"Inside the Clinton Team’s Plan to Defeat Donald Trump"

[Nxtblg]

tl;dr: It's going to be one helluva slugfest, with the Dems goin' to 11 with the muckraking. Snippet:

...While Mrs. Clinton radiates positive energy on the trail, Democratic groups are beginning to coalesce around a strategy to deliver sustained and brutal attacks on Mr. Trump.

The plan has three major thrusts: Portray Mr. Trump as a heartless businessman who has worked against the interests of the working-class voters he now appeals to; broadcast the degrading comments he has made against women in order to sway suburban women, who have been reluctant to support Mrs. Clinton; and highlight his brash, explosive temper to show he is unsuited to be commander in chief.

American Bridge, a pro-Clinton “super PAC,” has formed a “due diligence unit” of tax and business experts who are poring over Securities and Exchange Commission documents and court records related to Mr. Trump’s business career.

A staff member for an affiliated group, Correct the Record, which coordinates with Mrs. Clinton’s campaign, has collected footage of comments that have not hurt Mr. Trump’s standing among Republican primary voters, but that could be stitched together in what the group’s founder, David Brock, described as a montage of hateful speech that would appall a general electorate.

“There is something to this idea that nothing has stuck,” Mr. Brock said, but that, he argued, is because the Republicans have been too restrained to avoid offending Mr. Trump’s supporters.

In the coming weeks, Priorities USA Action, a super PAC supporting Mrs. Clinton that effectively portrayed Mitt Romney as a cold corporate titan in the 2012 campaign, will begin scripting and testing ads that use a similar approach against Mr. Trump.

As Mrs. Clinton tries to remain above the fray, Mr. Clinton would be unleashed to respond when Mr. Trump lashed out. Mr. Obama has already argued that Mr. Trump should not be trusted with the job and has told allies he will continue that charge. In February, asked about Mr. Trump, he said the president has “the nuclear codes with them and can order 21-year-olds into a firefight.”...

Even as Democrats prepare to take on Mr. Trump, there remains deep anxiety that the messages may not break through....

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/01/us/politics/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-general-election.html?_r=0


In other words, the campaign for the general election is going to be the most brutal one in decades. The Dems are scared - and are preparing to lash out in "Any Which Way That Works."

Curveball question 1: is the DNC preparing an ad like 1964's famous/notorious "Bomb" ad?
Curveball question 2: If they do, will it work - or will it fizzle?

[cooldgamer]

I really don't think this is going to do much good.  All the Trump supporters are prepared for any attacking you can do, they'll just see whatever ad comes out as trying to slander him since they don't have a counter to the 'real issues'.  Meanwhile all you have to do about Hillary is point a bit more attention to the emails and slowly her following will fall off after seeing what a liar she is.

I personally hate Trump, but at this point am doubting any attack from Clinton is going to do much about taking him down.  They both probably have dirt on them, but Hillary can't hold up to scrutiny like he probably can.

[mainpmf]

I really don't think this is going to do much good.  All the Trump supporters are prepared for any attacking you can do, they'll just see whatever ad comes out as trying to slander him since they don't have a counter to the 'real issues'.  Meanwhile all you have to do about Hillary is point a bit more attention to the emails and slowly her following will fall off after seeing what a liar she is.

I personally hate Trump, but at this point am doubting any attack from Clinton is going to do much about taking him down.  They both probably have dirt on them, but Hillary can't hold up to scrutiny like he probably can.

Attacks will do nothing good on Trump and his supporters.

We got to understand Trump and Trumpers have no brain. They don't really think, there is nothing logical about voting Trump! It's all about millions of complete idiots who like the man because he mocks mental disabled persons and it makes them laugh.

You can't convince a Trumper, it would require him to think. Nobody has any argument, they're all saying "he's speaking his mind" that's all xD

[bryant.coleman]

Hitlery's best bet can be Marco Rubio or someone else from the RINO faction of the Republican party (even Jeb Bush can be considered). An independent candidate in the POTUS election from the RINO wing may not be able to secure more than 10% to 15% of the vote, but it will make sure that Hitlery emerges as the winner.

Obviously there are going to be expenses (> 1 billion USD) for persuading either Rubio or Bush to run as an independent. But then we have Al-Waleed Bin Talal bin Abdulaziz al Saud.  

[Wilikon]

For clinton to invest money to fight TRUMP means bernie, cruz and roboto do not exist as threats anymore...

[Nxtblg]

For clinton to invest money to fight TRUMP means bernie, cruz and roboto do not exist as threats anymore...

That's right.

[Daniel91]

I really don't think this is going to do much good.  All the Trump supporters are prepared for any attacking you can do, they'll just see whatever ad comes out as trying to slander him since they don't have a counter to the 'real issues'.  Meanwhile all you have to do about Hillary is point a bit more attention to the emails and slowly her following will fall off after seeing what a liar she is.

I personally hate Trump, but at this point am doubting any attack from Clinton is going to do much about taking him down.  They both probably have dirt on them, but Hillary can't hold up to scrutiny like he probably can.

I agree with you.
Trump is very clever and he know very well what he is doing.
He even didn't hesitate to attack Pope directly.
He really enjoy in this attacks and will always use opportunity to fight back and earn more popularity in the public.
His strategy is very clever.
If Hillary wants to win this election, she shouldn't fight with Trump but should concentrate on politic debate and offer something concrete to the public, economic and politic solutions for current crisis etc.

[Wilikon]

I really don't think this is going to do much good.  All the Trump supporters are prepared for any attacking you can do, they'll just see whatever ad comes out as trying to slander him since they don't have a counter to the 'real issues'.  Meanwhile all you have to do about Hillary is point a bit more attention to the emails and slowly her following will fall off after seeing what a liar she is.

I personally hate Trump, but at this point am doubting any attack from Clinton is going to do much about taking him down.  They both probably have dirt on them, but Hillary can't hold up to scrutiny like he probably can.

I agree with you.
Trump is very clever and he know very well what he is doing.
He even didn't hesitate to attack Pope directly.
He really enjoy in this attacks and will always use opportunity to fight back and earn more popularity in the public.
His strategy is very clever.
If Hillary wants to win this election, she shouldn't fight with Trump but should concentrate on politic debate and offer something concrete to the public, economic and politic solutions for current crisis etc.

The pope attacked him and he replied. The vatican submitted to him at the end. This is what he does. He let them attack first, which legitimates his counter attack. Clever indeed.

[zenitzz]

When you still have 5 candidates still running, nobody is going to look like they have the support seen in the other party with only 2 candidates running and too early to declare that Trump will lose the general election.

[aardvark15]

The other republican candidates are also on the attack against Trump but it's not working.  Even Mitt Romney has come out of hiding to demand Trump tax returns.

[Wilikon]

The other republican candidates are also on the attack against Trump but it's not working.  Even Mitt Romney has come out of hiding to demand Trump tax returns.

... Which coming from him was.. How do I say... Oh yeah... Rich!

[Nxtblg]

The other republican candidates are also on the attack against Trump but it's not working.  Even Mitt Romney has come out of hiding to demand Trump tax returns.

That's right...

but here's where the prognosticating gets tricky. Can he pivot in the general so as to erase his unfavourables? I wouldn't bet against it.

[aardvark15]

I had assumed that Clinton would win the nomination after Tuesday, but today I'm hearing that there are those that think Sanders has a chance with a lot of the upcoming states.

[bryant.coleman]

I had assumed that Clinton would win the nomination after Tuesday, but today I'm hearing that there are those that think Sanders has a chance with a lot of the upcoming states.

Sanders did really well on Super Tuesday, by winning Colorado, Minnesota, Vermont and Oklahoma. The defeat in Massachusetts was a setback, but the margin of defeat was very low. But this is bad news for Trump. I believe that right now Sanders is the only candidate capable of defeating Donald Trump in the general election.

[xht]

I had assumed that Clinton would win the nomination after Tuesday, but today I'm hearing that there are those that think Sanders has a chance with a lot of the upcoming states.

Let's see, we have Trump, an obvious demagogue, Cruz an intensely disliked person, socialist pie in the sky Sanders and Clinton dynasty Hillary as the likely choices to take the nomination.

[designerusa]

I really don't think this is going to do much good.  All the Trump supporters are prepared for any attacking you can do, they'll just see whatever ad comes out as trying to slander him since they don't have a counter to the 'real issues'.  Meanwhile all you have to do about Hillary is point a bit more attention to the emails and slowly her following will fall off after seeing what a liar she is.

I personally hate Trump, but at this point am doubting any attack from Clinton is going to do much about taking him down.  They both probably have dirt on them, but Hillary can't hold up to scrutiny like he probably can.

exactly true.. hillary and trump , both of the are obiviously dirty little liars but i dont agree with you at this point that hillary is more innocent that trump in this elections..

[subSTRATA]

plan or not, trump will absolutely destroy hillary if it comes down to those two, especially since one of the major driving forces of this years election seems to be the theme of anti - establishment.

[mainpmf]

I really don't think this is going to do much good.  All the Trump supporters are prepared for any attacking you can do, they'll just see whatever ad comes out as trying to slander him since they don't have a counter to the 'real issues'.  Meanwhile all you have to do about Hillary is point a bit more attention to the emails and slowly her following will fall off after seeing what a liar she is.

I personally hate Trump, but at this point am doubting any attack from Clinton is going to do much about taking him down.  They both probably have dirt on them, but Hillary can't hold up to scrutiny like he probably can.

I agree with you.
Trump is very clever and he know very well what he is doing.
He even didn't hesitate to attack Pope directly.
He really enjoy in this attacks and will always use opportunity to fight back and earn more popularity in the public.
His strategy is very clever.
If Hillary wants to win this election, she shouldn't fight with Trump but should concentrate on politic debate and offer something concrete to the public, economic and politic solutions for current crisis etc.

He's not really clever.

In fact he seems dumb as hell to me.
He's full of himself that's for sure. It's just that Americans love him for being as stupid as they are. It's refreshing for them to see someone who's also completely dumb. Who believes that immigrants are responsible for all the problems.

[nickenburg]

plan or not, trump will absolutely destroy hillary if it comes down to those two, especially since one of the major driving forces of this years election seems to be the theme of anti - establishment.

Yes I think so to, especially because Hillary had some bad press when lying about the emails.
But I don't think trump should win, he is just shouting things the people want to hear.
That is why they like them, he says he will do things he can never do that is the problem.

And the dumb people in america believe this guy as well, When I see the reactions to Donald trump I just Cringe.

[mainpmf]

plan or not, trump will absolutely destroy hillary if it comes down to those two, especially since one of the major driving forces of this years election seems to be the theme of anti - establishment.

Yes I think so to, especially because Hillary had some bad press when lying about the emails.
But I don't think trump should win, he is just shouting things the people want to hear.
That is why they like them, he says he will do things he can never do that is the problem.

And the dumb people in america believe this guy as well, When I see the reactions to Donald trump I just Cringe.

Isn't it what we all call politics?

I thought that it was all about that.
Cause Clinton is saying what she thinks people wants to hear?