Trump and the Press
What a shame! It is a shame that our President does not get credit for all the accomplishments of his administration.
The worst part of this shame, though, is that so much of it is due to the President himself. His unceasing war with the press is pouring gas on the fire.
Those daily tirades against the press and media personnel appear to be the result of a very thin skin. In fairness, however, it seems that the press is covered with a similar thin skin.
This continuing war of words conjures up a scene from playgrounds before the era of hovering Helicopter Moms. Picture two eight year olds arguing back then over appearance. One says, “Your T-shirt is ugly.” The other responds with, “Well your mother is ugly.” Then comes, “Well your father is a drunk.” And it escalates from there.
Doesn’t that sound like the press and our President today? Unfortunately, the press and liberals argue that the President’s Twitter account is the sole cause of this running argument.
That is far from the truth. There is no longer a news media. What we have today is print and broadcast opinion pieces.
Take our President’s meeting with Kim Jong-Un of North Korea. Old fashioned news coverage of that meeting would have been like Sergeant Friday in the Dragnet TV series, “Just the facts, Mam.”
A factual report of that meeting would have been simply that the two met at a particular time and place to discuss relations between the two countries. After the meeting, the two leaders announced that North Korea would release some South Koreans from prison and allow them to return home, would begin returning the remains of U.S. personnel lost in the North during the Korean conflict, and would start dismantling its nuclear and missile programs.
What we got instead was a deluge of opinion pieces that our President had been played for a fool. He gave Kim Jong-Un the international recognition he craved and thought he had struck a major blow for denuclearization but will find that the North Koreans will renege as they always have in the past.
Our President’s repeated remarks that we will have to wait and see if the Koreans are serious about denuclearization and that sanctions will continue until there is verifiable denuclearization is rarely mentioned.
Most, if not all, of the men who occupied the White House would simply have shrugged, waved the criticism off, and turned to more pressing business. Actually, that was the only choice they had.
There was no way for them to respond to a larger audience without the assistance of willing news media. Our current President, however, has a new, unprecedented way to reach everyone without the media.
If Twitter had been available to men like Presidents Reagan and Kennedy, they probably would not have used it to castigate so-called newsmen. That would have been out of character for them.
Today, though, not responding would be just as out of character for both our President and the media. So we are stuck with this constant mud slinging for at least two more years.
Now think of all the good news that could be swirling out there if the media and our President could get over their hatred for each other.
Countries that place restrictions and tariffs on U.S. produced goods at the expense of American workers are having to consider if those are fair practices that can continue.
Remains of American service men and women that have lain in foreign lands for 70 years are now coming home.
Federal regulations that hamper business are being slashed by the box load every week.
The unemployment rate is the lowest it has been in years and the lowest ever for minorities.
Because of tax cuts, bonuses, and wage increases, workers are carrying home fatter pay checks than ever.
Truck lines and railroads are pleading for drivers and crew members and offering large bonuses for three year commitments.
The Iranian economy is in a free fall that may lead to an uprising to topple the terrorist sponsoring Mullahs.
Vladimir Putin is worrying about regaining the free wheeling he enjoyed under Secretary of State Clinton and President Obama.
China is in a quandary on how long it can keep its very unfair trade deals with the U.S.
So here’s the perspectve.
We could all have more enjoyable days and nights if the news media would go back to reporting the news uninfluenced by its hatred of the President and surrender in the war of words with him.
Dream on. This will never happen as long as a conservative is in the White House and liberals control the journalism schools.
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