“Comic Riffs
New Yorker cover renders Trump as a ‘Modern’ clown of his own making
By Michael Cavna June 9
The New Yorker
WERE FILM FANS to pick a Charlie Chaplin picture that most summons thoughts of President Trump, some might choose “The Gold Rush” or “The Great Dictator,” if not a short titled “The Property Man,” “His New Job” or “Gentlemen of Nerve.”
For his latest topical New Yorker cover, though, Barry Blitt goes with man vs. political machinations in a sly spoof of Chaplin’s gear-grinding clowning in “Modern Times.”
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by Barry Blitt / The New Yorker 2017
“Both Chaplin and Trump are iconic clowns,” Blitt says. “In the classic ‘Modern Times,’ the iconic Little Trump character struggles to survive in a world fraught with calamities of his own making at every turn. Alas, his big red clown tie getting caught repeatedly in the works.”
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See the cover and read the full story here:
President Trump might not be much good at leading the country or the Free World, but he is leading a “clown revival.” Don’t believe me? Try your own internet search using the terms “Trump” & “clown.”🤡🎪
But, as pointed out in this article in today’s Washington Post, out in Trump Country and the GOP, Trump’s performance is “no problema.” Folks agree with him that the Comey testimony is “complete vindication.” It’s Trump’s “I could shoot someone in broad daylight in Times Square and they’d still love me” theory in action. And, amazingly to me, folks can’t figure out how he’s “playing” them and insulting their intelligence at the same time. Forget Lincoln; Trump’s theory is “if you can fool some of the people all of the time, the rest don’t matter, you’ll still come out on top (at least in the electoral college).” https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-sees-comeys-testimony-as-complete-vindication–and-his-fans-agree/2017/06/10/b3c72bd4-4d2b-11e7-9669-250d0b15f83b_story.html?hpid=hp_rhp-top-table-main_trumpvindicate501pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.f45b8a738c11
And, as the New York Times points out in an editorial, we’re in the “Olympics of Trump Apologia” from the GOP. After all, he’s only a seventy-something guy who successfully ran for President. Why should he be expected to know anything about how government works? And, why should the famously intellectually shallow President deign to learn anything or seek wise counsel? That stuff is for wimps and sissies! https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/10/opinion/sunday/its-the-olympics-for-trump-apologists.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=small-thumb&module=opinion-c-col-right-region®ion=opinion-c-col-right-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-right-region
Meanwhile, notwithstanding what most Americans believe to be Trump’s stumbles, the Democrats appear to blowing the opportunity to retake power at any time in the near future, as pointed out in this New York Times article: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/11/us/democrats-midterm-elections.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news
What about a new strategy for Dems: take the time to find out what the majority of Americans, including Trump supporters, really want from their Government? Then, think of ways that progressive Democratic government, at both the local and national levels, could make some or all of those things happen. And, how and why Dems would do a better job of it than the folks in power now. While they are at it, also think about how to address the situation and feelings of those who are in the minority in as constructive a way as possible. Otherwise, even if the Dems eventually figure out how to retake political power, they won’t be able to actually govern any better than Trump and the GOP. And, that’s a pretty low standard!
Trump is running into problems 1) because of his own personality and character (or lack thereof), and 2) because he is governing in opposition to the views and feelings of a majority of Americans, whom he stubbornly refuses to recognize as having a legitimate stake in America and its future.
But, trying to govern with the “hard core 30%” completely “tuned out” wouldn’t be so easy either, particularly because that minority controls a disproportionate amount of the geographical area of America.
PWS
06-11-17