1. "Ignore the tweets," smart people tell us. "Ignore the bluster & the insults. Pay attention to policy, not words." They're wrong. Policy is important but words also matter.
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3. As elected King, POTUS exercises huge symbolic power, especially in defining the nature of national identity.
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4. Consider the impact these purely symbolic events had: Woodrow Wilson showing Birth of Nation in White House, Franklin & Elinor Roosevelt inviting Marian Anderson to White House after she suffered racist snub from DAR.
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5.
@jtlevy's piece on why presidential words matter (arguing with writers like@DouthatNYT &@CoreyRobin) is compelling: https://niskanencenter.org/blog/the-weight-of-the-words/ …Show this thread -
6. One crucial point
@jtlevy makes is that Trump's words, more than policy, is remaking GOP. Consider GOP voters attitudes to Russia, free trade & FBI.Show this thread -
7. Going further, I'd say that in type of society America is (settler society with long history of both free & forced migration) issues of national identity particularly important & president plays big role in defining those.
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8. Further thoughts on the power of presidential words here: https://newrepublic.com/article/147033/trumps-words-will-leave-lasting-mark …
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End of conversation
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The Canadian clearly has no idea about the US presidency or the US/North Korea relationship.
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He is both the efficient and the dignified, an unfortunate combination (although the UK shows their separation does not all problems solve.)
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