Rantz: Liberal pundits setting up Trump’s SOTU for failure

He hasn’t even spoken yet, but we’re already seeing a silly narrative taking shape to go after tonight’s State of the Union speech by President Trump. The message of these pundits and Twitter activists? Don’t praise Trump for being presidential.

Let me throw down the gauntlet NOW: If anyone comes on my tv tomorrow night after the SOTU saying whatever speech Trump READS somehow makes his sound good/presidential/unifying, I’m turning you off and never listening again.

— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) January 29, 2018

Oh my God, you morons wondering if Trump will be “presidential” at the SOTU. He will read his words like a good boy. If that’s the bar, then every 8 year old in America is presidential.

— Michael Ian Black (@michaelianblack) January 29, 2018

“Dear Gullible Pundits: You may be tempted to use the word ‘presidential’ tonight after Trump’s State of the Union, as he badly reads prepared remarks from a teleprompter,” tweeted Brian Klaas, an editorial writer with the Washington Post.

The examples are seemingly endless.

This is a strategy – a good one – because they’re trying to have it both ways and Progressives will fall for it, just the way they want it.

Routinely, Trump is attacked for not being “presidential” enough. The criticisms are spot on: Trump isn’t presidential by any traditional definition. That’s why some voted for him, it’s why some loathe him and it’s why some – like me – can occasionally appreciate it but mostly cringe when it happens.

But if you’re criticizing him for not being presidential, you’ve set up a an easy win for Trump: simply be presidential. If he’s presidential at the speech, then how can you attack him for lacking the characteristics of a strong president?

What if tonight’s speech is a home run? What if it’s clear, inspirational, aspirational, and every other word we use to describe a great State of the Union? Are you supposed to lie and say otherwise? That was a point made by Alex Griswold of the Washington Free Beacon, the inspiration for my blog post.

The “don’t you dare call Trump’s speech ‘presidential'” shtick is about ten times more irritating than the actual pundits calling the speech presidential. pic.twitter.com/KVbsouJQkw

— Alex Griswold (@HashtagGriswold) January 30, 2018

Most of these pundits will do just that; no one goes to Charles M. Blow for honest assessments of Trump. But the average person out there – who isn’t glued to CNN or FOX News every day – will have just witnessed a strong speech followed quickly by crazy, unhinged analysis by Progressive activists and, consequently, the media’s credibility will take another hit. Rightfully so.

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