October 16, 2016

On the Sunday morning shows, a lot of people who don't like Trump were offering Trump advice.

I can't believe any of it was good advice — unless it was good advice offered on the theory that Trump wouldn't trust them to give him good advice, so he might do the opposite. Everyone, it seemed, was telling Trump that he needs to stop defending himself against all the mud slung his way. He should stick to the real issues, you see, and not get distracted. So: Let everyone hit him and not fight back?

I'll just give one example. I watch all the shows, and it was getting to the point where we were laughing at the repetition of the don't-get-distracted advice from people who were obviously not Trump proponents. This one was on "Fox News Sunday," with Bret Baier questioning the Democratic strategist Joe Trippi.
BAIER:  You know, Joe, you saw Mike Pence.  He's been answering these questions about the allegations. 
Earlier on the show, Baier had interviewed Pence and referred to "the accusations" and "nine women with these allegations." He never said the word "sex" or "sexual assault" or "groping." We were supposed to know what he was talking about and (I guess) appreciate that he wasn't so crass as to mention sex.
I didn't go down the road too far, but, I mean, you have to think he's wincing on some of these answers or some of this campaigning about the accusers. 

JOE TRIPPI, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR:  Well, he has to be because part of the whole problem, the difference in the polling numbers, is women. And they've moved away from Trump, even groups that tend to be Republican with women. Moderate Republican women are moving away. And so, this isn't how you get them back. They're gettable because they've been voting Republican all these years. So, and they’ve got arguments. But the argument isn't to go after the accusers.  So, I think this is a -- that's what I think is going to be interesting about this debate.  Is that the Donald Trump that shows up that goes after the accusers and keeps giving Clinton this advantage or does he try to reach out to them?  That's what I think is going to be the key.
Trippi is just one example of that. It's like a memo went out: If Trump wants to win he needs to leave those accusers alone. Don't respond. But Trippi doesn't want Trump to win. 

ADDED: Trippi seems to assume that the only way for Trump to defend himself is to "go after" the women. Even though Trump's opponent has a record of attacking women who made sexual allegations against her husband, Trump could stress the unfairness of dropping these stories so late in the process. And there might be a way to connect this to the Rolling Stone trial that's starting tomorrow. Allegations can be false and the process can be unfair. That could inspire some empathy for the pugnacious billionaire. Who knows?

65 comments:

Sprezzatura said...

Did anyone suggest that he should stop attacking Ryan?

Bannon has a record of being anti-Ryan. Presumably there are other Bannon type cons that don't like Ryan. So deciding if DJT should keep attacking Ryan depends on what you think it more important or more right: Bannon-POV or Ryan-POV.

Anyone saying DJT should stop attacking Ryan is showing where they stand....as a RINO!

Sprezzatura said...

The new Bannon/DJT Rs got no time for the Ryan-type traders.

Sprezzatura said...

Ha.

traitors.

Carol said...

I saw that segment. And it was the only one I saw because I switched back to weather..yeah, the "advisors" are the MSM version of concern trolls.

gadfly said...

Blogger PBandJ_Ombudsman said...
Did anyone suggest that he should stop attacking Ryan?

Anyone saying DJT should stop attacking Ryan is showing where they stand....as a RINO!


I think Trump ought to quit attacking Republicans - period! The only RINO I see here is Donald Trump who as a flaming New York Liberal has never been a Republican. His only loyalty is to Donald Trump. How can you not see that? The Trump "solutions" are all liberal and yet his supporters claim to be conservative.

n.n said...

Confront the allegations, hearsay, and innuendo flung at the 11th hour, then return to the issues leaving the twilighters and irredeemables behind.

Hagar said...

I do notice that a lot of commenters hereon have identified themselves as women that do not understand what the fuss is about - men acting like men is not news and as long as that is all there is they do not have a problem putting it down.

Clayton Hennesey said...

After Anthony Gilberthorpe refuted Jessica Leeds' claim, we haven't heard much from her.

But these accusers seem to have the Jedi advantage of a post-present meta-existence. Initially, she's real person Jessica Leeds with an ostensibly real and concrete claim of abuse at Trump's hands. But that's only necessary to introduce her. Once introduced, regardless of whether her claim is proven or refuted - really, who cares? - she transitions into a post-real individual collective meta-existence as one of the ghost army now known as "the accusers".

Each and every one of the real individuals accusing might have their accusations soundly refuted, but that was never and will never be what's important. The only important thing is the collection of crumpled, empty Jedi robes marking the transitional birth of the ghost army, "the accusers".

Hagar said...

Come to think of it, in my experience it is men who usually thinks women need to be protected from other men; the women often seem to think it is the men who need to be protected from their sisters.

buwaya said...

I bet the Rolling Stone trial is kept out of the news till after Nov 8.
It is politically inconvenient, the Democratic party and the Administration are mixed up in it, as it grew out of a DOE initiative meant to drive election turnout.

n.n said...

men acting like men

And women acting like women. Some women. Some men. Despite our common moral and natural imperatives, our personal imperatives may diverge widely, especially with respect to means.

Otto said...

"Joseph Paul Trippi is an American Democratic campaign worker and consultant. Trippi has worked on the presidential campaigns of Ted Kennedy, Walter Mondale, Gary Hart, Dick Gephardt, Jerry Brown and John Edwards. Wikipedia"

Enough said

CWJ said...

"It's like a memo went out: If Trump wants to win he needs to leave those accusers alone."

How certain are you that one didn't go out?

BTW, forget advice. Weren't you speculating a week or so ago that it would be a good time for Trump to actually withdraw?

Unknown said...

alterative response:

1. not true
2. even if it were true (and it's not), does not come close to the rapes perpetrated, enabled, and covered up by the Clintons
3. even if true (and it's not), does not excuse the failures of the Clinton and Obama State department, resulting in unanswered attacks on US Naval vessels, providing a path for equipping Iran with nuclear weapons, and Russian State run media contemplating the inevitability of nuclear war with the U.S.

rhhardin said...

Well, he has to be because part of the whole problem, the difference in the polling numbers, is women. And they've moved away from Trump, even groups that tend to be Republican with women.

What's the feminist account of women voting differently than men do? How does that happen?

CWJ said...

"...worked on the presidential campaigns of Ted Kennedy, Walter Mondale, Gary Hart, Dick Gephardt, Jerry Brown and John Edwards."

LOL. Winner winner chicken dinner! Well, at least we know he's not a neophyte hack.

Michael K said...

If I were giving him advice it would be to install Surveillance cameras around all headquartersand vehicles near headquarters.

Some of these vandals are probably relatives of DNC officials as has been the case in other examples.

walter said...

Clayton Hennesey said...Once introduced, regardless of whether her claim is proven or refuted - really, who cares?
--
I never got around to learning my Alinsky. Is that in there?

Big Mike said...

That was kind of the point of Trump -- he fights back.

Guildofcannonballs said...

Nino knows.

Guildofcannonballs said...

http://althouse.blogspot.com/2016/02/a-barber-tells-about-about-time-justice.html

traditionalguy said...

A Billionaire Pug is a good take on DaTrump. He will lick your hand and rub against your leg if you like him, but he will bark and show his fangs at you if you dislike him. It's his nature.

But like a good dog, DaTrump has an excellent sense of smell for finding and pointing out the corruption stench coming out of the Benedict Arnolds inside of the Establishment.

Dude1394 said...

Again words, words, words. Whereas his opponent and her spouse have actually raped and vilified women for daring to report it.

I am starting to think there is something seriously wrong with democrats and ladies.

Sebastian said...

"That could inspire some empathy for the pugnacious billionaire. Who knows?" I do: it won't.

Dude1394 said...

Trump should stop attacking republicans, the republican electorate will take care of them during primary season. But as far as the rapist Bill Clinton and his women prosecutor, that hit back should continue.

Bad Lieutenant said...

That could inspire some empathy for the pugnacious billionaire.


Sympathy for the Devil?

Ann Althouse said...

"Weren't you speculating a week or so ago that it would be a good time for Trump to actually withdraw?"

I was reacted to Trump's own statement, heard on tape, not the women accusing him.

I think the accusations are pretty unfair, coming out now.

Trump's own staement showed a lack of understanding about some important and relevant things.

Bob Boyd said...

There's a reason I'm not paid to write campaign slogans, but here's one anyway, inspired by an earlier Laslo comment:

Time to wash behind the national balls.
Vote Trump Pence 2016

walter said...

Ann,
That statement was...?

Bad Lieutenant said...

Look, if sincere, Althouse is a wimmenz. The kind of wimmenz that watches reality TV. If over-beating on ol' Donald is the way to their hearts, that might somehow be played. But Don don't play. Some wimmenz like that approach too.

Plenty of sands to run through THIS hourglass. I just heard on the radio coming home tonight that Trump's support with ?lower educated? women is up 11%.

And lower educated doesn't mean stupid. I would bet my life that Donald Trump has learned that particular life lesson in a way that Hillary Clinton never will.

MD Greene said...

How did it happen that chicks getting groped decades ago by a rich guy became a national issue and the awful results of the other candidate's tenure as Secretary of State (plus associated abuse of foundation relationships) became irrelevant in a national election?

Either way the election ends, we're in for four dismal years, but the elite establishment that put its reputation and thumb on the scale for a grandiose lying crook like Hillary Clinton has forfeited its credibility for years to come.

Bad Lieutenant said...

So maybe the better sort of woman sees through such clouds of ink and knows Hillary for the squid she is; in her woman's way of knowing she may perceive that Donald Trump is a Scamp, even a rogue at times, but that often where there's smoke there's somebody setting fires.

Native peasant shrewdness, or even mere common sense, is apparently one of those gifts or talents that is beaten or perhaps leached out of one with excessive education. Those lower SES women haven't got tenure or a man necessarily or anything to manage but themselves. They can't afford delusions. They're not made out of glass.

Christy said...

On the rare occasion when Hillary is questioned on her email problems, she claims it was a mistake and moves on to an issue. She doesn't spend the next week rehashing the email excuses and explanations. She drops it and the complicit media lets her. While the media wouldn't treat Trumpets so well, I doubt they'd keep bringing his soi-disant sins up as much as Trump does. That is all the "advisors" are saying.

Bad Lieutenant said...

Crazy Jane,


Either way the election ends, we're in for four dismal years, but the elite establishment that put its reputation and thumb on the scale for a grandiose lying crook like Hillary Clinton has forfeited its credibility for years to come.


The hell it has; not if it wins! And if the establishment doesn't lose, it wins. It helps to maintain its credibility because if it wasn't credible then why didn't Trump win? No, everybody is all in.

By the way, I think that the root of some of the existentiality of this particular conflict is that Trump is a New Yorker and that the dynamic heart of the system he is challenging is, God help me, also in New York, for good and ill.

This is it. Anybody who doesn't think that their vote counts, think again. Think of hanky-panky in the House and the Electoral College with faithless electors being lobbied by this group and that; their arguments may rest on the fact that you provided some numerical milestone just by going out and doing what you could..

Christy said...

Trump, Trump! Not trumpets!

walter said...

"I doubt they'd keep bringing his soi-disant sins up as much as Trump does."
Seems a bit charitable given what we are learning.

walter said...

Speaking of learning, "sois-disant"! So much cooler than so-called. Will use that at the next Trump rally.

Christy said...

BTW, I suspect that a component of Trump's problem with women voters is that he went to Eastern Europe for two of his (longest lasting) wives. Almost everything out of his mouth is disdainful of strong American women. Suggests he doesn't play well with powerful women, which all women voters would like to believe we are.

walter said...

"Almost everything out of his mouth is disdainful of strong American women."
Oohh..now we're getting somewhere...

walter said...

All while Hil is dismissive towards the less than powerful women Bill has not exactly respected.

walter said...

Not to mention laughing herself about a rapist going free. Or is that redundant?

walter said...

En Francais, "Quelle horreur"

MD Greene said...

Bad Lieutenant said:

"And if the establishment doesn't lose, it wins."

Not sure I agree. Sanders people followed the OWS people who were ignored by the Dem elites. Trump people followed the Tea Party people were ignored by the GOP elites and run out of existence by the Democratic IRS. BLM people feel disenfranchised, and the children of Muslim immigrants are rigging pressure cookers. Democrats are throwing fire bombs at Trump offices and beating up people with Trump tee shirts. The secular anointed now regard Catholics as retrograde knuckle-draggers.

This has building for a long time, and the proles have had it. The country is full of citizens who want to throw bricks at windows and blow up the system.

My guess is that a Clinton restoration engineered by contemptuous elites isn't going to calm the flames.

JackWayne said...

So Ann, if Clinton wins because vagina, how will you feel about that?

Christy said...

I agree with all you say about Hillary, Walter, and will vote Trump, but not because I like or admire him. Supreme Court trumps all.

richardsson said...

Mark Twain said, "A lie travels half way around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes." What the Trump campaign should do is act in kind and just say that the Democrats condone and encourage all the assaults and vandalism that have been perpetrated on Trump supporters. Proof you ask? Cite Hillary's "irredeemables" comment as a dog whistle to her supporters. I could point to similar things the Democrats have said about Republicans in the last 30 years. It seems to work, after all, Gloria Allred still has a license to practice law and Republican scalps on her wall.

walter said...

"Cite Hillary's "irredeemables" comment as a dog whistle"
Excellent..an Alinsky feedback loop.

richardsson said...

Thanks Walter

Achilles said...

"Trump's own staement showed a lack of understanding about some important and relevant things."

11 years ago. It seems like trump has been a saint with women compared to Hillary and Bill.

It seems like it is really hard for you to think critically about this election.

Wince said...

Trump should stop "doubling-down", think about the "optics", and "pivot".

Achilles said...

The media are always saying the same things because the media is owned by a small group of wealthy people and the wealthy people tell them what to say.

Achilles said...

Every time trump smashes Hillary with the truth it makes the people who want to vote for him happy and more enthusiastic. It also forces the media to defend their and Hillarys lies.

Seriously at this point we just want to see the Hillary team slow cooked over the truth. Democrats just firebombed a republican office in NC and wrote nazis go away on an adjacent building. Mobs of thugs waving Mexican flags have violently attacked several rallies and the trump supporters at those rallies. The Hillary supporters have been the violent ones and they support 2 criminals who have been the most corrupt politicians in the history of this country.

It is time to invoke the golden rule.

walter said...

You know..assuming Bill was acquainted with the rape case Hil was involved in..and the shenanigans regarding the clothing sample, how incredibly stupid he was to deposit his DNA where he did.

Dan Truitt said...

The online headline that makes the most sense to me about the gross imbalance in coverage of HRC vis a vis DJT is this one: "The Horsewhipping of Donald Trump."

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2016/10/04/the_horsewhipping_of_donald_trump_131964.html

Brando said...

I don't think it's all that far fetched--I don't like Hillary or Trump but could see clearly enough to know what would help them respectively in the campaign. I suppose if I was on TV and figured any advice I'd give could be used by them it might be different, but who really thinks Trump is watching Trippi and thinking "hey good idea!"?

Anyway, the discussion over Trump's accusers is obvious--it is a distraction for him, keeps focus off of his best message against Hillary (that she's the opposite of change) and keeps the focus off of his unpopular opponent (notice how little attention her e-mail drops have gotten lately). If Trump thinks the fight with his (now 9) accusers will win him votes, that's one thing--but it's hard to see how this does him any good with a voter who isn't already committed to him.

MayBee said...

Every time we talk about Trump and his groping problem, I'm reposting this:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/12/obama-favreau.html

viator said...

The left concern trolls the Trump campaign.

walter said...

Make that active:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/12/obama-favreau.html

Bruce Hayden said...

I watched the CBS talk show yesterday and was appalled by the bias of the moderator. He kept trying to get Pence to talk about all the uncorroborated claims about Trump groping women, and he refused, instead getting his points in about all the newly leaked emails. Then went on to Kaine, who relished going after Trump for that, but wouldn't answer the softball about emails, except to say that it was the Russians trying to help Trump. Guy is almost scarier than Crooked Hillary, his running mate.

damikesc said...

While the media wouldn't treat Trumpets so well, I doubt they'd keep bringing his soi-disant sins up as much as Trump does.

Disagree. They mention it repeatedly, he responds to the attacks, and then it is "his fault" it is still "in the news". If he ignored the attacks, as Bush did, the attacks wouldn't stop.

Almost everything out of his mouth is disdainful of strong American women. Suggests he doesn't play well with powerful women, which all women voters would like to believe we are.

Not to be crude, but looking at marriage stats, not a lot of American men want to deal with "strong American women" any more. And with our cultural view of divorce and how it's never the woman's fault, I don't fault the men who fall into that view.

What the Trump campaign should do is act in kind and just say that the Democrats condone and encourage all the assaults and vandalism that have been perpetrated on Trump supporters. Proof you ask? Cite Hillary's "irredeemables" comment as a dog whistle to her supporters.

Simply note that it seems to impact Republicans way more than Democrats and history shows Democrats are more likely to commit the crimes like that.

Dixie_Sugarbaker said...

I think Trump should say that he has no secrets, he has been in the entertainment industry and in the tabloids and that if there was some truth to these allegations of sexual assault that they would have come out years ago.mthen he should call this what it is - a coordinated attack by Clinton and her sheepdogs the media. After that statement is made, tell the media that he is not addressing it anymore and will be focusing on the issues people truly care about. Then he should start talking about the issues beginning with the fact that Russia has called all of their citizens home. I am surprised at the number of people who don't know that because the media won't cover substantive issues. It is scary times, and the media want to discuss tabloid issues. If Trump would focus o the issues and not the personal, he could really hurt Clinton who has no real plan for the future except the same old same old.

walter said...

"After that statement is made, tell the media that he is not addressing it anymore and will be focusing on the issues people truly care about."

The days of him directing the media are long gone. They now have the content to fashion the news without him. They are going for preponderance of allegations.

damikesc said...

The days of him directing the media are long gone. They now have the content to fashion the news without him. They are going for preponderance of allegations.

But ONLY for him.

Because objectivity.

Bilwick said...

Like Frank Nitti offering Eliot Ness advice on how to take down Capone.

richardsson said...

Updating my earlier comments, looks like James O'Keefe has Clinton supporters on video and on the record that there is a whole effort financed by Clinton supporters to train and finance a dirty tricks operation against the Trump Campaign and his supporters. Instapundit had the following link:

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/10/17/exclusive-okeefe-video-sting-exposes-bird-dogging-democrats-effort-to-incite-violence-at-trump-rallies/

This tells me more than the polls about the state of the race. The Irredeemables in this race are on the other side.