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Can a Big Win for Trump Right the Ship?
As we head into the debate tonight, millions will have seen or heard of the 2005 video in which Trump was bantering crudely with an apparently approving Billy Bush, as well as the Trump mea culpa video on Facebook early Saturday in which a sober Trump admits his failings. Apologizes! (Whoa! Stop the presses! Weren’t we told Trump didn’t have the maturity to ever apologize?) And then pivots to the gloves-off contrast the leaked video now permits him: lewd words vs. actual assault, focus on issues facing the country vs. avoidance of track record.
For that is the entire zeitgeist of this election for many who are still undecided, and thus the target audience of this debate: Which candidate is least bad?
When you saw the video, did you wonder: Are we in Casablanca, that hypocritical world where the authorities are Shocked, Shocked, that Trump might talk this way? Trump’s supporters’ are thinking “Huh? What did you think he talked like when alone bragging with the guys?” But those who never wanted Trump as the candidate are in high dudgeon, and those in the media and on the Left are acting as though this is new news — which it is not.
(One wonders: Were they bothered by how the Kennedys talked about and treated women? Or how Bill Clinton did? Nah. Crocodile tears.)
Will this latest outré outrage make a difference? I think not.
First — Those who support Trump aren’t doing so because they thought he had high moral character, admirable business practices, or the disposition of a statesman. They don’t.
Many Trump supporters don’t care for Trump personally. But what they like is that he’s an outsider, and what they particularly like is that he’s not her. They already know he’s rough, crude, and lewd. Moreover, they think those characteristics may be necessary to clean out our modern Augean Stables: the institutionalized corruption that increasingly defines Washington. Rather than undermining that narrative, the video reinforces it.
Second — Expect Trump to survive this the same way he does everything else, by changing the subject, and attacking his opponents for using mud to obscure with old news their present failings. He will repeat that he has made mistakes, has never pretended to be perfect, and he is not running for saint. He just wants to make America great again.
Third — He will remind people that he recognized that he owed, and gave, the American people an apology — and unlike the video, Trump apologizing is contrary to type, which will help with those waiting for him to act presidential.
Fourth — Trump will turn this to his advantage, and take the counter-punch opening it provides, starting with reminding us that, unlike himself, Clinton feels she owes us nothing, and that no apology, for anything, will be forthcoming from her.
Even more, Trump should say “My words might have offended many of you but her corruption and failed policies have hurt you.” Even her husband, Bill, thinks the Affordable Care Act is horrific — and she will make it worse. (Indeed, Trump needs to talk about Obamacare in a more heartfelt way than he has to date, both because it is an issue that is particularly resonant with women, but also because Bill Clinton’s comments were no accident, but the first step in justifying single-payer, government-run health care.)
Expect Trump to repeat that she’s been at this 30 years with failure as the result, and if you want a true politician, vote for her.
Clinton will bait him with attacks on his character and certainly has plenty of new fodder this week (no taxes, sexist, misogynist).
After his experience last time, don’t expect him to squander time defending himself, but rather to be more like Pence in his demeanor — calm, unruffled, and on offense, hopefully leavened with humor and zingers. Expect him to use his time to attack her (the secret emails released this week, the lies and cover-ups, the immunity deals, etc.) and to sell his own policies.
Trump, if well-prepared, will paint a vivid picture of daily life under corrupt politicians, their cronies, and powerful special interests, versus an optimistic future where the American people get a government that puts them first.
His bar is low for Sunday. I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t come to the debate better armed and more on offense.
I’ve got my popcorn. Round two, here we come!
Published in General
Ah, so Trump’s statements about forcing himself on women were examples of “insensitivity.” And here I thought they were admissions of, you know, actual crimes. If you’re right, then there are a lot of guys in prison for a little “insensitivity.”
In the military he’d be described as lacking target discrimination. [:-)
We were talking about other, defeated candidates for the nomination. But still, his statements were . . . well, statements. Has any woman he referred to accused him of a crime? If so, was any evidence offered? Perhaps Trump was showing off in a puerile manner. He’s certainly vulgar. Does that surprise you? Clinton bullied, attacked, shamed, and intimidated women who were sexually assaulted and in one case raped, based upon credible, contemporary, legally admissible evidence. Which set of circumstances is more significant in your mind?
I would be open to Romney replacing Trump, if that is possible. Bill Kristol (I’m not a fan at this point) seems to think it can be done if Trump pledges his electors to him. If there is a “smoking-gun” Apprentice tape, the sooner it comes out the better.
Here we disagree. At least based on presently available information, Trump is far more vulnerable on his track record with the spoken word than the others. And I’m contrasting this to “issues vulnerability” (e.g., women’s health) because the Democratic attack apparatus doesn’t go there with any degree of success. I’d love to see campaigns based on issues, and would welcome challenges to Cruz based on, say, abortion. But that’s not the way the games is played today. It may be regrettable, but it’s an awful lot of what one said and how dumb it sounded.
Bill Clinton is not on the ballot. Trump is. Yes, Hillary is an enabler, but Trump is the real thing.
I’m too scared to watch. I mean, I guess I will, just so I don’t have to wonder…..but it is sickening to think voters would hand the country to someone whose goal is to destroy its sovereignty just because Donald Trump was “outed” as a heterosexual male!
I pray Kellyanne is telling him not to pick on Bill. Don’t they read the same stuff we do? All she has to do is say, “I was his victim too, and he’s not running, I am. ”
anyone who prays: say one for him tonight! One? Say a million!
Trump admits to abusing women and that’s synonymous with being a heterosexual male. Super.
I know what you mean. I want so much for him to do well and am afraid he won’t. Hopefully he’ll listen to his campaign team this time.
He did not admit to abusing women. He did nothing the women didn’t allow. Certain women will literally throw themselves at a rich and powerful man. Trust me as I’ve seen it happen on several occasions and have been embarrassed by members of my own sex. If you’ve never seen it, you’ve led a very sheltered life.
Jennifer Rubin – “No way next season House of Cards is as good as this, huh?”
For once, I agree with Rubin.
I voted for him once, but I wouldn’t vote for him now for dog catcher after all the trouble he’s caused in this election. He’s a traitor.
I was talking about Hillary Clinton . . . she actively bullied, attacked, shamed, and intimidated . . . her husband is the assaulter and rapist; she’s the second wave as if the first weren’t bad enough.
Or in other words, I’ll believe it when I see it.
“Women’s health” is Democrat code-speak for abortion.
Yes, we disagree. Trump is not uniquely vulnerable. Look at what happened to Romney and McCain . . . two more Lib-accommodating GOPers you can’t find, yet they were vilified with the same treatment every GOP candidate gets.
He did not admit to abusing women. He said they’d let him do whatever he wanted. That is not rape, not abuse.
We seem to have forgotten that heterosexual relations are, after all, what makes the world go round!
Now even consensual relations are always the product of male aggression?
Why are we even bothering–at this rate, nobody will be giving birth anyway. There’s no future.
Every time before the Democrats had to lie. Now all they have to do is run Trump’s videos – again, and again, and again.
No.
Its so hard to say.
Did they lie about Romney’s 47% remark? No. Did Romney stand up for himself and defend the point he was making? No. He apologized.
Trump does stand up for himself. And what happens? The media moves on to other things, which means Democrats have moved on to other things because they can’t win the argument.
McCain gave the Democrats “Comprehensive Immigration Reform,” which is spelled A-M-N-E-S-T-Y. Did that stop MSM from attacking him? Of course not. He gave them Campaign Finance Reform, which is more accurately known as the Incumbent Protection Act. Did that stop MSM from attacking him? Of course not.
Did Trump assault a single woman, ever? It’s not alleged, let alone demonstrated. The MSM have been spinning his foolish, lewd comments for 48 hours now, and you apparently have absorbed it. But Trump refused to accept the premise and instead fought back—even went to Hillary laughing about a 12 yr old rape victim.
So I predict MSM now moves on to other things. That will mean Democrats have moved on, which only means they can’t win the argument.
The lesson? Without surrender monkey Republicans like McCain and Romney, the Democrat Media Complex loses and conservatives win. Imagine what we could do if Trump were really a conservative! But I’ll take what I can get.
Back to the original question: Will a big win for Trump right the ship? It’s not beyond the realm of possibility. But it might halt or at least slow the scuttling.
This debate changes nothing. Both candidates were so scripted, delivering their own talking points and saying nothing new (except that Trump disagrees with his running mate). It was a painful and frustrating evening to watch. The biggest losers last night was the audience of undecided voters who had to sit through it all without the satisfaction of having their questions addresses.