Coming February 6, 2024 . . .
MURDER, POLITICS, AND THE END OF THE JAZZ AGE
by Michael Wolraich
Pre-order at Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Books-A-Million / Bookshop
Coming February 6, 2024 . . . MURDER, POLITICS, AND THE END OF THE JAZZ AGE by Michael Wolraich Pre-order at Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Books-A-Million / Bookshop |
Trump's post-firing business career may be the same as his pre-election ventures
When Oprah Winfrey left her show to start her own network, she was the biggest star on television. Many analysts predicted that her new venture would be a huge success. At the time, some press reports even suggested that bosses at the main broadcast networks were seriously worried about the competition.
Contrary to these expectations, the Oprah Winfrey Network struggled to find an audience. In the first years of its existence, it bled tens of millions of dollars. Today, OWN has established a stable niche for itself, and even makes a little profit. But with an average viewership of fewer than 500,000 people in 2018, it plays in a completely different league from the four major networks and the most commercially successful cable channels.
This should serve as a warning to anybody who is now fielding pitches to invest in the Trump News Network. If Trump follows the lead of other authoritarian populists like Hugo Chávez and hosts a regular television program, he can undoubtedly induce his most devoted fans to tune in. But to be commercially viable, his channel would have to expand that core audience, recruit other hosts who are capable of sustaining the public’s attention, hire journalists who can actually cover what is going on in the world, and attract advertising from run-of-the-mill corporations.
Will Trump supporters follow him or hitch their wagon to another nut job?
Comments
Once his coup talk began to seem more like someone in denial about losing the election, this seems like the conclusion. How whole schtick was being a businessman challenging the powerful, but he is himself in serious debt and lost. Even his supporters might move on to someone else.
by OrionXP (not verified) on Wed, 12/02/2020 - 6:21pm
The three card monte requires a dealer. Trump happened because he was one card amongst others. Replicating that success is less likely if he becomes the dealer.
Without Hannity and Rush to explain what his appearance means, it is not an event anymore. Self promotion has to kick start something. The crowd is brutal toward those who stand alone.
by moat on Wed, 12/02/2020 - 7:09pm
Orion and moat, hopefully you and the author are correct.
If Trump holds a campaign event on Inauguration Day, MSM, should report on it the following day, if at all.
by rmrd0000 on Wed, 12/02/2020 - 7:17pm
He would need a lot of support to pull off such an event. Those people would be exposed in a way that is not happening now. The GOP that used his popularity to advance their interests will lose him when he is no longer a fulcrum to move current struggles.
Trump is toast.
by moat on Wed, 12/02/2020 - 7:40pm
you got that so right, moat, looks like the circle is closing in....
by artappraiser on Thu, 12/03/2020 - 5:33pm
I read hotair.com after the election and they were making a big issue if how "something about Trumpism resonating with a larger level" of non white male/traditional voters and that it should be replicated for future campaigns. So, there will be a Trump mark on the GOP. He made the politics of reactionaries, typically seen in Eastern Europe, Latin America or places like that, palatable for mainstream America.
None of that requires him though. Alt Right figure Richard Spencer started hating on Trump about halfway through his presidency. It's possible disillusioned supporters could see him as the fraud he is and instead position someone, or a group of someone's, far less boorish and more effective.
by OrionXP (not verified) on Thu, 12/03/2020 - 5:05am
Trump supporters concern me. When the attack on the American consulate was attacked while Hillary was SOS, people I thought I knew started claiming that there was a cover up. They could not be talked down. They obviously voted for Trump.
by rmrd0000 on Wed, 12/02/2020 - 7:45pm
Reaction is a whole lot more fun than the ideological straightjacket conservatives loved to put themselves in, so I don't see them going away any time soon.
Trump himself tho ....
by OrionXP (not verified) on Thu, 12/03/2020 - 5:07am
Trump benefited from what was already there. When you heard colleagues talk about RINOs, you knew things were not going to end well. Boehner became a "squish". Someone with a better brain will feed the red meat and gain traction in the GOP. I don't see a transformation into a normal political party.
by rmrd0000 on Thu, 12/03/2020 - 8:27am