Media’s remarkable meltdown over Trump’s victory

You would think that those whose warnings on the Republican businessman appear to have gone largely ignored by the electorate would pause to reconsider how best to keep the incoming president in check. The election-year strategy of protesting Trump by yelling loudly, chanting sanctimonious pabulum (“This is not normal!”) and showering the Republican candidate and his supporters with mockery and insults obviously proved ineffective.

But instead of reassessing the situation, and gaming out a new strategy to persuade those who voted for the Queens businessman to not do that again should he run for reelection in 2020, many of the same people who opposed Trump during the election have taken now to calling him things like “whore,” blaming him for things that are not his fault and generally protesting him in the most absurd way imaginable.

In short, it looks like many of the same people who screamed impotently into the void during the election have chosen simply to scream louder.

Slate’s Jamelle Bouie, for example, penned an op-ed recently comparing Trump to Dylan Roof, the 21-year-old white supremacist who shot and murdered nine African-American churchgoers in Charleston, N.C.

“What gave us Donald Trump is what gave us Dylann Roof,” read the subhead to Bouie’s article.

Incoming Atlantic reporter Julia Ioffe tweeted, and later deleted, “Either Trump is f—-ing his daughter or he’s shirking nepotism laws. Which is worse?”

Her question was made in reference to a story about whether Ivanka Trump would get an office space typically reserved for the first lady.

Former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann, whose online show appears to be taped in a basement, has taken up referring to the incoming president as a “Russian whore.”

Some newsrooms have also blamed Trump for things in which he has played no role. Salon, for example, republished a TomDispatch op-ed and titled it, “Hey, President Donald Trump: Do you know where your bombs are falling?”

Rolling Stone published a story titled, “Standing Rock Protesters React to Life Under Trump.” A bit startling, considering the president right now (and for another month still) is Barack Obama.

“Find out what it’s like to work as an abortion provider in the age of Trump,” read one Slate headline.

Over at the New York Times, Charles Blow and Paul Krugman appear to be experiencing personal crises.

Then there’s the picture essay published this month by Vanity Fair, titled “An illustrated history of Donald Trump’s hair. Warning! Don’t read before lunch!”

So much for going high when they go low.

Here’s some advice:

Donald Trump is going to be the next president. The Electoral College voted. It’s a done deal.

If he turns out to be the authoritarian strongman his rhetoric suggests he will be, it’d be wise for those with megaphones to conserve their ammunition and fire when a target actually presents itself.

Save the attacks for when Trump actually does something, or attempts to do something, illegal or unconstitutional. Be respectful, but forceful, in protest. Don’t sink to reality TV-style shouting matches with Trump. He will win that fight every time. He’s a professional.

Resist turning the outrage dial up to 11 for every stupid, offhand remark and every thoughtless tweet. Resist blaming him for things in which he has played no role.

Opposition can’t just be one long, unending scream for great and little things alike. People tend to tune out white noise.

Yes, a portion of the electorate will ignore warnings and legitimate Trump criticisms no matter what. But there are also those who can be convinced by well-reasoned and well-placed arguments that they made a mistake in 2016, and that they shouldn’t repeat it again in 2020.