Trump’s Off-Message Detour Continues

The Democrats are doing their best to distract voters from the serious issues in this year’s campaign. Donald Trump, sadly, continues to enable them. The Associated Press reports that Trump is now obsessing on Bill Clinton’s infidelities:

“An impeachment for lying,” Trump said Thursday at a campaign rally in New Hampshire, referring to the effort to remove Bill Clinton from office for lying about his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. “Remember that? Impeach.”

The Republican nominee’s decision to dredge up the former president’s sexual history is a risky move in his campaign against Democrat Hillary Clinton, whose own team isn’t fazed by the attack line.

Well, no. What they fear is discussion of immigration, the economy and terrorism.

Trump critics say it all could backfire, elevating Clinton in the eyes of female voters and motivating her base.

“The whole notion of trying to get Hillary Clinton to pay for Bill Clinton’s infidelities is just strategically a bad choice,” said Katie Packer, a longtime Republican strategist opposed to Trump’s candidacy. Women in particular, she said, see it as cruel.

Republican pollster Frank Luntz said Trump’s reference to Bill Clinton’s indiscretions was his low point Monday night among the group of voters with whom he watched the debate.

Of course, the issue isn’t infidelities or indiscretions, it is rape and sexual harassment. Also, perhaps, the Lolita Express, although Trump hasn’t brought that up. But all of this makes sense only in the context of Hillary’s role as an accessory after the fact.

Trump first touched on Bill Clinton’s sexual past the weekend before the debate, threatening to seat Gennifer Flowers in the front row. She has said she and Clinton had an affair and he has admitted to one sexual encounter.

Is that last assertion true? I don’t recall that Bill Clinton denied the twelve-year affair that was alleged by Flowers. Didn’t Bill and Hillary jointly admit that Flowers was telling the truth in a nationally televised interview?

But that is a minor point. Ironically, the most pertinent comment comes from Hillary’s campaign team.

While Hillary Clinton’s aides aren’t thrilled about having her marriage back in the spotlight, they argue Trump’s new focus prevents him from making an affirmative case for his candidacy and only underscores the concerns some voters have with his temperament.

Exactly. When Trump is talking about Paula Jones and Monica Lewinsky, he isn’t talking about the economy, or immigration, or crime, or terrorism. I think one can speculate safely that the Democrats can hardly believe their good fortune.

Donald Trump needs to get back on message, or he is going to lose.

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