• xantoxis@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    Remember, we’re talking about what the “final straw” is that broke the camel’s back.

    Nah, though. We’re not.

    Howard Dean was squeaky clean when “the scream” happened. He was everyone’s favorite, and it was too early to say for sure at that moment but we felt like he could win the whole shebang. Then he screamed and it came crashing down. It wasn’t a “final straw”. It was the only straw. A straw made of Republican propaganda and enemy action, swallowed by democratic liberals.

    As for Jeb Bush, he was underwhelming from the start. Nobody wanted him to be president; probably not even him. “Please clap” was his admission that his campaign wasn’t working at all. Again, not a final straw. In this case there wasn’t even a camel in the room, just Jeb, giving up.

    None of these models applies cleanly to Trump. It’s not a “final straw” because there’s a mountain of straw; bales of straw as far as the eye can see. It’s not Howard Dean for the same reason. It’s not Jeb Bush either, because Trump may be faltering but he is literally incapable of throwing in the towel. He doesn’t even contain that, as an option.

    So I don’t know why this one is sticking, but I think we’re closer to Jeb Bush territory than Howard Dean. I think everyone but Trump is getting a glimpse of the fact that this is going to be a bloodbath for him.

    • Nightwingdragon@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      Dean and Bush may not be the most on-point comparisons, but my main point was to say it isn’t always a big thing that could cause a political career to come crashing down. Sometimes, it’s little, seemingly pointless things that just stick for all the wrong reasons.

      Same thing could end up applying here. For all the racism, misogyny, corruption, lies, criminal acts, and Trump doing things literally daily that would have ended anyone elses career, Trump has been all but untouchable. And then someone called him weird. Sure, there was the NABJ interview, but the “weird” thing had already stuck, and if it weren’t for that, it’s very possible that that interview would have just been written off as another example of Trump being Trump. But nope. Now he’s weird.

      Of all the things Trump has said and done with impunity, being called weird may be what does the trick. Go figure.