In The New York Times, Frank Bruni asks the question “to Trump, or not to Trump?” The answer for cable and broadcast news, for now, is clearly yes.
But Bob Kerrey, a former presidential candidate who served in the Senate, says Donald Trump‘s lead in national polls–used as a justification for saturation coverage–are masking Trump’s lack of strength where it counts in winning the Republican nomination: on the ground, in key states like Iowa and New Hampshire.
“He’s got no ground game,” Kerrey continued. “It’s all up in Donald’s head! Everything’s in Donald’s head. It’s the political version of ‘Being John Malkovich.’”
Advertisement“The people running the networks know this,” he added, sighing. But they deliberately play it down as they seize almost every opportunity — including the McCain insult — to Trump anew and to Trump ad nauseam.
Kerrey groaned. “They’ve got a good sideshow going: ‘Are veterans offended?’ ‘Donald, are you going to apologize?’ For insulting McCain? He’s been insulted by better than Trump.”
Bruni argues television has been first in line at the Trump buffet, because “it in particular thrives on theater, which Trump provides in excess.”