Strategy Vs. Tactics ….. Did Trump Just Commit Political Suicide? Or, Did He Strike Right?

Well, what I say, is this is The Donald.  This is what you get when you have Trump. 

For what it’s worth, I give him an A+ in the strategy.  I give him an F- in the tactics, or, prosecution of the strategy. 

Look, it’s politics.  Trump is running as the anti-establishment Repub.  But, he’s not the only one.  And, recently a couple of other anti-establishment Repubs have made headway against Trump’s considerable lead.  So, one should move to cut the legs out from under the upstarts, right?  Yes, if one wants to win, this is what one should do ….. go after the wannabe rivals before they can be legit rivals. 

So, here’s what happened ….

Businesswoman Carly Fiorina, who also gained ground on Trump in CNN’s poll out today, got a dose too.

In an interview with Rolling Stone Trump mocked Fiorina’s appearance: “‘Look at that face!’ he cries. ‘Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?!’ The laughter grows halting and faint behind him. ‘I mean, she’s a woman, and I’m not s’posedta say bad things, but really, folks, come on. Are we serious?’”
Fiorina declined to respond in kind during an interview on “The Kelly File” saying instead, “I’m not going to spend a single cycle wondering what Donald Trump means. But maybe just maybe I’m getting under his skin a little bit because I’m climbing in the polls.”

Ooooofff!!! 

This is an abject failure, in my view.  I’ll state this once, again.  I’ll not vote for Fiorina.  Her history as a failure in business and the American worker is all I need to see.  She believed good tech could be produced by more masses rather than more thought.  She ditched American tech workers in favor for many more cheap workers in a foreign land, all the while enjoying the protections the American workers provided.  She nearly bankrupted HP and relegated HP to being a second tier computer and printer maker while they used to be near the top of the line.  Now, they’re going to spin off their PC business.  She’s had quotes galore which can, and will be, exploited.

Fiorina has been climbing in the polls.  The Donald’s response is to call her ugly?  What???????  ……. ????????  What?  That’s too stupid for me to fathom!  You know what, Donnie boy!  Women hate that guys call other women ugly!  (Unless they’re with the man calling another woman ugly.)   What?  You can’t attack her on the substance of her advocacy or the history of her performance?  Her history is made for your attack!!!!  Instead you call her ugly?  Are you serious?  You can’t possibly be serious!  Are you stupid?

Does “The Donald” not know that many conservative Repubs still believe in the traditional nuclear family?  That is to say, there’s a woman taking care of the kids, and a man working.  The woman will find extra time to actively work for the potential nominee of their choice.  More women vote in elections than men, in the US.  “The Donald’s” rebut to Fiorina is that she’s ugly.  ……  For a lady of age, she actually has a good figure, and isn’t all that homely.  Compared to “The Donald’s Toupee” …… Glass houses? …..

And, then, there’s this from Ben Carson ….

Pressed by reporters during a campaign stop in Anaheim, Calif., to respond to Trump’s criticisms that Carson isn’t qualified to be president, the retired neurosurgeon initially declined.
But when asked to contrast himself with the New York billionaire, Carson responded, “…I realize where my success has come from, and I don’t any way deny my faith in God,” said Carson. Carson went on to cite favorite scriptures that “humility and fear of the Lord are riches in honor and life,” saying that he didn’t get “that impression with” Trump.

Now, mind you, that in itself is a jump.  I’m not sure I would have gone there.  But, it’s true. 

Some may ask, “where did that come from?”  It came from here.

….. Frank Luntz asked whether Trump had ever asked God for forgiveness. “I am not sure I have,” Trump said. “I just go on and try to do a better job from there. I don’t think so. I think if I do something wrong, I think, I just try and make it right. I don’t bring God into that picture. I don’t.”

Trump has responded to Carson ….

On CNN today, Trump unloaded on Carson:
“Look at his faith and you’re not going to find so much. And you look at his views on abortion which were horrendous, and that’s I think why I’m leading with all the evangelicals. I’m leading Ben Carson by a lot I’m almost double his numbers.”
“But I don’t know Ben Carson, perhaps – you know – an okay doctor…we’re not talking about a great – he was an okay doctor.”
“And now, because he’s a doctor and he hired one nurse, he’s going to end up being president of the United States?”
“For him to read from the Bible in his memory, it looked like it memorized it about two minutes before he went on stage.”

Trump and Jindal have exchanged barbs, as well.  But, that exchange, in my estimation, is just politics.  But, the two exchanges above go beyond politics.  That’s the thing about politics, and other schools of thought.  They intertwine.

Someone should have told Trump this is a long distance race, and not a sprint. He’s lowered his ceiling, again.  It’s too low, he’ll never be elected president of the US.  To be sure, there are only about 30% of the US population who are diehard Repubs.  1/2 of them are female.  About 1/2 of them are born again Christians.  There is a large crossover between the two. 

A woman is not invalidated because you believe they’re ugly. 

As to the Christian faith, I’m not a Presbyterian.  I’m not familiar with their doctrine.  But, I do know the doctrines of many other Protestant faiths. 

My faith is, you cannot be, and are not saved (a Christian) unless, and until, you’ve asked for forgiveness from God for your sins.  If one can’t do that, then, they are putting themselves on equal footing as God, Almighty.  I’ve had enough of that, already. 

I would ask that the people who read this pray for Donald Trump, first.  And, then, support a Christian.