The Bobby Bush Tape

[poliphilo]

My first thought was, "How can anybody be surprised?"

Trump hasn't been living in retirement, he hasn't come from nowhere, he's spent much of his life surrounded by recording devices.  I'm less surprised by the Bobby Bush tape than I am that we haven't been inundated with such things. It's never been a secret that Trump is that kind of guy.

His party's establishment didn't want him. They knew that sooner or later something like this would emerge. I'm thinking that the Republican grandees who are disowning him now must be doing it with a mixture of despair and relief. They were waiting for this to happen and now the waiting is over.

Trump has said he won't withdraw- but when politicians say they won't do a thing it's usually because they're on the brink of doing it. He's going to be under enormous pressure right now. If his name is still on the ballot in 30 days time it'll be a testimony to the quite extraordinary thickness of his hide.

Comments

[howlin-wolf-66.livejournal.com]

We already know he does have a thick hide though - certainly when it comes to doing the opposite of what everybody is telling him makes the most sense...

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

He's going to be put under enormous pressure. He's a bully and not used to being bullied. I think he'll fold.

[davesmusictank.livejournal.com]

I hope he does .. and yet ...

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure it's possible for him to withdraw, short of death or some incapacitating illness. People who have early votes for whatever reason have already been casting their votes. Also, the problem is, if he withdraws, a lot of Republican voters who can't stomach voting for him will return with sighs of relief and then Pence stands a good chance of defeating Hillary on the rebound.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

If I were a betting man- which I'm not- I'd bet on someone else's name being on the ballot come election day.

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

However, according to the Washington Post, that's not actually possible because the ballot papers have already been printed and many votes already cast.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Tricky.

Well, it's going to be fascinating to see how this pans out.

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

I think he will only withdraw when it's absolutely impossible the Republicans to recover in any way. I've long felt that he's in this as a spoiler to throw the election to Clinton -- after which she will owe him big time.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That hadn't occurred to me. But I have been ruminating on the friendship (no doubt a matter of convenience rather than heartfelt) that used to subsist between Trump and the Clintons. It seems odd- and really not quite right- that we should end up with two candidates drawn from the same social circle.

I've also made a note of the fact that both Trump and Bill Clinton were- perhaps still are- pals of convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

[basefinder.livejournal.com]

Do people of that ilk have friendships in the same way we use the term? Or just potentially useful social connections? I know, I'm jaded.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'm jaded too.

They move in a very small world where everyone knows everyone else, and everyone goes to the same parties and everyone is very rich.

[sorenr.livejournal.com]

I actually wonder if Trump has the stamina to see this campaign through. His "apology video" is the first instance where I've seen him stick to a script - clearly teleprompted - so when such an anarchistic candidate suddenly seems to follow his communication staff's directions... Well...

Mind you, I'm surprised it has caused such a furore; nobody can really be honestly surprised by that recording. (And sadly we can't pretend that this is particular to Trump.)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Last night he came out fighting, or flailing. Can he keep going? I don't know. He is, after all, an old man.

Hillary is old too- and unsteady on her pins. I don't know how either of them keeps going.

[sorenr.livejournal.com]

I wasn't actually thinking about his age - though I agree that it is impressive for people in their age to put in such an effort. I'm glad it's not me; I'd have collapsed months ago, mentally and physically!

So in that respect I'm impressed by both. They're fighters in each their way - and I guess I don't need to state my personal preference, and either way it doesn't really matter. We're just spectators.