Jonathan Chait published a report in New York Magazine on Trump’s campaign that rang a bell in that interview with Arne Carlson. First, Jonathan:
Trump dominated the Republican primary because he mastered one weird trick. The trick was to constantly spout wild and offensive comments, frequently targeted at women or people of other races or nationalities, generating a constant stream of news coverage focused on Trump’s latest outrage. Since most Republican voters really like outrageous comments, especially when they’re directed at women and people of other races or nationalities, this technique worked well enough to overcome Trump’s massive strategic and organizational liabilities as a candidate. But since most voters in the electorate as a whole feel differently, Trump’s outrageousness is now compounding rather than hiding his technical incompetence.
And from Arne Carlson’s interview in City Pages:
Two people came into the campaign with public policy. And it was Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton. And the media very quickly galvanized behind Donald Trump. They saw their ratings go up the more they covered Trump. They ignored Bush’s attempt to talk about public policy, and virtually ridiculed him. I’m not often critical of the media, but I am this year. And it’s driven mostly by television, and ratings.
I.e., money and ego – because the very few people do something and hope to be ignored. While I had no great hopes for Jeb, it’s unfortunate that the hollow circus performing in his neck of the woods attracted more attention, and now the GOP is left with a nominee who not only has little chance of winning, but is beginning to drive GOP members away.
But for all that it’s tempting to blame the media, it’s important to note that the facts of the matter are out there, available to everyone with a computer and an urge to do the research. To my mind, it’s more accurate to blame the sub-culture involved, a culture nurtured by the radio talk show hosts and Fox News (recall that Fox News viewers are not as well informed as other segments of voters), spoon-fed misleading views, false ‘facts’, and trained not to really think. Trained on outrageous statements, as Chait notes Donald has that down to a T – but he’s not on their leash, and so the GOP threatens to spin so hard it may fragment.
