Trumpla: Political Reality TV

Trumpla: Political Reality TV

While out in DC recently I had the pleasure of running into White House Commentator/Georgetown Adjunct Professor Jon-Christopher Bua. JC covers international politics and writes for a few publications including the UK Huffington Post. We had an excellent discussion on foreign political processes, the 2016 Presidential Election, some of his work media training campaign spokespeople and his course at Georgetown 'Politics and The Media: an American-European Perspective'. One of his latest pieces you should check out is called Donald Trump vs Everyone: Do TV Debates Really Matter and to stay in tune you can follow him on twitter: @JCBua

Morton Downey Jr. Show 

In a reality tv society where the best press is bad press, all of this 'Trumpla' and his stagecraft antics have forged him into a one man Morton Downey Jr. show; a true pioneer of political trash tv. Like him or not, the guy is entertaining and represents the voice of millions of Americans who think and feel the exact same way. 

Like the 1980's era that catapulted Morton Downey Jr. into a pop culture celebrity, the same trend is happening with Donald Trump. To give you a sense of his popular culture impact consider the fact that his name has been dropped in rap lyrics at least 67 times by popular artists over the last 25 years. In terms of popularity, Trump is almost peerless in comparison to other presidential candidates except for Deez Nuts -no pun intended. Unlike Canada or other places where citizens vote for political parties represented by candidates, American citizens vote for the popular guy, not political platforms. Couple that kind of political process with an uneducated apathetic electorate and what we see is exactly what we get.

Know Nothing Party political rhetoric  

Two things I wanted to point out about Donald Trump is his 'whig' and no nothing political platform. When I say whig I am not talking about the spider monkey hairpiece on his head. I'm talking about his Whig Party perspectives. In the mid 1800s, the Whig Party was known as American Patriots, anti-Democratic and took many conservative stances that would be considered 'far right' today such as occupational prestige and upper class opportunism. Eventually succeeded by the Republican Party, Whigs were also said to be many things to many people, willing to abandon core convictions for the purpose of gaining political clout. Ironically the word whig is derived from the Scottish word 'whiggamore' and Donald Trump shares Scottish ancestry; his mother Mary Anne MacLeod was from the island of Lewis on the west coast of Scotland. In the mid 1900's the Anti-Masonic Party, the third major party in the United States, merged with Whig Party, and was considered the first right-wing reactionary movement in American politics at that time. In regards to Trump's no nothing political platform, his views are reflective of The Know Nothing Party’s xenophobic (fear or dislike of foreigners/outsiders), anti-immigration/naturalization sentiments. Also active in the mid 1800s, The Know Nothing's were a party who viewed themselves as the true Native Americans and only accepted membership of Protestant males born of British ancestry. They were also considered semi-secret because its members were instructed to reply, “I know nothing” if asked about the Party’s activities. Unlike today, xenophobic, anti-immigration/naturalization and anchor baby sentiments are not a secret; every time Trump opens up his mouth it is clear that he 'know's nothing' about addressing certain national and foreign policies. 

In the final analysis I think it's important that we understand that things happen in cycles, including political philosophies. Technology wise, we just have easier access to some of the same ideologies that built or destroyed this country in the past. In order to be an educated electorate we must be aware of this. I don't have a prediction on the outcome of the 2016 Presidential Election because it's still too early to tell who corporate America will choose to represent their interests. What I will say is that we cannot underestimate the power of popularity vs political platforms. A little over a decade ago the Morton Downey Jr. Show set a rachet television precedence and helped pave the way for reality television. Today we have a new kid on the block leading the same flock and it is going to be hard to trump that.

Peace,

Saladin

Everyday People

 

As we approach the Primary Election for Niagara County Legislator and City Council on Tuesday September 10th, there are a couple of things I wanted to share with all of you, our local voters.

 

Is it just me or have you also noticed that most County Legislator and City Council candidates only speak about their contributions and accomplishments to our county, and city, within the context of their job duties or affiliations? Rarely do I hear someone speak about anything they've done as an everyday citizen. Rarely do I hear of anything some candidates have done that they're not getting paid for, or that's not affiliated with a club/organization they belong to. In other words, if it wasn't their job, or expected of them as a club/organization member, you'll see almost no contributions or sacrifices being made to benefit anyone outside of their own family. We are all citizens first, and what we are willing and able to do first, as everyday citizens, regardless of our job, or the club/organization we belong to, is worth considering. This is especially important to consider when these everyday citizens, choose to run for public office, and serve our everyday people as elected officials.

Recently a citizen reached out to me about a public safety concern in his neighborhood. This person is not a politician, they are not a member of a club/organization, they are not getting paid, and their concern had nothing to do with their job, or affiliations. This was an everyday citizen being proactive and taking the responsibility to coordinate other concerned citizens to resolve a situation in one of our communities. That proactive approach towards the growth and development of our communities, as an everyday citizen first, is a quality we rarely see in public officials today. It is my assessment that many of the things we would like to see happen in our communities, and city, aren't getting done, or won’t get done, because we choose people to represent everyday citizens that have done very little to nothing as everyday citizens themselves. Imagine if the citizen who reached out to me also had this mentality "it's not my job, and I'm not getting paid for it" philosophy. Can you see how this increases the danger, and lack of growth and development, of a community?

I am currently running for Niagara County Legislature to represent the fourth district. The majority of the contributions I have made to our community, and other communities around the country, have been as an everyday citizen. I had the opportunity to work as a program consultant for the History Channel Show 'Gangland', and work as a media consultant for an actor from the T.V. Series OZ. I've created Mentor Programs including a free 8-Week Young Writers Program that empowered our youth to successfully publish a book. I operate a Prison Correspondence Program where I donate literature to correctional facilities around the country. I've done fundraisers to send two local youth on a College Tour out of state, and support a Reconstruction Project for an academy in Philadelphia, PA. I've hosted various educational forums, and taught life skills classes, at our Niagara Falls Public Library. I've volunteered with various community organizations, and have done workshops, radio programs, and speaking engagements about community outreach, economic development, and personal empowerment globally. I've authored 10 books, have helped publish other authors, and have written for various publications globally. These are just a fraction of the things I've done, and currently do, as a 38 year old everyday citizen whose concerned about the growth and development of our communities, especially our youth. These are contributions and accomplishments that have nothing to do with a job I'm getting paid for, a title, or a club/organization I belong to.

 

 

Citizens of Niagara Falls, if your goal is to elect people who are going to anticipate your needs as citizens, and exceed the expectations of our community and city, there are two things we must do. Number one is: assess candidates based upon what we've proactively done, and what we currently do, as everyday citizens. To be more accurate, begin your assessment of us prior to this election year because all of the dog petting, baby kissing, and festival photos can create an image of activism and community outreach that may have never existed. Secondly, public office is a job, and just like with any job, you have people who sit around and watch the clock, people that milk the clock, people that hide until it's time to punch out, and people that give you a hard day’s work. You also have people who don't treat their position like it's just a job, and will do everything in their power to help resolve your concerns of our community. Before you vote for any of us, find out who we are. Look for evidence that supports what we have been willing and able to do, as an everyday citizen; because this is who we really are. And this is who we will continue to be, after you have elected us to represent you.

 

Saladin Q. Allah,

Candidate; Niagara County Legislature, 4th district
Official Bio
Website



 

PRIMARY ELECTION

~Voter Message~

 

Tuesday September 10, 2013 is the PRIMARY ELECTION for Niagara County Legislature, 4th District!! This is an Election Ad I created that contains Voter Instructions for Registered Democrats and Working Families!!

 

 

 

To stay informed and connected to our Campaign every step of the way, please "LIKE" our Facebook Page: Saladin Q. Allah for Niagara County Legislature #NiagaraYouthParty #Saladin2013 #Vote