During a speech at a high school gym in Windham, New Hampshire, former President Donald Trump was discussing recent polls that show him leading—Trump loves polls, ratings, IQ scores—- when he referenced former (and disgrace) New Jersey governor Chris Christie. “Christie, he’s eating right now,” Trump riffed. “He can’t be bothered.”
That guy Trump is a regular Mark Twain with that rapier wit of his.
Someone in the crowd picked up on Trump’s erudite insult, to which our ex-President responded to the laughs of the assembled, “Sir, please do not call him a fat pig! I’m trying to be nice. Don’t call him a fat pig. You can’t do that.”
When I say it’s a res ipsa loquitur moment, I mean this all-too-typical episode speaks for itself, or should, without elaboration. But since an astonishing number of presumably astute Americans, at least on other matters, seem to be incapable of seeing why this kind of public rhetoric is a) unacceptable from a national leader, b) the mark of arrested adolescence and gratuitous cruelty, c) evidence of a mind that operates based on bias and prejudice rather than substance, d) the result of a flat learning curve and finally, e) a public statement that only can emanate from an anthropomorphic asshole, allow me to elaborate anyway.
As with the late Rush Limbaugh, Bill Clinton in his fast food days, Trump foe Rosie O’Donnell and many more, including Trump himself, attacks on an individual based on the completely irrelevant nature of their personal appearance is an ad hominem attack, a cheap, illogical, lizard-brained and infantile approach to debate, public discourse and disagreement. People who resort to the despicable tactic do so because they lack the intelligence and erudition to prevail over an adversary on merit, choosing instead to court the mob at its lowest common denominator. It is a practice that all parents need to ween their children from employing by the age of 13, and responsible parents do (mine did). The leap from denigrating someone as fat or a woman as ugly, to just name two popular examples, to denigrating a person for their race, ethnicity, accent or sexual equipment ( “cunt”) is just a few metaphorical inches: if you will do one, I would not trust you not to expand to the other.
I hate to risk the specter of Godwin’s Law, but such insults were standard operating procedure for the Third Reich. Also the KKK. Nothing good comes from this proclivity. Nothing.
Trump got away with ad hominem insults repeatedly in 2016 (“Little Marco”) and he apparently thinks it works because the Electoral College happened to tilt his way. That’s another disqualifying feature of the man: he believes that the ends justify the means.
But you knew all that, I’m sure.
Never mind.
Ethics Alarms 
Can we add… (a) contributing positive ideas to the conversation; (b) demonstrating one’s proven talents in choosing top quality advisors ; (c) articulating well-thought-out policies; and (d) behaving like a rational grownup… to the required qualifications for a presidential candidate?
I blame DJT’s family – just like Dr. Jill – for allowing their family members to constantly make fools of themselves on the national stage. When is enough enough?
Don’t make me spend ANOTHER four years throwing things at the TV whenever one of these current candidates speaks!
You have changed my mind I will not vote. Screw it. There are no suitable candidates. You have lying Biden who tells a gold star mother he brought his own son back in a flag draped coffin during the dignified transition of remains, the others are just asking for money and not giving me a different alternative. We have DC judges sitting in on Trumps arraignment. Why did Judge Amy Berman Jackson and other federal judges feel it necessary to be present in the courtroom for this arraignment other than to send a message. But all we seem to focus on is stupid shit Trump says. How ethical was it for Trumps legal team to be given 1 day to respond to a late Friday motion to prevent Trump from getting discovery by Jack Smith’s team when the typical time frame is apparently 14 days and Trumps team pleaded for 3 days. Why are we not discussing the ethical dimensions of such judicial conduct. I don’t care if Trump is a mass murderer when our judicial system is abused against the rights of an accused we have bigger problems than Chris Christie’s feelings. If it is unethical to behave as Trump does when his adversary makes a point to harm him then we should also be discussing the ethics of Christie who starts the fights.
On domestic policy:
I used to have money in the bank under Trump. Under bidenomics my interest rates have doubled and as a retiree I could not refinance my home when the rates were low because I had another loan outstanding on a rehab project 5 doors up from where I live. Then Covid hit and the economy tanked so I wound up sitting on that property for 5 years. Never again will I use my money to improve my neighborhood. Getting involved is not worth it. Was injecting trillions into the economy an ethical act when even an Econ 101 student would know it was going to astronomically raise the price level when the supply chain collapses. Many American have lost several thousands of dollars in purchasing power since Biden implemented his bribe and spend political strategy. Sure people got hired back after Covid and employers were hiring fast and furious because consumer prices rose faster than producer prices which led to moderately higher profits but soon people will realize that their gift from government in the form of cash payments has evaporated and their standard of living is falling. When that happens those transitory profits will go the way of the dodo and labor demand will fall. That is beginning to happen. How ethical is fraudulently spinning economic data to manipulate voter sentiment? If I misrepresented business accounting data to get investment I would go to jail. If I recall correctly the NY AG was/is trying to convict Trump for misrepresenting property values to banks who are far more economically savvy than those 97IQ Americans.
Only the unethical distraction seems decent but because he will not get anywhere voting for him would be unethical. No reasonable candidate who is willing to challenge the authoritarian regime has come forward so I’ll just let the majority crown Obama as king and let him pick his front man. The rules change like the tide with the Democrats so I cannot debate any points because it rules for thee and not for me.
Foreign policy:
I fully anticipate a major conflict arising from the one China policy and our weakness on the world stage. Why are we not talking about the ethics of speaking out of both sides of our mouths. How is it ethical to give false hope to one group while kowtowing to the PRC president.
If plans that have no chance of succeeding are unethical then I am out of ideas. I’ll just start working on learning Chinese. They will soon own us.
Please excuse my rambling rant. Editing on my phone is damn difficult. Suggest to me a quality candidate and I will give him or her every consideration. It does me no good to keep telling why one candidate is unfit for office. What makes the others better – and don’t just say they aren’t Trump.
Stream of consciousness is often the most effective way to communicate both substance and passion. Good job. Comment of the Day—I’ll fix the typos.
Jack,
I really appreciate what you do here. I wish there were more places to go to get quality thought. When I saw this post my reaction was why are we beating a dead horse: Trump is boorish we know that. This one was like showing me a dollar bill to show me what one looks like. I’d love to explore other areas so that I can understand them better.
My chief complaint is that candidates are just giving me the same talking points which have been bandied about since I started voting back in the 70’s.
I suppose we are just supposed to accept that we have been stripped of our right to government representation by corporate mega parties who package unacceptable policy in a wrapper of lies and shove it down our throats. Can’t vote third party because it’s pointless. Can’t vote for the guy who actually represents the policies we want cause he has a dirty mouth. Call me crazy, but I think the ethical option is impractical and never going to happen. People will tear the country apart before becoming slaves to a tyrannical, corrupt government of thieving fat cats.
Have your heard RFK Jr. on some of the different podcasts he’s been on? He is very reasonable to me and I regret forming my opinion about him before hearing him speak, at length.
I will vote for him gladly. He’s calling out all the things you just posted, and more.
Have your heard RFK Jr. on some of the different podcasts he’s been on? He is very reasonable to me and I regret forming my opinion about him before hearing him speak, at length.
I will vote for him gladly. He’s calling out all the things you just posted, and more.
I will give him consideration.
I liked hearing him interviewed by people like Jordan Peterson who does not have the same views… it was refreshing to hear 2 grown men argue issues without attacking each other and actually seeing people consider what the other way saying!
A Twitter interview with Elon Musk and a bunch of people was also pretty good, he actually started interviewing Elon about some of the things people are concerned about…
I have been pleasantly surprised. And that is NOT something that happens to me with politics. and he will NOT attack Trump or Biden. It’s crazy.
Anyway, let us know what you think.
Here’s the problem:
1. He has no governing experience at all. AT ALL.
2. He advocated prosecuting “climate deniers.” That’s signature significance. He’s anti-democratic and anti-free speech. He’s more of a climate change nazi than most Democrats.
3. His vaccination claims are not just bunk, but dangerous. All vaccines cause occasional deaths and other problems. Not autism.
4. Like all the Kennedys since Jack, he has no business being a public figure at all. America isn’t supposed to have dynasties.
Verdict: His sole use is hurting Biden. he would be a disaster as POTUS.
All those things were addressed in interviews and I was very pleased with the answers. Biden has governed for years and he’s a disaster.
I wonder if you have listened to an at length interview with him in the last month or so? I didn’t hear anything that concerned me. I mean I don’t agree with all his views, yet I found him to be fair to the views of others and open to listen and very courageous in calling out the corruption.
It’s pretty revealing he is being denied Secret Service, and that Biden is now trying to get on Podcasts…
anyway… I’m not much of a politician but he resonates with me as someone who really cares and who will help a lot. He backed up everything he said in a way I have never heard anyone do who’s in politics.
Let me repeat, MMM: he said that climate change “deniers” should be prosecuted. That is literally all you, or anyone needs to know.
The Kennedys have always excelled in making people think they really care.
You won’t vote then go off on exactly why Biden must not have a 2nd term…
1. If Trump and Biden are presumptively unethical choices for President, how about the others?
2. If Trump is obese, can he not mock Christie for being obese, and his ridicule becomes self deprecating by is self wise contradiction. In essence asserting nothing more than “Look at me, just look at me. I love a cheeseburger better than Christie. I know cheeseburgers. They’re the best just like me. But you know that Christie, he’s still eating. I mean he eats slow. I like my cheeseburgers fast. We have work to do. GREAT work. The BEST work. MAGA. And by the way #LET’S GO USWNT”
Guess I need to stop referring to Merrick Garland as a verminous shriveled old goblin, huh?
Absolutely. Verminous is definitely not proven.
Here is a historical counterfactual — what if Garland did make it to the Supreme Court. Would it be possible that we might have a better AG now, dare I say a better Justice Department? Doesn’t seem like it could be much worse.
That kind of elegant insult is much in the tradition of the warring Federalist and Republican pamphleteers of yore, at least. “Fat pig,” on the other hand…
When Perfidy and Treachery, Imbecility, Ignorance Fanaticism and Fury Surrounded Us; all, Puppets danced upon the Wires of a Bastard Bratt of a Scotch Pedlar. — J. Adams 20 May 1816
https://founders.archives.gov/?q=Date%3A1816-05-20&s=1111311111&r=2
!
He didn’t like Hamilton very much, I know it’s hard to tell.
Welcome back,. Valky 😉
Now parse the last insult in this from Horace Greely:
“…that pot-bellied, mutton-headed, cucumber-soled Cass.”