President Trump and Typhoid Mary: When Lies Become Epidemic

Doctors and nurses aren39t the usual practitioners to offer political cures but their approach to the measles is worth consideringamp160 The medics are not only fighting the outbreak case by case they39re also refuting the bogus science peddled by the antivaccination movement responsible for its spreadamp160 Their version of quotPublic Health 101quot fits what ails the body politicamp160 After all just like the measles virus spreading coasttocoast Trump39s disregard for democratic values needs a response that targets its cause as well as effectsamp160 The Ad Council an organization with a long history of valuable public service campaigns is ideally suited to help deliver what citizens need to know about their democratic process and the respect that it39s dueamp160 See the announcementamp160about the appointment of Facebook39s David Fischer to Chairman of the Ad CouncilThat Trump39s presidential behavior is bizarre isn39t worth debatingamp160 With imperial assertions of executive privilege and orders calling off attacks only seconds after their launch Trump is offering a comedy impersonation of Napoleon without the horseamp160 Add to that mocking Congress and the courts both coequal government branches under the Constitution he is sworn to uphold attacking the press whose freedom is enshrined in its First Amendment and in a nation of laws asserting he stands above themamp160 All debase the presidency in language a banana republic boss would adore while demonstrating he holds the office39s obligations in contemptThe fact Trump39s authoritarian bluster doesn39t stop at the water39s edge only underscores the pointamp160 In Europe the Middle East and Asia the consequences of his grandstanding are taking their tollamp160 From spastic threats of war against Iran and tariff tantrums aimed at virtually every country in sight to affections lavished on his latest authoritarianofchoice Trump39s Il Duce performance has not only tanked American standing and credibility it is also raising the risks of conflict as well as damaging US relationships influence and interests around the worldThe strongman strutting also is intensifying social as well as political divisions at homeamp160 Like threatening nuclear attacks or publicly trashing historic allies Trump39s bombast over border walls immigration roundups and government shutdowns is fueling contentionamp160 Americans have noticedamp160 The Pew Research Center39s latest poll shows 55 percent blame Trump for the country39s noxious politicsamp160 As for Trump39s effects on them overwhelming majorities in the Pew survey cite him as their leading source of confusion embarrassment and concernamp160That said there39s no question many Americans remain susceptible to Trump39s Caudillolike performanceamp160 Take his recent statement that he was willing to entertain election help from a foreign poweramp160 As presidential declarations as well as potentially illegal acts go even for Trump the remark hits a new lowamp160 Given that many Americans have a scanty knowledge of their own history and civics however the comment and others like it are having an impactamp160 Case in point his own party amp160A recent national poll revealed that only 22 percent of Republicans saw foreign election influence as a problemTrump39s supporters have every right to their viewsamp160 But as NPR39s Ron Elving described last month they would find their opinion illgrounded if they bothered to lookamp160 For one thing intelligence and law enforcement leaders not to mention special counsel Robert Mueller have warned about Moscow39s election interferenceamp160 So has the Federal Election Commission reminding that cozying up to Russians or other foreigners bearing political gifts violates the lawamp160 It39s not just Trump39s opponents sounding the alarmamp160 The Founding Fathers did it as wellquotThe desire of foreign powers to gain an improper ascendant in our counselsquot Alexander Hamilton wrote in the Federalist Papers was quotone of the most deadly adversaries of republican governmentquotamp160 Hamilton had good company in worrying about foreign threats to the new democracy and in devising needed protectionsamp160 The Constitution requires a president to be a citizen born in the United States and its emoluments clause prohibits gifttaking in officeamp160 Both make clear not only who the drafters wanted in the presidency but also the standards that the office39s occupants should upholdLet39s stipulate that educating Americans about their democracy the Constitution its separation of powers and checks and balances shouldn39t be the media39s job amp160Unfortunately a president who daily disregards the country39s political values creates the needamp160 The press is doing its best to deal with Trump39s daily prevarications but when it comes to his demagogue39s shtick debunking his remarks onebyone isn39t enoughamp160 Like Typhoid Mary the Irish cook who spread the typhus bacillus in New York City in the 1900s Trump39s emissions are infectious reaching well beyond the specific subjects they touchThe antidote needs to do the sameamp160 That39s where the media39s ownership needs to step upamp160 They39ve done it beforeamp160 In 1942 President Franklin Roosevelt brought together the media39s executive leaders asking their help in the war effortamp160 The result became the Ad Council which produced public service announcements to boost the national causeamp160 The success of PSAs didn39t stop there from forest fires to drunk driving PSAs addressing critical national issues have been a media fixture ever sinceToday another president is making clear why public service announcements that can educate voters in democratic fundamentals should be added to the Ad Council39s listamp160amp160 As a product of nonprofit organizations that partner with the Council the announcements depend on corporate good citizens for fundingamp160 With political ad spending in 2020 expected to hit 10 billion a contribution from the major media outlets about to reap that bonanza shouldn39t be too much to askClick the social buttons above or below to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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President Trump and Typhoid Mary: When Lies Become Epidemic

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Kent M. Harrington

Jon Miller | Cofounder Marketo, Engagio | The Gumball Machine is Broken - Rethinking B2B Marketing - By Mike Linton

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President Trump and Typhoid Mary: When Lies Become Epidemic

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Kent M. Harrington

Jon Miller | Cofounder Marketo, Engagio | The Gumball Machine is Broken - Rethinking B2B Marketing - By Mike Linton

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