You’ll Be Back, Dummies

How the former president outrages the media and wins over the anti-anti-Trumpers.

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Dean Winters in ‘30 Rock.’ (Photo courtesy of Broadway Video/NBC Universal)

Brother Jonah Goldberg and my darling, Jessica Melugin, two people I love—albeit in very different ways—have both compared former President Donald Trump to the 30 Rock character Dennis Duffy, played by Dean Winters, the “Mayhem” guy from the Allstate Insurance commercials. 

Duffy is the terrible ex-boyfriend of protagonist Liz Lemon, played by Tina Fey. And his signature line to Lemon, “You’ll be back, dummy,” is very Trump. Lemon thinks she can do better, but again and again finds herself returning to him when she doesn’t want to put in the effort to have a more suitable partner. 

“That dumb creep makes me laugh. … Being with Dennis is easy. If you give into it you just start feeling kind of numb and warm,” she says. “And then you just get sleepy.”

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  1. Hartzlk

    Per the musical Hamilton, America doesn't always fulfill the "You'll be back" taunt. :-)

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  2. Mark

    "... And, blammo, he hits his triple bank shot.

    By entertaining the idea of being dictator for a day, Trump gets to 1) explode the heads of the left and the media, 2) initiate the anti-anti-Trump immune response, and 3) tell actual nutbars who want him to be an authoritarian that he’s their guy. Bing, bang, boom.

    And the part about sealing the border and drilling? That’s the trap door he built in to let himself out later. “Yes,” he’ll say, “I want to be a dictator when it comes to stopping the flood of migrants and opening up domestic energy.” Wink."

    Utterly brilliant exegesis.
    Best reading since 2020.

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    1. Slowdave1

      This is such an accurate analysis. Especially the "out" of the drilling and border. I think the only thing Trump is truly good at is knowing how to walk right to the edge of the law, doing things that are over the line into illegal/unconstitutional, but not enough that it makes an easy conviction. Jan 6 is a prime example, but he's been doing it his entire life. He's kind of the king of trolls. As Stirewalt says, leaves it where the nutjob alt-right can say, "See, there's our guy! He's speaking in parables, like Jesus... because he IS our Jesus." The media blowup and blowback. Nailed it!

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      1. Scianti7

        This is how I've described Trump, he dances around the line of legality, steping over & back. He lives on the line (like a criminal). Most other presidents, while some may have crossed it, never lived there. This makes him unacceptable as a leader.

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  3. Cpbogdan

    I love the idea that Hannity thought he could make Trump promise not to become a dictator. Because, unlike his asset valuations, you can take Trump’s promises straight to the bank, mister! No pinkie swears required!

    “Trump 2024: I Promise Not To Be a Dictator” Wordy but effective

    (I feel like Lloyd Bridges in Airplane! I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue… )

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  4. Mattfrommo

    Trump also had the good fortune of timing. He emerged politically at a time when the political press shifted from 'clearly left of center' to beclowning themselves with an almost cartoonish sycophancy for Barrack Obama. The mask was completely off and any trust in standard journalism was gone. Then Trump comes along, acts like an oaf, and gets perfectly reasonable criticism. You want to believe it because it rings true. Then some idiot compares Trump to Hitler and you find yourself defending his record in spite of yourself. Trump's genius (if he has any) is recognizing that the media makes a much better political punching bag than whatever schmuck he happens to be running against.

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    Show Jay Janney the 🚪!

    I think you missed the key cleverness to Trump's quote. His "day 1 dictator" simply reverses Biden's "day 1 actions". He is in effect saying he's just undoing what Biden did, and daring the MSM booboisie to rush in, unaware of their hypocrisy.

    I'm not voting for Trump in 2024 (nor biden), but that is some major league trolling there.

    ps I'm not eating at Chipotle in Parma if she's working there.

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    Charley Warns

    I'll be back as a The Dispatch member, lol.

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  7. Michael.Terrien

    I have the autoimmune disorder. I loathe Trump. Don't think he's fit to be dog catcher. But he does have a gift for getting his enemies to lower themselves to his level. And it infuriates me when they do it.

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      Kizedek

      I get the autoimmune disorder thing, because I often find myself responding critically to commenters who are critical of a Dispatch article. Weird, huh?

      But I'm impressed that you found another way for people to express that it's Trump's opponents' fault that people vote for him.

      What "infuriates" me, is that those who support Trump are able to ignore the person that Trump has revealed himself to be, and just focus on what they loathe about other people.

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        Bryson DeAwesome

        i findTrump very entertaining
        i think i will vote for him vs Biden
        too bad i'm in puke blue Connecticut

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  8. Krbrady1919

    Garden & Gun: “It’s just a typical day in the G&G office: Pen and paper in hand, twelve editors are huddled around a conference table covered with pans of fresh-cooked bacon. There’s thick bacon and thin bacon; strips of bacon so unbelievably crispy you might be able to shatter them with a glance, others so thick and chewy you need a knife and fork. The aromas permeating the room are intoxicating—and the giddiness of the hungry staff infectious."

    How can I get a job at that magazine?!??! :)

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    Bel

    This analogy is further evidence that Republicans are in an abusive relationship with Trump.

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    Normb1442

    I had an exchange of views with someone on this site last week and he got quite exercised because he felt I was ignoring the fact that no one on this site, according to him, supports Trump having another term. I acknowledged his point, and told him I look forward to his voting for Biden. Oh no he replied he could never vote for Biden.

    Since Chris is quoting fictional characters, I'll do the same. I'll quote Edmond Walker, husband of Maddie Walker in the movie Body Heat. Walker tells Ned Racine, feckless lawyer, that to succeed in business you have to do whatever is necessary. Racine replies you mean do your research, know what you're about etc. Walker laughs no he says. You have to do what's necessary. WHATEVER is necessary. The implication is something you ordinarily would shrink from doing, even illegal.

    If you really are serious about stopping Donald Trump, you will have to do what's necessary, which may mean voting for someone you really don't like, but who is the only alternative to Trump. You can console yourself with the fact that most of the writers on this site agree that the economy is really doing pretty well under Biden.

    And unless Trump wins, voting is still legal.

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    1. Krbrady1919

      "Body Heat" is an all-time great noir, completely underrated.

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        Normb1442

        Totally agree. Unbelievable performances by everyone, esp. Mickey Rourke.

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      Cwenystroms

      Unless Biden drops out or replaces his VP (neither is likely), it will not be a binary choice. See No Labels' website.

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        Normb1442

        A distinction without a difference. Voting third party for President is the same as not voting at all. Ask those Floridian liberals who voted for Nader in 2000.

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          Show Jay Janney the 🚪!

          I did, they yelled at me to get off their lawn! 😡

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            Normb1442

            ALL OF THEM???

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          Cwenystroms

          NoLabels is not a 3rd party. IF, and only if: 1) Biden and Trump are the top of the tickets, and 2) its polling after Super Tuesday concludes that a large majority of the voting public does not want either Biden or Trump (as its extensive polling to date confirms), it will present a ticket ONLY for President and Vice President. It plans to be on the ballot in virtually all the states and is devoting its energy to that goal at this time with substantial success. The Nader race is not a good comparison. Also see answer below to Simon Dodd.

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        Simon J. Dodd

        No Labels has yet to even give a concrete example of whom they might nominate, let alone actually nominate someone. It's all entirely hypothetical, conducted in the language of the *kind* of person they would consider, and highly redolent of Kristol's 2016 promises that he was recruiting a viable third-party candidate with whom anti-Trump Republicans could park a vote.

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          Cwenystroms

          See answer to Normb above. Kristol's effort is also not a good basis for comparison. As for who they pick, that will be decided around Super Tuesday via a virtual convention. The national leadership of No Labels consists of prominent political leaders who have shown they can win high office in districts or states with a majority of voters from the opposing party, such as former Senator/former VP candidate Joseph Lieberman (a Democrat who became a successful Independent) and two term (term limited) Maryland Ex-Gov. Larry Hogan (a Republican in a heavily Democrat state). Hogan could end up on the ticket, but there are several other appealing possibilities. Some are advancing Don Bacon, a successful Congressman (3 terms) with strong centrist credentials and retired Air Force Brigadier General. Time will tell what happens, but much is happening behind the scenes. I strongly advise you to peruse NoLables.org for much more information.

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            Simon J. Dodd

            Now we're getting somewhere: Actual names. So Lieberman and Hogan are possibilities, as is Bacon? That's good.

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