I’m about 1/3 through Devil’s Bargain: Steve Bannon, Donald Trump and the Storming of the Presidency by Joshua Green .
It is a fascinating, easy read; well written. Granted, you have to be a political junkie to want more of this. It is also a good re-telling of the historic 2016 campaign; there is plenty Green recalls for you.
Some highlights and reactions:
- Trump’s White House victory couldn’t have happened without Steve Bannon’s political brilliance and foresight.
- Trumps victory seems to have been the perfect confluence of :
- Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling;
- A real “vast right wing conspiracy” against Hillary Clinton for more than two decades;
- Obama’s comedic take-down of Trump at the White House Correspondents Dinner that propelled Trump to really run;
- Hillary campaign’s failed effort to take advantage of Obama voters.
For me, Bannon is somebody I would love to have dinner with. (Hey, my favorite shows are Hannibal, Dexter, and Mr. Robot.) Bannon is smart and focused. He also explores many alternative ideas. Granted, he has a dark view of history and the future. And he likes to alter facts or bend reality to his way.
His Catholic upbringing and education see the enemies of Western Civilization as Islam and secularism. People are wired differently. My fairly extensive education in Western Civilization at Providence College was also very Catholic but I never got that perspective.
Ironically, one of Bannon’s favorite on-air personalities is MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow. That makes sense. She is as learned as he is. Yet she finds alternative points of view that makes sense.
Bannon is portrayed as an odd duck who cares little about his appearance. That actually says more about Trump’s tolerance of him considering The Donald’s need for a corporate look/attire.
Is Green biased? So far, no. I would say he covers and acknowledges a wide range of ideologies and realities.
More to come.
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