From Pine View Farm

A Divot, Not a Pivot 2

A while ago, I unloaded on the concept of the “pivot,” which seems to be rather a fetish amongst the conventional political media.

Now Clarence Page finds himself wondering where that magickal mystickal Trumpian pivot may be. A snippet–follow the link for the complete article (emphasis added):

Timing and managing your pivot as a candidate is tricky but crucial. But, with barely more than 100 days left to the November elections, Trump sounded like a guy who ain’t about to pivot.

Quite the opposite, Trump sounded like he’s doubling down on his efforts to rouse the conservative and largely blue-collar and middle-class base that has turned out in huge numbers, as he puts it, at his rallies.

Frankly, in Trumplandia, there may be multiple divots, but there is not one pivot. Trump is temperamentally incapable of a “pivot.” A “pivot” requires discipline.

Aside:

As a news junky and someone who trained as a historian (I know that’s not parallel, but it’s my blog), I read a lot of stuff and Clarence Page’s commentary has earned my respect. Nevertheless, I find his contention that “Timing and managing your pivot as a candidate is tricky but crucial” to be laughable.

A pivot is “tricky but crucial” only if your message is a PR fabrication conceived in marketing, birthed in strategy, and schooled for maximum duplicity. If your message is correct and true, you need not pirouette away from it.

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2 comments

  1. Racer X

    July 31, 2016 at 11:56 am

    I agree: “A pivot is “tricky but crucial” only if your message is a PR fabrication conceived in marketing, birthed in strategy, and schooled for maximum duplicity.”

    However these are Republicans we’re talking about – and since the 80s their message actually is a PR fabrication conceived in marketing, birthed in strategy, and schooled for maximum duplicity.

    Therefore a pivot is mandatory.

     
  2. Frank

    July 31, 2016 at 9:30 pm

    One of the poisons in our discourse is the horse race coverage, which raises tactics over substance, appearance over reality. I was sorry to see Clarence Page fall into the trap, but no one is perfect. Except for me, of course (grains of salt available upon request).

    One wonders what Huntley and Brinkley or Walter Cronkite or Hughes Rudd would have made of Trump. The certainty is that they would not have allowed him to be taken seriously.