Guest Post by Patrick J. Buchanan
On one of my first trips to New Hampshire in 1991, to challenge President George H. W. Bush, I ran into Sen. Eugene McCarthy.
He was returning to the scene of his ’68 triumph, when he had inflicted the first crippling wound on Lyndon Johnson.
“Pat, you don’t have to win up here, you know,” he assured me. “All you have to do is beat the point spread.”
“Beat the point spread” is a good description of what Donald Trump has to do in Monday night’s debate.
With only a year in national politics, he does not have to show a mastery of foreign and domestic policy details. Rather, he has to do what John F. Kennedy did in 1960, and what Ronald Reagan did in 1980.
He has to meet and exceed expectations, which are not terribly high. He has to convince a plurality of voters, who seem prepared to vote for him, that he’s not a terrible risk, and that he will be a president of whom they can be proud.
He has to show the country a Trump that contradicts the caricature created by those who dominate our politics, culture and press.
The Trump on stage at Hofstra University will have 90 minutes to show that the malicious cartoon of Donald Trump is a libelous lie.
He can do it, for he did it at the Mexico City press conference with President Pena Nieto where he surprised his allies and stunned his adversaries.
Recall. Kennedy and Reagan, too, came into their debates with a crucial slice of the electorate undecided but ready to vote for them if each could relieve the voters’ anxieties about his being within reach of the button to launch a nuclear war.
Kennedy won the first debate, not because he offered more convincing arguments or more details on the issues, but because he appeared more lucid, likable and charismatic, more mature than folks had thought. And he seemed to point to a brighter, more challenging future for which the country was prepared after Ike.
After that first debate, Americans could see JFK sitting in the Oval Office.
Reagan won his debate with Carter because his sunny disposition and demeanor and his “There you go again!” airy dismissal of Carter’s nit-picking contradicted the malevolent media-created caricatures of the Gipper as a dangerous primitive or an amiable dunce.
Even George W. Bush, who, according to most judges, did not win a single debate against Al Gore or John Kerry, came off as a levelheaded fellow who was more relatable than the inventor of the internet or the windsurfer of Cape Cod.
The winner of presidential debates is not the one who compiles the most debating points. It is the one whom the audience decides they like, and can be comfortable taking a chance on.
Trump has the same imperative and same opportunity as JFK and Reagan. For the anticipated audience, of Super Bowl size, will be there to see him, not her. He is the challenger who fills up the sports arenas with the tens and scores of thousands, not Hillary Clinton.
If she were debating John Kasich or Jeb Bush, neither the viewing audience nor the title-fight excitement of Monday night would be there. Specifically, what does Trump need to do? He needs to show that he can be presidential. He needs to speak with confidence, but not cockiness, and to deal with Clinton’s attacks directly, but with dignity and not disrespect. And humor always helps.
Clinton has a more difficult assignment.
America knows she knows the issues. But two-thirds of the country does not believe her to be honest or trustworthy. As her small crowds show, she sets no one on fire. Blacks, Hispanics and millenials who invested high hopes in Barack Obama seem to have no great hopes for her. She has no bold agenda, no New Deal or New Frontier.
“Why aren’t I 50 points ahead?” wailed Hillary Clinton this week.
The answer is simple. America has seen enough of her and has no great desire to see any more; and she cannot change an impression hardened over 25 years — in 90 minutes.
But the country will accept her, if the only alternative is the Trump of the mainstream media’s portrayal. Hence, the strategy of the Democratic Party for the next seven weeks is obvious:
Trash Trump, take him down, make him intolerable, and we win.
No matter how she performs though, Donald Trump can win the debate, for he is the one over whom the question marks hang. But he is also the one who can dissipate and destroy them with a presidential performance.
In that sense, this debate and this election are Trump’s to win.
Or maybe Satan will take her on to hell and TRUMP wins by default.
All Trump has to do to win the debate is show up and stand tall for 90 minutes.
Will winning the debate actually matter in the election?
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/09/22/email-shows-federal-immigration-bosses-in-ot-push-to-swear-in-new-citizens-due-to-election.html
This is a no holds barred election this time, it’s the ruling establishment’s critical need to hold onto rule of the world from behind the scenes that may end up deciding it more than normal election issues and procedures.
Hil has invited the arrogant asshole Mark Cuban(((Chabenisky))) to sit in the front row. The Donald should surprise her with Monica and Jennifer Flowers as his support section, also in the first row. Hil would shit herself and storm off the stage. End of debate.
The problem is Monica supports Hilary. But if she could be there as a Harpy supporter it might add a bit of unpleasant memories. Why limit it to Ms Flowers? How about Juanita and Dolly etc.?
Donald wins by axing one question:
“Do you want to see this for the next fours years ….
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” …. or, THIS?”
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Tell me once more that you don’t believe the TV show Modern Family is a knock off of Trump and his foreign sex bomb?
Stucky , my wife says that is tacky. I am not going to argue with her.
Yes….the ex-model/hooker is more attractive but could she get security clearance to be in the WH? Guess so since Obama and the other mussies/communists made their way inside. Wonder if she reports directly to the KGB/Putin?
You have some reality based reason for insinuating such a treasonous thing about Mrs. Trump?
-reality based means one based in real facts, not suppositions and innuendo’s-
If so state it, if you can.
No real proof but her past has been alleged in Slovenia and the west. Most models are modeling clothes. What do you call it?
Just wonder how true those publications were. Why would a major publication have and post such things if the photos are not genuine?
No proof, or even credible evidence, means it is you that is the problem not her.
I call models modeling clothing or anything else, models. That’s what models do.
As far as those publications, I think they are going to get their chance to prove what they say: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/melania-trump-files-defamation-suit-against-daily-mail-political-blog-n641771
Who knows, maybe you will too someday.
But one thing you demonstrate well, leftists never have anything real available to back them up, operate out of sly innuendo, and try their best to avoid a direct answer to a direct question,
Have it your way Anon but nothing says poledancer like those (modeling) pictures.
Wait, are you slut shaming?!?!
SLUT SHAMING?!?!?!
MISOGYNIST!!!!!!
(Are I do this right, comrades? Is bery dificule for humble comrade like me to keep up with glorious prosper belief of modern enlighten utopia? Slut shaming is bad still, nyet?)
Slovenia was part of ex-Yugoslavia and hence not part of the East bloc, imbecile.
And Tito was extremely wary of the Russians…
… like nearly all the bloc’s former member states and their citizens.
Homework for today: What is the difference between Slovenia, Slavonia and Slowakia.
Maybe the Clinton Foundation promised to pay for any lawsuit if they printed it.
Or maybe they owe them a favor for huge donations.
I’m hoping we get to see Hillary have a fatal stroke on live TV.
AC,
That would be Pay Per View shit.
Stuck wins the internets for the day.
I should add that Stucky owes me $2.75 for my dry cleaning bill.
I would prefer to just have her show exactly what she is and lose the election as a result.
Way too many wild cards to be played by the establishment leftists if she dies first to want her to die before that, IMO.
I hope her eyes roll around in opposite directions — clearly — so everyone can see. Then there will be questions asked.
But she’ll probably just continually cough and be annoying.
Well
As a mental exercise I went to Huffintonne Post. Anyways according to Barb Streisand the facts are against Trump. who knew that all these years Hillary was a champion of the common man.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barbra-streisand/facts-matter_b_12134720.html
My head hurts now from reading that. The surgeon whiffed and did a lobotomy instead of the nose.
You folks got to go read the comments. Hil-fuckin-larious.
She claims in piece that 20% of Trumps supporters would like to see slavery reinstated.
Well fook me! Break out the chains lets git dis partay started!
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Rob, I got lots of thumbs down when I suggested that black men mutter under their breath a word that describes their silent longing for those chains. They whisper the word when they see a white man, they say – Massa.
I wonder if Hillary will act strange since she will be pumped up on a lot of stuff to allow her to stand for that long.Maybe she will get ill or lose her mind onstage.
He should have a legal pad with him listing all the criminal investigations she has been in as well as all her fuck ups in the state department. He should also demand that they both be checked for earpieces.
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The Clinstones are over, they belong in the mausoleum of history, they shot themselves in the dick when they supported Trump in the primaries. Trump has charisma, he has a vision, he has an enthusiastic and loyal following, he is well known, he has connections to money, the media and newspapers love him – look how they fall over themselves to give him free publicity, the blacks like to have him in their churches, the taco benders invite him to their country, etc. It’s a done deal.
I wonder if Stuck will be my buddy once more.
?????
When did you stop being my buddy? I don’t always agree with you, sometimes strongly so. But, I always look forward to every single one of your posts. You have an exceedingly dry sense of humor which I think is just fantastic. Keep up the good work, my Beaner friend.
P.S. You’re not like my pal, Bea Lever, who makes peace with me and then turns around and tells me I’m the leader of the sheep. Dr. Pangloss once told me about an ancient Mexican proverb; — with Amigos like that, who needs enemies?
Stucky- Leave me alone, I have a deadly illness. EC will have to argue our side as I am too sick.
Bea
Are you serious? Are you really seriously ill?
Admin
The old dude in the office above mine has been in bad shape in the hospital for three weeks, he managed to spread it around before he left. I am treating myself per usual and I’m sure I will live through it but not sure about the other guy. Today is the first day I feel somewhat human. At the worst of it I still managed to kick Stucky’s ass…LOL.
Bea, hope you feel better soon. TBP isn’t the same without your comments.
The minister who came up with the idea to invite Trump to Mexico had to resign.
The situation can be likened to a scenario where Obama decided to invite Hassan Rouhani to the White House to talk turkey about getting back the Iran money the US is holding.
The Mexican president’s popularity sank below the already low level it enjoyed previous to Trump.