country and the world over. It’s time to stand and fight them all,not each other!!!!