Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 06:08 pm
During his final interview with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show, President Obama offered a piece of media criticism that perfectly explained why Republicans are stuck with Donald Trump.
Obama was discussing the media with Stewart when he said, “The media are a bunch of different medias. Some get on my nerves more than others. What I’m most concerned about is not that it’s unfair or too tough on government … but that it gets distracted to shiny objects and doesn’t always focus on the big tough choices and decisions.”
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The President was talking about the media, but he also nailed one of the dynamics that is fueling the rise of Donald Trump. The media loves celebrities and controversy. They media is drawn to these cheap forms of news coverage like a baby to a shiny object. Donald Trump knows how to do two things very well.
Trump knows how to appeal to Republican primary voters by speaking their extremist language, and he knows how to be the shiny object that the media can’t say no to. The country does have a serious decision coming up over who will be the next president, but instead of discussing issues, our corporate media is head over heels for Trump’s antics.
Obama criticism of media applies beautifully to Donald Trump, who is playing both Republican voters and the media in a cycle that reinforces itself. Trump says crazy things and his poll numbers go up. The media covers Trump because of his high poll numbers.
The Republican Party is responsible for turning Donald Trump into a political figure. Fox News’s Fox and Friends gave Trump a regular Monday segment on their show. The 2012 Republican candidates courted Trump for his endorsement. Republicans let Donald Trump in the door, and now he is burning down their house.
Trump is being fueled by elements that are out of the control of the Republican Party, which is why Obama’s media observation applies nicely to why Republicans are stuck with Donald Trump.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
