One wonders if there is not a conspiracy in the media to kill the Trump phenomenon. Yes, death by overexposure. If you are a normal cable news junkie chance are you have digested about 3 hours of prime time Trump just this week. The rally in Mobile was carried by Fox, CNN, and MSNBC. Sweet Home Alabama! This guy gets more prime time face time than Bill O'Reilly, Anderson Cooper and Rachel Maddow without dropping a dime just because he has the nerve to say anchor baby. Earlier in the week segments of his press conference were copiously featured on all three cable networks and his town hall was so exciting that Mica called Joe to tell him to tune in. Joe was already watching so she called her parents and guess what? They were already watching.
Trump is the best thing to happen to CNN since Malaysia Airlines flight 370 went missing and if he can do for manufacturing what he has done for cable news America will be selling Ronco Ready Grills in Hong Kong. Network television is also sharing in the Trump bonanza. Two weeks ago Michael Calderone wrote on the Huffington Post, " Trump called into four public affairs shows Sunday: CNN’s “State of the Union,” NBC’s “Meet the Press,” CBS’s “Face the Nation” and ABC’s “This Week." On Monday morning, he did phone interviews with NBC’s “Today” and MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
The entire Republican field has not and cannot raise the kind of cash necessary to purchase one quarter of the air time Trump has been given free gratis. Media critics may not be comfortable with this symbiotic relationship but advertisers drive the bottom line not pundits.
The latest Reuters / Ipsos poll shows Trump with a commanding 32 to 16 percent lead over second place Jeb Bush. For now the Donald driving the media to the bank. He may not be a prophet but he is very profitable.
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