My New Theory on Who Wrote the "Anonymous" Letter

[louis c]

Yesterday, I picked Kellyanne Conway. After re-reading the letter and watching the ensuing events, I have come to the conclusion that the Op-Ed has far more than one author.

Here's my theory. The letter was written by a speech writer as part of a cabal of Trump Senior Officials. It has a lot of hands in it. At least five and maybe more than that. Each of the members of this cabal has their own pet peeve in it. Russia, Trade, North Korea, Racism, etc. I still think Kellyanne is one of the cabal. "Loadstar" is Pence. "off the rails" is Kelly. I can see Coates' hand in this, as well as Mattis. Mnuchin and former aide, Cohen on trade. Perhaps Nikki Haley. Remember, each of these folks has family and friends that are excoriating them for being a Trump sycophant, including even Stephen Miller. I know that Nazi is running the immigration part of this administration, but he's really a Sessions guy. Although I am giving the least amount of weight to Miller being part of this, I can't discount it, either.

So, when any one of these folks is asked if they wrote this letter, they can say "no". That's not the question that needs to be asked. "Have you any knowledge of how this letter was composed and are any of your opinions included"?

The bottom line, this is a composite letter, in my opinion, of as many as 5 to 7 senior White House aides, past and present, and written by a speech writer who works for one of these people.

[Generic Other]

1. What cowards

Spend more time covering their trail than exposing the enormity of the problem.

[NRaleighLiberal]

5. THIS!

[dalton99a]

10. It is a CYA move.

[BadGimp]

60. I agree...

It was intentionally done to take some of the sting out of Woodward's book.

[D_Master81]

2. I actually like your theory

its a way for people to say what needs said but still maintain that they werent the writer. Dont know if its actually true, the Times actually first released a tweet about it being a "he", but I could see this being the case.

[louis c]

9. Well, let's suppose the VP is involved...

...and they use his speech writer. The "conspirators" are all in a room with the speech writer and they all air their grievances against this *President. Then you get the type of letter (article, or whatever you want to call it) that has Pence's mark on it, has Kelly's mark on it, has Mattis and Coates mark on it, Kellyanne and so forth. So, you can find individual sayings of each, but written into a coherent style that looks like a speech writer. Now, there is no way a speech writer did this on his own, so that's why my theory makes sense to me.

[forgotmylogin]

27. Or, the person who did write it mimicked different staffer's styles

with "lodestar" and such to make it more confusing.

[Lithos]

3. My thoughts are similar

The author is probably one of several people. There may be a covering author who polished this. I recall that one of the reasons the NYT printed this was because the eloquence went beyond the norms of this administration.

I do not think the use of Lodestar means Pence. Pence uses speech writers much like Trump does. Would not surprise me if they are from the same pool Trump and other officials use. This would explain the use.

L-

[GusBob]

4. It would be very difficult to keep that many people secret

Especially in this gang of back stabbing thieves without honor

A group like that would have to be trusting and close-knit.

Think about it: would you trust your career or livelihood with something so dangerous with a bunch of political people you have barely known for such a short time?

No way

They would start to brawl over every little thing ( immigration was left out for example that might piss off just one of them) then the cat would be out of the bag and there would be a turncoat faster than you could say "boy howdy"

And this sounds like a quibble but, it's an Op Ed not a letter, there is a difference. In the admin there are people who are experienced op-ed writers.

[louis c]

6. But, if you believe Woodward's book, they're already doing that

[Rorey]

52. I think this too

It would be very risky to have to count on several to keep the secret. I think it was one person, or at least not more than two.

[fierywoman]

7. So it's like "Murder on the Orient Express"?

[Doodley]

26. But without the murder....

[fierywoman]

28. Ultimately won't the anonymous op-ed contribute to the downfall/murder of the Spanky administration?

[Doodley]

43. I hope so!

[orleans]

8. i'm wondering who in his admin uses the expression half-baked

forget lodestar and look for the user of "half-baked"

[Doodley]

44. I Googled half-baked and Trump and Sally Deng comes up in second place,

from the New York Times. Just saying...

[orleans]

50. i thought kellyanne said it once or twice on the

sunday morning talk shows

[lame54]

11. Are any of their speech writers Senior Officials?

[louis c]

12. That doesn't matter. All the contributors are (or were)

The point is that this letter, or article, or Op-ED is not a single individual, but a cadre of senior officials (my theory). Who actually penned the final version is irrelevant, it is the opinion of the group. Just as a character in a story can be a composite of more than one person, so too is this letter.

Each have contributed, but each can deny they wrote it, since the final version was penned by a speech writer. look at all the theories of who it is. A Bill Clinton speech writer says that the letter is of the style of a speech writer. Others notice the issues that concern the military. Still others notice the "loadstar" connection to Pence. The talk of trade is consistent with the people in charge of the economy. I can easily see the hands of more than one person in the substance of the letter and the wordsmith of a professional. Plus, by the use of words and issues that concern more than one person, and making Trump think it's just one person, it makes the job of finding out what happened that much more difficult.

The fact that the White House has narrowed the possible culprit down to 12 people kinda buttresses my theory.

[lame54]

13. My point is...

Even if this was written by a group it was one person who submitted it to the Times and that person is a Senior Administration Official

[louis c]

14. Well, the dynamics of that can take all forms...

...if the source was a trustworthy and reliable Senior Staff Member, that person could tell the Times that it was a collective work, deliver it as a Senior Trump Staffer and shield the rest.

[lame54]

15. Then why tell them...

Just turn it in
The less the paper knows the better
Then they only have to protect one anonymous source
Whether a group effort or not - whoever turned it in is on the hook
And we know for sure it's a Senior Administration Official

[louis c]

17. Validity

Why would they not want the paper to know? They're trying to get the story out. The article still remains anonymous, but has greater credibility. Remember, publishing it was not a foregone conclusion form the start. The Times rarely, if ever, publishes and oped without a name.

[ProfessorGAC]

16. My Wife and I Are On Board

We think it's a group effort, as well. Then one highly placed person puts their name on it so the NYT can establish credibility and lineage.

I seriously doubt that one person decided to release this sort of damaging info, while naming names of people also participating in a soft coup.

[louis c]

18. Well, Professer, thanks for your and your wife's support for my theory

[Quiet_Dem_Mom]

19. I wonder if the op-ed is even legit...or just GOP propaganda

Regardless of who wrote it, what if the op-ed is just a public signal to let the "normal" republicans (if that group of mythical creatures exists) know they are in charge, not the Tangerine Tantrum Tosser.

"Hey! We know this orange taint is nuttier than squirrel shit, but us normal, not-insane people < > are actually in charge here, so keep voting for us! GO TEAM!"

In light of the poll numbers / indicators showing a blue wave (please, please, please), maybe this is a hail-mary pass to keep people from jumping the GOP ship.

[Merlot]

31. I also think it's gop propaganda

And I wouldn't be surprised to find out trumpft himself knew about it, or even orchestrated it. Look how much mileage he's getting out of it, now he gets to call someone else treasonous when so many people have been saying that of him. He is using it to rally his base and justify the "shadow government" proposition.

So, my opinion is that he knew about it, he possibly orchestrated it, and he's using it to his advantage. Sounds crazy that someone would do this to themselves, but he's a master media manipulator. He calls media fake because he knows how many times he's lied and manipulated the press.

I'll be the first to admit that this is far fetched and may not be true. But to me, seeing how craven the republicans have been, and how much trumpt lies and manipulates, I put nothing past them. Who's going to benefit the most from this letter? I think trumpft will, will his base.

Also, notice how the letter denies that the 25th amendment is a solution...how convenient is that?

[gordianot]

20. They know he is not stable and are pushing him.

Who gains to benefit most with a Trump exit?

[TeamPooka]

21. That would make it worse if you are correct because a group stepping forward to say

this man is unfit is even more important and impactful than one person doing it.
Republicans are sad little cowardly Quislings.

[0rganism]

22. reality show nation

the transformation is now complete
our national dialogues have been reduced to crap like "who's getting voted off the island next?" and "is Trump gonna fire Kid Rock?"
as far as i'm concerned, the op-ed reeks of Trump himself with a lot of help from Kelly.
this country is circling the drain and we're all too confused and distracted to notice.

[Doodley]

45. You are right. It is just like reality TV. Who is going to be the one who is

found guilty of writing the article? It certainly knocked the wind out of the coverage of the Bob Woodward book.

[niyad]

23. we know that NONE of these people has one shred of integrity, because they went to work

for the deranged demagogue, KNOWING who, and what, he is. and they are still there, ON OUR DIME!!!! gutless, thieving cowards, each and every one of them.

[Nitram]

24. Sounds like you have an Agatha Christie mystery in there somewhere.

[joet67]

25. Very plausible. nt

[brooklynite]

29. The flaw in your argument...

...is that a "cabal", especially one tied to a speechwriter wouldn't throw in giveaway words like "Lodestar" because they'd each act as a check on the others' writing eccentricities. Any phrase you're looking at as a clue is just as likely a red herring to divert attention from the actual writer(s).

[louis c]

32. There are amny clues of many individuals

"Loadstar", for example, is a common phrase used in the military, as well as by Pence. "Off the Rails" is one of John Kellyy's favorite phrases. Kellyanne Conway uses "half baked" quite a lot. The interest in Russia puts Nikki Haley, Coates and Pompeo in play. The interest in the trade deal being a problem puts Mnuchin and former White House staffer Cohen in the ring.

All of these phrases can either put the light on the people I just said, or off, if someone is trying to pull them off the scent.

Myself, I think all those phrases are in for a reason. I think that if the people I mentioned are all involved, and found out, Trump would be hard pressed to continue and that may be the desired end result.

[Major Nikon]

30. It might be Pence, but more than likely one of his staffers

I don’t think multiple people are behind it. Even with just one it’s too hard to keep the identity a secret. The first consideration is motive. Pence and his staff stand to gain the most if Trump is impeached. Nothing about the OP-Ed strikes me as the work of integrity and sacrifice. It’s self-serving.

[louis c]

33. Maybe they want to be found out

[Texin]

34. Interestingly, Omarosa (yes, I know) said the language used was like memos from Pence's staff.

She believes that the person or persons who wrote this in collaboration are staffers of Pence, and she said they sound very like memos circulated within the West Wing by higher-level staff (those who actually ghost Pence's speeches and other memoranda). This would be a person who knew first hand exactly what's going on, the mindset of the WH staffers, and especially within the Pence cadre.

I found her argument the most compelling of any I've heard. I could easily see this, as these staffers need their jobs - they haven't "arrived" so to speak, and they (or he/she) would be very vulnerable to any fallout, even if everything said in that article is 100% accurate - and I believe the facts are the truth. Higher-up staff in the WW, their bosses as it were, are in agreement with the facts of the article but they are the ones trying to prevent Shitler from pressing Big Red Button. Her key question about this was qui bono? None of the people like Coates, Conway, even Pompeo (who is just another iteration of Chris Christie IMO), those who might have political ambitions, would jeopardize his or her future political career, but the one most obviously who stands to gain immediately is Pence and, of course, those staffers would have a reasonable expectation to see their own fortunes rise with Pence's.

[rlegro]

39. I am kind of hoping the trail leads to Pence and/or his staff, because....

Trump immediately would begin undermining him in private and especially in public. So that if Trump himself is impeached or otherwise forced to leave office, our new struggle against a President Pence would be somewhat easier. Or maybe Pence wouldn't survive this onslaught, not to mention whatever comes out of the Mueller investigation. Finally, if you're the NY Times you know who sent this along, and you will have thoroughly analyzed their arguments and motives -- which if it's Pence probably would lead to more embarrassing Pence stories.

[DeminPennswoods]

35. AM Joy

had a segment on the guessing game this morning. Both Reid and Katon Dawson agreed that the op-ed was written by a speechwriter or someone with that kind of background. Both based this conclusion on their own backgrounds as speechwriters. Reid showed Omarosa's speculation it was Pence staffer Nick Ayers who would have attended all the same meetings as Pence.

Credit to Jason Johnson for being the first person I heard suggest the op-ed was a group effort.

[louis c]

37. Was Jason Johnson Before my post.

I know, I get worse than Trump some times and make it all about me.

But Did you hear Johnson before Thursday evening?

[DeminPennswoods]

41. The first speculation I heard was on Hardball

with the panel being Jennifer Rubin, Johnson and another guest. That was the day of or after the op-ed was published.

So you have support for your theory of multiple authors.

[louis c]

42. Thanks

[Honeycombe8]

36. "Administrative Murder on the New York Times"? They ALL did it!

I would say Kellyanne Conway plays no part in it and did not write a word of it. If she writes like she speaks, she didn't participate.

I think you mean "Lodestar."

I don't think Pence played any part. He's too scared. There's too much riding on his actions...he wants a career for years to come, or hopefully ending with the Presidency. He puts his cup down, when Trump puts his cup down. He is not independent or a risk taker, or even one who would notice anything.

He is not likely to see a document on Trump's desk or anything of the sort. He's not part of the Trump inner circle.

Not Nikki Haley. She doesn't office there, so she doesn't see Trump's antics.

In the end, it doesn't matter. What does matter is that it could be just about anyone. That's how dangerous and unfit Trump is.

[rlegro]

40. Perhaps some on Pence's staff have come to loathe his sycophancy (EOM)

[GoCubsGo]

38. Maybe. I wouldn't be surprised if Trump was in on it, too.

Setting up a fake controversy to make himself look like a victim is just the kind of thing he would do. Anything to distract from everything else that's going on.

[louis c]

47. Wow, I thought Alex Jones' Stuff was Banned.

[GoCubsGo]

53. Not sure what Alex Jones has to do with anything.

Trump is a con man. He is known to engage in stunts to manipulate public opinion of himself. Do the names "John Baron" and "David Dennison" sound familiar to you?

[louis c]

56. Your conspiracy theory makes as much sense as one of Alex Jones'

[GoCubsGo]

57. I don't have a conspiracy theory.

I'm just saying that I wouldn't put it past him to try to pull off a stunt like this, regardless of how much sense it makes to you.

[louis c]

58. You think Trump was in on this Op-Ed...

...and you don't think that's an Alex Jones type conspiracy theory?

[GoCubsGo]

59. I have no goddamned idea who wrote the op-ed.

All I'm saying is that I wouldn't put it past him to pull such a stunt. I am not saying that I believe that he actually did.

[louis c]

61. I'm just trying to understand your reasoning

Last edited Mon Sep 10, 2018, 08:08 AM - Edit history (1)

Trump would try to fool all of us be getting us off the scent that he's a dangerous, autocratic, incompetent, immoral idiot by planting a story that he's a dangerous, autocratic, incompetent immoral idiot. And that wouldn't surprise you?

Oh, now I get your logic.

[JCMach1]

46. I am thinking it was a disinformation stunt

To suck the air out of the media covering Kavanaugh. Op ed said almost nothing that the Woodward book didn't.

[louis c]

48. See Post #47

[LiberalLovinLug]

49. No way it is Kelly Anne Conway.

She is way too ensconced into not only Trumpism, but the pre-Trump tea bagger movement that spawned the Orange monster. You can tell she is all in.

And Pence, are you kidding? The man is in mortal fear of the Don. No way he'd risk it.

Kelly has also chosen sides, and is an active cheerleader, not so much for the man's quirks, but for his racist policies that he shares views with.


No, this was probably one to three mid - lower level bureaucrats.

[louis c]

51. Try this on for size

First off, in any who-done-it the first suspect is the one with the most to gain. If Trump's out, who's in. Oh ya, Pence.

Next, watch this video and tell me that Kellyanne can't turn on a dime:

[JI7]

54. kellyanne Conway also probably lost the most when he became president

she was getting mostly positive reviews and was looking forward to, tv, book, and other deals after the election assuming he would lose.

but now she has turned into a joke. remember the earlier snl skits had KC had her as someone who was worried and concerned about trump being president.

but the longer she stayed in and the more she defended him turned her into a joke. her husband is trying to save them with his tweets.

she also doesn't come off as someone like sarah Huckabee sanders when she defends trump. she is mostly just spewing and trying to run the clock out but doesn't come off personally invested as sarah Huckabee sanders.

i don't know if it's her but i would not be too surprised if it was.

[randr]

55. Trump is in on it

The whole thing is an attempt to show his minions there really is a deep state out to get him. Republicans need his minions thinking they must show up to vote so Trump is not impeached.
The election has now become all about Trump, just as he planned.

[RainCaster]

63. Could be, but he certainly didn't have the vocabulary to write it

[louis c]

64. Deep State? The author was appointed by him