Attack your opponent's Motives. Not facts or policy. Motives.

Trump is a master of the political attack.   It shifts the battle to an arena where Hillary cannot win.    It may be ugly and unfair--but it is effective.

Any time the question under discussion is "Is Trump a bull in a china shop, too undisciplined and vulgar to be president?" the discussion is good for Hillary.  The very question focuses on Trump's vulnerabilities.   It forces his supporters to acknowledge and defend things that are hard to defend, to say they aren't that big a deal.  That pushes focus to just how careless or racist  or unconventional a statement has to be to be "that" bad.    When Donald Trump is forced to assert he has "great temperament" he is fighting a losing cause.   

Hillary was winning last month.

That was then.  This month the focus shifted back to Hillary.  Is she sick?  Is she that sick?  Did she mishandle classified material?  Was it foolish or actually criminal?  Was it that big a deal?

Today there is a new focus: the "basket of deplorables" comment.

I have written that Hillary most certainly should not have said that half of Trump's voters are in the "basket of deplorables."  The larger quote expressed empathy for the other half, although that, too, probably got heard as condescension as she expressed how sorry she felt for them.    Hillary corrected herself promptly, which helps, but she should have condemned a few of Trump's supporters, not the bulk of them.  That way the bulk of his supporters, possibly including a few persuadable ones would think she was referring to the really extreme ones--not them.  No one likes being called deplorable.  As Hillary expressed it, it was a broad group who were pointed at and condemned.

First a tweet, then the statement below

Her words are out there and Trump pounced:    I am going to print it below, highlighting some of the words to document my point.  Trump is not arguing the accuracy of Hillary's statement, which, after all is a question over whether Trump's campaign appeals to racial resentment.  I think it undeniable that it is one of the undercurrents of his appeal, and I cite as my authority nearly the entire Republican Party leadership other than Trump himself.  Hillary's comments are no different or worse than what Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Ted  Cruz, Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, and Mitch McConnell have said: Trump is "textbook racism" and inexcusable, un-Constitutional, and un-American.   But that question--is Trump an inexcusable racist--is Hillary's turf, and Trump wisely changes the subject back to his turf.

Trump attacks her motives.  

 "Isn't it disgraceful that Hillary Clinton makes the worst mistake of the political season and instead of owning up to this grotesque attack on American voters, she tries to turn it around with a pathetic rehash of the words and insults used in her failing campaign? For the first time in a long while, her true feelings came out, showing bigotry and hatred for millions of Americans. How can she be President of our country when she has such contempt and disdain for so many great Americans? Hillary Clinton should be ashamed of herself, and this proves beyond a doubt that she is unfit and incapable to serve as President of the United States. I will be President for all of the people, and together we will Make America Great Again. - Donald J. Trump"

Donald Trump asserts we have a window into Hillary's motives, her private mind, an area where there are no objective facts available to counter the argument.  And, indeed, the very subject of the argument works for Trump.   Does Hillary really have pathetic disdain for Americans?  How true is it that her true feelings are bigotry and hatred and contempt and disdain?  Is it a lot of contempt, some contempt, just a little contempt, or no contempt?  The question is what hurts Hillary.

Hillary's website above.   Trump has a different version

This line of attack works nicely for Trump.   

There is one additional benefit relating to voter turnout.   My observation on the ground--and current polls--suggest that Trump supporters are generally more motivated and excited than are Hillary supporters.  The more ugly the campaign, the more irritation and disdain voters generally have toward Hillary personally or even the campaign and politics as a whole, the more likely that uncertain and infrequent voters will just say "heck with it, I hate politics."  

Depressing the turnout helps Trump.  Based on current polling in the battleground states the one to three percent of people of weakly motivated voters--more Hillary's than Trump's--who decide politics is so ugly they won't vote are more than enough to turn the election in Trump's favor.

Wait!  There's more! "Two Left Eyes" is a podcast prepared by Attorney Thad Guyer and me.  We have a back and forth discussion of the polls and messaging as it relates to Hillary and Trump.   We try to be objective, and our objective assessment is not good for Hillary.  If you listen to podcasts try downloading this to a device then giving us a shot.   In this one, we express our belief that Hillary is in real trouble.  Check it out:  Click Here