If you have to blame somebody

Blame the Pope.  Jeb Bush, according to this article, seems to think Pope Francis is partly responsible for the rise of Trump.   He also laments the press’s coverage of Trump.   That Bush was one of the least inspiring candidates ever to run in a primary might have had something to do with his defeat.  Not that the press isn’t partly to blame.  If you think the press was behind Clinton’s victory over Sanders, then it’s probable that the press had something to do with Trump’s ascendancy.

In fact, the media had much to do with it.  Marco Rubio said it best.  For most of the campaign, when Rubio was out making speeches, the press was nowhere to be seen.  He couldn’t get interviews.  Then when he went all middle school and made childish digs at Trump’s hands, it was round the clock interviews.  The press was at every Rubio speech.  Each time Rubio opened his mouth, reporters were there with bells on.  That is not an accident.  That is the press shaping and molding our nation’s fortunes.  Both in the case of Sanders, as well as Trump.

Nonetheless, I think pulling this over on Pope Francis is a stretch.  Yes, he got involved in the debate, but Trump was already on his way to victory when Pope Francis commented on the immigration issue from the other side of the border.  Trump has been a phenomenon that defies easy explanation, unless you favor conspiracy theories.  Nonetheless I’m pretty sure that for all the various causes of Trump’s rise, Pope Francis doesn’t rate near the top, if he rates anywhere.