The Conceit of The Intelligentsia That Politicans Are Intelligent

John Podhoretz is a smug and arrogant pundit...pretty much the epitome of inside-the-beltway journalism and thought, in spite of his right-of-center leanings. He's a fan of an open immigration policy, which he justifies at least partly on the basis of his Jewishness. I find that offensive and stupid in the extreme. The great waves of immigration that brought Germans and Irish and Italians and Jews to America occurred during a slightly different time. That he can justify an open-borders policy in light of our current economic difficulties suggests to me that he isn't nearly as smart as he thinks he is. Needless to say, he is no fan of Donald Trump, but this article has some interesting points, chief among them that Donald Trump is not playing by the rules because he is not operating with some grand plan.Trump makes sense once you realize you're watching improv

But we're missing one profound thing about Trump, and we keep missing it, and we will continue to miss it: Trump is not a politician. He doesn't think of himself as a politician, and he doesn't act like a politician, and we're all desperately trying to fit him into our understanding of what he's supposed to be.

The problem is that Podhoretz doesn't cast the same analytical eye on every other politician. Perhaps Trump is improvising, but the experience of the last eight years should have taught Podhoretz that grand plans executed by politicians rarely work. Because they are not as smart as they think they are...just like Johnny boy!

They all went to the same schools, and go to the same parties and restaurants and bars, and -- probably -- use the same hookers. So it is not surprising that in the echo chamber of the Acela corridor they all are tremendously impressed with their collective intelligence.

But....I watched Trump make "mistake" after "mistake" for months. He misspoke, he insulted, he inflamed, he changed his views. He went off script so much that it was obvious there was no script. And worst of all, he went after the media. In short, he did everything the Acela crowd knew...KNEW...wouldn't work.

He screwed up so much that he got elected President of the United States of America.

So what does that say about the pundits who are now flailing around trying to find another way to criticize him?

A long time ago, the phrase, "Subvert The Dominant Paradigm" was in vogue. The Acela crowd has been the paradigm for a generation. That they are being subverted hasn't sunk in yet.

posted by CBD at 02:05 PM

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