Do you remember the Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker Show back in the eighties? His relentless pursuit of money through the guise of religion was so tiresome. Claims made by him and his minions of miracles answered for contributors to his church were endless and far fetched at best. But, it was a narrative that kept his lovely wife Tammy Faye in mascara. Jim eventually served hard time in jail for his sins.
Undeterred, he’s been at it again. Contacts have replaced thick glasses. Thin white coiffed hair has replaced thick brown coiffed hair. Tammy Faye passed away. He has a new female Fatale beside him as he continues to spread the good word. Recently he brought on an “expert” who stated that for a small contribution she could send you some medicine that would destroy the coronavirus in just 12 hours. It’s a miracle!
Find a narrative, swear to God by it, and collect money.
Which brings us to MSNBC. Lawrence O’Donnell reminds us of the Rev. Jim Bakker. Find a narrative, swear to God by it, and collect ad money.
Ole Larry made the Putin and Trump connection again. O’Donnell said, “The president is a Russian operative. That sounds like the description of a bad Hollywood screenplay, but it is real. It is Vladimir Putin’s greatest achievement, decades after America’s victory in the Cold War and collapse of the Soviet Union, the president of the United States is now helping the president of Russia help the president of the United States to get re-elected. So that the president of Russia will have four more years of the president of the United States who he wants in the Oval Office, this is one of those shocking news days if you retain the capacity to be shocked in the Trump era by the Trump regime, which might be better labeled the Trump-Putin regime.”
You know. Russia bad. Trump bad. We’ll be back after these revenue-generating messages.
So what if Putin prefers Trump over, say, a socialist that Bloomberg called a communist? What would O’Donnell screech if Putin, as crazy as it sounds, came out in support of Crazy Bernie?
What would Lawrence say then? Would he blame Trump for contacting Putin to get him to do it? After all, who would want Putin’s endorsement? Remember Russia bad. Trump bad.
The narrative is beyond tired. The collusion and all of its Mueller investigating (and striking out) is as old and tired as Jim Baker and snake oil.
Trumps’s approval numbers have improved over his time in office to a new high this past month.
How much is due to Putin? Not much. The real question is how much is due to America growing more tired of a tired narrative. Much.