It's like watching Death of a Salesman IRL, in our White House...

[Wounded Bear]

[lunatica]

1. I suspect some of his staff might be secretly enjoying it

I’m sure his people, all over the world harbor some degree of vengeful feelings.

[targetpractice]

2. I crack up re: his verbal tic whenever he mentions numbers...

He just said, "If anyone other than me is elected, your 401k will go down the tubes by 20%, 30% Even 70, 80, 90%!"

He sounds like a used car salesman as I walk off the lot.

[Wounded Bear]

5. Trump is the embodiment of the old adage...

75% of statistics on the internet are made up on the spot.

Trump is an internet troll, he uses internet strategies.

[bullwinkle428]

6. "THEY SAY" this..."A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW" that...

[Wounded Bear]

8. Sumpipo say...

[targetpractice]

9. Or, "You people already know this." n/t

[targetpractice]

10. "Internet strategies" are just amplifications of the age-old...

...strategies of narcissistic and manipulative people. The internet just exposes (democratizes) these people and their opinions to the general population without a warning label like "CAUTION GASLIGHT WARNING: This person is a malignant narcissist. Protect yourself, and ignore them."

[Wounded Bear]

11. Yeah, not enough blowback on the internet for those behaviors...

and a nearly infinite number of sites to click around to and troll.

[Wellstone ruled]

3. Oh so true.

[Liberty Belle]

4. Apt analogy. For those not familiar with the award-winnng play by Arthur Miller:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_a_Salesman

"William "Willy" Loman: The salesman. He is 63 years old and unstable, insecure, and self-deluded. Willy tends to re-imagine events from the past as if they were real. He vacillates between different eras of his life. Willy seems childlike and relies on others for support, coupled with his recurring flashbacks to various moments throughout his career."

Willie is obsessed with money and success, but in the end, he's just a philandering failure and commits suicide.

[targetpractice]

7. I need to revisit the play, Liberty Belle...

...I remember reading in high school, and being profoundly affected, even depressed a bit... It wasn't until years later, I realized Willy was very similar to my mother.

Liberty Belle... It's been such a long time, but would it be reasonable to say "Death of a Salesman" was a study in narcissistic personality disorder? Just thinking this from my memory. Thanks for your post.

[Liberty Belle]

13. That could be, targetpractice, though of course

Trump is far worse than Willie Loman. But both are very ego-motivated and unable to accept their own failings.

[backtoblue]

12. He's trying to harvest a garden, like Willy

Nothing in his garden....

That part of the play always reminded me of "you reap what you sow".