Posted on 10/19/2016 12:05:36 PM PDT by Kaslin
When the now-infamous Donald Trump/Billy Bush audio feed was released, my confidence in Donald Trump all but evaporated. The so-called locker-room conversation -- about kissing, groping, and fondling women -- was worse than locker room. It was vile, vulgar, and inexcusable for a grown man.
But it didn’t end with the audio tape. After that came a barrage of sexual-assault allegations from various women against Trump, drowning out any talk of substantive issues. No wonder his polls slid.
He was a stock looking for a bottom.
In the second debate, just days after the audio-tape release, he did apologize, and he did get to some key issues. I thought his stock might be finding a bottom.
But then he re-hit the campaign trail with bizarre statements about being the victim of Mexican billionaires, major media outlets, and rigged elections. His stock continued to slide.
Of course, in the meantime, a boatload of Hillary Clinton e-mails leaked out. We learned of unscrupulous deals, official favors for cash, and how one of her former undersecretaries at State tried to make a deal with the FBI to protect her.
Granted, sex sells better than e-mails. But each of these presidential candidates is in a race to the bottom for the worst untrustworthy rating in political history. It would seem the public has come to believe, rightly or wrongly, that Trump is a skirt-chaser and Clinton is incapable of telling the truth.
For Hillary Clinton, I don’t see redemption. She is a corrupt political operative of the worst kind. But for Donald Trump, I may be seeing a way back. And his wife Melania is a big reason why.
Melania Trump gave some remarkable cable interviews this week, and she has me looking at the awful last two weeks in a somewhat different light.
Melania told CNN that her husband’s words on the audio tape were not acceptable. In even stronger language she told Fox News that her husband’s remarks were “offensive to me and they were inappropriate. And he apologized to me. And I accept his apology. And we are moving on.”
I’ve only met Melania once, a few months ago at a funeral. For some reason she recognized me. She came up, shook my hand, and if I recall correctly, thanked me for supporting her husband’s tax-cutting economic plan.
And then she turned her head and in a strong voice said to Donald, who was a few bodies away, “Look who’s here. Say hello.”
I was surprised and impressed at her political skills. She also had a certain strength and toughness that reminded me she’s a successful business woman.
So when she told cable reporters that she accepted her husband’s apology, I think she meant it.
We really hadn’t heard from Melania since these semi-scandals hit. She never showed up at that typical news conference, wife dutifully staring up at that guilty-as-sin politician, playing the fawning bride beside the man who proceeds to lie through his teeth to the media.
And when she repeated, “This is not the man that I know,” it reminded me that it’s not the man I know. In meetings in his office or on his plane, he was always a serious, accessible, engaged, businessman-turned-politician, wading through important policy issues as he learned his craft.
True enough, Donald Trump has said some indefensible things this campaign. Many of us who have supported him have said so, and we will criticize him again if it comes to that.
But then again, how is it that all these women spontaneously come out of the woodwork with unverified stories about Trump? Again, I like how Melania handled it.
Under pressure, with great civility, instead of viciously attacking these women, as Hillary once did to her husband’s accusers, Melania simply said, “All the allegations should be handled in a court of law.”
She correctly makes one think this phalanx of accusations is planned and organized. If not, why hasn’t one accuser filed charges?
And Melania wasn’t done. She had one more thing to say, some advice for her husband: Get back to the issues.
Indeed, Donald Trump, if he is to regain his chance, must pivot back to economic growth, jobs, wages, Obamacare repeal, border security, and destroying ISIS. Women, by the way, are just as worried about these issues as men.
It is doubtful that all this will be put to rest at Wednesday’s debate. But Trump has one last opportunity to apologize to the nation just as he apologized to Melania. And then he can tell us how his plan to get America right again is far better than Hillary’s.
I want to thank Melania for starting me on the path of restored confidence in Donald Trump.
Melania wows me too.
Indefensible things...like calling a La Raza judge racist. Like pointing out muslim terrorists are Islamic. I could go on and on but IMO his “sin” is telling the truth. Something politicians are not supposed to do.
Gee, Larry—Grow a pair.
Melania is impressive. She is unflappable, as she proved in her interview with Anderson Cooper.
She said Donald calls her the rock of the family. I can see why. She appears grounded and socially sophisticated. She would make a great First Lady.
What are you bitching about? He supports Trump and will vote for him.
Melania has everything that makes me jealous about beautiful women with foreign accents coming to America and stealing our men . . . except that I like her.
She’s really interesting and a straight talker. She can have her American man, I’m just fine with that, and she can be our First Lady, too!
I can’t wait.
Melania or Billy Jeff?
Pence or Kaine?
Decision should be easy on those two facets alone!
The mantra “Say you’re sorry. Say you’re sorry” continues...
TRUMP said he was sorry. Time to move on. Honest leaders don’t grovel.
Kaslin, look at that picture. Suddenly I see, for the first time, what scares the hell out of libtards. Think about it. Camelot. Not a phony posthumous
Jacky Onasis Camelot but something with a lot more real time texture. I might even use the term “Reality”.
How can the libtards survive if America embraces this couple the way they did Reagan? The thought of it has libtards seething in fury.
I don’t think of myself as being particularly dim witted but I have to kick myself for not seeing this sooner.
Hey, Larry! Haven’t you been paying attention? The allegations have been made up and not true.
He wouldn’t have to. What he could say maybe is “I agree with Melania. It’s time for flirting to stop. We have business to take care of here, and it’s my opponent who has been treating not just her personal affairs, but America itself as a good ole boys club.”
Love her. A REAL lady.
My issue with articles like this is why say anything at all. All the hand wringing about two terrible weeks. It gives the wrong impression to others that may be on the fence.
Larry, with my vote, I'm not hiring a butler. So I don't give a damn about his manners. I'm hiring a warrior--a champion and general--to take out an evil, atheistic enemy who has the will and opportunity to destroy my country with her assortment of flying monkeys, orcs, wargs, and sodomites. I hope he rips her throat out with his canine teeth. And I don't care which fork he uses for the appetizer.
How does one pivot from a genuinely embarrassing situation. A balancing act is needed. A credible disavowal of the old playboy behavior, and a credible resolve to carry on affairs in a serious manner.
It already helps Donald that this kind of monkeyshines is not the present business Donald, that it’s the past entertainment Donald. Donald would do well to walk away from the entertainment Donald, and if he makes it, still don’t toy around with it any more. He did schticks walking into his campaign, but now there is more mud than schtick. No more monkey shines, but by all means a very sensible business plan.
For a lot of people, they want to see Donald succeed and that’s why they heartily want him to visibly cut out the monkey shines. They’d STILL pick him in a heartbeat over Hillary, but want the most auspicious behavior possible out of their own candidate.
Monkey shines are okay for the president of a banana republic. Cf. Rodrigo Duterte. But not this one. “Yes, I have no more bananas” would be the crowning touch on making America great again.
I certainly hope Melania Trump is strong, because if her husband is elected then I would not wish what is going to happen to her as First Lady on my worst enemy.
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