“If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.”
— E.B. White
— E.B. White
Oddly enough, I’m getting advertising material from the Trump Campaign. How my name became associated with their list of donors/supporters is a mystery. Evidently, Donald Trump is not an avid reader of this fine publication (or else the pseudonym threw him off the scent).In fairness, he’s reportedly not much of a reader in any case. I also hear often from the Dems. That’s no surprise; Mrs. Basura and I have donated often and with moderate generosity to the party whose values reflect ours. Of course the Dems court us too.
It interests me how the ad campaigns differ. I do read the stuff from the Trump Campaign. This morning I had 11 e-mails, all but one political. They were more or less equally divided between the two parties. Both parties send material purportedly from the candidate, and from others, telling why Donald or Joe is best.
Trump has identified me, I’m told, as one of his strongest supporters, and was even offered the opportunity to acquire the very special Trump 2020 Platinum Card, with his likeness on it, for a donation. Another enticement was the chance to win, in a drawing, an presidentially autographed Make America Great Again cap.
It is interesting to see how differently the approaches are with regard to campaign material. Donald’s are notably childish in tone. Of course, Donald said, in 2016, “We love the uneducated.” And why not? The lower the education, the greater the likelihood of support for Trump.
Of course there are educated people who like Trump. And uneducated ones who like Biden. But demographers have graphed out these trends. Donald’s bunch of campaigners seem to have noticed this.
On some mailings from the Trump campaign, I’m asked to complete a survey to indicate my preferences. I’m given the choice between selecting President Donald J. Trump and Sleepy Joe. Not between Sleazy Donald Trump and Sleepy Joe Biden. Not between Donald J. Trump and Joe Biden. One gets a pejorative nickname, one does not. It’s a campaign; they’re free to adopt a childish tone or not, as they so choose. But the difference is plain to see.Biden’s campaign always solicits a contribution. So does Trump’s. But Trump’s, in one series of emails, advised me that if I contributed, my donation would be matched 500%. Then a couple days later, it was 600%. Then it went up to being matched 700%! Wow!
Some of the Trump surveys are cute. One, a mailed survey, with return postage paid envelop, asked how President Trump is doing. The boxes for responses were GREAT, EXEPTIONAL, VERY GOOD and OTHER. Of course, I dutifully filled out the survey in its entirety, and wrote my comments in the blank box under OTHER. I was concerned that this might cause me to lose the ongoing communications with the President. I still get ‘em, though.
While I’ve been tapping out these words, a new email came in from Trump Team. “The SOCIALIST convention starts today! They want to destroy America!” Etc.
Is Trump Team sounding a little desperate to you, too?
Basura, this is interesting. I, too, seem to be on the GOP list, and we get mailers, flyers in the screen door, and emails. I have noted the same tone, the childish name attributions, and lack of narrative regarding issues and strategies, policy making and plans of action. Vagueness and superlatives that describe nothing of substance.
Joe had Trump nervous. Kamala has him batsh*t crazy.
I’m looking forward to the debates..
Thank you for your comment. You’re absolutely right; there’s very little content, but no shortage of superlatives. I chuckled at one I got today. I was encouraged to DEFEND YOUR COUNTRY. From President Bone Spurs himself.
I love the smarmy “he loves the uneducated” line. The person who taught me the most was an “uneducated” high school graduate, with no formal training in accounting, negotiations, or management, but he held a management position for going on 40 years now. He is the “go to guy” when working deals for the company where we worked. Directors, Vice Presidents, and occasionally the CEO would seek his council. So the “uneducated” person is not the dolt you portray them to be. I marvel at how the highly educated think of themselves with their Master and PhD degrees, while those that work for them are the brains that make a company work and profitable. Many are book smart but entirely without a lick of common sense – educated idiots.
I know Basura and Ms. Mandaville fit that mold well.
DTOM,
Ouch! That one is sure to sting!! The truth hurts, and that’s a fact!!! As AB says thanks for the comment.
Cheers!!
That “smarmy” line is not mine, DTOM. It came right from Donald J. Trump, more than once. I offered no portrayal of the uneducated; you might want to re-read the piece. It was Trump that dissed the uneducated, not me. I just quoted him. When you do re-read it, you’ll note that the campaign appears aware of that trend, and seems to tailor their appeal in that direction. Don’s probably too busy watching TV and tweeting to bother with such minutia.
DTOM
I’m sure we all know at least one person who is very knowledgeable and may never had any degrees. But they can never be classified as “uneducated “…
The definitions between uneducated and ignorant do get confused ….as do the words “educated idiots “..and ” common sense” with the latter two being indefindable…unless used as a derogatory term to describe someone of something .
Derogatory descriptions which were once looked on as unfavorable have become the norm. ” Sleeply Joe” Sniffing Joe” ” Orange Man ” ” President Bone Spurs” ….the list goes on.
These are the ways people in a debate having no creditable evidence left to present try to justify their stance. Yes, it’s sad to see those with higher education get to this level. They are by no means “educated idiots”…they have failed to present enough evidence to convince you to their line of thought or the reader may not have interpreted the articles point due to some “trigger ” words within the article.
In my opinion…many readers don’t fully grasp the Editorial journalism of the various weekly writers…they are expressing their opinions with facts they deem as credible.
If I disagree than I reply with my opinion based on facts I deem creditable. That is what a “healthy debate ” is all about.
Seems today unless one throws in a derogatory description of a person or a popular phrase ( ie: bat$$$$ crazy, etc) their article or debate isn’t credible .
DOTM,
I certainly cannot speak for Basura, but I can tell you that the line you quote, “he loves the uneducated masses,” I remember coming from our president himself, who said in a rally somewhere, “I love the uneducated.”
That sentiment means different things to different people.
Speaking only for myself, and in my own opinion, “uneducated” is not limited to people with formal degrees. I could compare myself to my sister Pat. Pat dropped out of college and became a cabinet maker and fine furniture builder who read everything she could get her hands on. By the time I had my BA in English she knew more about the world and several “majors” like poli-sci, psychology, current events, and history, and more than I did.
In my lifelong experience I have encountered many un-degreed people who exhibit far more “smarts” than people I know with MAs and PHDs.
In short, “love the uneducated” can mean that the speaker loves those who make no attempt whatever, be it formal schooling or being self-taught like my sister, to know enough to make informed decisions about who or what to vote for. The uneducated may be the people who are easy to influence, to brainwash, as it were, who they love for that very attribute. That is to whom I believe Trump was referring when he said he love the uneducated.
Never in my life have I believed one needs a piece of paper with a degree noted on it to prove that one is learned. As you say, “many are book smart but entirely without a lick of common sense – educated idiots.”
Mr. Basura,
President Trump is light years ahead of dementia Biden and Comrade Harris, he actually gets things done for the American people.
China and Russia are pulling for the Democrats, as the useful idiots they are. They would run roughshod over the “Biden” team. More agreements, treaties, and deals all in favor of the Commies.
Evidently you know nothing of President Trump’s love for all Americans, not just the elite snobs the Democrats favor. The Democrats keep African-Americans on the liberal plantation and demand their vote every election. Identity politics and political correctness has run amok and threatens our liberty and freedom. Americans of all backgrounds are sick of it, we are Amercans and the 30,000,000 illegal aliens living in the country need to step up and become Americans or go home.
Most Americans know that China is to blame for the pandemic (not Europe) and their rights, freedom, and liberty are at stake in this election. The Democrat Party needs to change their name to Communist Party of America to correctly identify their political philosophy and true intentions. President Obama tried and came up short, Joe took up the challenge to move this country Commie.
A lot of voters 50 years and older are getting fund-raising appeals from the Republican National Committee, Trump 2020, The Republican Presidential Task Force, along with fringe groups offering everything from Trump 2020 swag to some outfit in Colorado office, a Ruger 10/22 “Trump Triumphant” special edition that is an off the shelf Ruger laser printed with Trump slogans. They get our names from the state DMVs who sell data.
I was shocked to learn I am considered an “important influencer” whose opinions are “vital” by the RNC in the letter that accompanied the questionnaire, three times.
More shocking I’ve learned I have been invited by President Donald J. Trump to became a member of the Republican Presidential Task Force. It must be important because the two sentences read; “I’m not one to mince words so I’ll get right to the point”
“I need your help and I need it NOW.”
Like the questionnaires from the RNC the President’s fund-raising letter is full of the buzz words he’s used since he declared in 2015. Fake News, Sleepy Joe Biden, Big Government Socialists and other sophomoric labels phrases that must appeal to his base because they show up in every one of the three form letters I’ve gotten from The President.
Every one of the RNC questionnaires and letters from the President always ask for donations of:
$35, $50, $100, $250, $500, $1000, $5000 or whatever amount you can send in to insure Trump’s re-election.
The fund-raising part is confusing. In Frebruary of 2016, then candidate Trump said he was “self-funding his campaign.” That wasn’t true. When the Iowa primary came around, Trump was funding about two-thirds. Guess times have changed.
This is the same President who said if elected he wouldn’t’ have time to golf; he would release his personal tax information after the election; would introduce a replacement for the Affordable Care Act and promised to “erase” the federal deficit very quickly.
President Trump is still golfing (at his own golf properties with payments for greens fees, carts, food and lodging for Trump, his guests and Secret Service being picked up by US taxpayers. Tax returns were never released because according to Kellyanne Conway Counselor to The President, “We won”.
The Affordable Care Act is still around and as of August 2020, other than some disparaging remarks about the law President Trump nor his HHS Secretary have offered a replacement. Deficits were the bogey man the GOP and President Trump railed about from 2008-2016 yet with the reduction of Federal revenue from the Tax Act of 2017 the Federal Deficit was tracking to finish 2019 at $984B and that was BC (before COVID-19).
The fund raising is not surprising. Donald Trump has always had a strong aversion to spending his own money.
Folks, you can’t make this stuff up. Thank you Couchman; I’m so glad I didn’t chip in on the Build That Wall thing Steve Bannon was promoting. I’d feel a little betrayed, wouldn’t you? At least the Southern District of New York is working on draining the swamp. I wish them well. You might want to read Jeffrey Toobin’s latest book about investigations related to the Trump Administration.
Update:
Things must be getting serious at the Trump Make America Great Again Committee.
Today, I got my first fund-raisng letter from President Trump that came with a self-addressed envelope and INCLUDED postage. It was marked RUSH in big red letters on a yellow envelope.
Question #3 in the questionnaire includes a choice of “Holding Communist China Accountable.” An interesting question since the neither the Trump Organization nor First Daughter Ivanka Trump Kushner have formally asked the Chinese government to remove their patents from China. Not US patents, the Chinese patents. Folks might want to check their MAGA hats since a significant number of those are also made in China.
The letter warns of a “grim reality” and makes reference to Sleepy Joe Biden and Pelosi Democrats. (Evidently President Trump has given up on a derisive nickname for Speaker Pelosi.
Glad to join Basura as one who is getting postage paid envelopes. It took the Trump and RNC fund-raisers long enough.
Welcome aboard, Couchman. We have a big tent.