I was Wrong about the First Debate
Upon watching Monday’s debate, I didn’t think that there was anything specific from the interchange that was going to have substantial legs for the press to dwell on into the next week (and least not of the type the Trump helped generate from the Republican convention). However, I totally underestimated the degree to which Trump would be willing to make Alicia Machado a week-long news story. I noted his initial willingness to double-down on the topic on Tuesday, but was still surprised to see how willing Trump was to keep the story alive, culminating in his early morning tweets on Friday (via the NYT): As America Sleeps, Donald Trump Seethes on Twitter
The tweets started around 3:20 a.m. on Friday. Inside Trump Tower, a restless figure stirred in the predawn darkness, nursing his grievances and grabbing a device that often lands him in hot water.
On his Android phone, Donald J. Trump began to tap out bursts of digital fury: He mocked Alicia Machado, a former Miss Universe and a popular Latin American actress, as a “con,” the “worst” and “disgusting.”
In a final flourish, before the sun came up, the Republican presidential nominee claimed — without offering any evidence — that she had appeared in a “sex tape.”
While this particular set of self-destructive activities is not quite as bad as his multi-day attacks on the Khan family, they are just another example as to why his line about his temperament resulted in spontaneous laughter on Monday night.
The bizarre thing (well, one of the bizarre things) about this whole scenario is that Trump needs to bolster his position with Latinos and with women, but his impulse is for petty attacks rather than for pursuing his own long-term self-interest (yes, nothing new, but something that is worth continually point out).
This is exactly why Clinton raised the Machado thing at the end of the debate, when he didn’t have a lot of time left to respond. She, or someone on her staff, knows that Trump can not let anything go. By hitting him with it late, she set him up to have a meltdown. And Trump quickly obliged.
The thing about Trump is that he’s a bully. You could see that in “The Apprentice”. He’s used to getting his own way and bossing people around. And he’s very thin-skinned when anyone pushes back. This is a terrible personality trait for someone in government. And now we’re seeing it again. You can argue that a model who puts on 50 lbs is not doing her job. Fine. But Trump bullied her, humiliated her, degraded her, drove her to an eating disorder. Bullying behavior. And now that she’s hitting back, with the eager help of the Democrats, he can not stand it.
It will be interesting to see how Trump responds in the next two debates. He’s been patting himself on the back all week for not bringing up Bill’s affairs (as if not being a jerk is praise-worthy). I don’t think he’ll let it go a second time. And I’m sure Clinton has had a response ready since Labor Day.
@Hal_10000:
While on the one hand I am not truly surprised, I have to admit to some level of wonder that the man is this stupid as to take the bait.
But yes, there were a number of such traps laid for him throughout the debate and Clinton scored on this one.
The whole thing is just incredible.
@Steven L. Taylor:
I don’t think “stupid” is the right word here. It’s more an indication of psychological issues than intelligence.
@M. Bouffant: My thoughts exactly. What is wrong with this guy?
@M. Bouffant: There is clearly something wrong.
The usual amateur psychiatrist diagnosis of Trump is that he has narcissistic personality disorder.
@Ratufa: From a layman’s POV, this seems reasonable. I try and avoid too much pop psychology and hence my inelegant usage of “stupid” for lack of a better term.
Hillary gave a rope to him,] and he hanged himself.
@Steven L. Taylor:..lack of a better term.
My thesaurus has a plethora of better terms for stupid
Not to say that any of them apply to Citizen Trump.
@Hal_10000:
It’s going to be a thing of beauty when Clinton unleashes that haymaker sometime early in the second debate, which is when Trump will launch his attack.
Really, do you want a President who is so predictable in his lack of self control that you can set up these simple traps for him to fall into? Sadly, it appears 40 per cent of the country does.
If anyone else was fortunate enough to have seen last night’s SNL cold open with Alec Baldwin’s hilarious send-up of Trump, one of the best moments was Baldwin launching into a Trump-style rant while on the other side of the split-screen Kate McKinnon (who does a great Hillary) was pantomiming reeling in a fish. It was just so perfectly representative of what actually happened.
Right before that, the moderator tells her “You have two minutes to respond” and she replies, “that’s OK, he can have my two.”
Watch the whole thing… https://youtu.be/BgLoB-42oSE
That, to me, is the big takeaway. He has a right to defend himself, but do we really want someone as prez who has a history of defending things stupidly?
@gVOR08: Do we really want someone in the presidency who can be so easily manipulated by (deep breath) Clinton, the Democratic party, Putin, the Chinese, the Mexicans, the North Koreans, the Iranians, the Israelis, everyone else in the Mideast, anyone who posts on the internet….
Have I missed anyone?
@Mikey:..
Apparently the Green Beans and the Libertines sabotaged that clip. Here’s one that worked this AM.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nQGBZQrtT0
Trump just can’t help himself.
He’s remarkably thin-skinned; he cannot resist lashing back and attacking people over any, that’s right … any, perceived slight or criticism. A person could say to him, ‘you know, that tie doesn’t quite go with that shirt and suit’ and he’d probably berate that person.