There was an interesting editorial---probably one of the better and more objective ones--- about the newest Corporate Media hoopla over decade-old remarks made by Donald Trump. The editorial appeared in China's The Global Times, which is the news organ of the Chinese ruling party.
The Global Times' editors pose the question as to whether or not Trump's campaign is over, as the Corporate Media and Republican Party Establishment hope. Their answer is that the controversy is focusing on the wrong issue:
"Is Trump's campaign over? It is not a question of yes or no in the US, but of the strong will of the elites. This is why these explosive materials were released just one month before the election. As a representative of populism, Trump has attracted the collective hatred of the mainstream elites. Such hatred can clearly be felt in American society, casting a shadow over the country's political future."
This is a good analysis: one we won't get from the Corporate Media because they are part of that Elite to whom the editors refer. The campaign has never been about Trump's merits or demerits as a candidate; it has always been about public perception of him as an anti-Elite. This perception holds in spite of the fact that Trump has been part of the Wall Street/ Corporate Media most of his adult life. We saw the same phenomenon on the Left during the Democratic Primaries. Bernie Sanders was idolized by his followers the same way: perceived as a political outsider despite the fact that he hadn't worked outside of Government since the 1970s. The editors then note:
"Undoubtedly, Trump's vulgar remarks will negatively impact his race. However, as US elites are increasingly alienated from the grassroots and online public opinion is poles apart from the mainstream, it can't be predicted just how the scandal will effect his campaign. The public is fully aware that neither Trump nor Clinton are role models. Trump's scandal also reveals the dark side of US mainstream elites. Since October has seen the release of the most damning reports about Trump, it is clear that Clinton's team has allied with some top US elites. With shared interests, Clinton and her allies have a deep sense of crisis about Trump's rise."
Exactly. The Chinese Media has laid bare precisely what US pundits on neither the Left nor the Right will dare admit: that popular support for the American elites and their policies is an illusion. It is an artificial reality that the Elites have manufactured for public consumption. The editors conclude:
"Trump's political fate will not be determined by his personality, but by the American public's attitudes towards the Clinton-represented hypocritical elites. For US citizens, Trump represents real change, although they have to run a risk if they vote for him. This year's election has exposed US entanglement between pro-establishment forces and real change. Even if Trump loses...rebellion from the lower and middle classes against the Elite will not die down."
Precisely---and we've seen a precedent for this prediction already from the Left with the failure of the Sanders campaign. Even Sanders' endorsement for Clinton has not resulted in support for the Democratic nominee. Though not widely reported; a number of Sanders' supporters have shifted to Trump, or Libertarian Gary Johnson, or Green candidate Jill Stein. This shift shows that many Americans are not ideologues, but anti-Establishment.
Trump supporters are not going to be won over by a Clinton victory in November. There's already a grassroots backlash among Trump supporters against Republicans who've distanced themselves from The Donald over these leaked tapes.
The Chinese pundits are right. This 'scandal' will likely have little impact and we've already seen the Alt-Right rising to Trump's defense. Hilary Clinton---whose husband incidentally is no better on his sexual ethics than Trump---has no moral credibility whatsoever. To attack Trump on the basis of his political incorrectness is bound to backfire; as a few Establishment Republicans like Paul Ryan are learning to their regret.
The Party Elites have no one to blame but themselves. If the Clinton Machine hadn't cheated Sanders and the Republican frat-boys hadn't thrown Cruz and the Constitutionalists under the bus; we'd have an issue-driven campaign between two sitting Senators offering concrete and differing visions for the country's future. What we have is where pandering to the Lowest Common Denominator leads us.
Stay tuned now for tonight's 'debate'. Oh well...
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