Politics is show business for ugly people. Donald Trump knows this.
The RNC and DNC do not.
Come on, Trump was promoting himself using a fake name. That's what Trump knows, fame. And his image was cemented by the Mark Burnett produced "Apprentice."
At this point, we all know that reality TV is a creature of editing. You can look good or bad, depending upon the storyline the producers want to convey.
Donald Trump was depicted as a brilliant businessman, a hands-on billionaire who made quick decisions, who was all about the Benjamins.
And that message was conveyed week after week on network television, before it was eclipsed by Netflix and YouTube.
The issues don't matter!
The people watching tonight already know who they're going to vote for.
It's just the non-watchers who don't.
News trickles down to those not paying direct attention. Oftentimes it's inaccurate, but they don't want to take the time to watch, to read, to research...they have other priorities.
And that's fine.
But what they're looking for is a star. Someone to believe in. Someone to follow. Someone to dedicate their life to.
Like musical artists.
Not actors, they play roles.
But musical artists? Their message is embedded in their songs. You believe they are these people.
But if you're privileged enough to get up close and personal with these artists, in most cases you're disappointed. They're narcissistic, nonverbal and usually they are not interested in you.
But the image prevails.
Talk to any macher in the music business, one who signs talent, and they'll tell you they're looking for stars. I'm not a huge fan of the self-congratulatory Clive Davis, but he got this right.
Doesn't matter who is the best player, it's all about image. If you can write your own material, fine, but if you can't, we'll tailor some for you.
Want to talk about a star?
Harry Styles. His dates sell out immediately. He's got rabid fans. He's good-looking, generous and doesn't self-promote, at least not compared to most people. Hit records are irrelevant, Harry's fans believe in him.
Kind of like Oprah. She's not the most beautiful person on television, but she's one of the most honest, who radiates intelligence, who refuses to get in the gutter just for ratings. Hell, Oprah lifted her program up and became an icon! Yes, it's those who break the mold who lead us into the future, they are stars.
Want to talk stars? How about John Lennon. He said what he thought, and it had gravitas because of his talent and success. He poured his passion into efforts like peace, and was willing to say the uncomfortable.
Now I could go through the history of show business and point out more stars, but one thing's for sure, the Democrats will only win if they run one.
Tom Steyer?
I wouldn't even want to have breakfast with him, I'd be fearful of being bored to tears.
Andrew Yang? A nerd who struck it rich whose heart is in the right place but seems out of touch with reality, at least that which is involved with running for President.
Amy Klobuchar? Like the girl running the bake sale. You know, like Paige Hardaway on "Atypical," she's always involved, always doing the right thing, but clueless as to how others perceive her.
So write those three off.
Let's go to Pete Buttigieg.
He started off with star power, but somehow he's lost it.
A star appears not to play the game. A star tests the limits, doesn't shy away from them. A star, at least in the old days, is not a member of the club, but singularly in their own club. Pete hanging with billionaires, raising money from the fat cats? Who can get behind that except for those donating?
Biden?
Now listen people, we've been through the movie before. John Kerry? Supremely qualified. And was Swiftboated to defeat. That's right, a war veteran was beaten by someone who didn't go.
Same deal with Hillary Clinton. A wonk's wonk. Who doesn't even know how to read society, and no one around her did either. Big stars have instinct, and lesser ones have managers who tell them what to do. Neither Hillary nor her handlers had a clue as to how she came across.
Biden is no star. He's the uncle you avoid at parties. Who tries to be hip and ends up looking clueless.
So none of the above-listed candidates can win. IMPOSSIBLE! They lack the magnetism of a star. Once again, Buttigieg had it, but he squandered it, like a hit act that puts out an album contradictory to their image.
So that leaves us with Bernie and Elizabeth.
Now I'm not saying they are the biggest stars, I'm just saying they're the only stars presently running, at least those with any traction.
Michael Bloomberg? Anybody who knows him knows he's brilliant, but boring. Steve Jobs was a star. Bill Gates never was. You might be interested in what Bill Gates reads, but you don't want to take personal advice from him, he seems out of touch. Rich, but clueless.
Bill Clinton was a star.
Barack Obama too.
Clinton was like Trump, the slings and arrows kept coming but he kept ducking and soldiering on. You see every star is subject to blowback. The key is not to cave.
Kind of like elite athletes. Skill is one thing, performance under pressure, when the trophy is on the line...that's a separate quality that is developed with experience.
So I'm not against the Democrats putting up a star not presently in the race. A superstar, hopefully. Someone who may not be perfect, but can lead. Kinda like musicians. There's a good chance there will be a brokered convention, we may not have seen the last candidate.
Elizabeth Warren is a star. Because she switched parties, because she pulled herself up by her bootstraps, because she stands up to the man. But she's only learning now how to stand up to pressure. You double-down, you don't re-evaluate, that's what they're looking for, the gotcha moment.
Which brings us to Bernie Sanders. He's Kurt Cobain. Deep into democratic socialism when no one was paying attention, just like Kurt was into punk. You have no doubt where Bernie is coming from, he's got credibility, as in he walks the walk and talks the talk, he sticks to his guns (and lives in Vermont and can't be too against firearms).
You react to Bernie. You either love him or hate him.
And Bernie's message is loud and clear... The working man got screwed and I'm going to level the playing field.
Come on, give me one sentence about everybody above other than Warren. Joe...I've been there and will bring back normalcy? Who can get excited about that? That would be like David Bowie saying he was going to remake "Let's Dance." I'll give you a more recent example... U2 went on tour playing the entire "Joshua Tree," and they instantly became an oldies act. Sure, their fans loved it, but the rest of us put them permanently in the rearview mirror. Come on, an artist doesn't kowtow to his fans, and never does it solely for the money, who can believe in that?
Now Bernie Sanders is not Michael Dukakis and it's not 1988 anymore.
Tell me exactly what Dukakis was promising, boil his message down to one sentence. Utterly impossible! As for 1988... Many people thought things were going pretty well, a lot of people don't think things are going so well today.
So there it is Democrats. Your only choice is Sanders or Warren. They're the only ones who have the star power. I'm not saying they have the best star power, the most star power, but of those running, they're the only ones who can compete with Trump.
Trump was his own man during the whole election cycle. He didn't care about the pundits, the news, your perception of him, he was playing to a base that existed in his mind, but no one in the Beltway's...and he won!
So let's boil it down.
Only a star can win. Trump is definitely a star. Who is the Democrats' star?
Think about that.
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