Trump Has Reason to Rage—But Needs to Stay Calm and Get Even Rather than Mad - Victor Davis Hanson

[Geee]

American Greatness

Donald Trump gave one of his best and most conciliatory speeches of his political career after his win in the recent Iowa primaries—that might explain why the media would not cover it. Later, to answer an ad hoc ambush reporter’s question whether he would hold grudges, he emphatically said he did not.

Yet after his win in New Hampshire, Trump went ballistic at Nikki Haley’s earlier charges that he, rather than Joe Biden, was cognitively challenged, past his prime, and a perennial loser of popular votes.

In response, Trump shed his short-lived Iowa temperance. He went wholehog after Haley’s dress and her affectations and trashed her character. He tweeted that she was a “birdbrain,” and on and on.

For six years, observers have noted the disconnect between Trump’s stellar record of governance, his occasional sense of humor and even self-criticism—and his ad hominem venom that often turns off the 3-7 percent of the electorate in the suburbs who otherwise might vote for him.

 

Reasonable calls to tone it down by pundits, aides, and friends do not work with Trump, and perhaps for several understandable reasons.

One, Trump is reactive in his “they started it, I finish it” mode. His theory of deterrence is to be disproportionate in retort to eliminate future preemptive attacks. Almost all of Trump’s crudeness was in disproportionate response, sometimes even to minor offenses.

In such a world of Trump deterrence, if you do not relish a crude Trump, then don’t first talk about cutting off his head, blowing him up, stabbing him, shooting him, or lighting him on fire, or don’t spread lies like “Russian collusion,” “laptop disinformation,” or that the influence-selling Biden consortium was innocent of shaking down foreign interests for millions of dollars that were routed into the clan’s coffers.

[Valin]

@Geee

Quote

His 24/7 bellicosity, MAGA diehards feel, ensures he will always be hated by the media and establishment

 

That's because he will be. Can I mention Herbert Hoover, Richard Nixon?

Quote

In sum, Trump should ignore Haley and his old vulture critics in the media and on the left as much as he can.

He must concentrate on the disaster of the Biden administration and reiterate nonstop the agendas of 2025 that will save us from tottering on the brink. That forbearance demands that he speak and campaign in the only way that can win the election: unite the Republican Party, the conservative movement, the MAGA base, independents, disaffected Democrats, minorities, and even Never Trumpers into an eleventh-hour coalition to stop the revolution in our midst before it consumes us all.

 

The Question is Can He? I'm 75, he's 77, you get to our age for better or worse...What You See, Is What You Get.

[Geee]

5 minutes ago, Valin said:

The Question is Can He?

Don't see any evidence of it. 

[Valin]

8 minutes ago, Geee said:

Don't see any evidence of it. 

Democrats Are Counting On It.

The problem is The Ever Trump (he can do know wrong) They don't see this. At least I don't see that they do On Line.

TOS

TOS[/b]

"The democRATs are mostly atheists so they don’t think they will ever be held accountable for their actions."

"Professor Victor spares no punches. HE IS RIGHT, The Donald J. Trump needs to back down from his ‘birdbrain’ comments, as no one likes a bully. I WISH he would listen to his ‘handlers’ and his ‘advisers’ instead of going off at the mouth using vulgar speech. This degrades him greatly. A man who can’t control his own spirit......is NOT what we want in the White House."

"Trump isnt bullying Birdbrain. Shes trying to bully him. She’s constantly making fun of him, suggesting he’s a rapist, suggesting he has dementia. Hoping he goes to prison. Pretending he’s trying to close down primaries without a vote. BIRDBRAIN is trying to bully Trump with the help of the Rats and the media."

"

Every FReeper, for that matter EVERY AMERICAN needs to read this VDH essay, and then ensure that it a. gets to President Trump and 2. goes viral!

The closing paragraphs are pertinent on this forum, though, as I said above, EVERY AAMERICAN needs to read the entire essay:

“Trump has an enormous responsibility in 2024 to stay calm, reach out, and get even rather than mad....(Snip)"