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Is this any different then what was said during Obama term. At that time they tried to paint him as a socialist. Then when that went nowhere they tried to make it appear he was not born in the US and paint him as a muslim. Do not forget that Trump was one of the leading people behind trying to make this case. Even more funny, he said he had evidence but as always with Trump producing that evidence is always hard for him to do. Trump is being treated no better or worst than any other president who make way to many comments without going through the political filters. He gives ammunition to his enemies because he doesn't have a filter or know when to shut up. People who love him believe this is some grand strategy and people who hate him believe he is just stupid. Only time will tell which group is right. |
Yes, there is a clear difference. Obviously, part of politics is to slander your opponent since in many cases in today's politics people vote against a party, not for one. But let's go deep into what these attacks mean.
Being painted as a socialist is considered a taboo to republicans, but why? Because for republicans it is messaging a sign of naivety or a lack of understanding of reality. Another way to look at it is they were calling Obama stupid. To paraphrase a very in-depth and complicated argument, 'He ignores historical precedence or knowledge of life and economics.'
As for the Muslim attempt, I do not condone this attack especially since it was slander, and I believe that was a poor attack that did not work preciously for that reason. The messaging that was likely behind it was to question his legitimacy as an American who could govern the country he ran. Especially since some of his policies were perceived by republicans to demonize or trivialize American heritage. As always, the key word is "perceive."
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So, how is the attacks on Trump different ? (Which is a fair question). Trump is considered stupid which is nothing new in the political realm. What is different is that these recent attacks are not merely about his intelligence or his moral character. Rather, the messaging is that Trump and his supporters are trying to emulate the worst dictators of human history. Only a fascist would separate kids. Only a Nazi would try to block people from coming to this country on a basis of race. Trump is racist, sexist, and every other -ist and -ic out there. It's not even the idea that he is evil, it is that he is the definition of evil. Therefore, we as citizens have a moral obligation to stop him at any cost because he is the greatest threat of our time. This is not a fringe statement. Members of the press, Late night shows, cable (political) news, members of the house and senate, celebrities, all have major influence of traditional media.
Now, I do remember times where Obama was compared to Hitler, and I also remember the reaction. No one took them seriously. It was some idiot on the fringe who grossly simplified the President. Just as those attacks should be considered. Politics is an ugly place and I do not expect civility in that realm. However, to use the dictators of the 20th century as part of analogy better be damn well thought out, because as Jordan Peterson would say, it is sacrilegious to use the most tragic events in Human history for expedient gain.
The numbers also speak for coverage of Trump compared to past presidents.
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