Not Without Incident: Questioning Big Brother's Platitudes

“Hillary Clinton’s corruption is on a scale we have never seen before. We must not let her take her criminal scheme into the Oval Office.”[i]– Donald Trump

“Now I think it’s kind of fun. People get a real-time, behind-the-scenes look at what I was emailing about and what I was communicating about.”[ii]– Hillary Clinton

The Pied Piper strategy has a tragic history. During the Tea Party Movement, extremist candidates would be boosted by the Democratic party to help their chances against the incoming red wave. Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri enacted this strategy in 2012, and her campaign propped up an extremist candidate, Todd Akin.[iii] She says that she has no regrets over her strategy. Even after acknowledging that Trump’s victory was the strategy backfiring, McCaskill, when asked if this strategy is ethical, said, “Well, listen. I’m somebody who thinks dark money is evil. But I do think that it is ethical as long as the voters know – I mean, in my instance, I said, I’m Claire McCaskill, and I approve this message. And there was nothing in that ad that I didn’t believe.”[iv] The voters may know, but in the same breath she says she believes that dark money is evil and that so long as voters are made aware, funding the opposing party and spending time and effort picking who to run against is perfectly moral. The immorality of this shady behavior is compounded by these same politicians pounding podiums in outrage and raving about Trump and the MAGA controlled GOP being a threat to democracy. For the Democratic party it is not about reform or reaching out to voters to learn about what they need and working to reconnect with them, it is simply about winning the next election. On how to best implement the pied piper strategy, McCaskill says, “Well, first of all, I certainly would recommend that you spend some time figuring out what the Republicans voting in the primary actually support.”[v] Perhaps, this same outreach could be done to win them over and to offer them an alternative. Why do so much research to pick an opposing candidate? Aside from being strategically stupid, these plans and efforts reveal a party rotten to its core, and the embodiment of every word they use to characterize their opposition. From reporting done by NPR, the twisted logic behind funding lunatics is presented with little pushback. This strategy is stupid and sinister. The time and money spent on backing lunatics should be spent on connecting with voters and figuring out what they want, instead of scaring them into voting Democrat. This is the behavior of sociopathic maniacs. How can anyone know this truth and still believe these people still have your interests in mind? They are not public servants; they are self-servants.

In the 2018 midterms, the pied piper strategy was revived.[vi] Even in this context it doesn’t make sense, and makes the Democratic party look even worse. At a time when they are out of power after a shocking loss to a gameshow host, instead of working on their messaging and fixing mistakes they evidently made in 2016, the Democrats decided to meddle in Republican primaries, boosting crazies and hoping to run against them. Did they learn nothing from Trumps win? The answer is yes, they didn’t, and they still haven’t. This is a party unworthy of anyone’s vote. They may present themselves as caring and empathetic people, but beneath the smiles and handshakes is an insidious shadow game. As Ed Kilgore notes in his warning that Democrats helping kooks win primaries may backfire, it may hinder Republican gains, “But it also significantly increases the odds that if everything goes wrong the Republicans placed in power will be bad people with bad ideas. It’s a risky gamble.”[vii] Here Kilgore is being polite. There are already bad people with bad ideas in power. This very idea of propping up goons is bad, and the people supporting this strategy are bad, as this is how devious sociopaths behave. Kilgore’s reaction to the continuation of the pied piper strategy is shared by many, and it is little more than a warning. Outside of a few sharper critiques, like the editorial piece in the Washington Post that called for Democrats to cease funding MAGA loons, there are pathetic warnings and looks of disapproval.[viii] People despise equating both sides, from either side, but the continued use of the pied piper strategy exposes who the Democrats really are. If the Democratic party contributes to the election of a MAGA crazy, through funding and ads, how are they different and not to blame at all?

Before elections, donors decide on the party nominees before the voters, and tribal divisions are emphasized to cover this up. In the case of the 2015-2016 primaries, the divisions between the Republicans and Democrats, and within the Republican party between Trump loyalists and people who want to move on from Trump, are pushed to the fore while the backroom funding is reported on, but not in the same light or at the same scale as culture war divisions. As Matt Taibbi notes about the coverage of the backroom deal making and candidate selection by major donors that is the ‘invisible primary’, the shadiness and sleaze of these deals is covered up by pushing surface level blue versus red divisions.[ix] Since people are caught up in hatred for the opposing team, those who are the true oppressors are free to roam and pillage. Taibbi writes, “The more we turn up the heat on the red-versus-blue hatred down the stretch, the less voters think about chummy early processes like the “invisible primary.” And boy, do we have a lot of ways to make things heated.”[x] The pied piper strategy is a sinister ploy that is not given the coverage it merits. It’s more important for Democrats to get their five minutes of hate on for Republicans than it is for them to question why their party elite is funding those they are told to hate. If they were to become more skeptical, they would realize who their enemy is. In the words of Malcom X, “If you aren’t careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.”[xi] The adoration for vile figures like Liz Cheney and David Frum, simply because they hate Trump too, and the insistence that to save democracy people must vote blue no matter who proves that those doing the oppressing are the most loved.

The continued use of the pied piper strategy reveals a party more concerned with winning elections than helping Americans. Although Trump is equally focused on winning, the Democratic party tries to act like they’re the party of compassion and ‘build back better’. It may have worked out in 2012, but in 2016 it led to Trump being elected. Is he a tragic lab accident? The Wikileaks emails revealed that Trump was being propped up and given millions of dollars of free coverage.[xii] News outlets would screen his empty podium, anticipating another bombastic speech and ratings spike, while ignoring Bernie Sanders and other candidates from both parties. People are angry at Assange and Russia, instead of being angry at the establishment. The media is complicit in Trump’s rise. This complicity is proven in the leaked emails published by Wikileaks. It is also proven in the astronomical amount of coverage given to Trump, who they scoffed at and saw as a joke, assuring viewers that there was no way he could win the election, and his victory alone should have been enough to show that these same media pundits are part of Trump’s circus act. His carnivalesque style is engaged in by his opposition as well as him and his backers. The difference is that his opposition is subtle and sinister in its actions, and to admit complicity in Trump’s victory would be too much.

Censorship is favored over reflection, and rather than engage the problems that produced Trump, him and his supporters are erased. It is also an effort to destroy evidence that would incriminate the DNC and the legacy media. If they can retain power and get rid of the MAGA movement, then they do not need to worry about admitting their role in creating the problem. It is still contested whether the media created Trump, and while it may not be the sole creator, it is an integral part of Trump’s rise. As Taibbi describes in his coverage of the 2016 campaign, Trump is so grotesque and crass, but it is impossible to look away.[xiii] For the media he was also a ratings magnet, and his campaign was carnivalesque. It was like a WWE tour across America, which is fitting given that Vince McMahon, the owner of WWE, was a financial backer of Trump and his wife ended up in his administration. Trump battled his way through the primaries letting off zingers and insulting Republican royalty like Jeb Bush, and his campaign rallies were giant spectacles. The Clinton campaign could not compete. They were oblivious to what they helped create and had no idea that they were running against a populist. A perfect storm in Trump’s favor was brewing and the Clinton team, major contributors to this storm, essentially guided Trump to the White House. Clinton might as well have given her victory speech, as Trump is her creation, and his victory is owed to her. As Ryan Huber notes, “Trump supported his friend Hillary for all those years in the past; perhaps she was just returning the favor. In any case, Trump will now be her president, too.”[xiv] Leading up to the election, Trump was propped up and there was no point in the aftermath of his victory that the same people who had elevated him took any responsibility or were held to account. Americans were exploited by Clinton and her cronies to put her in her rightful place. In all the appearances on major liberal networks of her and those who worked on her campaign no one was sharply questioned about the emails released by Wikileaks proving that they wanted to run against Trump all along. They instead absolved themselves of all responsibility. As David Harsanyi comments, “It seems irresponsible and selfish to put Americans in such a precarious position for personal gain. Maybe someone with access will take a break from sitting shiva and ask her.”[xv] No one with access has taken her to task for her role in Trump’s victory. If she were serious about getting to the bottom of what happened in the 2016 election, she would first look in the mirror and ask herself that question.

The pied piper strategy is pursued still because without Trump and his ilk of sycophants who believe the 2020 election was stolen, the Democratic party has nothing to run on. Their platform is reliant on there being a Trump on the other side, a bogeyman who can be pointed at and deemed a threat to democracy and all that is good in the world. The televised work of the January 6^th Committee and the continued focus on Trump is part of a larger pied piper strategy to coax him into running again. As Richard Moser notes, “The sad, truly tragic, truth is that without Trump, or his kind, the Democrats would lose one of their main forms of control over voters. Without Trump they might be forced to have a message, offer a positive program, or mobilize the millions of occasional voters and non-voters.”[xvi] This is true now more than ever, as the Democratic party funds far right candidates instead of offering a positive message or program to their voters and the voters they lost. This proves why a party or movement outside both major parties is necessary to instill the change America and its citizens in despair need. The Democratic party is rank with corruption. They may get what they want most in 2024, to run against Trump again, however, it will likely backfire once again, and still no one will be held accountable. What will it take for people to realize that Clinton and the Democratic party are the creators and benefactors of Trump and his movement?

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[i] Beckwith, Ryan Teague. “Read Trump’s Remarks on the Clinton Email Investigation.” Time, October 28, 2016. https://time.com/4550004/hillary-clinton-email-fbi-reopen-donald-trump-transcript/.

[ii] Bradner, Eric, and David Wright. “Clinton’s 7 Eyebrow-Raising Email Comments – CNNPolitics.” CNN, August 21, 2015. https://www.cnn.com/2015/08/19/politics/hillary-clinton-emails-9-comments-list-2016/index.html.

[iii] Shapiro, Ari, and Claire McCaskill. “Why Democrats Are Paying for Ads Supporting Republican Primary Candidates : NPR.” Accessed July 20, 2022. https://www.npr.org/2022/06/20/1106256047/why-democrats-are-paying-for-ads-supporting-republican-primary-candidates.

[iv] Shapiro andMcCaskill. “Why Democrats Are Paying for Ads Supporting Republican Primary Candidates

[v] Shapiro andMcCaskill. “Why Democrats Are Paying for Ads Supporting Republican Primary Candidates, and Caldwell, Noah, Ari Shapiro, and Justine Kenin. “Democrats Are Bankrolling Ads Promoting Fringe Republican Candidates. Here’s Why.” NPR, June 27, 2022, sec. Politics. https://www.npr.org/2022/06/27/1106859552/primary-illinois-colorado-republican-candidate-democrats-ads.

[vi] Sainato, Michael. “Democrats Revive Failed ‘Pied Piper’ Strategy for 2018.” Observer (blog), October 10, 2017. https://observer.com/2017/10/democrats-revive-failed-pied-piper-strategy-for-2018/.

[vii] Kilgore, Ed. “Democrats Want to Run Against GOP Kooks. They May Regret It.” Intelligencer, June 17, 2022. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/06/democrats-want-to-run-against-gop-kooks-they-may-regret-it.html.

[viii] Editorial Board. “Opinion | Democrats like Pritzker Should Not Fund Right-Wing Candidates like Bailey – The Washington Post.” The Washington Post, June 29, 2022. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/06/29/democrats-stop-funding-right-wing-candidates/.

[ix] Taibbi, Matt. Hate Inc: Why Today’s Media Makes Us Despise One Another. New York London: OR Books, 2019.

[x] Taibbi. Hate Inc: Why Today’s Media Makes Us Despise One Another.

[xi] X, Malcolm, and George Breitman. Malcolm X Speaks: Selected Speeches and Statements. 1st Black Cat ed. New York: Grove Press, 1965.

[xii] Debenedetti, Gabriel. “They Always Wanted Trump.” POLITICO Magazine. Accessed July 20, 2022. https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/11/hillary-clinton-2016-donald-trump-214428.

[xiii] Taibbi, Matt. Insane Clown President: Dispatches from the 2016 Circus. First. New York: Spiegel & Grau, 2017.

[xiv] Huber, Ryan. “Remember: Clinton Camp Chose Trump.” Arc Digital (blog), March 25, 2017. https://medium.com/arc-digital/remember-clinton-camp-chose-trump-6466f10ccb82.

[xv] Harsanyi, David. “Yes, Hillary, the Media Did Help Trump Win. So Did You | RealClearPolitics.” RealClear Politics, September 15, 2017. https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2017/09/15/yes_hillary_the_media_did_help_trump_win_so_did_you_135011.html.

[xvi] Moser, Richard. “Elevating Trump.” CounterPunch.org, October 11, 2016. https://www.counterpunch.org/2016/10/11/elevating-trump/.

Bibliography

Beckwith, Ryan Teague. “Read Trump’s Remarks on the Clinton Email Investigation.” Time, October 28, 2016. https://time.com/4550004/hillary-clinton-email-fbi-reopen-donald-trump-transcript/.

Bradner, Eric, and David Wright. “Clinton’s 7 Eyebrow-Raising Email Comments – CNN Politics.” CNN, August 21, 2015. https://www.cnn.com/2015/08/19/politics/hillary-clinton-emails-9-comments-list-2016/index.html.

Caldwell, Noah, Ari Shapiro, and Justine Kenin. “Democrats Are Bankrolling Ads Promoting Fringe Republican Candidates. Here’s Why.” NPR, June 27, 2022, sec. Politics. https://www.npr.org/2022/06/27/1106859552/primary-illinois-colorado-republican-candidate-democrats-ads.

Debenedetti, Gabriel. “They Always Wanted Trump.” POLITICO Magazine. Accessed July 20, 2022. https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/11/hillary-clinton-2016-donald-trump-214428.

Editorial Board. “Opinion | Democrats like Pritzker Should Not Fund Right-Wing Candidates like Bailey – The Washington Post.” The Washington Post, June 29, 2022. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/06/29/democrats-stop-funding-right-wing-candidates/.

Harsanyi, David. “Yes, Hillary, the Media Did Help Trump Win. So Did You | RealClearPolitics.” Real Clear Politics, September 15, 2017. https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2017/09/15/yes_hillary_the_media_did_help_trump_win_so_did_you_135011.html.

Huber, Ryan. “Remember: Clinton Camp Chose Trump.” Arc Digital (blog), March 25, 2017. https://medium.com/arc-digital/remember-clinton-camp-chose-trump-6466f10ccb82.

Kilgore, Ed. “Democrats Want to Run Against GOP Kooks. They May Regret It.” Intelligencer, June 17, 2022. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/06/democrats-want-to-run-against-gop-kooks-they-may-regret-it.html.

Moser, Richard. “Elevating Trump.” CounterPunch.org, October 11, 2016. https://www.counterpunch.org/2016/10/11/elevating-trump/.

Sainato, Michael. “Democrats Revive Failed ‘Pied Piper’ Strategy for 2018.” Observer (blog), October 10, 2017. https://observer.com/2017/10/democrats-revive-failed-pied-piper-strategy-for-2018/.

Shapiro, Ari, and Claire McCaskill. “Why Democrats Are Paying for Ads Supporting Republican Primary Candidates: NPR.” Accessed July 20, 2022. https://www.npr.org/2022/06/20/1106256047/why-democrats-are-paying-for-ads-supporting-republican-primary-candidates.

Taibbi, Matt. Hate Inc: Why Today’s Media Makes Us Despise One Another. New York London: OR Books, 2019.

Taibbi, Matt. Insane Clown President: Dispatches from the 2016 Circus. First. New York: Spiegel & Grau, 2017.

X, Malcolm, and George Breitman. Malcolm X Speaks: Selected Speeches and Statements. 1st Black Cat ed. New York: Grove Press, 1965.