If today’s media could re-write Charles Dickens’ novel, “A Tale of Two Cities”, the famous first sentence would be reduced to this simple phrase; “It was the worst of times.” They’d change the ending, keeping the guillotine, substituting Donald Trump for Sydney Carton. Kathy Griffin’s idea of a fitting finale.
The title of this essay? “A Tale of Two Numbers.” Those numbers? 90% and 50%.
Lets begin with 90%. That’s the percentage of negative stories regarding Trump over the last 3 months. Ninety percent . . . that’s a big number. With ISIS on the run, the stock market at record levels, and consumer confidence high, you’d think there would be at least some praise. Donald Trump, unlike previous presidents, has actually proposed, and/or done almost everything he campaigned on: He’s rescinded Obama’s executive orders, repealed regulations, appointed conservative judges, enforced immigration laws, cancelled DACA, approved pipelines, scrapped trade and climate accords, recognized Jerusalem, de-certified the Iran deal and confronted North Korea. Trump’s supporters are ecstatic, but the all-knowing mainstream media disagrees with his entire program. They distort progress on all Trump’s agenda items into negatives. Throw in Russia, and Bingo! 90%.
The second number is roughly 50%. This is the percentage of Americans who still believe the press is honest and trustworthy. Not hard to figure: The President’s supporters see their positives portrayed as negatives. They see the Russia probe as a witch-hunt. Several recent “Bombshells” have proven false, bolstering the narrative of “Fake news”.
Conversely, Trump’s detractors gobble up every morsel of disinformation and beg for more. They want Trump portrayed as a villain, and really don’t care if the media uses lies, innuendo, or contextual half-truths to accomplish the mission. They’re the “loyal opposition” no longer, now it’s “the resistance”.
I’m going to conclude with another number . . . zero%. With the uncovering of political bias in the FBI agents investigating both Clinton’s email, and Trump’s campaign, we are seeing the unraveling of Special Counsel Muller’s attempt at destroying the President. If the discredited “dossier” was used as the basis for the FISA warrant, or revelations the transition’s emails were not lawfully obtained have merit, guess what? No impeachment, no nothing. Some of Obama’s team, might even get pinched for the unmasking or surveillance of Trump’s transition team. Sessions may have recused himself from the Russia matter, but he runs the rest of the Justice department. You can bet, as you read this, there’s digging going on. Eventually, the truth will come to light. The media and FBI are going to “have some explaining to do.”
Trump’s side will feel vindicated, the anti-Trumpers, betrayed. Both will know they were lied to. That’s where the 0% comes into play. That will be the percentage of people left believing the press is unbiased and truthful. The trust the media once had will be gone. When the trust goes, the viewers go. When the viewers go, the money goes. When the money goes, the liars have to go.
I’m thinking when this shakes out, purges at the FBI, Justice department, and mainstream media will make Stalin look amateurish. My prediction could be wrong, but I stand behind it. 100%
Eugene Mattecheck Jr. Moline
I’d been waiting years for an opportunity to work “interminal” into the conversation. Nice job Rog, it reads better with “famous”. The links embeded in the story are a nice touch. Gene