Trump Speaks Like Regular Folk

[Neo-Scholastic]

But that is the job of a GOOD politician. To try and see how what they say and do affect the world around them, and tailor it so that the effects they have are positive, or at least change things in a way they desire. That is literally THEIR JOB.

Statesmanship includes public speaking, yes. That is part of the job. Most politicians think it's the whole job, but its not. The role of the executive branch also includes effectively enforcing the law, implementing policies, and managing government programs. That doesn't happen by talking from a podium. It happens by making decisions, giving clear directions, hiring the right people, and supervising performance. In the 24-hour news cycle we've been trained to focus on the talk. OMG Senator X said what!?!. OMG, did you hear that clip from Governor Y!?! How insensitive. How telling.

It's all chatter. I think we need a kind of Freakanomics approach. Let's start by assuming everything we think we know is distorted by ideology and look at the real data, try different approaches, and actually see what works, rather than what lines who's pocket. But we cannot have those conversations if people are going to nit-pik over every word for so-called code words and dog-whistles. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

I guess my point isn't really about Trump, his qualifications or lack thereof. Instead its about focusing too much on how politicians say things rather than the substance of what they are saying. That's what I think was the idea behind Ace's article. Trump is just an excuse to have that conversation.