Welcome once again to Fandango’s Provocative Question. Each week I will pose what I think is a provocative question for your consideration.
By provocative, I don’t mean a question that will cause annoyance or anger. Nor do I mean a question intended to arouse sexual desire or interest.
What I do mean is a question that is likely to get you to think, to be creative, and to provoke a response. Hopefully a positive response.
The former U.S. president, Donald Trump, announced last week an online store to sell $99 digital trading cards of himself as a superhero, an astronaut, an Old West sheriff, and a series of other fantastical figures. He made his pitch in a brief, direct-to-camera video in which he audaciously declared that his four years in the White House were “better than Lincoln, better than Washington.”
These digital trading cards, which Trump says are similar to baseball cards, are actually nonfungible tokens, or NFTs, that effectively allow a person to claim ownership of a digital file. They’re to baseball cards what Bitcoins are to paper money. Revenue from the sale of these cards will go to Trump personally under a licensing deal. None of the proceeds will be provided to his 2024 presidential campaign.
So my question to you is simply this:
What do you think of Trump’s digital trading cards? Do you think it reflects a sound business and/or political strategy? Do you think it’s ridiculous and is something undignified for a former U.S. President (and 2024 presidential candidate) to do? Or do you have no opinion one way or the other?
Just so you know, Trump’s “limited edition” collection of digital trading cards sold out in less than a day, generating $4.5 million in sales for him. Did any of you, by any chance, buy one?
If you choose to participate, write a post with your response to the question. Once you are done, tag your post with #FPQ and create a pingback to this post if you are on WordPress. Or you can simply include a link to your post in the comments. But remember to check to confirm that your pingback or your link shows up in the comments.
This, That, and the Other 
It’s totally ridiculous and demeaning thing for a former president to do. But what else can you expect of Trump? Perhaps if he had made a card of himself in orange jumpsuits, behind bars, people may buy that.
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I might!
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That will be something to invest in
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It’s completely cheesy and ridiculous, but he knew his dumb supporters would buy them and he wasn’t wrong. I wonder how many Vlad bought?
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Vlad’s probably going to introduce his own line of trading cards. It he’ll be topless in most of them.
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Hah!
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Classy (sarcasm). But I’ll play Devil’s advocate – is this conceptually that different from the former presidents who earn tons of money writing books and going on speaking engagements post-presidency?
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I actually had this very discussion last night. The whole trading card/NFT thing is distasteful and tacky, but I’ve seen former presidents speak and they’re often not very interesting. They are marketing to people who are already fans of the president/presidency, and it works.
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Exactly! I think this is just Trump’s take on the books and speaking engagement gig that former presidents do.
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Most ex-presidents aren’t laughable and subject to derision and ridicule by their actions after they leave office. Most maintain a relatively low profile, even though they publish books and give speeches. They don’t act like clowns.
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It’s as different as a text book is from a comic book and how a speech is from a standup comedy routine.
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Great analogy! You’re spot-on with the taste/quality comparison between the two. Although I do think there’s a common thread of self-promotion.
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To one extent or another, political life is all about self-promotion, but some do it with class, while others, like Trump, do it with crass.
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Yes. VERY different. Trump can’t even read, much less write.
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Reblogged this on It Is What It Is and commented:
FYI … “Just so you know, Trump’s “limited edition” collection of digital trading cards sold out in less than a day, generating $4.5 million in sales for him.”
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His followers are going to buy it regardless and he is making money. When my son was asking for basketball players jerseys I used to say they are already making millions playing basketball why do you pay money to get their jerseys. He eventually understood it.
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Here is mine.
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I think nothing. Been a little miffed at how much news coverage, aka free advertising, this has gotten. Seems like he should have to pay to hawk his goods.
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That’s a good point.
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I already voiced my opinion on my own blog-😡
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I meant it makes me angry, not at you, Trump
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I know! 👍
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I’m not an American and have to confess I didn’t know whether to laugh at him in tights or laugh at his audacity. But they sold out…………….does that mean they’re a good idea, or another con?
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Definitely another con from the former conman-in-chief.
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“Con” is Trump’s middle name. I don’t think he is capable of any other transaction.
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There are no words, but sadly there will be people that buy them.
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Lemmings, minions, and suckers.
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Somebody told me there are copyright infringements, but I haven’t seen an article on that aspect. The whole thing is clearly very low for a President (former). I suppose he thinks of it as making money on, though, rather than paying many for advertising of his current candidacy.
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If you work out what it cost to make, the cost of advertising, and the return, it will be the same as all his other business ventures – a loss-leading PR stunt to keep his name on top of viewers – like this one.
If no one uses the name, it loses power and fades from use/view. Do that, and let that thing disappear under the effects of namelessness.
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The bloke is a narcissistic dick
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No argument from me on that.
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this is awful! And so wrong!
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Well I really dont care. If morons want to buy stuff like that then let them, it’s better than buying guns.
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Anyone who would buy a Trump trading card no doubt already owns one or more guns.
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I did think that, but with their short attention span they might forget
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Just another plan to stroke his own ego.
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