December 7, 2016

"Trump’s unpredictable style unnerves corporate America."

That's the WaPo headline for the story reporting: 1. Trump's tweet decrying the cost of Boeing's Air Force One project, 2. the announcement that Softbank would invest $50 billion in the United States, 3. the news that Trump sold his entire stock portfolio months ago.

Those 3 things are all very interesting, but why is the headline that the vague entity called "corporate America" is having a particular emotional reaction — being unnerved.

Is that what we call fake news?
It was a day of big pronouncements and few details, leaving many wondering whether this would be the unusual and unpredictable way that Trump will govern when he takes office next month.
Many! The famous Many! Well, WaPo, what did Many say that revealed the internal mental state of wonderment?

63 comments:

mockturtle said...

Gee, maybe that's why the Dow has been so high.

Nicholas said...

To paraphrase Winston Churchill: Never in the field of news that conflicts with facts has so much been attributed to so many by so few. There are probably a handful of Democratic operatives with bylines in the WaPo news room who are unnerved.

Gabriel said...

All of the corporate Americans were individually interviewed on condition of anonymity.

rehajm said...

It gets easier to understand if you're earnest about understanding instead of looking for an angle of attack. Also, the seriously-not-literally thing. Also the if-you-can't-identify-the-sucker-thing...

All that unnerving uncertainly is perpetuating panic in equity marke...wait...what?

traditionalguy said...

They seem to be saying there is a new Crony in town that is putting America First. What is a Globalist to do?

vermonter said...

I went to high school with Many. They didn't have a clue then and they don't have a clue now.

Laslo Spatula said...

Typo. They talked to a guy named Manny.

I am Laslo.

vermonter said...

I'm paraphrasing here:

Bentsen: Senator, I served with Many. I knew Many. Many was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Many.

Michael K said...

Did they mention Bob Dole or was that the Times piece of the action?

The guy has these lefties (They are by no means "Liberal") really in a funk and he isn't even president.

Sebastian said...

"Is that what we call fake news?" No. It's not fake. It's not news. It's an honest attempt to mislead, attack, and subvert.

Roughcoat said...

"Many" is (are?) akin to the Onion's famous (and famously funny) "Area Man."

Perhaps "Area Man" is one of "Many"?

David Begley said...

Some people say the WaPo is the home of fake news.

bagoh20 said...

This is not true. Yes, all of us in corporate America did call for a meeting where we would decide if we were unnerved or not, but it didn't happen. The overwhelming response was: "How about never? Is never good for you?"

rhhardin said...

Fake news is a meme within soap opera news, not an overarching category.

It's enough to call soap opera news soap opera news; you don't need to use their internal meme fake.

It's not fake, it's entertainment.

Like fiction isn't fake; it's fiction. It has a structure etc.

steve uhr said...

So it is great if a Japanese businessman invests 50 billion in the USA and unpatriotic if a USA company manufactures products outside the USA. Isn't this how trade wars start ...

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

WaPo is the house organ for the Corruptocrat party. It's garbage.

Hagar said...

I think the Boeing tweet was aimed more at the Pentagon than Boeing. They want the new Air Force 1's to be equipped with Klingon disruptors and Romulan cloaking devices, which is why the pie-in-the-sky 4 billion dollar "estimate." 170 million dollar contract to plan the construction of 2 aircraft originally designed 50-60 years ago? Come on people!

Hagar said...

How come all these foreign industrialists see America as "The Land of Opportunity" and all ours can think of is how to get out of here?
Something is wrong here.

mockturtle said...

rhhardin, you seem obsessed with soap operas.

rhhardin said...

News is a business with a particular audience, hence soap opera.

Hagar said...

How did Trump manage to sell his entire portfolio of stocks "months ago" and these ever watchful journalistic geniuses never heard of it?

Bob Ellison said...

I'm unnerved. But that's a medical condition that I can't attribute to Trump. I'm also enervated, and I attribute that to Ben Affleck.

Otto said...

I think it would be smart if a conservative org gave a free on-line course on analyzing and parsing newspaper articles to differentiate between facts and opinion.
I remember my high school ( Stuyvesant)english teacher drilling us for weeks on how to discern non-factual statements in the NYT. That was back in 1953!Obviously not a recent phenomena.

bagoh20 said...

As a 100% American manufacturer, I'd say I'm both excited and worried. The promise of reduced taxes, and regulations makes me giddy with optimism, but the mix of protectionism and picking winners is scary. That never works out well. There is not a single job in America that is not dependent in some way on trade. I fear an Administration that takes the shackles off of one leg of our businesses and puts them on the other. No matter where it comes from, or with what motivations, government intervention will always miss the unintended consequences. Being a small business, we are invisible in that regard. Nobody will be inviting us to the White House to explain the problems, and the big guys want policy that locks us out. They can tell Trump what they need to save a few thousand of their jobs, even if it wipes out many more of ours. Big companies employ less people but have a much greater voice. Will Trump ask someone like me for advice? I'll even put on a tie, if I can find one.

rhhardin said...

The Air Force 1 clock flashes 12:00 owing to the instructions having been misplaced.

Hagar said...

Did Carlos Slim also ask these questions of them and that is what is so "unnerving"?

damikesc said...

Is that what we call fake news?

The Left loves the concept of "fake news" until it is turned around.

How is "1 in 4 college women being raped" not fake news? They claim it's just reporting on a study.

How is "hands up, Don't shoot" not fake news? Why, it's just reporting of what an eyewitness said happened.

They will never acknowledge that they have been using fake news for years and that they will discount their fake news.

Obama has run roughshod over due process rights for college men on campuses (one can claim it's not criminal, but being convicted in their kangaroo courts of sexual assault gets them kicked out of that school and basically every other one in the country, so it's basically life-ending) because of fake news.

Massive marches, riots, and huge protests on campus have been spawned by fake news.

Recounts are being demanded in several states due to fake news.

...but the only ones who, apparently, peddle fake news are "the right".

Humperdink said...

Trump's yet to be published book: "The Art of the Shot Across the Bow".

And yet some fools think Trump still shoots from the lip.

David said...

Unnerved, eh? I guess corporations are persons after all.

Owen said...

rhhardin: I like your "soap opera" angle. Very refreshing and illuminating.

bagoh2o: well said about the different interests of Big and small business regarding regulatory burden. Trump can score big gains by listening (and making Congress listen) to the smaller operators. Growth comes more from there IMHO. Certainly it is indispensable.

Otto: great idea, could be done in self-teaching modules. "Name ten things wrong with this story." Give prizes. Hold "Bullshit Beaters" competitions like Jeopardy. Trump could host?

Anonymous said...

Speaking as a right-wing mouthpiece for Corporate America, I can confidently tell you that they long for the specificity of "Hope and Change".

HoodlumDoodlum said...

How dare Trump name and shame individual companies; that's not something American Presidents do--it's outrageous.

**cough cough Soylandra, A123 Systems, GM, Tesla, etc, cough cough**

How dare Trump criticize media companies or shows by name, that's an unfair use of the bully pulpit and doing so diminishes the statue of the office!

**cough cough endless mentions of/attacks against the Koch brothers & of Fox News, weaponizing the federal bureaucracy against specific companies & economic sectors, cough cough**


How dare Trump threaten to take unilateral action against companies or practices he disfavors--doesn't he understand the separation of powers and the American precedent of a restrained Executive working with the Legislative branch to reach compromises before taking any action?

*cough cough A pen and a phone, "I won" cough cough**


Seriously, where have these idiots been for the last 7.5 years? You want to talk about "normalizing behavior!" It was soooo fun when cool President Obama did it, but now I'm supposed to be shocked and appalled that President Trump is adopting the same tactics and attitudes? Please.

I prefer small government, so none of this is good from my perspective. It's stupid to pretend like Trump's actions and attitudes are some huge break with the recent actions of President Obama and Dems in Congress, though--it's a natural, predictable progression.

n.n said...

Many is a consensus.

Hunter said...

Time unable to weasel out of naming Trump as POTY.

WaPo still able to weasel into reporting opinion, conjecture, and innuendo as news by use of weasel words, whose purpose is indicated by their name.

traditionalguy said...

Attacking Pearl Harbor was Japan's big mistake. The Scots-Irish Resolve to defeat them was fixed that moment. And the 1941 USA had a leader who knew how to use that force...like the incoming DJT does. It's still our Pacific Ocean.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Gee usually when the stock market rallies there's talk about how pleased corporations are with current events.

Strange how "news" undergoes an inversion when their focus switches from D to R reporting, isn't it?

Susan said...

Many is the new They.

Hunter said...

Many is Some with emphasis.

Known Unknown said...

I'd like to know what Greg Packer wonders.

Larry J said...

For the most part, corporate America prefers that their politicians stay bought.

Humperdink said...
Trump's yet to be published book: "The Art of the Shot Across the Bow".

And yet some fools think Trump still shoots from the lip.


I see yesterday's tweet about Air Force One as a brushback pitch across the noses of the government agencies like the Pentagon and companies like Boeing, telling them that the old "business as usual" is no longer acceptable. I can see how that would upset people who've built a lucrative business model on fat, cost-plus government contracts.

Seeing Red said...

The guy sold his stock in June.

What kind of details foes one need?

Seeing Red said...

Does.

Dan Hossley said...

The "many" are their imaginary friends and the voices in their head that told them Hillary was a shoe-in.

BN said...

Many are called, but few are chosen.

readering said...

I doubt it's a coincidence that 20 minutes before the AF1 tweet the head of Boeing was quoted warning Trump against trade policies that hurt US exports (a big part of Boeing's business). Meanwhile on th the Today show Trump says he talks to Obama a lot and they get along and he really likes him. And Time is a great magazine.

In other words, with Trump, everything is in relation to him, personally. The reason why his widely spread business interests present so many opportunities for improper influence.

It now seems like the Taiwan call was returning a favor to Dole for being the only living Republican nominee to endorse him.

Lyle Smith said...

The Washington Post has no clue what it is talking about. I know people who went to the Wharton School of Business and they all say Trump is just employing everything that is taught at Wharton, and it seems to cheer them.

Bay Area Guy said...

Didn't Bernie Sanders run an entire campaign on un-nerving Corporate America? I thought that was a good thing.......

mikee said...

Many means more than one. Say, the reporter and an editor.
Some means one, usually the reporter his or her own self.

To read Pravda, one must know the language used.

Anonymous said...

"Many" refers to Sioux medicine man Many Bison, a heavily-quoted source on all things political. Few reporters will pass up a chance to let us know that they're on a first-name basis with him, and they secretly pity their colleagues at the NYT, who are forced to refer to him as Mr. Bison.

Michael said...

Corporate America is so unnerved that the stock market is hitting new highs every day! What planet do "many" journalists live on?

Hazy Dave said...

Many [sic] might be the correct way to quote a statement such as that.

Martin said...

Good catch, Ann--this is a perfect example of "fake news" the way the MSM does it, and why, this having become the norm, there is now an opening for other voices... other purveyors of "fake news."

Why should I trust Breitbart and less than WaPo or the NYT, let alone MSNBC?

It is getting tiring to have to approach every news story as if it is testimony from a hostile witness... parsing every verb tense and every adjective and every sentence construction, looking for dissembling, disingenuous semi-lies, and outright perjury. But that is now the only way an intelligent person can read anything.

It reminds me of how we always had to carefully parse everything the Clintons said, "depends on the meaning of the word 'is'" being case in point. I now read anything in the NYT, LAT, WaPo and most other rags with that mindset, and apply same to what I hear or view.

On the whole we should be skeptical consumers of news... but this is tiring.

Alex said...

I wonder if Donald Trump is psychopathic?

http://www.sociopathicstyle.com/psychopathic-traits/

FullMoon said...

Paul Zrimsek said... [hush]​[hide comment]

"Many" refers to Sioux medicine man Many Bison, a heavily-quoted source on all things political.


Maybe related to "Falling Rock", the rogue Indian who attacks cars traveling along Ca. coastal hiway 1. As I explained decades ago to my stoned friends in the back seat, he is so dangerous, the state had to put up those signs near the cliffs "Watch for Falling Rock".

Meade said...

"Typo. They talked to a guy named Manny."

Mr./Ms. Corporate "Manny" America

tcrosse said...

Many many tekel upharsin.

Sam L. said...

Yes, I'd call it fake news. Consider the source!

Anonymous said...

At today's close, the S&P 500 is another +1.32% worth of unnerved.

Unknown said...

The stock market just unpredictabled itself to a record high.

Bad Lieutenant said...

bagoh20 said...

Will Trump ask someone like me for advice? I'll even put on a tie, if I can find one.
12/7/16, 8:59 AM

I dunno bagoh20, did you vote for him?

Blogger readering said...
I doubt it's a coincidence that 20 minutes before the AF1 tweet the head of Boeing was quoted warning Trump against trade policies that hurt US exports (a big part of Boeing's business).

Think the next head of Boeing will learn to criticize/advise/admonish President Trump IN PRIVATE next time? Or will the current guy get a second chance to make a first impression?

MPH said...

I don't know. I run a small corporation with a value in the eight figures. Trump's Twitter activity is incredibly unnerving to me.

What you call interesting -- attacking private citizens publicly - I find terrifying.

urbane legend said...

How many many to have a quorum?

Bad Lieutenant said...

MPH said...
I don't know. I run a small corporation with a value in the eight figures. Trump's Twitter activity is incredibly unnerving to me.

What you call interesting -- attacking private citizens publicly - I find terrifying.

12/7/16, 10:50 PM

Nemo me impune lacessit. Why is he attacking "private citizens?" Could it be because they are attacking him? For no good reason?

Doesn't seem like they're afraid of him -

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
You step out of line, the man come and take you away

People say that Trump has tender feelings, what about yours?

As the Russians say (in Russian), “You're not being fucked, so don't wiggle your ass!”