Donald Trump: How to Destroy a Brand
He has now supplanted Orly Taitz as American birther-in-chief. His recent anti-Obama public political pronouncements have been offensive and loaded with thinly veiled racial animus – claiming that the President is foreign, socialist, evil, doesn’t have America’s best interests at heart. Even many Obama detractors who think his policies are wrong would concede that he hasn’t led the country over the last four years like the Bolshevik some make him out to be.
It’s telling that Mitt Romney doesn’t rebuke or distance himself from Trump’s awfulness, but instead uses him as a surrogate.
Not Trump though – he’s become Carl Paladino with more money, a bigger mouth, and more fascinating hair. His beclowning became final last week when he offered to pay a paltry-for-him $5 million if President Obama would disclose certain personal records to Trump’s “satisfaction”. As any normal person would do when confronted by a bully, Obama has pretended that Trump doesn’t exist, except while mocking him on the Late Show.
Yesterday, Trump Tweeted something about how Obama was going to somehow force Chrsyler parent Fiat to send all Jeep production – even domestic production – to China. (Why would Obama do that? Because he’s as communist as the Red Chinese? Even though Red China has been only nominally communist for a generation?) Even though Romney has made a similar claim, it was handily debunked by Chrysler itself. It’s easier for Romney to lie about Obama – it’s much harder for him to lie about 3rd parties who have more flexibility publicly to debunk the lie.
Chrysler’s VP of product design, Ralph Gilles, is also on Twitter. Here’s how he – appropriately – responded to Trump.
Take a look, by the way at how many people re-Tweeted and favorited Gilles’ Trump rebuke. Now compare to Trump’s original Tweet (as of 6:00 am Friday):
That, folks, is how you ruin a brand – you take a crazy, fringe political viewpoint and broadcast it in a way that is equal parts arrogance and ignorance. As for economic stewardship, Trump companies have gone bankrupt four times, avoiding legally binding debts. So, he’s exponentially worse than Paladino, who at least has the good business sense to remain afloat.
Despite casting himself as the hardy individualist entrepreneur e.g. “I built it,” Trump’s another recipient of membership in the “Lucky Sperm Club,” assuming his place in the real estate world on the shoulders of his father who made a fortune in middle class housing projects – many publically financed – in the borough of Queens.
Trump is seen as a an arrogant buffoon by most Americans, Romney’s ties to this clown is just one more example of his lack of judgement and his tone deafness.
I’m one of those people who don’t support Obama but completely agree with you on this Trump nonsense. But what you’ve missed is Trump doesn’t care about his brand any more, he cares about his own self aggrandizement…the cult of Donald, not the brand of Trump. It’s funny, sad, pathetic and completely irrelevant all rolled into one.
Donald Trump is a buffoon of the highest order and I wish he would tie his flatulent balloon to another political party.
Are we sure Trump has more money than Paladino?
In the movie “Patton”, the General is watching his tanks pummel
General Rommels’ tanks on the plains of Africa
and Patton explains his triumph by shouting to Rommel:“I read your book, you magnificent bastard!”
In Donald Trump’s first book, “The Art of the Deal” he
explains how he conned bankers into financing one of his project by having
every piece of earth moving equipment drive back and forth creating dust so the
site appeared busy when it really wasn’t.
Trump gives a course on the art of conning others.
But today, Trumps’
secrets have been exposed by too much braggadocio. The business community doesn’t
fall for his shtick, and more and more, neither do TV audiences.