[Buckeye McFrog]

Getting under his skin has to be a top goal of this campaign.
Irritate him, needle him, provoke him into ill-tempered meltdowns. Puncture that bubble of likeability.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

“Getting under his skin has to be a top goal of this campaign.
Irritate him, needle him, provoke him into ill-tempered meltdowns. Puncture that bubble of likeability.”

I think you’ve accurately stated a necessary component of the strategery. That IMO was the true functionality of Clint’s speech.

[SuziQ]

Puncture that bubble of likeability.

I'd say puncture that FACADE of likeability. It's all an act, because, from all accounts, he can be pretty nasty when the cameras are not on him.

[Disambiguator]

Puncture that bubble of likeability.

The whole likeability thing is another media narrative that is patently false. Those who pay attention know that Mr. Likable is a jerk.