Sunday, June 28, 2020

Trump Sabotages His Campaign "On An Almost Daily Basis" With Racism, Self-Pity, Childish Behavior, And Other Inanities; Fox News: Tense GOP Operatives Raising Possibility That "Fragile" Trump Might Quit Race If Poll Numbers Keep Dropping

Donald Trump is breathtakingly stupid, easily-triggered, and pathologically desperate for attention that even as his re-election campaign circles the drain - the co-chairman of a pro-Trump super PAC describes his numbers as "atrocious" - Trump refuses to listen to anyone.

Trump's advisors suggest ways to boost Trump's failing campaign, but he sabotages those efforts "on an almost daily basis" with demented, inane, or racist comments.

Trump's advisors tell him "Do X and your support will increase." Trump does Y instead. His support drops and Trump angrily blames his advisors (even though he did the opposite of what they said). Rinse. Repeat.

The Washington Post reports that Trump is "losing traction even among core constituencies" and his campaign team is "grappling with how to resuscitate his imperiled" campaign.

Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie told ABC News that Trump must change both "the substance of what he's discussing and the way that he approaches the American people". Joe Biden's numbers are rising and he "hasn't said a word. ... No discredit to [Biden] — if you're winning without doing anything, why do anything."

Some of Trump's advisers and allies are pushing for big changes, including the idea of a major staff shake-up. But the biggest obstacle is Trump himself. Various people in his circle are "trying to convince" him to act "more disciplined in his message and behavior". Trump's constant need "to portray himself as the victim" has greatly frustrated them "and they have urged him to stop the public displays of self-pity".

Meanwhile, Trump is asking his advisers if he should coin a new nickname for Biden. Trump is worried that "Sleepy Joe" is not damaging enough. Trump is considering "Swampy Joe" or "Creepy Joe". Some advisers have urged him to stop using the nickname. In a tweet on Sunday, Trump tried out "Corrupt Joe".

In the last week, Trump has made several racist comments about the coronavirus, shared a video of a supporter yelling "white power" at protesters, accused Barack Obama of "treason", and referred to the anti-brutality protestors as "hoodlums", "thugs" and "terrorists", and promised "retribution".

On Sunday, a Fox News (!) reporter tweeted:
GOP operatives are for the first time raising the possibility that @realDonaldTrump could drop out of the race if his poll numbers don’t rebound. Over the weekend I spoke to a sample of major players; one described Trumps current psyche as “fragile.” ... [T]he speculation indicates how tense GOP operatives are about Trump losing and the party losing the senate and having their entire agenda abolished in a leftist wave election.
Trump's campaign manager Brad Parscale rejects the results of public polls and blames the media for Trump's current problems. And Trump does, too. While he is being urged to appeal to a wider range of voters, rather than only his hard-core supporters, Trump has replied that he does not believe the polls. He is convinced there is more enthusiasm for him than for Biden and that "10 points" should be added to his numbers. Trump believes that the public will eventually agree with his stance against tearing down Confederate monuments and statues and appreciate his "law and order" message.

Former Ohio governor Ted Strickland:
In conservative places like Ohio, you really wonder if what Trump is selling will work again. NASCAR is banning the Confederate flag at races. Military leaders are speaking out against him. If the NFL starts again, you'll see a lot of people kneeling. This is not the same country that it was in 2016.
Also: Hours before Trump's rally in Tulsa, his campaign ordered the removal of thousands of "Do Not Sit Here, Please!" stickers from seats in the arena that were intended to establish a proper distance between attendees, according to video and photos obtained by the Washington Post.

Removing the stickers was in violation of the arena's safety plan. Management had purchased 12,000 do-not-sit stickers and, on the morning of the rally, put a sticker on approximately every other seat in most of the arena. Trump's campaign told them to stop and then removed the stickers.

In a video clip obtained by the Post, two unidentified men — one in a suit and one wearing a badge and a face mask — can be seen pulling stickers off seats in a section of the arena. Doug Thornton, executive vice president of ASM Global (the venue manager), told Billboard Magazine:
They also told us that they didn't want any signs posted saying we should social distance in the venue. The campaign went through and removed the stickers.
Despite the evidence, the Trump campaign denied removing any stickers.

No comments: