2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumWhy did this tape finally break Trump (if it did)?
The tape was no surprise to any of us here. It's been obvious all along that this is just the kind of vile asshole Trump is.
There is a mountain of information that has been revealed about Trump - all of it very bad. I would contend that some of it is even worse than this taped conversation. Yet until now, his candidacy has been treated seriously and polls showed he came very close to Hillary at several points.
Trump has been legitimized by the media's willingness to overlook or minimize damaging stories about him. When mentioned, they babble about the need for an apology or a pivot, while downplaying the evidence of his total lack of fitness for the job. There are a few exceptions - the Khan disaster and the 'fat' Miss Universe come to mind. But they are treated like political miscalculations or mistakes rather than signs of deep character flaws.
The polls diverged again once the public was able to make an unfiltered comparison of the two candidates in the first debate. Since then, the news media has shown signs of conceding defeat it the effort to prop him up.
They are treating this lewd tape like a serious, deal-breaking story. Would they have done the same if it had broken 3 months ago? Is this the start of a snowball effect, where they will suddenly pile onto the loser? If so, they have plenty to bury him with!
Or will they recover (or I should say relapse) and soon be talking about the need for a better apology, or a new campaign manager, or more study time for Trump so he can recoup in the next debate?
underpants
(182,879 posts)It is the body of evidence as you say but this one is a knock out blow. It has to be.
NoGoodNamesLeft
(2,056 posts)And he talked about pressuring her badly and kept saying she was married. Then he proved that he has a sense of entitlement that because he's famous he can just take whatever he wants from women...even married women.
This is not only about women. It's him disrespecting married men and the family. The religious folks frown on that.
ailsagirl
(22,899 posts)I think he reached the tipping point with this latest scandal
Enough is enough
ginnyinWI
(17,276 posts)this behavior is wrong.
If it were only "talk" then the lies of a braggart wouldn't matter so much. But there are witnesses to his behavior too.
ailsagirl
(22,899 posts)All of it is terribly wrong
Coyotl
(15,262 posts)Plus, the admission he is a sexual predator comes a few days before his court case for raping a 13 year old girl.
He branded himself as unimaginably repulsive to the average voter, the guy who will burn in Hell to Christians. No way can they now vote for him.
cyberswede
(26,117 posts)LSK
(36,846 posts)frazzled
(18,402 posts)It angers me that the vile racist remarks, the attacks on the Khans, and all the rest did not generate the same overwhelming outrage. Maybe it was because those remarks somehow fit into a political narrative that was pretty close to Republican orthodoxy anyway. Maybe it was because second-hand stories about his character are never quite as compelling as hearing his own words unvarnished. Or maybe this was just the straw that broke the camel's back.
I hope the Republicans learned a lesson. They should have stopped his train wreck of a candidacy early in the primaries. They probably had plenty of oppo to use, maybe even this very tape. They thought he was appealing to people and were afraid to step in. They'll never do that again. Maybe.
randome
(34,845 posts)Who is this 'they' you speak of? From what I can see, no one is in charge of the GOP. No one.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]TECT in the name of the Representative approves of this post.[/center][/font][hr]
Hekate
(90,793 posts)Cosmocat
(14,572 posts)We will see what we have seen in an increasingly vile and mean spirited manner of the last quarter century if Hillary wins.
1) Republicans will act like full on jackasses
2) Republicans will blame Hillary for them being jackasses
3) The media will GLEEFULLY enable the republicans by channneling their bullshit narrative that Hillary is to blame for them being assholes
4) The democrats will crawl in a corner and let Hillary get steam rolled
5) The addle minded "middle" will come away from it thinking Hillary did something wrong
6) The republicans will continue to dominate at the state level and have a big mid term win
Hekate
(90,793 posts)Last edited Sat Oct 8, 2016, 04:40 PM - Edit history (1)
...and if (a gigantic if) we can turn out Dems for the midterm and keep that majority, things will be better.
I want Trump obliterated. His out from under every rock supporters will still be with us, but I want them to blame the GOP and not HRC for their loss. I am hoping Trump takes it all down with him.
This is the blood the media sharks smell in the water, and this is what the remaining sane Republicans smell as well.
Cosmocat
(14,572 posts)is getting the senate by a hair, somehow getting justices confirmed (and that will be ugly x 1,000,000) which will be what ACA was for generating a raving lunatic turnout in 18 and having another huge house gain and the senate going back to them. Then, 2 more years of the last 6 years with BHO, jackshit getting done.
TeamPooka
(24,254 posts)crazy shit has been said in public with the guise or excuse of entertainment as he used that excuse the other day
All that bad crazy stuff on Howard stern was to promote my TV show. etc
I'm an entertainer etc
this is him being him
cant hide that
authenticly Trump
now the real man.
Madam45for2923
(7,178 posts)mythology
(9,527 posts)That's a different sort of violation than having a bigot call you names. You expect that out of a bigot. I'm not saying that those shouldn't have been disqualifying, but it's fundamentally different than actually putting your hands on somebody.
It's why for example I can legally call somebody an asshole and it's an illegal assault for them to punch me for it.
Maeve
(42,288 posts)The last drop of water that breaks the dam...it's just finally hit the 'enough is too much!" point when he was already on the edge of the abyss.
ecstatic
(32,731 posts)instead of saying that he should step down.
I guess all is well if he puts on a great, fact free performance tomorrow. Nevermind the fact that he condoned and admitted to engaging in sexual assault at 60 years old.
Chemisse
(30,817 posts)Absolutely sickening.
jcgoldie
(11,645 posts)... one of those stupid Trump trucker hats that says "Grab her by the pussy" instead of Make America great again? I think I'll need one for an upcoming family gathering with the super religious Trump supporting side of the family.
Chemisse
(30,817 posts)At least if you enjoy rowdy political debates. The hat will be perfect.
jcgoldie
(11,645 posts)Mostly I'm thinking it will piss em off and shut em up
Chemisse
(30,817 posts)With no possible legitimate response.
eShirl
(18,503 posts)Scurrilous
(38,687 posts)"The idiom the straw that broke the camel's back, alluding to the proverb "it is the last straw that breaks the camel's back", describes the seemingly minor or routine action which causes an unpredictably large and sudden reaction, because of the cumulative effect of small actions."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_that_broke_the_camel%27s_back
Chemisse
(30,817 posts)Although other people have made really good points about what he really crossing a line, and it's out there in his own words.
rustydog
(9,186 posts)and have a LAZER focus on his confessed sexual assault. He bragged about grabbing a woman's pubic area without her consent. Now there are women coming out with frightening stories of Trump's unsolicited sexual predation.
What he did would put a poorer man in prison for rape or attempted rape.
FSogol
(45,526 posts)against Trumpy is exaggerated. Of course when you have a video of Trumpy saying even worse things, the media excuse evaporates.
tonyt53
(5,737 posts)Using Trump's own words and actions to expose just who and what he is, isn't dirty tricks. It isn't even dirty politics. It is saving the rest of us from being completely embarrassed by him as prez. Next week, if Trump is still running (and there is little the GOP can do at this point), there will be something even worse.
beachbumbob
(9,263 posts)And attack on miss universe...can't deny...
themonster
(137 posts)In the past, the things that Trump said would have ended a politician's candidacy long age. When Trump made those comments about John McCain, I thought that would have hurt him. We love our veterans. There are a lot of angry people out there and Trump fed their anger.
KT2000
(20,587 posts)In this country nothing equals the status of a sex scandal.
Ridiculing a man with a disability, overt racism, misogyny, cheating veterans, setting up phony financial transactions - nothing.
Maybe those were too hard to understand or they validated peoples' prejudices, which makes people feel comfortable.
But sex is easy to understand and holds a premier place in our understanding of morality. The GOP is obsessed with anything "sex" and this does not fit their narrative. Even they know this is a scandal about a sexual predator.