Or are people that ignorantly desperate?
This attack ad directed at Donald Trump has women quote certain of Trump’s public insults over the last year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkSRJSUY0vs
The ads are being run by Our Principles PAC, an independent super PAC focused on stopping Donald Trump. The principal funder is a donor to a variety of Republican candidates, conservative and establishment. According to FactCheck.org:
As of Jan. 31, Our Principles PAC raised more than $3 million from individual donors, according to its February report filed with the Federal Election Commission. Almost all of its funding came from Marlene Ricketts, co-owner of the Chicago Cubs baseball franchise, wife of billionaire T.D. Ameritrade founder J. Joe Ricketts, and mother of both Republican Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and Todd Ricketts
Marlene Ricketts was a top contributor to Unintimidated PAC, a super PAC that supported Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s failed 2016 presidential bid. She also has been a major funder of the fiscally conservative Ending Spending Action Fund, which was founded by her husband, Joe, and is run by her son, Todd. And, in 2015, Ricketts also gave $10,000 each to super PACs backing the presidential campaigns of Bush and Christie, as well as former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.
We think the ad will have some effect as intended, reducing Trumps potential, and is at least as fair as Trump’s meandering accusations against his Republican rivals. Our additional thoughts in response:
- Are people twisting things Trump says or are they twisting themselves to disregard them? Are Trump’s insults dismissable along with others that we are aware of?
- Do the men and women supporting Trump think such expressions are admirable, indeed examples of how “politics” should be carried on?
- Do Trump supporters believe “women,” or the targeted woman each insult was directed at, have it coming from Trump?
- What effect will such expose’s on Trump have — hurt, increase support, or have no effect?
- Has the country had enough fun with his candidacy yet, isn’t it time to get serious?
Mollie Hemingway at The Federalist weighed in, in her own column, with her thoughts as regards the ad’s effectiveness. It is from her conservative strong woman who never fell for the “War on Women” silliness of recent years perspective along with her presumptions about Trump supporters.
Donald Trump is an opposition researcher’s dream. He’s said so many awful things about so many different people and ideas that there aren’t enough hours in the day to cover even a fraction of them.
And yet I can’t help but think this ad completely misses the mark . . .
This ad would be a great ad if the target were a conventional politician about whom not much was known. But the target is Donald Trump, a man who has been known for his misogyny for years. For decades! Telling us he’s a misogynist by reminding us of the stupid or immature things he’s said is too easy — and too ineffective. . . .
Yes, Trump has a YUGE gender gap problem. Maybe this will remind Republican voters of how unbelievably dangerous it will be to nominate such a character whose gender gap problems are epic. But I’m not sure.
Hemingway goes on to suggest the ad would be more effective if it were not so seriously acted. Our instinct tells us that in the political environment ridicule works better than scolding or somber analysis because people are less inclined to absorb a lecture. Effective ridicule can grab attention longer and go deeper with its impact. No one wants to be “ridiculous” by inference of their support for the effectively ridiculed candidate.
Responding on The Federalist blog, commenter “TakuanSoho” has an additional take:
Another problem with the tactic is that a lot of Trump supporters, and even many who are not, are tired of the Political Correctness Police; and the hypocrisy that Democrats can use the exact same words against Republican Women, and not only does the PC police not care, they promote the person even more (Letterman’s horrific attack on Palin’s 15 year old daughter ring a bell)?
So this ad, far from hurting Trump reminds many, including many who dislike him, about his one great virtue this campaign season. Besides, a few weeks ago a lot of Comedians were worried about the death of Comedy through PC and “Safe Zones”, a Trump Presidency will inject a great amount of life back into this noble profession.
To which we respond “right on” to the commenter’s observation about liberal’s hypocrisy. The lies and distortion they heap on conservatives and conservatism is endemic in our educational institutions and mainstream media. However political correctness and the type of insults Trump hurls are two different concepts. Political correctness is a distortion and an inhibition on truth, the insults that Trump throws are distorted or entirely non-sequiturs.
Others point out that Trump is an equal opportunity insulter. True, but it is not a virtue as practiced. His insults have the substance of school yard taunts from the comfort and protection of a podium surrounded by guards, a team of lawyers or “debate” rules. He would not get away with them so nonchalantly in other environments. Dads, sons, brothers and husbands would enter the fray, shall we say, more directly.
Maybe the better question is what key merits does Trump have, what known policy depth and dependability does he possess that others do not, to cause supporters to ignore his comments, behavior and actual political history? Why him when someone like Ted Cruz who s more consistent, more knowledgeable on what needs to be done, more respectful of the Constitution, and is the candidate most likely to reduce the size and scope of government? Ann Coulter, Pat Buchanan, Ben Carson, Falwell, Jr., Sarah Palin, Iowa’s Sam Clovis (and regrettably others) have disappointed in their desperation and definitely their political and historic analysis.
R Mall
