Reinventing Trump

by Stephen Lendman

How do you reinvent a billionaire tycoon, driven by money-making, using it to make more of it in business dealings, a wannabe president, displaying more bombast than charisma and forthrightness? Though lately, he's more focused than histrionic. More on this below.

How does he explain calling Bush's Iraq war "a disaster," Obama's Middle East policy "a catastrophe," saying as president he'll improve US/Russia ties, then naming uber-hawk neocon, former CIA head James Woolsey as senior national security advisor?

How do you create a recast Trump persona, making him look more presidential late in the campaign, convincing voters the new image is really what he's all about, the old one just a failure to communicate?

On August 16, his third campaign team took over from two earlier ones, the Wall Street Journal saying campaign CEO Stephen Bannon and campaign manager/pollster Kellyanne Conway had to convince Trump "to move away from a preoccupation with rallies and wall-to-wall TV interviews toward 'moments,' " portraying himself as presidential "with a caring side."

All he ever cared about in business was and still is money, lots of it, power, and national recognition from reality TV and cameo film appearances.

According to the Journal, supporters say his new team made him more disciplined. "Actually I'm freer now, relying on my instincts and working with a team I trust," he said.

Instead of letting Trump be Trump like earlier, he's now more what his handlers want him to be, but not entirely, according to Democrat strategist Hilary Rosen, saying "50 days of script can't change 15 months of actual positions and beliefs."

He "isn't going to be able to run away from his divisive rhetoric." He's more comfortable with his new team, he said, focusing more on scripted speeches, "making fewer off-the-cuff remarks, which hurt his campaign after the GOP convention this summer," said the Journal, explaining his new campaign team includes "three interconnected circles of advisors:"

Conway and her team;

Bannon, press secretary Hope Hicks and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani; and

Trump's older children Eric, Donald Trump Jr, their sister Ivanka, and her husband Jared Kushner.

As of September 14, Trump has 55 remaining days to catch and surpass Hillary for a majority of Electoral College votes to win.

Will it matter if things are rigged against him as he's claimed? Despite being ethically, morally and legally challenged, emotionally unstable and perhaps too seriously ill to perform duties required of a US head of state, Hillary is the establishment candidate likely to succeed Obama by fair or foul means.

Bet on the latter because Wall Street, other monied interests, war-profiteers, political power brokers and media scoundrels want things this way. 

The people's choice is pure illusion, democracy in America a scandalous hoax.

One more thing. Love or hate him, Trump often makes his addresses interesting, their accuracy on facts at times aside. Hillary is boring, compounded by her serial lying. It's surprising she can hold anyone's attention longer than moments.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. 

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

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