6 Things I Wish Clinton Had Said To Trump

[red dog 1]

By Robert Kuttner
The American Prospect (via Alternet)
October 11, 2016

"Hillary performed well in Sunday's debate, but she could have demolished Trump,
once and for all."


According to post-debate instant polls and based on the continuing defection of other leading Republicans, Hillary Clinton evidently did well enough in Sunday night's debate.
But had she been a little more alert and less scripted, she might have demolished Donald Trump, once and for all.

Trump came into the debate on the verge of a total meltdown, with Republican elected officials deserting his candidacy by the dozen, his own running mate distancing himself from the candidate, and the nation in a state of disgust over Trump's bragging over his gross sexual exploits.

Yet when the debate was over, the consensus (was) that Trump had done well enough to survive, even to halt the slide.

What might Hillary have said?
Here are six examples:

(From the transcript)

ANDERSON COOPER:
Just for the record, though, are you saying that what you said on that bus 11 years ago that you did not actually kiss women without consent or grope women without consent?

TRUMP:
I have great respect for women...Nobody has more respect for women than I do.

COOPER:
So, for the record, you're saying that you never did that?

TRUMP:
I've said things that,frankly, you hear these things I said....And I was embarrassed by it,
but I have tremendous respect for women.

COOPER
Have you ever done those things?

TRUMP
And women have respect for me...And I will tell you: No. I have not.
And I will tell you that I'm going to make our country safe.
We're going to have borders in our country, which we don't have now.


Read more:
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/six-things-clinton-should-say-trump

[Bill USA]

1. Good article. Here's the one I liked best:

TRUMP (from the transcript): If I win, I am going to instruct my attorney general to get a special prosecutor to look into your situation, because there has never been so many lies, so much deception.

CLINTON (should have said): Donald, you may have missed this in civics class, but one of the things that makes America a democracy is that the winners of elections don’t try to put their opponents in jail. Your pal Putin does that, but Americans don’t.

Here is what I thought she could have said:

When the Donald said if he was president he would lock up Hillary, I wish Hillary had said:

"That's all we need, an insecure child-man as a dictator, tearing up our Constitution."

as the article pointed out:

Trump came into the debate on the verge of a total meltdown, with Republican elected officials deserting his candidacy by the dozen, his own running mate distancing himself from the candidate, and the nation in a state of disgust over Trump’s bragging over his gross sexual exploits.

Yet when the debate was over, the consensus that Trump has done well enough to survive, even to halt the slide. What might Hillary have said?

A strong rebuttal of his statement to jail her, might very well have sent him into a fury of ignorant non-sequiturs and he certainly would have shown great agitation. I think the after debate result would have been him going down in flames.

[red dog 1]

2. I agree!

Also, not quite as important perhaps, but remember that very last question the man in the audience asked them both?

Something like, "For both of you, say something positive about your opponent"

Hillary went first, and said something like "Well, I think his children are wonderful"

IMO, she should have ended it there; but she rambled on for 2 or 3 minutes, and, by the end of her long "answer"..she seemed to have forgotten the question.

Trump, on the other hand, said that he thought that "she is a real fighter"

His reply was very brief, and to the point...

Hillary needs to try not to "ramble on & on" in her answers at the final debate.

[treestar]

3. easy to do when you are not on the spot

she's likely much better than any of us at thinking on her feet.

[Bill USA]

5. don't think the author of article in OP was criticizing. Clinton & her advisors decided to not

get involved in any tit-for-tat rejoinder jousting with the Donald. They decided it's better to not respond and let make an ass of himself. I agree with that. Better to be presidential.

HOWEVER, I also don't think she should be strait-jacketed by that decision. Given that Trump's statement that if he was president she would be in jail, was so extraordinary and unconscionable in a Democracy, I think it would have been alright for her to make a statement pointing out the dictatorial implications of his statement - and how that attitude is antagonistic to democracy.

I think the author wrote his comments as feed-back to the Clinton team. Communicating to them that if Trump makes really egregious and unconscionable assertions it's alright for her to criticize such statements without jeopardizing the chosen personal presentation or style that they have decided upon for Clinton.


I think it would have been appropriate and desirable for her to point out that what the Donald said is the kind of thing a dictator would say.


cf. Ezra Klein's article: Donald Trump’s threat to imprison Hillary Clinton is a threat to Democracy

In the USA Today letters to the editor, included one from a lifelong Republican: Lifelong Republican: Trump reveals "at best an authoritarian view, & at worst the words of a dictator"

[treestar]

6. true enough

the real horror is so many Americans seem to kind of unconsciously believe the POTUS is a dictator. That's where the "thanks Obama" though humorous comes from. Everything is the POTUS fault since they have total power to do otherwise.

[Bill USA]

8. yes, the Republican Suckers get that from rabid right loudmouths on cable tv & the internet and

from GOP propagandists.

The GOP tells people, if the Government passes any law you don't like, it's because the President (this of course only applies to Democratic presidents) is a dictator and the Government is oppressing them. Even though the laws were passed after debate and negotiations in the House and Senate - in accordance with all the rules and regulations governing how these two bodies pass legislation.

While the Repugnants incessantly shout that Democratic presidents are dictators, the GOP shows a frightening facility for the techniques of totalitarianism.


IT's funny how the people who were chanting Obamacare was evidence of Obama's dictatorship, these same people said: "Keep your hands off my Medicare!"

[Nitram]

4. Second guessing the winner of a debate with someone who cannot be debated in the...

traditional style we term "debate" is a waste of time. Clinton did exactly what she had to. Trump did the rest. More deadly sound bites for attack ads.

[Bill USA]

7. I don't see it as second guessing or criticizing. I think the author is just offering input to

.. Clinton and advisors that, it's okay for Hillary to respond with forceful criticism, if Trump says something egregiously unconscionable. I think he's trying to tell them that Hillary doesn't have to be completely bound by adherence to a certain personal presentation or style. I view it as input, for their consideration.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/1016168409#post5

[kristinshe]

9. Hillary Clinton is Sensable Politician

I think her debate was perfect according to the time. Maybe she'll use more suspects in the next debate for winning the elections over Trump. Politics is very complex to understand.