TRUMP

APPENDIX 299
refusing to take the nuclear option “off the table”, but Clinton herself
is notorious for having refused to take “any option off the table” 63 in
regard to Iran. Half the things Clinton will say of Trump (evasive,
narcissistic, opportunistic) are equally true of Clinton herself; the difference
is that Trump owns these qualities and is proud of them. He’ll
get points for honesty, despite being one of the most prolific liars in
the country.
The one strategy that might work against Trump is an attempt to
neutralize his attention-seeking through the promotion of a positive
agenda. This is why I’ve argued before that Bernie Sanders may have
been the more effective candidate against Trump; if you can focus
single-mindedly on your principles, and avoid being dragged down to
Trump’s level, you may stand a chance of forcing him to get serious
(and therefore lose his schtick, which is the basis of his appeal). But
if you get down in the gutter with him, as Marco Rubio found out,
you’re toast. If you start bashing him, he will bash you back, and he
will be funnier and more shameless than you are. Trump will always
win a battle conducted on Trump turf. If Hillary Clinton is committed
to pursuing the “You’re a racist and Republicans hate you” line,
instead of working to appear stately and above the fray, she might be
walking directly into Trump’s gaping trap. 64
Already, liberals are beginning to count their chickens and confidently
predict a Clinton victory. One might expect more humility
given how many pundits were just humiliated over their certain predictions
that Trump would lose the primary. 65 But this is especially
dicey given how vulnerable and clueless the Clinton campaign is now
hinting it will be. If these ads are any indication, Clinton, like so many
poor souls before her, has no idea how to stop Trump.