Ignorance Is Her Best Defense

The earnest progressives at the Wapo's Plum Line spin the latest Hillaryphilic leaks about the FBI investigation. First, the spin from the Barry/Loretta side of the investigation, which of course is desperate to rationalize the eventual non-indictment of Hillary:

Officials: Scant evidence that Clinton had malicious intent in handling of emails

...

The involvement of the U.S. Attorney’s Office is not indicative that charges are imminent or even likely. One official said prosecutors are wrestling with the question of whether Clinton intended to violate the rules, and so far, the evidence seemed to indicate she did not.

Oh, well then, no malicious intent and therefore no crime? Please. Without even looking it up I am sure that reckless disregard of security protocols is illegal, regardless of intent. Why am I drawing a blank on the Clinton acolyte who stuffed top-secret documents into his trousers so he could study them at home? Sandy Berger, of course, who has regrettably died. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for mishandling classified information and lost his national security clearance for three years; such a loss of clearance would certainly limit Hillary and her circle of advisers if anyone thought she would actually take such restrictions seriously.

As to the law itself, no surprises:

18 U.S. Code § 1924 - Unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or material

(a) Whoever, being an officer, employee, contractor, or consultant of the United States, and, by virtue of his office, employment, position, or contract, becomes possessed of documents or materials containing classified information of the United States, knowingly removes such documents or materials without authority and with the intent to retain such documents or materials at an unauthorized location shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.

No one is tasking me with spinning this in Hillary's favor, so I won't even try. But Paul Waldman of the Plum Line heroes up!

That point about her intending to break classification rules is important, because in order to have broken the law, it isn’t enough for Clinton to have had classified information in a place where it was possible for it to be hacked. She would have had to intentionally given classified information to someone without authorization to have it, like David Petraeus did when he showed classified documents to his mistress (and then lied to the FBI about it, by the way). Despite the enormous manpower and time the Justice Department has devoted to this case, there has never been even a suggestion, let alone any evidence, that Clinton did any such thing.

Uh huh. Where was Waldman to explain that to Sandy Berger, who simply intended to study some National Archive documents in the comfort of his home or office. And of course, there is the famous 'smoking email' in which Hillary instructed an aide to strip the classified markings from a balky document that wouldn't go through a secure fax and send the darn thing by email. Apparently the aide didn't actually do that, so maybe all is well?

Well, that's their spin and they will be sticking to it.

Comments

[sbw]

I’m two threads back and trying to catch up!

[_peter]

and yet you are first. Excellent American Thinker article by our own Clarice. Happy Mother's Day JOMers.

[henry]

Happy Mothers Day to JOM.

Can I wish an indictment for the Omen's mother?

[henry]

Palin will endorse Nehlen vs Ryan because of Ryan's statement on not supporting Trump yet. Will it make a difference? I don't know.

[Thomas Collins]

18 USC 793(f) has a gross negligence standard, not an intent standard.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/793

The way many feel about Trump (don't see how anyone could vote for him) is the way I feel about Clinton. Disgusting is too weak a word to express my view of her actions in disregard of her country's security.

[Thomas Collins]

And if Clinton is the nominee, sitting out the election and not voting for Trump is facilitating her election.

[Thomas Collins]

And I say this despite my views on Trump not having changed one bit.

[Beasts of England]

Happy Mother's Day, JOM Mothers!!

[Old Lurker]

I repeat an earlier suspicion that Trump can make lemonade whether Hillary is indicted or not.

If indicted: Score!

If exonerated: "See that proves DC is rotten to the core and the rules do not apply to the powerful."

If no action: Why vote for somebody who might have to pardon herself and all of her staff, and who has obviously worked the system to give her a slow-walk-pass?

[Jack is Back! (in his Halcyon Days on the Fens)]

How hot is it in the UK where daddy is visiting Cambridge? 26C in London, where during the Tottenham v. Southampton BPL game they will take a water break half-way through the 2nd half. Unheard of in English football. Last week it was snowing. That's like 82F for us but in the UK it is more like 130F.

Today's Matt and how the Telly sees the race:

[Beasts of England]

The thug administration is trying to hamstring the state of North Carolina over the queer bathroom law. Their governor said that the federal DoT is even trying to withhold highway funds. Going after university funding, too. Gave them only three days to respond. Political vandalism.

The creep Chris Wallace is attacking the Governor like he's a member of the Klan. I've never seen anything like it.

But I'm sure Hillary wouldn't dare act like a [redacted for Mother's Day] dyke, amirite? Let's elect her...

[Beasts of England]

Scant means a very small amount, right? So there is evidence!

[James D.]

Disgusting is too weak a word to express my view of her actions in disregard of her country's security.

I don't think there is a strong enough word in the English language to properly describe my view of Hillary.

[jimmyk]

It seems that among the pseudo-intellectuals, Trump has become the Palin of this election year, with the eye-rolling, patronizing snark. I don't know if this story has been mentioned here:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/rampage/wp/2016/05/07/ivy-league-economist-interrogated-for-doing-math-on-american-airlines-flight/

I thought he handled it graciously but for this:

It is hard not to recognize in this incident, the ethos of [Donald] Trump’s voting base,” he wrote.

And of course the WaPo journo took off on that:

In this true parable of 2016 I see another worrisome lesson, albeit one also possibly relevant to Trump’s appeal: That in America today, the only thing more terrifying than foreigners is…math.

There's also been a lot of tut-tutting about "profiling," as where the article talks about "instances when innocent people were escorted off flights." As if there's something wrong because most suspicions turn out to be unwarranted. It's ok to pat down granny, but scrutinizing unusual behavior is a no-no.

[Stephanie]

I jumped off the Cruz missile and onto the Trump train about the time Clarice did (Super Tuesday).

Reading about game theory and the Dilbert blog on persuasion and other stuff about digital v television and it was a no brainer for me.

My friend who runs a Republican Hispanic group here in Georgia, jumped about a month ago - As did most of her group. Don't tell me latinos aren't going for Trump, her group is proof they are.

Happy Mom's Day to all the mom's out there!

[jimmyk]

The way many feel about Trump (don't see how anyone could vote for him) is the way I feel about Clinton.

Yep, or to put it a bit more strongly: I don't see how anyone could fail to vote for whoever her opponent is.

[Jack is Back! (in his Halcyon Days on the Fens)]

If you have 13 minutes for a refresher course: Every Lie Hillary has Told.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dY77j6uBHI

Devastating. She must have had cold sweats everytime Trump invoked "Lying Ted" knowing she was next. But he will probably throttle both "Crooked" and "Lying" once the real contest starts.

[Threadkiller]

Happy Mother's Day to all the JOM moms!

[Beasts of England]

On a happier note, I'm sitting in the deck enjoying some whomp biscuits* with my sister-in-law's first-of-the-season strawberry preserves! Yummy!

A guy in a kayak has just come around the far point of my slough and he has his elaborate fishing rig in the back - several poles, a cooler, and tackle. On the front there's something small moving all around... his dog!! How awesome is that? :)

*whomp biscuits are the ones that come from a can and you have to 'whomp' the tube on the side of the counter to open them up, i.e., not homemade. h/t Lewis Grizzard

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

A quote by Ben Rhodes from clarice's coumn;

‘They were saying things that validated what we had given them to say.’

I'm not sure I even know what that means.
The WH actually gave them bites to say or write and they embellished them or rewrote them in their own words?
Whatever it means it seems a bit beyond lying to know nothings. It describes an actual improper conspiracy of the press and the WH to lie to us.

[Beasts of England]

Hey, Stephanie!! Steph knows what whomp biscuits are! ;)

[henry]

Iggy, Pravda could take lessons from our "press."

[Threadkiller]

I was for Trump since day one of his campaign.

I have been an Article 2 eligibility freak since day one of my commenting on JOM.

What really steams me about the #NeverTrump losers is the fact that I made it clear in January that I would vote for Cruz if he were the nominee.

For me to do that I was prepared to be the biggest hypocrite this blog has ever seen in order to preserve the Country.

I think that overcoming my desire to not let an undocumented candidate get in the Oval Office, again, is far more of a personal conflict than demanding that a strong willed candidate develop a limp wrist and prove he can play pattycake with an irrelevant group of people.

#GetOverItAndDontHelpTheLiberalAgenda

[cheerleader]

Beasts of England, someone should whomp Chris Wallace.

[Threadkiller]

Speaking of my birther preoccupation:

They were saying things that validated what we had given them to say.’

This was not the case at the birth cert press gaggle, though...

[Truthbetold5]

TK

Steven Mnuchin has been helping the liberal agenda for years and now he is Trump's finance chairman.

What say you?

[lyle]

Happy Mothers Day to all JOM moms!

Hotair has a link that reads:

Sanders calls for Democrat version of Fox News

Unreal.

[jimmyk on iPhone]

TK your flexibility on Cruz did not go unnoticed.

[Captain Hate]

I watched enough of Chris Wallace's confrontational interview with Manafort to hasten me out the door. First that clueless dunce challenged Trump's statement that Granny had ruined the lives of the targets of her predator husband; as somebody who has been in the MFM since he outgrew his red diaper, he should know [Redacted] A well what he was referring to. Secondly Manafort declined to speak for Trump, which I guess is kind of his job, but he could've started out with that drunk witch going on national television and croaking out some nonsense about a "vast right wing conspiracy" targeting the pervert she pretends to live with, and taken it from there.

Is there any wonder why Rupert's and Ailes's network's ratings have been circling the bowl?

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Eli Lake notes that, despite his claims, Ben Rhodes and Barry are "The Blob".

[Jack is Back! (in his Halcyon Days on the Fens)]

What the hell is MSNBC and CNN, if not the Democrat version of Fox News? Next he'll be asking for more policital balance in the Times and WaPo.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Maybe Sanders meant he wants a Democrat version of the news that is middle of the road like Fox?
Nah.

[Beasts of England]

I'll volunteer, cheerleader!!

It didn't go unnoticed by me either, Threadkiller.

[Captain Hate]

But he will probably throttle both "Crooked" and "Lying" once the real contest starts.

I hope you're wrong about this because it would be as effective against her as previously.

[Captain Hate]

As a lib, Bern is used to complaining about imaginary things.

[jimmyk]

What the hell is MSNBC and CNN, if not the Democrat version of Fox News?

Not to mention ABC, CBS, NBC, and taxpayer-supported PBS.

[Jack is Back! (in his Halcyon Days on the Fens)]

CH,

Mean't "throttle" as use one invective in one speech and the other in another speech. Not to stop but go between one and the other.

Sorry for the confusion. How's Teddy doing?

[Threadkiller]

Thanks Jimmy and Beasts.

I really don't get the purity tests that are enforced right now.

[Threadkiller]

I turned on the local Fox channel and caught part of Wallace's hectoring of the NC Gov. But what really left me speechless was a commercial for The Magpie.

I cancelled cable to save money but it timed perfectly with getting away from her show. Now she is going to start spewing out of her whenever on my local channel?

::vomit::

[Captain Hate]

Teddy's doing great, JiB; thanks for asking. I haven't gotten him to the point where I can walk him off leash around traffic but I'm working on it.

[daddy on iPad in jolly olde]

There's also been a lot of tut-tutting about "profiling," as where the article talks about "instances when innocent people were escorted off flights." As if there's something wrong because most

JimmyK,

Yesterday when we landed at Stansted we had to go to the Terminal and go thru Customs. After we passed Customs, we were in a gaggle of regular passengers who had also passed through Cstoms, but still hadn't exited the large room dividing Customs from the next section where they pick up their bags. The divide between the 2 sections shrinks down to a small passage only 2 or 3 abreast maximum, and we had just passed through that bottleneck when big alarms went off and the doors of the passage we had just walked through all shut and locked. Have no idea what happened but we were sure lucky to not get trapped in the Customs room with a hundred other passengers.

Over here the bathrooms I've used so far still have the universal boys sign on one and the girls sign on the other.

[Truthbetold5]

BILDERBERG ONLINE RESOURCE PAGE

If big names like these gathered for an annual meeting to discuss world affairs...
http://www.americanfreepress.net/html/bilderberg_resource_page.html

[Jack is Back! (in his Halcyon Days on the Fens)]

Hide your Surprise Meters, we are approaching redlines:

Planned Parenthood Helping TG Patients by Offering Hormone Treatment.

Of course, they do.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3579521/Planned-Parenthood-helping-transgender-patients-sex-changes-offering-hormone-treatment.html

[Truthbetold5]

The Curse of Black's Perle

According to the Hollinger report, Conrad Black and Richard Perle richly deserved each other.
http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2004/09/the_curse_of_blacks_perle.html

[Jack is Back!]

Marty reads and cites Slate to prove how Conservative he is more than the rest of us. LOL

[lyle]

Big M-day brunch here in about 40 min. Is it too early for a Bloody Mary? Judges? :)

Great Pieces, clarice. Infuriating but great.

[Centralcal on iPad]

No Lyle. You can have a Bloody Mary or a Mimosa ANY time of day.

[simply stupid]

In regard to Clarice Pieces and Plowshare who will be the intrepid reporter on the EPA in bed with the Sierra Club and the like and the whole climate change hoax . That really is the template for what Rhodes did in foreign policy. Besides us political junkies no one reads past the headlines.

Also no concern about the Zika virus and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio . If Baseball cancelled baseball games in Puerto Rico what of the Olympics or are they going tomysteriously find a cure suddenly.

[BeenThereDoneThat]

If DT does nothing more than grievously wound the progressive Beast while in office, he will have done more to save America than any president has dared for a hundred years.

[buccaneer morgan]

Ah snorfle, I figured out why trump pick mnuchin, he's a good talent spotter, some of this is like ignoring Romans 14, imagine if national review then had ignored the wisdom of chamber's who worked for the gru, or Meyers or Trotskyist like burnham and Kendall of memory serves. Radosh for some of his inconstencies helped unravel the rosenbergs, Horowitz was in the sds, right with wu, when morten storm speaks I listen, because he has been inside the beast

[Beasts of England]

A fine course of action, lyle!!

[anonamom]

Now I know where to put TC! (9:33)

Hurray! Another vote against the Ds.

[buccaneer morgan]

Yes that is certainly true, jimmy, re the huntress she commended Ryan back in 2011, when she was with wallace, but he has so disappointed.

Re the fbi, here is my shocked face, when they don't want to find something, even the well of souls doesn't suffice.

[lyle]

Yes!!

[buccaneer morgan]

Evidence is a tricky thing, as we've found our with emwazi his enablers like cage Or reprieve hid his tracks, just like without the jayvee dossier young osaimi, he would have gone unnoticed.

Evidence features in the latest Bernie gunther, how does one validate it.

[[email protected]]

JiB-

and droning on about something 12 years old ... good grief.

[[email protected]]

and I'll give Captain America Civil War 4.5 stars. Worth the time and money to go see.

[Momto2]

I loved Captain American Civil War! Very clever- it kept my attention for 2 1/2 hours..... and, of course, I caught a glimpse of the loveliest extra ever :)

[buccaneer morgan]

Good to know rich and momto2, I'll watch for that.

[GUS]

Marty Watters has plenty of time on his hands.
He's quite lonely these days.

[Truthbetold5]

JIB

Is Richard Perle a bilderberger?

[buccaneer morgan]

Evidence like the Jones memo or the journolist, like the sharbi passport disappears into the ether.

So do the crimes of Robert Mugabe weighed against say an intemperate Brazilian congressman.

[GUS]

JIB, is Marty Watters a loser??

[Miss Marple 2]

Good afternoon!

Mother's Day Brunch at my sisters. It started out outside under the patio umbrellas with buffet set up in her carport. I had to drag throws out of the car for my daughter and granddaughter, because it was so cold. I was fortified by 2 Bloody Mary's. HA!

Menu: Hash brown casserole, sausages, sausage gravy and biscuits, waffles (pecan and/ or blueberry), breakfast burritos, strawberries, coffeecake.

I am now warming up with a cup of coffee as the temp is around 50. We ended up going inside because of the cold rain.

[Truthbetold5]

JIB

Did you know that long time friends Clarice and Howard Feldman hosted the wedding of Richard "bildergerger" Perle and his wife Leslie "CIA" Barr at their home?

[henry]

70 & sunny here. Nice breeze as well. Time for beer.

[GUS]

JiB, did you know Marty Watters lives alone in Arlington Heights Illinois, he was fired by American Thinker, and his wife left him, divorced him and now has a new man?

[Beasts of England]

I'm not sure that Saracuda can swing the primary to Easy Rider, but it's a great big shot across the bow. And not just for Ryan, but all the other sideliners, as well. Apparently there's a new sheriff in town...

[anonamom]

reminder:the troll leaves when you stop reinforcing his presence

[Another Bob]

jimmyk | May 08, 2016 at 10:38 AM

Similar POV here: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/05/16/how-donald-trump-appeals-to-the-white-working-class

Another interesting pattern forming is the progs admitting their hatred for non-prog whites and the "working-class" generally.

[Miss Marple 2]

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/05/pga-tour-player-hits-unbelievable-recovery-shot-from-inside-a-grandstand?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&dlvrit=206567

[GUS]

If the troll wants to be humiliated. So be it.
He is MARTY WATTERS, and he is mentally ill. His EX-wife said so. He will not leave, because he cannot stop. That's why his wife left him.
Right Marty??

[Miss Marple 2]

daddy!

Grandson has gotten himself an entry level job with Guest Relations for the Colts organization!!

[Truthbetold5]

Bilderberg 2014: George Osborne and the man at the centre of everything

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/02/bilderberg-2014-george-osborne-john-kerr

[GUS]

Marty, tell us about your marriage.
That shouldn't be so difficult.

[buccaneer morgan]

Like the thalisians.

[Beasts of England]

The crybabies at Red State have finalized their petition to deny Trump the nomination at the convention in Cleveland. It's too early for a martini, or I'd substitute their tears for my Vermouth. :)

[Porchlight]

Hey TK. I appreciate your IVR stance from the beginning.

[Captain Hate]

Red State would be a good site for the Kilgore Trout and Sharmuta of the ewok, Hollowhead and JackassStraw.

[Beasts of England]

And chemjeff.

[Buckeye]

I am alright with anybody using any bathroom, providing the fathers of teenage daughters get to open carry and guard the doors.

If any pervert dressed like girl wants to enter, fine, after they submit to the "Crocodile Dundee" test. You flunk, suffer the consequenses.

[Captain Hate]

Has the DoJ mandated that urinals be put in girls bathrooms?

[Buckeye]

We are going to be treated to a non stop barrage from the MFM about how Trump can't win.

Juan Pablo and Deshawn think he's a raaaycist.

Women think he's a bully who mistreated his ex-wives.

Kollege kids are going to get screwed out of a free education.

Why do I think Hillary is scared shitless?

[lyle]

70s and beautiful with a slight breeze. Grandniece threw niece in the pool. It ain't THAT warm...

Grilled trout w/capers, scrambled eggs and oven roasted rosemary red potatoes and bacon for 14 adults and six children ages 81 to nine months. BMs, mimosas, iced tea all around. Fresh fruit and pastries now. Nap later.

Whew.

[Buckeye]

Hope Hillary is spending Mother's Day sweating bullets that the FBI is about to knock on the front door.

[jimmyk]

Just caught Wallace going after the NC governor (FNS doesn't come on till 2:00 here). The governor equipped himself pretty well, presumably deciding he had to be polite. I did want him to come back swinging, especially when Wallace raised the specter of Jim Crow, as if the 1964 legislation had ever remotely envisioned this coed bathroom nonsense.

And it shows what a slippery slope even something as broadly supported as that act was, when it gets twisted into forcing this nonsense on the country. It's unfortunate that up till now the Republican presumptive nominee isn't jumping on this to beat up the Dems, but instead seems to be going along with it.

[Texas Liberty Gal]

I'll just put this link out here because I am so spitting mad, I know I'd regret what I'd say

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trump-walks-back-tax-plan-negotiated/story?id=38959168

#fraud

[Captain Hate]

Wallace raised the specter of Jim Crow, as if the 1964 legislation had ever remotely envisioned this coed bathroom nonsense.

Why Rupert and Ailes let this pinch faced imbecile replace Tony Snow is anybody's guess but it reflects horrible judgement.

[peter]

lyle @ 12:18 NO!

[anonamom]

Did somebody already post this? From TownHall:

Donald Trump will win all the conservative states this November plus at least five more he’s not supposed to win. And it wouldn’t surprise me if it’s a landslide victory over Hillary Clinton.

There’s something about Trump that most experienced politicians and political pundits just don’t understand: Judgment. Trump has effectively defeated one of the most politically qualified field of Republicans (17 in total) we’ve seen in decades using only his judgment and a small amount of money. He breaks all the rules; he makes mistakes. For all of his flaws, he appears to be real, uninfluenced by political punditry and handlers - and people love that.

Judgment and empathy is severely missing from conservative politics. We don’t have to agree with the other side on issues, but we certainly should empathize with them. We should use good judgment to appeal (really ‘manipulate’) to them for compromise. Liberals are emotional and rarely logical. In politics, it’s easy to empathize with emotional people and manipulate those emotions for favorable compromise. Conservatives never do this; we try to appeal to emotional people with logic. Part of Trump’s judgment is his empathy. This is how he controls (manipulates) the media and will defeat Clinton.

You can label his rhetoric and beliefs as bigoted, homophobic, xenophobic or demagoguery if you wish. But, you’d missing why Trump won. Trump won because the silent majority of this country actually believes in what he is saying and has been afraid to speak their minds and push back.

This silent majority has been beaten into submission by the left’s outrage circus for the past two decades. We’ve been told to shut up, sit down and be quiet. The consequences for not obeying have been riots, protests, boycotts and firings. In other words, “if you oppose political correctness, we’ll get you fired.” There hasn’t been enough of us committed to pushing back until now. Trump single-handedly has empowered each of these people to be able to speak their minds again. They’ve been silent for years.

Many pundits find the Republicans’ polarizing debate as bad for the country and the party. They are wrong. Some of the greatest advances I’ve had in family and in business are a result of a heated argument or battle. Those moments extinguish damaging resentments the same as tremors release pressure that prevents a massive earthquake. In other words, if we don’t passionately argue about our challenges, we’ll never overcome them.

Let me take you back to February of this year. The Republican field had devolved into chaos. By contrast, the Democratic field was ‘playing nice’ and behaving very orderly. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton were agreeing with each other on the debate stage. It appeared the Republican convention in July would be utter chaos as a result of a brokered or contested convention permanently dividing the party. Fast forward to today. There is just one remaining Republican candidate: Donald Trump. He’s the nominee. By contrast, the Democratic Party is now in chaos and the voters have yet to determine which candidate they want.

It’s only when you litigate and resolve major issues, as the Republican Party has, that you begin to reach your potential. The Republican Party has been afraid to tell the truth to American voters since the era of Ronald Reagan. As a result, it has isolated itself. That changed this year as Trump received more votes than any other Republican in history (in a primary).

The more the people cut through the clutter of media punditry, bruised political egos and the left’s political correctness circus to find the real Donald Trump, the more they liked him. I’ve watched people in my own family and sphere of influence move from #nevertrump to #trumptrain over the course of the last six months.

For most Americans, the political process is boring. Trump brought excitement and entertainment. The political class has no idea how to function in this chaos which explains why they reject people like Trump. But, the American people enjoyed this spectacle - and, they paid attention. As they watched ‘Presidential Celebrity Apprentice’ they realized they were empowered to sit in Trump Tower, in his chair, and say ‘You’re Hired’ or “You’re Fired.’ One by one, the anointed candidates with the best political resumes were fired.

Trump played the media like a fiddle. The media, political-class and punditry played the same old tired and boring game they normally play. The voters fired them too and made their own decisions. The more we were told to be offended, that we must stop him and that he was an existential threat the more the people coalesced around Trump. Every single effort to silence the people failed.

This year, in the Republican Party, the people took control. By contrast, the establishment is in control of the Democratic Party. This will not bode well for Clinton.

Trump is blunt, a fighter and a winner. While the losers focused on his failures (bankruptcy, Trump steaks, Trump University, et. al) the winner focused on winning.

If Hillary Clinton has one campaign rally, Trump will have three. She will be on her heels, in defense for most of the next five months. Clinton will be too slow waiting on her handlers to advise her what to say next (or in response). She’ll hit Trump hard on occasions and he’ll strike back twice as hard. Trump will disrupt what are normally calm, sit-down presidential debates with a shock factor Clinton can’t match. When Trump is hit, he’ll strike back with a history lesson: Monica Lewinsky, Juanita Broaderick, Kathleen Willie, Vince Foster, Whitewater, Rose Law Firm, defending rapists and dozens of other seedy manifestations of the lacking Clinton-character. It will be brutal.

The American people don’t want a list of hollow promises and step-by-step policy papers that have long proven to be lies. They want a bold vision from someone who is capable of seriously disrupting our political process: Trump.

[jimmyk]

With the Justice Dept putting so many resources into tracking down non-compliant transgender bathroom policies, no wonder the Hillary investigation is taking so long.

[glasater]

Just watched FNS and am beside myself at the giggling excusing of the 0 admin's attitude of being the smartest kids on the block re the Ben Rodes story.

Would they giggle and excuse such an event if it were to take place during an R administration? Never!

[Agent J]

[email protected]:30

I so hope you are correct. Please prove to me that the "legal" vote will overcome the "dead and imaginary" voter.

[Jack is Back! (in his Halcyon Days on the Fens)]

My FIL has been to the Bilderberg many times. No big deal. In fact, he found it pretty boring and non-productive. But Marty has better sources than me. They live under rocks like him.

[cheerleader]

Texasgal, if he said he wasn't going to negotiate his positions you'd call him a tyrant and dictator.

[JMHanes]

jimmyk:

"I don't see how anyone could fail to vote for whoever her opponent is."

Holy shades of Pauline Kael! I'm not that worried about the #nevertrumps, although they make convenient whipping boys, whenever anyone needs a fresh toke of outrage.

Given the choice between a familiar, reliable, crook and a an unpredictable loose cannon for President, most people will go with the crook. Hillary may be corrupt, (“aren’t they all?”) but she’ll be the safe vote and Trump will be the risky bet. Shoot, you even find his own supporters describing him as a risk worth taking. It will be gratifying to hear someone call Hillary a liar to her face, but it's not like pretty much everybody doesn't already know that.

I’m not going to dwell on the various obstacles I think Trump is going to need to overcome, except to say I think this election is going to be a steep uphill climb. And given the visceral nature of the intra-party opposition, I don’t think the best approach to unifying the party behind the now presumptive nominee is to tell the dissenters to shut up and toe the line like the party captives they are (not meaning you, jk). Shoot, Trump has essentially clinched the nominatiuon, but rather than trying to win the remaining opposition over, his supporters are still whining and carping louder than anybody else. Time to take the chips off those shoulders!

[James D.]

Something that occurred to me that the NeverTrump folks (here and elsewhere) may not have considered (or may have, I don't know) is who will be helping him make appointments, draw up shortlists, etc for the myriad appointments that will have to be made.

Not the cabinet or the SC - presumably Trump has his own ideas (good, bad or insane) on all of those - but all the lower level positions. The undersecretarys of state, and federal appeals court judges and U.S. attorneys, etc.

Trump will have to turn to SOMEBODY to help with all that, because he simply won't have the time to make all those decisions himself, nor the expertise or knowledge of likely candidates.

If Hillary wins, that somebody will be Huma Abdelin, and others of her ilk (or even worse, if that's possible).

Do you want Huma (and her handlers in the Muslim Brotherhood) appointing judges and U.S. attorneys and high Defense Department officials? Whoever Trump relies on can't possibly be as bad as that.

[cheerleader]

JMH that sounded clever but even on this thread, it's not the reality. It's not the Trump supporters who are whining. Your post is a whine, did you support him?

[Miss Marple 2]

I will be non-commenting about the opposition to Trump until the convention. I realize that people are disappointed, just as I was when we wound up with McCain and Romney.

I also understand that a lot of people are worried that he cannot win, although I don't understand this thinking, myself. And I understand that a lot of people are afraid of attacks from the media and the democrats, although it would be coming no matter who was the nominee.

After the convention, I will consider the Trump critics from our side to be spoilers who are actively working for his defeat, just so they can say "I told you so".

[Manuel Transmission]

Weekly checkin:

With all the talk of Scott Adams' Trump psychology, have any of you guys (looking at you narc) considered Spader's portrayal of Reddington as being of a similar cant? Of course, Red has the option of a double tap if he doesn't like the direction of the discussion. Not a bad idea, actually.

I still think Trump has the plan for a border reality show. Saving those prepubescent girls from Guatemala from sex slavers, popping a few coyotes as they emerge from under the fence... Reality Gold.

Great Pieces, as usual, Clarice.