|
P.T. Barnum was the proverbial seller of snake oil. He
could sell ice to the Eskimos and sand to the Arabs. Nothing
was out of reach for his skills in reading human nature and
fashioning a pitch for the John Doe to give up a few dollars
on a pitch that amounted to smoke and mirrors.
Why, P.T. Barnum could travel with a circus and he
would be in the side show lane whooping it up about the
two-headed boy or the half-man and half-woman person and
with the bearded woman with legs so hairy, small birds would
nest in them.
P.T. Barnum loved a show and he loved showing off.
Razzle-dazzle was his trade mark along with a silver tongue
that could charm a snake out of its skin or sell hard liquor
to a Pentecostal fire breathing Baptist preacher.
P.T. Barnum had the art of the deal down to a science
long before Donald Trump ever came up that title for one of
his best-selling books.
P.T. Barnum would arrive with a circus in small town
America and
he would set up his show with a lot of hoopla and hype. He
was the master of promotion and would have the assembled
crowd believe that what he had to show them could be seen
nowhere else and you were about to see a wonder of the
world!
He would rant and rave about how depraved or wild or
fearful or shocking each item was behind the closed tent
door and he would dare the
crowd to pay him just a modest sum to go in and see, “A
wonder of the world!”
Of course P.T. Barnum made sure that you paid before
you went in and
after you went in, you went out a back door that led to an
exit so that you could not tell the still awaiting crowd
what you saw…much less try to get your money back for
believing in such overextended hype!
Now, fast forward that carnival approach to today’s
politics and the merging of the celebrity and the political
and you get America’s newest P.T. Barnum a.k.a…Donald Trump!
So, here is an imaginary letter from P.T. to Donald:
Dear Donald:
I have been watching hearing about your campaign run
for the presidency and I must admit that you almost got me
believing in you!
When I see what you do and how you do it, I look into
the mirror and say, “That’s me!”
Oh, what a time we would have had together if we were
living at the same time. We could be millionaires (I hear
you already is one!) and be on the top of our game.
Your line of, “Trust me, I can get it done!” is pure
gold. It reminds me of the times I took the rubes for their
money when they came to my side shows and wanted to peek
inside my tent to see what was so spectacular.
Of course, I, like you, gave them little details since
I wanted them to
commit to paying me first before they go inside. And inside
did they go!
By the hundreds. Each time I set up the side shows, the
crowds were there.
Oh, sure, I changed my pitch to suit the crowd, just as you
do when you travel either to the South or to the Northeast.
That we have in common. We both know human nature and
when people get tired of their day to day existence, I am
there to tell them that I got some excitement for them, but
it will cost them something.
You do the same. You tell them what they want to hear,
be it building a wall along the Mexican border and having
the Mexican government pay for it or you promising to smash
ISIS or make America great again.
No clear details. Great plan! Don’t give them too much
because then they start thinking about it and before you
know it, your crowd drifts away and there go your admission
fees.
Keep attacking the other politicians because Americans
love political combat and a little mudslinging. I did it now
and then and it works…big time!
If you ever get caught in a jam, simply tell them that you
will get back to them and they will forget about it before
long and move on to something else.
But, whatever you do, never let on that you are hyping
them. Always act sincere and contrite if you are caught
because Americans love to forgive someone just like them. It
makes them feel good about themselves.
I really envy you. That TRUMP plane is a winner. Use it
all the time. Americans love to be overwhelmed with
grandiosity and pomp. It is what a lot of these rubes lack
and they desire it, even if it is showered on someone else.
At least they can dream and you are talking up those dreams!
So, in closing, keep ‘em coming back for more and never
let them see you sweat and remember, you control the tent
and no one gets a free peek!
Your friend, P.T. Barnum.
Contact
Lafe Tolliver at Tolliver@Juno.com
|
