The Press and the President’s Daughter

 

The general rule guiding the press and the offspring of a sitting President is hands-off unless the child has reached adulthood. Then everything is fair game, especially when it comes to that adult child’s chosen profession.

But the President is still a father, no? So, what happens when that fatherly instinct takes over? What happens when the President of the United States threatens a Washington Post columnist with physical harm?

What should you do with a President that is so unstable, so undeferential to the role of the free press in our society that he would have the temerity to write this to the columnist:

It seems to me that you are a frustrated old man who wishes he could have been successful. When you write such poppy-cock as was in the back section of the paper you work for it shows conclusively that you’re off the beam and at least four of your ulcers are at work.

Some day I hope to meet you. When that happens you’ll need a new nose, a lot of beef steak for black eyes, and perhaps a supporter below!

If you’re a Democrat you stand up and cheer. Wait … you don’t understand why the Democrats are cheering? Because the President I’m speaking about isn’t Donald Trump, it’s Harry Truman. The excerpt above is from a letter Truman wrote to Post music critic Paul Hume in 1950 after Hume reviewed Margaret Truman’s singing.

Margaret had a pleasant enough voice but tended to be a bit flat. Hume simply told the truth.

Amazingly, looking back at it from today’s perspective, Hume not only chose not to respond, The Post declined to publish the letter. It only came to light when Hume told a colleague about it, which he said he always regretted. Today it would dominate the news cycle for days.

Margaret continued singing throughout the 1950s with mixed success. She was a frequent guest on “The Big Show,” a 90-minute variety show that was NBC’s last gasp at keeping radio relevant in a television world. Its host, the actress Tallulah Bankhead, praised her performance skills. But, of course, they had a bit of “spiritual” connection, too. Her father, William Bankhead, was swept up in the Roosevelt tidal wave in 1933 and spent the remainder of his life representing the 7th District of Alabama, and for the last six as the 42nd Speaker of the House.

This morning, President Trump is taking heat for Tweeting about retailers severing ties with his daughter Ivanka and her clothing line. Now all we have to do is find out if Ivanka can sing.

Published in Culture, Politics
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  1. Mike LaRoche Inactive
    Mike LaRoche
    @MikeLaRoche

    No worries. Low-energy Jeb! will show up any day now and lead us to the RINO promised land.

    • #121
  2. EJHill Podcaster
    EJHill
    @EJHill

    Whew.

    I only started this conversation so I could post a picture of Ivanka.

    Well, that and make the first Tallulah Bankhead mention in the history of Ricochet.

    • #122
  3. Lily Bart Inactive
    Lily Bart
    @LilyBart

    EJHill (View Comment):
    Whew.

    I only started this conversation so I could post a picture of Ivanka.

     

    Image result for ivanka trump

    • #123
  4. Lily Bart Inactive
    Lily Bart
    @LilyBart

    EJHill (View Comment):
    Whew.

    I only started this conversation so I could post a picture of Ivanka.

     

    Image result for ivanka trump

    • #124
  5. Lily Bart Inactive
    Lily Bart
    @LilyBart

    Image result for ivanka trumpImage result for ivanka trump

     

     

    • #125
  6. Mike LaRoche Inactive
    Mike LaRoche
    @MikeLaRoche

    Don’t forget Tiffany:

    • #126
  7. Mike LaRoche Inactive
    Mike LaRoche
    @MikeLaRoche

    Salute the flag and respect the badge:

    • #127
  8. Columbo Inactive
    Columbo
    @Columbo

    Blue Yeti (View Comment):

    Columbo (View Comment):

    Not throwing a chair, I just want the President to start acting like one.

    We’re not in Kansas any more Toto. Our President is a reflection of our current culture. Us.

    Sad!

    True enough. But when you’re in a war, like the democrats have waged war on this Country and its “opposition” Party (even if ‘we’ weren’t at war with them, they were at war with us), there was a great need for our 2016 nominee to come from the “Fighter Caucus”. I would have preferred Ted Cruz, but what do I know …..

    • #128
  9. Patrick McClure Coolidge
    Patrick McClure
    @Patrickb63

    OK, I’ll say it, Tiffany looks like the cheap Chinese knock off version of Ivanka.

    • #129
  10. Damocles Inactive
    Damocles
    @Damocles

    Judge Mental (View Comment):

    There also appears to be evidence that she embezzled money from the Clinton Foundation. A charity… she embezzled from a charity.

    To be fair, it was only a pretend charity.

    • #130
  11. Judge Mental Member
    Judge Mental
    @JudgeMental

    Damocles (View Comment):

    Judge Mental (View Comment):

    There also appears to be evidence that she embezzled money from the Clinton Foundation. A charity… she embezzled from a charity.

    To be fair, it was only a pretend charity.

    We know that, but it’s hard for people on the left to make that argument.

    • #131
  12. Damocles Inactive
    Damocles
    @Damocles

    The Death of Conservatism

    Blue Yeti (View Comment):
    I’m old enough to remember when free market Republicans believed that a private business was free to carry or not carry whatever product they wanted for whatever reason they wanted.

     

    This is why traditional conservatism is dying.

    The left brings politics in, and the traditional conservatives say “hey, responding to this violates our free market principles” and refuse to push back.

    • #132
  13. Damocles Inactive
    Damocles
    @Damocles

    Blue Yeti (View Comment):
    If Ivanka’s clothes were selling, they’d keep the line in the stores.

    You need to have better support for this claim.

    “It’s economically logical that company will do X, therefore company will do X” is insufficient.

    Divesting from an organization that promotes white supremacy makes a lot of sense though.

    • #133
  14. Damocles Inactive
    Damocles
    @Damocles

    Lily Bart (View Comment):

    Blue Yeti (View Comment):
    You are free to believe it, even though Nordstrom’s has explicitly denied it

    I confess, I don’t believe them. I’m not sure many people do. If this was just a business decision, they’ve handled it rather badly, as in ‘case study’ badly.

    They wouldn’t tell you that if they didn’t want you to believe it!

    • #134
  15. Blue Yeti Admin
    Blue Yeti
    @BlueYeti

    Damocles (View Comment):
    The Death of Conservatism

    Blue Yeti (View Comment):
    I’m old enough to remember when free market Republicans believed that a private business was free to carry or not carry whatever product they wanted for whatever reason they wanted.

    This is why traditional conservatism is dying.

    The left brings politics in, and the traditional conservatives say “hey, responding to this violates our free market principles” and refuse to push back.

    You want me push back on a completely inappropriate use of presidential power? Pass.

    • #135
  16. Lily Bart Inactive
    Lily Bart
    @LilyBart
    • #136
  17. Damocles Inactive
    Damocles
    @Damocles

    Blue Yeti (View Comment):

    Damocles (View Comment):
    The Death of Conservatism

    Blue Yeti (View Comment):
    I’m old enough to remember when free market Republicans believed that a private business was free to carry or not carry whatever product they wanted for whatever reason they wanted.

    This is why traditional conservatism is dying.

    The left brings politics in, and the traditional conservatives say “hey, responding to this violates our free market principles” and refuse to push back.

    You want me push back on a completely inappropriate use of presidential power? Pass.

    I’m not saying what I want or don’t want.

    I’m merely observing this is why traditional conservatism is dying.

     

    • #137
  18. Mike LaRoche Inactive
    Mike LaRoche
    @MikeLaRoche

    Damocles (View Comment):
    The Death of Conservatism

    Blue Yeti (View Comment):
    I’m old enough to remember when free market Republicans believed that a private business was free to carry or not carry whatever product they wanted for whatever reason they wanted.

    This is why traditional conservatism is dying.

    The left brings politics in, and the traditional conservatives say “hey, responding to this violates our free market principles” and refuse to push back.

    I prefer to call it thank-you-sir-may-I-have-another conservatism. And its days are indeed coming to an end, and not a moment too soon.

    • #138
  19. Matt White Member
    Matt White
    @

    Blue Yeti (View Comment):

    Judge Mental (View Comment):

    Valiuth (View Comment):
    My understanding is that Nordstrom pulled the line because of lagging sales. What is the evidence that this was anything but a normal business decision?

    Timing. Not only is Nordstrom only one of several retailers suddenly making the same decision, all within the space of a week, but there was also a retreat of major Democratic donors who discussed a full on assault on Trump, across many different fronts.

    Think about it… she will be far more visible now than she was before any of this started, therefore her and her clothing line will be getting much more attention. That’s the sort of things that retailers typically are happy about.

    I’m old enough to remember when free market Republicans believed that a private business was free to carry or not carry whatever product they wanted for whatever reason they wanted.

    Hey, looks like I’m in pretty good company criticizing the President’s Tweets:

    Ron Bonjean, who is leading communications for Gorsuch during the confirmation process, confirmed Gorsuch called Trump’s tweet about the “so-called judge” “disheartening” and “demoralizing” in his conversation with Blumenthal.

    Are you old enough to understand the difference between criticism and  prosecution?

    • #139
  20. Isaac Smith Member
    Isaac Smith
    @

    Valiuth (View Comment):

    Mike LaRoche (View Comment):

    One of Ivanka’s fall hat collection which Nordstrom customers will now miss out on.

    I thought it might be the hat for the next Women’s March.

    • #140
  21. Blue Yeti Admin
    Blue Yeti
    @BlueYeti

    Damocles (View Comment):

    Blue Yeti (View Comment):
    If Ivanka’s clothes were selling, they’d keep the line in the stores.

    You need to have better support for this claim.

    “It’s economically logical that company will do X, therefore company will do X” is insufficient.

    Divesting from an organization that promotes white supremacy makes a lot of sense though.

    Here’s my support:

    WSJ: Internal Nordstrom Data Show Sales Decline for Ivanka Trump Brand —
    Brand’s 32% tumble occurred even as the chain’s overall sales rose

    But who knows, maybe free commercials from the White House will improve sales. Stranger things have happened!

    • #141
  22. billy Inactive
    billy
    @billy

    Blue Yeti (View Comment):

    Damocles (View Comment):

    Blue Yeti (View Comment):
    If Ivanka’s clothes were selling, they’d keep the line in the stores.

    You need to have better support for this claim.

    “It’s economically logical that company will do X, therefore company will do X” is insufficient.

    Divesting from an organization that promotes white supremacy makes a lot of sense though.

    Here’s my support:

    WSJ: Internal Nordstrom Data Show Sales Decline for Ivanka Trump Brand —
    Brand’s 32% tumble occurred even as the chain’s overall sales rose

    But who knows, maybe free commercials from the White House will improve sales. Stranger things have happened!

    Answer honestly: Do you believe that Nordsrtom is basing their decision solely on sales and  that politics had nothing to do with it?

    @blueyeti

    • #142
  23. Blue Yeti Admin
    Blue Yeti
    @BlueYeti

    billy (View Comment):

    Blue Yeti (View Comment):

    Damocles (View Comment):

    Blue Yeti (View Comment):
    If Ivanka’s clothes were selling, they’d keep the line in the stores.

    You need to have better support for this claim.

    “It’s economically logical that company will do X, therefore company will do X” is insufficient.

    Divesting from an organization that promotes white supremacy makes a lot of sense though.

    Here’s my support:

    WSJ: Internal Nordstrom Data Show Sales Decline for Ivanka Trump Brand —
    Brand’s 32% tumble occurred even as the chain’s overall sales rose

    But who knows, maybe free commercials from the White House will improve sales. Stranger things have happened!

    Answer honestly: Do you believe that Nordsrtom is basing their decision solely on sales and that politics had nothing to do with it?

    @blueyeti

    Bad sales compounded by bad PR. More trouble than it’s worth. A perfectly reasonable reaction business decision.

    I’m also quite certain that Nordstrom would have preferred to just quietly drop the line from the stores and move on. But quiet is an impossibility in TrumpWorld.

    • #143
  24. Lily Bart Inactive
    Lily Bart
    @LilyBart

    Blue Yeti (View Comment):

    billy (View Comment):

    Blue Yeti (View Comment):

    Damocles (View Comment):

    Blue Yeti (View Comment):
    If Ivanka’s clothes were selling, they’d keep the line in the stores.

    You need to have better support for this claim.

    “It’s economically logical that company will do X, therefore company will do X” is insufficient.

    Divesting from an organization that promotes white supremacy makes a lot of sense though.

    Here’s my support:

    WSJ: Internal Nordstrom Data Show Sales Decline for Ivanka Trump Brand —
    Brand’s 32% tumble occurred even as the chain’s overall sales rose

    But who knows, maybe free commercials from the White House will improve sales. Stranger things have happened!

    Answer honestly: Do you believe that Nordsrtom is basing their decision solely on sales and that politics had nothing to do with it?

    @blueyeti

    Bad sales compounded by bad PR. More trouble than it’s worth. A perfectly reasonable reaction business decision.

    I’m also quite certain that Nordstrom would have preferred to just quietly drop the line from the stores and move on. But quiet is an impossibility in TrumpWorld.

    No doubt.  And we have a nearly unprecedented situation here with The Trump family  business ventures.   Its a ‘ticklish’ situation for all involved.

    But ask yourselves this:  if Chelsea Clinton had a clothing line, and Hillary had won, then conservative women started boycotting all stores that sold her line, what would the left and the media (redundant, I know) be saying about it?

    • #144
  25. cdor Member
    cdor
    @cdor

    Ivanka Trump is smart, beautiful, and a strong voice for women’s issues speaking directly into her father’s ear. She also obviously loves him very much and is loyal to him. And therein lies her problem for the stupid, angry, left. Women actually have an ally in Ivanka, but instead of embracing her, they want to slay her because she supports her father. My guess is they will fail and she will succeed. As far as her proven decline in sales is concerned…maybe not so much. It turns out that reports released (her company is private and doesn’t have to come forth with information) may actually show that her company’s sales have actually risen 21% overall and added quite a few new outlets since 2016.

    So @blueyeti you are safe to go ahead and release all your pent up desire to purchase an Ivanka hand bag. Enjoy.

    • #145
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