Fox’s Gregg Jarrett is clearly not a big fan of Donald Trump’s huckster candidacy. Not that Jarrett mentioned Trump’s birtherism as any reason to discredit him. Instead, Jarrett attacked Obama for having “set the bar so incredibly low” for experience that Trump could be attractive.
Jarrett likened Trump to the carnival barker in Carousel, calling him “sort of a modern day Billy Bigelow.” However, Jarrett added, “And I mean that in a complimentary way because in politics, you’ve gotta promote yourself.”
Republican strategist Adam Goodman called Trump “a master brander but yet he’s got a message… He’s talking to the disaffected, not the intelligentsia.” The big question, Goodman said, is whether Trump is offering a “real remedy” and “the jury’s out.”
Fox News’ Ellen Ratner was more critical. She described Trump’s greatly adlibbed speech as “all over” and “a laundry list of things that are wrong with America.”
Not one person mentioned Trump’s birtherism as a possible disqualifier. Or even as a drawback.
Jarrett did mention that Trump has “a tendency to exaggerate.” “Everything he’s done has been ‘phenomenal,’” Jarrett said. “His hyperbole sometimes segues into gross exaggeration. Could that be a problem for him?”
That would have been the moment to bring up the birtherism but Ranter merely said, “He has bought into his own press release” and said it could be a problem for him in connecting with voters.
Surprisingly, one of the falsehoods Jarrett cited was Trump’s claim that the U.S. has spent $5 billion on the ObamaCare website that “to this day, it doesn’t work.” Jarrett pointed out, “Well, yes it does work.”
“They’ll have a field day fact checking Donald Trump,” Goodman said. But he also claimed that Trump will talk to average Americans “in a way that is unfiltered, unbridled and maybe have some kind of impact.”
If that is the case and Trump’s candidacy gains real traction, Fox knows who’s to blame: Obama.
JARRETT: Well, he (Trump) doesn’t have any experience in government office, he’s not a politician, as he is quick to point out. A lot of critics of President Obama say that president has set the bar so incredibly low that a guy like Donald Trump could be really attractive to American voters.
Nobody worked Benghazi into the discussion, but we’re still in the early days.
Watch it below, from Fox News’ online Strategy Room.
I heard a millenial use this phrase recently when the subject of blaming others came up. Her elderly Fox watching Grandpa said he’d never heard the phrase. We had a good laugh as she explained it to him.
Nixon Trainee Ailes is good friends with the Bushes, the Bushes are friends of Fox “News.” The suits behind the curtain will do what it takes to derail the Trumpster’s presidential run.
Pay close attention to the “code words” used by the mouthpieces. Words such as “bankruptcy”, “Chris Christie”, “self-promoter”, etc. The mouthpieces will emphasize these words and others repeatedly to cast doubt in their viewers minds about Trump. Instead, this will create a backlash on Fox “News” and these fools will watch their ratings decline.
Race Bait Hannocchio is faced with a difficult dilemma. He and the Nixon Trainee are loyal friends of the Bushes. The Trumpster will look to Hannocchio and the Foxies for support of his campaign. Insiders know the top suits don’t want Trumpster as president.
Grab a large bag of popcorn and a cold soda.
