How to deal with Trump’s lies

Donald Trump and his cohorts have found two ways to exploit the media, and made outrageous claims that won’t stand fact-checking.

First, the U.S. media is trained to avoid taking sides. Calling Trump a liar is considered taking sides.

Two, the media let the nation down by acquiescing to Bush’s phony election victory. Therefore, as Trump knows, the public does not believe the media will do the right thing, if it means breaking their rule of objectivity.

Pundits scratch their heads from CNN to MSNBC to the New York Times.

What to do about his making claims that are demonstrably not true.

Journalists must start by recognizing that the people are not all stupid, and they can tell that much of what Trump says it not true.

It is aimed for his base, and they would believe him if he claimed he saw Japanese Americans celebrating when Pearl Harbor was bombed.

This group cannot be dissuaded from supporting him.

Therefore, the concern must be about how the media looks when they constantly denigrate Trump, even if facts support them.

Take a cue from Humphrey Bogart’s “Rick” in “Casablanca.”

Don’t say Trump is lying. After all, he may believe what he is saying.

As Bogart told Major Strasser, when asked why he had come to come to a desert for water, “I was misinformed.”

Just state that Trump is misinformed. And perhaps reconsider how much airtime you give him for silly statements.

It will come back to haunt you.

The Republican establishment may be able to block Trump’s ascendancy.

In which case there could an independent Trump/Palin ticket.

This pair might focus their entire campaign on the terror threat from ISIS.

There is no guarantee the terrorists will still have the entire world terrified a year from now.