Romney vs. Trump

Television makes stars.

Didn't we learn this during the MTV era, when suddenly Duran Duran came out of nowhere and started selling prodigious amounts of product? Some consider "Off The Wall" to be superior to "Thriller," but the latter far outsold it, because of the videos, because of the airplay, it became a phenomenon, and although it was Michael himself who came up with the moniker "The King of Pop," he was certainly the most famous and successful musician in the world at that time.

Politics is show business for ugly people. And these ugly people, usually better educated with greater powers of reasoning than the faces on TV, believe they rule.

But they don't, not in the consciousness of America. The political class has disconnected from the populace, Washington, D.C. is in a bubble, the average person is clueless as to Congress, maybe not even knowing the name of their own representatives, but they're aware of Donald Trump, because he's on TV.

Furthermore, despite being deep into his sixties, Trump understands the modern star paradigm, which is to keep yourself in the news day after day, to create story. Funny how Kim Kardashian and Donald Trump are smarter than all the marketers in Hollywood, yet they're excoriated for it. But not by the public, the people they're appealing to adore them.

And you know television... You beam into people's homes and they think they know you, even if this is far from the truth.

And sure, some of the people on TV have become wealthy, but those with the money, like the Koch Brothers, like every billionaire in America, believe that cash is king.

But that is untrue.

Personality is king. Identity is king. We adhere to those we know, and if you're an unknown you're kept at a distance. We are family in America, it's a tribal country, and Donald Trump has a huge tribe.

And he's educated and worldly and somewhat intelligent. This is not a nincompoop who hasn't be around the block who'll ultimately kill his chances with an inane comment betraying his lack of sophistication. That's Ben Carson, who might have gone to Yale, but when he started pontificating on the pyramids...he lost us.

And in today's world you don't admit your mistakes. If caught in a lie you might ultimately laugh about it, but then you move on. This is another place where Hollywood has it wrong. If you're going to rehab for an offense, doing a mea culpa, you've already lost. Does Kanye apologize? No, he keeps doubling down. The public is sick of wimps. They want someone to take a stand.

And Donald Trump has.

It's irrelevant if what he's spewing is rational or doable. Most people know that D.C. is gridlocked, no one individual can have that big an impact. So, they figure why not give this guy a chance, he's not one of the usual suspects.

Unlike the lifers in D.C. Who are confused as to whether they're selling experience or popularity. This is the vortex Hillary finds herself in. Instead of just listing her CV, putting her accomplishments on LinkedIn, she's trying to be touchy-feely, she's trying to triangulate, and that's so nineties. Today you bite back. We can take it. It's only those inured to the old game who are offended.

As for the rest of the media... Do you really expect struggling outlets which are all about subterfuge and linkbait and advertorial to stand for truth, justice and the American Way? They're not Superman, they too are enthralled by money and fame, which is why Judith Miller helped lead us into the Iraq war. The public trusted the "Times," little did people know that Miller was not on their side.

And I know it's a head-scratcher, on so many levels Trump is not on the little guy's side. But compared to the establishment, compared to Mitt Romney, compared to Antonin Scalia, compared to elected officials, never mind lobbyists, he's a paragon of purity.

Come on, Scalia takes a free trip to shoot birds with Bohemians on the property of someone who got a favorable ruling from the Supreme Court? You expect the public to trust the congresspeople who keep lauding him?

And most of America tuned Romney out when they found out he transported his dog on the roof of his car. You can't harm a pet, can't put one in jeopardy, and expect to maintain the public's trust.

Furthermore, it's not just about Trump, once again it's about television. Pollster John Dick found out that voters prefer Mark Cuban to Donald Trump, check it out: http://bit.ly/20VYG37

But Cuban's not running.

Not that he's ruled it out in the future.

And if you're waiting for a return to normalcy, you're probably anticipating a return of respect for lawyers, which plummeted in the aftermath of Watergate and has never recovered.

It's about constant messaging. And a dollop of truth. And they haven't had that spirit in the GOP for oh so long. Trying to get the poor to vote against their interests by trumpeting moral causes... But the truth is everybody has a gay relative. And most people like government sponsored health care. And cutting taxes on the rich hasn't helped them one bit. The GOP needs a new message.

And Donald Trump is laughing all the way to the bank. Arguably his brand has increased in value more than he's spent on his campaign.

You shouldn't be surprised. Entertainers have been heroes for decades.

But that was back when income inequality wasn't rampant and people believed their elected officials represented them.

The joke is on us.

We liked the Trump story.

The media liked selling it to us, for the ratings, for the advertising.

Sure, he's got unfavorables. Then again, everybody wanting to be liked has faded in the rearview mirror, today it's about displaying your edges and consolidating your adherents, this is what the Democrats can't understand about the Tea Party.

I don't know if Trump will win the nomination. It's a crazy year where data statisticians have been wrong time and again. Because despite the computerization of our society it comes down to people.

And media/technology.

Who could predict Rubio would turn into a robot, quashing his chances?

Not someone living in the past, who doesn't realize we live for train-wreck YouTube videos. Best to be yourself and fly off the cuff as opposed to appearing inhuman as you play a game we deplore.

Does Romney really expect the public to jettison Trump after nearly a year's worth of wall to wall coverage?

Then he's probably expecting Kanye to fade too. A man who has made one outrageous comment after another, but is still in the public eye.

And both take their message straight to the public. Actually, they play both sides, they manipulate the media too.

How long did it take Trump's competitors to tweet?

Furthermore, the Donald had already accumulated followers. His competitors may have been laying pipe in politics, but he'd been collecting followers for years, and it's these followers who've put him in the position he's in.

Who knows if he says what he believes.

What we do know is Donald Trump realizes politics is a game. And right now he's playing it better than any of the established players. Because he realizes the rules have changed, whereas they keep wanting to go back to the past, like a record company insisting people buy CDs and artists complaining about streaming.

You deal with the hand that's dealt you.

Past may be prologue, but tech has taught us every few years an unseen product comes along and wipes the slate clean.

Bob Dylan had it right all along...

He not busy being born is dying.


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