Bullshit

“Bullshit” has now become one of President Trump’s favorite terms. Mine too. Watching the panoply of cable television pundits, I am constantly yelling this expletive ... to the chagrin of my wife and grandchildren ... because talking-heads are forever spewing silly, foolish ideas ... even Trump.

However, the bullshit-saying Orangeman is offering a whole lot fewer of these suicidal insanities than the arm-waving Democrats. That is why I will vote to re-elected him in November.

Talking Heads

Some cable TV channels do have scripted opinion shows. However, those that are in the slightest impromptu require their talking heads to keep talking. Dead air is death. As a consequence, a lot of what is said on these political shows us drivel ... and mindlessly echoes what is said by other "pundits" on other shows or even a few minutes earlier on the same show. Most talking heads are inherently lazy and couldn't come up with an original idea or perspective if their inflated salaries depended upon it. This must be the reason why a particular political bent takes over these channels and seldom changes. And this is why they are rightfully called "echo chambers."

Let me offer an example -- once I was invited to offer my thoughts about bar tending in a panel discussion. Even though I had no experience in this profession, the money was good, so I agreed to fake it. I did this in the following manner -- I was always late answering questions and would reword a previous respondent. I did this so successfully that I was offered a follow-on gig that never happened. However, using this experience as a template, I understand how many cable TV talKing heads can offer opinions on things they know absolutely nothing about.

Next time you watch one of these shows, follow carefully and see if I am not right.

Branding

As I reluctantly hobble into my dotage, I do suffer one benefit ... realizing more clearly how cynically politicians try to brand or rebrand themselves and their opponents. We will be witnessing a perfect example of this public relations pirouette this week when we watch the Democrat convention. I think I have already discerned a major theme of this staging ... Republican = dark versus Democrat = light.

Most left-leaning major television network's talking heads and newspaper op-eds have already echoed the notion that the Republican convention and, in particular, Donald Trump's acceptance speech was "dark and foreboding." This branding idea will be to contrast this with Hellary's light and shining upbeat message. She is already wearing more white and pastel pantsuits and emphasizing a lilting optimistic message to contrast with what she describes as Trump's doom and gloom pessimism. Watch for many repeats of this attempt to rebrand Hellary from her current popular perception as Beelzebub ... into the belle of the ball.

This remake is particularly important due to Hellary's almost universal current image as being untrustworthy and self-serving. So her rebranders have the daunting challenge of turning not just a sow's ear, but all of its naughty parts ... into a silk purse. The word has probably gone out to use only rosy words and images ... a task which will be made more difficult by any more terrorism attacks or other news downers during the nominating ceremonies. If one monitors the Dem's convention from this perspective, it might get one through all those mind-numbing stem-winding speeches and other inanities

Watch and see if I am not right.

Libretto

A libretto is the script or narrative for an opera ... often in English.  You can frequently see the standees at the back of the opera houses following all the singing and arm waving with their libretti ... even silently mouthing the words.  Now we have such a narrative for the Republican nomination process which is as melodramatic as many of these German or Italian arias.  Basically, the theme is -- even though Mitt Romney has a virtual overwhelming chance of winning the Republican nomination, there is still a statistically measurable chance (if the moon turns blue on the same night as a Martian landing in Hoboken) that there will be a brokered convention (no candidate gets more than 50% of the delegate votes).

Why do these media pundits sound so slavishly hopeful (and silly) for this to occur?  It's the money honey ...  The news media wants to maintain the high ratings and circulations that they have enjoyed so far in this Wagnerian political songfest.  And, if they can keep the American public on the edge of their seats for the rest of the Republican primary/caucus season, maybe they can just continue to pay those high salaries to their rabid talking heads and Op Ed writers.   How did that line go in the Watergate hearings?  "Follow the money ..."  [Also, many on the media left hope against hope that continued hostilities can also fatally damage Romney.]

Readers, don't be sucked in ... the fat lady has already sung.

Gatekeepers

When I started a software company I was told that the people we should try to attract first were the "early adopters" or "information sentinels" or "technology gatekeepers".  Unfortunately, the definition of such people was a little circular in that they were often described as those people who would be the first purchasers. (Doesn't this seem tautological?)   Moreover, they were imbued with supernatural powers in that they could make or break a new software product.  We, unfortunately, never made a complete Steve-Jobs-like connection to enough of these pioneers.

History and culture are replete with such gatekeepers or vanguard pickets: the Swiss Guard for the Vatican; the Beefeaters at the Tower of London; Charon, the ferryman to Hades; the velvet-rope bouncers for Studio 54; military sentries ("Who goes there?"); and even St. Peter, the Pearly Gates keeper in Heaven.

Gatekeepers often have much more power than their stations in life.  This is why so many people aspire to such vocations.  For example Op Ed writers and talking heads on TV (and even bloggers) attempt to funnel public opinion in the direction of their politics and ethics.  They are very often financially successful and inspire others to emulative their behavior.  Let's call them opinion sentinels.  However, even more powerful are those who control the sources of information that opinion sentinels use to shape their messages ... information gatekeepers.  This was traditionally the role of the various media outlets. 

However, recently there is a newer and much more powerful entrant into this information gatekeeper role ... a role that gives it enormous prerogatives in shaping future events.  As of yet, this gatekeeper has been rather modest in flexing its gatekeeper muscle.  But I doubt that this will be an on-going shyness ... and this worries me quite a lot.  Who is this giant newcomer to this information gatekeeper role?  [Scroll down please.]

Wall Street Speaks

Dow Jones Industrial Average YTD

Recently we were told that, if the U.S. debt ceiling was not raised, the stock market would immediately crash by at least 1,000 points.  Now, the debt ceiling has indeed been raised and The Barry has inked the compromise bill ... and what has happened?  The Dow Jones Index has dropped almost 800 points over the last week ... almost 260 points of which happened today ... even after this supposed "catastrophe" has been averted.  Now, Wall Street typifies cynicism and contrary-ism, but why have buyers, in euphoric relief,  not rushed back into the stock market?  May I offer a few possible reasons for this Wall Street swoon:

- Despite the stated objectives of this deal, there is a strong likelihood that this current administration will not live up to the compromise's terms that are contain therein ... just like the Democrats did not live up to the early-on deal that they struck with Ronald Reagan wherein tax rates were cut but somehow the bigger spending cuts never occurred (see Reagan's Deal).

- This compromise did nothing to address the elephant in the room, entitlement reform.

- The debt ceiling, being raised by this deal, results in immediate (profligate) government spending whereas the "equivalent cuts" will take place over ten years.

- This next round of before-Thanksgiving budget cuts dictated by this deal will be designed by a "bipartisan committee."  If we thought that the political theater was farcical for these last sweltering weeks, just wait until this committee starts its deliberations ... quickly followed by dueling press leaks.

- This bill contains no serious path to achieve a balanced-budget amendment to our Constitution.

- This grand compromise enables The Barry to avoid another debt ceiling battle before next year's election.  This likely increases his chances of having another 4 years of waygu beef, White House festivities, and frequent family vacations.

So, those talking heads who had opined about the financial markets positive reaction to this deal (or the negative reaction to the "no-deal" alternative) were dead wrong ... perhaps because the words coming from their heads were stifled by about a yard of their bowels.