Is Twitter really the best way to communicate?
Matt Pearl
We will see the inauguration of Donald J. Trump as the 45th President of the United States on Friday, Jan. 20. Mr. Trump will take the oath of office in Washington, and the eyes of the nation will be upon the most unorthodox American leader of our time.
You could go door-to-door in this nation and gather opinions on our President-Elect that range from hero to demagogue. He is an independent individual, for sure, and the examples of his rogue mentality in terms of the role of government and the manner in which a leader should lead are well documented.
On Twitter. Love him or hate him, get this man away from social media, please. America’s chief diplomat could stand to learn a little bit more diplomacy.
That being said, the citizens of this nation elected someone who spoke with what they perceived to be more authenticity and honesty than his political opponent, Secretary Clinton. She lost because enough people didn’t trust her.
So the electorate has decided to trust Donald J. Trump. That is fine: but our 45th President must learn that in politics, trust can be gained and lost every moment of every day. And Twitter has been his weapon of choice for self-destruction up to this point.
My argument today is not for or against Mr. Trump for I know that your minds are set at this moment concerning our next Commander-In-Chief. Rather, I would like to speak as an armchair idealist, a typical American who is willing to sit at his desk and tell people of far greater importance how to behave.
There is a grace and dignity that goes with the U.S. Presidency. Social media moves entirely against the grain of diplomacy and eloquence. I have not always enjoyed President Obama’s use of Twitter, but he has generally possessed the political savvy not to destroy himself with it.
My desire harkens back to a time when the President of the United States addressed the American people in the newspapers, then on radio and television broadcasts. The reason why is simple: holding a press conference, fireside chat or Oval Office broadcast requires preparation, thought and a transparent media presence.
Tweeting requires two thumbs and a smartphone. Any idiot can do it, and most do. The President of the United States should face the formal media, take questions from the press gallery and stand up to scrutiny from the governed. Twitter is a free ticket to speak one’s mind, but if the responses are negative or replies critical of the message, the Tweeting party can always just delete the whole thing and pretend like it never happened.
That’s not the way I want my President to address those whom he represents. When he/she speaks publicly, it needs to be done formally, and in such a way that the First Amendment-protected press can ensure accountability for every word spoken.
That’s not a gotcha tactic that I believe ought to be used to catch our leaders in any or every slip of the tongue: but it is apparent to me that the use of social media to present opinions and instant reactions is harmful, particularly when it helps to release our leaders from facing the actual press—a group that represents the interest of the American people.
So without making any premature remarks upon the presidential performance of Mr. Trump, my armchair opinion is this: he needs to keep his public comments public. Having to face the scrutiny of the press when he speaks will force him to more closely consider what he says.
