Here comes the opposition book: Clinton and her allies prepare for Trump

[brooklynite]

Source: Washington Post

Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton and her allies have begun preparing a playbook to defeat Donald Trump in a general-election matchup that will attempt to do what his Republican opponents couldn’t: show that his business dealings and impolitic statements make him unfit to be commander in chief.

Both the Clinton campaign and outside supporters are confident that she and Trump will almost certainly face each other in the general election and that the focus is shifting past her hard-fought primary campaign against Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

They are now focused intently on researching the billionaire real estate mogul’s business record, dissecting his economic policies and compiling a long history of controversial pronouncements that have captivated and repelled the nation in this tumultuous election season.

Neither the Clinton campaign nor several independent super PACs working on her behalf plan to respond with the same brass-knuckles style that Trump has taken with his Republican opponents, aides and outside supporters said. But in their view, Trump isn’t Teflon: Republicans waited too long to go after him, and they went about it the wrong way.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/here-comes-the-opposition-book-clinton-and-her-allies-prepare-for-trump/2016/03/20/0fc0fb04-ed51-11e5-b0fd-073d5930a7b7_story.html

[shenmue]

1. Yep

[forest444]

2. Good.

She'll need it.

http://www.salon.com/2016/03/14/hillary_will_never_survive_the_trump_onslaught_its_not_fair_but_it_makes_her_a_weak_nominee/

[7962]

4. Thats a good article. Says what I've said all along,

the GOP cant run any of the ads against Sanders that they could run against HRC. All they can do is call him a Socialist. Most of them even LIKE him, which cant really be said of HRC
But as I said below, it looks like we'll have a race between the 2 LEAST liked candidates. Gotta be a first

[forest444]

5. That's it in a nutshell.

The woman's a sitting duck, rubber ducky-colored hair and all.

[Baobab]

8. she's (HRC) is too phony. What about Elizabeth Warren? Any chance of drafting her?

I think she would do as well as bernie and would actually make as good a President. how about Bernie and Elizabeth She could be vice president. that would be good because nobody would touch Bernie out of fear of Elizabeth!

[forest444]

10. She's ruled out running for President - but not as the running mate.

http://www.masslive.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/03/sen_elizabeth_warren_not_rulin.html

If I read her correctly, she doesn't want to give up the influence her Senate seat gives her - least of all when there's a very good chance the Democrats may retake the Senate this year.

But who's to say? On the outside chance the Convention becomes hopelessly deadlocked, she might just accept being nominated herself as a consensus candidate.

She'd certainly be a strong candidate with lots of support from independents. Plus, with her Southern roots and her consistency and appeal (unlike a certain front-runner that shall go unmentioned), Warren might even pick up a few states where Democrats haven't won since the days of Grits 'n Fritz.

[Baobab]

11. PRAY

remember its always darkest right before the dawn

[forest444]

12. So might it be.

So mote it be.

[weknowvino2]

23. My Thoughts...

If HRC gets the nom, she had better pick a VP that is SO-O-O-O SCARY to the right that they won't even think about impeachment (or worse). They really hate her that much.

[7962]

3. We're actually going to have a race between the 2 LEAST liked candidates.

Like it or not, its the truth. Amazing. What a time to be alive

[Baobab]

7. YOU NOTICED!

something is seriously wrong with this system and I dont think its by mistake

[Hekate]

6. Bring it on. Time to take down Mr Stubby Fingers the vulgar talking yam! I think she can do it....

....handily.

[Baobab]

9. I guess the question is, which is the LESSER of the two EVILS?

Cllassic Clintonian triangulation - we are seeing A MASTER AT WORK.

Obama cannot touch the Clintons in triangulation.

[TowneshipRebellion]

13. Wrong Approach

Trump's followers are driven by feelings and ideas the are apparently invulnerable to the power of reason. Hillary should make sure the youth vote is enthused about her before focusing on the pivot to the center and Trump's corruption. Without youth turnout, she will not defeat his highly motivated, angry and growing base in November.

Hillary needs to find a way to appeal to Bernie's base and bring them into her fold. She will not be able to rely on Trump's negatives to get voters to elect her by default, especially if there is another terrorist attack between now and then. Trump got a huge gust of wind in his sails from the attack in San Bernardino and whenever that happens his fascist rhetoric makes more sense to more independant voters.

[Democat]

20. Go back to your right wing website if you prefer Trump to Clinton

The admins need to get rid of the rampant right wing trolling going on at DU right now.

[PATRICK]

17. The type of catastrophic campaign confidence

that precedes a lot of losing Dem campaigns. It failed against Nixon, Bush. Cripes, Bill Clinton avoided that kind of fight and offered America a positive vision, focusing on the economy not the all too visible evils of Bush and the GOP ad nauseam through the decades. While Perot and Bush hammered away and the Dems, united, ignored and discounted just walked in over the duel in the sun.

I couldn't agree more. If the mood of the country hinges on a confrontation, Hillary trying to redo the GOP attack campaign "better" this time is a lot more problematic than her enthusiastic campaign helpers can imagine. Bush v. Gore, Kerry v. Bush, Ann Richards v. Junior for the Texas state governorship, McGovern v. Nixon, Humphrey v. Nixon. Kennedy barely won. Unless the GOP shoots itself in the really wrong foot reason, facts, values, popular vote blocs are tragically elusive, not joyously in the bag which was the whole supposition for all of our worst "surprising" defeats ever. Sure each situation is unique, but not a tired sounding "let's look at the record" strategy(Al Smith, loser).

I am not a political pro, but I notice a lot of the pros aren't either, at least in public. Come to think of it I hope they are not the type to double down or just despair in private. In an Open Election they idiotically decided to put all the thin shelled centrist eggs in one basket(with the limited amount of bullying it takes to get them to do anything for the top entitled). In deeds more than words they seem more dedicated to the survival of the GOP than anything else in the entire world.

I don't expect her to take fire in a real positive campaign all of a sudden. Taking the same tack with Trump as she does with Sanders, did with Obama, will guarantee a tragically close election. oh what was that response of Kerry and Obama to overwhelming GOP fraud.
We will just crush them with sheer numbers. Sure we will give away a few per cent off the top, but the majority will see the light and vote Dem. Now how often does that work with a candidate going in with stark negatives no one has to manufacture a la Swift Boat?

And it might be premature if the electorate creams her in the coming states and the party organization starts feeling at least a sense of inchoate approaching horror that never sank in before the last midterms or other midterms they took for granted. or it might now play out exactly as the wishful thinking don't rock the leaky boat crowd wants to believe, until November.

Liberal enthusiasm waning to blame for stuff in the fall? I am full of enthusiasm, comedy and horror. I would like to see a lot of political blood shed than the real blood of a populace slaughtered by greed, lack of health care, rapine plunder of the commons, of social security, war, war, war, and hyper expensive wasteful armaments, all else made overseas where our money is now housed.
Bring it on. I can focus on bashing the Mussolini icon over the head for a few months. Fort Zinderneuf. Just prop me next to the optical scanner, alive or dead. Our Sergeant is tough and hated more than the enemy. He knows what to do. I joined this party to forget.

[Z_California]

15. Can we keep it to true stuff HRC campaign?

Because there's plenty of true stuff to derail Trump. No need for artful smears.

[Geronimoe]

16. Why do research?

Just makes things up like they did with Bernie and Obama.

[Lazy Daisy]

18. This is the wrong approach

The Republicans HAVE been going after him in the same way. Before our primary there were commercials running non-stop about "The Donalds" bankruptcies, eminent domain, etc. He won Illinois by 8%.

They don't care. What part of anti-establishment don't the parties get? And to boot, Republicans have been spoon fed hardcore economics are the way to prosperity for how long? They don't have a problem with this, they applaud his "business savvy".

UGH!

[7962]

21. THEY dont care, but the average voter will.

Many are going to stand in that booth and look at the screen and just say "I just cant vote for that guy"

[Lazy Daisy]

24. You hope so

But Trump is bringing in the average person who doesn't pay much attention to politics besides bumper stickers and facebook memes.

[7962]

25. Well, that IS true, but remember this:

one of the reasons many dont want HRC as the candidate is because she'll bring out the gop who hate her, but she doesnt energize the Dem base. But one thing Trump does is bring out many of the dems who may have stayed home
Its just a question of which group turns out heavier!!

[YOHABLO]

19. Testosterone driven males (and females) won't be swayed by Hillary's attacks

no matter how factual and true they may be. They hear what they want to hear. They are the type (militia mentality) that think the only way to get things done is to physically kick some ass. Yeah, Trumps going in there and clean house. I'm a Bernie supporter, but I will say that Clinton is one cool cookie when it comes to politics. Let's just hope Bill doesn't go and stick his foot in his mouth.

[randr]

22. Like a good offense is one you broadcast

Trump will eat Hillary alive.