Donald Trump’s Anything-Goes Campaign Sets an Alarming Political Precedent

[babylonsister]

Donald Trump’s Anything-Goes Campaign Sets an Alarming Political Precedent

By JONATHAN MARTIN
SEPT. 17, 2016

snip//

Routine falsehoods, unfounded claims and inflammatory language have long been staples of Mr. Trump’s anything-goes campaign. But as the polls tighten and November nears, his behavior, and the implications for the country should he become president, are alarming veteran political observers — and leaving them deeply worried about the precedent being set, regardless of who wins the White House.

“It’s frightening,” said Vin Weber, a former Republican congressman from Minnesota. “Our politics, because of him, is descending to the level of a third-world country. There’s just nothing beneath him. And I don’t know why we would think he would change if he became president. That’s what’s really scary.”

Stephen Hess, who served in the Eisenhower and Nixon administrations, could not even contemplate the prospect of Mr. Trump as commander in chief.

“It’s incredibly depressing,” Mr. Hess said of Mr. Trump. “He’s the most profoundly ignorant man I’ve ever seen at this level in terms of understanding the American presidency, and, even more troubling, he makes no effort to learn anything.”

snip//

But that is what is so worrisome to many observers of Mr. Trump’s rise. His critics fear that his norm-breaking campaign portends a political future in which candidates pay no penalty for unabashedly telling untruths, disregarding the public’s right to know, and lobbing racially charged accusations.

“I worry that if those of us in politics and the media don’t do a lot of soul-searching after this election, a slightly smarter Trump will succeed in the future,” said Jon Favreau, Mr. Obama’s former chief speechwriter. “For some politicians and consultants, the takeaway from this election will be that they can get away with almost anything.”

more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/18/us/politics/donald-trump-presidential-race.html?mwrsm=Facebook&_r=0

[BSdetect]

1. Terror threat from drumph

He is the biggest threat to the USA and the rest of the world if he ever became CIC.

So lacking in basic awareness.

[stopbush]

2. Thank you, media, for giving Trump a free ride and acting as the prime enablers

in his dragging our democracy into the gutter. He wouldn't have reached first base without your huge assist, which included dumbing down the news and the electorate long before Trump entered the scene.

[Martin Eden]

3. The media needs to fact-check his ass into oblivion.

If they don't, the blood is on their hands.

[uponit7771]

4. For white males only, can you imagine another person doing what tRump has gotten away with?

[sarae]

6. Never in a million years would that happen...

Can you imagine a woman presidential candidate bragging about the size of her genitalia on national TV?!

Or saying she would date her adult son if he wasn't her son?

It would be complete and permanent political suicide.

[uponit7771]

7. omg

[Hortensis]

5. I think the biggest threat is from the lessons learned

by would-be demagogues about how and how much people on both the right and the far left can be motivated to overthrow existing systems. We know, for just one example, that Charles Koch, someone very able to fund a suitable demagogue, is watching and having his experts analyze this whole election very carefully.

Second, of course, are both the freedom and willingness of the MSM to do their job properly. Judging by their astonishing behaviors this election, it seems very possible that major figures may be pursuing secret agendas and that individual journalists may have been suborned by special interests. This is without even looking at media like Fox and talk radio, of course. Regardless of how and why, we know several of our largest media outlets have become too corrupted to serve their purpose in society.

[TomCADem]

8. The Hotel Infomercial Fiasco Underscores The Failure of the MSM

The only reason why he got in trouble was because he was so obvious about trolling, and exploiting the media like a reality star on steroids, and the media got offended. However, the MSM's refusal to hold him accountable is what is fueling his rise.

It is like Octomom running for President. If Octomom announced that she was running for President, the media will mercilessly attack her when she makes off the wall statements. In contrast, Trump is running an unconventional campaign, but the media still gives him the benefit of the doubt, which leads to fiascos like the hotel infomercial stunt.

[politicaljunkie41910]

9. Welcome to the Club, Mr. Martin. What took you so long to realize this?

I've been watching the impact that the Trump campaign has been having on the campaign since last fall when the first primaries began and writing whomever will listen that this type of behavior cannot be rewarded. I just couldn't see how the mainstream media didn't see where we were headed as a nation as the Trump campaign gained momentum. I even used the same term that we were soon to become a third world country because of it. Can you imagine what the next primary campaign will look like when the race is on to see who can become the most bombastic, loudmouth who turns the first debate into something seen previously only on TV on the World Wrestling Federation, where Truth is the first casualty and this time, none of the others is going to stand by waiting for someone to question this lack of decorum and civility and say that this type of behavior doesn't belong in our politics. No next time everyone is going to jump in there full throttle in order to be the next Trump not the one Punked.

Mr. Martin. You and the rest of the media stood idly by and watched one party's decent into Third World Country territory and not only did you not do anything to try and shut it down, you and the rest of the media rewarded it in exchange for the ratings it bought with it. You hung on to Trumps every word because you and your staffs were lazy as the daily news columns and the 24 hour cable broadcasts which centered around Trumps buffoonery of the previous day practically wrote themselves. It's not too late for you and the rest of the lame stream media to turn from your complicit ways and start calling balls and strikes and let Trump and his campaign know that the umpires and the refs are back in the game, and no longer sitting on the sideline as spectators, rather than the participants in the process, we expect them to be.

[WiffenPoof]

11. Wow!

So well written. I just wish the media would listen. Well done!

[duncang]

10. He mentioned turning the elections to a third world level

But that is also what he means by making America great. He wants to be able to treat Americans the same way he does his foreign workers. Doesn't pay them or pays them so little they would not be able to make it with out being in what amounts to servitude. His idea of a great America would be back when there were indentured servants.