The Comey Comedy And Other Spoofs From The Washington Post
The Washington Post’s Kathleen Parker opinion article titled, “How Can You Still Doubt Trump’s Intelligence?” ...
...can simply be answered by unearthing his IQ. Similarly, by unearthing his tax returns, we could find out just how honest a man he is, and a whole lot more about him.
Good luck unearthing the truth in either of those.
Although Parker’s opinion piece is written with a touch of sardonic humor there is a sense of vocal altruism to her question as it projects an image makeover for Trump as an intelligent and positive force. I wonder if Trump senior advisor, Kellyanne Conway, thought of this same ruse to get back into the headlines again herself?
An impressionable person reading this opinion piece, especially, coming from the Washington Post, the bastion of journalistic integrity, may get either a false impression, or be persuaded to alchemistically rethink Donald Trump.
Parker’s admiration of our new president’s intelligence for duping America through the media about secret tapes, suspicion of other people’s credibility, diversion of media attention to any facile issue regarding someone else, as a positive force, is mistaking “intelligence” for his “reptilian” instinct to survive.
This is not a trait to be admired in a United Sates president. Trump is on the ropes, exclusively to his own doing.
Parker refers to Trump’s “intelligence” as a “craven sort of cunning.” We could call this “crazy like a fox.” In most cases this is a term of endearment, alluding to a person’s ability to punch and counterpunch in, out and around difficult situations. It’s a talent and an art, and can be used for both good and bad intentions.
Some of the most despicable characters in history, however, had this same trait instinct, and also used it to survive. Most of them, in the end, did not survive their own demons.
I’m not going to insult the President of the United States by using the Washington Post’s Kathleen Parker article premise to compare President Trump to Adolph Hitler, Jack the Ripper or Charles Manson, but these men did have that same “craven sort of cunning” that Parker suggests. All of them “on the ropes.”
Parker’s proffered admiration of Trump that he seemingly turned the cards against “boy scout” James Comey by openly suggesting to America, through the media, that he may have tapes of their private conversation is misplaced. This is not admirable intelligence. It’s deviance.
Parker is swooned by Trump’s cunning in turning the tide by redefining former FBI Director Comey “as a dishonest leaker who may have lied were it not for nonexistent tapes of their conversations.”
This is not intelligent or cunning, it’s a shameless, pathetic reptilian survival technique. Every con man, petty thief, and junior high school miscreant in the world knows and uses this, mostly as a last resort before capture.
Parker says that “The media, alas, had no choice but to entertain the possibility that there were tapes.”
“Alas?”
Okay, now I get it, she’s being tongue-in-cheek, kitschy, Shakespearean. Her whole article premise is not to be taken seriously.
By having observed Donald Trump over the last months, and over the years, knowing his style of executive performance art, his megalomaniac tendencies, and by using her own instincts, Parker could have assumed, and been correct, that there were no tapes, or truth, to be unearthed. But instead she chose to seemingly complement the President on his ability to deceive and lie, in a fun reading opinion format.
Parker’s article, viewed now as a spoof, goes on to comically dissect the whole Comey firing and testimony circus as a tribute to Trump’s reptilian talents, and concludes that “It takes a certain kind of intelligence to spin a yarn so counterintuitive and defiantly false that some people will believe it anyway...”
This is a well-written, clever article. You wouldn’t expect less from the Washington Post. It’s thought provoking and edgy, but a little irresponsible in my opinion regarding the subject matter and the implications.
How can I still doubt President Trump’s intelligence? I never doubted it in the first place. Never underestimate, anyone. Especially someone on the ropes. But in Trump’s case he does’t come off as intelligent as much as he comes off as deceitful and pathetic.
Parker concludes by qualifying her piece, submitting to her own satire ...“Alternatively, Trump could be just as confused as he hopes others will be.” I guess that means, all’s fair in love and war. Now we’re all confused.
If I was an impressionable young journalism or broadcast media student, however, who took stock in anything the Washington Post said, I might rethink that Donald Trump’s behavior as president, his talents for abusing the truth and his deceptions were all good things. I might think that he was “intelligent” in the false sense and be okay with it.
Writing an opinion column is serious business, especially, when the stakes are high regarding, say, the President of the United States and the careers of government officials and appointees to critical positions like former FBI Director, James Comey. A touch of humor is always welcome, but a touch of finesse is more important. A journalist must use his or her instincts and powers of observation, and a certain amount of wisdom/experience, to cut the fine line between conjecture, humor, and the truth.
A journalist, an opinion columnist, must never mislead or confuse and get caught up in his or her own desire to escape irrelevance.
People read this stuff. They act on it. Don’t confuse them.
John Kushma is a communication consultant and lives in Logan, Utah.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-george-kushma-379a5762
http://newsbout.com/a/John+Kushma
