Dismissing risks, Trump goes all-in on Bill Clinton's past

[webfact]

Dismissing risks, Trump goes all-in on Bill Clinton's past

By JILL COLVIN

 

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump says he took the moral high ground at the first presidential debate by not mentioning the infidelities of former President Bill Clinton. But he hinted at them, talked about them immediately afterward and then sent his campaign's top backers out to do the same.

 

"An impeachment for lying," Trump said Thursday at a campaign rally in New Hampshire, referring to the effort to remove Bill Clinton from office for lying about his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. "Remember that? Impeach."

 

The Republican nominee's decision to dredge up the former president's sexual history is a risky move in his campaign against Democrat Hillary Clinton, whose own team isn't fazed by the attack line. Clinton was asked on her campaign plane whether she has an obligation to speak out if Trump brings up her husband's infidelities. Her answer was a terse "No."

 

Trump critics say it all could backfire, elevating Clinton in the eyes of female voters and motivating her base.

 

"The whole notion of trying to get Hillary Clinton to pay for Bill Clinton's infidelities is just strategically a bad choice," said Katie Packer, a longtime Republican strategist opposed to Trump's candidacy. Women in particular, she said, see it as cruel.

 

Republican pollster Frank Luntz said Trump's reference to Bill Clinton's indiscretions was his low point Monday night among the group of voters with whom he watched the debate.

 

"They were laughing about it because they thought that was Trump at his worst," Luntz said, adding that undecided voters are especially turned off by personal attacks.

 

The effort also risks drawing attention to the thrice-married Trump's own unflattering history with women. His first marriage ended following a well-publicized affair, and two of his top advisers, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, have had their own well-documented infidelities. The three have had nine wives combined.

 

Trump first touched on Bill Clinton's sexual past the weekend before the debate, threatening to seat Gennifer Flowers in the front row. She has said she and Clinton had an affair and he has admitted to one sexual encounter. She didn't appear.

 

Trump did not directly mention Bill Clinton's affairs on stage with the Democratic nominee, but did make a veiled reference.

 

"You want to know the truth? I was going to say something extremely rough to Hillary, to her family, and I said to myself: I can't do it. I just can't do it," he said on stage.

 

Moments after the debate ended, Trump raised Bill Clinton's affairs unprompted, in response to a question about Hillary Clinton's performance.

 

"I'm very happy I didn't mention Bill's indiscretions because that's out of respect," he told The Associated Press, adding that he'd held his tongue because the Clintons' daughter, Chelsea, was in the audience.

 

That restraint didn't last. In talking points later distributed by the campaign and obtained by the AP, Trump supporters were advised that "Mr. Trump has never treated women the way Hillary Clinton and her husband did when they actively worked to destroy Bill Clinton's accusers."

 

The document mentions Flowers, Lewinsky and Paula Jones, a former Arkansas state worker who sued Clinton for sexual harassment. The former president eventually agreed to an $850,000 settlement with Jones, but acknowledged no wrongdoing.

 

Trump supporters are advised to say they are not "blaming Hillary for Bill's infidelities," but rather are pointing out that she has "been an active participant in trying to destroy the women who has come forward with a claim."

 

His backers got the message. Giuliani said Bill Clinton "disgraced this country with what he did in the Oval Office."

 

As for Hillary Clinton, Giuliani said, "After being married to Bill Clinton for 20 years, if you didn't know the moment Monica Lewinsky said that Bill Clinton violated her that she was telling the truth, then you're too stupid to be president." That was in an interview posted by a reporter from the news website Elite Daily.

 

Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge told MSNBC on Wednesday, "If we want to dig back through the '90s on comments made about women, we can certainly look to Secretary Clinton referring to Monica Lewinsky as a neurotic loony toon."

 

While Hillary Clinton's aides aren't thrilled about having her marriage back in the spotlight, they argue Trump's new focus prevents him from making an affirmative case for his candidacy and only underscores the concerns some voters have with his temperament.

 

Said spokesman Brian Fallon, "She's not wired in the same way he is, prone to outbursts."

 

GOP strategist Packer, who has spent years working to draw women to the Republican Party, said independent, Republican-leaning and Democratic-leaning women alike don't blame Clinton for her husband's affairs or for being angry with the women he slept with. And reminders of them only boost her popularity.

 

"Hillary is never stronger than when she was when she's a victim," Packer said.

___

Associated Press writers Lisa Lerer in Des Moines, Iowa, and Steve Peoples in New Bedford, New Hampshire, contributed to this report.

 

-- © Associated Press 2016-09-30

[Ulysses G.]

Her supporters spend so much time demonozing him dishonestly, why not tell the truth about Bill's infidelities and her attacks on the women that entertained him.

[hgma]

Lets keep Thaivisa clean of dirty foreign politics from what angle whatsoever.

Edited September 30, 2016 by hgma

[Pinot]

1 hour ago, Ulysses G. said:

Her supporters spend so much time demonozing him dishonestly, why not tell the truth about Bill's infidelities and her attacks on the women that entertained him.

 

"her attacks on the women that entertained him." ???

 

People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw rocks. Trump has been married three times and cheated on his wife at the time with the next one on the list. If he wants to open that infidelity can of worms...let's have it. Let's have the long line of hookers he's used, come out. The Clinton's are saints compared to sniffles.  Let's also remember that Bill's infidelities are not Hillary's.

 

Trump has nothing left so he's grasping at straws. Does anyone over there in wingnuttia really think this is a good strategy? That somehow this plan of attack will get him elected President? There are so many things he could do, but is incapable of because he's an idiot, like actually being prepared and becoming knowledgeable about issues. Cheeto jesus continues his pathetic run for POTUS. 

[Silurian]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The effort also risks drawing attention to the thrice-married Trump's own unflattering history with women. His first marriage ended following a well-publicized affair, and two of his top advisers, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, have had their own well-documented infidelities. The three have had nine wives combined.

 

It's it funny that republicans hold the whole marriage theme sacred yet marry and divorce without much thought while Clintons have stuck together through "better and worse". It really goes to show you that the Clintons are truly dedicated to each other while Trump just jumps from female to female whenever he gets tired and wants a new model.

 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Trump critics say it all could backfire, elevating Clinton in the eyes of female voters and motivating her base.

 

Keep on, keeping on Trump! Isolate those women voters even more. Let's get the female voters supporting Trump down to single digit percentages. No where to go but down from here.

[Pinot]

While doing Marla Maples (wife #2), Ivana Trump’s lawyers asked him under oath about his dealings with other women and whether he had been faithful to his wife. Instead of answering, Donald Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.

 

Over the course of five depositions that summer, he was asked approximately 100 questions related to marital infidelity. He pleaded the Fifth on 97 of them. 

 

PLEADED THE FIFTH!

 

I don't personally care who he did, but coming after Hillary stinks of hypocrisy and I think the American public will get it. 

[mike324]

trump has remarried how many times? been sued over 2000 times? have many of his business have gone bankrupt? Amazing how so many people still believe in "great businessman" trying to "make america great" again when all he proposes is to make countries pay, and that because he is a great businessmen he can lead the country.

 

Hilary isn't that good herself, but she will bring more stability to America more than Trump.

[Berkshire]

1 hour ago, Pinot said:

While doing Marla Maples (wife #2), Ivana Trump’s lawyers asked him under oath about his dealings with other women and whether he had been faithful to his wife. Instead of answering, Donald Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.

 

Over the course of five depositions that summer, he was asked approximately 100 questions related to marital infidelity. He pleaded the Fifth on 97 of them. 

 

PLEADED THE FIFTH!

 

I don't personally care who he did, but coming after Hillary stinks of hypocrisy and I think the American public will get it. 

 

Trump is in desperation mode.  But agree that he doesn't have the moral high ground.  He's attacking HRC for what her husband did, yet he himself cheated on his wife(s).  Amazing.

 

Maybe Trump is trying to deflect from the latest controversy....Trump in Cuba and violating embargo laws.  Does the controversy with this guy ever end?

 

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/marco-rubio-deeply-concerned-donald-trump-cuba-business/story?id=42447807

 

[“This is something they’re going to have to give a response to. I mean, it was a violation of American law, if that’s how it happened,” Rubio said on the ESPN/ABC “Capital Games” podcast. ]

 

 

[StevieH]

3 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

 

Trump is in desperation mode.  But agree that he doesn't have the moral high ground.  He's attacking HRC for what her husband did, yet he himself cheated on his wife(s).  Amazing.

 

Maybe Trump is trying to deflect from the latest controversy....Trump in Cuba and violating embargo laws.  Does the controversy with this guy ever end?

 

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/marco-rubio-deeply-concerned-donald-trump-cuba-business/story?id=42447807

 

[“This is something they’re going to have to give a response to. I mean, it was a violation of American law, if that’s how it happened,” Rubio said on the ESPN/ABC “Capital Games” podcast. ]

 

 

 

of course he is. he lost the debate, he was humiliated at the debate when clinton pointed out the machado stuff, then the cuba story comes out. he's embarrassed yet again so he lashes out. it's what he does. 

 

not one US newspaper has endorsed trump. zero. that has never happened before. he is literally the worst candidate for president in US history. hopefully americans will do what needs doing in november and hand him a monumental defeat, a record-breaking beating. the biggest humiliation of his life. 

[dcpo]

I don't understand how a sane person could look at Trump and Hillary and conclude that Hillary is the crooked one. Clearly rational minds are not at work here.

[Berkshire]

2 minutes ago, StevieH said:

 

of course he is. he lost the debate, he was humiliated at the debate when clinton pointed out the machado stuff, then the cuba story comes out. he's embarrassed yet again so he lashes out. it's what he does. 

 

not one US newspaper has endorsed trump. zero. that has never happened before. he is literally the worst candidate for president in US history. hopefully americans will do what needs doing in november and hand him a monumental defeat, a record-breaking beating. the biggest humiliation of his life. 

 

Speaking of US newspapers....

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2016/09/29/dont-vote-for-donald-trump-editorial-board-editorials-debates/91295020/

 

[In the 34-year history of USA TODAY, the Editorial Board has never taken sides in the presidential race. Instead, we’ve expressed opinions about the major issues and haven’t presumed to tell our readers, who have a variety of priorities and values, which choice is best for them. Because every presidential race is different, we revisit our no-endorsement policy every four years. We’ve never seen reason to alter our approach. Until now.

 

This year, the choice isn’t between two capable major party nominees who happen to have significant ideological differences. This year, one of the candidates — Republican nominee Donald Trump — is, by unanimous consensus of the Editorial Board, unfit for the presidency.]

[StevieH]

yeah. but they're elite media shills and MSM or something. 

[CaptHaddock]

I worry that one day the Dems could face a Republican demagogue every bit as ruthless as Trump, but a lot smarter.  Ted Cruz, for example.  But in the meantime it is truly heart-warming to see Trump defeat himself because of his own stupidity.

 

Of course, attacking Hillary for her husband's infidelities will backfire on him.  In fact, it was the Lewinsky affair that enabled Hillary's political career in the first place.  Hillary was never particularly well-liked as the First Lady, because she was a successful corporate lawyer in her own right, not content just to spend her time giving out brownie recipes.  And so a lot of American housewives didn't like her.  But that only changed with Lewinsky.  Suddenly, all those American housewives who may have felt threatened by the example of a successful career woman in the limelight, could sympathize with her as a wronged woman, who stands by her man.  She's one of us. Bingo, Hillary's political career became enabled right then. 

[jippytum]

Bill Clinton 's past is fair game in the election debate .It is a fact he will be back in the white house and have an influence on Hilary if she wins . That would be two liars in the white house .Are the American public going to agree to that .....surely not.

[maewang99]

the dress with the stain.  not only useful for keeping Gore out of it, just barely though.... but still useful almost a decade later now... for keeping Gore's favorite agenda item off our minds as well.  the dress.  Climate.  the dress wins.  as for who the next Turkey Pardoner is, it don't mean a thing.  

Edited September 30, 2016 by maewang99

[iReason]

Just now, Ulysses G. said:

Her supporters spend so much time demonozing him dishonestly, why not tell the truth about Bill's infidelities and her attacks on the women that entertained him.

 

You keep embarrassing yourself and grasping at pathetic straws.

Just like the Bloviator.

[SaintLouisBlues]

7 minutes ago, jippytum said:

Bill Clinton 's past is fair game in the election debate .It is a fact he will be back in the white house and have an influence on Hilary if she wins . That would be two liars in the white house .Are the American public going to agree to that .....surely not.

A non-American friend has explained to me how the rest of the world regards the US Presidency - as a form of entertainment. This is a summary of what he wrote:

• Hoppalong Reagan - clear to everyone except the Americans he was suffering from dementia
• Poppy Bush - gifted the world the first Gulf War and Al Qaeda, leading directly to the second Gulf War while maintaining a full-time mistress in the White House
• Bill "I did not have sex with that woman" Clitoris and state-sponsored pornography in the fom of the Starr Report
• George Bush - say no more
• Obama - the mad and the bad incandescent that a black man was president
• Trump - the mad and the bad's own man for the White House

[Chicog]

4 hours ago, Ulysses G. said:

Her supporters spend so much time demonozing him dishonestly, why not tell the truth about Bill's infidelities and her attacks on the women that entertained him.

 

No reason at all.

Should make an excellent discussion at the next debate.

"Donald is intensely loyal".

 

                                   - Donald Trump's third wife.

 

[RuamRudy]

1 hour ago, jippytum said:

Bill Clinton 's past is fair game in the election debate .It is a fact he will be back in the white house and have an influence on Hilary if she wins . That would be two liars in the white house .Are the American public going to agree to that .....surely not.

 

So a untrustworthy, cheating philanderer in the White House is a bad thing? Looks like they need new candidates on both sides then.

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

How can someone with no morals take the moral high ground? Trump steals from his own charities!!! Even though he has not contributed a dine to them since 2008.

 

Who cares if Bill messed around? Trump has mail order illegal immigrants as wives.

 

Bill is not running now, if his wife stuck by him through his cheating I would think that says something about her loyalty and devotion.

 

If I was president, the only thing I would do different is bang good looking girls. I only question Bills taste. 

 

Release your taxes you lying con man!!!

[Chicog]

1 hour ago, StevieH said:

yeah. but they're elite media shills and MSM or something. 

 

And Benghazi!

 

 

[JHolmesJr]

8 minutes ago, ALLSEEINGEYE said:

Bill is not running now, if his wife stuck by him through his cheating I would think that says something about her loyalty and devotion.

 

Or the fact that she didn't mind him his infidelity because speaking about it would endanger the political life she had carefully constructed.

 

Hillary makes women everywhere look weak….poor role model for womens rights.

[cncltd1973]

2 hours ago, dcpo said:

I don't understand how a sane person could look at Trump and Hillary and conclude that Hillary is the crooked one. Clearly rational minds are not at work here.

Well, if you look at the past ties between Clinton and Wall Street (Bill's deregulation of derivatives that led to overspeculation and the crash, huge campaign donations from Wall Street, etc), then you can see how that conclusion is drawn and there's plenty of distrust still with her past, current and future associations with Larry Summers and Robert Rubin (google them up, last I heard they'll be in her cabinet).

So our choice is a rented politician with some social issues to dangle before us, or a seriously flawed egomaniac outsider. I guess we'll have to wait 4 more years and hope the either don't damage us too badly in the meantime.

[Jingthing]

He's losing. He's desperate. Expect it to get much dirtier still.

Not even sure he will show up for the final two debates.

It might be smarter for him not to.

He's already crying "RIGGED" so he might be weighing his options. 

[StevieH]

14 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

He's losing. He's desperate. Expect it to get much dirtier still.

Not even sure he will show up for the final two debates.

It might be smarter for him not to.

He's already crying "RIGGED" so he might be weighing his options. 

 

the second debate in town hall format could really see him implode. questions from allegedly undecided voters across a wide and varying range of policy issues could really, really show up just how many important subjects he has literally no knowledge of. if he starts throwing stuff around about bill clinton's infidelity in a town hall format and the cameras just pick up the shocked faces of the audience his wheels could really, really come off.

[Jingthing]

6 minutes ago, StevieH said:

 

the second debate in town hall format could really see him implode. questions from allegedly undecided voters across a wide and varying range of policy issues could really, really show up just how many important subjects he has literally no knowledge of. if he starts throwing stuff around about bill clinton's infidelity in a town hall format and the cameras just pick up the shocked faces of the audience his wheels could really, really come off.

I agree, that's the riskier one for him. But if he's going to skip one, he'll probably need to skip both. Which is why I think he will show up for both. 

[CaptHaddock]

25 minutes ago, cncltd1973 said:

Well, if you look at the past ties between Clinton and Wall Street (Bill's deregulation of derivatives that led to overspeculation and the crash, huge campaign donations from Wall Street, etc), then you can see how that conclusion is drawn and there's plenty of distrust still with her past, current and future associations with Larry Summers and Robert Rubin (google them up, last I heard they'll be in her cabinet).

So our choice is a rented politician with some social issues to dangle before us, or a seriously flawed egomaniac outsider. I guess we'll have to wait 4 more years and hope the either don't damage us too badly in the meantime.

 

Whoa!  More fantasy history from the right-wing.  Bill Clinton did not "deregulate derivatives" for the simple reason that they were never regulated because right-wing Ayn-Rander Alan Greenspan refused to regulate them.  He did so even after Brooksley Born, the head of the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, urged him and Congress to do so.  In later testimony he admitted his mistake:

 

The financial crisis even prompted the Republican Greenspan, a staunch believer in free markets, to propose that government consider tougher regulations, including requiring financial firms that package mortgages into securities to keep a portion as a check on quality.

 

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/27335454/ns/business-stocks_and_economy/t/greenspan-admits-mistake-helped-crisis/#.V-4TVbNEEpU

[CaptHaddock]

3 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I agree, that's the riskier one for him. But if he's going to skip one, he'll probably need to skip both. Which is why I think he will show up for both. 

 

Possible, but I think the odds are against seeing him debate again.  Trump might have thought going into the first debate that he could get away with his bluster act and Hillary would melt in the face of his abuse.  Now however, he knows for a certainty that he is going to be humiliated if he gets on stage with her again.  And Trump really, really hates to be humiliated.  Someone like Romney or Cruz would take the chance, but those guys, in addition to being smarter than Trump, are burning with ambition to be president.  Not Trump, who kind of stumbled into the nomination while trying to promote his brand.

[Jingthing]

Of course he doesn't care about hypocrisy but it would be funny if he bails on the debates after he's going around saying how he WON the first one! 

[JHolmesJr]

7 minutes ago, CaptHaddock said:

 

…. Trump, who kind of stumbled into the nomination while trying to promote his brand.

 

Stumbled?

 

I put it to you that he soundly whipped some veteran career politicians in the field before stumbling into the nomination.