What to make of Trump and Spicer going after the press on the weekend for unfair reporting on attendance at his inauguration? My instinct is to say boy it’s gonna be a long four years if Trump is getting pissed about something like this - and it sort of confirms the image of Trump as a petulant, vengeful narcissist. So that’s not good - and it’s just ridiculous regardless - I wouldn't have stood in the rain to listen to the sermon on the mount if I had had the option of watching it on TV - but to listen to a bunch of politicians and other boring types prattle on about whatever? Please. That so many turned up for Obama’s inauguration was just proof of how much of his support was fueled by an irrational exuberance luxuriating in the freedom of not having to make any goddamn sense. No serious minded person should give a shit about how many people show up to an inauguration - which is why it’s not surprising the media decided it did matter - and why it’s possibly a bad sign that Trump became annoyed by that.
Unless of course this is their strategy - to always be going after the media - we know that Obama exploited the media as a sycophantic ally that he could use to push his agenda - indeed, his ability to exploit media bias this way was key to his political rise. Given that, we know [or can legitimately assume] that the media dynamic re Trump will be the exact opposite - and therefore why not always be on the offensive so that the media is always on the defensive? There’s probably something to be said for that - but if that is indeed their strategy my guess is it will wear thin pretty quickly - maybe not with Trump’s core base - but certainly I think with middle of the road fence sitters who are willing to give Trump a chance but will be quick to pull support when [if] things start to go wobbly.
