Out on Her Feet

Vincent J. Curtis

19 Sept 2016

Two terrorist episodes took place in the United States on Saturday: two actual bombings in New York City and in New Jersey as well as unexploded devices found, and a stabbing attack in Minnesota.  Investigations are ongoing, but an Islamist connection has already been made in both instances.

Donald Trump heard about the New York – New Jersey explosions and announced them at a campaign rally in Colorado Saturday night.  He used the incident to argue that the United States is in peril.  He called the explosions “bombings” before the New York police said so.  “Just before I got off the plane, a bomb went off in New York and nobody knows exactly what’s going on,” he said on an airport tarmac.

Then, this report from The Daily Mail: “Hillary Clinton appeared to criticize her rival Donald Trump on Saturday night for immediately referring to the New York City blast as a bombing, only moments before calling it a bombing herself.”

“After landing in White Plains, New York, a noticeably tired-looking Clinton told reporters she had been 'briefed about the bombings in New York and New Jersey and the attacks in Minnesota.'

A reporter then asked what she thought about the Republican presidential nominee appearing to pre-empt New York City officials when he declared a 'bomb went off' in New York City before officials had released details.

'Secretary, do you have any reaction to the fact that Donald Trump immediately took the stage tonight, calling the explosion a 'bomb',' the reporter asked.

'Well I think it's important to know all of the facts about an incident like this,' Clinton said.

'That's why it's critical to support the first responders, the investigators who are looking into it, trying to figure out what did happen. 

She added: 'I think it's always wiser to wait to until you have information for making conclusions, because we are just in the beginning stages of trying to determine what happened.' “

The visuals of Hillary’s press session aboard her plane were not good.  She looked and sounded like “a zoo animal that had been hit with a tranquilizer dart,” according to Fox News’s Chris Stirewalt.

She looked like she was out on her feet.  She called it a bombing and then, in response to a question regarding Trump calling it a bombing, she attacked him for precipitateness - not realizing what she herself had just said.  A boxer who is reduced to fighting on instinct will lash out in such a manner: see target, punch target.  She heard the name Donald Trump and her immediate response to was attack him.  This time it made her look like she was unaware.

This, combined with her duplicitousness about her heath issues – and there seems to be growing awareness of them – is not going to help her cause.  She may be more palatable than Donald Trump to many, but a crucial number of those who prefer Hillary may not vote for her because they feel that she is physically not up to the job.

Look for growing calls among Democrats and the media for Donald Trump to “come clean” on his physical fitness.  That would be the obvious alternative narrative to combat worries about Hillary’s fitness – to question the fitness of Trump.  If Hillary is sick – then Trump is sick also.

Hillary’s visuals did not look good, and her responses were formulaic and exhausted.  Trump would do well to encourage her to rest and regain her health.

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