The Big Lie Worked

 

Oliver Hall writes, "people just seemed to believe Trump more often than they believed Harris and Tim Walz. There was no easy way to counter that, especially in a campaign lasting barely 100 days."  Indeed, how can that compete with a campaign that was on-going for 1460 days - from the beginning of Trump's term to the end of Biden's. (All this, over and above Trump's stint as the host of The Apprentice.)

During the Reagan administration, someone from the Democratic opposition was interviewed and told this story":  The operative had put together an anti-Reagan advertisement which he felt was devastating to Reagan and his values. After the ad appeared, he was surprised to receive a call from his opposite in the Reagan campaign who thanked him profusely for the ad.  "Why," asked the Democrat, "I blasted your man?"  "That's true," said the Republican, "But nobody listens to the words in an ad.  You showed our man standing tall, proud and dignified in front of a waving American flag.  That's what they remember."

Related to this was a Dennis the Menace comic strip from about the same time:  Dennis' pal, Joey, is looking at Dennis after Dennis has gotten a big scolding after some mischief. "Why are you looking so happy," Joey asks, "You just got a big scolding?"  "Yes," Dennis replies, "But at least they are paying attention to me."  Was there any time during Trump's 1460 day campaign when the Guardian did not run a front page story about Trump?

Younghill Kang, in his book East Goes West:  The Making Of An Oriental Yankee (1937) quotes "Spencer:"  "Were it fully understood that the emotions are the masters and the intellect the servant, it would seem that little can be done by improving the servant while the master remains unimproved..."

The American economy and now the internet's algorithm has as their driving force the manipulation of the emotions to increase attention and consumption, rather than improving intelligence and ethics.  Are we constantly told, "This ,will make you happy, this will give you pleasure.  Buy it, consume it, believe it." or are we constantly reminded, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matthew 25:45) or The Golden Rule.

Conclusion:  The Big Lie worked.