Projection
prə-jĕk′shən (pruh-jek-shuh n)The tendency to ascribe to another person feelings, thoughts, or attitudes present in oneself, or to regard external reality as embodying such feelings, thoughts, etc., in some way.
Just why do Republicans always tell us what Democrats are thinking instead of and despite what they're saying? For example, on the right and extreme right, it is a given that impeachment is job one for us, their opponents.
Jonathan Alter stopped Kayleigh McEnany from saying just that and rebutted with the pertinent statistics that exactly 3 congresspeople were on board seeking it and fewer than 3 dozen candidates out of around 450 in the mid-terms had it as their top tier plank. As is customary, Ms. McEnany repeated it again and again until "we'll have to leave it right there" won the day.
Democrats are not thinking that, at least not out loud. I mean who couldn't say that the half ton gorilla in the room is the 239 pound orange ape in the oval office, so I shouldn't doubt that those with any modicum of common sense have gone there to some extent, but the point is you should have to stand for something to be awarded the blessings of the electorate. Such a singularly narrow issue seems like a subtle voter suppression, if defending against this straw man steals your focus and robs your potential supporters a fair look.
Without starting to go all Powerpoint on a multi-point platform, one can and should articulate one's philosophy of governance and representation; it also couldn't hurt to ask a person for her or his vote.
This is the time we should fear the most. The informed voter has had pretty much everything for a while now. Save for the dead girl or the live boy.
But there's time remaining for the complacent to get caught up in the inevitable media spectacle and that's when the Luntzspeak, historically, has taken over. The hidden persuaders, who not for nothing make a pretty penny, are locking up the prime slots in media and gravitating to the latest apps. They are a-readying.
"We don't need a congressperson who will be constantly distracted by hatred of Donald J. Trump, enough to investigate and impeach him day in and day out and not pay attention to the things Americans really care about." And their voice-over guys will sound all snarky, with or without the doomsday music and the grainy, black & white stills.
What should be the response? In the past, Democrats have lapsed into far too much tit for tat and it's evident they're not particularly good at it.
Either or both.
With the ground being conceded by the other side including just about every positive thing since The Enlightenment (many with Republican backing), we have to hope that adopting a stance of readiness to rebut any and all crazy surely has never had a better shot at prevailing this time. Hope is good. I can show you a poster.
The topic of impeachment as a political cudgel this week will find its replacement soon. Because it's only important as dominator of the news cycle, but the fact that they accuse the Democrats of such singular focus presents beaucoup evidence of projection.
The temptation to be anything but real to fight it is their aim in keeping you on your back foot until November. Real takes real.
The impetus to out bon mot Republicans has to be let go of. They are the ones both smelling it and dealing it.
Keeping you locked in and losing the battle which you can't win (see 'rigged system') because of the Trump Triangle we should call it, carries more than a whiff of high school. Ideas (such as) going from the loonisphere, to Fox News, to the mouth and hashtag of he who must be praised or else you're fired, rinse repeat, is what got us here.
The Trump Triangle: norms enter and are never heard from again. Its zeitgeist is projection. It knows its greatest weaknesses so it knows what to turn into weapons. The Democrats must have a single issue driving them because Republicans do. They can't tell you what tomorrow's will be but they know how to hammer today's.
Woe be to anyone contemplating defensive reaction to it because when the tit changes, as it were, the old tat becomes a loser. (See: oh yeah? and what about...?)
The jazz guys say it's outside the concept of the pocket if you wait to hear the beat played to try to play on the beat. You're always late.
Instead, know which measure of what refrain you're in and be prepared to say something, if it's your turn.
If it's your turn.
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CORRECTED TO REFLECT IT WAS JONATHAN ALTER, NOT DAVID CORN WHO CONFRONTED KAYLEIGH MCENANY
