Seth Cotlar: I've been thinking a lot lately about how Trump's messaging resembles those 2AM Ronco ads from the 1980s, or the ads in National Enquirer...a publication Trump has, shall we say, some history with. It's all about separating lonely, credulous reactionaries from their money. bsky.app/profile/seth...

The sort of direct mail solicitations one receives from the Trump campaign when one has given exactly $0, ever, to Trump.

I've been thinking a lot lately about how Trump's messaging resembles those 2AM Ronco ads from the 1980s, or the ads in National Enquirer...a publication Trump has, shall we say, some history with. It's all about separating lonely, credulous reactionaries from their money. bsky.app/profile/seth...

It just occurred to me that Twitter has pretty much become the new National Enquirer. This person has 1.8 MILLION followers and provides content that is basically tabloid trash ca. 1981. Only now it reaches far more people instantaneously, on their phone.

Rick Perlstein caught on to this feature of "conservative" American political culture way back in 2012. It's only metastasized and essentially absorbed the GOP since then. thebaffler.com/salvos/the-l...

The Long Con | Rick Perlsteinthebaffler.com Mitt Romney lies to be loved.

As John Ganz argues in his brilliant new book, the “New Right” of the 1980s basis emerged as a barrage of fear mongering direct mail sales pitches courtesy of Richard Viguerie. It was left to the odious Sam Francis to pull it together into an ideology. This might ring some bells.

Anyway, I highly recommend John's book. It's a very sharp analysis of how our current "crisis of democracy" flows out of the political dynamics and movements of the late 80s and early 90s. bookshop.org/p/books/when...

When the Clock Broke: Con Men, Conspiracists, and How America Cracked Up in the Early 1990s a book by John Ganzbookshop.org "John Ganz is the most important young political writer of his generation--just the one our dark moment needs." --Rick Perlstein "Lively and kaleidoscopic." --Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker "John Ganz...

I just listened to an excellent interview with him over on the QAA pod. Excited to read the book!

And Nicole Hemmer's PARTISANS covers much of this material from the 1970s!

Such a great book. My students will be reading it in my History of Conservatism class this fall!

In re of nothing: I received the new John Ganz book today, so my weekend is covered!

A classic.

Is anything *not* reducible to grift? /rhetorical

it is absolutely the same kind of infomercial grift that used to be rife back then, the Santo Gold ads were what came to mind in that analogy for me

Why is elon's emoji a briefcase? To show he's like, this adult business person who does business all the time? 🤣

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