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Alex Skolnick's avatar

This is better than any take on this I’ve seen so far (that includes my own)

https://www.threads.net/@tvdarryl/post/DIWiu3TJ3mK?xmt=AQGzZ_Pzrb-TaGvvgNsD_qX_qq_Vw_fM53livFDdfPK5gQ

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Alex Skolnick's avatar

MY BILL MAHER TAKE AS A PRODUCER ON THE APPRENTICE:

So Bill Maher went to the White House and met Trump and learned "a crazy person doesn't live in the White House," however, "a person who plays a crazy person on TV a lot lives there, which I know is f***ed up. It's just not as f***ed up as I thought it was." Having spent time around Trump when I produced The Apprentice this didn't surprise me. I have told, anyone who will listen to me, that Trumps superpower is being whatever (continued)you want him to be when he is standing in front of you. If he's standing in front of coal miners he's promising "clean coal", if he's standing in front of environmentalists five minutes later he will promise them whatever their dream scenario is. Unlike Hillary who gave people the hard truths but had solutions like retraining coal miners to work in solar, but people want to hear what they want to hear and he gives it to them. (With regards to Bill Maher's visit, Trump's job was to lull him into a false sense that he cares and that he's not the insane person he appears to the rest of us. He put on a show so that he can get the desired effect he is looking for. Bill Maher saw a "show" and reported back to the world what he saw. I can assure you Trump is laughing and telling everyone around him "see how easy it was to manipulate Bill". (continued on Threads link)

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Phil Gomes's avatar

“There is an old Vulcan proverb: ‘Only Nixon could go to China.’” - Spock, ST:VI

We’ll see if he goes softer on Trump from here on out, but I doubt it. Despite the sneering and rhetorical fireworks, I enjoy Maher’s show for his criticisms of the Right and his willingness to go after many of the excesses of the Left. I’m glad that he did this and reported back.

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susan conner's avatar

Hi Alex. So happy to see you here on Substack. I've seen the band many times and even "met" you once walking out of the BB King/Stevie Ray Vaughan concert at the Concord Pavilion so long ago.

Thank you for withholding judgement on Bill until we all find out what's really happening with him. He might be a snake in the grass or a spy in the airwaves.

Keep expounding on truth and wisdom and humor too. 🎸

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Alex Skolnick's avatar

Hi Susan. My goodness, that goes way, way back. Thank you for the nice words.

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Matt Jerr's avatar

I kind of took Bill at his word. I do think Bill was deluding himself that Trump was so normal. This is a trait of a Narcissistic Sociopath. He can be charming in small doses.

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Joe DiSano's avatar

You are far too forgiving of Bill, lol.

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Alex Skolnick's avatar

You are probably right 😂🤷🏻‍♂️

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Joe DiSano's avatar

I have found him useless since the Bush years.

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Alex Skolnick's avatar

It depends whom he has on. Pete Buttegieg. Kara Swisher, Ian Bremmer, Fareed Zacharia, Max Brooks, Neil DeGrasse Tyson and Scott Galloway have all been there this season and were good guests, and his navigating of their conversations was highly informative. On the other hand, yes there are occasionally cringe-worthy ones but he’s good at challenging them (mostly)

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Joe DiSano's avatar

I think in Trump 2.0 we need to be very wary of making any of this seem normal. Take my governor, Whitmer, for example. She danced with the devil and got played.

And the same goes for Maher. Now he is out saying how “self-aware’ Trump is in private. So what? The deeds are what matter. No the joking self asides.

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Tracy Cooke's avatar

Alex, did you read Larry David's response - mocking, his Dinner w. Adolf? 😉

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