I last night took our son out to dinner. I thought it would be a great way to chat before he and his a cappella group go on their winter tour before they go back to college.
With his permission, I’m writing about a topic we discussed: “Trump’s Tweets.” In particular, our son thought that tweeting is a very smart thing for Trump to do. The President-elect reacts to something early in the morning, sometimes as early as 3 a.m. By the time people are up and reading the news, Trump has already set the tone on a topic and has garnered air time.
My son’s observation is that politicians used to take their time and ponder their responses. They then would do a press conference. But, he thought that Trump’s Tweets up-end all this. They pre-empt everyone, frame the debate, and force everyone else to catch up.
I last night learned a great deal from our son about many topics. It was fun, and I’m hoping we regularly will do these meals before he heads back to college.
Jo- Maybe it’s smart for the President (elect) to fire off responses in the middle of the night, maybe it’s not.
It’s not smart to set policy without careful consideration, especially when that policy impacts companies, industries, or other countries with large military and nuclear weapons. That is especially true when the policy is a shift from long-standing U.S. positions (NATO, Taiwan, etc.)
Yes, it’s not smart for us, but smart for Trump and his shifty ways. The worst I fear his impulse will cause very severe damage. At the least, and it’s no small least, he is embarrassing the office, himself, and our country.
He’s right! Trump is master of marketing himself, and master of distraction. He’s figured out a brilliant tool that suits his demeanor and goals–to make him appear bigger than life as Mr. Decider, And YES he then is able to set the news cycle for the day. Journalists need to heed your son’s notice and find a way to keep the reporting substantive, and filled with truth. It’s interesting, for sure… good luck on the singing tour!