348. A Big Mistake

I see that the "theme of the day" for the second day of the Democratic Convention will be "Mothers of the Movement," with "the mothers of Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Sandra Bland and more, all men and women who died in police custody or as a result of police actions" speaking. 

That's such a mistake.  It's the voters in the middle or wavering on the other side you should be going for, Democrats; this will only intensify the feelings of the voters you already have.  And it might well lose you the waverers on the Republican side.  There's nobody to speak for the policemen killed.  Do you think that Trump won't notice that and take advantage of it?  "See, what did I tell you?  You're left out.  I'm your man.  Come on and help me take America back.  You can't bail out now."

I can hear it now.  And you're setting him up for it.  Please correct this, maybe by inserting something honoring the policemen, as quickly as you can.

         

347. Flash to Hillary from the Great Adviser in the Sky

Once again I, a little academic blogger with, at this fraught American moment a larger following in Russia than in the U.S., get this missive from the Great Political Adviser in the Sky to pass on to Hillary Clinton.  Maybe he (or she) is worried about future conflict.  Anyway, I'll pass it on, as instructed.

You've got to trust me now more than ever, Hillary.  Play it right.  Move to the center, the way Bill did.  You've already got every vote to the left of you so forget satisfying the Sanders people.  Go for the shaky Trump people, who are going to get shakier and shakier.  That guy's not going to wear well.  Even at the convention I could see the glow on the faces dim as his speech went beyond an hour. 

Give blacks and Latinos due attention, but no more, nothing to make the Republican whites think you're not entirely on their side.  Even if they feel hurt the minorities are going to mark for you rather than Trump.  His wild words have bound them, and will bind them to you, no matter what you do.

And speaking of words, modulate yours.  You have a strident voice, Hillary, and from the next room you can sometimes almost sound like Trump.  Cool it.  Don't be tempted by the pictures of you as a fighter ready to take on Trump in the ring, as on the New Yorker cover.  Forget the followers cheering, "Go girl, give it to him, blow for blow," however sweet that would be in your ears.  No, leave that to your subordinates, or your sympathetic pundits.  Your speech should be as close to Margaret Thatcher's as you can make it.

You want contrast with Trump, presidential contrast.  Maybe you shouldn't even mention his name.  Just tear down, in that scholarly Obama way, everything he stands for.  Surely you have writers who know how to do this, skewer without ever being caught with the skewer. 

I know you'll be sorely tested.  Trump will say terrible things about you.  There will be moments when you'll barely be able to contain yourself.  For help in those moments I'll offer this brain-reminder, this axiom-com-mantra given me by a lawyer in my town and employed by me ever since when oh-such-biting answers to a Trump type rise in my brain: "Never get in a pissing contest with a skunk."

Your failure would be a national disaster.  Your ultimate prize, a Congress with both houses behind you, would be a national blessing.  Every unhypnotized American is behind you.  So go girl, go presidential girl!