Control Freak

   Donald Trump has already started his re-election campaign, as he refers to his coming "eight years" in office as President of the United States.
   The catch is that he hasn't yet been inaugurated for a first term, much less even been formally chosen by the Electoral College, which won't happen until Monday, Dec. 19.
   And there is a growing move that the electors will exercise their Constitutional duty and choose someone who better fits their standards of who should become President.
   Meanwhile, Trump continues to manipulate news media coverage by announcing his opinions and announcements via Twitter, not by an open press conference where reporters can ask questions.
   He has yet to hold an open news conference, and has delayed until "sometime in January" his plan to step aside from the daily operations of his business empire and let his children do the job. No conflict, he insists.
   In short, by not speaking directly to reporters, he controls the message. Moreover, when negative news does break, he makes a separate announcement designed to outshine the hard news by displaying a juicy, gossipy, flashy bit of trivia that reporters jump on like a cat playing with a toy mouse.
   However, journalists have finally come to recognize the distraction tactics and are actively questioning Trump's motives.
   But in the longer outlook, here are some other issues to watch for:
   Trump's first move as President -- assuming the Electoral College confirms his move to the Oval Office -- might well be an effort to further control news coverage. He has been expert in manipulating reporters for several years, but as President he could well try to formalize media coverage. In a basic form, Trump could continue his practice of not talking to journalists, and perhaps forbidding his colleagues to do the same. In its extreme form, media control could include suspending the Constitution and the First Amendment guarantee of press freedom in the name of "national security." And considering his choices for Cabinet secretaries and close economic and military advisors, this may not be as outrageous as it sounds.
   Second, there could be a proposal to cancel the Constitutional provision limiting a President to two elected terms.
   Impossible, you say? But all the so-called experts said in early November that he had virtually no chance of winning through to the Presidency. Nonetheless, he did, despite losing the popular vote by a margin approaching three million ballots.
   In any case, the free flow of information, based on Constitutionally guaranteed First Amendment rights, would be impeded by a control freak who cannot handle disagreement of any kind, from anyone, ever.
   Or rather, he might try. But whether he succeeds is quite another matter. If nothing else, reporters are an independent lot, and when their independence is threatened, they sharpen their pencils and open their notebooks.
   A free society depends on it.
   And remember this: The government does not grant us the rights listed in the First Amendment. We were born with them, and the Constitution forbids the government from restricting them.