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Well, here we are. In this podcast, we here at COMMENTARY eat crow about our presumption Donald Trump couldn’t win, we explain why we think he did, and why Hillary Clinton failed so spectacularly. Give a listen.
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Published in: General
Trump did not win because of a tidal wave of white votes. He underperformed with whites compared to Romney while overperforming with blacks and Hispanics. Let’s not uncritically buy into the leftwing trope that Trump’s appeal was racist.
The key question is whether Arthur Laffer and Stephen Moore can talk Trump out of these destructive trade wars with China and Mexico.
Guys guys guys . . . the only people that have to eat crow are the pollsters, the mainstream media, and the Clintons.
So your mea culpa includes accusations that Trump is a “crook.” Got any proof? Got any proof that has been vetted not to be Democrat propaganda? Do you have any shame? ANY?
Toward the end you discussed the hypocrisy of voters. That since they let Trump’s bad behavior slide they could not go back now and apply standards to future candidates.
That might be a logical argument but it is meaningless. In 2020 Republican voters can hold a candidate to any standard they want. You can’t tell the voters they are breaking the rules. With their votes they make the rules about what they will accept in each election.
Another thing that I think is going on here is that, with Political Correctness more and more insisting that any religiously-inspired morality must be jettisoned, backing the anti-PC candidate makes sense as a defensive measure. When you’re under constant attack, you can forgive much from the guy who’s fighting back.
As Lincoln reportedly said about Grant, “find out what kind of whiskey he drinks and send a case of it to all my other generals.”
You guys are over thinking the whole white identity politics thing. I think it’s more straightforward: alot of people were/are sick of being labeled racist/sexist/homophobic/xenophobic/ stupid – I.e. deplorable. They’ve had enough and they found a way to finally get people to listen. As for me and my vote, it was a rebuke of the Left and its insufferable smugness and overreach into every aspect of life. I’ve had it.
Dear Mr. Podhoretz,
I take issue with your criticism of Donald Trump. As you say, he has many serious flaws, but you speak as if Mrs. Clinton’s shortcomings are in the same category as Mr. Trump’s, and they most certainly are not. No amount of crude language or behavior or shady business dealings compares with Mrs. Clinton’s absolute disregard for national security, not to mention the hundreds or thousands of lives lost through her disgusting incompetence as secretary of state. She was absolutely laundering money and selling access through her foundation. Furthermore, she and her husband and the Obama administration have done their utmost to purposefully undermine the rule of law.
Hillary Clinton is way worse than Trump, and I consider that we are lucky to have escaped her.
MrsInk
On messaging, in the lede for one of the final pre-election BBC Global News podcasts were short bursts from the two candidates. Trump: “Drain. The. Swamp.” Clinton: “a stronger, fairer, better America!” That really does sum up their promises. His was specific; hers was hope-and-changey progressive fairy dust.
And of course, as John says, “She’s just a crook!”
Indeed.
Interesting speculation that Oprah could be the 2020 D nominee.
“We were wrong…… now let us tell you all how we were actually right” seems to be the CYA line you guys are pushing.
Good luck with that
Like so many professional pundits you guys are so out of touch, and so spectacularly wrong it’s amazing to watch. Everything you dismissed about Trump like “Make America Great Again” you are now touting as the reason he won?
Reminds me of another underdog that your class of coastal elites dismissed “Morning in America”.
You should learn to eat your crow with more grace, and with less noise and hand waving.
Good day.
You guys apologize about making a bad call on the election. But you jump right in and start making predictions about Trump’s agenda. You don’t know what’s coming. You’re entitled to your opinions; what bothered me was your smug confidence in them. And John, let the other 2 have more of the air time.
There was no mention of the DOJ or FBI. Trump could do a lot of good with a new AG by stopping or impeding the nationalization of police departments: the war on cops. He might re-open the email case and push forward on the Clinton Foundation investigation. I recognize that deals may be made with Obama relative to the exercise of the Pardon Power. Hopefully, some of those criminals will be thrown under the bus while others get an undeserved pass.
I like the idea of Guiliani, Sessions, and Christie on board to provide guidance. Christie, bridge-gate aside, is one hell of a prosecutor. He eliminated Rubio on cross in the primary. Sessions, an old hand, will help with Congress. Guiliani knows a lot about security. But, of course, Trump will pick his own cabinet.
Wrong yesterday, wrong today. Tried to listen again. Sorry gentlemen. No sale.
Couldn’t have said it any better myself Nerina — I was disappointed to hear the group buy into the ‘racist,sexist, etc.’ reasoning. In my view, it is simply being sick of being misrepresented and slandered for an opposing view and oh, being so stupid for believing in God.
After all of this trio’s endless prattling about Hillary’s “structural advantages,” how she was spending money and Trump wasn’t, and about the Democrats’ vaunted “ground game,” the truth is finally dawning on them.
Structural advantages, advertising and ground game are terms in the language of consultants and operatives, the people that these three hang around with too much in New York City and Washington, DC.
Here’s the hard truth: all of those GOTV (Get-Out-The-Vote) operations are Plan B.
Plan A is having a candidate that people will go to the polls and vote for all by themselves.
When we Trump supporters kept telling you to look at the turn-away crowds he was attracting, week in and week out all over the country, we weren’t saying that crowds mean more than polls. We’re not stupid (although you think we are).
We were telling you that Trump had the enthusiastic backing of untold numbers of voters and that Hillary couldn’t draw flies. We were asking you to understand that a candidate people want to vote for will beat a candidate nobody cares about every single time.
Unfortunately, you three New Yorkers thought that we Trump supporters were merely venting our rages and resentments, like that (heavily edited) New York Times video taken at various rallies “proved.”
NeverTrumpers: a group that combines the wit of Gloria Steinem and the political insight of Pauline Kael.
These guys admit their predictions were all wrong and then unself-consciously make dire predictions about Trump which span the entire globe.
The sneering, snarling lack of humility is extraordinary.
“Oprah (for President) is a genius idea!” announces Podhoretz about his own idea.
Come listen to 3 guys who are each the smartest guy in the room.