Marshall McLuhan on 2016 Election
The medium and one's ability to respond and adapt quickly to it and its rapid nuances and broad brushes both is the message. And dare I say, Hillary can't keep up the way she's going. Trump outflanked her today, and outrageously. Can she recover somehow or only rely of Mr. Trump's proclivity to self sabotage?
Today, Donald Trump left the press corps in AZ and went to Mexico where he looked downright Presidential. While his is a Twitter speed world, Secretary Clinton plods in another dimension. He whipped that trip together in 24 hours and despite sidestepping concrete methodologies, the meeting occurred. That is in itself impressive. Hillary delivered a speech worthy of John F. Kennedy's Vice Presidential running mate. Oh boy....
Now, about deportation, prior to his AZ speech tonight I will say that deporting 11 - 15 million people simply on the face of it logistically is a potential blood letting. Who would do the organizing? Who would do the gathering? Where would people be gathered?
Some of the men I've worked with in trade-work, who,although I never asked I am guessing at the time I was with them were not papered, some of them would not go peacefully. Some would; some wouldn't. To expect such an undertaking to go smoothly is folly, to think that Trump's words are just words in a novel is an egregious harm. Families, ill folk, small babies, rowdy stoned teenagers who have been in gangs, strong, lean, fit men who literally do two or three times the work of white men in a day, all being put on busses or planes!!! Wow, what a potential for conflagration. Let's see how he modifies, adapts, clarifies his deportation exclusionary baseline.
In terms of baselines and theatrics meeting politics, consider this: suppose Trump's chicanery of every day a different mood and statement, wild suppositions followed by an casual " oh of course I didn't mean that for real - I was being sarcastic" Suppose all of that was a means of setting the bar so low in unpredictability and poor predicted presidential character, that now with two months to polling he begins to act like the man who has consummated hundreds of big time deals, a guy who can listen and deal at the same time - well, his appeal broadens then.
Meanwhile Hillary dresses superbly, has some amazing policy initiatives, including this much needed and aptly outlined mental health, suicide prevention, addiction treatment integrative proposal:
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/clinton-mental-health-agenda-227496
Those policies are lost in Trump's mastery of media. That garners him free air time to do with as he pleases. Many many people in America are fed up with the slow motion, grinding politico intelligentsia sale of time and condition as the product that generates dispersion of goods and services, including work - so fed up that Donald Trump has a real chance of ending up as President.
Two parting shots: how is anyone to handle the lunatic fringe that is included in the mass dissatisfaction? There are people in the hills, some literally, some figuratively, whose anger may turn violent no matter what how the polling on Nov 8th turns.
And, most importantly, does Mr. Trump truly want the responsibilities of being President of the United State? The hair trigger Cuban Missile crisis? The White House Lawn Easter egg hunt? The visit to the Vatican, to West Africa, to places that have nothing to do with resolving Syrian and Yemeni internecine slaughter? How will he handle the reality of Saudi Arabia - that they control the world oil markets and petro chemical culture AND that they contribute financially to reprobate sociopaths' violence - Al Queda and ISIL?
One can't just say those people are assholes, the hell with them. That 16 year old strength will wreak havoc.
What does he think he's going to do about ISIL - bomb exactly what, and with what and who? Does he have a clue what a forward observer is and how many of them die in the desert? Does he realize that rambunctious tactics like COIN thought out by brilliant strategists David Petraeus and Stanley McChrystal cost millions of American dollars - cash in the suitcase delivered by the truckload to sheiks who one day are your friend and next cut you into pieces to boil in water?
Too many days of shenanigans by Mr. Trump in the past have most likely dimmed the chance of his brilliant mastery of media and showmanship to sway the day.
Photo ID's:
NYMA in the flatlight [ New York Military Academy, D. Trump's alma mater]
Two of North Eleuthera, including The Cove's 16' 150 horse that can go 50 miles open flat water to Nassau
Part of my knife collection
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