As the raucous American 2024 election campaign season enters its final weeks, it’s important to note a few ‘lasts’. It’s the last Donald Trump campaign, win or lose he will never run again, and it’s the last American election where legacy media has any remaining significance and influence. Witness the current scandal meltdown at CBS News and their marquee news program 60 Minutes, the last gasps of a dying insustution that was once the gold standard of American journalism. It was all over for CBS News when they fired producer Catherine Herridge and kept her personal journalist notes until they were forced to return them under threat of court ordeal. Any serious news organization should release full interview transcripts of major interviews, but that’s not how things work in legacy media anymore. Asking hard questions of politicians isn’t considered fair, unless that politician is Donald Trump.
Ah the Donald, legacy media loves to hate him but they can never quit him. Neither can the Democrats, without him there’s nothing to fire their base. I’m sure everyone knows people who love conflict because they feed off the negativity. It’s life energy without which they have no motivation. Just look at the state of Japanese politics after Abe was assassinated, no vision, no agenda, no action. It’s mindless, listless reaction.
The latest media meltdown over Trump’s photo op at a McDonalds in Pennsylvania is the latest in a long sting of his classic media plays where those who get it have a good laugh, and those who hate him tear their hair out. Or at least pretend to whole relishing the opportunity to play off it. Salmon to the fly every time. It’s great old fashioned spin from a master spinner on the level of Teddy Roosevelt, a person raised in great privilege with the rare ability to genuinely connect with anyone and everyone, an everyman who can dream big and do big things. A tycoon (a Japanese word btw) who energizes everybody he comes in contact with. Positive or negative reaction is up to the individual but the dynamic is undeniable. Or to borrow another Japanese word, a person who makes other people ‘genki‘. And even folks who don’t like him much say this: when he’s interacting with people, he’s very present. You won’t see the likes of a business or political tycoon who thinks and acts big like TR, FDR or DJT from the great state of New York, or anywhere else, ever again. The culture that birthed them is gone, Donald is the last of the line. Enjoy and cherish it while it lasts.
PS: And if you had any illusions about the remaining relevancy of legacy media, Joe Rogan’s 3 hour talk with Trump administered the final needle. There’s no going back.
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