Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Victor Davis Hanson: Trump Has Reason to Rage—But Needs to Stay Calm and Get Even Rather than Mad
American Greatness ^ | 29 Jan, 2024 | Victor Davis Hanson

Posted on 01/29/2024 6:31:13 AM PST by MtnClimber

Trump must concentrate on the disaster of the Biden administration and reiterate nonstop the agendas of 2025 that will save us from tottering on the brink.

Donald Trump gave one of his best and most conciliatory speeches of his political career after his win in the recent Iowa primaries—that might explain why the media would not cover it. Later, to answer an ad hoc ambush reporter’s question whether he would hold grudges, he emphatically said he did not.

Yet after his win in New Hampshire, Trump went ballistic at Nikki Haley’s earlier charges that he, rather than Joe Biden, was cognitively challenged, past his prime, and a perennial loser of popular votes.

In response, Trump shed his short-lived Iowa temperance. He went wholehog after Haley’s dress and her affectations and trashed her character. He tweeted that she was a “birdbrain,” and on and on.

For six years, observers have noted the disconnect between Trump’s stellar record of governance, his occasional sense of humor and even self-criticism—and his ad hominem venom that often turns off the 3-7 percent of the electorate in the suburbs who otherwise might vote for him.

Reasonable calls to tone it down by pundits, aides, and friends do not work with Trump, and perhaps for several understandable reasons.

One, Trump is reactive in his “they started it, I finish it” mode. His theory of deterrence is to be disproportionate in retort to eliminate future preemptive attacks. Almost all of Trump’s crudeness was in disproportionate response, sometimes even to minor offenses.

In such a world of Trump deterrence, if you do not relish a crude Trump, then don’t first talk about cutting off his head, blowing him up, stabbing him, shooting him, or lighting him on fire, or don’t spread lies like “Russian collusion,” “laptop disinformation,” or...


TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bloggers; vdh; vdhfail; victordavishanson
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-84 next last

1 posted on 01/29/2024 6:31:13 AM PST by MtnClimber
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

The democRATs are mostly atheists so they don’t think they will ever be held accountable for their actions.


2 posted on 01/29/2024 6:31:22 AM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page. More photos added.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: texas booster

VDH ping


3 posted on 01/29/2024 6:31:46 AM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page. More photos added.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

There will be time enough for counting when the dealing is done.


4 posted on 01/29/2024 6:32:54 AM PST by plain talk
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Professor Victor spares no punches. HE IS RIGHT, The Donald J. Trump needs to back down from his ‘birdbrain’ comments, as no one likes a bully. I WISH he would listen to his ‘handlers’ and his ‘advisers’ instead of going off at the mouth using vulgar speech. This degrades him greatly. A man who can’t control his own spirit......is NOT what we want in the White House.


5 posted on 01/29/2024 6:35:08 AM PST by rovenstinez
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

BTTT
BTTT
BTTT
BTTT


6 posted on 01/29/2024 6:36:05 AM PST by linMcHlp
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Yogafist; R0CK3T; agondonter; Former Proud Canadian; 5th MEB; 6ppc; Alberta's Child; Alouette; ...
Ping! Out to the Victor Davis Hanson list

Has a Rachel Maddow, Joy Reid, or Adam Schiff ever apologized to the nation for daily lying to the American people that the Biden family was never compromised by or profited from Hunter Biden’s skullduggery, that Christopher Steele’s dossier was authentic, that Hunter’s laptop was cooked up in Moscow, or that COVID sprung from a bat or pangolin?

FR Index of his articles: Victor Davis Hanson on FR

Town Hall: Victor Davis Hanson on Town Hall

American Greatness: Victor Davis Hanson on American Greatness

His website: Victor Davis Hanson

Please let me know if you want on or off this new VDH ping list.

As a reminder, Professor Hanson has asked that we do not post the full article of his writings. Thank you for following the link to finish his article.

Content created by the Center for American Greatness, Inc. is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a significant audience.

7 posted on 01/29/2024 6:37:40 AM PST by texas booster (Join FreeRepublic's Folding@Home team (Team # 36120) Cure Alzheimer's!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: rovenstinez

Both you and VDH are probably right, to an extent.

But, VDH is also right to suggest that the reasonable, conciliatory Trump gets no coverage, as in New Hampshire.

Trump has a tough row to hoe in dealing with a hostile “press”. I don’t envy him this and cut him a lot of slack.


8 posted on 01/29/2024 6:45:21 AM PST by Empire_of_Liberty
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

I can’t blame Trump for being angry- they’ve been trying to destroy him AND his family for years. He does need to follow VDH’s advice, however.


9 posted on 01/29/2024 6:46:15 AM PST by telescope115 (I NEED MY SPACE!!! 🔭)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Trump is physically incapable of keeping his mouth shut. The strategy will never work.


10 posted on 01/29/2024 6:48:06 AM PST by bigdaddy45
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rovenstinez

>> A man who can’t control his own spirit......is NOT what we want in the White House.

Trump is very much in control of his “spirit”. And who is “we”?


11 posted on 01/29/2024 6:48:34 AM PST by Gene Eric (Don't be a statist! )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: rovenstinez

Bullmitt


12 posted on 01/29/2024 6:50:28 AM PST by delchiante
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: rovenstinez; All

Trump isnt bullying Birdbrain. Shes trying to bully him. She’s constantly making fun of him, suggesting he’s a rapist, suggesting he has dementia. Hoping he goes to prison. Pretending he’s trying to close down primaries without a vote. BIRDBRAIN is trying to bully Trump with the help of the Rats and the media.


13 posted on 01/29/2024 6:52:33 AM PST by wiseprince (Me)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber
It’s an old saying. And it’s a wise saying.


14 posted on 01/29/2024 6:53:22 AM PST by Leaning Right (The steal is real.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rovenstinez

I got your back, roven...

Surprised I haven’t yet seen massive Trumpesque vitriol spewed at Hanson here for ever suggesting Trump shouldn’t “be who he is”.


15 posted on 01/29/2024 6:54:36 AM PST by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: rovenstinez

Trump should ignore Haley. She is irrelevant and a useful idiot for the Left.


16 posted on 01/29/2024 6:54:39 AM PST by Tommy Revolts
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: rovenstinez
A man who can’t control his own spirit......is NOT what we want in the White House.

Who do you suggest?

17 posted on 01/29/2024 6:57:52 AM PST by RoosterRedux (A person who seeks the truth with a strong bias will never find it. He will only confirm his bias.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Tommy Revolts

Trump will ignore her and retire , maybe, the names, when she gets her birdbrain around not having a chance at winning..

Until then, she’s fair game..
And so is he, btw..

But Trump has millions of supporters that she can’t win over..

Especially running against him..

DeJeb didnt comprehend that either..


18 posted on 01/29/2024 6:59:56 AM PST by delchiante
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: rovenstinez
.is NOT what we want in the White House.

While I also wish he might rein it in a little, at this point in time, Trump, with his attitude is EXACTLY who we need in the White House.

"Republicans", for generations of being "above the fray" and "nice guys" have allowed the democrats, who fight from the gutter to destroy our country.

If our country is to survive it will be in a down and dirty fight.

19 posted on 01/29/2024 7:02:26 AM PST by Mogger (Are)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: wiseprince
Trump isnt bullying Birdbrain. Shes trying to bully him. She’s constantly making fun of him, suggesting he’s a rapist, suggesting he has dementia.

Very true. And even if Nikki wasn't doing that, an argument could be made from a PR or marketing standpoint that having a nicey-nice sounding Republican candidate doesn't sell well (Exhibit A: McCain, Exhibit B: Romney). Think of all the many, many, many times that Republican voters would fuss that Bush, McCain, or Romney wouldn't argue back whenever the Dim media accused them and their voters of being racist, bigoted, misogynist, sexist, and every other -ist.

Trump's manner of arguing back in some ways solidifies his supporters more than the nicey-nice Republican candidates in the past.

20 posted on 01/29/2024 7:02:34 AM PST by Tell It Right (1st Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-84 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson