Chin Strokers -- Clinton, Trump

A Few Ideas

1. Clinton's Likely Pivot 

As a rule, we find it easy to learn lessons from the recent past.  The Iraq war, for example, followed the no-US-casualties contest in the Balkans, and the relatively easy success of the Kuwaiti push-back in '91.  So, given President Obama's skillful skewering of his opponent, early on in the summer of 2012 (the ads came early and hit hard, pointing to Mitt Romney's having laid off middle-class bread winners), Hillary's ad campaign this summer made sense.  Donald Trump was unacceptable, and here's why.

Was that a smart thing?  I certainly don't know.  But one could make the point that Romney was a relatively mainstream candidate, so that a campaign that pointed out his unacceptability made sense.  Given a candidate like Trump, though, who is obviously winging it, the crucial point might instead be: Is Clinton exciting enough?

Pundits keep returning to the old saw that 2016 is a 'change election', suggesting that Clinton is too much a member of the establishment and that perhaps voters will turn to Trump as a result.  Sorry, but the power of a female--the first, will mean a dramatic 'change' that we haven't even begun to grasp.

Meaning there's a likely pivot for Clinton to make: away from the male-oriented compare-this-guy-to-that ad.  Ideally, her new ads would paint quick pictures using real-life human experience--showcasing what could be done to improve individual circumstances.  Together, these problem solving vignettes would implicitly make the case that Hillary represents progress and a remarkably progressive agenda.  Inspiration is what'll make the difference when several million half-hearted voter efforts either succeed or fail on Nov. 7th.

2. Birther Bungle

The birtherism debacle of a week ago is the sort of win-win-win for Clinton that can allow her to overcome just about any minor flub, like her 3-days off the campaign trail after falling ill.  How was it a win-win-win?  Trump was defined as wildly unreasonable, and way outside the mainstream.  Obama fans were reminded why they needed to vote.  And the media got a major reminder of how Trump would wrap them around his little finger if they let him.

3. The Unexpected

Hillary has an opening that she may or may not notice--we shall see.  With attention focused on Trump recently (aside from Clinton's illness and her "basket of deplorables" jibe), she hasn't received much attention.  She could make a huge splash that yanks attention away from Trump's patter. What if she said: 
"People think I'm untrustworthy, and that I lie.  But, you know what?  That's because I have to think twice about what I say.  I hesitate when I speak.  And you know why that is?  Because ever since I entered public life I've been hounded by a few unscrupulous manipulators of the truth.  Well, I'm not going to let them get the better of me.   At the end of this press conference my campaign will release a blow-by-blow explanation of how my detractors over the years have convinced the press that I am "untrustworthy".  In actuality, compared to my opponent, you know exactly where I stand on the issues.  And as a mother (pause) and a woman (pause), you can trust that I'll put your interests ahead of my own.  That is trust."