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Kathleen Weber's avatar

The following appeared today in Jennifer Rubin's column in the Washington Post:

"Salon interviewed John Gartner, a psychologist and former professor at Johns Hopkins University Medical School.

Gartner was analytic, specific and frank. He pointed to “‘phonemic paraphasias’ — the substitution of non-words for words that sound similar.” He spelled out his observations:

"Some examples of Trump’s non-words: Beneficiaries becomes “benefishes.” Renovations become “renoversh.” Pivotal became “pivobal.” Obama became “obamna.” Missiles became “mishiz.” Christmas became “Crissus.” Bipartisan became “bipars.” …

"Trump also engages in what we call “tangential speech.” He just becomes incomprehensible when he engages in free association word salad speech that is all over the place. Again, that’s a sign of real brain damage, not being old, not being slow, not losing a step ... but of severe cognitive deterioration."

"What I don’t understand is why those clips aren’t replayed over and over in the mainstream media. Isn’t Trump babbling incoherently the most newsworthy part of his rally? You can be sure it would be if it were Biden.

"Perhaps outlets and figures such as Gartner who responsibly discuss Trump’s mental and emotional condition will shame the rest of the media into covering what should be a major story."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/03/01/newsletter-race-trump/

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rlritt's avatar

Becauae its Trump, and he brings in more readers to the media so its him they want. As long as they good things about him. He won't close them down when he becomes president

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Colleen Kochivar-Baker's avatar

The only source I've found that covers Trump's rallies and zeroes in on these paraphasias is Meidas Touch. They are happening more and more frequently. Biden would hose Trump in a debate but I would put a big bet on Trump's campaign team not allowing Trump to debate. They can't afford to let him off the teleprompter.

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Kathleen Weber's avatar

The only problem is that Trump's MAGA adherents love his stupidity— it brings him down to their level. He sounds like a drunk holding forth in a bar, and they feel right at home.

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Susan Travis's avatar

And, Kathleen, they take unbridled delight in foisting his full derangement on the rest of us!!

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Timothy M Dwyer's avatar

I could not agree more. But I have to believe there are a lot of “hold your nose with one hand and vote for the “R” with the other” folks out there who need to be repeatedly reminded of what they are choosing. PERHAPS some percentage might be swayed into voting for the dreaded ‘old’ candidate who appears relatively sane in comparison…

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Kate Fall's avatar

He's too scared to debate Nikki Haley, there's no way he's debating Biden. Or anyone.

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Kate Fall's avatar

People like Mr. Trump think that being rich will protect them from decades of drug use. It doesn't. There is no medical cure for "I killed all my brain cells snorting Adderall."

I don't know why news stories don't show this, and I don't know why the news that Mr. Trump's White House was handing out more drugs than I've seen on a season following the Grateful Dead got buried so quickly. They almost singlehandedly caused the Adderall and Vyvanse shortage that is causing real people to suffer.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-white-house-pharmacy-improperly-provided-drugs-misused-funds-pentagon-2024-01-28/#:~:text=WASHINGTON%2C%20Jan%2028%20(Reuters),cost%2C%20a%20Pentagon%20report%20shows.

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rlritt's avatar

I did not know this.

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Peter  V's avatar

When all this money gets raised to conduct a campaign, and I mean serious money, where does all that money go? I'd suggest it goes to the mainstream television media for the most part and it's this golden cash cow that comes around every two years at the least. That in turn sells advertising for both political ads and other products that are caught up in the jetwash. I would submit that the media thrives on controversy of this nature and has absolutely no interest in killing the golden cash cow. Congress had the opportunity to create a national news structure back around 1954 and failed to do it. The closest it has come to that since was "Equal time" and that got killed too. We're not going to get public funding of campaigns either for just the same reasons. Enjoy your bud lite.

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max skinner's avatar

The money goes to a whole lot of consultants who advise on strategy, pollsters, administrative staff, the people who produce the various sales pieces whether it be mailers, tv ads, social media ads, the people who set up the campaign events. Modern day campaigns are an industry unto themselves.

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Peter  V's avatar

I would be interested in seeing how that looks on a pie chart since I think you are right. That being said, a huge amount goes into TV media. Strange bedfellows these days and my assessment of Kristol has been how frequently he's been dead wrong about a wide variety of things in the past.

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Don Gates's avatar

I think what would really make America great again, is if Trump were to sleep with the benefishes.

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SandyG's avatar

😜 😜 😜 !

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Bruce's avatar

🤣

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Kathleen Weber's avatar

That would be finer than fantastish.

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Ray Oyler's avatar

The scariest part is how many people are not only okay with this, but also consider him the only source of truth. Terrifying for our country.

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JSVD's avatar

I constantly wonder this. There should be dozens of ads flooding the internet and TV that are nothing but raw footage of Trump blathering like an idiot. They could come in all flavors - slurring words, offensive diatribes, non-sensical riffs (anything related to wind or solar power)... The Lincoln Project and other large PACs should be all over this!

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NLTownie's avatar

Then the most important question is - Why don't they? Why doesn't the Lincoln Project do it? Why doesn't The Bulwark do it? With its added resources and new hires, with its YouTube presence - why doesn't The Bulwark do it? The material is available. The researchers. The technology and technicians. Why not?

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Peter  V's avatar

It will come in the form of ads paid for by the campaigns and pocketed by the networks. But, you have to pay, it's not voluntary . Making it voluntary removes the profit margin.

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David Court's avatar

Wait until he is the nominee, either by convention vote or because he has amassed enough delegates. Then bring it on when there is no alternative but to go with the flow, right down the drain.

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Jeff the Original's avatar

He was making the rounds yesterday being on the David Pakman show and the Damage Report. What was startling is that the experts he was talking to said that what Trump has going on is 100% attributable to brain damage. It's not going to get better.

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