PRedictions, PRojections, PRaise, and PRedators: Ben Shapiro’s ‘Come to Jesus’ Moment for MAGA

His reasoning? Conspiratorial finger-wagging, kneejerk antisemitism, white nationalism, isolationism, and using the façade of “just asking questions” to float evidence-free allegations will kill the MAGA movement.

And he’s not wrong: That kind of platform will lead to electoral suicide. It’ll transform the MAGA movement into an Alex Jones-inspired suicide pact that gives the Democratic Party a permanent majority.

America First isn’t an ideology. It’s a methodology — and a destination. 

Thus, the telltale sign of America First policy is America First results.

Outcome-based methodologies are useful, because the litmus test is idiot-proof: Either you reached your destination, or you didn’t. But they’re also dangerous, because you don’t know how badly you’ve missed the mark ‘til it’s too late to change course.

And that was the fatal flaw in Ben Shaprio’s approach.

I’m sympathetic to his goals, because his assessment is correct: Nick Fuentes is to MAGA what the radical trans movement is/was to the Democratic Party. For very specific ideological reasons, wide segments of American liberals still believe gender is a social construct — and if a little boy wants to become a little girl, why, cut off his yoohoo and make him a girl, even if his parents object.

The radical trans ideology complemented a litany of left-leaning beliefs, including the supremacy of government over family; the diminishment of “traditional values”; and rewriting long-accepted gender roles. That’s why the trans ideology took over the Democratic Party without much resistance.

If you’re a certain kind of liberal, that stuff is as addictive as fentanyl.

But to the overwhelming majority of Americans, modifying a child’s body — over the objections of their parents! — is complete and utter insanity. It’s such an egregious moral violation, audiences tuned everything else out.

The closer a political platform is to the dreams, aspirations, fears, and desires of its target audience, the easier it is to win a majority. By inclusion, omission, and prioritization, a smart movement carefully cherry-picks its agenda.

You can’t be everything to all people. You’ve gotta pick and choose.

And you need to use tactics that lead to the desired outcome.

Here’s Ben Shapiro’s speech. It was biting and well-researched:

But he also went first. And almost all the people he mocked, derided, condemned, and insulted batted clean-up. Megyn Kelly (who declared her friendship with Shapiro to be over), Steve Bannon, and Tucker Carlson all fired back, and they all had the advantage of speaking second.

(Candace Owens and Nick Fuentes weren’t invited.)

Picking fights in PR is fine, but you’ve gotta pick fights you can win. Had Shapiro given the keynote address — and delivered the final speech of the evening — it would’ve been the perfect “come to Jesus” evocation for Turning Point.

(The irony of the yarmulka-wearing Shapiro giving the “come to Jesus” evocation notwithstanding.)

But Shapiro didn’t go last. He gave the curtain-jerking opening speech… and everyone who came next whacked him around like a pinata. 

His slot on the Turning Point USA lineup simply wasn’t conducive to that kind of speech.

Have you ever noticed that talk-show hosts almost never lose an argument on their radio/TV shows? It’s exceedingly rare, and not just because they’re such persuasive conversationalists.

It’s also because they control the microphone. 

Guests don’t get the last word; the host always does. (Sorry, but thems the rules.)

Ben Shapiro’s goal was laudable; his tactics were not. He drew a firm line in the sand — and then forfeited the microphone, giving EVERYONE who disagreed with him the last word. Among all the Turning Point USA audience members who were open-minded (which was probably a minority anyway), he probably lost more than he won. That means, his actions did more harm than good to our movement.

The PR benefit in having the final word is enormous.

PRedictions: Donald Trump’s affordability-focused speech was a slam-dunk winner. By leveraging useful idiots like Tucker Carlson, who’s perpetually convinced those evil Jews “Zionist warmongers” are always pushing for war, the TV networks were stuck: A war announcement is major news.

Just the possibility of a war announcement necessitated giving President Trump all that valuable primetime TV real estate.

But of course, there was no war announcement. And instead, Trump used his address to revamp his PR outreach on the economy, telling a clear, concise story: Biden broke it, Trump is fixing it, and we’re now on the verge of a new Golden Age.

Had he delivered this speech in late October, I suspect the elections in Virginia, New Jersey, and elsewhere would’ve been closer. Pocketbook issues rule the roost in American politics.

Better late than never.

PRojections: Naturally, most of the mainstream media (and even a few voices in conservative media) gave Trump’s speech two thumbs down, criticizing it for not breaking news (which wasn’t its purpose) and insulting Trump’s delivery, accusing him of shouting and talking too quickly.

Personally, I loved it.

I’m convinced his delivery was deliberate: When you’re a 79-year-old president, it’s far better to overemphasize how energetic and enthusiastic you are than to speak too slowly and softly.

The mainstream media is chomping at the bit to Bidenize Trump, and brand him with the scarlet “S” for senility. Best way to avoid that stigma is to double-down in the opposite direction.

But you watch the polls: They’ve stopped dropping.

And in some instances, they’ve already started to improve.

If his speech was as bad as his critics claimed, his poll numbers would still be heading south, because a bad national address is harmful; it accelerates negative momentum.

But a good speech stops the bleeding and repositions the pendulum.

PR is an outcome-based endeavor. Keep your eyes on the upcoming polls, because they’re disproving the mainstream media’s consensus, making a mockery of their “quick-take” analysis.

That speech set the stage for the Donald Trump comeback. 

Just you watch.

PRaise: To James Madison University! Yes, I know the Dukes of JMU fell short, losing last night in the college football playoffs to Oregon 51-34.

But we still got to the dance, baby!

From 1989 through 1995, little ol’ JMU had at least one player in the Super Bowl each year: wide receiver Gary Clark with the Redskins, defensive end/linebacker Charles Haley with the 49ers/Cowboys, and, uh, kicker Scottie Norwood with the Bills. (Yeah, I know about Norwood. Be quiet.)

But the real age of JMU football began four years ago, when they made the leap to Division 1/FBS. No longer were the Dukes whooping the likes of Richmond, Hofstra, or William & Mary; suddenly, they were going toe-to-toe with the biggest, most storied football programs in the country.

And just four years in, we made the top 12.

We’ve gotta do a better job at holding onto our coaches. With so much success, the bigger programs—like Indiana and UCLA—keep poaching our staff. (Grr.)

But no matter. If any football program has earned the benefit of the doubt, it’s JMU.

As an alum, it’s been a treat to watch. And now that my oldest kid is enrolled at JMU, the fun is generational. We’re a purple and gold family.

(It’s not too late, guys: Y’all should jump on the JMU bandwagon, too.)

PRedators: The Susie Wiles Vanity Fair debacle was one of last week’s most astonishing self-inflicted wounds. Before that interview was published, Wiles’ reputation was sterling: She was the ice-veined, clear-thinking realist who kept MAGA’s trains running on time. Unflappable and untrickable, she was the last one in Trump’s inner sanctum you’d expect to be bamboozled by the mainstream media.

Instead, she did everything exactly wrong:

1. She gave open, unfettered access to a Trump-hating organ.
2. She treated the journalist like he was her close, personal friend, launching incendiary quotes over and over again.
3. She insulted and bashed her team members, giving ammo to Trump critics.
4. She insisted on NO safeguards to control the final product.
5. She involved every other member of Trump’s team, sans the president himself.

Memo to the GOP: Learn from Susie’s mistake. It’s a textbook lesson on what not to do.

And in the future, do better.