I for one am not throwing in the towel because to do so is to throw in the country.
Now is the time for us to rally to Trump but we should do so as an affirmative gesture without negative backhands to potential supporters. Trumpers have got to figure a way to pivot and go on the attack but the attack should be directed at Hillary. Likewise, we on Free Republic should take aim at the real enemy and not at those who might yet pull the lever for Donald Trump. Why do we want to help the Democrats divide us?
Trump can survive this and go on to win if he can pivot and make the debate and the subsequent campaign about saving America. He need not be strident, in fact he should not be because that sounds defensive, he should be passionate but always under control. He must modulate his voice, avoid smirking, and cite facts when he tells us how he will make America great and cite facts when he points out how Hillary has broken off pieces of America and sold them ever since Bill was the attorney general in Arkansas. He must do so by recounting facts, not conclusions, let the listener to the debate draw their own conclusions because that way they will believe them. Let his arguments have a beginning, a middle and end, let the end be the only logical conclusion from the beginning and the middle.
In other words, bring some order to the debate. After the debate, his surrogates can go on a strident attack, they can flesh out any positive programs, they can replicate his message over and over. All of this is not designed to win on specific issues rather it is to elevate the debate to Trump's vision for America and to disqualify Hillary. To do that, Trump must show himself an acceptable vessel for our hopes and dreams, the only available vessel to save the country. In other words, he must look presidential and overcome this self dealt image. He dare not become defensive, he must project gravitas. He has to do that even at the cost of winning points. If he does that he can win the election.
