Trump's Brand is not to be P.C. regarding women.
When Trump disses Hillary, he disses women. He needs to tear down Hillary but must not disrespect women while he does it--a difficult task.
Trump is unashamed of being non-PC regarding women, and it wins him support. Trump voices what many people actually feel but have been cowed into repressing.
Trump is unashamed of being non-PC regarding women, and it wins him support. Trump voices what many people actually feel but have been cowed into repressing.
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| A hot wife: part of the Trump brand |
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| Trump slut-shamed Megyn Kelly |
As Trump attempts to gather up the remaining delegates to get him the nomination he is narrowing his focus of ridicule to Hillary Clinton, which unifies the GOP under the one idea that all factions agree on, contempt for Hillary. Trump's traditional mode of attack on others is to undermine them, not to disagree with them. He de-legitimizes them, he does not oppose them.
De-legitimation is Trump's strength, but it may become his weakness. Trump wants to ridicule Hillary, not women generally, but because his attacks are personal and not policy-based, it has a subtext of ridicule of women. He repeatedly says that Hillary lacks the "stamina" to be president. He says that her speeches sound like shouting to him and he cannot stand it. Of course whether she is up to the job physically is a matter of legitimate inquiry and it is undeniable that her political speeches are given in a shouting tone but Trump's comments come across as a criticism that goes beyond Hillary personally.
Some women hear something they don't like. He is dissing women.
Many men will not hear it and Trump may honestly think he is not one bit guilty of it. Many men are confident it simply is not there. I consider it to be a dog whistle, something many women do hear as subtext even as their tone deaf fathers, husbands, and sons deny its existence.
We do not even need to question whether it is "really, actually" there. If a reader doesn't think it is there I have no need to try to persuade anyone. It is enough to note that many men do not hear it and many women do. This includes influential women. Republican women.
Some people perceive male privilege and others do not. Each side has resentments over unfair advantage, either for discrimination ignored or for discriminated invented to justify reverse-discrimination.
Some women hear something they don't like. He is dissing women.
Many men will not hear it and Trump may honestly think he is not one bit guilty of it. Many men are confident it simply is not there. I consider it to be a dog whistle, something many women do hear as subtext even as their tone deaf fathers, husbands, and sons deny its existence.
We do not even need to question whether it is "really, actually" there. If a reader doesn't think it is there I have no need to try to persuade anyone. It is enough to note that many men do not hear it and many women do. This includes influential women. Republican women.
Some people perceive male privilege and others do not. Each side has resentments over unfair advantage, either for discrimination ignored or for discriminated invented to justify reverse-discrimination.
The Republican campaign moved away from attempting to create a broader coalition that included Hispanics toward a narrower but more motivated one, writing off people of color, immigrants, and the LGTB community with policies that are overtly in opposition to them. Trump and Cruz think they can win with "normal" people, i.e. whites. But Republican candidates need both white men and white women. The opening salvo of the campaign was the very first question voiced by Megyn Kelly in the very first debate, an question addressed to Trump:
You've called women you don't like 'fat pigs, dogs, and disgusting animals' ... how will you answer the charge from Hillary Clinton ... likely to be the Democratic nominee, that you are part of the war on women?"
Trump called the question unfair, thus starting a feud with Kelly that helped the careers of both Trump and Kelly. But the question was raised and Trump did not apologize. He doubled down.
Now Trump is refocusing his campaign onto Hillary Clinton. Hillary is a white woman, and Trump's criticism of her bleeds over to criticisms of women generally, and this is a big problem for Trump. Some white Republican women are hearing that dog whistle of contempt, thinking it is for women generally, not just Hillary. They are hearing what Megyn Kelly heard.
Now Trump is refocusing his campaign onto Hillary Clinton. Hillary is a white woman, and Trump's criticism of her bleeds over to criticisms of women generally, and this is a big problem for Trump. Some white Republican women are hearing that dog whistle of contempt, thinking it is for women generally, not just Hillary. They are hearing what Megyn Kelly heard.
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| Carly: "Trump has a problem with women" |
Ted Cruz has done the unprecedented act of announcing his choice for VP, in an obvious effort to claim GOP women as Cruz voters. Yesterday Carly said, " You know, I think Donald Trump clearly has a problem with women. Clearly. I mean, the week we had a terrorist attack in Brussels, he attacked Heidi Cruz."
Trump may attempt to particularize his criticism his criticism to Hillary alone, but it is a fine distinction that may be impossible. Hillary embraces being a woman, and the delegitimization tactic focuses on identity, not policy. Since Trump demeans the status and person of the opponent (Weak Bush, Little Marco, Lyin' Cruz) when he delegitimizes Hillary he attacks her gender.
Hillary herself may be no better than Trump's other victims at blunting Trump's attacks but she has unintended and unexpected allies: women from all political persuasions who hear the anti-women dog whistle of contempt, they think it includes women generally, and they resent it enormously.
Trump may attempt to particularize his criticism his criticism to Hillary alone, but it is a fine distinction that may be impossible. Hillary embraces being a woman, and the delegitimization tactic focuses on identity, not policy. Since Trump demeans the status and person of the opponent (Weak Bush, Little Marco, Lyin' Cruz) when he delegitimizes Hillary he attacks her gender.
Hillary herself may be no better than Trump's other victims at blunting Trump's attacks but she has unintended and unexpected allies: women from all political persuasions who hear the anti-women dog whistle of contempt, they think it includes women generally, and they resent it enormously.
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| Mary Pat Christie |
I have used photos of Chris Christie's wife Mary Pat multiple times in this blog to illustrate the face of the loyal political wife. She beams up at her husband. But she rolled her eyes in sardonic disagreement with Trump as he said of Hillary, "The only thing she's got going for her is the woman's card, and the beautiful thing is that women don't like her."
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| Mary Pat isn't buying what Trump is selling. Watch. |
Watch her yourself in this 4 second video. Eye Rolling Video
Trump's strength is his weakness, as it affects women. Trump can tear down Hillary and he can win the general election, barely, without the support of people of color and gays. But he cannot win without women, and somehow he needs to destroy Hillary without destroying what Hillary considers a central part of her brand: her gender.
3 comments:
I think Trump is a bigot towards minorities in every gender, color, religion and wealth. He can say things about people that the rest of us are uncomfortable with and those who love it have found a fellow hater. He lies, he steals and he is a mean and horrible person. He gets away with those things because he is"wealthy" and being rich gives him a since of entitlement.
With the fellow thugs supporting him, they feel that they are part of a gang mentality that allows them to be fellow thugs. I can only hope that he is knocked down in the federal election I am totally ashamed of his success thus far.
As for being a woman...standing in the on slot of Trump's statements, I stand with all women, all minorities, and all of the less fortunate that Trump continually slanders and in front of his bigited and dangerous supporters. He reminds me of the days in Germany when Hitler came into power. The people who he ruined were the people who were in the least powerful positions to protect themselves. Those of us who are second class citizens ( nd women are second class citizens) need help from those who are in more powerful postitions. When those first class citizens sell themselves down the river then many in the population are in danger.
Trump is a very dangerous man. He has too many dangerous short sighted followers. He is the ultimate right wing revenge for the election of a black man and the running of a white woman for the President of the United States. He scares me to death and scares me into submersive rebellion. God help us all if he is elected to be the President of the Untied States. Hope this helps
Carole Mercer
I ordered a Woman Card from the Hillary Campaign this morning thinking it's spot on as a reaction to Trump's latest sound bite. Hope they sell out their supply!
Thank you for posting, Sheryl. I have tried to look closely at why and how Trump is so successful and have decided that it is the asymmetric tactic of de-legitimization that is important. Not everyone can do delegitimization; it takes enormous real or bluffed self-confidence plus a unshakable sense of entitlement which comes, in Donald's case, of his privilege at birth which he has not squandered. But can he diss Hillary without dissing women in general, without motivating you to go get a Woman's Card in affirmation that it is perfectly wonderful to be a woman and Donald Trump can just go screw himself. Some women will feel that less strongly but a great many women will feel it somewhat. And I think it is a big problem for Trump. Please keep commenting.
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