Donald Trump

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

I HAD a relatively high opinion of Megan Kelly and that is now a completely low opinion of her.

 

It is not a position that she can come back from in my mind.

 

Adam,

 

I don't mind so much. Megyn and the other two were out to push hard against all candidates and they did a very good job of it. I think they actually helped the election of a Republican because these are questions the Democrat side is going to raise in the general election.

 

However, I do have a couple of strong criticisms of Megyn.

 

I only just now detected the first, but when I look over my memories of her past reporting, I see it. For incredible as it may seem, Megyn goes into a pure class warfare mindset when she talks about women or "the women vote." Not all women fit the intellectual profile Megyn seems to imagine. Lots of middle-class Christian women, for example, are homemakers--I suspect the majority in America. I don't believe these women get as riled about gotcha games and PC language as a person with a collectivist approach does.

 

(To Megyn's credit, I don't detect a strong collectivist mindset in anything else.)

 

The second criticism I have is her underlying intention of nailing Trump. I would not mind a journalistic hard-question intention, even the same one, but look at her reaction when Trump blew her out of the water with the Rosie O'Donnell quip. She wanted to get on with her attack, but the public was not letting her. She looked extremely irritated, but restraining herself.

 

 

I watched this several times to make sure my impression was correct. I think it is.

 

At the moment it happened, this exchange felt a whole lot different than it does now. Since this was one of the first questions and The Donald had not won over people yet in the first question (about refusing to promise to support an eventual Republican candidate sight unseen and not run as a third party candidate), there was a lot of tension in the air.

 

What's going to happen next?

 

Is Trump going to be outrageous or will he be "presidential"? Will he step on himself or will he shine?

 

Then came this gotcha bomb, which is very untypical of Megyn.

 

You've called women you don’t like, ‘fat pigs,’ ‘dogs,’ ‘slobs,’ and ‘disgusting animals.

 

. . .

 

Your Twitter account has several disparaging comments about women’s looks. You once told a contestant on ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ it would be a pretty picture to see her on her knees. Does that sound to you like the temperament of a man we should elect as president?

 

People expected her to be "fair and balanced" so to speak. In that period of shock that comes from a question like this, the allure of "fair and balanced" carried over into the tension.

 

So when Trump responded, people admired his deftness, but then, at the end, when he told her he had been nice to her but based on her not being nice to him, he might not be anymore, he got some boos. I think these boos came from a temporary appearance of the (so-to-speak) wild secret misogynist bullying a "fair and balanced" woman fighter-for-the-truth. I even felt that a little.

 

But on second viewing, I didn't get that at all, and it wasn't just my cybernetic system kicking in and getting me back on course. I couldn't ignore the expression of exasperation on Megyn's face as her attack was partially neutralized by Trump's Rosie O'Donnell quip.

 

She was going for the kill and really meant to damage him.

 

Not nice.

 

But, as they say in Brazil, a bird who swallows stones knows the size of its own asshole.

 

Let's see how she likes it when the stone comes out. The first indications are not good...

 

 

Michael

[Peter]

Michael, I also think Krauthammer missed the head of the nail and struck his thumb.

Adam was also questioning if Trump could be derailed by an attack ad. I still think he could even though he would do a Banzai attack in retaliation. At the least his thinking about the attack would be obsessive. His response in the first twelve or 18 hours after the debate illustrates my point. We need some more polls to come in that include a broad spectrum of potential voters, not just some guys on Drudge or a newspaper poll in Florida.

Imagine the affect of perceiving the three Fox panelists as hostile to Trump if he ALSO at the same time thinks he is the clear winner. Stress does affect his brand but is it in a positive way?
Peter

Some blurbs from Michael Walsh Reporter‎ August‎ ‎07‎, ‎2015:
Donald Trump believes Megyn Kelly’s questions amounted to an “attempted hatchet job.”
Trump saved the bulk of his animus for Megyn Kelly, who challenged him for having called women he dislikes “fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals.”
“Wow, @megynkelly really bombed tonight. People are going wild on twitter! Funny to watch,” he wrote on Twitter.
Trump said that he enjoyed the debate even though he considered the three moderators, who were widely praised for their pointed questions, “not very good or professional.”
The brash candidate, or his social media handlers, spent hours acknowledging comments from his legions of fans, some of whom called Kelly a “bimbo” and a “total failure.”
“.@FrankLuntz is a low class slob who came to my office looking for consulting work and I had zero interest. Now he picks anti-Trump panels!” he said.
The Donald’s resentment showed no sign of subsiding after daybreak. He called “Fox & Friends” to say that he felt comfortable taking the stage with nine other contenders until Kelly hit him with “that really tough question.”
To make her point, the moderator invoked a time he told a female contestant on the reality show “Celebrity Apprentice” that it would “be a pretty picture to see her on her knees.”
“She hit me with a very, very hard question,” Trump said on “Fox & Friends.” “That was when I came up with the Rosie O’Donnell statement, which really got a tremendous applause. I mean that was the biggest applause of the evening actually, so it was sort of interesting.”
Trump also said that Fox News anchor Bret Baier’s question early on about whether anyone onstage would be unwilling to pledge “support to the eventual nominee of the Republican Party” was aimed directly at Trump — the sole holdout.
“Bret, with the hand raising and having to do with wanting me to give up my leverage because that question was absolutely — or that statement — it was just aimed at me, which I didn’t think was appropriate,” he said.

[Selene]

Your read of her kinesics is spot on. Watch her shoulders and her eyes.

She was not expecting that counter punch.

Trump does amazing subconscious work with his hands. Not sure if he was Dale Carnegie trained or if it is completely natural.

When he came back at her and he kinda brought his hands into his body low and did a kinda "you know little girl, I could get real rough on you because I know a lot about you" move and she was not a happy camper.

A...

[Selene]

Peter, sometimes your word choice is just off:

Adam was also questioning if Trump could be derailed by an attack ad. I still think he could even though he would do a Banzai attack in retaliation

Absurd choice of words because they are desperate attacks which pretty much end in death.

That is not how you become a Trump.

See what I mean?

If you were my student I would work on your word choices.

A,,,

[Peter]

Adam wrote: If you were my student I would work on your word choices. end quote

I am using this current method of attribution at YOUR suggestion years ago. I don’t like to use the OL quote function because I don’t want to quote everything which is easier but makes posts too long.

I understood the connotations of banzai attack but eventually he is going to be perceived as a sputtering Donald . . . Duck. And as Trump might say, you are getting to be a boor.

[Brant Gaede]

Adam wrote: If you were my student I would work on your word choices. end quote

I am using this current method of attribution at YOUR suggestion years ago. I don’t like to use the OL quote function because I don’t want to quote everything which is easier but makes posts too long.

Then how did I partially quote you? I highlighted the text to be deleted and hit the "delete" button.

I personally never learned how to do multiple quotes, so I'm likely to over-quote.

--Brant

let's see if I can learn to do it fast

[Brant Gaede]

Adam wrote: If you were my student I would work on your word choices. end quote

I am using this current method of attribution at YOUR suggestion years ago. I don’t like to use the OL quote function because I don’t want to quote everything which is easier but makes posts too long.

brilliant comment inserted here

I understood the connotations of banzai attack but eventually he is going to be perceived as a sputtering Donald . . . Duck. And as Trump might say, you are getting to be a boor.

more brilliant (and devastating) comment

--Brant

biggest boost to my self esteem in years!

Edited August 7, 2015 by Brant Gaede

[Selene]

Taranto has the transcript of that segment in today's e-mail:

People expected her to be "fair and balanced" so to speak. In that period of shock that comes from a question like this, the allure of "fair and balanced" carried over into the tension.

So when Trump responded, people admired his deftness, but then, at the end, when he told her he had been nice to her but based on her not being nice to him, he might not be anymore, he got some boos. I think these boos came from a temporary appearance of the (so-to-speak) wild secret misogynist bullying a "fair and balanced" woman fighter-for-the-truth. I even felt that a little.

But on second viewing, I didn't get that at all, and it wasn't just my cybernetic system kicking in and getting me back on course. I couldn't ignore the expression of exasperation on Megyn's face as her attack was partially neutralized by Trump's Rosie O'Donnell quip.

She was going for the kill and really meant to damage him.

Not nice.

But, as they say in Brazil, a bird who swallows stones knows the size of its own asshole.

Let's see how she likes it when the stone comes out. The first indications are not good...

Michael

Here it is:

Kelly: Mr. Trump, one of the things people love about you is you speak your mind and you don’t use a politician’s filter. However, that is not without its downsides, in particular, when it comes to women. You’ve called women you don’t like “fat pigs, dogs, slobs, and disgusting animals.” Your Twitter account—

Trump: Only Rosie O’Donnell.

Kelly: No, it wasn’t. Your Twitter account—

Trump [responding to applause]: Thank you. <<<< he almost always does this...

Kelly: For the record, it was well beyond Rosie O’Donnell.

Trump: Yes, I’m sure it was.

Kelly: Your Twitter account has several disparaging comments about women’s looks. You once told a contestant on “Celebrity Apprentice” it would be a pretty picture to see her on her knees. Does that sound to you like the temperament of a man we should elect as president, and how will you answer the charge from Hillary Clinton, who was likely to be the Democratic nominee, that you are part of the war on women?

Trump: I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct. I’ve been challenged by so many people, and I don’t frankly have time for total political correctness. And to be honest with you, this country doesn’t have time either. This country is in big trouble. We don’t win anymore. We lose to China. We lose to Mexico both in trade and at the border. We lose to everybody.

And frankly, what I say, and oftentimes it’s fun, it’s kidding. We have a good time. What I say is what I say. And honestly Megyn, if you don’t like it, I’m sorry. I’ve been very nice to you, although I could probably maybe not be, based on the way you have treated me. But I wouldn’t do that.

But you know what, we—we need strength, we need energy, we need quickness and we need brain in this country to turn it around. That, I can tell you right now.

Interesting...

[Peter]

Brant wrote: more brilliant (and devastating) comment, biggest boost to my self esteem in years!

end quote

No you can't have half my cookie.

[Peter]

Michael wrote: She was going for the kill and really meant to damage him. end quote

Gretchen is going to analyze the body language from the debate on Fox in a few minutes. I have to leave so I hope someone will watch and comment. Thanks, Peter

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Peter,

I turned on the TV for 5 minutes when I sat down to a snack. By chance, your request is what I saw: Gretchen Carlson and Tonya Reiman discussing Trump.

Tonya said Trump's erratic gestures and finger pointing shows he's conceited, arrogant and not presidential.

She suggested he stick to controlled gestures. Well... tell that to the furious mob with the torches and pitchforks now storming the castle.

I don't think they're in the mood for a president who looks and acts with "controlled presidential gestures" like, say, Barack Obama.

To be fair, when asked who the losers were in body-language, she did not mention Trump. Not a peep. To her it was Rand Paul.

Michael

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

I don't remember the Crow bit on this thread. If Trump wins the naysayers are supposed to eat crow?

Peter,

It's way earlier in the thread.

I was commenting on a habit of media commentators a few weeks ago. Trump's ratings started rising and everyone was looking for a reason. (I've collected quite a few and, boy are they dumb. )

But every analysis was prefaced with the absolute claim that Trump was not going to become president. I started poking fun at this habit and my friend, Marc, piped up and said Trump absolutely was not going to become president and he was not even going to become the Republican candidate. Period. No chance in hell.

I said I was going to so enjoy watching him eat crow and we started bantering. This turned into a wager.

Then WSS joined. He wanted absolute clarity, so I gave it. The wager is if Trump becomes the Republican candidate, Marc and WSS will eat crow. (I generously offered to supply the cuisine. ) If Trump does not become the Republican candidate, I will eat crow.

Later, I assumed you knew this because I asked if you were in and you said yes. That upped my need to procure 3 succulent crows instead of 2. But since you didn't know, I'll let you off the hook.

btw - To add to the drama, we have a subplot. Mike said (and I paraphrase) if anyone so much as touches a feather on a real live crow, he is going to go ballistic. He apparently likes crows.

Michael

[Selene]

Later, I assumed you knew this because I asked if you were in and you said yes. That upped my need to procure 3 succulent crows instead of 2. But since you didn't know, I'll let you off the hook.

This is a man who will send $3 to Carl Rove!!

That's like sending money to the German railroad to fix the rail to Auschwitz...HYPERBOLE ALERT

A...

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Now for a quick timeout courtesy of Bloomberg.

Call it a bask and gloat break:

Fox News Couldn't Kill Trump’s Momentum and May Have Only Made It Stronger

Michael

[Selene]

This is also perfect...the anti-Cosby...

During the GOP debate Thursday night, Megyn Kelly brought up the season of “Celebrity Apprentice” when Donald Trump told Brande Roderick it would be “a pretty picture to see her on her knees,” and now Roderick is defending Trump, saying she doesn’t remember him making the comment in the first place.

“Your Twitter account has several disparaging comments about women’s looks,” Kelly said to Trump. “You once told a contestant on ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ it would be a pretty picture to see her on her knees. Does that sound to you like the temperament of a man we should elect as president?”

Trump defended himself by arguing that the country is too politically correct, and the former Playboy Playmate is defending him as well.

“Like him, I didn’t even remember him saying that,” Roderick said during an interview on MSNBC Friday morning. “I’ve always had a positive experience around Donald. He’s always been encouraging. He’s never been disrespectful to me.”

“I don’t condone men being derogatory, but I think he’s just on television. He’s trying to be funny. He didn’t mean anything horrible by it.”

Seems like the war on women is in the aging anchoress' blonde head.

http://dailycaller.com/2015/08/07/brande-roderick-defends-trump-i-dont-even-remember-get-on-your-knees-comment/

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

I love Glenn Beck, but lookee here:

Glenn Beck Warns Trump: Do Not Mess with Megyn Kelly

and this:

Glenn Beck calls Trump a 'son of a bitch

Poor Glenn. I think he is in crisis because he boxed himself in with one part of Christian ideology. It's taking the fight out of him.

For Glenn, only leaders who are humble are to be taken seriously. He has preached this so much, I believe he convinced himself of it and now he has to adhere to it. A man who achieves great productive projects and is unashamedly proud of his achievement is a direct clash with Glenn's Jesus-Ghandi-King core story and protagonist. They are totally different archetypes.

btw - Both archetypes can be good. The error is defining one as good and the other as evil. Unfortunately, Glenn has made a core story for himself where this is the case. Good and evil are not inherent to any archetype. That is reserved for what a character does and why he does it. Donald Trump is not an evil Satan hellbent on conquering the world so he can smash it to pieces. That would be evil strength.

Evil strength, evil meekness, good strength, and good weakness--they all exist.

I think, when Glenn promotes Ayn Rand, his religion and core story have kept him from seeing the true nature of her heroes, the part that looks like Trump.

What's worse, Glenn has done one helluva job creating his own productive empire, but he entirely missed the following point:

Does he really think Roger Ailes is going to mobilize everything in his arsenal against The Donald after these ratings because of a spat with Megyn?

Duh...

What does anyone want to bet that Ailes--and The Donald and Megyn for that matter--will squeeze all the ratings juice out of the dust-up, and then it will all end in a well-publicized truce and new alliance?

Good Lord.

Anyone can see this coming from a mile away while underground.

Michael

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Just as an exclamation point on what I said, here is Trump's latest Facebook post (I hope it embeds OK):

 

" data-width="500">

">

Fox News you should be ashamed of yourself. I got you the highest debate ratings in your history & you say nothing but...

Posted by Donald J. Trump on Friday, August 7, 2015

 

Like I said, more ratings coming for a while, then truce and pizza.

 

 

Michael

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

I don't know what to say about the following video except go for it:

 

 

I stand in awe.

 

 

Michael

[Backlighting]

I don't know what to say about the following video except go for it:

I stand in awe.

Michael

Not a trace of ambiguity there.

ROTFLMAO.

-J

[Mikee]

They seem very nice. Makes me miss going to church...

[Backlighting]

Perhaps they should negotiate the Iran deal.

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

More bad news for the Megyn side:

Brande Roderick Defends Trump: I Don't Even Remember ‘Get On Your Knees’ Comment

This is The Daily Caller. There's a video there, too, but it doesn't embed. It contains the "on your knees" clip from Celebrity Apprentice. Then a phone interview with Brande. Her interviewer I think was from MSNBC.

Brande said she doesn't condone men being derogatory, but doesn't recall ever seeing Trump be disrespectful behind the scenes. She likes The Donald and said he treats his daughter like a princess.

She also said the TV remark, which she had to rewatch to remember it, was Trump just trying to be funny. Do TV. Nothing horrible intended.

Before launching that "on your knees" grenade, maybe Megyn should have called Brande to make sure there was offense taken. Brande's comments here make Megyn look a bit unprofessional as compared to before.

Michael

[Selene]

Before launching that "on your knees" grenade, maybe Megyn should have called Brande to make sure there was offense taken. Brande's comments here make Megyn look a bit unprofessional as compared to before.

Michael

I'm thinking Faye Dunaway from Network...it is all about her and claw your way to the top mode...

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Heh:

7 things Trump said that would have destroyed any other GOP candidate

Here are the seven:

1. On inappropriate comments to women: What I say is what I say
2. On Bankruptcy: I have used the laws of this country to my advantage
3. On abortion flip-flop: I've evolved, like Ronald Reagan

4. On past as a Democrat: I come from a blue area

5. Single-payer healthcare: It would have worked well when I supported it
6. On buying politicians: It works
7. Refusal to rule out independent candidacy: I have a lot of leverage

It's a little more nuanced than that, but still...

I love it.

Michael

[Peter]

Michael mentioned several things that would have destroyed any other Republican candidate but not Trump. Some of them tie in with a comment from Rand Paul.

Trump truisms. 2. On Bankruptcy: I have used the laws of this country to my advantage. 4. On past as a Democrat: I come from a blue area. 5. Single-payer healthcare: It would have worked well when I supported it. 6. On buying politicians: It works.

What Rand Paul asserted on Fox News today, was that Trump’s appeal is that of a man who is an outsider and will shake things up. To the contrary, Rand Paul asserts, Trump is the consummate insider. He buys politicians. He bribes. He demands favors. He is a crony capitalist which we know really means fascist. Politically he is the next door cousin to Hillary Clinton and the Progressives. He will do exactly what the Clinton’s and the Obama’s did. He will get even richer by funneling tax payer funds to himself and his cronies. We will see more solar wind, electric cars, and whatever crazy thing he can think up to make his silent partners billionaires and all from public funds. I think Rand Paul is afraid Trump will put himself in the same corner office at the top of a high rise, that are also found in fascist Russia, and Communist China. Trump is dishonest, bombastic, and if we vote for him we deserve what we get: a semi capitalist, semi fascist, semi communist, semi progressive, and we will be living in a totalitarian state.