June 15, 2023 - 1:00pm
Former President Donald J. Trump was arraigned this week in a Miami federal court, pleading not guilty to 37 felony counts. In one sense, this gives Trump the opportunity to return as the beleaguered martyr, remarking afterward that “the only crime that I’ve committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it.” But more than that, the former president’s alleged crimes — the retention of national defence documents and obstruction of justice in concealing them — signify another revival of the Trump political universe: the Baby Boomers.
Retired, upper-middle class Baby Boomers — and their fellow NeverTrump fellow travellers across all age groups — comprise the core market for Trump-scandal content. After all, Americans aged 65 and older are the group most likely to say they watch cable news. And this clearly pays dividends when a new story breaks. Live coverage of Trump’s post-arrest address brought Fox 2.4 million viewers at 8pm, well above the network’s post-Tucker average. And across all cable networks, approximately 5.6 million viewers tuned in for coverage.
This news comes on the heels of last week’s cable news ratings showing that MSNBC “was the most-watched basic cable network in primetime,” for the first time since the Russiagate glory days of 2018. Keep in mind, while the network’s primetime viewership averaged 1,512,000 in total, only 172,000 came from the key demographic of 25- to 54-year-olds. The much greater number comes from Baby Boomers and the remainder of older generations.
Their anxieties, fears, obsessions and regrets all act as fuel for the machine that preys on them. We saw this play out across news and entertainment after 2016, with many media executives being of and catering to the Baby Boom generation (MSNBC’s Phil Griffin being an emblematic example, born in 1956 and steering the network from 2008 to 2021). This neurosis comes as a mix of latent Cold War paranoia about the Russians and the break with the political order of the late 20th century signified by Trump and other populists across the west — an order which suburban, upper-middle class Baby Boomers benefited from significantly (hence why many of them shifted their party allegiance after 2012).
The question now is: what will happen to these people if Trump winds up being found guilty? How will the media and its ageing consumer cohort satisfy their intense need for content? This is an open question for the conservative side as well, with Fox News still leading in total average viewers last week at 1,090,000 and only 127,000 in the key demo. While the MAGA and #Resistance Boomers stand in rhetorical opposition to one another, they actually depend on each other for their sense of purpose. If the drama ends, so does their need to buy the right books, watch the right shows, and post the right things on Twitter.
Barring a ChatDJT application that cranks out endless Trump-related content, there’s really not a clear replacement waiting to fill the void. From a purely political standpoint, this week’s events will only deepen Trump’s popularity within the GOP, but may also further exhaustion with him among independents. And while many cable news–watching Boomers are having fun reliving the days of non-stop Trump skits on SNL, most of us have long-since moved on.
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SubscribeWhat on earth?
There is a place for cheap party political bullsh!t. But that place is not here. The editors should understand that I can get this stuff for free, by the bucketload, from youtube.
This guy is an idiot.
”In one sense, this gives Trump the opportunity to return as the beleaguered martyr, ”
This is how he kicked off his pointless essay…..Good for you Polidori for calling out this mess.
This guy is an idiot.
”In one sense, this gives Trump the opportunity to return as the beleaguered martyr, ”
This is how he kicked off his pointless essay…..Good for you Polidori for calling out this mess.
What on earth?
There is a place for cheap party political bullsh!t. But that place is not here. The editors should understand that I can get this stuff for free, by the bucketload, from youtube.
Count me OUT of this demographic for Trump. I am a 73 year-old conservative, and I have never supported him. In fact, by talking factually to many of my peers, I have “converted” quite a few away from the Trump cult – which is what it is. Persuasion is the only antidote to this disease, but it must be done with patience and as little emotionalism as possible.
Now, if you want to look for reasons people are drawn to Donald Trump, you need look no further than the disgraceful “Pride Month” displays at the White House. Boomers are, by and large, a group that believes in traditional moral and political values, which they see being mocked and trampled on at the highest levels of government, academia and the corporate world. Whatever else they see in Trump, they do not see a man riven with the desire to pander to the latest self-defined victim group. They also see a man determined to get the better of U.S. – Chinese relations. It’s a Faustian bargain, to be sure, but I think the calculus is that you pick your outrages in leadership. They are outraged by the Biden administration, its shallowness, and its racial and queer gender pandering. Not to mention the southern border ( non-existent ) and mishandling of the economy and official lying about both. Boomers are a lot of things, but complete idiots they are not. And most of them are hard-working taxpayers who value the fundamental rights of legal residency and citizenship, and who have in large numbers served the country in uniform.
You’ve put your finger on just the point. For the Left, any leader who does not adhere to the “idea of progress” is a cartoon and Mr. Trump is obliging by being just that. For the boomers, what is assumed to be progress looks increasingly cartoonish (need one mention examples?). These same boomers delight in the fun Mr. Trump is having at the expense of entirely unserious people taking themselves entirely seriously. It is political theater of the first order and delightful to watch, even if it’s not going to work out terribly well for the boomers (or Mr. Trump).
”I have “converted” quite a few away from the Trump cult”
FFS….
You’ve put your finger on just the point. For the Left, any leader who does not adhere to the “idea of progress” is a cartoon and Mr. Trump is obliging by being just that. For the boomers, what is assumed to be progress looks increasingly cartoonish (need one mention examples?). These same boomers delight in the fun Mr. Trump is having at the expense of entirely unserious people taking themselves entirely seriously. It is political theater of the first order and delightful to watch, even if it’s not going to work out terribly well for the boomers (or Mr. Trump).
”I have “converted” quite a few away from the Trump cult”
FFS….
Count me OUT of this demographic for Trump. I am a 73 year-old conservative, and I have never supported him. In fact, by talking factually to many of my peers, I have “converted” quite a few away from the Trump cult – which is what it is. Persuasion is the only antidote to this disease, but it must be done with patience and as little emotionalism as possible.
Now, if you want to look for reasons people are drawn to Donald Trump, you need look no further than the disgraceful “Pride Month” displays at the White House. Boomers are, by and large, a group that believes in traditional moral and political values, which they see being mocked and trampled on at the highest levels of government, academia and the corporate world. Whatever else they see in Trump, they do not see a man riven with the desire to pander to the latest self-defined victim group. They also see a man determined to get the better of U.S. – Chinese relations. It’s a Faustian bargain, to be sure, but I think the calculus is that you pick your outrages in leadership. They are outraged by the Biden administration, its shallowness, and its racial and queer gender pandering. Not to mention the southern border ( non-existent ) and mishandling of the economy and official lying about both. Boomers are a lot of things, but complete idiots they are not. And most of them are hard-working taxpayers who value the fundamental rights of legal residency and citizenship, and who have in large numbers served the country in uniform.
Honestly, I have no idea what the author is saying here. I guess the last 27 words was all the author needed – people are sick of Trump.
Good people Love Trump – the last decent man in higher levels of Politics in the world. Possibly the last chance for humanity.
Ultra MAGA
WWG1WGA
Good people Love Trump – the last decent man in higher levels of Politics in the world. Possibly the last chance for humanity.
Ultra MAGA
WWG1WGA
Honestly, I have no idea what the author is saying here. I guess the last 27 words was all the author needed – people are sick of Trump.
One of these days… _one_ of these days, someone will actually get around to asking, what is it that persuades millions of Americans that Trump is a hero?
He’s not, but then for me that’s obvious (as I’m not an American). But there are lots of Americans, all perfectly sane, who think he’s wonderful. Asking the question ‘why’ would be a good idea, wouldn’t it?
I’m not an American but still…. here are some possible answers-
Trump has a sense of humour and uses it.
Trump is alive and kicking.
Trump is not sanctimonious.
Trump projects power (even if he does’t have it or doesn’t know how to use it).
Trump makes contact with everyone in his path (OK not liberals).
Most of his political opponents are half dead, useless, po-faced and uncomfortable with the public.
Heck, two days ago Jake Tapper (before he complained to CNN management about the wall-to-wall Trump coverage) described the fleet of black limos carrying the Trump party from courthouse to his private plane as the Presidential Motorcade. (he later corrected himself).
To me the procession looked somewhere between presidential and mobster.
The USA has always held gangsters in wary esteem.
People like Trump because the Dems are just too awful to contemplate and have proved far worse than Trump and Trump has the best chance of beating out the Dems.
To climb the greasy pole of American Politics takes hundreds of Millions $$$$$$ in ‘Campaign Contributions – and every $ must be paid back tenfold, a hundredfold, in how you vote and grant favors.
Then when the politician has paid his dues to the corrupt ‘Donor Class’ he will get seats on Corporate Boards, and insider trading snippets, and become very wealthy indeed.
They sell their soul, and the soul of the nation to gain those seats of power.
Trump did not climb that pole – He owes No One, He is wealthy he is free to be a patriotic American. One of the very, very, few.
To climb the greasy pole of American Politics takes hundreds of Millions $$$$$$ in ‘Campaign Contributions – and every $ must be paid back tenfold, a hundredfold, in how you vote and grant favors.
Then when the politician has paid his dues to the corrupt ‘Donor Class’ he will get seats on Corporate Boards, and insider trading snippets, and become very wealthy indeed.
They sell their soul, and the soul of the nation to gain those seats of power.
Trump did not climb that pole – He owes No One, He is wealthy he is free to be a patriotic American. One of the very, very, few.
I’m not an American but still…. here are some possible answers-
Trump has a sense of humour and uses it.
Trump is alive and kicking.
Trump is not sanctimonious.
Trump projects power (even if he does’t have it or doesn’t know how to use it).
Trump makes contact with everyone in his path (OK not liberals).
Most of his political opponents are half dead, useless, po-faced and uncomfortable with the public.
Heck, two days ago Jake Tapper (before he complained to CNN management about the wall-to-wall Trump coverage) described the fleet of black limos carrying the Trump party from courthouse to his private plane as the Presidential Motorcade. (he later corrected himself).
To me the procession looked somewhere between presidential and mobster.
The USA has always held gangsters in wary esteem.
People like Trump because the Dems are just too awful to contemplate and have proved far worse than Trump and Trump has the best chance of beating out the Dems.
One of these days… _one_ of these days, someone will actually get around to asking, what is it that persuades millions of Americans that Trump is a hero?
He’s not, but then for me that’s obvious (as I’m not an American). But there are lots of Americans, all perfectly sane, who think he’s wonderful. Asking the question ‘why’ would be a good idea, wouldn’t it?