Trump says Obama is the "founder of ISIS" a dozen times in two days. Included in these are several opportunities provided by friendly journalists to clarify that he means Obama policy paved the way for ISIS, but even then he insisted he meant founder, not paver.
The next day he claims we fail to understand his sarcasm, only to then add that he was not really being all that sarcastic, honestly.
Honesty is about the last characteristic we can attribute to Trumpspeak.
Most revealing was this exchange in one interview.
Journalist who suggested Trump meant to say that Obama policy paved the way for ISIS (which is not an accurate claim): "I’d just use different language to communicate it..."
Trump Responds: "But they wouldn’t talk about your language, and they do talk about my language, right?"
Some analysts have pointed to this exchange and concluded Trump is brilliant, because he knows what he is doing here. I conclude he is just a skilled bullshitter, stumbling into a strategy that works.
Either way, the exchange reveals that bullshitter is the best label: he is not merely a liar, but he actually does not care whether his words are true or false--his goal is to fundamentally misrepresent himself, to fake us out, to present a phony image designed to confuse and incite and mislead us about what he is up to...which increasingly seems like the most callous and unpatriotic (and dangerous) form of brand management.
We need to keep our eye on the target: there are two choices and only one is qualified.
After the election we can work to push HRC to more progressive positions. But for now the Clay Bennett cartoon above says it all--one candidate is a cesspool of danger and hate who must be prevented from winning--no other question matters until this is accomplished.
Then we can return to the ongoing struggle to strengthen democracy and social justice and prosperity.
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