Clinton may defeat herself

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, presumptive Democratic nominee, theoretically should have little difficulty defeating Donald Trump.  He smashed the old political paradigm, casting aside political niceties and engaging in the politics of fear and smear.  Trump arguably is both a bully and duplicitous, hardly a role model.  He has historically high unfavorable poll ratings with women, Hispanics and other minorities.  His attacks on the Hispanic federal judge overseeing a civil suit against Trump University likely will send his negatives even higher.  Trump faces daunting demographic obstacles and an Electoral College stacked against him.  However, Clinton may be Democrats’ Achilles heel.  She is an opposition researcher’s dream.

As a Republican TV ad states, Clinton embodies all that many Americans, Republicans and Sanders’ supporters alike, view as being wrong with politics.  Early 20^th century pundit HL Mencken wrote of the stereotypical political hack: “There is in him … no shadow of principle or honor.  It is moral by his code to get into office by false pretenses. … It is moral to change convictions overnight.  Anything is moral … to keep [his] place at the trough.  …  Power is the commodity he has for sale.”  This summarizes negative perceptions of Clinton.  She arguably is a denizen of a decadent establishment, having no core principles other than her sense of political entitlement and belief she is above the rules. 

{mosads}Trump aims to make Clinton politically toxic and drive up her unfavorable poll ratings.  He doubtless wants to make her so politically radioactive that many Sanders’ supporters will sit out the election rather than support her.  Trump knows he cannot win over millennials and young women, but likely hopes they will be so disillusioned with Clinton that many will not vote.  He will aggressively seek further inroads among blue collar workers at Clinton’s expense. 

Trump used the National Enquirer to smear Sen. Ted Cruz’s reputation, accusing Cruz’s father of complicity in the JFK assassination.  Trump already is using the Enquirer to attack Clinton.  He will use every means, fair and foul, to send her negative poll ratings into the stratosphere.  Clinton has provided him ample ammunition. 

Trump is already exploiting the 26 May State Department Inspector General’s (IG) report on Clinton’s private server and email.  The report stated Clinton did not seek approval for her server and would not have received it if she had.  It said she violated the Federal Records Act, as well as Freedom of Information Act rules.  The IG added that her use of a private server placed classified information at risk.

There allegedly were some 2100 classified emails, including 22 containing Top Secret Special Access Program data.  Clinton reportedly sent 104 classified emails.  Former CIA Directors Gates, Hayden, and Morrell opined that Clinton jeopardized national security.  Trump will accuse Clinton of placing herself, once again, above the law.

Trump will repeat Sanders’ allegations that Clinton is beholden to Wall Street.  Hillary and former President Bill Clinton reportedly earned over $150 million in speaker fees after he left the White House.  All of the Clinton campaigns have had corporate backing.  Trump is accusing Clinton of selling herself to the highest bidder. 

The Clinton Foundation has received some $2 billion in donations.  Expect Trump to accuse Clinton of betraying the public trust.  The money, in the speaker fees and Foundation scandals, came from Wall Street, corporations and foreign donors.  Bill Clinton and the Foundation reputedly received $100 million from Persian Gulf countries.  Trump undoubtedly will charge that corporate and foreign money influenced Clinton’s decisions at the State Department.

Trump is accusing Bill Clinton of raping Juanita Broderick in the late 1970s.  The Enquirer, whose owner is Trump’s friend, named 36 women whom it alleges were subjects of Bill Clinton’s sexual misbehavior.  Trump is lambasting Clinton as her husband’s “enabler,” who orchestrated defamatory attacks on these women.   

Expect Trump to re-litigate all of the Clinton scandals, including the cattle futures scandal, Troopergate, Travelgate, Whitewater, Vince Foster, Filegate, and Monica Lewinsky.  Dredging up 1990s scandals may have little influence on older Americans’ votes.  However, this is new terrain for millennials.

Clinton is the perfect foil for Trump.  She remains the favorite to win the White House, barring a criminal referral or indictment regarding her private server or the Clinton Foundation and alleged influence peddling.  However, Trump is evidently hoping the maladroit Clinton campaign will self-destruct faced with relentless attacks.  Engaging in gutter politics, Trump hopes to destroy Clinton, knowing he cannot merely defeat her politically.  Of course, he may self-destruct himself before he can implement this strategy.   

Davis is a retired intelligence analyst, who worked with the Army Special Operations Command, Defense Intelligence Agency, and CIA.