Divide and Conquer

Vincent J. Curtis

13 Sept 2016

When Hillary Clinton smeared half of Donald Trump’s supporters by saying they belonged in a “basket of deplorables,” that included “racists, sexists, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobc, you name it…” and were “irredeemable” and “not American,” she did so with deliberation and calculation.  She did not regret that her remarks were publicized, because she was sending a message to progressives everywhere.

She was telling her supporters that they were morally superior, and that they had a moral obligation to ensure that Donald Trump did not get elected.  The campaign whose slogan is “Stronger Together” was engaged in divide and conquer.  Hillary was motivating her portion of the electorate to sneer at and suppress Trump’s portion.

To complete her analysis of Trump’s supporters, Hillary described in condescending tones the other half of Trump’s supporters as, in effect, losers who were disaffected by their poor economic prospects and an alienation with a political system that doesn’t work for them.

When she was forced by an outcry from the media that supports her to walk back her statement, she expressed regret at the accuracy of the proportion of Trump’s supporters who were irredeemable and not American.  She did not retract the smear.  In fact, she and her spokesliars in the media on Monday doubled down on how reprehensible Donald Trump was, as well as specific people whom Trump allegedly attracts.  So, after their regrets for saying ‘half’, the question Hillary and her spokesliars left open was the correct proportion of deplorables to pitiable losers there were among Trump’s supporters.

David Duke is commonly mentioned as an example of the type of deplorable person whom Trump attracts.  Thirty years ago Duke was connected to the Ku Klux Klan, an organization that traditionally was associated with the Democrat Party.  Hillary apparently holds that Duke is “not American,” though the law says differently.  As an American and not a felon, Duke is entitled to vote.  He has the right to speak freely under the First Amendment, and he can endorse for president whomever he wishes.  For all the reprehensible opinions that Duke holds, he has his rights too, as an American and as a human being.  Hillary says otherwise.

Trump has for the most part ignored David Duke.  Trump has not accepted or publicized Duke’s alleged support for him, and when pressed by the media about it Trump has said as little as he can about Duke.  The media, on the other hand, have never taken Hillary to task for the deplorable people who support her: David Brock (of Media Matters), Sidney Blumenthal, James Carville, and Paul Begala, for starters.  (Add the entire abortion industry and the Kermit Gosnells of this world.)  These people are friends and advisors to Hillary, while Trump has never even met David Duke.

Trump held his peace over the fifteenth anniversary day of the 9/11 attacks.  On Monday, he replied to Hillary’s attack on the tens of millions of Americans who support him.

On Monday, Trump gave a speech to the National Guard Association in Maryland, saying that he was “deeply shocked and alarmed this Friday to hear my opponent attack, slander, smear, and demean the wonderful, amazing people who are supporting our campaign.”  “Our support comes from every part of America, and every walk of life. We have the support of cops and soldiers, carpenters and welders, the young and the old, and millions of working-class families who just want a better future.  These were the people Hillary Clinton so viciously demonized. . . .  She called them a “basket of deplorables” in both a speech and an interview.  She divides people into baskets as though they were objects, not human beings. . . .  She and her wealthy donors all had a good laugh. They were laughing at the very people who pave the roads she drives on, paint the buildings she speaks in, and keep the lights on in her auditorium. Hillary Clinton is an insider, supported by powerful insiders, attacking Americans who have no political power.”

“Hillary Clinton spoke with hatred and derision for the people who make this country run.  She spoke with contempt for the people who thanklessly follow the rules, pay their taxes, and scratch out a living for their families.”  “If Hillary Clinton will not retract her comments in full, I don’t see how she can credibly campaign any further.” 

“After months of hiding from the press, Hillary Clinton has revealed her true thoughts,”

“She and her wealthy donors all had a good laugh." "You cannot run for president if you have such contempt in your heart for the American voter. You can’t lead this nation if you have such a low opinion of its citizens.”

When asked to respond to Trump’s remarks on MSNBC, Clinton campaign spokesliar Brian Fallon merely repeated the canard that Donald Trump seeks support from deplorable segments of society, and Hillary will not apologize for saying that.

Dr. Larry Sabato, head of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, seems to think that the election is already decided in favor of Hillary.  There are too few undecided voters left to swing the election in Trump’s direction, according to Sabato’s polling.  If this is so, you have to wonder if the majority of the electorate is fully alive to the contempt in which Hillary Clinton holds them.

The American electorate has a choice between a Queen-monster and a man who is a human being to the full, and according to Sabato the American electorate is going to pick Queen Hillary.  She is trying to win by dividing the electorate, while Trump is running to be president of all Americans.

-30-

With thanks to NRO for the quotes.