Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

demmiblue

(36,893 posts)
Wed Feb 15, 2017, 11:42 AM Feb 2017

What makes Trump adviser Stephen Miller so unlikeable?

Source: Salon



Stephen Miller is reportedly a college buddy of neo-Nazi punching bag Richard Spencer. He’s also Donald Trump’s senior adviser, and was recently drafted as a new White House spokesperson. For his new role, Miller took a tour of the Sunday morning news shows, each appearance showing off an ability to lie matched only by the other members of the Trump team. If you caught any of those appearances, you may have noticed a few Miller trademark gestures. Empty, reptilian eyes scanning left to right over cue cards. A pouty mouth delivering each insane untruth. And a voice that sounds like every hyper-unlikable, pompous, joyless, self-important authority-on-everything you’ve ever met. Or as Katie McDonough of Fusion puts it, “he has the voice of someone who is a dick.”

<snip>

“Stephen Miller likes to use a lower register,” West indicates. “So, number one, the pitch he’s going for is at the bottom, even a little bit below, where he can comfortably speak. He’s also clenching his tongue a little bit while he speaks. This is a common, however unconscious, tactic by men to sound more masculine and authoritative. It’s just to suggest that extra bit of, Here’s what I have to say and welcome to it.”

West suggests that Miller’s cadence—which is more a sort of superior-sounding monotone—is another turn-off. He explains why Miller brings to mind the dude you had classes with in high school or college who everyone mostly wished would stop talking. Not the cool, interesting nerd, who was an inventive misfit waiting to blossom, but more like the unsympathetic know-it-all who repelled everyone with his smugness, arrogance and almost frightening dearth of charm.

“In the case of this particular gentleman, we have a situation where large swaths will feel that this is not a guy I would enjoy spending time with,” West says, making the understatement of the century. “It feels like he’s talking down to me, it feels like he’s being overly pedantic, and indeed, condescending. What he does though is, speaking of that guy in college we all rolled our eyes at, when you don’t have perhaps content on your side—without being overtly political here—what one has to do then is compensate for that. And that’s a keyword I’d like to highlight with you: What we don’t like about that, if we can remove ourselves from the political content for a moment, is generally the fact that it seems like this person is trying to compensate. We see a person who is trying too hard. That’s not an attractive quality, when we see someone pushing and trying too hard.”


Read more: http://www.salon.com/2017/02/15/what-makes-trump-advisor-stephen-miller-so-unlikeable_partner/



22 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
What makes Trump adviser Stephen Miller so unlikeable? (Original Post) demmiblue Feb 2017 OP
His face, demeanor, and words scream underpants Feb 2017 #1
EVERYTHING about him is unlikable. democratisphere Feb 2017 #2
Everything. SamKnause Feb 2017 #3
Miller's story while he was in high school. . . DinahMoeHum Feb 2017 #4
An evil sick fuck, like his master. dalton99a Feb 2017 #14
It's a shame NewJeffCT Feb 2017 #17
I would not want him around small children uponit7771 Feb 2017 #5
Scary guy, dead eyes Mz Pip Feb 2017 #6
Because he is a mouthy punk, mindem Feb 2017 #7
He's an arrogant, truth-deficient, white supremacist weasel MrScorpio Feb 2017 #8
He's got lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll's eyes. longship Feb 2017 #9
He's like the actor who played Goebbels in the movie "Downfall." Tommy_Carcetti Feb 2017 #12
31-year-old senior advisor. dalton99a Feb 2017 #16
Most people don't like being lectured to by 15 year old Nazis. JenniferJuniper Feb 2017 #10
He looks like KGB to me. JTFrog Feb 2017 #11
Put him in a fedora and wire-rimmed specs and he kinda reminds me of this guy ... NurseJackie Feb 2017 #13
Here is as a student, being obnoxious TubbersUK Feb 2017 #15
This . . . hatrack Feb 2017 #18
Reptilian eyes Mendocino Feb 2017 #19
You mean other than he's got a rat face, he's a fascist, and he's a SOB? CanonRay Feb 2017 #20
He reminds me of Doug Niedermayer of Animal House, smirkymonkey Feb 2017 #21
for me, it was the whole "espousing utterly reprehensible points of view" thing anarch Feb 2017 #22

NewJeffCT

(56,829 posts)
17. It's a shame
Wed Feb 15, 2017, 12:21 PM
Feb 2017

that he suddenly became such a big time douchebag in high school and afterwards, even dumping a good friend because the friend was Hispanic.

MrScorpio

(73,631 posts)
8. He's an arrogant, truth-deficient, white supremacist weasel
Wed Feb 15, 2017, 11:53 AM
Feb 2017

Basically his entire belief structure is anti-American.

Yet in spite of that, he has a job working for the most powerful office in the world.

What is there to like about this shifty-eyed, junior grade Goebbels?

Tommy_Carcetti

(43,198 posts)
12. He's like the actor who played Goebbels in the movie "Downfall."
Wed Feb 15, 2017, 12:01 PM
Feb 2017


(I know nothing about the actor himself, who might be a nice guy for all I know. But damn was he creepy as Goebbels.)

Mendocino

(7,509 posts)
19. Reptilian eyes
Wed Feb 15, 2017, 12:44 PM
Feb 2017

Dick Cheney, Kellyann, the Romney boys, the Trump sons, this guy..they all have them.

Except Bannon, he looks like a Jimmy Buffett roadie.

anarch

(6,535 posts)
22. for me, it was the whole "espousing utterly reprehensible points of view" thing
Wed Feb 15, 2017, 01:27 PM
Feb 2017

Someone could look like the most cheerful, happiest and friendliest person ever, and speak in melodious and pleasant tones, with wonderfully expressive gestures to reinforce the wonderfulness of the presentation...but I'd still think they were scum if they were spouting off the sort of fascist, authoritarian, un-American bigoted bullshit that this guy does.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»What makes Trump adviser ...