Trump LOVES Trump

I just came across this in my “Google News” app and could NOT resist sharing it!

Analysis by Chris Cillizza, CNN Editor-at-large

(CNN) Donald Trump needs you to know that Republican candidates don’t just like him, they love him. And they need him. Badly.

At a rally on Saturday night for Ohio GOP Senate nominee J.D. Vance, Trump made sure the crowd knew that Vance was subservient to him — big time.

“J.D. is kissing my ass he wants my support so bad,” Trump said.

Trump was reacting to a New York Times story that reported Vance had not actually invited Trump to campaign with him in the state. Instead, Trump’s team had simply told Vance that they would be coming to Ohio for a rally.

Trump’s campaign stops have always been, primarily, about Trump. You can tell that by the amount of time he spends talking about himself (a lot) versus how much time he spends talking about the candidate for whom he is ostensibly campaigning (very little).

But he has rarely thrown a candidate he endorsed so directly under the bus as he did Vance over the weekend. “He made J.D. Vance look like a mouse, not a man,” former Virginia Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock told CNN of the moment. “It was humiliating.”

Comstock is right. It’s hard to see Trump’s characterization of Vance as little more than a lackey benefiting him in his surprisingly competitive race against Democrat Tim Ryan this fall. Even for those voters who like Trump, the portrayal of Vance as little more than a lickspittle isn’t terribly appealing.

But that’s not what Trump cares about. Not really.

Sure, he visited Ohio to campaign for Vance — at least on the surface. But what Trump is really doing is burnishing his own brand — and basking in the adulation of his most dogged supporters. To quote Trump from more than three decades ago: “The show is Trump, and it is sold-out performances everywhere.”

That’s what you always have to remember when you are trying to understand the strategy or motivation behind something Trump does. Trump is all about Trump — first, last and forever.

And so, the most important thing Trump wanted to get across to those in attendance in Ohio over the weekend is not why they should vote for Vance. It’s that he remains uber-popular among Republicans and that every GOP candidate — Vance included — is desperate to have his endorsement.

That such an argument is belittling to Vance and makes him look both small and desperate is of no concern for Trump. The key (and only) concern is how does it make Trump look — strong, powerful and still very much coveted.

That’s all that matters.

Source of Article

Masking and All That Crap

“I think they’ve made the masking and the distancing and all that crap a political issue. They use it to depress the economy and put people out of work.”

This was a comment made at a local “Cruise for Trump” rally. According to the newspaper article, approximately 100 people attended. Only a few wore masks. MANY wore Trump hats.

It continues to amaze me that there are individuals who are convinced mask regulations and restricted employment are “political.” But then, this is the claim of their esteemed (and worshiped) leader so what else would they think?

Another person at the rally talked about how the “mental toll” of social distancing has made life hard for a lot of folks. He went on to say … All of us are concerned about keeping ourselves and our neighbors health and whatnot, but this has gone on too long. (Emphasis mine.)

“This. Has. Gone. On. Too. Long.”

Again and again the prevailing opinion among Trump-supporters is that we should just return to normal living. Ignore the virus. Everyone go back to work. Party hardy. If people get sick and die … well, how sad, too bad.

I suppose I’ll never understand this kind of thinking. From my perspective, the appearance of this virus is not now and never has been a “political issue.”

Even though Trump has made it one.

And then there are those who continue to believe trained and experienced medical professionals are wrong. That it’s all blown out of proportion and, in actuality, the body simply has to produce the necessary antibodies to ward off the virus.

As one well-known (albeit unqualified) individual recently stated: “The key to beating COVID isn’t dining through glass or never going to a concert or a ball game again. It’s your immune system.”

So you see, folks … not to worry. Trump and friends are in control and it will all be over sooner than you think.

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Image by Asad Nazir from Pixabay

Trump Supporter

(Photo credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

I happened to read this post as a result of the author’s comment on another blog. Although her remarks about Trump and his latest rally were difficult to get through, I decided to reply and offer a couple of my own thoughts just to see what would happen. I made a point of NOT attacking her OR Trump and to keep my input relatively neutral (as much as I could).

I appreciated that the blogger did the same in her response to me. Even though she held firm in her opinion of Trump, she expressed herself without getting down and dirty as so many Trump supporters tend to do.

I’m sharing this with you because I think it’s sometimes good to get an idea of why his supporters continue to see him as their golden boy.

If you decide to comment on her post, I hope you will keep your remarks civil. To attack him or her opinion of him accomplishes nothing and the discussion eventually ends up in the gutter. Besides, you can always come back here and let off steam. 😄