How Hillary Beats Trump

Are Democrats about to make the same mistake Republican leaders made, underestimating Donald Trump, ridiculing his supporters and dismissing what appears to be the political phenomenon he has created?

Well, Dems did it those many years ago when laughing off Ronald Reagan, as his own party elites had done to their dismay.

Trump won the optics last night against Hillary and that should be a warning sign for Democrats, commanding far more TV air time by taking sometimes hostile press questions in his victory appearance, compared to Clinton’s reliance on a teleprompter speech obviously written by aides who were plagiarizing the Sanders message.

If the apparent failure of Republican elites to stop Trump is a lesson for Democrats, get this: ditch the teleprompter, forget the conventional empty rhetoric and understand, replicate the colloquial language of the modern TV age. And most of all do not indulge in the personal insults against him that only seem to strengthen him.

In other words, don’t fight his game. Create your own, so long as it is outside the box.

Optics that communicate traditional politics are deadly in a marketplace of voters who truly despise the status quo of our brain dead institutions.

Share
Avatar photo

Author: craigcrawford

Trail Mix Host. Lapsed journalist, author & retired pundit happily promoting nothing but the truth for Social Security checks.

74 Comments
Oldest
Newest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
xrepublican

Of course, Clinton could make mince meat of trump intellectually. Look at Old Sea’s post : trump can’t even put subject and predicate together to make sense. God only knows what the old john is actually saying. However, it appears that he is communicating to American people who can’t understand their birth language, and so his lack of precision is no disadvantage to him. I want some candidate at the next publican ‘debate’ list the republican movie heroes, actors, John Wayne, Clint, Steven Segall, Gary Cooper, etc, who were strong silent types, and then pointing at trump say, “Donald’s an actor… Read more »

patd

“that is what is so brilliant about Trump … keeps the cameras rolling. Making news instead of reading rhetoric.”

yep, boss, man bites dog, if it bleeds it leads and who wants to watch boring shows like nova…   no matter what she does -high road or low, answer press questions ’til she’s blue in the face – she’s criticized, she’s called a liar.

suggested amendment for last line in thread: “Optics that communicate traditional politics are deadly in a marketplace of brain dead voters who truly despise the status quo of our brain dead institutions.”

xrepublican

And, Craig is right about trump fielding questions. He fielded them and then jabbered around the topic until he could make HIS point. He didn’t answer the Qs, but that is beside the point. He is making himself the point of this election.

Blonde Wino

When Trump announced his run last summer, I told hubby we are looking at the next POTUS.  He assured me that voters would never be that stupid.    I accepted his advice.  As Trump moved forward and he began with campaign finance reform?  I thought this guy will be popular with the lower info humans.  Trump has a success formula.  He is a diplomatic disaster, just what the mob likes.   Trump is fighting against some big money, pac money.  So is Hillary.  Bern has benefited from Rove’s Crossroads ads in the more liberal states like Colorado, Minnesota, etc.  … Read more »

oldseahag

bw- amen.

 

Jamie44

Yesterday Hillary won every single imaginable demographic except one:  Older White Men.  Unfortunately, this is the group that sees everything they ever thought was stable or assumed to last forever in their lives slip away.  Their natural home is the GOP.  What does Hillary do for the General to convince them that voting for her really is in their best interest?

sjwny

Good morning.

patd,
 Amending the line to brain dead voters plays right back into the alienation factor. In a way both the Republican & Democratic Party officials have been brain dead. Both have misread or not been tuned into the mood of many citizens. A number of people feel dismissed by their government. A vote for Mr Trump may be questionable, but to many, it is an opportunity to send an FU message to the Party hacks & Corporate Candidates.

Jamie44

Craig, “Pogo, at least he took questions. Cant remember the last time Hillary held a press conference, certainly not in a victory speech” Poobah, I have to give you this one.  The simple truth is that Hillary likes conversations.  She doesn’t care how difficult the question is as long as it is actually a fair one rather than some right wing invented meme.  It is why she does so well in debates.  She is a quiet test taker, “I know this” not a rah rah cheerleader. Modern politics assumes the need for a gaggle of reporters hollering at the politicians… Read more »

blueINdallas

The Clintons were up to their usual, unethical-if-not-illegal tricks, by having Bill visit a polling station in Massachusetts. The disdain for the status quo, as well as Hillary’s poor judgment in the jobs she’s held in the past,  and, her ties to Goldman Sachs, etc., are the reasons some won’t vote for her. As different as they are, the Bernie contingient won’t show up for Hillary in November. Right-wing conservatives showed up in force for Ted Cruz in Texas, but if Trump is the nominee, that is the group you can count on to show up to vote against her… Read more »

patd

Jamie44

Love Colbert’s line “It makes sense if you don’t think about it” which can be applied to every right wing meme about Hillary that I’ve seen up to now as they assume evil no matter what the actual facts might be.

patd

according to pbs newshour chart the drumpf didn’t get a majority in any of the super primary states (came closest only in mass. with a 49%) which means so far the majority of gopers voted against him.

media never mentions this.  why would they?  kill the gross goose who lays the gold-plated eggs for them?  step right up ladies and gents.  see the friggin freak show, our next president drumpf who keeps us in business (that is until he rigs the scotus and buys the congress to upturn press protection laws) .

Jamie44
patd

meanwhile, other news other than super screwsday

trevor noah  on the iowa state house bill to allow children under 14 to have handguns.   the terrible twos just got terrible-er.

Sturgeone

Gerald O’Hara: [the other men protest] Now gentlemen, Mr. Butler has been up North I hear. Don’t you agree with us, Mr. Butler? Rhett Butler: I think it’s hard winning a war with words, gentlemen. Charles Hamilton – Her Brother: What do you mean, sir? Rhett Butler: I mean, Mr. Hamilton, there’s not a cannon factory in the whole South. Man: What difference does that make, sir, to a gentleman? Rhett Butler: I’m afraid it’s going to make a great deal of difference to a great many gentlemen, sir. Charles Hamilton – Her Brother: Are you hinting, Mr. Butler, that… Read more »

patd

http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2016/03/01/chris-christie-facial-expressions-take-flight/v7c5g4aD6BUhmjsr1Inn2I/story.html

my question is why is he being kept so close to the drumpf, paraded so publically like the adoring political spouse?  perhaps it’s a “keep your friends close, but your enemies closer” (mario puzo, The Godfather) thing or perhaps he’s really a mole for the powers that be. you know, the deep cover or sleeper agent tasked with who knows what October surprise. 

could be as simple as they think it makes drumpf look good/better by comparison: that old mean girl trick of befriending the less pretty.

patd

nytimes:  ‘Donald Drumpf’ Is Beating Rubio and Cruz for Second in Google Searches

[….] And so I’m led to conclude — with my tongue somewhere in the vicinity of my cheek — that Mr. Oliver and his #MakeDonaldDrumpfAgain movement has executed a more successful campaign than either Mr. Rubio or Mr. Cruz.

Flatus

Trump disavows White Nationalists and then gives them press credentials

Jamie, this takes me to the touchy subject of neo-Confederacy. The current issue of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Report continues to list organizations having rhetoric not too distant from some of Trump’s more outrageous remarks which they characterize as ‘neo-Confederate’.

RebelliousRenee

Jesus….  I’m gonna have to buy more popcorn…

RebelliousRenee

Official: Bill Clinton shaking hands does not violate election law.

No one said anything when Trump went to several caucus sites in Iowa.

Sturgeone

Pretty sure Bill Clinton knows what’s legal and whatnot.

patd

9 ways dave barry and carl Hiaasen  would change the presidential race

Jamie44

Truly strange tweets  similar to the one below from Bernie supporters calling for Elizabeth Warren to be primaried because she didn’t endorse him.  They blame her for the MA loss.  So they would like to destroy someone who shares their beliefs and is taking actions that they like because she isn’t moving lock step in time to Bernie’s march music.

There are 48.1% of the Democratic Voters in #MaPoli who need to organize to primary @SenWarren in 2018.

patd

Jake Tapper Asks Rubio: ‘Are you in denial’?

“Is it possible that your quarrel is not so much with Donald Trump as it is with Republican primary voters?” Tapper asked Rubio Tuesday night.

sjwny

Jamie44,

Your Post brings up the silliness & ugliness of social media (which tends to be anti-social.) The latest tweets re: primary out Senator Warren remind me of the French Revolution. The accusers met the fate of the accused.  In the end, the guillotine was amazingly democratic, wasn’t it ?

patd

campaign hints from steve denning in forbes:  Why rubio lost None of them seems to have the panache and stage presence to deliver one-liners about: Trump’s campaign To Make America Racist Again, Trump’s plan to save the nation’s crumbling roads and bridges by building giant wall (as suggested by Andy Borowitz) How Trump is well-placed to rescue the institution of marriage given his own multiple experiences with it. And how nice to receive financial advice from a quadruple bankrupt who launched a mortgage firm on the eve of the financial crisis! How Trump is the disease of which he purports to… Read more »

Oregon Democrat

Real Clear Politics…

Popular Vote

Hillary

3,913,627

Bernie

2,529,291

patd

from politico

Trump was asked about the congressional leaders’ criticism at a news conference after he racked up big wins on Super Tuesday. “I’m going to get along great with Congress, OK?” Trump said. “Paul Ryan, I don’t know him well, but I’m sure I’m going to get along great with him. And if I don’t? He’s gonna have to pay a big price, OK?”

what’s he gonna do to’em, send in christie his enforcer?

 

whskyjack

We went around on this one last night. Trumps appearances are often doing him as much damage as they are helping. In the current Republican party Racist behavior is a feature not a bug. But in the general it is very much a problem, fortunately Trump has provided tons of examples. For Clinton the way is clear, you can see it in her speech.  Yes it was boring but it hit the points it needed to. Thanks to Trump and Bernie  HRC looks like a sane rational alternative to the crazies. That plays very well  in the suburban battle grounds… Read more »

Trump says he is a unifier  — apparently it’s true he has united the goopers against him I agree Clinton cannot campaign against Trump as though he is not a real threat (if he ends up the candidate)Y She should let others point out his deficiencies  -the goops have provided enough material for years to come — where is that super pac –they should be the ones to take on Trump. She can’t argue against him because he is a liar and shape shifter and the media always gives him a pass.  I heard some journalist working for the new… Read more »

Democracy Now is now just a megaphone for Bernie!

Interesting voting statistics  only group which has not decreased in voting strength  black women

patd

rachel puffs up tweety during segment:
Trump wins too strong for GOP to override with delegate games
Rachel Maddow notes the historic breadth of Donald Trump’s Super Tuesday victories and the fact that his lead is so commanding that if party establishment figures have no grounds to reject the will of the Republican voters with delegate maneuvers to replace Trump at the convention. … more Duration: 2:28

There are lots of repeated stories about who is more excited and has more voter

even with the depressed numbers more Democrats are voting  because up until now Republicans were in the toilet *edited because that is not true for just super Tuesay

as for who is more excited — who gets to decide that?

patd

from alexandra petri’s  Chris Christie’s wordless screaming Soon he must return to the plane onto which Trump humiliatingly sent him before. Soon he must return to the small cupboard under the stairs where he is kept and occasionally thrown small slivers of metaphorical raw meat. When he asked to be part of Trump’s cabinet he never thought to specify “presidential cabinet, of course, not a literal cabinet underground where the ventilation is poor and there is no light.” It just did not occur to him. Why would it? And now it is too late. Nobody is coming for you, Chris Christie. Nobody is… Read more »

Jamie44

The nine Republicans who voted against naming the post office after Maya Angelou were GOP Reps Mo Brooks of Alabama, Ken Buck of Colorado, Michael Burgess of Texas, Jeff Duncan of South Carolina, Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin, Andy Harris of Maryland, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Alex Mooney of West Virginia, and Steven Palazzo of Mississippi. Rep. Don Young of Alaska voted present.

Jamie44

Patd

My favorite tweet re Christie so far:

Christie looks like the battered woman threatened to stand by her man or else.  Someone get him to a safe house.

 

patd

but Jamie, the critters actually worked at something for a change.  8 out of 9 somethings agreed to.  wow that’s a record…. probably wore the poor little babies out. time for another recess.

wapo: The House of Representatives spent its legislative day Tuesday naming nine post offices. Only one generated any opposition: A proposal, from Rep. Alma Adams (D-N.C.), to name a post office in Winston-Salem, N.C., for the late poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou.

Flatus

I thought Christie looked decidedly uncomfortable at the presser; I wouldn’t be surprised if he finds a reason/excuse to split with Trump. Obviously, he won’t have the courage to relate what it’s like carrying Erik’s bags.

patd

warning alert: rough

wonkette does bill o’reilly on family values

 

patd

also from  wonkette: Some Chick ‘Made History’ On Super Tuesday, We Guess A hundred years ago, women couldn’t vote. Fifty years ago, women couldn’t have credit cards in their own name. On this very day, in the year 2016, a mostly male Supreme Court will hear arguments about whether the state of Texas, and thus the country, has the right to make it all but impossible for women to receive reproductive healthcare because male legislators consider vaginas inherently icky, and they believe women’s medical decisions are far too important to leave up to women. For their own good, of course. Now, Democrats… Read more »

RebelliousRenee

The thing I noticed in Trump’s presser last night was his inability to say “I disavow the KKK.”….   all he kept saying was “I disavow.”   Disavow what…  dishwasher hands…  diarrhea… people who fart in public places.  Com’on Donald… you can tell us…

patd

please, would someone who has his email address contact tony and tell him to get his a** back here.  today of all days.  might be a tough time going forward, but he should relish the happy trails of today.

Sturgeone

“I disavow.”

He did all but wink.

The open primary states and other factors means you can still vote in the primaries even if you don’t register with a party.  I think both political parties and particularly the local branches don’t do much to relate to their communities I think people only reluctantly identify themselves with either party.

The laws setting up the regulation of participation of political parties on the ballot etc need to be changed to allow for parties besides Dems and goopers.

 

RebelliousRenee

patd…  I talked Tony into coming back the last time…  but not this time.  IMO, that responsibility belongs to Craig.