Truck Terror: Great News for Trump

The event in Nice, France is glorious, stupendously wonderful news for Trump.   Trump is careful not to gloat in public this time.

Donald Trump has defined his brand.   He is the white racial resentment candidate.   The Americans and America first candidate.  He is the strong guy and the rich guy.   He is the law and order guy.  He is the tough on terrorists guy.  Trump is the male.

Hillary's brand is hawkish but feminine.  She is the anti-prejudice candidate.  She is the America should be more fair candidate.   She is the reproductive rights for women candidate.  She is the normal experienced politician candidate.  She is the voice for respectful speech candidate.  She is the candidate identified with "realistic progressives", blacks, Hispanics, gays, and Democrats.

Hillary Clinton Tweet, November 2015

Hillary, as the anti-prejudice candidate, is stuck with the notion that it is only fair not to judge people as dangerous until they actually do something wrong.  Assume innocence.  This means police should not profile as suspicious or out of place a black driver in a Volvo--figuring it simply must be an unemployed thief who stole it from a white college professor.  The FBI and our homeland security people should not treat domestic Muslims as threats or suspicious per se, which means they can do the sorts of things Americans legally do, like buy buy multiple firearms, without rousing suspicion.

Trump Tweet, June 2016

Trump takes the opposite approach:  Muslims are suspicious, especially foreign born ones.  Dark skinned immigrants are suspicious.  People protesting are suspicious.   It is unclear what actions Trump might do that are both constitutional and effective but Trump stakes out his ground: we must be tough and vigilant.

The tragedy in Nice serves Trump.

The murderer was Muslim, with a Muslim name: Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel.

The murderer was "normal" and could be just anyone:  i.e. a quiet, married father who lived in a middle class neighborhood.

The murderer used a truck and it was a very effective weapon.   There is noting suspicious about renting a truck.  People who move residences rent them every day.  Buying guns or explosives--even when done legally, for "protection" or to remove a tree stump on a farm--can trigger suspicion, but renting a truck is not.   Everyone with a driver's license can be a mass murderer using a truck and a public gathering.

  See?  If you give Muslims the benefit of the doubt they kill you.  If Bouhiel is dangerous then anyone could be dangerous.  Hillary-the-trust-Muslims candidate gets you killed.  

Trump made himself the center of domestic attention on the issue by a dramatic delay.  After days of speculation on Trump's VP pick, Trump delays the announcement "out of respect."   Perfect stagecraft.   Trump learned that gloating over having "predicted" the Orlando shooting hurt him and turned the story from Trump-the-protector into Trump-the-showoff-gloater.   Not this time.   Now it is all eyes on Trump as he maintains the suspense over naming the VP.   Let the media and his reliable surrogates do the work of describing the tragedy of just the kind of Muslim terrorist Trump predicted could do terror just the way Trump predicted would happen due to the politically correct weakness and naivety of Hillary and Obama which endanger good Americans. 

Thought Crime:  Deport every Muslim who believes in Sharia

This just in:  Newt Gingrich says it for Trump.  We should surveil Muslims and be ready to deport them if they do something suspicious.  Looking at a website about Sharia Law should be a felony.

Trump has seized the "law and order" brand.  The issue will especially resonate if two kinds of disorder are top of voter minds.    Muslim violence in America and Europe are one, and black and progressive protests in America are the other.   Black Lives Matter and similar groups are unlikely to be able to control all their members.  Some young people will throw rocks and bricks at police.  The optics will be bad for Hillary and good for Trump.    

Protest in front of my house

Protests from Sanders' die-hards will add to that sense of disorder.   Even when non-violent demonstrations and protests from the left are totally peaceful, they are designed to draw media attention and they are a change from people quietly going on about their business.  Protesters with signs--particularly when they disrupt traffic--create disorder, which is associated with Hillary even when Hillary or politicians who supported Hillary are the object of the protest.  

Notice to progressives:   Trump could win this election.