The Secret to Trump's Success

Let us return to the scenario I outlined in an earlier post

Moderator: Senator Cruz, what is your position with regard to a proposed return to the gold standard?

Senator Cruz: A fiat currency such as that we currently have enables a government to print money at will, running up huge debt and paying it off by devaluing the dollar.

Moderator: Mr. Trump, how do you feel regarding a gold standard?

Trump: Senator Cruz is a liar.

Note that Trump never answers the question. What is Trump's view on the gold standard? If there are 12 other candidates on the stage,  all he needs to do is stall for 30 seconds.

Let's be honest--debates on policy are often boring. But when Trump insults someone else on the stage, it has an element of "I'm calling you out, Undertaker!" that even the slowest, most ignorant viewer can enjoy. So yes, ratings go through the roof, just as they did for The Great Mephisto when he fought Rocky Johnson.

So the next day, what do the newspapers and news channels lead with? "Cruz Argues for Stable Currency" or "Trump Calls Cruz a Liar"? When Cruz steps before the cameras the next day to outline his monetary policy, what is the first question he gets? So Trump comes to dominate the news cycle with an idea-free campaign.

"Flooded with Guns"

"We flood communities with so many guns that it is easier for a teenager to buy a Glock than get his hands on a computer or even a book."  President Obama

This statement is like a bullshit onion--you keep peeling away layers of bullshit to try to get to a nugget of truth, but there's nothing there.

Who's flooding these communities? What do you mean "we," Kemosabe? I don't remember flooding any black communities with guns.

The funny thing is, I grew up in a community "flooded with guns." As a kid I had access to two .357 magnum revolvers, a 9mm Luger, a .22 revolver, and a .22 rifle, plus ammo.  My dad was a cop, but we weren't by any means the most heavily-armed family in the block. Other kids' dads were fond of deer hunting, so they had .30-06 rifles and 12 gauge shotguns for pheasant, among other firearms. Every kid on my block had access to guns.

If you're the slow-witted person who believes anything president Barry says you're expecting me to talk of the carnage that traumatized me as a child, the shootings, the killings, the sound of gunfire causing me to toss and turn at night, the bleeding bodies sprawled on the street, my survivor's guilt at being one of the few kids in my block to make it to adulthood, etc.

My neighborhood was crime free. There was zero gun violence of any kind. As kids we roamed the neighborhood freely.

The problem isn't guns; the problem is dysfunctional neighborhoods where almost everyone votes for Obama. Get rid of Obama voters, and the crime rate drops to near zero.

Why do background checks? Why bother closing the imaginary "gunshow loophole"?  I propose a simpler test: anybody who voted for Obama should be denied a gun. 

Great Leadership in France

​French Prime Minister Manuel Valls came forward today with a brilliant response to the violent extremism incident in Nice, France. This level of genius reminds me of the eloquence and fearless leadership of President Barack Obama.
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(Remarks are translated from the original French.)

"I categorically condemn this incident of reckless driving. There are those in this country who wish to outlaw fireworks, and this tragic incident shows what happens when you create a climate of hate.

We flood communities with so many trucks that it is easier for a teenager to buy a Renault [truck] than get his hands on a computer or even a book. 

Today marks the most deadly driving incident in French history. The driver was apparently armed with a handgun and a powerful assault truck. This massacre is therefore a further reminder of how easy it is for someone to get their hands on a vehicle that lets them mow down people in a school, or in a house of worship, or a movie theater, or in a nightclub. And we have to decide if that's the kind of country we want to be. And to actively do nothing is a decision as well.
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​We also know when people are armed with powerful trucks, unfortunately, it makes attacks like these more deadly and more tragic,  In the days ahead, we will have to consider those realities as well. In the meantime, today, our focus is on the victims and their families."

Why Are Race Relations Worse?

​As I write this 3 police officers have been murdered in Baton Rouge. The question is, after the nation's first half-black president was elected, why are race relations worse? Picture the following scenario...

A black man is accused of raping a white woman in an ambiguous situation. She claims she was raped; he says they had several drinks together and sex was consensual. A video of the two at a club that night goes viral: some claim it shows her fighting him off, others say the two are dancing, or perhaps arguing, which is no proof of rape.

​Racial tensions are heightened, so the president goes to the microphone and urges calm. At this point, he says, it's unclear what exactly happened. Everyone is entitled to the presumption of innocence, and rather than leap to judgment, we should patiently wait until all the facts are known. If the incident goes to trial, we should respect the jury's decision.

That is what a normal president would say. That is Americans' expectation of a president. But what if the president does something else? Suppose he goes to the mic and says...

"My fellow Americans, incidents like this are all too common. In this country there's a long history of this type of thing. [The president names two other white women who claim to have been raped by black men.] When certain communities are afraid to go out at night, something is wrong. We know that statistically whites are far more likely to be victims of interracial rape. If I had a daughter, she'd look like the victim."

What might happen to race relations?

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