Donald Trump went medieval on Nikki Haley after he beat her in New Hampshire. Rich Lowry says this was dumb:
She is appealing to the Republicans and Republican-leaning independents that Trump needs to substantially bring home in November to beat Biden. Killing her with kindness would make much more sense for Trump than, in irate speeches and unhinged social media posts, reminding her voters why they don’t like him in the first place.
Among ordinary people, sure, this would be true. But Trump's entire MO revolves around the twin ideas of revenge and retribution. He needs people to be scared of him, and that means convincing them that he'll come after anyone who crosses him. The only way to do that is to, in fact, come after anyone who crosses him.
By threatening Haley—and anyone who supports her—he's solidifying his reputation. He's making it clear that anyone who doesn't support Trump will be punished, something he considers vital to his success. In Trump's thuggish version of realpolitik, it's far more important than wheezy old ideas about how to attract one group of voters or another.
Trump doesn't use retribution and revenge as a strategy. That is just who he is. It is what is important to him. He doesn't think about whether it will help or hurt his campaign.
Yes!
Agreed. I've never bought the idea that he ever has a deep strategy, or even any strategy at all. He's not even playing one-dimensional chess.
He learned it from Roy Cohn. Attack, attack, attack, everywhere, all the time. This strategy worked well for him when he was a real estate grifter from Queens. Now? It remains to be seen. Certainly doesn't seem to be working so well in the E. Jean Carrol defamation suit.
"... retribution and revenge.."
Retribution and revenge are just means for him. What he really wants is to be able to control people, the way Kim controls North Korea. He calls that "being strong", and regards it as the ultimate achievement.
Kevin seems to be looking at this just in terms of the primaries. He can’t win the general with just his base.
Literally insane that this needs to be explained in the year of our Lord 2024. I maintain that Rich Lowry is the dumbest political pundit alive.
"How to attract one group of voters or another"?
Voters? Trump don't need no stinkin' voters. He'll have armies of surreptitious minions spreading across the land whose job will be to materialize votes, no matter how. You know, like Raffensperger was supposed to do back in Georgia. They'll just find the votes he wants, forget that "voters" crap. So old-fashioned.
Trump is a 77-year-old malignant narcissist with a family history of Alzheimer's.
I kinda think Deep Strategy ain't what's goin' on here ...
😄😄😄😄😄
Lol. @bbleh, I totally agree with you.
Pretty clever on Haley’s part. She baits him enough that he sinks himself in the general, leaving her the front-runner in 2028.
You are the first person I have seen make this point but I would bet that is exactly what she is doing. It’s a smart strategy.
"But Trump's entire MO revolves around the twin ideas of revenge and retribution."
Also, too, he's nuts.
In the past, pre-Trump, it was accepted that different candidates would have supporters, with both (candidates and supporters) free to switch positions and affiliation.
Not in Trump-world, where the entire system consists of fidelity to the, ahem, dictator.
It's simplistic, to be sure, and that's one reason limited-cognition* Trump goes for it.
* I'm not talking about limited-cognition dementia (although that seems to be the case nowadays) but limited-cognition in the sense of being dumb.
Kevin is right that Trump depends on people being scared, but once he falters, that grip can evaporate in very short order. I expect that to happen someday.
"You do not know anyone as stupid as Donald Trump. You just don't."
--Fran Lebowitz
I am stealing that quote. Sorry...But Thank You all the same. Best Wishes, Traveller
Amazing that one could be a political pundit and not realize that Trump was obviously going to be vicious to any woman opposing him. For gosh sakes that’s his “brand”.
For the life of me, I don't understand why people constantly try to give free expert advice or punditry to the side they want to lose.
If your killer is doing it wrong, do you pause for a moment and explain to him that rather than making little stabby motions at your arm, he should be going for your jugular?
People are so infatuated with their own egos, they can't help but tell the other side how to do better.
I see this everyday in podcasts and video interviews re Russia's failures to beat Ukraine. Seriously, what the fuck?
Agree. I love the Pod Save America guys, but they certainly seem to be offering free advice to the Rs. (Don't know if any influential Rs listen)
I can still see Haley and Tubby making up. She would be his strongest VP choice and there must be some advisors telling him this. For her part, she has to see it as the path of least resistance to be the first woman potus. She might even take over early in his term for a variety of reasons. If all the others trump has personally insulted(Cruz, Graham etc) can develop selective amnesia so can Haley.
Ask Mike Pence whether being Trump's VP is a path to the Presidency.
You're comparing Pence to Haley? Haley will attract women and moderates.
That's a really good question. Will Haley kiss the ring, er, lick Trump's asscrack? Unless she wants to wait out this cold civil war on democracy (see: Liz Cheney) she has no other choice. I'm wondering what happens if/when Trump/Trumpism collapses. It was decided several years ago that this was a ten year war requiring multiple defeats of our very own Vichy; even if a defeated Trumpism falls down its own memory hole, where does that leave relative;y young strivers like Haley? Do they get a "no worries, mate" get out of jail free card, like the Confederates? Does this country make the changes required to modernize its political and judicial systems in order to prevent a repeat of this nightmare? All assuming Trump loses and we don't turn into an authoritarian state in the next four years. And if Trump loses the election and his court cases and starts his decline, will there be any price to pay - anything at all - for being a Trumpist quasi-authoritarian sycophant? Is it even remotely possible to behave so abjectly, fawningly subservient and emerge unscathed, unchanged, especially given that Trump has only co-opted and amplified preexisting sentiments, worldviews, mindsets of American 'conservatism'?
The French executed the Vichy. This country let Confederates off the hook, and we know how that turned out. Will there be any price to pay - anything at all - for openly, repeatedly, and unequivocally pronouncing your obeisance to the sick, perverted king, especially in the face of his public degradation and humiliation? Can anyone who subjects themselves to this ever be trusted again? I'm not talking about MAGAnauts here; I mean the big picture. Of course Republicans will not be swayed; it's the functional establishment of the U.S. I'm talking about.
Haley and the rest of them have fallen into the trap of their own ideology. Trump only sensed their personal and ideological weaknesses with his somewhat remarkable cunning and exploited this. The fact that he's done it so quickly and easily says everything you need to know about his faithful servants. Like Haley.
It would be too much like VEEP.
And that's why this lunatic needs to be locked up.
"Among ordinary people, sure, this would be true."
Are we assuming that "ordinary people" are voting based on being well informed and rational ? I find that to be doubtful.
A heck of a lot of "ordinary people", including people with cognitive issues, significant trauma, significant substance or other dependencies, some types of psychiatric issues, many swing voters, many people of sub-par intelligence (either innate or acquired), and many other folks - do NOT meet those criteria and vote based largely on myths & disinformation.
It's almost as if Rich Lowry is some combination of incredibly stupid and unbelievably dishonest, not sure what the precise balance is here.