This is what it has come down to, folks.
People are actually communicating important information to the President* of the United States by sending messages through Morning Joke, Fakes and Friends, and other cable morning shows he watches.
Time after time he has seen something on these shows and taken it into his brain unquestioningly as though it were the gospel truth. You’d think someone who had been in television for as long as DJT would know perfectly well that not everything on TV is true. But there we have it.
Even members of DJT’s own staff communicate with him in this way. KellyAnne Conway admitted this in a New York magazine interview last October:
Another strategy she employed with him stemmed from the fact that Trump is such an avid cable-news viewer: “A way you can communicate with him is you go on TV to communicate,” she said.
Elijah Cummings got a telephone meeting with the President* by going on Morning Joe and asking DJT to give him a call:
Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings made a direct appeal to Trump on Morning Joe Wednesday morning. “President, I know you’re watching, so I’m looking forward to meeting with you…” he said. “Call me. I want to talk to you.”
Trump evidently was watching. American Urban Radio Network White House correspondent April Ryan reports that the president then “picked up the phone and called Congressman Cummings. He called his Washington office, and the two spoke on the issue of prescription drugs.”
On February 12, John Oliver The Brilliant gave the whole reality-based world a Valentine’s Day gift. He came up with an ingenious way to communicate key political concepts to DJT—creating fake television commercials with the kind of spokespeople he is used to seeing on his favorite morning news shows (this whole episode is good but I have the video jumping to the last three minutes where he talks about the commercials):
*
And we all watched last week, mouths agape, as DJT did a complete about-face on his “I’m not president of the world” “no nation building” “America First” policy after seeing the news footage of children killed or maimed in the suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria. His barf-inducing public statement about the “beautiful babies cruelly murdered” and “no Child of God should ever suffer such horror” was enough to turn your stomach, since the war has been going on and God’s children of all ages have been suffering such horror for six years. If he cares so much about saving the beautiful babies why is he preventing them and their parents from entering this country as refugees?
But I digress. The point is that he saw graphic images on television and he changed his entire Middle East foreign policy (possibly egged on by Jarvanka, since that beautiful babies and child of God language most certainly did not come from his compassionless heart).
DJT doesn’t read newspapers, magazines, briefing books or intelligence reports. He doesn’t pay attention in strategy meetings that are not about him.
If you want to get his attention, put it on television.
Daily Kos is a gathering place for the largest collection of progressive minds in the country.
In all seriousness, we could be a think tank, since we have articulate passionate experts in every possible field in and out of politics.
So since John Oliver has shown us the way, I think this community should think about creating some ads of our own.
Let’s brainstorm here and come up with:
- a (short) list of topics he needs information about
- ideas for “fake” commercials we could create on these topics
- then let’s make some
- then we send them to John Oliver (or Keith Olbermann or Jon Stewart or some other progressive icon with a few spare bucks) and ask if he will finance putting them on the air during the morning news shows DJT watches.
I am 100% serious about this.
Since right now dead babies (not to put too fine a point on it) seem to have his attention, my first suggested topic is as follows:
Babies are dying now in his country for lack of health care and more will die if OCare is repealed.
Can we get some emotionally charged footage from the National Association of Free Clinics of children seeking care in one of those large free clinics they put on? Best would be from one of the red states where Rcon governors have rejected the Medicaid expansion? A warm authoritative female voice could read the voiceover:
These children are suffering horribly, as no child of God should suffer.
If Obamacare is repealed, even more innocent children will go without basic medical treatment until it is too late to save them.
What kind of a leader would do this to his own people?
What kind of a leader could look into these eyes and refuse them the care they need right now?
Only you can help them.
Contact these legislators and tell them: Save the Affordable Care Act. (names and states roll by)
Contact these governors and tell them: Accept Medicaid expansion in your state. (names roll by)
That’s the kind of leadership people admire, in the first 100 days and every day of a presidency.
We are in a desperate situation here. We need bold strokes. We might as well try everything.
Anything is possible in this crazy world. It could even work...
PREVIOUS TRUE BLUE REPORT diaries
Apr 9: TBR SUNDAY: DJT supporters do not realize nuclear war could mean the end of the world
Apr 8: BLUE RIBBONS: Jeff Merkley, Gina Mathew & Connor Balthazor, 70 (!) advertisers dump Bill-O
Apr 7: Not taking our eyes off Heitkamp, Manchin and Donnelly—they should be primaried
Apr 6: Take Me to Your Leader
Apr 5: DJT ran for POTUS to get back at Obama but the person he is discrediting is himself
Apr 4: Obama’s is bigger—Twitter following, inauguration crowd size, and approval rating
Apr 3: Filibuster a SCt nominee? Ds are changing the rules! This never happened before !1!
Apr 2: TBR SUNDAY: Put Your Lights On
Apr 1: BLUE RIBBONS for 4/1/17—Dick Cheney, Richard Burr, Rick Wilson
MARCH
Mar 31: The possible reasons Flynn was refused immunity are all good for the Blue Team
Mar 30: Special Assistant Ivanka—every word she says from now on is a DJT advertising ploy
Mar 29: “It’s just that valuable” — do you know the MAIN reasons Ryan wants to pass the AHCA?
Mar 28: Nipping at their heels
Mar 27: In cheering Republicon failures, think like a surgeon
Mar 26: TBR SUNDAY: Dare we hope the tide is turning? Or is that unrealistically optimistic?
Mar 25: BLUE RIBBONS: Sheldon Whitehouse, Al Franken, Bobby Brooks, Betsy Anderson, ACA phone callers
Mar 24: HaHaHa-Ha-Ha You’re gonna need Congressional approval and you don’t have the votes
Mar 23: Rcons hate Obamacare for selfish, greedy, racist reasons, but not enough to fix it.
Mar 22: Neil Gorsuch’s attempt to seem wide-eyed and innocent makes him look even worse
Mar 21: Using Trump as a bad example—no Trump Sleep, Trump Food or other Trump habits
Mar 20: Is DJT a compulsive liar, or out of touch with reality? Five scenarios...
Mar 19: TBR SUNDAY: A budget is a moral document—a statement of public compassion
Mar 18: BLUE RIBBONS: CBO scorers, Senate Intelligence Committee, Judge Derrick Watson
Mar 17: They know DJT is lying. Here’s one sad reason they follow him anyway.
Mar 16: Mick Mulvaney's ignorant, callous, evil, Republicon definition of compassion
Mar 15: Message Discipline 101—Pushback against Rcon talking points re DJT 2005 tax return
Mar 14: Message Discipline 101—Pushback against Rcon talking points about Obamacare repeal
Mar 13: Culture, Civilization, Rural America, Working Families—the missing word is a “tell”
Mar 12: TBR SUNDAY: The Rcon definition of Christians is as wrong as the Rcon definition of Democrats.
Mar 11: BLUE RIBBONS: A Day Without a Woman, Native Nations Rise, Voting Rights Act still lives
Mar 10: How to talk to people who have trouble understanding actions have consequences
Mar 9: Where’s the fire? The real reason Rs are trying to rush TrumpCare through Congress
Mar 8: Message Discipline 101: TrumpCare, RyanCare, GOPCare, DonTCare—what’s in a name?
Mar 7: How very hard it is for a woman to go a day without paid (or unpaid) work
Mar 6: Can DJT really be stumbling into the exact investigation we want?
Mar 5: TBR SUNDAY: How is it even possible that deplorables see a man of faith when they look at DJT?
Mar 4: BLUE RIBBONS: Chris Hayes, Malcolm Nance, Cierra Fields
Mar 3: I’m glad Bannon, Conway, Carson, Sessions, Miller, et al. are in the DJT Administration
Mar 2: “In every major fire it always starts with smoke. And smoke is what kills you.”
Mar 1: Am I the only one whose skin crawled at the Carryn Owens BIRGing moment?
FEBRUARY
Feb 28: Spinspotting 101: Special Prosecutor for what? It’s so easy to answer that question
Feb 27: Spinspotting 101: I’ve seen no evidence because I haven’t looked for any evidence!
Feb 26: TBR SUNDAY: If Neil Gorsuch were a man of integrity, he would decline the S.Ct. appointment
Feb 25: BLUE RIBBONS: Russia Flag trolling, Dixie Swastika grabbing, District Days demonstrating
Feb 24: There is no such thing as a compassionate conservative
Feb 23: Chief of Staff, Nat’l Security Advisor, GOP Head, President Bannon—too many hats!
Feb 22: DJT has a few questions for you—SMURF THIS POLL!
Feb 21: The end of “access journalism” means it’s time to #sendtheinterns
Feb 20: KAC lying low for now… can we banish her (and all her ilk) from the airwaves completely?
Feb 19: TBR SUNDAY: DeVos cartoon, Ruby Bridges, unearned unhappiness and childlike faith
Feb 18: BLUE RIBBONS: Vice Adm. Harward, Melissa McCarthy, and intel whistleblowers
Feb 17: And Ain’t I an American?
Feb 16: Please tell your family and friends—If you regret your DJT vote, speak up NOW
Feb 15: R-supported forced childbirth laws deny the autonomy of women
Feb 14: What did the president know? Everything. When did he know it? From the beginning.
Feb 13: Coping with The Madness of King Donald by hoping political comedy will save us
Feb 12: TBR SUNDAY: The Poverty and Justice Bible
Feb 11: BLUE RIBBONS: Swastika removers, Ninth Circuit Panel, and the Persisterhood!
Feb 10: The first three words of the Constitution are “We, the People” not “I, the President”
Feb 9: Who first inspired your political activism? Who inspires you now?
Feb 8: We cannot and will not be silenced—Here’s what to do if they try to silence you
Feb 7: Plain Talk Tuesday: Tell people the Affordable Care Act is the same as OBAMACARE
Feb 6: Interview Skills 101—Internalized oppression and what Ryan Lizza did right. BRAVO!
Feb 5: TBR SUNDAY: These protest signs with Bible cites will confuse and befuddle RWNJs
Feb 4: BLUE RIBBONS: Temple B’Nai Israel, Judge Robart, CNN, Senate Phone Callers
Feb 3: Not rich, not smart, not a good businessman, not a winner—DJT is NOTHING he claims to be
Feb 2: Thursday action—Encouragement, thanks, and apologies (pick one or more)
Feb 1: July 7, 2009 to August 25, 2009 and September 25, 2009 to February 4, 2010
JANUARY
Jan 31: If you’re on overload that’s part of their plan—there’s more than one way to #resist
Jan 30: Interview Skills 101 for reporters attempting to interview KAC and other Rcons
Jan 29: TBR SUNDAY: Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness
Jan 28: BLUE RIBBONS: Women's March participants and #NoMuslimBan demonstrators and...
Jan 27: I wish Steve Bannon would tell me to keep my mouth shut
Jan 26: Thursday Action—Have you ever written a letter to the editor? Here’s how to start
Jan 25: The Asch Conformity Study, inauguration crowds, and the importance of speaking out
Jan 24: #ResistTrumpTuesday—good news day or another paying dues day?
Jan 23: Spy the Lie 101: How to enjoy watching Rcon spokesbot interviews, even KAC!
Jan 22: TBR SUNDAY: Why I prayed for the President* today
Jan 21: The only silver lining in the midst of these clouds
Inaugural (!) diary: Stop expecting Republicons to make sense