Pravderp

To be working in the Trump White House? Eventually, sure

I don't know how it can be true, but Melissa McCarthy's over-the-top representation of Press Secretary Spicer's occasionally bombastic style on SNL sort of makes me look forward to tuning in to the real thing. I feel like he's settling down so far as questions are kind of ordinary and procedural about the President's schedule and ordinary things, and those exchanges even show a little humor.

Still some howling moments though. 

Questions regarding whether certain internal loyalty requirements or micromanagement are slowing the staffing of key WH positions was met with a claim that the Trump Administrations was "ahead of the curve". That was pretty much true--in November and December. But it seems like it is lagging now, and not because of Senate delays. The relationship with Mexico was described as "phenomenal"--I guess "awkward" is definitely a phenomenon when one country decides to deport people to another country even if they aren't from there. Spicer also spoke positively about the task force VP Pence will be heading to look into the non-existent voter fraud. Which is happening eventually because we won't have an agency that does that.  Shame, too, because people who know there wasn't actually any voter fraud are asking for receipts (and they don't exist). Are they going to look for proof that the vocal people at town halls are getting paid next?

The narrative presented at these press briefings does look a bit different from objective reality. I've been mentally thinking of labelling it "Pravderp". You  know, part Pravda, the state-run paper that did what I guess RT does now, for the Soviet state. And "derp", because I don't know that our actual journos really buy into it. After all, the media were mostly trained at some point to know when to smell a rat, and dissembling right in front of them is bound to awaken even the most ossified nasal passages to the whiff of rodent scat.

Anyhow, it's my portmanteau, and I think I shall stick with it.