A demagogue is defined thusly: "a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires and prejudices rather than by using rational argument." Sound familiar?
In watching the Morton Downey train wreck documentary last night, I realized that he has a lot in common with the demagogue du jour. I am not going to name "you know who shall not be named" ala Voldemort in Harry Potter. Best not to give him his oxygen... which is media coverage, mentioning his name.
He is not evil, just a megalomaniac and a definite demagogue. I honestly think "Voldemort-lite" is shocked himself. He can't believe he is pulling it off and people are falling for it. This is fun, he says. I can't believe they actually are buying it... I mean, 'everybody loves me.' He tells us that.
Throughout history we have had our share, world wide and here in America of people like this. Joe McCarthy comes to mind, Huey Long. There is a naive sense of amusement and jokeyness about it from the media. But to me it's scary and dangerous. Demagogues start out amusing and grow out of control. Ask Fox which created this one and how it got out of hand.
We have tremendous problems in the world and here at home. We have had a lot of politicians who have let us down, I get that. Hope and change wise if you get my meaning. There is enough blame to go around with two parties unable or unwilling to govern. But that does not mean we have to elect someone without any platform except bluster. Military advice? Oh, he "who shall not be named" gets it from TV. Really?
Years ago I wrote a Mary Tyler Moor Show in which Mary and Lou taught a News Writing class. A ditzy elderly woman was taking the class and wanted to write free lance news... from home.
Lou asked her where she would get the news. "Oh from the radio, or tv or around" she answered. Really?
We will be the laughing stock of the world which will have effects on markets, military and all manner of life. Such as war! You want a bully... go for the real thing. Try Putin. "You are stupid" is not a negotiating phrase. Telling Merkle "you are fat," you were never a 10 like Heidi Klum used to be. "You Germans eat too much strudel." I don't see that as helpful.
He is not going to write you checks, people. He is not going to do anything but bloviate and look what happened to Morton Downey Jr. He was fired after two years. We'd have to wait four for this demagogue du jour. The phrase already works. Let's use it now!