Our expectations were way too high so it's harder to see how big it was. But let's walk down the logical brick road tonight.
Did you know Trump's speech was aired almost in its entirety on CNN, CSPAN and Fox News? Who watches those networks? Not us. We don't trust the MSM.
So Trump has new eyeballs on him. What was he supposed to do? Come out in loud, aggressive fashion in front of D's who were already brainwashed to believe Trump was a madman?
Instead he comes out calm, collected, thoughtful, nonthreatening in ANY way. This is a marketing tactic called "pattern interruption." People expect to see you perform one way so they already have preset rebuttals for what they THINK you're going to do.
But you come out a completely DIFFERENT way and confuse them...they didn't "game plan" for that. So instead of Trump looking like a raging maniac that the MSM pushed to their sheep, Trump looks shockingly sane.
And guess what? He spoke for a whole hour and hasn't stuttered and stumbled once. No slurred speech. No forgotten thoughts or sentences that started in one way and ended up no where.
This is important...because the people who watch the MSM are used to seeing 2 years of dementia. Now they circle back to Trump for the first time in probably 2 years and hear his voice very differently.
Since CNN was watching, no mention of election fraud. Did Trump sell out? No. He has to keep the cameras rolling. He mentions stolen elections, and the cameras go off, the new people don't hear the rest of Trumps words.
And what's Trump saying? He's saying the SAME THING he said and warned them about on the campaign trail. Back then they thought he was lying...now they know he was always telling the truth.
He just won a larger audience of voters now. But this is only the beginning...
I'm liking the wave you're on with this. I posted my own thoughts about it if you or any others care to read.
Relevant excerpt: Where is the Republican machine fighting back against all the races that were stolen so egregiously? Where are they on this? Oh that's right - they are busy anointing themselves with new fucking titles and writing up new opaque "Agendas" and "Promises" to have as a graphic during their next 3 minutes on Laura Ingraham and the elections aren't even over yet. FOX was so very happy to interview all those grassroots 'citizen candidates' and pay lip service to their agendas, but when they lose under questionable circumstances, when the media's own polling skews wildly and goes off the edge of the paper, the turnouts and reporting are a shitshow mess, when all signs and expectations are dashed and its seemingly inconceivable, how about then?
Tough Luck, is their answer. We'll get 'em next time! What a crock of shit, what complete and total phonies.
Even Zeldin, who FOX's own employees had vested interest in seeing elected (for hopes of safer walks through the parking deck at least) was given an emotional shoulder shrug and Aw Shucks. They suddenly morphed into impartial observers after all the Rah-Rah and wholesale endorsements of hopefuls who were outright robbed. No interest in why their polling and other measurables had the bottom drop out... for some reason this puzzled me MORE than even 2020.
Not to go too far about this but with 2020 I think the split with Trump was inevitable and I could see it coming. For all the hating on them some of their anchors (like Maria & Lou) did speak up until the Dominion lawsuits and the 'Verboten One' forced the legal team on-air. 🤣
This go-round I was curious how they'd play things, and the mood on 'election d____ers' softened up and people like Lake and Mastriano got facetime. The polling and on-brand narrative had me fooled; I thought that removed of Trump they might have a little courage and call it out... disappointing but predictable. I think this one is going to actually hurt MURDOCH AND TALENTED MR. RIPLEY (aka Paul Ryan) worse than the last time, especially as the Maricopa situation continues to develop. Let's put it this way: there's a REASON Tucker hasn't been hosting the past couple nights and it ISN'T THE 6TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE SHOW. How laughable.
So all that rambling to get back to Trump and how Murdoch told him before the announcement tonight he is more or less OUT. You see we've got a guy already, and he SURFED a Big Red Wave without any help from you! In fact, he's the only WaveRider in America; all the other hopefuls were SUNK BY YOU, DONALD! Do we see yet what this midterm really was? Both parties coming together to crush us. 100 million votes strong, we've grown far too powerful to be handled by Trump. They need to get the blindfold back on, calm us down, and return to business as usual.
Trump's win and 2016-2020 was more like an 'episode' for the Republican establishment and they want to close the book on it and get back to the way things were just as much or MORE than every Democrat. The reality that showed themselves in this midterm, which went 6 million to Republicans in terms of popular vote, is that they are in a new phase of the fight. The country is now at least 80-20 Republican and all the action and enthusiasm is centered here. They must use the Republican party to beat MAGA Now! There is no hope for the Dem agenda to do it anymore.
So thinking about this and in context with your thoughts I formulated a just so crazy it might work thought:
What if Trump now shifts gears, and in the calm measured style he gives off here, proceeds to TRY AND COURT DEMOCRAT VOTERS!?!
Think here: it makes some sense. There are LOTS of confused former Dems right now, who voted Republican for the first time ever this midterm or are just feeling let down by the party and morally disagree with their social agenda. The trans agenda and children's issues have separated many people who were otherwise completely in sync with the Democratic party line. It is such a powerful and all consuming topic that it completely severs the relationship with voting for any Democrat candidate who isn't explicitly against those topics.
Trump was always a "New York Democrat" himself and I think he can push some social welfare policies to the left when he comes forward with a platform. Expanding healthcare access or lowering costs without fully socializing, maybe even some form of limited, paid-for UBI program funded by a big tech data tax like Yang wanted. It's not completely insane or against our philosophy.
Republicans are going to be the ones on the attack against Trump next so how much of a mindfuck would it be to them when he starts picking up large swaths of Dem voters who have no one to pick from their own party, but dont have a big pro-choice sentiment either? If he starts picking up that kind of broad support while he jets to the lead for Republican primary nomination he would be unstoppable, no cheat would be enough.
Not to disparage you or OP, you both have good insight. I will push back a little on your 'no cheat would be enough' though.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XyS01Twlcbc
If history shows us anything we know people will accept a huge lie when it's said often enough. We are seeing the culmination of the Earth's history today when we look at advanced propaganda techniques. The rabid TDS leftists are using the V.I. Lenin tactics daily - 'call your enemies what you are and tell the exact opposite of the truth' -- and it's working. Just the other night I was at a friend's discussing the FTX scam and mentioned how it was being used to launder money for Biden. She got super uneasy and started stammering about how trump did the same thing with Russia. No basis in reality. Her comment was like an amalgamation of 8 different fake news stories regarding trump and Russia.
These people are threatened their world view is collapsing but to them any amount of democrat lies and cheating is acceptable because it's been hammered into their head that Trump is an existential threat to humanity itself.
Trump knows Democrats but now he knows RINOs.
Very true, the RINOs are the expert backstabbers of all the political groups. Makes sense if you think about it. Their entire job is to say things and draw up policies that seem, on the surface like they make good common sense. Then they find a way to screw them up somehow. Same thing with voters. They do Academy Award level acting crossing swords with the Democrats and OH NO! SLAIN AGAIN! AVENGE ME ROMEO! Hahaha it's like watching the same play over and over. They just find new ways to trick us into thinking they wont die this time.
Oh yeah - and they are being exposed.
Bigly. Trump undoubtedly knew that this was going to be a letdown for some of us - especially right in the midst of all the blatant theft going on, it DOES feel like a poor response. Here's the thing, though. He has to play the game to win it.
The best thing for the country, as we've been told time and again, is to play this all out with minimal upheaval. That shit is for the Dems, as we learned from 2016-2020. I think all that chaos has made some of us feel almost uncomfortable now when more events are still playing out, but behind the curtain.
Trump has to be involved in politics from a front facing, optics standpoint in order for him to 'do something about it' to show the public square. Even if he had all the power and chips behind closed doors right now, they have to bring him back in the arena.
What should he do? Show people pictures of Hilldawg eating babies with Joy Behar? Do you realize what kind of s shitstorm that would be? Lol. The whole idea is NOT to scramble people's brains more than they have to.
Right now we are playing 'elephant in the room's with them. Did you notice how Trump was a little more reserved and even spoke softer than normal? It's all carefully calculated. To me this means he is going to radio silence, and something will happen with Maricopa that's big. Then when the stupid MSM BLURTS IT OUT and goes right to Trump to accuse him of election denial junk and leading erections they will sound like a bunch of ridiculous freaks trying to crucify him and put words in his mouth again.
Maybe there's a new election, maybe they rule for Lake, maybe something else. Hell, it could get big and go to SCOTUS - maybe change elections and what is tolerable for ALL states going forward - we dont know.
My ideal outcome would be if Kari Lake shows the fraud on social media and whatever amount of TV news she can get but is STILL SOMEHOW denied. Half of Arizona is already going batshit about this, what happens when they certify Hobbs for real and she comes to the podium as Governor? She is gonna get real comfy in that basement! She will be a walking pariah and a protest will be outside every day.
And after that Lake can join DJT on the national ticket as his VP! Can you imagine how UNREAL AND POWERFUL that would be? Trump and Kari Lake running together?? They would steamroll ANYTHING IN THEIR PATH. If they STEAL THAT ONE GET READY FOR OPEN REBELLION BY THE GREATER POPULATION.
Sorry, just wanted to dream a little.
Wow
This should be the only comment on here today. Period. Dang! You NAILED IT