I find it incredible and depressing how far into realms of fantasy the media, the punditry, and to some degree both political parties have descended. It isn’t merely daydreaming. It’s more like fugue. A few days ago Robert Reich wrote about “annulling” the Trump presidency, obviating the necessity of impeaching Trump, Pence, Ryan, Orrin Hatch, Mike Pompeo, etc. (or whoever succeeds Paul Ryan).
The president’s “Red Wave”. The overwhelming likelihood is small movement in the direction of the Democrats. They will probably gain seats in the House. Enough to take control control? I have no idea. That Democrats will also take control of the Senate is very unlikely. Possible but unlikely. Assuming it to be the case is a fantasy.
The Trump is the greatest negotiator in the history of the presidency. Or the worst.
Democrats go ballistic over Republicans saying things that Democrats including President Obama have been saying for years (“monkey around”). Republicans fantasize about “draining the swamp” or even just diminishing the power of the federal bureaucracy.
It isn’t limited to politics. Pundits who aren’t Catholics or are Catholics whose Catholic education was limited to a few Sunday school lessons in anticipation of their First Communions or confirmations and don’t even know any priests socially fantasize that popes and archbishops are ordinary American politicians who respond to opinion polls and outraged op-eds rather than being the aristocratic rulers by divine right of an institution that thinks in centuries and millennia rather than hours and days. Just as a hint the center of gravity of the Catholic Church is no longer in Europe. Or the United States. That isn’t to say there isn’t plenty of fantasizing going on among the clergy, too. There is. They’re no longer the smartest, best educated guys in town with willing flocks who’ll just do what they’re told. At least not in Europe or the United States. And that isn’t all the fault of Europe or the United States.
Reality is hard and confusing and complicated. Fantasy is much easier.
” that Democrats including President Obama have been saying for years (“monkey aroundâ€). ”
What he actually said was ” “the last thing we need to do is to monkey this up by trying to embrace a socialist agenda with huge tax increases and bankrupting the state.â€
He did not say monkey around. That is a common expression. I have never heard anyone say “monkey this up”. Lived in the South for a number of years. Grew up mostly in the Midwest. Lived in big cities (Philly) and live in the Pennsyltucky part of Pennsylvania. Never heard it anywhere. Read a lot also, just not a common expression at all, unless there is a small area of the country I don’t know about that uses it.
That said I am largely in agreement as almost all of this stuff gets overblown. As I keep saying, it is the job of think tank, talk radio, cable TV and various other people to make people angry over any perceived slight or mistake. They love taking part of a line out of context out of a speech and blowing it up. And, they make millions, cumulatively probably billions, for doing this. I don’t really se this changing much. What has made it worse, that we have a true maestro of the media now as POTUS. He uses the media so much more effectively, and toxicly IMO, than anyone else ever has.
Steve
Fantasy or delusion? It’s sometimes tough to tell.