07.22.2016 01:13 PM

Working on speech about Trump for Humanist Association tonight in Ottawa

Here’s how to beat him, I think. 

8 Comments

  1. Houland Wolfe says:

    Bravo. I grow tired of people telling me that Ford was elected by ill-educated bigots who fear they are losing out on the swirl of globalization. Rather than labeling them are “the other”, perhaps we could understand them a little better. They are our neighbours with hopes and fears just like you and me. Perhaps then we could better communicate how our policies will help them. And, as you note, perhaps we can exploit the hidden worries they have with the candidate. BTW, did you notice how Trump would turn his head to one side and look silently into the distance? It was very Mussolini-like.

    • doconnor says:

      “The Other” is what we call the group of people they falsely blame for their problems, be it Jews, Mexicans or Muslims.

      We try to communicate how our policies will help but its not easy to overcome a media that treats true and false statements and he-said she-said stories and the fact we have to overcome fear and mistrust that is part of human nature. Still we’ve made great strides over the last 10,000 years.

  2. Christian says:

    Sounds like it’ll be a great speech! But. I’m not sure any of that will matter. What defeated Rob Ford was Rob Ford and his own actions. But, having said that his brother, running on the Rob Ford brand, STILL came in second and the man who actually won had to promise many of the same ridiculous things the Fords promised (Exhibit A: The Scarborough Subway). No, I’m afraid words do not matter to people who support Ford, Trump or Brexit. Actions count. But even then they barely matter. Despite Rob Ford’s many, many transgressions, despite the numerous witnesses, the fact it was caught on social media he still held onto a core 30% of the vote. So, unless you have first hand footage of Donald Trump and an underage, illegal Mexican pool boy shacking up, all the words, claims, fact checking and attack ads will not make a bit of difference because his supporters will just look at who it benefits and where its coming from. And thats Hillary, who, well, she’s the devil, right?? All of it will be dismissed and Trump will play the ‘victim card’. That will resonate with his supporters and possibly push those who are wavering, yet sympathetic to his message into his camp and so in the end it will only make him stronger. Unfortunately cruder weapons are needed here (recall Sean Connery’s advice to Kevin Costner’s Elliot Ness in “The Untouchables”). Words only work on the educated and reasonable. Trumps supporters are neither.

  3. Ronald O'Dowd says:

    Warren,

    When it comes to the speech, one must never, ever, do one’s own editing. Verboten. That’s where the real brain comes in. (Lala.)

  4. Kevin says:

    Interesting letter about Trump’s appeal in the current Harper’s. The author makes two main points: “For a generation, left-leaning Americans like me have been betrayed by a stream of politicians claiming to act in our name.”

    And: “We finally have a candidate…who – for all his nouveau riche gaucheness – does not seem so easily bought by foreign interests. Please do forgive me if I overlook Trump’s bad hair and moments of boorish populism; I’m more concerned with human dignity, the well-being of my countrymen, and the imperiled world we inhabit.”

    Now I don’t think Trump addresses any of those concerns. But the writer’s larger point is that some support Trump because of who he is, others will support Trump in spite of it.

  5. Bill Templeman says:

    Perhaps a starting point might be to stop calling Trump’s supporters morons, bigots and mouth-breathing garbage feeders. Nothing like morally superiority to really get people convinced in their hatred…Agree with your strategy about finding something his loyalists dislike intensely.

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