The Strategy Of Going Too Far | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: This post was sent to me by Ben Shapiro, who represents the Daily Wire, and since this is the most topical news event of the day, it should be published on BCN.

    There's a running argument on the right these days. It begins each time the left overreacts to a Trumpian move with wild radicalism, alienating Americans in the middle. Some on the right attribute the left's penchant for political hara-kiri to President Donald Trump's masterful manipulations - it's just part of his genius. But the more plausible argument is that Trump isn't playing anyone - he's perfectly authentic. And most importantly, he always goes just a bit too far.

    Going too far can be a political liability. But it can also tempt opponents into a game of chicken. And that's where Trump's hyperbolic approach to every issue sometimes redounds to his benefit. If Trump had stated last week in Alabama that he opposed former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick's brainless decision to kneel for the national anthem, he'd have been well in bounds. Instead, Trump went further. Channeling his old WWE/"The Apprentice" persona, he bellowed, "Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, 'Get that son of a b---- off the field right now. Out. He's fired. He's fired!'"

    The left leapt on Trump's over-the-line statements - and proceeded to land directly on a political land mine. Instead of ripping Trump for overstepping the boundaries of the presidency and talking about the necessity for preservation of First Amendment freedoms, the left called for widespread participation in kneeling. They couldn't merely side against Trump; they had to side with Kaepernick.

    This, of course, was political idiocy. The vast majority of Americans think that kneeling during the national anthem is disrespectful, and that it represents a slap in the face to the military and the American flag. They think this because Kaepernick has explicitly said so: "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color." But prompted by a strategy of knee-jerk massive retaliation, the left decided to jump on board with Kaepernick anyway.

    Meanwhile, Trump's own supporters saw nothing wrong with his statements - particularly once the left knelt with Kaepernick. Where some Trump supporters might have been tempted to say that Trump went too far, now they were more likely to back him - after all, he was speaking truth to those who would protest the flag.

    All of which suggests that saying too much is actually a smart way to trigger your enemies and rally your base. President Obama knew this; it's undoubtedly why he made statements about Trayvon Martin looking like his fictional son. Sticking a fork in the eye of your enemy sometimes leads to your enemy blindly groping his way into the street, only to be mashed by the passing cars of political reality.

    But none of this is good for a more rational politics. We should all be able to recognize that kneeling for the national anthem is foolishness, and that the president has no business calling for the firing of those in the private sector exercising First Amendment rights. That requires no overreach, and it doesn't make headlines. But it does create a unity sorely lacking in our politics.
Go Back


Leave a Guest Comment

Your Name or Alias
Your Email Address ( your email address will not be published)
Enter Your Comment ( no code or urls allowed, text only please )




Mattis Has Better Things To Discuss Than NFL Controversy: One Response Says It All Guest Editorial, Editorials, Op-Ed & Politics John Locke Foundation: Prudent Policy / Impeccable Research - Volume CCLXII


HbAD0

Latest Op-Ed & Politics

Be careful what you wish for, you may get it
America needs to wake up and get its priorities right
Former President Donald Trump suggested this week that if he becomes president again, he might allow Prince Harry to be deported.
It's a New Year, which means it's time to make resolutions — even for prominent evangelical leaders. The Babylon Bee asked the following well-known figures in the faith what they hope to accomplish in 2024:
Vice President Kamala Harris will visit a Minnesota Planned Parenthood clinic, reportedly the first time a president or vice president has visited an abortion facility.
An eight-mile stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville has been temporarily closed due to a string of “human and bear interactions,” the National Parks Service announced.
University of Wisconsin tried to punish conservatives for the fact that liberals regularly commit crimes to silence opposition
most voters think EU officials not doing a good job on illegal immigration
Come from behind by GOP candidate is a blueprint to 2024

HbAD1

Biden spending and energy policies to blame
Tuberculosis carried by illegal invaders has already infected Texas cattle
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said this week that the only campaign promise President Joe Biden has delivered on as president is the complete dismantling of the U.S. southern border.
Hamas is reeling after losing two of their most cherished leaders on the same day: military commander Saleh al-Arouri, and Harvard President Claudine Gay.
President Joe Biden’s brother told the Internal Revenue Service that Hunter Biden told him he was in business with a “protege of President Xi,” referring to the leader of China, according to notes by an IRS investigator that were divulged during a congressional interview of Jim Biden.
Gov. Roy Cooper seeks a temporary restraining order to block a law changing the composition of the State Board of Elections.
X owner Elon Musk mocked a news segment from ABC News this week that promoted President Joe Biden’s talking points about the Democrat-led Senate’s failed border bill, which critics and many experts have said would make the situation on the border worse.
That’s the question Marguerite Roza of Georgetown University’s Edunomics Lab sought to answer in a recent webinar on the topic.

HbAD2

 
Back to Top