Trump and the Art of Advocacy (Insult Edition)

Jeb Bush recently called Donald Trump a "jerk."  Without comment on their respective candidacies, I don't think Jeb! gained any ground.  Trump is a master insulter because his comments evoke a plausible image of the target:  "low-energy" (Jeb and others); "what a stiff" (Lindsey Graham); "losers" (pretty much everyone else). 

In contrast, "jerk" says nothing graphic.  It conveys an opinion without an image to go along with it.  So we know that Jeb does not like Donald, but there is nothing about that to spark the imagination unless we already agree with him.  It is bad advocacy because it will persuade nobody.

"Jerk" is the ultimate meaningless insult. George Costanza learned that lesson very well in the classic Seinfeld episode, Jerk Store.  

An explanation of George's Jerk Store plan is here.

The culmination of the episode is here.

Comments

[anon]

Another astute and penetrating insight from our partisan friend.

Steve will scrutinize every Republican wart for us, while ignoring every major scandal involving his team.

Thank goodness that we have someone, finally, willing to see the truth and bring us all together, breaking the partisan stalemate and allowing progress toward rationale goals! It is none other than Steve, fair minded observer of the political scene.

[Knn]

"Loser" does not say much either -- it is not much different than "jerk."

I do not think the Donald gains any ground from his non-substantive childish insults. There are those who support him anyway, or would vote for him anyway, and there are a substantial number amongst Republican Primary voters. For the most part, he sounds like what a lot of rich or powerful people, insulated from the great masses, say to their yes-men about their enemies in their private moments.

[anon]

Oxford has some interesting research on the political insult:

http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2014/11/political-insults/

[Darush Mabadi]

Anon (Whoever you are)

Partisan or not, Steve happens to be correct. I would take a so called "corrupt liberal" over today's honest conservative any day of the week. Trump is a master gutter snipping camera whore who will lies reflexively only to double down on his own BS when presented with the opportunity. He is a lightweight supported only by the low information bobble headed followers who seek confirmation of their own anger by embracing Trump and his vitriol of any and everyone in conversation. It has become a drunken tailgating party. A sad state of affairs the GOP has fallen upon. They tossed guys like me to the curb, by the millions. These guys and their policy objectives are setting the modern conservative movement back by 75 years.

But they got Trump!

The greater question is how does anyone aligning themselves with this so called family values party have the audacity to question the moral compass of those the left. If the best our conservatives can offer is to nominate a guy who can't stay married, who files for bankruptcy relief, who has defaulted on billions of Bond obligations, who will gladly cashing your Grandmother's social security checks at one of his casinos... I suggest they pucker up and begin learning how to enunciate Madam President correctly.

At this pace they will have eight years to get it right.

Darush Mabadi

[anon]

Wow. Now we have had our lesson on the "Art of Advocacy (Insult Edition)."

Thanks, Steve! YOu never fail to inspire the best in all of us! (While all the while attempting to distance yourself from the most transparent of intentions.)

[anon]

Just watched the stupid skits on Seinfeld, with "George" imitating Larry David about writing lines with a committee.

The episode had nothing whatsoever with the utility or efficacy of calling someone a "jerk" and George didn't learn any lesson about the use of this word.

The point of the episode was that George wasn't very good at insulting his nemesis, and was completely stymied by his quick retorts (see, article on "charisma" recently posted on the HP). (His nemesis blew away George's prepared line about the "jerk store" with a quick rejoinder (saying George was a best seller: everyone laughed), and then George resorted to Kramer's suggestion, which also backfired.)

Because Steve is clearly motivated to nit pick and question the words of his targets, fairly or unfairly, it only makes sense to point out that his post doesn't make any sense at all. It is sort of, well, meaningless.

Well, not completely meaningless. It is just a partisan attack with some window dressing trying to hide it as something else ("Without comment on their respective candidacies" ... this aside should win some sort of award for inartful pretense). The window dressing, however, even on its own terms, is irrelevant to the "point."

[Darush Mabadi]

Anon, I thought this would be a single comment on my part, but the mischief within me calls out for a fair hearing.

Instead of being a "hit and run specialist" why not come out into the light and tell us who you really are. It is easy to make snide remarks about others from the protection of your self administered anonymity. I find it truly "rich" when people attack others by name no less, with such conviction yet lack the basic testicular fortitude to sign their own name when doing so.

There is no insult to be had here other than possibly by your own hand. The challenge is to step in with both feet rather than nibble at the edges. If you believe that conservatives in this country are even handed or you believe their policies are just the medicine we need, then by all means stand up tall and say so. Smacking someone else based upon a weak kneed moral equivalence argument is beneath all of us, it bet including yourself.

I would be happy to scrutinize any current so called Republican against what is being offered by the Democrats. It isn't even a close match.

On a side note, the Dems will sweep 45-49 states next November, unless there is a brokered convention where they end up choosing Romney. Then you will have dog fight between Clinton and a Republican candidate who did not have to suffer through the knife fight of the primaries, who also is not as "severely conservative" as his campaign wanted us to believe last time around. This country is moving away from what the GOP currently is offering. They will elect a candidate like Hillary long before they let a Joe McCarthy loving dolt like Cruz or any of the rest clown car members into the top seat.

Darush Mabadi

[anon]

Again, Steve, the point of your post is clearly understood by your readers. I'm sure that you understand this.

[anon]

Steve, your comment ("good work") makes any further comment from my pov completely unnecessary. You have made my point better than I. I'll therefore leave this thread (and others in the same vein) to the inspired discussion you lead.

[Steve L.]

Sorry about that, Anon. It was meant to be a private reply, and it was posted in error. I have deleted it, as it violates my own policy about comments.

[anon]

Steven, I'd be interested in your analysis of the rhetoric of the two speakers in this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXDSJCdfX8k&feature=youtu.be

[eye of the beholder]

I've always hated the Seinfeld jerk store sequence. Probably my least favorite aside from that episode where Jerry and Elaine get stuck at that houseparty out on Long Island. I'll decline to watch the links.

[Bill Turnier]

So, I take it from the above discussion that Jeb should have called the Donald a "potty mouthed nutjob."

[anymouse]

I know someone else who is a jerk.