Bully the bully

because it works

Last night was full of wonderful speeches and was a great kick off to the 2024 DNC Convention. I recorded the whole thing to be able to watch President Biden’s speech…which I have not viewed yet. I got as far as Maryland’s own Jamie Raskin last night

and during his speech I understood what the Convention planners were doing. Yes, congratulating President Biden was a BIG piece of the evening…but I believe the sub plot was to Bully the bully…poke him hard in his soft spots so he will react.

He is his own worst enemy….and has to attack when he feels attacked. It’s his nature. It works most of the time. Because his style is to divide and conquer. He picks the weak one or the one that threatens him most and does his viper verbal sthick and many times it works. That technique got him through the 2016 GOP primaries. He gives his next victim a pet name and goes after them, one by one.

Well the table is turning…and it was focused last night. Some of the people who the Donald hates the most were featured in full view. AOC and Hillary who took aim at him and then lavished praise on the President who stole the election from him. I could imagine the smoke coming out of his ears.

He had to be throwing his cheetos, cokes and fries at the TV…if owns a gun there could have been an Elvis moment…

but I don’t think felons can have guns.

I stayed awake long enough to hear Jamie Raskin…I love Jamie Raskin, the human being and the elected representative. I got to document him during the Fracking debates in Maryland. He is intelligent, witty and knows how to connect the dots…and I believe he was the tip of the “bully the bully” spear last night.

He called DJT a “con man” and reminded us all what it was like to be inside the Capitol on J6..and how violent his mob was…and about the “hang Mike Pence” chants and hunting him with a noose. He warned JD Vance about what his fate could be…and called him Trump’s “pet chameleon”. A good and accurate line.

That made me think about Jimmy Buffett’s adaptation of Herman Wouk’s novel “Don’t stop the Carnival”….and then Raskin’s line about “Banana Republicans” sealed it for me. There should be a fresh version of “Carnival” with Trump and his minions in the key roles.

I like the energy and the fun of this new campaign. Let’s be that.

But to Bully the bully is a good technique when you’re dealing with a toxic person who really is all about themselves and is used to getting their way. It surprises them when someone does push back…and it really surprises them when you up the ante and put them against a wall. It’s not my nature…but I’ve used it twice and it was effective. They have to fear you and believe that you can and would hurt them…verbally, in the media, legally or physically if it’s in that kind of space, where the bully threatens real harm.

Donald is now surrounded by capable Democratic and Republican people who do not fear him….know his techniques and they have something and someone worth fighting for.

The game has changed. I’m eager to see how this week plays out.

Listen to some of Buffett’s “Don’t Stop the Carnival” …see what you think about “Banana republicans”.