I have long said social media is wonderful until a presidential election nears. Then it becomes filled with “facts” that are false and a lack of thinking and research about what is read online.
A popular one making the rounds is Joe Biden was “the deciding vote” on raising taxes on social security in 1993.” The fact is then-Vice President Al Gore was the deciding vote to raise taxes for some wealthy taxpayers to 85 percent after a 50-50 Senate stalemate. It was an effort to reduce the deficit. A decade earlier, President Reagan signed Senate-passed legislation to tax the wealthy on 50 percent–a move Biden supported.
A GOP ad uses Coronavirus Task Force member Dr. Anthony Fauci saying “I can’t imagine that anyone could be doing more” suggesting the President has an all-out effort underway to battle Covid-19. The statement is about members of the Coronavirus Task Force, not the President. Of course, it’s found not only on TV but everywhere on the Internet which means–it’s cut-and-pasted–everywhere.
Can you say “Fake News?” This is all the result of cut-and-paste which allows one to appear in the know-on top of events-and a go-to for reality. The fact is it requires no thought. We react but we don’t think.
Chances are, it ain’t gonna change before November 3rd.
Our President warned us.
He said he wanted to be “unpredictable” as he started wearing those “45” cufflinks. And many warned with this new gig, he needs to understand things are different from operating a real estate business with his name in big letters (and CAPS).
He has fulfilled that campaign promise.
Yes, the world still exists and yes his words continue to make many try to understand if there is any solid position to be found, although his backers just roll their eyes and point to misstatements by “Sleepy Joe.” The thing is, Sleepy Joe corrects himself while our President points a finger at “FakeNews” because it seeks consistency and some degree of predictability in handling issues (Health Care-the $3.3 trillion deficit-the “China Virus” to name a few.
He is to be admired for finding fiction in facts.
One thing is consistent: November 3rd can’t get here fast enough, even though there are daily questions about what happens on November 4th (and January 20).
President Trump made (and lost) money by cutting deals to buyers to build things. And he likes big things. And he likes them all the more if his name is on the big things.The beauty of where we are right now is he doesn’t understand running the U.S. is different than running big buildings and golf courses and, of course, resorts with his picture on fake magazine covers.
Being President requires more than looks.President Trump has just weeks to make the biggest sale of his life and I am hopeful the buyers will look behind the words like “fantastic” and “never-been-done-before” and, of course, “fake news.” And he like to repeat these points when they’re made because he likes how they sound.For a guy who likes to hear himself, he sure doesn’t listen to himself. But that’s part of the “beauty” of this moment.
Donald Trump is forcing America to think about what has taken place over the past three years. I’m good friends with many of his backers. Most say they will vote for him because they don’t like Sleepy Joe and they’ve never backed a Democrat. That’s not thinking. That’s just repeating and the two are very different. This is a test for each of us. Donald Trump has nothing to do with it–which I’m sure hurts his ego.