You'd think a savvy D.C. insider like Paul Manafort would know that a candidate has to approach a General Election waaaaay differently than he or she did the Primaries. It hasn't seemed to sink in with his staff or candidate yet.
What shocks my p.r.-permeated heart to the core is that no less than Mr. Manafort, the Ultimate D.C. Insider, who's perpetuating the fabulously discredited meme that the death of Army Captain Humayun Khan somehow should be laid at the feet of Hillary Clinton & President Obama.
Appearing on Good Morning, America, he did his darndest to pivot away from how shabbily Donald Trump had treated the Khans & toward the campaign's talking points, but ended up doing a pretty pitiful job of dismissing & deflecting & totally fell apart at redirecting. Like Katrina Pierson, he totally off-loaded any onus from his client & right onto the “war in the Middle East, the destabilization & the policies of Obama & Clinton that caused them.”
Hmmm... Paul Manafort is supposed to be this p.r., legend, pulling all sorts of political rabbits out of interesting hats, be it for Republican candidates or a variety of
As for Barack Obama - he was very vocal in his opposition to the war in Iraq BUT (as any Ultimate D.C. Insider would know) he wasn't elected to the US Senate until 2004, the year after The Vote, and wasn't sworn in until 2005, the year after Captain Khan so courageously gave his life protecting others.
But it actually gets better. At least for someone like myself, with a bit of p.r. experience under my own belt. The buzz is that someone on the campaign staff said that Paul Manafort is "calling it in," not giving the campaign his best shot or even a modestly good one.
Gotta say, it feels like he's not giving a full effort. On being asked if Donald Trump would apologize to Mrs. Khan for making scurrilous remarks about her faith, the Ultimate D.C. Insider replied, “We quibble over the words and the sentiments about what he feels towards the family and what they’ve went through ... I mean, just because he doesn’t say the words everybody wants ― he’s said he’s sorry for what they’ve gone through.” Translation - no how, no way Donald Trump will ever apologize. Ain't going to happen. Get over it & move on folks, nothing to see here.
That's the best he can do? He has so little control over his obdurate client that he can't even get him to say something that has at least a remote appearance of an "I'm sorry"? WHAT ARE THEY PAYING HIM FOR?? That is P.R. 101.
It seems the Ultimate D.C. Insider has zip influence or control over Eric Trump either. Amazing. Eric, being interviewed on CBS, said he thought the whole situation with the Khans was "blown … hugely out of proportion because, first of all, he (DJT) said that the Khan family looked like amazing people … which for whatever reason never wants to get reported.” Later in the same interview, asked if his father should apologize to the grieving parents, Trump fils replied, “I think he has by calling him a hero.” Eric Trump is on record - on video - as saying that his father calling them "amazing people" & recognizing the obvious fact that Captain Khan was a hero is tantamount to a full-throated apology. Ick.
Here is what I've learned over the past two weeks - and it isn't what the Ultimate D.C. Insider wanted me to get:
1) In comparison with himself, Donald Trump makes Hillary Clinton seem politically adept, something I never envisioned anyone doing!
2) DJT hasn't a clue what's meant by the word "sacrifice" & the whole country knows it.
3) He won't apologize, even when it will help him.
4) He has no empathy, something I didn't realize until he took the Dems' bait.
5) He is spectacularly undisciplined in ways I never imagined.
6) Paul Manafort is being paid a fortune for doing very little.
7) Eric Trump is as entitled & spectacularly clueless as his father.
8) Neither Eric nor Donald have a clue what is & isn't an apology.
9) Eric believes that earning praise from his father is EVERYTHING.
10) Republican leaders expected that Donald Trump would change his style between the primaries & the general election, not realizing that what they see is what they get.
Could write more, but haven't the heart. Will he ever pivot to the general, change his style, become a disciplined candidate who can stay on point? We shall see. All I know for sure is that right now, the only truly happy man in the Republican Party is John Boehner. It is certainly NOT the Ultimate D.C. Insider!
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