A Genius Speech: Donald Trump goes Full Emperor Palpatine at the Republican National Convention

I will be posting the 100th episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show later tonight or tomorrow. I almost always keep the show's schedule of airing late Wednesday/early Thursday. It was delayed because 1) I wanted to include some thoughts on Trump's speech at the convention and 2) it was so damn hot here in Chicago and I record my segments without the air conditioning on, thus a "heat delay" was in effect. Is that a first? A podcast delayed because of ungodly heat? The Chauncey DeVega Show is unique in so many ways.

Some quick thoughts on the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

1. It was an alternate reality and an example of a shared psychotic disorder. Folks who are outside of the cult and "madness of the many" that is today's Republican Party and Right-wing news media are incapable of sharing the delusion. It all seems crazy to us...because it is. I have a new piece over at Salon that develops these claims in more detail.

2. You can dislike a thing, even hate it, but you should also be able to admire it too:

Donald Trump is a proto fascist racist political wrestling performance artist. On those grounds his speech on Thursday was epic, just an amazing piece of work. I would give Trump's speech, and how he delivered it, a solid "A." Too many liberals, progressives, centrists, and others are dismissing its power because they fundamentally disagree with Trump's politics. This is piss poor lazy thinking folks. Hillary Clinton should be very concerned right now about her chances of victory in November.

3. Despite what folks who are paid the big bucks to write the "hot takes" are suggesting--see people's exhibit number one: David Brooks at The New York Times--Donald Trump is not Batman, a billionaire who promises to bring order to the streets. Trump is more like Superman in Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns or Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars.