I don't necessarily disagree. Part of the outrage is because the Medal was given by Trump, a president disliked by most of the populace. Many Americans automatically assume the President is trolling them and antagonizing them with many of his comments and tweets and stunts. Giving Rush the Medal during the SOTU was an obvious stunt to poke the left in the eye, that's obvious right? It was meant to annoy/outrage millions of Americans, let's be intellectually honest.
I'm torn between thinking how much of the timing was a "freak you" to the usual suspects as opposed to a display to his supporters that he doesn't give a excrement what the other side thinks; he'll back "their guys." In other words the direct opposite of your motive that he was trolling the left as opposed to offering support to the right. The motivation probably comes from both places.
As immature as this attitude is, if it gets the Joy Behar's the Chris Cuomo's the Jennifer Rubin's of the world angry, good. These people view me with contempt. Rick Wilson and Don Lemon's little exchange was indicative of the wider attitude that this unelected aristocracy of elites in this country have towards anyone who doesn't fall in line with their worldview to be lorded over.
I might very well be a freaking rube, its a distinct possibility. But I know a lot of people who voted for Trump who have done more for the greater societal good in one day than people like Rick Wilson Steve Schmidt and Jennifer Rubin have ever contributed in their
life. If it was the latter, even better. There's a spin cycle and a narrative machine that's going to do what they do no matter what. For too long, certain politicians have (and some still do) governed their actions on the basis that its' possible to, if not win these people over, at least gain respectability in their eyes. It's impossible. John Kasich can say whatever he wants about unity and principled governance, the Matt Yglesias's of the world are still going to hate him because he's not progressive. Mitt did what he did today, and he'll get his book deal and go on his redemption tour. 8 years ago the same voices who are now bending over backwards to kiss his derriere (lol) tried to directly tie him to someones death because of a Bain Capitol takeover. It's one giant grift.
This idea that Trump is disliked by the general populace when even the historically oversampled Gallup poll has him polling at 49% doesn't match up with reality. I'm as confident in his re-election as I was that Obama was going to destroy Romney.
