The Michael Scott Speech
But don't expect to see "Michael Scott Trump" for long
In Season 2, Episode 17 of The Office, Dwight wins a regional sales award. Petrified at the thought of speaking in front of a crowd, Jim kindly offers to help furnish Dwight’s speech. It’s a prank, of course, as Jim pulls a Mussolini script from the internet and peppers in some Northeast Pennsylvania paper company jargon. It’s classic Halpert.
The day of the conference, Dwight freezes when he’s called upon to accept the award. With Dwight glued to his seat Michael steps to the podium and tries, as only he can, to save the show. He tries some of his “greatest hits,” but nothing seems to land. Flustered but otherwise undeterred, he proceeds to try
Dwight, perhaps sensing that Michael had sufficiently lowered the bar, finally strides to the stage and gradually gains the charisma we of course associate with a fascistic Northeast Pennsylvania paper salesman. some of his new material… which falls flat. No one wanted an uninspired Michael Scott speech.
Fire and brimstone alone move the wheels of Trump’s base.
Donald Trump’s Tuesday evening announcement was the political equivalent of a Michael Scott speech. His heart clearly wasn’t in it, the crowd energy felt wanting, and three of his five children “missed” Trump’s grand announcement.
It was just… sad. Trump lowered the bar for himself. His reliable spinsters and parasitic grifters attempted to breathe life into dead air, but “low energy” was the consensus review of a meandering and uninspired performance.
Don’t expect to see “Michael Scott Trump” for long. That version of Trump fell flat… and he of all people knows it. The former president’s greatest hits album rang uninspired and his new proposals seem spaghetti… or perhaps ketchup… thrown against the wall.
At times he wallowed in self-pity, but noticeably absent from this speech was outright election denial-ism – a sign that even he has (somewhat?) come to terms with this loser of a diatribe.
Donald Trump is a downtrodden politician struggling to redefine himself after a series of losses.
If the former president is serious about making a run at the White House, and isn’t just trying to shield himself from an onslaught of investigations, we should expect Trump to revert to his more… aggressive form. His followers will accept nothing less.
Trump’s base is addicted to the opiate of manufactured outrage, and – if not Trump – then someone else will happily feed their addiction. They need an abrasive “strong” leader. Supporters are hanging in the balance, and they won’t suffer a self-pitying, hollowed-out Trump for long.
Expect less Michael Scott Trump, and more Il Duce Don.