This morning on CNN, Pete Buttigieg presented a master class on how to talk about trump and how to shape public discourse.
Many will laugh (and have laughed) at trump over the sharpie incident and too many other incidents to name — and justifiably so (and please keep the “sharpiegate” diaries coming!). But to shift the dialogue to emphasizing how gravely serious it is that the occupant of the Whitehouse is so pathetic takes things to the next level.
1) it is probably more humiliating to trump to be viewed as feeble and pitiable than it is to be mocked.
2) laughable “gaffes” might be considered charming by some, but emphasizing that trump’s actions are a national embarrassment and put the well being of the country at risk changes things from chitchat about “look how stupid trump is” to a substantive discussion about “why we’ve got to get him out of office”.
3) it remains respectful of the office of President while at the same time is devastatingly dismissive of the person Republicans have chosen to put in that office.
Well done, Mayor Pete!
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