<\/a>I\u2019ve been thinking about that word\u2014unprecedented<\/a>. It\u2019s become a buzzword in the 2016 election. Reporters and newsreaders generally frequently use it, but it is most apt regarding the latest outrageous statement by Donald Trump or his spokesliars. \u201cI\u2019ve never seen anything like this,\u201d say reporters. Or, \u201cThis is a campaign like no other in our history.\u201d<\/p>\n

They may be right. Trump is running the coarsest, most uncivil, least informed and most openly bigoted and violence-inciting campaign in memory. [Hillary Clinton\u2019s campaign is not, in any way, equivalent.]<\/p>\n

But I fear that the term \u201cunprecedented\u201d plays into Trump\u2019s hand, and is exactly what his supporters want to hear. They seem him as a game-changer.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

He has convinced them that our political and economic systems are \u201crigged,\u201d and that, as an outsider, he will be the agent of change. His supporters relish the unprecedented nature of his campaign, because they see it as anti-establishment. Who cares that he\u2019s uncouth in an unprecedented way, and that he says outrageous, unprecedented things, laced with an unprecedented level of lying, goes the thinking: He\u2019s doing things and saying things that the \u201crigged\u201d political establishment has never done. He\u2019s breaking the traditional mold. He is literally re-forming [in the sense of creating something new] political campaigns. And In Trump World, the more outrageous, the better.<\/p>\n

Let me just say here that I am not against reform. I support changes in our political and economic system\u2014progressive changes that would be for the greater good, that would promote more small-d democracy and reduce economic inequality. In that sense, unprecedented change would be beneficial. I would welcome that kind of evolutionary, creative revolution.<\/p>\n

But the kind of unprecedented-ness [is that even a word?} that we are seeing today– in the form of Donald Trump\u2019s uncountable lies, hateful rhetoric, and radically right-wing policy proposals\u2014is terrifying. If he is successful, his unprecedented style, coupled with his unprecedented, irrational “ideas,” could cause unprecedented chaos in the country and in the world.<\/p>\n

We are being conned on an epic scale. The media has enabled Trump in so many ways: Let’s at least think about the language we’re using, and not help him any further.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve been thinking about that word\u2014unprecedented. It\u2019s become a buzzword in the 2016 election. Reporters and newsreaders generally frequently use it, but it is<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2119,162,77],"tags":[2459,2727,2755],"yoast_head":"\n