Wednesday 20 November 2019

Why Doesn't the Public Really Care About the House Hearings on Trump?

My ten observations:

1.  It's not titillating.  There's no NY City trampy gal coming over at 3 AM to service the President.  There's no intern providing 'relief'.  There's no banjo-playing Latino midget gal into bondage who secretly rides Air Force One for the President.  There's no Russian bikini-wearing palm-reading lady that Trump has trusted for 30 years to predict his future and visits weekly.

2.  There's no real understanding of Quid Pro Quo.  If you asked 3,000 Americans...only about 25-percent would have a fundamental grasp of it.  Some would answer that it's a Mexican dish at Taco Bell.  Some would suggest it's a hotel chain in New Mexico.  Some would suggest it's a bass boat company in Georgia.  A few would suggest it was a 1988 x-rated movie that they watched in college. Some might even say it was a TV show with fake Amish people who talked about 'tarty-women'.

3.  The statement that Quid Pro Quo is illegal?  Since when? Bush II and Obama?  You could count up a minimum of 300 Quid Pro Quo acts each.  Your wife?  She probably does Quid Pro Quo (QPQ) daily.  Your son, your neighbor, your minister, your cousin Fred who does all your electrical work in the house, your bartender, your 5th grade teacher, your liaison gal on Friday afternoons, the chiropractor?  They are all into QPQ.

4.  Lets be honest, back in the early 70s, there was literally nothing on TV, so the Watergate Hearings was a big drama?  Today?  You've got Netflix, Jerry Springer with pregnant girlfriends, fighting cousins on tabloid TV, reruns of the Waltons, Mexican soccer league reruns from last night, soap operas from Brazil, and wrestling shows.  There's tons of competition.

5.  This Shiffy guy isn't Sam Ervin of 1973 Watergate Hearings 'fame'.  The image of Shiffy compared against Inouye from Hawaii?  It doesn't match up.  Shiffy comes across as a comedian trying to pretend he's some true authority.

6.  The carrying ability of the networks or NPR, or NY Times, for the Democratic message?  It's just not at the level that existed in 1973, or in the 1990s with the Clinton episode.  Most people label them as 'fake' and you can't convince people to watch.

7.  In some ways, the public has adapted to Trump, and regard him in the same fashion as JFK.  Go imagine some impeachment process with JFK, and how impossible it would be with the voting public.

8.  If you want to chat over 'crimes'....go cite the federal code.  If you can't cite a code....the general public starts laughing.   This is almost like a Matlock show, without a murder or robbery....everyone sitting in the courtroom and awaiting some mystery guest to arrive and point out the crime, so that the show can start up. 

9.  Frankly, we are barely nine months past the Jussie Smollett episode, and people just don't take accusations and crime at the same level anymore.  Everyone is convinced of a fake crime or fake accusation.

10.  Finally, we've seen so much 'drama' in DC over the past ten years.....that this hype on the drama....really doesn't move much past two stars.  Having an episode where Cheney shot his hunting partner.....that was drama.  Having Senator Reid show up with a black eye....now that was a drama.  Watching one of Hillary's coughing attacks, now that was a real drama.