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| [L] Salem Radio's Hugh Hewitt [R] Republican preumptive nominee Donald Trump |
Recently, I was chatting with a convicted Trump-eteer who was incredulous at the assertion that the Trump campaign welcomes thug tactics to keep WINNING in their minds. The Trump Campaign's Social Media Director Dan Scavino just exemplified the point with his threats of barring Hugh Hewitt from the July Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
Hugh Hewitt is a center-right radio host with Salem Media. Hewitt was so trusted to be tough but fair by the RNC that Hewitt was picked as being the Republican panelist at several CNN hosted GOP debates.
Because of his role asking questions to the candidates, Hewitt declared his show to be "Switzerland" until after the California primaries.
Well, the Golden State primaries have come and gone. Instead of coalescing the Republican party and focusing fire on Hillary Clinton's foibles, Donald Trump himself brought up a racial rant against Judge Gonzalo Curiel in the Trump University fraud civil case in Federal district court this November. Compounding the problem, surrogates implied that Muslim and women judges might not be fair to the Donald. Thus, prominent Republicans, such as House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) distanced themselves from the inappropriate remarks.
Hewitt was critical that Trump failed to address the Curiel kerfluffle. But as a former Presidential ghostwriter, Hewitt thought the Last Primaries Victory speech sounded pedestrian and flat. Moreover, the radio pundit found it cringeworthy when Trump incorrectly echoed a shout out from his audience: "What about TPP? (the Trans-Pacific Partnership) by noting that the "PPP" was bad, like pee-pee.
Thus, Hewitt vexed that the GOP will get crushed unless the delegates do something.
Hewitt did not suggest voting for Hillary. Nor did Hewitt vow not to vote for the eventual Republican nominee. But the radio host observed that it seemed that the plane was speeding towards the mountain on a collision course, which could well cost the Republicans the House, the Senate the Judiciary as well as the White House.
True to Trump form, Scavino threatened via Twitter that "hater" Hugh Hewitt should be banned from the Republican gathering in Cleveland.
Thin skinned, pugnacious and vengeful towards a media type who has been a loyal Republican since the days of Nixon. In addition, Hewitt has a politically oriented national morning radio show sympathetic to Republicans and makes many media appearances on NBC, CNN and MSNBC. Smart--not.
Reacting to the hostile Scavino suggestion, Hewitt noted that he will be broadcasting during the RNC Convention in Cleveland and appearing on NBC.
Considering how Trump may still sting from blowing Hewitt's nuclear triad debate question in December as well as the predicted Trump Train Wreck, Trump would not be expected to be BFFs. But to have a campaign surrogate suggest barring a reliable Republican from attending is Alpha-male insanity.
Trump loyalists love to note that Trump is not a politician and that he had plenty of success in the business world. But this is neither boardrooms or "The Apprentice" sets; this is politics and governing. In a free Republic,it is not as easy to control a message or dictate how others (legislators, bureaucrats, media) will act.
It seems that Trump can not take criticism so he and his surrogates will lash out against offenders. Trump's troll like champions love that he will counter-punch. But many times prudence is the better part of valor. So instead of reinforcing Trump's Crooked Hillary line of campaign, the body politic will still murmur about racist remarks and another case in which the Trump campaign threatens a journalist.
If that's WINNING, it is dubious about who is actually being victorious. At the very least, I feel vindicated for perceiving thuggish Trump campaign tactics.
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