In a way I understand Rush’s perplexed reaction to the feed-back he received. On the merits, the issue could have been a valid one, but I failed to assess Trump’s actions as qualifying for what Rush was trying to address.
Addressing displeasure is called, “Using the Bully pulpit.” The president addresses issues to raise awareness. Trump does that better than anyone has IMO. His tweets respond to flawed thinking in mere minutes. God bless him for that.
Had Trump threatened to, or issued an Executive Order or a Presidential Directive against the NFL, it’s owners, team coaches, or league players, it would have been wrong, and deserving of criticism.
He didn’t do either of those things. He raised the issue of tax breaks and anti-trust protections. What’s more, he should have.
The league’s entities get special treatment for the government. If they are going to unify to denigrate respect for the flag, the anthem, or even the police, government has a right to assess they are not working in the public’s interest, and reassess if they deserve special treatment.
That is all Trump was suggesting. He suggested a review be made and action be taken if need be.
This is all above board and well within his purview of duties. It was not an abuse of power, or even a hint of it, by any stretch of the imagination.
Rush was wrong to express so much angst over Trump’s actions.
Here’s one more reason why I think what he did was wrong.
There is something that Republican’s do better than anyone else. They shoot themselves in the foot. They destroy their own momentum.
Karl Rove predicted Trump would come out of this NFL spat a big loser. Well folks, he didn’t. He came out a massive winner. The NFL blinked!
Not six hours later, Rush was on the air stating that what Trump had done made him nervous. He didn’t want to see a president coerce a business to do something. It was concerning to him.
So Rush joined a long list of folks who have on the day of our victories, carped about the fact we didn’t achieve the victory exactly how they think we should have.
This plays right into the Left’s hand in at least four ways.
1. First they can claim it was unfair what the president did, perhaps even dangerous
2. This can then be used to cloud the issue, as if the outcome was not just
3. They can play it up as a fracturing of the right
4. They can play it up that a well-known Conservative disagrees with what the president did
All this does is deflate the massive victory.
Rush really blew it. I know what he was trying to say, but it was not only not a valid concern in this instance, it also played right into the Left’s hand.
Instead of the big story being Trump’s victory, the big story became a split on the right, disagreement on Trump’s tactics, and even a big name guy realizing Trump was wrong. (Was that last charge accurate? No, but we have to avoid feeding them an issue, even if they have to twist facts to get there.)
Ah no he wasn’t wrong. No Trump didn’t suggest he was. He merely said this made him nervous. Well, this wasn’t the time to mention it. BIG MISTAKE.
Rush can try to dance around this, but he should know better than anyone how his words would be used to grasp defeat out of the jaws of victory.
He screwed up on this one, and couldn’t have been more timely about it, for Leftist advantage.
Correction:
Was Trump wrong? No. And Rush didn’t suggest he was. He merely said this made him nervous. Well, this wasn’t the time to mention it. BIG MISTAKE.
I’m grateful to Rush for all he’s done, but his best days are behind him. When his contract was about to run out last year, I hoped he would call it quits. But I knew his ego wouldn’t permit it. Sure enough, he re-upped for four more years.