Donald Trump — Roger Stone — Breakup over Donald T’s handling of Kelly matters after the debate
Trump-Kelly imbroglio is some kind of “Blood Feud”
DRUDGE REPORT HEADLINE GOING INTO SUNDAY: “REPUBLICAN LEADERS DECLARE TRUMP DEAD [AGAIN]” — Are Republican candidates, leadership and pundits going to kill GOP chances in 2016 by going after Donald Trump so hard in 2015
Not only has Donald Trump dominated the political news in America since last Thursday’s debate, starting yesterday Trump has been actively pushing back against almost everybody who came after him for any of his remarks against Megyn Kelly.
TRUMP STILL LEADING OTHER REPUBLICANS IN THE POLLS
According to a report coming out of NBC News, “If Donald Trump's comments about Fox News Anchor Megyn Kelly are hurting his standing in the Republican primary, it's not showing in the numbers.... [T]he latest NBC News Online Poll conducted by SurveyMonkey [shows] Trump is at the top of the list of GOP candidates that Republican primary voters would cast a ballot for if the primary were being held right now.... The overnight poll was conducted for 24 hours from Friday evening into Saturday. During that period, Donald Trump stayed in the headlines due to his negative comments about Kelly and was dis-invited from a major conservative gathering in Atlanta.... None of that stopped Trump from coming in at the top of the poll with 23 percent. Sen. Ted Cruz was next on the list with 13 percent....” (See “New NBC News/Survey Monkey Poll: Donald Trump Still in the Lead After Debates’ by Shawna Thomas & John Lapinski, 8/9/15, NBC News [http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/new-nbc-news-survey-monkey-poll-donald-trump-still-lead-n406766]).It had previously been reported on this blog that Donald Trump had been way ahead in two non-scientific post-debate polls, one conducted by the Drudge Report, and the other by Time Magazine.
DON’T MISS THE “DAMAGE WITHIN” THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN
To me, a more important news item seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle. Donald Trump and Roger Stone have had parting of their ways – at least as far as politics is concerned – and the reason seemed to be Trump’s over-focusing on Megyn Kelly after the Thursday debate.Typical of the coverage of the Trump-Stone flap is the report that appeared in Politico, “Donald Trump made the surprising announcement Saturday afternoon that he was firing his top adviser, Roger Stone, but, hours before that, the political consultant’s friends told POLITICO that he was actually quitting. “Sorry @realDonaldTrump didn’t fire me- I fired Trump. Diasagree with diversion to food fight with @megynkelly away core issue messages,” Stone, referencing Trump’s battle with a moderator of Fox’s Republican debate Thursday, said just before 3 p.m. on Twitter.... Later in the day, Trump’s campaign denied the claims from Stone and his friends and said he was fired the night before....” ( See “ources: Roger Stone quit, wasn't fired by Donald Trump in campaign shakeup” by Marc Caputo, 8/8/15, Politico [
Some might argue that the whole issue was encapsulated by this Politico sub-headline, “... Trump says he fired his campaign adviser. His adviser says he fired Trump...”; however I’d argue that Politico got it closer to being right when it observed, “.... Regardless of who resigned or was fired first, the campaign shakeup was the first sign that Trump’s election effort was seriously damaged from within after his Thursday night debate performance and his subsequent comments in which he attacked one of the Fox debate moderators, Megyn Kelly....”
Roger Stone’s position came down to this: “.... “Unfortunately, the current controversies involving personalities and provocative media fights have reached such a high volume that it has distracted attention from your platform and overwhelmed your core message,” Stone wrote. ‘With this current direction of the candidacy, I no longer can remain involved in your campaign.’...”
Those siding with the Trumpster would tell it more like this: “.... Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski called POLITICO’s Mike Allen and said, ‘This conversation [between Trump and Stone] didn’t take place. … He spoke to Roger Stone last night when he terminated him from employment. … That was the first time they talked since the debate.’ Lewandowski said Trump fired Stone ‘some time after 6 p.m.’ Friday. The campaign manager said he didn’t know who initiated the call....”
Here’s how Politico ended it’s story about Trump and Stone: “.... on Saturday morning, Stone’s friends confirmed to POLITICO that he was intending to leave the campaign.... Along the way, and soon after informing some at Fox, Trump allegedly trumped Stone.... ‘Well this is what happens when you deal with Donald Trump,’ one of Stone’s friends said.”
MANY FOCUSED ON A “BLOODY” STATEMENT THAT TRUMP MADE AS PROOF OF HIS MISOGYNY — I THINK THE STATEMENT WAS UNFAIRLY EDITED BY CNN AND OTHERS — BUT, TRUMP HAS BEEN CONTENT TO DEFEND IT AS REPORTED — SO WHAT CAN I SAY ?
So “The Donald” supposedly really stepped in it when he said this in a CNN interview: “.... Trump slammed Kelly, saying her questions were ‘ridiculous’ and ‘off-base.’... ‘You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes,’ Trump told CNN's Don Lemon on Friday night. "Blood coming out of her wherever.’...” (See “Donald Trump's 'blood' comment about Megyn Kelly draws outrage” by Holly Yan, 8/8/15, CNN [http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/08/politics/donald-trump-cnn-megyn-kelly-comment/]).That CNN print report is interesting because it pivots to the negative opinions of candidate Donald Trump expressed by certain so-called conservatives. According to CNN, “Erickson [The producer of the “Red State” gathering in Atlanta, Georgia] wasn't the only conservative bashing Trump.... Penny Young Nance, the CEO and president of the conservative group Concerned Women for America, told CNN that Trump's ‘tantrum was even more enlightening than his original remarks she questioned.’ ‘Does he have a problem with women?’ Nance asked in a statement Saturday morning. ‘Three wives would suggest that yes, maybe there's a problem. The good news is that Kelly is a mother of toddlers and knows how to deal with petulance and tantrums. Every presidential election since 1964 has been carried by women. Women don't like mean and we certainly won't vote for men or women we don't trust. Trump's biggest woman problem is how does he convince women to trust him to keep America safe?’.... Media mogul and Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch praised debate moderators Kelly, Bret Baier and Chris Wallace early Saturday morning while criticizing his friend Trump.... ‘Friend Donald has to learn this is public life,’ Murdoch tweeted....”
I don’t know what Penny Young Nance and Rupert Murdoch were watching, but on Thursday I saw Donald Trump kick Megayn Kelly’s pretty blonde ass pretty good. And later Trump justified that ass-kicking because Megyn clearly had “blood in her eyes” or wherever.
Here’s were I don’t get where everybody is getting so bent out of shape. In a version of Trump’s remarks that I heard, Trump said almost exactly the same thing about Chris Wallace a line or two later, when he went after Wallace pretty hard and compared him unfavorably to Mike Wallace. Needless, to say Trump has chosen to defend and justify his remarks about Megyn Kelly strictly on their own terms. That’s Donald’s choice, and who am I to gainsay any of it.
Suffice it to say that Donald Trump is comfortable to continue his “Blood Feud” with Megyn Kelly — and he doesn’t care if Roger Stone, or I, or anybody else inside or outside the Republican Party likes it or not.
REPORTS OF DONALD TRUMP’S POLITICAL DEMISE ARE PREMATURE — AND — ANY COUNSEL TO CUT TIES WITH TRUMP AT THIS TIME, LIKE BY SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM, NEED TO BE LOOKED AT WITH EXTREME SUSPICION
Overnight, the “Drudge Report” blared forth this as its main headline: ““REPUBLICAN LEADERS DECLARE TRUMP DEAD [AGAIN]” !Several GOP candidates, leaders and associated pundits have been all over Donald Trump’s case since Thursday. These folks don’t get Donald Trump or the Donald Trump phenomenon. However, another thing that they don’t get is that, for now at least, Donald Trump does have Archimedes-like leverage over the Republican Party and its presidential hopes for 2016.
All Republicans need to ask themselves whether they agree with Republican Presidential Candidate and member of the GOP leadership in the Senate Lindsey Graham’s criticism of Trump. — “In an interview with The Washington Post, Graham said Trump's personal attacks on Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly after she questioned him in Thursday night's primary debate were "an affront to all women" and undermine the Republican Party's urgent mission to appeal to more women voters.... ‘I think we’ve crossed that Rubicon, where his behavior becomes about us, not just him,’ Graham said. ‘I hope the party leadership will push hard. I hope that those seeking the nomination to be the standard bearer will unequivocally reject this. People gave Mr. Trump a pass on the [debate] stage. I understand that to a point, but we’ve crossed a line here that can’t be ignored. There can be no more tiptoeing around this.’...” ( See “Graham says Trump is inflicting permanent damage on GOP, urges party leaders to stop ‘tiptoeing’” by Philip Rucker, 8/9/15, The Washington Post [http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/08/08/graham-says-trump-is-inflicting-permanent-damage-on-gop-urges-party-leaders-to-stop-tip-toeing/]).
According to the WaPo report, Senator Graham was even more blunt than that: “.... Graham said GOP leaders need to ‘take the leverage away and not be afraid to speak honestly and directly about this problem.’... ‘He’s a bully,’ Graham said. ‘He intimidates people by calling them bad names. Like every other bully, he’ll meet his fate only when good people say, “Enough.” Donald Trump, enough already. Take your ball and go home.’...”
It sounds like Graham won’t support Donald Trump, even if he were to become the Republican Party’s nominee. That’s what happened to the GOP presidential candidate, Barry Goldwater, in 1964 — and that led to the “Great Society” liberalism that has been implemented as part of U.S. domestic policy ever since.
7 comments:
"Luntzgate" is going to heat up.
Frank "fatboy" Luntz went to Trump before the debate begging Trump to hire him for focus groups. Trump blew him off and Luntz had the most contrived focus group to bash Trump following the debate. I wonder if Bush superpac paid for some focus?
Trump is a self-promoting pimp who thinks expensive clothes and garish homes make him look classy.
latest poll has trump with 34% in south carolina
After you get past Trump, the NBC poll shows some things that will make the Republican fat cats sweat even more. Bush, Christie and Kasich all dropped after the debate. Bush didn't have a good debate and it was all around a bad week for him. But all the commentators on Fox, MSNBC and CNN said that Christie and Kasich did very well. Then why did they drop. If the other polls this week show the same thing, it means the political outsiders are getting near 50% of the GOP primary voters. If that trend keeps going, it means the TEA Party is going to pick the Republican nominee for President in 2016.
UPDATE: THE “DAY AFTER BUT THE SAME STORY” EDITION
CNN‘S REPORT ABOUT DONALD TRUMP, AND HIS MEGYN KELLY COMMENTS, AND HIS REFUSAL TO APOLOGIZE COVERS MUCH OF WHAT WAS IN MY POST ABOUT ALL OF IT YESTERDAY [ALTHOUGH I NEVER MENTIONED ANY OF THE SILLY TALK ABOUT “APOLOGIES” – ONE WAY OR THE OTHER]
--- EXCEPT --- I THINK THAT CNN'S CHARACTERIZATION OF THE WHOLE TRUMP-MEGYN KELLY FLAP SINCE THE GOP DEBATE AS A “CAMPAIGN IN TURMOIL” BETRAYS AN ANTI-TRUMP BIAS --- I THINK THAT ANY "TURMOIL" ASSOCIATED WITH TRUMP IS PART OF THE WHOLE TRUMP PHENOMENON
CNN showed its bias against Donald Trump right up front. Here’s how Eric Bradner started his piece for CNN: “Presidential candidate Donald Trump defended himself Sunday from the fierce backlash he's received for criticizing Fox News debate moderator Megyn Kelly, insisting he said nothing wrong and that he values women.... ‘I cherish women,’ the real estate mogul told CNN's Jake Tapper on ‘State of the Union,’ adding that he did not mean to imply that Kelly asked him sharp questions during the debate because she was menstruating.... ‘"Who would say that?’ Trump said Sunday. ‘Do you think I'd make a statement like that? Who would make a statement like that? Only a sick person would even think about that.’... The extraordinary exchange with Tapper showed how quickly Trump has shifted from a frontrunner who seemingly defied the laws of politics to the public face of a campaign in turmoil....” (See “Donald Trump: No apology on 'blood' remark amid GOP backlash” by Eric Bradner, 8/10/15, CNN [http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/09/politics/donald-trump-blood-comment-response-2016-sotu/]).
UPDATE: THE “GEE ! I WISH I’D HAVE SAID THAT — WAIT A MINUTE, I DID” EDITION
A HEADLINE FOR A MONDAY ARTICLE ON THE BREITBART NEWS BLOG TELLS EVERYBODY THAT PAT BUCHANAN THINKS THAT ENOUGH REPUBLICANS WILL ABANDON DONALD TRUMP AND IT COULD LEAD TO A REPEAT OF THE 1964 BARRY GOLDWATER DEBACLE
— FOR THOSE WHO CARE TO KEEP COUNT ABOUT SUCH THINGS, I EXPRESSED THE SAME OPINION YESTERDAY IN THE ULTIMATE PARAGRAPH OF MY MAIN POST ABOVE
FURTHERMORE, BUCHANAN BELIEVES THAT THE GOP ESTABLISHMENT IS QUITE UNLIKELY TO BACK STRONGLY ANY OF THE “OUTSIDERS” — TRUMP, CRUZ OR CARSON
According to the folks at Breitbart, ‘Columnist and former presidential candidate Pat Buchanan said that “a significant slice of the Republican Party would take a walk’ on GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump ‘and you could have a Goldwater situation,’ and questioned the general election viability of other candidates Sen. Ted Cruz and Ben Carson on Monday’s ‘Sean Hannity Show.’... Earlier, Buchanan said that Trump, Ted Cruz, Ben Carson, and Carly Fiorina are outsider candidates, and that ‘there’s a real disgust with the political establishment, a hostility to the political establishment, and I think the Republican Party does not want the establishment candidates who are being put on offer right now, the Beltway-preferred candidates. They seem not to be selling well, and they seem to be sinking, especially, for example Jeb Bush.’...” (See “BUCHANAN: ‘SIGNIFICANT’ NUMBER OF GOPERS COULD ‘WALK’ ON TRUMP, COULD BE ‘GOLDWATER SITUATION’ ” by Ian Hatchett, 8/10/15, Breitbar News [http://www.breitbart.com/video/2015/08/10/buchanan-significant-number-of-gopers-could-walk-on-trump-could-be-goldwater-situation/]).
Also Buchanan added that he would “bet on Trump as the favorite” if the primary process began now, but that it depends on what happens in six months. He continued, the thought with this: “... {I]t is hard for me to see how the insurgent and outsider candidates, Cruz and Carson and Donald Trump amass 270 electoral votes, except for the fact that Hillary is upside down in the polls. So, I think it’s a very remote possibility that I think we’ll see Donald Trump as president of the United States. A stronger possibility that you would see him as the Republican nominee, although I — my guess would be that the Republican establishment, as soon as primaries winnow the field, will all move en masse behind an alternative to Trump....”
According to Pat Buchanan, the alternative is “still Bush,” but also “could be Rubio.” However, Buchanan also noted that he had a hard time seeing where either Rubio and Bush might win their first primary.
Buchanan concluded that while “a conservative can win” and moderate candidates don’t get “the fire and the energy” behind them, “a significant slice of the Republican Party would take a walk” on Donald Trump “and you could have a Goldwater situation.” And “the same thing, to a lesser degree might happen with Ted Cruz.” Buchanan also wondered if “you can sell Ben Carson given his lack of national experience, to a skeptical country which is very concerned about foreign policy, about Russia, about Iran, about Iraq, about China in the South China Sea.”
Buchanan added that if Trump fades, “Cruz inherits the estate” from Trump. He further praised Cruz’s “valuable asset,” the ability to “move a crowd.”
UPDATE & BACKFILL: THE “BEHIND ENEMY LINES” EDITION
READ ON FOR THE “FULL GENE BERARDELLI” ON DONALD TRUMP AND HIS FANS
HARD CORE TRUMPSTER-ROOTERS WON’T BE FEELING THE LOVE THAT THEY CRAVE — AND GOP-ESTABLISHMENT PURISTS WILL THINK THAT MR. B GIVES THE DONALD TOO MUCH CREDIT
— BUT IF YOU WANT AN INTERESTING TAKE ON THE DONALD TRUMP – GOP PHENOMENON, DON’T MISS IT
[Not counting the image of the “meme” mentioned in his text] Gene Berardelli kicks off his latest “in print” job on the Trumpster with this: “.... As I interact with more and more voters, whether here in the People's Republic of New York City, on the road in Washington D.C. or Cleveland, OH, or the more than TWENTY ONE THOUSAND that viewed the meme you see above online via BEL's social media, voters are dividing into two camps: those that love NY billionaire / mogul Donald Trump, and those who do not.... I have taken to calling the former "Trumpservatives," and the fact of the matter is that there is much to celebrate - and loathe - about their rise to the forefront of Election 2016....” (See “The Rise of the "Trumpservative": Pros & Cons” by Gene Berardelli, 8/10/15, Behind Enemy Lines [http://www.behindenemylinesradio.us/2015/08/the-rise-of-trumpservative-pros-cons.html]).
If you track GB’s discussion, it runs something like this: “.... First, the positives of what "Trumpservatism" has brought to Election 2016. There is an electricity in the air because of Donald Trump's presence. The fame and notoriety that Trump brings means more eyeballs are fixed on this election. That means that every candidate on the Republican side is getting more eyes on them, too. And the numbers bear it out: this past week's debate in Cleveland was the highest rated primary debate in history.... Also, Donald Trump's controversial remarks on the Mexican border and illegal immigration have put the issue front and center - at a time where violence in sanctuary cities has also been in the news....”
However, the Trumpster’s fans and supporters won’t like a lot of Mr. Berardelli’s more critical observations and recitations about Mr. Trump. It starts with — “.... there are plenty of negatives that "Trumpservatives" have introduced to this election cycle. For instance, it's gotten nasty early. I mean, really nasty. This is in part due to Trump's "persecution" complex - his them vs. me attitude that he has taken on. The media. The establishment. Hillary. The Democrats. They're all against him. But, Trump has chosen to get into the mud, hurling insults all along the ways whenever he feels slighted. Not exactly the enlightened debate some of us had hoped for....” It soon gets even tougher than that.
For me, the most interesting observation was saved for last. According to Gene B. — “.... The CEO of the "Trumpservative" movement is so used to "serving Trump" that many conservatives are left to wonder if The Donald is building a brand, or building a movement. The answers are sure to come with time. But until then, a mixed bag of goodies awaits Republicans and conservatives on the road to 2016.”
I would have said “... ‘polishing” a brand or building a movement...”; but, other than that tweak, I’d say that Gene got that very last and best insight pretty much spot on.
Post a Comment