welcome to the commentary magazine, podcast, recording this on the third of August? Twenty. Sixteen, I'm John of words editor of commentary with me is always a green waldheim. John and no rational, hijack well. Gentlemen:

It just there's nothing to talk about really, so I guess you know we can just share recipes and you now talk about the weather, because there's nothing whatever you talk about. Aside from the self emulation of the Trump campaign, the destruction of the Republican Party, the what now appears to be nearly inevitable elevation of aid lying cheating, stealing conniving liberal to the presidency, the United States and all the details are bad. There's this there's there there's nothing good, nothing good whatsoever. I just want to read before we get Goin Sauna read to you from any sees first,

this morning, just what happened yesterday in Trump land. If I could just share with you a number one in the Washington Post Interview, Trump declined to endorse how speaker Paul Ryan against its primary challenge. Remember too, he reiterated Has the door Senator John Mccain and seven one time prisoner of war has not done a good job for vets. Three heedless lashed out at Republican Centre Kelly out of new sure in a tough reelection re saying she has given me zero support. Number forty suggested that American should pull out. Therefore, when Kase number five have you said he always wanted to receive a purple hard, but that having when given to him by supporter, was much easier. If I'm getting a purple heart the ordinary number sexy said that handling sexual harassment has got to be up to the individual number seven. He accused cozier Khan, the Father of the war hero

for my own kind of being bothered by transplant two key terrorists, the country which is why cause your kind attacked him number eight. He appeared to fuel with a crying baby and rally number nine. He reiterated that could if the election is rigged. I would not be surprised, leading number ten to a fantastic exercise. As I said in your post of trolling by the President of the United States, who gave a speech saying trumpets unfit to be president, and for goodness sake for the sake of country, shouldn't the republican leadership endorse Trump, thus making it of course impossible for the republican leadership to uninvolved trump without looking like it was capitulated to him. And me

an gluing them ever tighter to the boa constrictor that is trying to strangle Lamb and will possibly strangle the Republican Party. Oh and if I could just add that Trump spokesmen Katrina Pearson, the towering genius of the term Camp suggested that Obama and Clinton were responsible. Writing the the though the rules of engagement that lead to whom I own cons death. Even though Romeo Cons, Deaf came in two thousand for five years before they assumed office as President Secretary of State, In response to all of this, we have the first congressmen Richard Hand of New York, saying he will vote for Clinton. We have MEG Whitman, who spent a hundred. The eight million dollars in four years ago trying to become senator from California and was a likely senior cabinet official, analysed any possible republic.

Administration, announcing that she was not only going to vote for Clinton but raise money for Clinton, Maria Camilla old friend of mine, who work both for Christie and for Rudy Julie's presidential campaign. As announced that she is voting for Clinton, and finally Ryan's previous, the head of the organ c is really angry at Trump were told why? Because Trump isn't endorsing his friend Paul Ryan, that's what makes him angry the attack on Cassiar Khan and his mother and his wife and homely incomes. Mother. That didn't make him angry the we know where the visa, the treatment of judge, curious that didn't make him angry. But you know but Trump being of noxious about Paul Ryan and his endorsement that really that's it that that that cuts it. So, basically, nothing is good, so a tool

Anything good to say clearly the pivot is upon us. I asked the cabin we didn't know the pivot was going to be towards hell right. The private is like directly trying which circle of Hell, as I haven't, read the inferno, long time. I think maybe the one dedicated to envy and gluttony impoverished, but I'm not sure he did. He do fine area and that laundry list only covers a single day berserk as the previous day? What what he. He assured us that Putin has no interest in invading Crimea. After Putin has annexed cracker and today put an annexed Crimea. I just want to say I want to point out that in twenty four team, why report an annexed Crimea and trumpet

now said in the last two days, alternately that a Putin did not invade Crimea and B that the crime means gonna be russian anyway, so he should have invaded gave and though we didn't invade- and maybe you shouldn't they if he invaded that was good, but he didn't invade and don't worry is no designs on Ukraine, where in fact, they are currently engaged in a in a blow level war, so that here and swallowed the Ukraine right and they he's he was. He was a clear on that as he was about the baby, israeli hello maybe he loves crime babies. He loves how wonderful keeper here and thought get get. The canadian sir, I was to be seriously Ruskin right. And then after that long, The laundry red list you read, this morning, Joe Scarborough set on morning Joe that He had heard about a meeting three months ago between Trump, in foreign policy advisers, during which Trump asked policy adviser, yet

right, waltz some, some some some some What percentage somewhere and trumpet asked percentage? Yes, personated personage, I'm glad I'm glad at this advanced stage. I am able to explain to you that the word is actually Its personage what's gonna particularly effective. Now, when I try to insult trumps intelligence This is like a little sister by sister. Middle school was talking about something in the class and she was describing, I think, Shirley Jackson Story, the lottery, She said it's a very MCA Bree. She never heard a pronounced, though she said, MCA Brion said a macabre, then everybody laughed at her and forty or fifty years later it still stuck in New Zealand is a mockery of they do ok, museum good since we're all nothing there. It's good to know so will get off the plane and they Wellington

for I knew dwellings will say we just don't want any place, that's MCA Brie and they say percentage. So in any event trumpet as these foreign policy advisers three times throughout the course of the meeting look like. Can we? Where can we just user nukes? We? If we have these nukes if the? U S has nuclear weapons? What why can't we just use them now? You know it's a really great question. I think AIDS, shows that you know he is a person who is willing to cut to the quick, not politically correct. He is Milosevic is cutting to the quick, is getting to the heart of the issue, which is tat. We got em. What do we have? for, if we're not going to use them. That maybe we can bomb the oil and take the oil where'd. You get their weapons now that he? that's my question on top of the previous fact that he he doesn't know what the nuclear try. It is we were not more emphatic word discussing before the the the podcast that too

inadvertently stumbled into you know a gigantic and colossal long debate that basically seem to end but the cold war, about what stance, thee U S, a NATO should use toward the use of nuclear weapons and there were the whole idea that the we should declare that there would be no first use of nuclear weapons because it a was extremely unlikely that the West would ever nuke first and be, and so therefore, we could take advantage and diplomacy and the respect of the european population, all that by saying it and be, it was just the right thing to do. Course the entire nuclear doctrine under which we have functioned since nuclear weapons existed has been based,

on the possibility that we would be if we would be required to make first use of nuclear weapons. Otherwise we would literally have no reason to possess them, except because we would then be responsive for the destruction of the planet and the second third strikes, and therefore the whole point is that the deterrent of clear weapon against the enemy, only works. If you, if you are potentially gonna, be the one to fire. First, having said that, he has no idea what I'm talking about there in the triad, the third, by the try not to get even more boring, was the notion that, if the two legs of the try, the first two legs of the Triad, which are the intercontinental ballistic missiles that sit in silos in was Cheyenne Way, oh may and various other places. Our somehow amid May made impossible to launch by an electro magnetic pulse or some other form and that the and that the beef fifty tools that

the second leg of the trial, the AIR base Lego. The triad are somehow neutralize that there will still be summary and under the water who could sail for months of their parents. I'm rains that can fire off the third leg of the trial Maybe that was the conversation that was being had in in response to the fact that it was revealed that he didn't know that there was a nuclear triad. I speak by the way as somebody Who has no special average family of this? I just you know, read the paper. Thirty years ago, which apparently Donald Trump didn't do unless his name was in them about how much sexy was having with Marilla. Maybe No, a Rossman. So no, ah, you are key. Acting string on what we are and what you are referring to is the true implosion. I want everyone to follow, Noah onto if you are not doing so his handle is, I believe, is it just M Rossman jealousy no a sea Rossman away. Hc Rossman

because no, I was a very earnest and serious guys. Serious twitter has fallen. Least succumbed to the logic. Our positions and has become a gift master and in the law, Twenty four hours he has put up gifts of were gifts or whatever the hell they're called of the title and a going down of dumpster fires of of of a circular firing squad having a lot of fun right now, superimposing trumpeted godfather quotes. I think that actually really just put us exactly where we need to be by one of the things that you described over the course of this mean a couple of days of really a lot of self inflicted wounds has unit. We didn't touch. The fact that the campaign is responding to a lot of this negative promised her that's the Trump campaign led to link the eclipse campaign has gone to occur

we'll go for a couple of days to rest recover and sit and Simpson my ties while their at that. My bar. Well, why? The president I'd states does the work for them, because there is literally nothing they have to do except stand by and watch car crash. So this survive. The survived the weekend right and by Monday became pretty clear that this was gonna, be a disastrous story and, and it would really have a big effect on on trumps campaign. On Monday night we got a shake up big high profile, firing of two really important trump advisors. Former Carson advisers, gunning named Edbrooke over strategists name, is very familiar to people in republican politics and Jimmy Strasser. Who is the western regional for the political director

for the Trump campaign. This is described as a shake up in any normal campaign. You would see shake up as a suggestion that this campaign knows it's it's adrift that has no where to go and that its range a redirect direct its course, but the Trump campaign is just a constant state of chaos, see couldn't really read too much into them. And now I think we can, because a couple of days later, you ve got a really small campaign staff. That is just leaking to any reporter. It can possibly talk to and giving apocalyptic quotes. John whore would, over at sea embassy, had a particularly interesting one when he said Manifold Pullman afford, according to an ally quote man afford, is not challenging trump anymore mailing it in staff suicidal that was confirmed by NBC Alley. Vitaly, who said that its way worse than people realize also quoting another staffer.

You have staffers speaking too now, Huffington Post Howard, firemen, saying that this election is going to be decided by outside events, if only we can get our candidate to quoting quote use them so another hoping openly and expressly for unfortunate events to befall the american people so that they can benefit from them. This kind of chaos, and is unity, has resulted in rents. Previous jumping off the boat he's expressing now, according to people who were in the no real frustration. Anger resentment apoplectic Statements using another quote in suggesting, according to John Carl over it abc with other, sounds really fanciful that they are preparing for the in the event that Donald Trump simply advocates that they have to get somebody else on the ballot by September. Now that sounds like nonsense to me, but rubbed. The key word in the last sentence was cept him. This is August and we're in the middle of a campaign implosion with no one hope. Never to go, but down

I mean, I guess it could get better, this kind of hard to see how it could get worse. But I mean I've been impressed by how bad it's been right now. So I guess that good loose tells me. One thing is only one answer: the campaign is The campaign is that can't be. I am using a here's, how they re, actually here's how rigged the campaigners It is still only a matter of weeks since the FBI director James call me, went before the american people and while, while announcing that he was not going to indict or recommend an indictment of Hillary Clinton for the misuse of classified material made clear that her misuse of classified material in her handling of classified material was incredibly reckless. Dangerous and that she put the security of the It states at risk and her pull numbers and to tumble and things

very bad, and then they had a good convention. The Democrats had a very good convention capped off by a dreadful speech by Hilary Boring, pointless, screeching unpleasant. With no single sound bite that you can remember no outreach The voters who are not yet going to vote for her and knows no rising to the moment and what are we? and on the day after the convention, the GDP numbers for the second quarter revised downwards. We are now looking at last then two percent growth for the EU. You're twenty sixteen and an economic recovery that is the Wall Street Journal, said on its front page on Saturday morning is the worst economic, recovery from a recessionary period since night. In forty nine and water You're talking about my friends, Hilary, the Hillary Clinton campaign, the Democrats in the Obama administration have been handing the term campaign or whoever they ve been

throwing lob pitches that anyone could hit over the open pass the bleachers and you no choice. Job, the dynamic of the campaign and what does I want to talk about. He wants to talk about how the mother of a dead american hero soldier was be. In suppressed freedom? not permitted to speak by her barbaric muslim husband, a fact of which there No support, then she's talked on television and she wrote my bed peace and it was just slander, and then he wants to talk about how Paul Ryan's bad the Keynes bad and Kelly outs bad and an entire about his own side and not go after Hillary Clinton and What we see here is a kind of viral, a weird pattern in which what Trump does when he feels discomfited rather than me

of the conversation forward and get back on the point of trying to win the election by drawing a contrast between him and Hillary Clinton that is unfavourable to Hillary Clinton he attacked Republicans, and he makes himself look like a lunatic or a barbarian vulgarian or a monster. I could just Jack's yelling at a baby, This is a politician yelling at a baby like who, what universe are we living in? This is the it literally why each conservatives get a baby out of here. He said. Firstly, are we aren't? You said I was a baby, is love babies and then he's like MIKE, then she then the baby credit areas like. Oh, you took me seriously get her out of here now remember I dare not that I want to be in a known for being a character assassin of trumpets. Fine with me. If I am known that, according to Marilla Maples is second wife. One of the reasons that their marriage broke up is that she gingerly

suggested at some point that he might take their daughter Tiffany out in the stroller for a walk, and basically the idea was that is you know? What do you think I am a and emasculated? You know no, nothing I'm not taken the baby out for a walk. We're done so. Congratulations. America, say: conservatives are gradually lay cells over the notion that this is all some sort of concur. Dead manufactured media bias that they are for just another nights. Conservatives, I don't know if you need, I say it's: conservatives are not just a traveller users yet begun. There are plenty of conservatives who know perfectly well that this is tramping trump and we're back. To this question of who nominated Trump, who chose tromp had a trump become the nominated notion that somehow the press is to blame for this in an that's that

suppose that kind of unites alot of factions on the right is anti press by us. In that It's all well and good, but see I dont see. This is the way that things are going in relation to the questions about the press, that the main thing that I see as people saying it's really Outrageous, how trumped does this if it is properly attacked him when Hilary or the Democrats do exactly the same thing in reverse in certain cases they are there pass. So the big, the big one, of course being that there was Great celebration of of the car on Thursday for their incredibly moving speech and that the and that the Democrats acted as though Pat Smith, the mother of the of of one of the four dead and gauzy was somehow being exposed, was expelled. Bidding her sons death by speaking about it at the convention. That's the main.

The main charge that urban other area there, how ITALY legitimate that argument goes. Patman spoke at the convention. She didn't get anywhere near the attention that the cons and hostile intentionally Chris Mathieu said she's like she's, you know: she's dancing, she's, she's, exploiting her sons, death for political reasons from has been hounded over questions at the cons, whereas Hillary Clinton has not about Pat Psmith. Now, all This sounds right, but it doesn't doesn't stand up to scrutiny Hillary Clinton was asked about about MRS Smith, and she answered a relatively fine just not controversial, it was a non story and it went away the notion that Pat Smith wasn't get enough attention on the night of the convention Donald Duck trunk, into bill O. While she was speaking at the convention. Fox news didn't cover alive. Donald Trump didn't even talk about a he stepped on her own addressed to the convention. The note, and that there is some sort of reciprocal that there is really

or equal events somehow it is beyond. I agree, I agree there not equal events, but it is obviously the case having the interesting thing is that. I mean you could always say in reverse. Now I'm going to contradict myself so Hillary on Sunday on the Fox NEWS Sunday program with Chris Wallace blatantly and. Disgustingly lied about what James calmly had said about her, where he said that We said that she had spoken truthfully about her server First of all, income countries- initial statement: he said nothing about whether or not she had spoken truthfully are untrue fully about her server, but when he was, question before the house was the government Affairs Committee, or was it the Benghazi committee? At only remember, I guess it was the government affairs, the oversight that has many governments oversight he was, I specifically Hillary Clinton, said exe, about her server. Was this truth? when can said no, which of course and raises the question of why didn't I,

for perjury, but that's a whole other question that we don't need to go into now and and and the press dull over to be fair. The mainstream media jumped all over it. You got for Pinocchio from whoever gives out the stupid Pinocchio, but there plenty of stories about how everywhere about how Hilary had just the traversed the elementary boundaries of truth by what she had done in a really cynical way and we're not your interviewed much after that, because this is the problem every time she opens her mouth, she doesn't give offence the way Trump give, then she doesn't go on these breeze of personal vileness. The way trump does, but she says something that is late. We untrue faults, and everybody and lead there's like clean up on a mile. Seven much of the clean up as Noah has detailed for literally the past year in the month

being done by Donald Trump, who changes the subject every time she does something stupid or vile, or wrong or idiotic. So so I'm contradicting myself because, as I'm an American. That's what Walt Whitman said that the Americans do with it gets a contradiction at all. I am going to ban this

Gabriel Quick, but this is the job of the EU. This is my fundamental point about the media. Biased thing republicans know that Republicans should have known that Donald Trump was not going to be treated well by the press that they found him to be an interesting distraction, some sort of a curiosity. They gave him a ton of deference during the primaries and that little lotta conservative to think well, this guy knows how to swim with the sharks. He's gonna be able to manipulate the press. It was obvious to everyone who knows how this works, that they were going to suddenly discover that this guy's a threat to democracy when he became the republican Domini, when he did that and republican nominees notice. It is their job to inject into the national discussion issues that the press doesn't want to cover. They have to hammer that thing really hard, so Donald Trump job is to say every time it gets in front of a of Europe. Of a reporter. A camera is to say here,

frequent and lied to you, people to your face the other day and you ve totally moved on from it. Why are you not covering this, and he just as simply unable to do that for a variety of areas? Will right will be moved on because he's he's become the story and me because he keeps going out there in saying I rageous things, intend sucking up all the oxygen and rule they have no sort of effective forward strategy. Trunk trump defend. All they have is He does something outlandish and all they have is. But what about her look at level? Let me dick thrower or or coming up with slanders about the people with his attack their backgrounds away. That's a nice reach right! There's this year you re attacking Leah. The cat family, as I said, doing to the cons, what what Democrats did to poor Joe, the plumber you now when he came out. Said you know, I don't know why I'm being too So this way two thousand eight is like his name. Isn't Joe. His aim is SAM he's. Not we just when you know somebody for

That is how silly was arrested once you know, like. For all for the crime of having said thing at a better Mccain rally. You now David, so with the cons and their basically, exactly the same thing: the Borg, the leave these pseudo work. Innovation tragically named for the person who would be spending in his grave if he knew what was being done to him so yeah, and if this is this is the conceit of of Trump supporters. They think that the press is somehow been up. They always thought that the press is gonna, be on this guy side, that it wasn't a treat him like a written like a republican and third sort of shocked to discover that they are, I don't know how to respond to it. Well, it still the case that the central passion of the Trump campaign, the central passion of Trump himself,

this desire to make sure that the people who owe him no loyalty owe him loyalty. What are these my colleague, she wasn't loyal to me. What does he basically about, became and and and Ryan and Mcconnell they're not doing their loyalty to me You said you were like you, you are you're going with quotes from from the godfather This reminds me of of of Johnny Cash, for in Miller's crossing the Kohen Brothers movie, who walks rather gangster boss in Chicago Sir I'm saying or whatever city that's is what I'd say. You ve me the high hat Give me that I had given me the high hat. All he's interested is whether or not people are giving him you know or not giving him the heap. What the hebrew word is covered they're, giving him his do his proper obeisance and respect, and if he feels that, that's not the case, he will do anything. What do you say about the cons? They?

viciously attacked me he's the one republican candidate for candidate for president, you know, even if he does horribly in this election, he's gonna get forty five. Fifty million votes. I mean they grieving parents of a dead soldier who may have, something unpleasant about how we didn't read the constitution. If he'd cap, his mouth shut, the whole thing would have been gone by Friday and all everybody watch. The convention with two l of the Khans were so wonderful and they were. It was a very moving speech and it was, and that's all that there would have been there would have been no more, they if every now and then gone Lawrence, O Donnell show an msnbc it. They would have been then cause. Your conduct is obviously a very intelligent guy it's a very, very deft, sense of where to go with this and how not to go too far would have handled it beautifully, but there would be no campaign issue. No one would remember the cons name and in in bye, bye, bye,

by August fifteenth and that compulsion to enforce fealty even serve but he was really on display at the convention. I think you actually observed that that is kind of transferred into republicanism. The republican Party has become this organization that compels come in at least compliance and servility behind behind Donald Trump, and that's probably why it was such a bomb. Is that it didn't it didn't, have any sort of unifying element to it very much at the Gatt sort of bayonet point and that's why, according to gallop, this has been the first time since they been measuring this nineteen. Eighty four that voters are less likely to support the nominee after the convention than they were before and to the tune of fifteen point seven percent majority. Fifty one percent said as much verse thirty something odd percent and guess what the Hilary member was

sixty percent more likely support after the convention versus fourteen percent less likely, and that was after a terrible speech and I dont say that it was a terrible speech, because I dont like Hillary Clinton. I dont, like Hillary Clinton, I'm talking about strictly as a matter of what these speeches are supposed to be and what they can do for people and how they can move people but the convention itself as a whole. Why was it so successful? We know why it was so successful. Why was it the republican convention so unsuccessful? We know why, because the republican convention, pissed all over the United States and the demo a convention waved the flag and talked about how this was a great country, and I don't Who you are, and I don't care where you are and on the feelings about how damage Obama has done to the United. It's in the when everything which I agree, but you know If you run down my country, you know you

serve to get a pie in the face, and the Republican Party got a pie in the face and rights previous gotta pioneered by in the face by making sure that there wasn't even the possibility of anybody having the right, to cast a vote in roll call. That might goes by they now add two hours of hot, and this too to you now turn to the Donald Trump Convention. So I glad that the public is sticking to him, because this you know this move. That was created. This idea that what you do is you, the from still to Obama's policies to the idea that the I did, states they degraded and terrible place. That is an evil direction for this country to be going in small. It's not true. Second of all, he tells the american people, something that is not true and third of tells the world something

but the Spirit of the United States. That is a message that the United States should not be projecting outside its borders, because it is in worrying to us. It is dangerous and damaging for the world to think that we are, as low spirited and and and in as in as divided and weak position has, as we now be that as it, that is a threat to United States, and now we can get just continue the rent the other unbelievable threat to LU, LU, LU, see the United States, which was trumps. What trumps are saying about the election Ebby Wanna, the rigging ring of them well is this is his. This is his mantra. This is this is all he has. Jonathan Tobin Rota wrote a good piece for the blog about this Tromp has to maintain a sense of hysteria.

His followers that that he's that that the election is writ? That's that's that everything rat everyday reality. They made him a millionaire is rigged that the primary process that made him the nominee well regulated unfair, since Father made him a millionaire so which is now well. You know what that was really read that nobody, but we we need to like stepped back and take account of what a but a monstrous thing. This is for him to be saying, for them the leading Canada, the United States, to suggest that the president, election in which a hundred and thirty five million votes were cast. It is possible, we'll be legitimately decided simply because it may be decided against him that the though collateral damage that this does too little the crisis in the United States in general, the sense that our institutions are corrupt and evil and bad knowledge. If people do not trust that election results, which are you know that this is a far-

after this is that this is an idea that was promulgated simultaneously by the far left in the far right, the conspiracy theories of info wars and the people who had now insist that the deep old corporate was being manipulated by the oak brothers to change. The scores election machines that were insisted upon by some of these very same people, because they thought that the hanging Chad system, the Chad system that had preceded the optical reader scanner was you know- have handed the election to the Republicans and in This I see the malign hand of Trump sort of, Merlin the Merlin of Trump Roger Stone. The political consultant, who is the served dark web of Trump Ville and is the author of trumps poetic? standing, even though he is out of the campaign since August officially is not a head does there may they do with it? Bob

and afford us is old partner. Leave is that of a campaign, and he this is kind of wine that that stone when he said it was blissfully stone said it explicitly recently. Brian reporting outlet that the that Trump has to begin pounding. This notion now in order to get us into the ether and why this is so dangerous is because we ve seen over the course of this election campaign that people will sacrifice their dignity and integrity in order to give Trump cover a lot of important media people, professional media professionals, political individuals of high standing in relative repute, will echo this charge dutifully and will become accepted. Fact that the United States has a recollection system, thus deal legitimizing any electoral result and necessitating a response to it. That may be a legitimate itself will- and this is the things were worth talking about your thinking. If Trump bottoms out from even from here on out the tectonic

damage that he's already serve set off in things like running down the country flying or stating that that that the election is Rick floating this sort of abolition of NATO you. These are huge dangers that are that are that are brought around the the world, regardless of a few, if the exits the stage today. Oh, he doesn't have to say that the NATO thing is extremely terrifying because he doesn't have to be president for that to send really dangerous signals to Russia. Russia invaded Georgia in August, two thousand eight. They had actually no compunction about our electoral calendar. They were just doing what they had to do and if Russia were to make some sort of an advance in Europe right now, what would president Obama's response be good, in the domestic pressures on him? Considering that the influence that Donald Trump, his hat right, we're rainbow right now, I think Obama would, you know, would be Macarthur.

Are you getting me you know, Obama would be in the first tank rolling rolling rolling down from tower lilies. As you know, you re wrong with you in my own area, that is is is still having lunch with labourer right now, trying to execute peace in the Middle EAST by outsourcing american superpower to Moscow. They need Russia as much as as they need Russia. Look. There's six months left a we all about Obama's entire legacy now comes down to Hilary winning and he is going to do everything to make Hilary win and so of trumps against NATO. You're new, never seen anybody more pro NATO member. Obama, Mr Pro, NATO, that NATO that NATO is guy that you ve ever seen the planet earth. That's my that's my prediction: if trumpet only praised the IRAN, they go after and praise the IRAN deal you my turn on the IRAN deal. That's right! Well, you know. Here's

a final and interesting aspect this out. But let me just stopped for a moment and say that the reason that this election is a tragedy in horror is got its own issues about. You know postmodernism indeed at the fact that you know we forty years of this whole notion that there is no truth in Turkey is ultimately the candidate of the supposed truth world and all that, but tragedy, is that Hillary Clinton, who may the most prepared person to become president today, anyone it ever seen, but is a person of uniquely bad character, two to assume this office, bad character, bad judgment, bad temperament and am bad ideas. She is probably now going to waltz into this office, and I think we ve looked If seen. What's going on, and you can say, imagine any body else, including people too,

detested in the republican primaries if you'd detested, TED crews, if you detest Marco Rubio, because he was Mister amnesty if you'd detested, John cases because he was because zero because he was says her such a goody, but he holier than Thou guy. If you'd detested almost anybody. Many of them would be beating her, like a drum on an hour Lee Basis on her untruthfulness and on the servers and the policy failures and on you know that on the couch towing to Russia and on all sorts of things that that up is not doing, and so the Republican Party, in whatever form that is, why is it? What is response what will be responsible for her election, and that is just the simple gods on truth, and I am amused by the fact that I get message

is all day every day from Trump cards who say to me, you are objectively pro Hilary you, I tried to get her elected she's, not gonna, give what job why're. Why are you bothering? Why are you re at this Why don't you attack her like gee thanks very much. You know I spent my but my career attacking her. I published a book in two thousand six attacking her. We, of course, many articles and commentary attacking her eye attack, when I am in a position to attack her by, packing trump. I am not supporting Hilary, I am attacking the person who was getting Hilary elected and you are the person who is responsible. Not I she has kept her head down, smartly, well, Donald Trump imploding, there's not much! You can say or write about her she's, not making news. She has terms used benefiting from something that's happening on the right to the anti trumpery with is a bit like opening up his eminence think. Everybody made this case, which was Trump gave,

an overarching theme for her campaign, which was otherwise very problematic, as it was dynastic, which is bad kids, don't like dynasties, it was it was. It was ideal s, it was also the idea. No showed me third term for Obama. At a time when you know seventy percent, the country thinks it's on the wrong track, Who is she now? She is the person who is going to save the United States from this, that is our mission that is Obama's mission for her. That is, that was the central thing on she dwelt in her speech, so she wants to raise a minimum wage, social gonna, blah blah blah at college College tuition and do whatever this in that Bernie Sanders put in the stupid platform. She is she wild. Who knows what she's gonna do, but she did have a reason to become president other than she wanted to be, and now she does and he gave her that and I have reduced to silence with my rage

Neither have anything what nobody is? No no you're gonna Sicily, when about other there's a lot of help from hipster is on the right, because now it sort of like popular a little bit to be anti trump because they see how much he's imploding and how devastating this is going to be to the party after November to the road to a small extent, I mean they're, still some some real hold out there, but you he was real.

The hard not to see what was going to happen very early on by early on I mean over a year ago, at this point right after he announced June July. He started to really stink and started to give the Republican Party a bad name, and if you couldn't catch onto that, then and you're just coming to this conclusion now it's it's the outwits, welcome to the party, but is very difficult to have much sympathy, because we're talking about. I mean that you could write a book about how many times he has demonstrated his problematic approach to governance and his penchant for setting the Republican Party on fire. That's why they liked him. He was its rivals successful, because his acolytes in the media and his supporters on the ground really wanted to see the Party Berne and they got their wish. So it's kind of difficult to see

where, where there is some sort of redeeming quality to people coming on board, now after having sought the parties, devastation and destruction for not having the White House in acting like it, had the White House and now getting their wish and now some sort of regretting in having little bit of buyers remorse know that they see the the real extent of what's going to happen after November, when the party will be sent back to the last decade. Look MIKE Murphy, who was who- job bushes, super pack said in September we're not going to attack him because he's going to take out everybody that we he taken out, then we'll go one on one with him and destroy them and everybody Had this idea somebody Else- was gonna, take him down because nobody I believe that a person who was saying the things about about the republican Party that he was saying was actually demand, that being the nominee of them. A working party, and then they were about seven of us in September.

Toby. I am, and I can name them for you. I mean if, in the end, the tin, the twitter verse there was me there was toward Stevens Romney's former consultant, there's Rick. Seven, who is a bloodless, only works for Rutulian and works out of Florida about you. A bunch of I use six or seven other people and and eventually national review, and we were saying what are you doing? What are you doing? You better go after him. Now you got it. You got after a now- and I wrote this fuel his piece about Job Bush and the spending against marker Rubio. Now I not because I had a possess, whether or not the job washer my it was that the spending against market Rubio when The person who was about to win was tromp was psychotic and that you know this was all too clever by half- and there was this whole lanes theory there were lanes, and so, if you could capture

this slave in that labour than you could take over his lame. If he could take over your lave and you could take over his, then you'd have three lines out of five and then you get sixty percent you go in, and Trump hadn't Elaine's Trump ran as a job. We'll candidate, with a general overarching theme about the election, which is that the country stunk and he would make a great again and the problem was immigrants and the problem with China and that's what he was gonna do and he and nobody challenged him, and that is the truth. He was not challenged. He was not challenged. He was not challenged. And all those people who were screaming about him? Now we told you so we told you sell it commentary. I wrote the first piece of which I said Trump is gonna, kill this country off, if you, if he is left to its own devices, July, twenty seven twenty fifteen and then even I found that I couldn't be, this was actually gonna happen. I forgot that I'd written this peace and I kept saying,

there's no way go when there's no way you'll win. How can we win? there's no way, because people are like me anyone's thirty percent he's got a ceiling gathered Adena and there, and here we are so that by the way when he was attacked when he was really forcefully attacked on the debate stage, and I believe it was Marco Rubio who really first executed a really sustained attack on him from a debate stage in front of everybody. Oh no, but you for TED Cruises, suicidal idiotic attack, I'm never that predate yeah Guerrilla York values Well that was neutral. Your hearing here is New York values York, values and then trumps.

Well, you know, I think me, work is pretty great mine eleven so that, yes, I know you're not really without emu area, the terrible person to make that attack, considering how TED crews himself had elevated down from candidacy under the mistaken impression. That would give him a lot of access to his conservative late. He would on the conservative game and Donald Trump on the moderately so he said you know I don't down from the great guy wrapped disarm random and made him a legitimate they rarely on it. Was marker. Rubio executed a really sustained attack on the debate stage. That was realized the following day when Chris Christie endorsed Donald Trump Round, but for tat. Hours. It was a really bad twelve hours for Donald Trump, because when he was attacked them at the bait stage, he looked like a deer and headlights. He observed

orbed blow after blow after blow. He had no Perry, no retort, he looked really bad and that's what's in store for us. If I say, if not when we have debates in the general election, Hillary Clinton is not a terrible debaters. No great but she's, not a terrible debater she's. An experienced debater she's going to go into this very well prepared. Donald Trump will not and she's going to execute of us, as does series of the thrusts, and Donald Trump will not be able to Perry and he will get flustered like he does make a mistake, and you will have one of those debate moments where you were sheet where he goes too far and she feigns great offence and attacks his dignity, and it will be the debate moment to remember and I will be the end of the election. Will you know there is a political consultant whose name I can't pronounce,

not even sure. I know how to spell, I think it's Matt percentage now presided just good. It's either Matt MAC, Whirr cognac earlier, so that a Texas at its axis work for Bush as republican play. And so has a piece in the New York observer this week. In which he says right now. The first debate in September, twenty third, trump to prepare himself needs to do. It these ten mock debates before September. Twenty. Third, that's what every city candidate? Does in preparation for debate? You have ten mock debates. You have to properly after blurred enormous stuff, so you have answers ready any bathing trumps having mark debate, he's gotta seven. What he's got he's got. Seventy people on his campaign staff, seventy people whose preparing the position papers that he needs to study

in order to have the answers for the debate who in his in His ambit is saying to him. You need to have every four days when, to do one mock debate could be an hour, doesn't have to be two hours can be forty five minutes, but you need to do it so you get company, with the ninety million people are gonna, be watching, he thinks he had a big audience were of those debates, the republican debates, and they were big audiences for part of partisan debates of twenty five million people watch them one. It is likely that ninety two hundred million people watch the first debate, and you know he is and this is waves- he's adding up the rigged narrative, so they can have these working. The rests with the post narrative of the debate, which will be awful for him, is that this whole process was rigged against him from the start. There was no way I could have succeeded because the conditions were so set against him. And you and that that that

it into a long republican narrative. Amene remember there are a lot of us who still have very serious questions about what happened in the second republican debate in twenty twelve, when Morocco seem to know that candy Crowley had on her desk a transcript of what he had said on September, twelfth about Benghazi and asked her to read the transcript, which she then did thus supposedly making a point that he was trying to make about how he had said it was a war on terror. We don't know how that happened. If that was rigging. Very few things are rigging, so there is a history there. The trump can plug into. It was also spray. Strangest recall that that that debate very strange, Mehta framework that happened and because in IRAN we had them first sterling debate with with Obama and then everyone's had Obama? Has turkey

God creamed, he has to come out, look like he cares. He has to look like he's, Bucky practice like he prepared, and that was sort of the hurdle that he had to heap for that for the second debate, it was due to two to answer these calls about. Looking a certain way wasn't even that he had to exactly do a good job was that he had to be. They are in the way of sabotage subsequent debates had like the Youtube questions where you had the third, the gay sold I was saying why don't you accept, maim- and that was a quite obviously is set up designed to interest rates, are getting perform. Well now you say: you're gonna get the questions from agree of course the only way is right, so the to the two things that now last and endure from that second debate on foreign policy. Are this question of how a bomb I knew that candy Crowley had a transcript. She could read from to back up his point

and the second of course was Romney's answer about how Russia was the number one antagonist of the United States on the world stage to which to which Obama said. Well, you know I've Welcome to the ninety anxieties continent. Where does I gather y yeah? That's right so end and so too, to Obama's two Romney's enduring credit. He said something that turned out to be entirely accurate and Obama of course said something that was in line with his general dismissal of the idea that the United States might have enemies in the world that it needs to needs to fight against a trump, as I say, Trump that will have purchase on the roof. If it looks like he's being ganged up on, however, if Hilary is one who does the crushing that narrative, I'm not sure, will work quite as well. Now

we should conclude with even more interesting, apocalyptic speculation, republic of speculation will now our centre on what happens, assuming Trump loses and and this So we ve been talking about here. I talked a lot of people at the republican convention about this and there seemed we too scenarios right. One is that he loses but its close to three four percentage points, and the other is that the bottom calls out and he loses substantially by eight or more Europe who say that it can't fall out more than eight, because calories. Just so unpopular in so many Republicans dislike her. So much that the ability to cast a vote against her will be a very, very pat potent driving force but So these are the two scenarios, its close, but he loses and it's a blow out or up from eight from me,

Obama like blow out two way landslide of of historical proportions. Obama like line two thousand. It was five points. Seven thanks! I was fifty three forty, eight, no fifty three, forty five, forty so it was like six or some points, but nobody thought that elections were there. Was this. Theory that elections could never now be more than three or four points, because everybody's turn out machine was there was so much better, but so The question now is: let's game this out, because The way I see it, neither of these scenarios looks pretty from. Them. Bird ninth twice sixteen to ITALY. Election day two eighteen and possibly further self. We start with the who

Loses but by a little what's the what's, the fall out in the GEO P, a woman than the rig stab in the back analysis indoors and. And troublesome indoors, but who stabbed him in the back? We D, it rewrite read that that is what it was, that it was the never trumpery than it was faithfully GEO peers, I was the people who are disloyal and who were act, we working for Hillary, who did this and they're all the establishment, and it's like the tea party on on acid than steroids and then masks and the whatever else and the and the war inside the party becomes, you know, will make two thousand and ten and two thousand and twelve. Do I look like a hoot man like there's? No decisive renunciation right

so the idea there is that that this at the civil war in, however, civil war inside the rubble, it will be brutal, though The primary challenges Trump will lead a new movement, even though he himself available to all turn. Again, though, you never know, but he will then become the the headliner renewable, but to destroy Ryan Mcconnell and everybody every and that he will raise specifically try go after the people. He think destroyed him and the end, and he will have this network that he didn't set up, but that is ready made to function for money, making reasons in that regard, that is it promise he is said in the Washington Post interview that is making so much headlines today, the one in which he attacked Paul, Ryan and Clia and John Mccain that he intends after the election,

whether he is present or not, to support the establishment of a pact that will go after people who he determines our his enemies. Those that's kind of that's really as ill defined as it was, but it wasn't suggested that these were damn Craddock enemies said these we're gonna, be Republicans, oh and Republicans, by the way we'll have claimed, who don't, support, trample, have claimed that their vision works so you'll have right. Now you ve got a cow republican establishment. That is really just letting the Trump train drive this machine, but they will resist after Member and the Trump machine will be as emboldened as it was as it is now by a narrow loss was so you have a real the real formula for a schism that last the women Resentment is their fuel right now, however,. The close result, it has been argued by senior Republicans will

have the effect of maintaining the house and set of majorities for the GEO P, which will then be a brake on any ambitions by Hillary Clinton to do anything of the sort that Barack Obama did when he had a very pliant Senate and House okay, so that's the because, if Trump loses by three or four, there will be a sufficiency of votes. That will probably maintain the Senate for Republicans and will certainly maintain house for Republicans so that they will go into two thousand and seventeen as as a as in opposition, to prevent the worst of the possible democratic excesses, which is really been the story of the Republicans on the hill

since two thousand and eleven that's not to say that will last through two thousand and eighteen. If the party goes through a gigantic trump Leds schism and civil war, you know you could see the election. You could see, the ouster of all sorts of republican mainstream, Republicans by Trump peons, who will make Richard Murdoch and and TOT Aiken and people like that? Look like a hoot nanny as they as they talk about how you know Mexican should believe we should elect. Defence. On the border and stuff like that, then there is the second scenario right, which is the landslide scenario. So the landslide scenario has a big fans among the might. My friend rob long. Who is the you know well with whom I do the glop culture pot, Caslon Ricochet, who says this is necessary. There needs to be a blow out so that this this

faction in the party can be caught. You know they were there whenever the wound can be cauterized and the and the infection can be stamped out and that there can be return to equilibrium. Anybody have of thought on this now again about saying we should take it. Take a position. Is that what would happen in the case of up of a blow out? Well,

I guess you what would happen if you'd have those Republicans who survive, who are already making plans for a post trump environment will point to the twenty twelve autopsy and say: look we were right. This coalition is unsustainable. You cannot win the White House without appealing to minorities and women and young voters, and we ve been ratified and we're going to likely in in a truncated men republican majority, possibly minority situation in Congress are going to put out a lot of our Ternata proposals and alternative healthcare proposal there already working on an alternative immigration reform proposal. In order to counter a lot of democratic proposals, you will have a really emboldened group of fringe entertainment, personalities and blogs, who will continue to keep the candle burning, but I really doubt that they're gonna have much influence in that in that

environment there going to be pretty well chasen. I would think by their by their laws, however, will also it can't booth. Gb cannot go back to three equilibrium, because this stuff, going to have to address why someone like Trump appealed strongly during the final they're gonna want to do that. I think they're gonna wanna, pretend This whole thing never happened that that my we'll be solved within their untroubled right. I mean you do too directly go right back to where was means means means you're, you're you're still,

leaving out a huge potential segment of republican vote. My thought is I'll hand hands over. Is that I sort of building on something that David from road not too long ago, where he acquainted Donald Trump, Dwayne, Jennings Brian, as the champion of this really disaffected group of small farmers, and that they put all their faith in the sky and not only did he failed them by him, he rendered them radioactive. He made their very valid concerns and complaints absolutely toxic, and that's precisely with probably going to happen here that this group of alienated disaffected voters who are predominantly, who are frustrated by cultural change and global economic activity. They will become radial act by the. Let's follow the brine analogy to its logical conclusion, because Brian lost the elections of eighty ninety secretary of State and then what and then he won

two subsequent nominations for the Democratic Party and the Democratic Party was, only return to power in nineteen twelve, because the Republican Party split between Taft and Teddy Roosevelt. So here is the Hobson's choice, so Hobson's Joyce were the right that hates Trump when thinks the trumpets of danger towards democracy in our future. Is this a landslide, which might have a very salutary effect of the sort that we're talking about wooden on the less almost certainly are. This is what I am told by people who understand numbers, result in the loss of the road a and Senate majority, possibly by a significant margin, meaning that we go from five thousand four hundred and forty six to something like fifty three or fifty four to four hundred and forty seven. Forty six with Democrats on top

and likely the house majority, and so Hillary Clinton would come into office not quite as strong as the Brok Obama was, what he had. Fifty nine senators and eventually sixty a senator in two thousand and nine but pray strong and then in a position to push through her agenda. And possibly with the Republican Party, so split and so and so destroyed that He would have some pliant Republicans who middle of the road map begins in states where Trump had been blown out, who will soon peace and jump on her agenda that we can assume that there would be this like wall, email them Mcconnell wall of now that a good that has existed since the Republicans took over the Senate, then that it before they took over the Santa when they could still preventing some going to sixty votes and then

sure and all those ridiculous Senate rules that I can't I can't explain so, but it was give her a free hand until the twenty eighteen elections. So when it is wise to assume there would be some kind of a major snapped back, particularly if she has legislative success that frightened the country oh choose your poison, a close election taints house and sent majorities, but creates a civil war within the Republican Party that could last close to a generation and will have on it the consequences in twenty eight, twenty and beyond that, we can even begin to game out or a blow out that extirpate trump and and and makes Trump ISM toxic to some degree, but gives Hillary Clinton the free hand threw out twenty seventeen and twenty eight in eighteen

not that it's clear that she wants to do all that much with her free hand. By the way I wouldn't taken his gospel that she's going to enact the Sanders like Platform- and you know she will certainly at will appoint? You know, judges and now. The judges the Supreme Court justices when necessary, but in our sheep, We shall do comparable. Worship do some stuff, the other, that we really want but won't be sort of like won't, be like epoch, making like Obama care, or you know, or the nationalization, the auto industries or wherever. That is the situation and my view, as as we close is that there is this fantasy abroad. Today, last couple of days that yet Republicans are really gonna go after Trump. That's it. We had it, that's it

with wholesale withdrawal of endorsement and planning for the possibility of Trump dropping out by September, and maybe they'll be a third party candidate and all This is a ludicrous fantasy. This is the bed. The bed has been made, the dies cast the election is coming. And the one thing that I think it is fair to say after all of this is that trump? If true, wins Trump will win, because he will have one already that is to say Trump theory of the race is that there is a joy. Granting number of disaffected white men, mostly working class, who have left the workforce, left public life who are going to jumped back in and vote for him in numbers around seventy two: seventy five percent and flip the election to him away from her, and you won't they them coming, because they won't talk to pollsters and no one will know they're there, and that this will be a wave of ten to fifteen million new people that we ve never seen

there is no evidence of this is true. There no reason to believe that it will happen, but if he wins, that means he has already won, and even everything that we're talking about right now is meaningless. Nothing matters here. Have captured lighting a bottle, he will have understood this moment better than anybody else, even if as understanding as entirely sort of lizard brain understanding and then that's that's where it will be so choose your poison trumps already, one Hilary is already one. Everything is terrible. What can I say August. There is ninety seven days to go until the next election, so we shall, everybody should enjoy. Go go have a last summer vacant, before before the fire passports?

Commentary magazine seventy one year old Journal of opinion, Monthly Journal of opinion of ideas, argument analysis or my conservative perspective, with a with Amanda it to defend the western America to stand as a bulwark against Anti Semitism and to provide support for the jewish state, intellectual, spiritual and personal Please join our conversation every day at commentary magazine dot com. You got a couple of free reads, and then we asked me to subscribe. One thousand nine hundred and ninety nine for Digital subscription, two thousand nine hundred and ninety nine for a subscription that includes our beautiful monthly magazine, closing September issue. Right now. It's full of riches really enjoy it, and until next week I'm John Podhoretz.