Though it plainly grinds the First Felon that this year’s graduating classes managed to organize an online appeal to Barack Obama that he be the nation’s ‘commencement speaker’ this year, I was pleased by the idea and charmed by Obama’s acceptance. Some thoughts, in no particular order:<\/p>\n
Barack Obama is a class act and a decent man, and history will recall his presidency kindly no matter how they stamp their feet over at FOX News.<\/p>\n
He definitely was throwing shade<\/a> at The Donald … and I don’t blame him. Given that Trump and his sycophants are now attempting to concoct an earth-shaking Obamagate scandal out of thin air, I think Obama showed Trump more kindness than he deserves.<\/p>\n Trump et. al.<\/i> are exhibiting one of the classic techniques of propaganda, which is this: Portray the lie as a universally acknowledged fact — Obamagate, in the instant case, supposedly something everybody knows.<\/p>\n This is the technique the Nazis used so spectacularly. Trump is crude, but he has a sophisticated understanding of propaganda. Trump doubtless understands this<\/i> rule, too: You can’t con an honest man<\/i>. For that reason, he doubtless views those smitten evangelicals and neo-nazis and Klansmen with contempt and chortles at how easily they are used.<\/ul>\n Anyway … Congratulations!<\/i> Class of 2020. This, too, shall pass.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Though it plainly grinds the First Felon that this year’s graduating classes managed to organize an online appeal to Barack Obama that he be the nation’s ‘commencement speaker’ this year, I was pleased by the idea and charmed by Obama’s … Continue reading