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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsStephen Miller - The Believer - Politico piece tying Miller to Sessions and Bannon
The Believer
How Stephen Miller went from obscure Capitol Hill staffer to Donald Trumps warm-up actand resident ideologue.
By JULIA IOFFE June 27, 2016
It's a long detailed article and it's really hard to pick out what to share. Basically the piece tracks Miller from college to his being the warm up guy that was ramping up the crowds before Trump came out to speak at campaign rallies. He was so good at getting the crowd going that I truly believe Trump could have just showed up and drooled and the crowds would have cheered him as the best thing ever. That is a dangerous skill to have.
LOTS WORTH READING HERE
"...Trump had been coming under fire for his response to the Orlando shooting, and that night in Dallas Miller pivoted from whipping up fear and loathing to whipping up fear and loathing and then calling it love. As the crowd began to chant Build the wall! a grinning Miller explained. Were going to build that wall high and were going to build it tall, he said. Were going to build that wall, and were going to build it out of love. Were going to build it out of love for every family who wants to raise their kids in safety and peace
Were building it out of love for America and Americans of all backgrounds...
"...But among this roster of political outsiders, Miller stands out, especially for people who understand the new forces afoot in Republican politics. He's deeply connected to some of the most powerful insurgent threads in the Washington GOP, most notably Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions and the Breitbart media machine. As an aide on Capitol Hill, he was a behind-the-scenes architect of the successful effort to kill comprehensive immigration reform in 2014. And while its hard to gauge how much Trump is amenable to influence by anyoneat least, by anyone that he didnt begetthere is no question that Miller is deep, and serious, on the one question that most drives Trump's unlikely campaign.
Millers talent for combining operational zeal with the ability to effectively frame an idea into one devastating laser beam made him a prized Sessions lieutenant in Washington. When it comes to issues and messaging and policy, there isnt anybody else that Ive known that would be as valuable to a presidential campaign as he, Sessions told me. Maybe other than Karl Rove...
"...Miller had always existed at the political margins, but Trumps rise has allowed him to advance to the vanguard, and he clearly enjoys it. He grins at the podium, he savors the crowds reactions, even if they periodically boo him for not turning the stage over to Trump fast enough. All the anger right underneath the surface just waiting to come through, about what I dont know, says a former staffer with the Republican leadership on the Hill. Ive seen the videos of him getting the crowd fired up. People that knew him when he was on the Hill, I dont know how to describe the reactions people had to the videos of him. Maybe creeped out a little bit? Like, whats going to happen when this guy gets the power? He pauses as a thought dawns on him. Oh my God, he says. Hes going to find out that I spoke with you and Im going to end up in a camp somewhere...
underpants
(187,921 posts)Hadn't actually seen him until some clips this morning.
Lucinda
(31,170 posts)research but since he is topical today, I decided to go ahead and post. I missed this article when it first came out.
I used to teach an Intro to Theatre class for college students, and talked about how easy it is to sway people politically when you get the right speaker and add in the campaign spectacle. This guy is dangerous, a true believer, with the ability to ramp people up. Bad combo.
dalton99a
(85,489 posts)cilla4progress
(26,041 posts)Fascism whore.
Lucinda
(31,170 posts)Miller set them up, he knocked them down.
ginnyinWI
(17,276 posts)I could almost see the Nazi uniform on him.
betsuni
(27,376 posts)Dangerous.
underpants
(187,921 posts)It is clear that my initial take on him was correct. He's a douchebag.
Lucinda
(31,170 posts)Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)like focus by George Stephanopolous insisting Miller provide the actual evidence thousands of folks were bussed in from Mass. to NH to illegally vote as said repeatedly as fake news by his bossenfuherer. Miller squirming away to another topic repeatedly said it all.
Lucinda
(31,170 posts)Trump thinks he did a great job today...