June 26, 2016

"Hillary Clinton employs a half-dozen battle-hardened media handlers who field hundreds of daily requests. Mr. Trump has Ms. Hicks..."

"... who was working for his daughter Ivanka’s luxury lines and for the Trump real estate brand when the candidate called her to his office in early 2015 and declared that she was joining his campaign," writes Michael M. Grynbaum in a NYT article that fell off the front page quite quickly.
“Mr. Trump sat her down and said, ‘This is your new job,’” said her mother, Caye Cavender Hicks. “It was a shocker.”...

Suddenly, she found herself a near-constant presence by Mr. Trump’s side, flying in his jet, living rent-free in a Trump-owned apartment and attending to his mercurial moods....

Unlike her Clinton counterparts, who take pains to shape their candidate’s image, Ms. Hicks is not active on Twitter and does not show up on cable talk shows. Contacted for this article, she declined to be interviewed, insisting that she did not want to draw attention away from her candidate....

“I’m lucky to have her,” Mr. Trump said in a telephone interview on Thursday. “She’s got very good judgment. She will often give advice, and she’ll do it in a very low-key manner, so it doesn’t necessarily come in the form of advice. But it’s delivered very nicely.”

Did he have qualms about hiring a campaign spokeswoman with no political background? “Well, I have a lot of political experience, so I wasn’t really concerned about it,” Mr. Trump said.
Hope Hicks is 27.

180 comments:

David Begley said...

Hope and change.

Achilles said...

One campaign is hiding their candidate because that candidate is terrible. It is not the campaign the oligarchs tell us through their ciphers is terrible.

You can see the cracks of panic after brexit. They got Bernie out quietly now for Joe to save the day.

I'm Full of Soup said...

In an earlier post, you noted Hillary hasn't had a press conference in 200 days.

So why does the press waste its time with "hundreds of daily requests" to the Hillary campaign? Or maybe that is just bullshit from Hillary's campaign or the NYT writer?

shiloh said...

Keep Hope alive!

Saint Croix said...

Now I know what to say to a woman who whispers to me, "You cannot withstand the storm."

Saint Croix said...

Keep Hope alive!

Now if he could just hire somebody named "Change," that would be funny.

Saint Croix said...

I got to get up earlier to beat David Begley!

Hagar said...

I wonder if by 2020, the candidates will all try to campaign like Trump, or at least, that that is what all the pundits will tell them they "have to" do?

Darrell said...

There is no reason why Hillary can't lead our nation from a jail cell. It'll become THE new thing worldwide. All the cool kids will do it.

Laslo Spatula said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ron Winkleheimer said...

I wonder if by 2020, the candidates will all try to campaign like Trump, or at least, that that is what all the pundits will tell them they "have to" do?

Nah, that would reduce the number of slots for consultants and spokespeople.

Laslo Spatula said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
james conrad said...

Hope Hicks is 27.

And, she's also a total babe!

Michael K said...

Another media shot that will ricochet.

Why does Hillary need all that help to say nothing.?

Achilles said...

Ron Winkleheimer said...

"Nah, that would reduce the number of slots for consultants and spokespeople."

Trump is running a terrible campaign! It is too understaffed! We are told this a lot. A lot of rice bowls being knocked over.

Laslo Spatula said...

"Hope Hicks is 27."

I first read that with "Hope" as a verb. Wondered the significance of Althouse hoping Hicks was twenty-seven. My first thought was this, but I couldn't figure why Althouse would make that connection.



Then I reread the sentence correctly.



Never Mind.



I am Laslo.

Laslo Spatula said...

"Hillary Clinton employs a half-dozen battle-hardened media handlers..."

Six people whose only job is to present Hillary in the best light, and their unanimous decision is to keep her hidden.

Hmm.

I am Laslo.

MadisonMan said...

An apt comparison to their views on bureaucracy. Hillary says the more bureaucrats the better, and her staff reflects this. As much as her campaign can afford, and more. Trump runs lean and mean, so to speak.

I wonder who is more likely to expand the size of the Federal Bureaucracy.

Big Mike said...

Why does Hillary need all that help to say nothing?

@Michael K, damned good question.

mikee said...

Hillary's handlers have a tough job. And part of that tough job is no doubt watching each other to make sure there is no mistaken telling of the truth at any time about any thing at all regarding Hillary.

Will said...

Puh-Leeze!!!

Have you seen Jen Psaki? Jay Carney? Robert Gibbs? Josh DisEarnest? Marie Harf? Brian Felon?

One feels the need for a shower after getting spun by these "paid liars". There is no amount of belittling or ridicule that will make this lineup look any better than a novice..

And note that this Obama/Clinton lineup has recently been totally busted for trying to alter transcripts and videos and history to make their lies and spin look less vomit-inducing…

Not looking like a slick paid liar is a feature, not a bug

Michael K said...

"Not looking like a slick paid liar is a feature, not a bug"

The first person in government to tell the truth about Obama died this weekend.

Walpin was fired in 2009 as the inspector general who investigates AmeriCorps and other national service programs following an investigation into Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and his nonprofit group, which received hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal grants from the corporation that runs AmeriCorps.

Walpin's probe found Johnson used AmeriCorps grants to pay volunteers to engage in school-board political activities and run personal errands for Johnson. Johnson, a former all-star point guard who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns, had supported Obama during his first campaign.

Walpin referred the matter to the local U.S. attorney's office, which said Walpin's conclusions seemed overstated and didn't accurately reflect all the information gathered in the investigation. The U.S. attorney's office later reached a settlement in the case.

Obama said he removed Walpin from his position after he "lost confidence in him."


He got a call from the White House where some functionary told him to resign or he would be fired. He refused to resign and was fired.

It has been all downhill from there.

Anonymous said...

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/284877-clinton-has-14-point-lead-over-trump-in-new-national-poll

The Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Clinton leading Trump 47 percent to 33 percent. Another 20 percent said they wouldn't support either candidate.

A RealClearPolitics polling average shows Clinton leading Trump 45 percent to 39 percent.


http://talkingpointsmemo.com/polltracker/clinton-leads-trump-51-to-39-abc-washington-post-poll

In a sharp reversal from its last survey, the new ABC News/Washington Post poll released Sunday shows Hillary Clinton opening up a 12-point lead over Donald Trump among registered voters nationwide. A whopping 64 percent of respondents, including nearly one-third of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, said Trump is unqualified to serve as president.

Anonymous said...

Clinton opens up 12 point lead on Trump as two thirds see him as biased.

Hillary Clinton surged to a broad advantage against Donald Trump in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll, capitalizing on Trump’s recent campaign missteps. Two-thirds of Americans see him as biased against groups such as women, minorities or Muslims, and a new high, 64 percent, call Trump unqualified to serve as president.

These and other doubts about Trump have produced a sharp 14-point swing in preferences among registered voters, from +2 points for Trump in mid-May, after he clinched the GOP nomination, to +12 points for Clinton now, 51-39 percent. That snaps the race essentially back to where it was in March.


khesanh0802 said...

Laslo @0851 nails it once again!

Anonymous said...

The national poll, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates, finds another apparent impact of Trump’s problems: Perhaps benefitting from comparison, Barack Obama’s job approval rating has gained 5 points, to 56 percent, matching its high since the early days of his presidency. That includes 55 percent approval specifically on handling the economy

The Trump Effect.

jaydub said...

She needs 5 of the half dozen just to keep the lies straight.

khesanh0802 said...

@Unknown (whichever one) WSJ/NBC has Clinton 47 Trump 41. Given the hysterics at the WaPo I wouldn't put too much credence in any poll that they run. It all depends on the questions, how they are asked and to whom. I wouldn't be surprised if the WaPo called only members of the DNC or registered D's.

Bob Boyd said...

Trump is Hope for Hicks.
Hicks are Trumps only Hope.
I Hope there's enough Hicks come November.

Anonymous said...

Trump lives by the polls and dies by the polls.

Michael K said...

The Hillary trolls are heavy this morning.

Wince said...

Now we know what Hillary is up to while being awol from press availability.

Aptly commenting online as "Unknown".

khesanh0802 said...

Rasmussen has Obama at 50% approve. (You haven't been watching if you haven't figured out he is going everything - which means he's doing nothing substantive - to get his ratings up; meanwhile his administration is getting clobbered in court.) Rasmussen also has Clinton at 44%, Trump at 39% - no change. The real kicker (and this has been consistent) 74% of those polled feel the country is headed in the wrong direction. That's up a bit after Orlando.

....and BTW Hillary cleaned her datebook out as SOS so that it did not show meetings with about 75 of her political donors. Link to AP. She is truly a despicable person.

khesanh0802 said...

"doing everything"

Drago said...

"Hillary Clinton employs a half-dozen battle-hardened media handlers who field hundreds of daily requests. Mr. Trump has Ms. Hicks..."

Hillary's "half-dozen battle-hardened media handlers" are force-multiplied by her roughly 2000 MSM "volunteers" along with another couple thousand Hollywood types toiling diligently to construct TV series and movie plots that are helpful to her cause.

Further, in the newer social media channels we see Facebook, Twitter et al working feverishly to stifle opposing opinions.

So, yes. A reasonable and objective observer would note that Hillary has a bit of an advantage in the long-established content creation and media distribution channels along with some of the newer media channels.

Drago said...

Michael K: "The Hillary trolls are heavy this morning"

Soros is cashing in on some of his "short Britain" positions, so the leftist "grass roots" here is flush with cash.

Anonymous said...

WaPo reporting that Bernie backers have rallied to Clinton. Bernie himself said he'll vote for Clinton.

Drago said...

Unknown: "That includes 55 percent approval specifically on handling the economy"

LOL

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/19/upshot/one-economic-sickness-five-diagnoses.html?_r=0

68% think the country is on the wrong track:

http://www.pollingreport.com/right.htm


Those are clearly "right-wing" links to the NYT and Bloomberg/CBS polling data.

Unknown posters hardest hit.

Bay Area Guy said...

I would trade all faculty members of the women's studies departments of every Ivy League school in America for Hope Hicks, Ivanka Trump and Ann Althouse.

Achilles said...

Unknown said...
"WaPo reporting that Bernie backers have rallied to Clinton. Bernie himself said he'll vote for Clinton."

The desperation is thick. All of these "polls." All of the stories about how stupid voters are. I know many Bernie supporters and they are definitely not uniting behind Hillary.

Notice there is not one single supporting reason for electing Hillary ANYWHERE. All of these stories are attacks on trump. They are not supporting Hillary at all. When the recommendation to indict comes down she is going to be replaced.

Sydney said...

An apt comparison to their views on bureaucracy.

Boy, I hope this is true. Reason enough to vote for Trump.

David said...

The snark above notwithstanding, you need more than this for a press operation to run for president.

tim in vermont said...

We all know that the WaPo is the place to go for the straight poop.

Lyle said...

What a name!

Know hope! Hope, Arkansas! Hicks!!!

Lyle said...

David,

How do you know what it takes to run a presidential press operation? Do you know more than Donald Trump knows about press operations? It's not like it is only her... there's him.

HT said...

Bob Boyd said...

Trump is Hope for Hicks.
Hicks are Trumps only Hope.
I Hope there's enough Hicks come November.
6/26/16, 10:00 AM

That's a good one. (I don't hope that, but anyway, good one.)

HT said...

The desperation is thick. All of these "polls." All of the stories about how stupid voters are. I know many Bernie supporters and they are definitely not uniting behind Hillary.

Notice there is not one single supporting reason for electing Hillary ANYWHERE

____________

I know Bernie voters who won't vote for Clinton too.

The main reason I can think of is that she knows how government works. That's always a plus.

Anonymous said...

"Notice there is not one single supporting reason for electing Hillary ANYWHERE."

Yes there is...Trump.

Christy said...

Anybody else see Robby Mook, Clinton's campaign manager, on the Chris Matthews Fox show this morning and think he was high as a kite?

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

If fewer people are interested in politics and political handlers, where will the jobs be for politicos and political watchers, and those who watch the political watchers?

HT said...

Ann you should do a poll of Trump supporters who support the decision by GB voters to leave the EU.

Anonymous said...

I know Bernie voters, most of whom loathe Trump and will vote for Hillary now that Sanders said he would. How to make voting for Hillary more palatable? Elizabeth Warren as VP.

HT said...

Unknown said...

I know Bernie voters, most of whom loathe Trump and will vote for Hillary now that Sanders said he would. How to make voting for Hillary more palatable? Elizabeth Warren as VP.

6/26/16, 11:08 AM

______

...and in the process make Elizabeth Warren (and her future) less palatable.

shiloh said...

"I would trade all faculty members of the women's studies departments of every Ivy League school in America for Hope Hicks, Ivanka Trump and Ann Althouse."

You live in the Althouse con echo chamber bubble so of course you would.

btw, how 'bout those Cleveland Cavaliers bursting the bay area sports bubble. I digress ...

Anonymous said...

HT,
No I don't see it that way at all. Warren is her own person, if being Clinton's VP changes her core values, we will know by her actions. She wouldn't be the typical VP in my opinion, she will be given a bigger role. However, opinions are like noses, we all have one.

HT said...

"if being Clinton's VP changes her core values, we will know by her actions."

The very act of accepting the nomination would change (reveal-raise questions about) her core values, IMO.

HT said...

I question the fixed-ness of the NBA finals.

Anonymous said...

HT,
Again, I must disagree. It's imperative to keep Trump from getting anywhere near the Oval Office. Warren will be a huge help in making that happen. She won't lose her credibility by being the VP. I believe she sees a Trump presidency as the worst possible outcome.

Michael K said...

"I believe she sees a Trump presidency as the worst possible outcome."

Now here I agree with you. A Trump presidency would be the end of Warren's political future since she is no spring chicken.

HT said...

Having Elizabeth Warren on the ticket shores up a constituency that I'm not sure is in need to shoring up (not really) - that being the left part of the Democratic Party who are not women 60 plus years old. If we are going to continue playing horse race, the part that needs shoring up are those rust belters (current or former union members, many) who are anxious about globalization and job losses. Yes, many progressives are also anxious about those things too, but in a less visceral way, but that is just my guess. Putting Warren as VP doesn't add a lot of votes, in other words. Granted, it shouldn't come down to vote counting, should be about other things, but whatever, we're playing horse race.

HT said...

"Warriors All-Star Draymond Green was suspended for Game 5 after tapping LeBron James in the groin while the Cavaliers star stood over him. No foul was called during the game, but a retroactive flagrant foul was called, putting Green over the postseason limit for flagrants, and forcing Golden State to play a pivotal home game without him.

"The Cavaliers have since unexpectedly won two straight games to even the series and force a Game 7 on Sunday night.

"Game 6 presented even more controversy when NBA MVP Steph Curry fouled out for the first time all season. Warriors coach Steve Kerr called three of the six foul calls “absolutely ridiculous.” Both he and Curry were fined $25,000 by the league for criticizing officiating.

"Curry’s wife, Ayesha, tweeted shortly after Curry was ejected that “I’ve lost all respect sorry this is absolutely rigged for money… Or ratings in [sic] not sure which. "

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/06/18/are-the-nba-finals-rigged.html

HT said...

Anytime you have a candidate the Koch brothers are or were considering supporting over the competitor, you must stop and ask just who is this candidate representing the Democratic Party.

Anonymous said...

@Michael K
It may come as a surprise to you, but there are people who think first of what is good for the nation, as opposed to what is good for oneself.

YoungHegelian said...

Ya ever notice how the people who scream & yell about Citizens United & decry the influence of money in politics are now boasting about how much more money Hillary has compared to Trump?

Also notice that the next question should be "How did Hillary get all that campaign money?", but yet that question is never followed up on by the press.

They're all against money in politics, except when it money that funds their side.

Yancey Ward said...

Why does a candidate need dozens of such operatives to field requests when she won't face the media?

Laslo Spatula said...

Read "battle-hardened media handlers" as Hillary's 'Vodka Wranglers'.

Because Hillary is an alcoholic prone to black-outs and strokes.

I am Laslo.

Anonymous said...

Ah the Hillary Clinton is an alcoholic meme. I recall when that meme was also applied to Althouse. In both cases it's nothing more than a low class smear.

Michael K said...

"there are people who think first of what is good for the nation, as opposed to what is good for oneself."

Yes, and they voted "Leave." Watch out. They are also on to your candidate.

n.n said...

The progressive liberal are characteristically concerned abort conserving abortion rites, Planned Parenthood (i.e. clinical cannibalism), [class] diversity schemes (e.g. racism, sexism, Affirmative Action), redistributive change (i.e. monopolies, Obamacare), gray technologies (i.e. "green" technologies), and obfuscating the consequences of anti-native policies (e.g. progressive wars, impulsive regime changes, refugee crises, excessive emigration/immigration).

Anonymous said...

Those who voted Leave are now having buyer's remorse big time. Over 3 'million signatures on a petition for a 2nd Brexit referendum. Perhaps they realized that their nation was not well served by leaving afterall.

YoungHegelian said...

@Unknown

Since you seem to be the expert on all things Hillary!, please tell us how the Clintons went from being in their own words "flat broke" in 2000 to now being worth $111 million. Understand that for much of that time, HRC was in government service as a senator or as SoS, yet somehow the money piled in for her & Bill.

Now, the only "honest" ways I now to make that much money in that short of a period of time are 1) be a major stock owner in an IPO or 2) be a successful performing artist or sports star. Having people pay you or your spouse in office big bucks to do nothing but mouth off does not strike me as "honest". What it strikes me as is "influence peddling" on a mammoth scale.

Say what you want about Trump, but we pretty much know where his money came from. If it was Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio who had made their fortunes in such a sleazy way, the news media would have been broadcasting that fact in the primaries 24x7. With Hillary & Bill, the crickets are chirping.

jaydub said...

I love it when HT, Unknown and Shiloh get into an extended discussion. It's kind of like Larry, Moe and Curley Joe skits without the intellectual depth and seriousness.

shiloh said...

Let the record show HT is now rationalizing/apologizing/"conspiratorizing" Golden State Warriors devastating loss to the Cavs much like Althouse con echo chamber continues to rationalize/apologize for the train wreck Trump.

Breaking ... Curry just missed another 3 from half court!

shiloh said...

"I love it when HT, Unknown and Shiloh get into an extended discussion."

You're welcome as we try to bring a little joy into your otherwise dreary, humdrum, inconsequential life!

walter said...

james conrad said...
Hope Hicks is 27.
And, she's also a total babe!
--
Well..Melania's getting a bit long in the tooth..

Big Mike said...

Trump is Hope for Hicks.
Hicks are Trumps only Hope.
I Hope there's enough Hicks come November.


@Bob, that's cute, but it (perhaps inadvertently) points to why Brexit happened and why Trump is a good bet (not a lock) to win. People who supported Brexit in Britain and who are supporting Trump in the United States were and are told that they are ignorant hicks who don't appreciate all that their betters in Washington, DC, and New Yawk are doing to them on their behalf. I suspect that they do understand what's being done to them, and don't much appreciate the fact.

buwaya said...

Miss Hicks is rather pretty.
That should count for something as PR goes.
Vendors have usually sent me beautiful sales reps (when they sent women), so that must work.

Bob Boyd said...

Unknown said...
"Those who voted Leave are now having buyer's remorse big time. Over 3 'million signatures on a petition for a 2nd Brexit referendum. Perhaps they realized that their nation was not well served by leaving afterall."

Not so fast:
http://heatst.com/politics/exclusive-brexit-2nd-referendum-petition-a-4-chan-prank-bbc-report-it-as-real/?mod=sm_tw_post

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Interesting gloss on Brexit.

Michael said...

ARM

"deafness in Westminster" Best quote in your linked Guardian story.

shiloh said...

"Interesting gloss"

So a catch-22 as Boris Johnson was indeed outmaneuvered ...

buwaya said...

The "deafness" quote was from Miliband, who has been, well, deaf on these matters. Thats chutzpah.

Bob Boyd said...

Big Mike said... "I suspect that they do understand what's being done to them, and don't much appreciate the fact."

I couldn't agree more. I was just playing with the amazing name Hope Hicks which has so many connotations related to the current political landscape.
Maybe I should have said, I hope there's enough of us hicks...

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

The link should go to a comment on the story that starts with "If Boris Johnson looked downbeat yesterday". Not sure everyone is getting the link correctly. It works OK with my browser.

Hagar said...

I think ARM's hero is the commenter "Teebs" rather than Ed Miliband..

buwaya said...

Check out Instapundit on the article on the EU energy efficiency regulations on teapots and toasters that were put on hold until after the vote. And that decisions on these things were passed to the top brass, Mr. Juncker, presumably because of recognition of their political sensitivity. I suspect the EU bureaucrats are beginning to get a message about why they are despised. The other takeaway is the mindset that values achieving such a trifling "improvement" over the annoyance to the public. Their value system is sick.
Its that bad in the US btw, on pettifogging regulations, with even less public knowledge, because the UK media is much better than that of the US.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Hagar said...
I think ARM's hero is the commenter "Teebs" rather than Ed Miliband..


For the record, I was pro-Brexit because I am pro-Scottish independence. Nonetheless, it now looks like a bigger clusterfuck than I originally imagined. There seems to have been no thought whatsoever on the Brexit side of what to do next. Complete radio silence for days now.

CWJ said...

The old Chicago machine adage - "six men on a garbage truck" somehow seems apt here.

buwaya said...

Partly because the Tories assumed Leave would lose.
No need for plan B.
Everyone misunderstood the situation.
Dont worry, they will muddle through.
First step I would take, granted Im not a UK minister, is to unilaterally declare that all new EU regulations are null in the UK.
Note that Britain pays into the EU much more than it takes, being the third largest net fiscal contributor. Thats a powerful wedge.

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...



"Those who voted Leave are now having buyer's remorse big time. Over 3 'million signatures on a petition for a 2nd Brexit referendum"

All 3 million signatures from people who voted Remain, no doubt.

Thinking is hard!

buwaya said...

Re suspending regulations - and make everyone in the UK know that you saved their teapots and toasters btw.

walter said...

" EU energy efficiency regulations on teapots and toasters"
Bloody hell! Perhaps time for a Tea and Crumpets party.
“Never give up on something that you can't go a day without thinking about.”

buwaya said...

From Reuters, Manuel Valls, French Prime Minister (socialist) says EU should stop being so picky and intrusive, as well as that the EU should back off on "ever more Europe". A lot else along those lines from French politicians of all factions.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

Hope Hicks with bald eagle

(not a fan of those shoes)

I'm sure if she wasn't on Trump's team she'd be the belle of the ball as far as Media--cover stories on Comso, etc, "the new face of politics, young women making their mark," etc.

Hagar said...

It looks like they did not have a Plan A either.

It will take a few days or weeks for the dust to settle.
Then they will have to do something; this genie won't go back in the bottle.

Hagar said...

I still hate my new washing machine, and I call it "Gina."

Michael K said...

"There seems to have been no thought whatsoever on the Brexit side of what to do next."

The people who supported "Leave" know exactly what they will do. You are still listening to the losers.

Merkel is now backing away from all the threats.

I suspect that there will no sorrow if Scotland leaves but they are viable without England.

I haven't asked my friends how they voted but I got a good feel for their sentiments last September.

Probably their chief concern is with wine prices as they go to France to buy a year's supply of wine. Taxes, you know.

"Those who voted Leave are now having buyer's remorse big time. Over 3 'million signatures on a petition for a 2nd Brexit referendum"

All 3 million signatures from people who voted Remain, no doubt.

Thinking is hard!


Also very true but over the heads of the "unknowns" who chose their name well.

buwaya said...

No, this genie is now a factor, not least in that the rest of the EU and especially the EU directorate now needs to take public opinion into account, which they have so far been deaf to. Its been pretty extreme.
Threatening the Poles for not abiding with political rules established without democratic input, etc.
Case after case of high handed behavior.

Michael K said...

Not viable without...

Bill Peschel said...

ARM: "There seems to have been no thought whatsoever on the Brexit side of what to do next. Complete radio silence for days now."

Isn't that because there needs to be a change in government with the PM resigning, and the new leaders are responsible for negotiating an exit (if Parliament will let them, that is).

It's not like there's an official Brexit group responsible for negotiating the thousand details that have to be resolved before separation can take place.

John henry said...

One of the Unknowns said...

Trump lives by the polls and dies by the polls.

I've been wondering about that over the past year. Most politicians, especially in the big money races, poll the bejeebers out of the electorate. They then adjust their message to reflect what the polls say.

It is dishonest because they have no intention of following the message if elected. That is why Mike Royko, years ago tried to get people to lie to pollsters. The idea was that if the polls were untrustworthy, politicians would be forced to say what they really believed.

I've always thought he had the right idea.

I get the sense that Trump doesn't do a lot of polling and doesn't pay a lot of attention to polls in general. He just gets up there and let's it all hang out, for good or bad.

Anyone know? Does trump's campaign do polling in the way that most pols do?

John Henry

Anonymous said...

Are Boris and Donald long lost brothers? A pair of dumb blonds certainly.

tim in vermont said...

So I was listening to one of Hillary's spokesmen being interviewed. He was asked why we should trust Hillary after all of her cock-ups in Syria, Libya, and Iraq. His answer? We can't trust Donald Trump and Hillary was "in the room" when they decided to kill bin Laden. The one case when her war-mongering thirst for blood paid off for America. Might have been better to take him alive, might have been worth risking American lives to take that guy alive, but whatever. We came, was saw, he died. The stopped clock was right once.

John henry said...

Ann has not mentioned it and it does not seem to be getting a lot of play in the media.

Last week Trump donated $50,000,000 to his campaign. this was the $50mm that he had loaned it which he officially forgave and turned from a loan to a contribution.

It kind of upends the argument that some are still making that he is only in it for the ego, to build his brand, start a media empire etc.

Hard to believe that any of those would be worth spending $50mm on a presidential run.

John Henry

tim in vermont said...

So Unknown, have you ever ONCE given us a reason to vote FOR Hillary? No, change the subject every time. You know that petition you were on about, of the two million signers, only 350K were actually from Britain.

Anonymous said...

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Donald Trump has been "born again" according to Dr. James Dobson, lol. Jesus won't condemn him for pandering.

buwaya said...

The French public hate the EU much worse than anyone (other than the Greeks) apparently, if one goes by polls, and its gotten more unpopular across most countries. There is a newish Pew report on this I cant link because Im typing on the phone. "Euroskepticism beyond Brexit".
The French press is more critical of the EU than the Guardian, even the socialist Le Monde.

Hagar said...

The Scots have been voting for independence with the idea that England was going to continue to support them - as a form of "reparations" for their centuries of living under "British tyranny," I suppose. This is not going to happen, and they will presumably change their minds when this sinks in.

There is a lot of noise on the internet that the 3 million signatures for a 2nd referendum is a hoax, but even if it isn't, is that even feasible? A referendum is a referendum, and I don't think I have heard of one being reversed that quick even in California - or even called for.

I don't believe the EU directorate (don't you love the sound of that word?) are going to change their ways; that is not the way of bureaucrats. They will double down - like Gina McCarthy in this country.

Anonymous said...

tim in vermont,

Are you addressing me or the other Unknown?

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Hagar said...
I still hate my new washing machine, and I call it "Gina."


I've got my pride. I refuse ask.

Michael K said...

"Are you addressing me or the other Unknown?"

How would anyone know ? What an idiot, of a gaggle of idiots, as you resemble geese.

buwaya said...

A French Frexit it seems would win in a landslide.
Such a promise would make Marine Le Pen very dangerous to the established parties. The already extremely unpopular Socialists have a lot to worry about. It explains their euroskepticism.

John henry said...

Hagar,

Europe, or the EU at least, ha a habit of making countries keep voting until they get it right.

the EU Constitution, for example, failed miserably. So they rewrote it, called it the Lisbon treaty and now it is the law of Europe.

I would not be surprised to see another referendum soon on Brexit. And if that goes bad (for the elites) then another. third time's the charm!

And so on until the people finally figure out what is in their "best interest. "

John Henry

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Bill Peschel said...
It's not like there's an official Brexit group responsible for negotiating the thousand details that have to be resolved before separation can take place.


I agree with one of the earlier posters that they didn't think they would win. Farage even conceded defeat before a significant fraction of the votes had been counted, suggesting that he was keener on the ride than the destination.

Anonymous said...

Michael K,

No! Really? Oh pardon us.

buwaya said...

Nobody voted on the Lisbon treaty. They snuck it in without public ratification, strong armed by the Germans.
But that was in 2007, after a period of general prosperity, not after eight-nine years of stagnation and increased general public disapproval of the EU.

John henry said...

Unknown, (all of you)

Easy enough to stop being assholes. Just change your screen name or sign your comments.

That you will not, that you purposely sow confusion, says a lot about you. None of it good. None of it leading to taking you seriously.

John Henry

walter said...

John said...Trump donated $50,000,000 to his campaign. this was the $50mm that he had loaned it which he officially forgave and turned from a loan to a contribution.
--
You mean loaned to his "self-funded" campaign. He should be glad it's not getting much attention.

buwaya said...

In other words, I dont think they dare bring things to a public vote. There havent been do-overs until the public gets it right, they have just learned to avoid the public. Moreso now.
Cant predict the future but I doubt anyone will risk asking the British again, and I suspect they will do anything humanly possible to prevent the French from voting on it.

walter said...

John said... get the sense that Trump doesn't do a lot of polling and doesn't pay a lot of attention to polls in general.
--
Really? He sure brings them up enough...certainly when in his favor.

Hagar said...

Polling costs money. Reading other people's polls is cheap.

David Begley said...

Tim in VT

That was Robby Mook. He actually said that Hillary was transparent at State and that she had released all of her emails and schedule. Absolutely false. Stories last week contra. He was horrible.

Sebastian said...

@bp: "From Reuters, Manuel Valls, French Prime Minister (socialist) says EU should stop being so picky and intrusive, as well as that the EU should back off on "ever more Europe". A lot else along those lines from French politicians of all factions."

Except that, as Reuters reports, "The foreign ministers of Germany and France have drawn up a nine-page document entitled "A strong Europe in a world of uncertainties" in which they propose common European security and migration policies and strengthened economic convergence."

Big Mike said...

Trump has Hope and Hillary's campaign is run by a Mook.

Says it all.

Anonymous said...

"“Never has so much been put at risk for so many by so few for so little,” says Robert Jenkins, a former banker, fund manager and policymaker, delivering an ironic invocation of Churchill’s description of another great victory of the past, in the Battle of Britain.
For some, the regrets started immediately after the stunning news of the Leave vote was delivered early Friday morning. The Twittersphere has been dotted with repentant posts by some of the 17.4 million people who voted to Leave. One said: “Urm I think I kinda regret my vote, I had no real reason to pick what I did!!”"

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/06/brexit-referendum-european-union-market-213991

Learn a lesson America. There might be some cosmic reason this happened before the American presidential election.

Michael K said...

The best thing to do with the "unknowns" is to ignore them. They are the equivalent of spam.

gadfly said...

attending to his mercurial moods....

Can the Trump Trolls perceive what this phrase implies? Can they spell "O-u-t o-f C-o-n-t-r-o-l?"

walter said...

One said: “Urm I think I kinda regret my vote, I had no real reason to pick what I did!!”"
Wonder if the media here has sought out those who feel that way about their Obama vote. Oh..right. Racism.

Anonymous said...

Michael K,

Room monitor.

Anonymous said...

gadfly,

I pity that poor young woman. She walks a thin line. Give critique, but don't step on Trump's very large sensitive toes.

Kathryn51 said...

Michael K - Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Obama's approval rating is up to 56% now. A five year high.

traditionalguy said...

Trump is against the jobs that await being needed and leave half the day unoccupied.

But those jobs are needed for the half day they work that has to have them, and therefore must be figured into the budget.

Manafort will get through to DJT on that, we hope.

walter said...

Unknown said...
gadfly,
I pity that poor young woman. She walks a thin line. Give critique, but don't step on Trump's very large sensitive toes.
--
Yep. Hil's minions have much clearer lines established..if they don't want hard objects thrown at them.

David said...

Unknown said...
Obama's approval rating is up to 56% now. A five year high.


Relief rally. He's gone soon.

John henry said...

Blogger walter said...

John said...Trump donated $50,000,000 to his campaign. this was the $50mm that he had loaned it which he officially forgave and turned from a loan to a contribution.
--
You mean loaned to his "self-funded" campaign. He should be glad it's not getting much attention.



No Walter, not what I mean at all.

He originally loaned the $50mm to the campaign. Up until this week he could have paid himself back from donations or federal election financing. Loaning, rather than donating, personal funds to a campaign is fairly common. the candidate can either pay themselves back out of contributions or pay back whatever is left in the kitty at the end of the campaign.

Last week Trump formally and irrevocably forgave the loan. That converted it to a contribution. That means it cannot be paid back. That means that if he does not spend it all, he cannot take back what is left. (I think, rules might be different when the money came from the candidate)

So Trump is all in for $50mm that he will never see back.

Seems like a significant amount of skin in the game.

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/06/23/trump-forgives-50-million-in-loans-to-his-campaign-trump-finance-chief.html

John Henry

John henry said...

To clarify,

If Trump takes federal election financing (like Obama promised to do but did not) he could have paid himself the $50mm back out of that.

Now he cannot.

SO far he has not taken gov't money and has indicated, though not committed, that he will not.

John Henry

Michael K said...

Walter seems to be one of our resident lefties.

walter said...

Michael seems to be a fan of ad hominem and the reflexive broad brushing when he has no retort of substance.
Anyways..
John,
Yes..I understood you did not mean what I wrote.
It seems Trump is "changing" regarding his original plan to loan his campaign money and have it comped later. Sutre..that may be common practice.
But that is not how he framed it during the primary.

Anonymous said...

Michael K,
Oh my goodness, but you are a busybody! Trying to catagorize every commenter into one camp or another. Give the other commenters here credit for being able to make up their own minds.

Anonymous said...

For everyone's information, the poll Mr. Unknown is crowing about heavily over sampled Democrats.

Gee, I wonder why it put Obama's popularity so high.

They are desperate to regain control of the narrative. Look at the hate and derision for the leave vote, desperately trying to craft the narrative that the voters 'regretted' it instantly, presumably based on the temporary fall of the pound, engineered by the same power brokers.

These people are elitist, anti-Democratic cancer. They are going to hold onto power for dear life.

Anonymous said...

Dr. Mengele comes to mind,"You there to the right, you to the left!"

Michael K said...

Walter, sorry if I mischaracterized you. Did I ?

I ignore "unknowns" since there is no way to know who they are and how many.

John henry said...

Blogger walter said...

It seems Trump is "changing" regarding his original plan to loan his campaign money and have it comped later.

I thought the whole point of Trump's campaign, what he has been saying for a year now, was that he would put his own money in and that he would not take money from big donors.

This is just what he has now done and he is promising to give more of his own money to the campaign. So I do not see how he is changing anything.

He is doing pretty much the opposite of what you are saying.

John Henry

eric said...

Blogger Unknown said...
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/284877-clinton-has-14-point-lead-over-trump-in-new-national-poll

The Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Clinton leading Trump 47 percent to 33 percent. Another 20 percent said they wouldn't support either candidate.

A RealClearPolitics polling average shows Clinton leading Trump 45 percent to 39 percent.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/polltracker/clinton-leads-trump-51-to-39-abc-washington-post-poll

In a sharp reversal from its last survey, the new ABC News/Washington Post poll released Sunday shows Hillary Clinton opening up a 12-point lead over Donald Trump among registered voters nationwide. A whopping 64 percent of respondents, including nearly one-third of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, said Trump is unqualified to serve as president.


On 05/15 through 05/19 ABC and NBC did polls. Clinton was +3 in the NBC poll and Trump was +2 in the ABC poll.

Now, NBC and ABC have done polls again. According to NBC, Clinton has moved to +5, a +2 move. According to ABC, Clinton has moved to +12, a +14 move.

How can we trust polling with such huge differences?

hombre said...

Unknown said..."Obama's approval rating is up to 56% now. A five year high."

Either the people polled were Democrats and stupid or the question went like this:

"Putting his performance as President aside, do you approve of President Obama even a little bit?"

hombre said...

Unknown: "A whopping 64 percent of respondents, including nearly one-third of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, said Trump is unqualified to serve as president."

Democrats specialize in graft. Republican specialize in losing presidential elections.

shiloh said...

"Unknown said...
Obama's approval rating is up to 56% now. A five year high.

>

David said...
Relief rally. He's gone soon."

Bush43 Gallup job approval:

June 2008 ~ 28%

July 2008 ~ 31%

Aug 2008 ~ 29%

Sept 2008 ~ 27%

Oct 2008 ~ 25%

Nov 2008 ~ 28%

Dec 2008 ~ 29%

Relief rally notwithstanding, most Americans were really, really, really happy to see Cheney/Bush leave Washington. Go figure!

btw, dubya had the highest disapproval rating ((( 71% ))) in Gallup presidential polling history. Congrats!

eric said...

Obama's job approval rating says more about our media and how they treat Democrats than it does about the job approval of our actual President.

It also shows that our media is still very powerful and influential.

Phil 314 said...

Warning: Politically incorrect question coming:

Does Trump ever hire ugly women?

shiloh said...

"Republicans specialize in losing presidential elections"

Specialization can be good thing, but being well versed/highly educated in all the arts and sciences has its advantages as well.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

I think the bounce from 25% to 29% could fairly be considered a relief rally, although small in absolute magnitude (4%) it is still a large fraction of the whole (16%).

shiloh said...

"I think the bounce from 25% to 29% could fairly be considered a relief rally"

Indeed!

Bay Area Guy said...

Hank Paulson, George Will & Brent Scowcroft have left the GOP - due to Trump - to support Hillary.

If there was EVER, a reaffirmation of Trump's movement this would be it. Take Paulson - head of Goldman Sachs, SecTreas under Bush, orchestrated the first bank bailout.

Good riddance, Hank.

shiloh said...

btw, how does one go from a 90% job approval Sept 2001 to 25% job approval Oct 2008?

Unnecessary/ill advised Iraq War.

Nominating Harriet Miers for the SC.

Katrina

Economy tanked

etc. etc. etc.

CWJ said...

And a post that had nothing to do with polling has now been successfully reclassified. Mission accomplished.

narciso said...

and that poll had 50% more democrats than other polls,

David said...

Unknown said...
. . . .

I pity that poor young woman. She walks a thin line. Give critique, but don't step on Trump's very large sensitive toes.


Really? What evidence is there that Trump is unwilling to listen to his advisers? People who are successful in business generally are not inclined to be angry or resentful over advice that they do not like. The successful listen to perspectives that vary from their own. They may not take the advice (indeed often they do not) but they are unwise not to listen.

The person with the fearful advisors in Hillary. Her vitriol and tantrums are legendary. This is how she ends up with stupid decisions like her own email server for government business.

Maybe Trump is just like Hillary in that regard. We do not know for sure. But the available evidence suggests that your comment best applies to Clinton.

HT said...

shiloh said...

Let the record show HT is now rationalizing/apologizing/"conspiratorizing" Golden State Warriors devastating loss to the Cavs much like Althouse con echo chamber continues to rationalize/apologize for the train wreck Trump.

Um yes, the record will show it since I said it, but thanks for saying it again for me. As soon as the media played that altercation with Lebron standing over the other guy over and over and over again, as soon as I felt like I was being sold a bill of goods because I was being asked/told to buy in to a foul being committed not by Lebron but by the other guy, and one requiring the other guy be suspended, well I started to wonder if something wasn't up. Lebron pushed him down.

shiloh said...

HT, let the record show GS shot 36.4% in game 5 at home, 40.2% in game 6, 38.6% in game 7 at home. Either the Cavs played very good defense, GS got tired and choked under the pressure or both.

The refs made many bad calls against both teams as they usually do.

Steve Kerr and GS offered no excuses after each of these games. Suggest you do the same.

Although Green, in so many words, guaranteed a win in game 6.

>

Cleveland offered no excuses last year when they took the final series to 6 games without Irvin and Love.

>

Interesting the supposed GOAT team was taken to 7 games by both OKC and the Cavs.

Jon Ericson said...

Think how bad this thread would be if ballboy were visiting us today! Thank Goodness for overtime at the Brazilian Steakhouse!


Jon Ericson said...

Revealed: Trigglypuff is all five Unknowns.

Darrell said...

Hillary is up by 1 in the latest NBC/WSJ Poll.

But the experts, polls, and bookies had Remain winning big and trending upward.

Known Unknown said...

Does Trump ever hire ugly women?

Old photo, but these women aren't all tens.

John henry said...

Paraphrasing the old Bobby Bare song:

Trump has never hired an ugly woman but he has fired a few.

John Henry

narciso said...

that's way within the margin of error, so they cooked up a sample,

in 2012, in order to vote for obama, you had to believe that you could keep your plan, benghazi was caused by a video and 'you didn't build that'

Jon Ericson said...

Shilo, when I was young
I used to call you name
When no one else would come
Shilo, you always came

Album: Velvet Gloves and Spit
Artist: Neil Diamond

Michael K said...

"Relief rally notwithstanding, most Americans were really, really, really happy to see Cheney/Bush leave Washington. Go figure!"

Yes. That and a nickel will get you a Hillary ! Tee Shirt.

Of course, your closet is full of them.

n.n said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
n.n said...

It seems that Clinton replaced the battle-hardened Americans aborted in Libya with JournoLists.

Bay Area Guy said...

Regarding the Warriors' collapse, Kyrie Irving outplayed Curry, and LeBron rose to new heights.

Very painful - let's return to Trump beating Hillary this Fall!

Jon Ericson said...

Arf! Arf! Arf!

shiloh said...

"Very painful - let's return to Trump beating Hillary this Fall!"

Well, that has been and will remain Althouse main theme/thrust/aspiration until election day, so not to worry as she caters to her con bubble.

Much like 4 years ago when she and most of her minions were thoroughly convinced Willard Mitt would win a landslide victory!

Oops!

Jon Ericson said...

"Very painful - let's return to Trump beating Hillary this Fall!"

Well, that has been and will remain Althouse main theme/thrust/aspiration until election day, so not to worry as she caters to her con bubble.

Much like 4 years ago when she and most of her minions were thoroughly convinced Willard Mitt would win a landslide victory!

Oops!

Arf! Arf! Arf!

Did you have something of substance to say?

Arf!

tim in vermont said...

Did you have something of substance to say?

I know, right? The only thing I have ever seen Shiloh write about his actual candidate, Hillary, was to say that she was basically a scumbag, and he wishes Bernie had won. Yet here is is, repeating the same two lines over and over again, like an OCD parrot.

Hillary's strategy, as shown in the leaked DNC memos, is to "muddy the waters" around her "ethical lapses." Shiloh is just doing his part for the winner of the money primary who overran his candidate before the voting even began.

Those DNC memos were full of helpful tips to get Hillary the nomination, but remarkably silent on how to get Bernie elected. But Shiloh is a first rate order follower, and the billionaires have given him their orders.

viator said...

The meme of the week is Trump and the polls. Last weeks meme was Brexit and the polls, well never mind.

Many of these polls declined to release their raw data, sort of like the warmniks.

Other polls which released raw data revealed far greater Democrat sampling than the neutral D+1, or far greater female sampling, or both. Many of thee polls are exercises in spin doctoring. Their function is to create memes to feed the prevailing narrative.

Pollsters admit the only poll that matters, the one which will be remembered, is the final poll before the election. All other polls will be mostly forgotten except for some polling geeks. Most polls right now are designed to manipulate you not inform you.

damikesc said...

Hillary's strategy, as shown in the leaked DNC memos, is to "muddy the waters" around her "ethical lapses." Shiloh is just doing his part for the winner of the money primary who overran his candidate before the voting even began.

Dems have stopped pretending to give a shit about ethics for Dems (now, for Republicans, it is vital info).

Want to do something difficult? Find a Democrat saying negative things about Chaka Fattah. Few seem to have any actual issues with what he did.

walter said...

Blogger John said...
He is doing pretty much the opposite of what you are saying.
--
Yep. Now. Even he can see how his original plan would have been perceived.

Yes, Michael..got me completely wrong. I have no desire to see Hil as prez.
But I refuse to view Trump through orange colored glasses.

elcee said...

shiloh:
"Unnecessary/ill advised Iraq War."

Actually, President Bush's decision for Operation Iraqi Freedom was correct on the law and facts.

Either resumption of the Gulf War due to Iraqi noncompliance or making the Gulf War ceasefire permanent with the mandated Iraqi compliance was Saddam's decision to make. By procedure, only Iraq’s noncompliance with its Gulf War ceasefire obligations could trigger enforcement, and only the "full and immediate compliance by Iraq without conditions or restrictions with its obligations under resolution 687 (1991) and other relevant resolutions" (UNSCR 1441) could switch off the enforcement.

Yet rather than fulfill Iraq's burden to prove the mandated compliance, which he could and should have fulfilled in 1991-1992, Saddam responded to his "final opportunity to comply" (UNSCR 1441) in 2002-2003 with evidential material breach across the board of the Gulf War ceasefire measures, including and especially the (WMD) disarmament mandates of UNSCR 687, terrorism mandates of UNSCR 687, and human-rights mandates of UNSCR 688.

Go here for the explanation of the law and policy, fact basis - the why - of OIF.