March 20, 2016

She's sick, he's sick, we're all sick.

So Donald J. Trump tweeted that Megyn Kelly is "sick," and Fox News issued a statement saying Trump has an "extreme, sick obsession" with Kelly, which I'm reading in New York Magazine under the headline "Fox News Denounces Donald Trump’s ‘Sick Obsession’ With Megyn Kelly After New Diatribe."

Sickness is a metaphor, but it's contagious. The cure is to notice that your thinking has taken an imaginative leap and return to your senses. If you can't, you're not mentally ill, you're just mentally lazy and too easily manipulable by the power-seekers using nothing but words.

Why did Fox throw Trump's word "sick" back at him? Why are those who oppose Trump — often criticizing him for his harsh, crude language — picking up his style of speech? They are throwing away their best argument — that normal, serious candidates don't talk like that.

If he gets other people talking like him, he's no longer an outlier: It's just the way we talk here in America, where we are losers, who don't win anymore.

ADDED: Why doesn't Fox just say "I'm rubber, you're glue, whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you?"

I see Hollywood just brought back Pee Wee Herman.

39 comments:

David Begley said...

With the use of the word "sick" Fox is speaking Trump's language in order to appear fair and balanced. An apology of sorts for being Trump's shill. A stab at objectivity.

pellehDin said...

The opposition has always talked like that. It's Trump that has ripped away the fog of confusion by counter-attacking.

Suddenly, the "level of political discourse has deteriorated." Hogwash: suddenly the victim is fighting back.

Guildofcannonballs said...

"They are throwing away their best argument — that normal, serious candidates don't talk like that."

They know if that's their best, their best won't do.

When the decades of "I am Reagan's heir" lies have become clear enough for even the dumbest of rubes to see through, including by process' I have contributed to by starting small rhetorical fires in order to prevent The Conflagration, the guy not claiming that vast untruth seems honest by comparison, especially when all kinds of small lies he does tell are compared to the Big Lie he doesn't.

When the mobs are screaming "throw the bums out" repeating how much of a bum your dad was and how you are really, truly a bum too despite that gosh darn money and success and power you created for yourself isn't mentally Buckleyful.

David Begley said...

And if her employer didn't defend her, Megyn Kelly could move to CNN.

She would draw more viewers than Don Lemon.

Oso Negro said...

In law school people speak in endless measured tones, with layers of nuance and sophistry, spiced with occasional flashes of wit. In real life, someone eventually just beats the shit out of an asshole like Donald Trump. Honestly, I think he would have been a better man if he had been punched a few more times earlier in life.

rhhardin said...

Trump is saying that soap opera women are sick. He knows that Megyn Kelly is just playing to the news audience.

Soap opera women should like that. Diseases, tears and weddings are chick fare.

wendybar said...

I heard that some Trumpsters are giving out Megyn Kellys home address. That is dangerous...where is Trump calling them out on this?? Somebody IS going to get hurt, and then what happens?? 1968 all over again?

Guildofcannonballs said...

OT: "Bum's son" is what Jim Rome (the sports radio host mentioned here the other day by a commentator) labeled Wade Phillips, since Wade's dad was nicknamed Bum.

This is an exception to my comments above and has to do with the pronoun vs. noun distinction.

And now Rome can call Wade "Super Bowl Champion coach of perhaps the greatest defense to ever take the field, especially if any of the Cam Newton hype was legitimate and not the NFL and media cheerleading for black athletes to have success at the QB position like Rush said regarding D. McNabb" and likewise. If McNabb is Super Duper Greatest Man of all Time and the Broncos defeated him seemingly without nearly as much trouble as Brady (white skin) gave them, then the Broncos defense was better than the 1972 Dolphins or 1985 Bears or the best Baltimore ever produced combined, in sundry combinations of theory.

And Donald's defense is better than the Broncos.

traditionalguy said...

No energy, Lying Little Fox News is avoiding the spotlight for actually having 4 months on a continual sick obsession with destroying Trump. So what. Suck it up buttercup. Or get a job in Gawker.

wendybar said...

I heard that some Trumpsters are giving out Megyn Kellys home address. That is dangerous...where is Trump calling them out on this?? Somebody IS going to get hurt, and then what happens?? 1968 all over again?

Guildofcannonballs said...

"I heard that some Trumpsters are giving out Megyn Kellys home address. That is dangerous...where is Trump calling them out on this?? Somebody IS going to get hurt, and then what happens?? 1968 all over again?"

I would be extremely frightened if I had been cracking a bunch of others' eggs to make myself big old omelets and then I was told people were gonna start cracking my egg.

Very, very afraid. I might just be too scared to vote.

Or, I might sic Donald on the people taking my eggs, we know the egg takers are powerless against Donald.

cubanbob said...

Fox has to defend their talent but the reality is that Kelly is obviously doing her best to sandbag Trump. When it comes to Trump Fox isn't all that fair and balanced.

Dan in Philly said...

Don’t argue with idiots because they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience. —Greg King
Never argue with a fool; onlookers may not be able to tell the difference. —Mark Twain
Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. —Proverbs 26:4 (King James version)

Here's why people didn't want to engage with Trump in the first place. Now he's being taken seriously it's hard not to go to his level, and that's how he wins.
So far the dems haven't experienced the difficulties in engaging with Trump, but they will.

RMc said...

She's sick, he's sick, we're all sick.

Where's Jules Feiffer when you really need him?

Amexpat said...

Why are those who oppose Trump — often criticizing him for his harsh, crude language — picking up his style of speech?

That was Rubio's big mistake. He most likely would have lost Florida anyway, but at least he would have come out this with some dignity and a political future.

Anonymous said...

Just more sick misogyny and bullying...but that evil bitch Megyn Kelly, it's all her fault, eh?

Bob said...

It seems obvious to me that Trump, in his passive-aggressive way, wants to fuck Megyn Kelly, and has either been rejected already or he anticipates rejection. It's just the sort of scummy behavior you expect from a blowhard with a combover like Trump's.

Laslo Spatula said...

It isn't misogyny until the orange ball-gag is brought out.

And then it is only misogyny if the woman protests but you put the orange ball-gag in her mouth, anyway.

If she consents -- or demands -- the orange ball-gag then it is just a thing people do.

I hope that clears it up.

I am Laslo.

David said...

There is another more hip meaning of "sick." "Awesome, supercool, outstanding."

Anonymous said...

The MSM was never concerned about civility when the left was the only side throwing bombs.

'Normal, serious' candidates are so 2 decades ago. We aren't living in normal, serious times. The people understand that politics ISN'T serious. It's a shell game, a scam. Enter the man who is willing to smash the scam, Mr. Trump.

We aren't in Kansas anymore, Toto!

Sebastian said...

@TCom: "The MSM was never concerned about civility" True. Case in point: reactions to W. Now retroactively enshrined as establishment moderate, but a Bushitler radical neocon the day before yesterday.

Trump is just applying his PUA skills to Kelly (and Fox and Americans).

DB said...

"They are throwing away their best argument — that normal, serious candidates don't talk like that." Are you saying that is FOX's best argument, the best argument of the news media in general, or simply the best argument? If the best argument against any candidate is that he or she doesn't talk like "serious candidates", we are lost in facile analysis. Who cares what "normal, serious candidates" talk like? That they are often eloquent in their deception? Or overly measured when passion is in order? And who are these normal, serious candidates? Would that be Clinton? Or Rubio? Or Romney? Or Kerry? Or Nixon? Or Carter? . . . I know words matter, but really "their best argument"?

Hagar said...

Trump and Kelly should both go easier on the make-up.

Bob Ellison said...

Chachi loves Trumpy.

Phil 314 said...

Interesting...
I just watched Best of Enemies last night. The premise of the documentary was that the ABC Vidal vs Buckley debate segments of their Party convention coverages was the beginning of the shouting heads, he said/she said partisan news.

One of Vidal's motivations was a firm belief that Buckley was a closeted homosexual.

Wince said...

"Sick of Myself," Matthew Sweet.

You don't know how you move me
deconstruct me and consume me.
I'm all used up, I'm out of luck I am star struck
By something in your eyes
that is keeping my hope alive.

But I'm sick of myself when I look at you
something is beautiful and true.
World that's ugly and a lie
it's hard to even want to try.
I'm beginning to think
maybe you don't know.

I'll take a leave, the room to breathe
The choice to leave it
I'll throw away a chance at greatness just to make this
dream come into play
I don't know if I'll find a way

'Cause I'm sick of myself when I look at you
something is beautiful and true.
World that's ugly and a lie
it's hard to even want to try.
I'm beginning to think
maybe you don't know.

Michael K said...

"Kelly is obviously doing her best to sandbag Trump. When it comes to Trump Fox isn't all that fair and balanced."

That's what I see on the few occasions I watch Fox.I don't know where Dave gets the idea they are "propping him up."

Megyn acted like a giddy schoolgirl in the first debate.

Phil 314 said...

Interesting...
I just watched Best of Enemies last night. The premise of the documentary was that the ABC Vidal vs Buckley debate segments of their Party convention coverages was the beginning of the shouting heads, he said/she said partisan news.

One of Vidal's motivations was a firm belief that Buckley was a closeted homosexual.

pm317 said...

Trump should read off from a teleprompter what some of his advisers say from now on -- quit tweeting. Listening to Stephen Miller, he is the new face from the campaign and he is great. One of the points he just made on Bartiromo's show was that America cannot prosper as a service-based economy alone. I have not heard any other politico say that so far. And you want to know where I heard it first? Some 20+ years, when we were discussing 'America and its future' with one of our brilliant Indian friends.

Bob Boyd said...

Most candidates would flee from the sick obsession charge. It wouldn't surprise me if Trump proposed he and Megan Kelly settle their differences with a televised series of jello wrestling matches in lieu of further debates.

Sebastian said...

"One of the points he just made on Bartiromo's show was that America cannot prosper as a service-based economy alone. I have not heard any other politico say that" Because, umm, with the U.S. having among the most productive ag and energy-production and industrial systems (the leading export product of our "service-based economy" is ___), it's beside the point, and "bringing back jobs" won't bring back jobs -- as farms and warehouses and assembly lines and back offices and soon trucks and fast-food places and you-name-it can do without low-skilled labor (and before long, higher-skilled labor). Of course, any economic measures Trump has gestured at so far, like trade wars, would cause blowback and higher prices in a way that is likely to hurt at least some of the people now supporting him.

rehajm said...

Of course, any economic measures Trump has gestured at so far, like trade wars, would cause blowback and higher prices in a way that is likely to hurt at least some of the people now supporting him.

Don't hedge. It will hurt all of them.

Big Mike said...

A more responsible response from Fox would have been along the lines of the following:

"We understand that Mr. Trump is uncomfortable with hard questions from a tough journalist like Ms. Kelly. Nevertheless we pay Ms. Kelly to ask hard questions. If Mr. Trump wants an easy life without difficult questions he should reconsider whether he will be happy in the job for which he is campaigning so energetically."

______________
* Yes, I deliberately juxtaposed the words "responsible" and "response."

David Begley said...

Bob Ellison

How is that endorsement even news?

Who's next? The Fonz?

Michael K said...

"any economic measures Trump has gestured at so far, like trade wars, would cause blowback and higher prices in a way that is likely to hurt at least some of the people now supporting him."

Even the people working in the auto plants in Tennessee and other southern states ? Those jobs came from the "content" rules on Japanese cars in the 80s.

mikee said...

Trump's response to Kelly's sandbagging attempts is weak.

Hillary would have had her investigated by private PI's to find incriminating personal information, and used that information to suggest to Kelly that nicer questions would be appreciated. And if nicer coverage of Hillary did not occur, her name would be dragged through the mud by Carville, Begala, Emmanuel, and every other Clinton operative for weeks and weeks publicly, with lies, ridicule and condemnations of Megyn Kelly until the problem was solved.

Trump's way has the benefit of speediness and lack of expense, plus no paper trail to cover up the horrible behavior Hillary used in the 1990s and will no doubt use again.

Obama would simply do nothing, knowing that his supporters in the IRS, DEA, EPA, Justice Department, and probably even those in the Ag Department would do their best to destroy her life.

loudogblog said...

I just watched the new Pee Wee movie on Netflix last night and liked it. I will admit that one of my favorite Pee Wee moments was when he was at the MTV music awards after he got busted for masturbating in a porn theater (seriously? I thought that S.O.P. if it was a good porn film.) and the first thing that he said to the crowd was "Heard any good jokes lately? Ha! That's so funny, I forgot to laugh."

jg said...

Strong erotic fantasy, Oso Negro. One assumes Trump has brawled as a youth. If he hasn't had to since, that speaks rather well of his intellect, doesn't it?

traditionalguy said...

The executive class writes off employment as a non-existent state. Work is now expected to be. Temporary"gig economy" work akin to the farming out cloth weavers pre-dating factory employment.

We are to be a vast pool of temporary day laborers like the illegals today.

If that does not electa Trump, only insanity explains the voters.