Oops. U.S. News & World Report called that just a wee bit prematurely. Donald could not only compete with hurricane Matthew, he soundly bested Matthew in late Friday headlines. Pundit speculation that Mike Pence’s repeated refusal to defend the documented statements of his top-of-the-ticket running mate would have a short shelf life, because hurricane Matthew would overtake headlines, proved half true. But it wasn’t hurricane Matthew that overtook Pence’s substantively disastrous debate performance; it was instead the wildly unpredictable and catastrophic Cat 5 hurricane known as Donald.
Trump initially issued an “apology” for his videotaped statements as “decade-old,” “locker room banter,” just in case “anyone was offended.” Republican Representative Jason Chaffetz correctly said—and yes, I really wrote those words on Daily Kos—rightwinger Jason Chaffetz correctly said, “And that apology, that was no apology. That was an apology for getting caught, that was not an apology for the behavior."
In a 90-second Friday midnight statement, Trump offered a second, disingenuous, remorseless “apology” that is sexist in its own right. Although Trump now admits, “I said it. I was wrong and I apologize,” this time without the “if anyone was offended” weasel words, he concludes his “apology” with an equally weasily attack: “Bill Clinton has actually abused women and Hillary has bullied, attacked, shamed and intimidated his victims.” Trump says that Bill “actually abused women,” not so subtly suggesting that Trump himself hasn’t “actually” abused women. Giving him the highly questionable and undeserved benefit of the doubt on that score, Trump did nevertheless say the following abusive things about women:
“You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait.”
“And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.”
“Grab them by the p---y. You can do anything.”
If Trump did what he said he did—“I just start kissing them. … I don’t even wait”—then he did actually abuse women.
Tellingly, Trump’s second attempt at an apology was itself dismissive of his female opponent. Even if Bill Clinton is a sexist boor (or worse), and I offer no argument to the contrary, Bill is obviously not Trump’s opponent. Trump’s statement makes crystal clear that in Trump’s estimation, Hillary should not be judged by her own long, public career, but rather by her husband’s conduct. Just imagine if Trump’s opponent were a man. Trump would no doubt still react to news like this in typical Trumpian fashion by going on the attack, but he would attack his male opponent for his own flaws, real or imagined. Trump attacked Hillary generally for "running the country into the ground," but he saved his hot poker attack for Bill. Why? Because Bill is the man married to Hillary, which in Donald’s sexist mind, makes him Trump’s real opponent. He took a swipe at Hillary for being an enabler, but it is Bill in Trump’s crosshairs: "Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course—not even close.”
It is a fair criticism that Hillary made a mistake by repeatedly defending her politician husband against allegations of sexual abuse. But ill-advised or not, defending one’s spouse is human and does not remotely compare to the repugnant things Donald Trump said, even if it was “locker room banter.” And who actually believes the inveterate liar’s claim that it was mere banter?
Even for those who have watched the reckless, feckless Trump campaign this past year, the fact that a video of Donald Trump saying something a decade ago could edge out hurricane headlines—headlines about a hurricane that was at the time the story broke and even now wreaking devastation on and forcing mass evacuations from the East Coast of the United States—is breathtaking and unprecedented in electoral history.
This, at long last, is the fatal blunder of the Trump campaign. He won’t recover from this one, and odds are he’ll make it worse before it’s all over. No, the deplorables aren’t and won’t be moved:
But the polls will be. That’s not good enough though. Let’s deliver a landslide victory to Hillary that looks like this (first diaried by teacherken):