Trump and the post-debate attacks
If Trump holds his own in the first debate, the scorn and hatred directed against him will be like nothing we have ever seen in a race. There is wide-scale panic already evident in some circles.
But there’s a good chance that the media barrage to come will backfire, or at least be non-productive.
The negative ads running again Trump are getting Hillary nothing. When we were in Maine recently, we saw them on both Maine and New Hampshire TV. Both states are close. Hillary’s numbers have dropped in both states since the ad buys.
I think a large share of Trump’s base simply ignores anything negative directed against him. Among Republicans who don’t like him, especially moderate women, I think the impressions are already formed, and ads are irrelevant.
Kellyanne Conway is busy turning Trump into a generic Republican, a very smart strategy. He has his base now, and he needs to consolidate Republicans.
A month ago, I did not expect him to recover from 8 or 9 down. But the Judicial Watch release on the Clinton Foundation was very damaging, as were her health issues and lies and the deplorables remark.
Wikileaks has more to come.