Donald Trump attended his Merry Christmas Rally in Michigan and implied he made it OK to say Merry Christmas again. I guess his Vice-President’s chief of staff Marc Short did not get the memo.

Did he get the Merry Christmas Memo?

“I’m thrilled to be here with thousands of hard-working Patriots as we celebrate the miracle of Christmas, the greatness of America and the glory of God,” said Trump. “And did you notice that everybody is saying Merry Christmas again? Did you know, remember when I first started this beautiful trip, this beautiful journey? I just said to the first lady, you’re so lucky I took you on this fantastic journey. Oh, first lady, you’re so lucky I took you on this fantastic journey.”

But the Vice-President’s Chief of Staff, Marc Short, must not have gotten the message. It is clear Chuck Todd, host of Meet the Press, was playing to the known GOP rhetoric when he only said Merry Christmas.

Chuck Todd: Thanks for coming on sharing your views and I hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas.

Marc Short: Chuck happy holidays.

As a reminder, this silly blog is a result of Fox News appealing to the gullible part of the psyche of many to believe that somehow liberals were waging a war on Christmas. Here is the story from Media Matters.

A War on Christmas Story: How Fox News built the dumbest part of America’s culture war

On December 3, 2004, Fox News’ now-defunct The O’Reilly Factor debuted a recurring segment called “Christmas Under Siege.” Though Christmas was not and has never been “under siege” in any meaningful way, disgraced former host Bill O’Reilly and Fox were set on pushing this victimization narrative, laying the groundwork for what became known as the “War on Christmas.” In the 15 years since, onlookers watched the very concept of objective reality fracture along political lines. Consumers of conservative media drifted ever deeper into a world where a school’s nonexistent ban on red and green clothing became national news and paranoid delusions were freely floated about a future in which people may be prohibited from displaying Christmas decorations.

For 15 years, cable news Don Quixotes have battled these windmills, rejoicing in their victories and basking in their acts of bravery while warning their audiences to remain vigilant. Imaginary culture war issues like the War on Christmas make for good politics, as the people arguing that these are real issues can at any time simply dust off their hands, declare victory, and pat themselves on the back for a job well done. Like Lisa Simpson and her tiger-repelling rock, the protectors of Christmas are simply saving the holiday from nonexistent threats.

Deep down, they must know that there’s no actual “war” on Christmas, but it makes for good politics. Rather than having to address issues actually facing Americans — such as health care, the economy, and climate change — the fake battles in the fake War on Christmas give right-wing media a convenient way to manufacture divisions between the left and the right. The bombardment of misinformation playing up imaginary (or wildly overblown) examples of political correctness run amok are intended to scare and create a seeming sense of partisanship even on issues that are agreed upon nearly universally.

Of the many impacts of the War on Christmas, Donald Trump’s decision to run for president seems the most consequential. 

[More]

Yep. That is how it all got started. This shows the power of media. Folks, we have to stop them from playing with our minds.