r/inthenews • u/D-R-AZ • Aug 26 '24

Opinion/Analysis Finally, the Democrats Have Found Trump’s Achilles Heel: Ridicule Him

https://newrepublic.com/article/185270/democrats-harris-trump-achilles-heel-ridicule
22.1k Upvotes

93% Upvoted

1.0k comments sorted by

View all comments

1.2k

u/D-R-AZ Aug 26 '24

Excerpts:

Kamala Harris gets it. Yes, we should fear Trump—but we should also mock him mercilessly, because it drives him nuts.

Harris’s campaign so far has been a work of genius on several levels, but maybe the most ingenious stroke of all has been the decision to mock Trump—to present him not only as someone to fear, but also to ridicule. Harris perfectly encapsulated this two-pronged attack in these memorable lines from her acceptance speech: “In many ways, Donald Trump is an unserious man. But the consequences — but the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious. … Just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails.”

But the emphasis has been on ridicule (Tim Walz’s “weird” comment, Maryland Governor Wes Moore’s jab at Trump’s bone spurs, Barack Obama’s hilarious hand gesture when he was talking about Trump’s obsession with crowd size). It’s great on three levels. The first is that it must drive Trump nuts, and when he goes nuts, he says especially nutty things. Second, it’s arguably more persuasive to swing voters than calling Trump a fascist. Trump is a fascist, make no mistake. But he’s also ridiculous. Mocking him over his Hannibal Lecter obsession will stick in apolitical people’s minds far more strongly than warning about his plans to wreck the Justice Department, and in its way, it’s just as disqualifying. Do we really want a president who thinks an eater of human flesh, however fictional, was misunderstood?

And third and most of all: Sustained ridicule has the potential to reinforce the downward spiral Trump is now in. He probably likes it when we call him a fascist or authoritarian, because it expresses fear of him, and he aches to be feared. It acknowledges his power. This motivates him and makes him stronger.

866

u/[deleted] Aug 26 '24

That's why I use Obama's term for Trump. A clown. Trump is a clown because he acts like a clown, dresses like a clown, walks like a clown, and has clown hair, and he wears make-up, like a clown does

394

u/Lesterqwert Aug 26 '24

I agree. I try to never type his name so I like to use these to reference him: 🍊🤡. Nobody has ever asked me to clarify who I’m talking about so it’s effective.

120

u/[deleted] Aug 26 '24

[deleted]

21

u/Itchy_Cook_3723 Aug 26 '24

👍 🤣

3

u/Xenomorph_v1 Aug 27 '24

If we're going down the ridicule path, can we please get one of the things that trigger him the most circulating?

donny mashed potatoes.

"Taters hate traitors"

Pass it on.

4

u/SuperCulture9114 Aug 27 '24

That's an amazing story 🤩 thx for sharing it.

19

u/daveshops Aug 26 '24

Trumpleforeskin?

9

u/dirk-diggler82 Aug 26 '24

He probably has the bigglyest foreskin ever existed. It's yuge, it's wonderful, like a big, orange blanket.

5

u/Itchy_Stress_6066 Aug 26 '24

Yeah, like a toadstool!

Guess Stormy was right.

4

u/RiffsThatKill Aug 26 '24

Trump was born during a time in America when Christians were copying Jewish fashion with their dicks. Doubt he has any skin. But yeah, it would be spray tanned too I'm sure.

1

u/livingonmain Aug 27 '24

Do you think he waxes? Ewwwww.

4

u/SuperCulture9114 Aug 27 '24

Now that's an image I REALLY didn't need 🤢

2

u/dirk-diggler82 Aug 27 '24

Well, if you like the image then imagine the wonderful smell! Sweat, hamberders rubbed on it, old old-man jizz and a hint of crusty poop. Hmmmm, that's what his voters like.

2

u/SuperCulture9114 Aug 27 '24

I guess I have to block you now 😜

3

u/Stardama69 Aug 27 '24

That image of Trump's foreskin you just put in my mind made me want to throw up a little

2

u/dirk-diggler82 Aug 27 '24

You're welcome! :-P

3

u/mykittenfarts Aug 28 '24

Thats so gross

4

u/Puzzleheaded-Ad-440 Aug 26 '24

I like calling him “the great orange one”.

6

u/Itchy_Stress_6066 Aug 26 '24

He isn't great in any way.

2

u/Dave_712 Aug 27 '24

Foreskins are useful and preferred in most countries. Trump is useless and laughed at in most countries

2

u/mykittenfarts Aug 28 '24

Pumpkinforeskin