(Fred Weinberg) – The mainstream media has a love/hate relationship with Donald Trump and to a lesser extent Ben Carson.
It lines up with the hardcore conservative wing of the GOP—it wants them dead, cold with a stake through their hearts.
Financially, however, these guys bring eyeballs. Lots and lots of eyeballs which translate into huge ratings—even for networks like CNN and CNBC which usually cannot even spell ratings.
As Trump said recently during a New Hampshire press conference which was live on quite a few networks, “If we weren’t where we are in the polls, we wouldn’t be live on tv right now.”
So, as much as the left-leaning media wants Trump and Carson dead, they have no interest in actually killing them.
For that, they are depending on the conservative wing of the Republican Party. And, hopefully, not before a brokered convention.
Now that every day GOP voters seem to have decided that the outsiders are a more than viable option, the so-called “conservatives” are whipping themselves into high dudgeon to make Trump and Carson non-viable.
Normally, such a situation would cost the GOP the White House.
But as upset as some so-called “Conservative Republicans” are, they cannot seem impose a litmus test on Trump and Carson.
Now I’ve always felt that voters are not as worried about what someone HAS done as what they WILL do.
The reason for that is we have been lied to so much, there is almost no way to determine if past performance will indicate future performance. So, sometimes, voters have to go with their gut.
Let me share a corollary.
The now famous “Citizens United” case was decided, essentially, on one question.
During the Supreme Court’s oral argument in the case, Justice Samuel Alito asked, “could the government ban political books that contained express advocacy if an incorporated entity was involved?”
After much ducking, bobbing and weaving, Deputy Solicitor General Malcolm Stewart finally said what is the truth. Yes, given the campaign finance laws, the Government did have the power to ban a book.
That single answer changed the course of history because this is the United States of America and we DON’T ban books.
So, when Donald Trump asks the question, “Who do you want negotiating for you? Me or… them,” the reaction is similar.
Look at the Republicans standing on the platform. Look at the Democrats.
Have any of them ever negotiated a deal? Have any of them ever built anything. Have any of them ever even held a job?
It is at that point that any sort of litmus test goes out the window.
Because the average voter knows that Donald Trump’s skill set—and to a slightly lesser extent Ben Carson’s—is more important than a political philosophy which is trotted out at election time but may or may not be consistent absent an oncoming election.
Professional politicians of all stripes have gotten us where we are today.
The first rule of holes is that when you are in one, stop digging. Do you really think a professional politician is the answer—no matter what the professional media tells you?
Mr. Weinberg is publisher of the Penny Press. Get to know more about him by visiting www.PennyPressNV.com.
