Scoop: Trump's advisers brace for loss, point fingers
Source: Axios
The big picture: The Trump campaign is filled with internal blaming and pre-spinning of a potential loss, accelerating a dire mood that's driven by a daily barrage of bleak headlines, campaign and White House officials tell me.
* "A lot of this is the president himself," one adviser said. "You can't heal a patient who doesn't want to take the diagnosis."
Behind the scenes: In weekly pep talks, Stepien tells staff members why they shouldn't pay attention to the perennially horrible public polls and how they can "win the week" and the campaign.
* But in other private conversations, described by multiple sources, Stepien can seem darkly pessimistic. He likens the campaign to an airplane flying through turbulence, saying: "It's our job to safely land the plane."
* Three sources who have heard Stepien use variations of the airplane analogy say they sensed he was deeply, perhaps irretrievably pessimistic about the state of the race.
* "It's not a great feeling when you get the sense the campaign manager doesn't deep down think we're going to win," one campaign source said.
...snip...
Between the lines: Stepien's critics say he is in CYA mode, refusing to make tough decisions that might incur Trump's wrath while setting up excuses for what polls suggest could be a shellacking by Joe Biden.
* But Stepien's defenders tell me the campaign sees several remaining paths to victory, and note that it's hardly his fault when the president insists on actions like taking a joyride with the Secret Service while infected by COVID-19.
* They added that it's also hardly Stepien's fault that Trump continues to attack his public health officials and present views that are out of step with public opinion such as his denigration of the basic safety act of wearing a mask.
* He's also dealing with a money shortage, driven by heavy early spending by his predecessor, Brad Parscale, who was demoted this summer.
Read more: https://www.axios.com/trump-advisers-brace-for-loss-02d6b688-4d15-46f8-a28c-efdf2a5640c3.html
As long as the last paycheck clears?
unblock
(52,113 posts)vlyons
(10,252 posts)Maybe you should get everyone who will be useful to you later into their life preservers and life boats now.
beachbumbob
(9,263 posts)no significant move in the polls and certain and massive defeats
DemUnleashed
(633 posts)Ha ha...I initially read "In weekly pep talks" as "In weakly pep talks!" Ha ha....that's would make more sense...the morale at these pep talks must be so low and weak!
Stallion
(6,473 posts)apnu
(8,749 posts)Trump hasn't taken responsibility for a single thing in his life. He won't start now.
The bullshit he will spew to explain why its not his fault will be legendary.
GusBob
(7,286 posts)I don't know what the deal is with Maine's second congressional district.
If they call Florida for Biden in that best case path, its lights out
smb
(3,471 posts)...and arrange fake references to say they were doing a more respectable job like "bouncer in a brothel" or "advertising sign juggler".
modrepub
(3,488 posts)He'll stymie anything the Democratic party wants then try and blame them when everything goes wrong. That guy's only interested in wielding his own power.
GopherGal
(2,007 posts)the idea that the "Death Star" campaign is now "an airplane flying through turbulence".
Okay. [/savor] I'm done now.
Of course you've got a tough job if you have to try and advise a man famous for disregarding advice and following his own gut. But zero sympathy for anybody who comes on board this late in the game without realizing what they've tied themselves to.
Warpy
(111,123 posts)among any of them who won't be facing criminal charges. My prediction all along has been that if Dumdum is ousted, he will spend himself down to zero suing everybody he thinks was responsible for his defeat. Anyone who ever worked for him will be in the crosshairs, and they will all richly deserve it. The only one with immunity will be Ivanka. The rest have stuffed their feet into their mouths too often to be exempt.
Miguelito Loveless
(4,451 posts)How about an airplane, that is on fire, with total engine failure, one wing missing, no landing gear, being flown by a barking mad lunatic who has never flown a paper airplane, never mind a jet; whose strategy for landing safely is to batter the flight controls with an axe.
Miguelito Loveless
(4,451 posts)Dude!
Stepien signed on to the Titanic as a Limbo dance instructor five minutes after the ship went bow up in the water.
BootinUp
(47,053 posts)SWBTATTReg
(22,059 posts)else. Gutter mouths...think by mocking people for all variety of things such as serving in the armed forces, being disabled, being a senior, etc., the list goes on of who's been mocked or made fun of, works?
People are sick and tired of this administration and all things trump. Sick of it. Enough of the crazy talk, enough of the ranting and raving, it doesn't look good on any of you. But, can't tell you anything, eh? Maybe now, with the way trump was acting w/ Guthrie in the Town Hall he had, trump has realized that he's the biggest loser, and is trying to shift his image, but way way way too late.
marble falls
(56,996 posts)SergeStorms
(19,148 posts)Christ, look who they have to work with! They could probably get any other human being elected in a nano-second. They have to get Donald Fucking Trump re-elected, and that's an impossibility!
Javaman
(62,497 posts)the orange assholes flight to no where is about to crash. it will not be a graceful landing. it will be a fucking mess.
Javaman
(62,497 posts)honest.abe
(8,610 posts)Its very much like the "emperor has no clothes" situation. Trump's bluster is at this point is meaningless except to give his hard core rabid supporters something to cheer about.
WinstonSmith4740
(3,055 posts)That might be a bumpy ride...daddy's not around anymore to launder enough money through him to meet payroll.
https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/how-donald-trumps-father-once-bailed-out-his-casino/article_934cb836-2c1d-11e6-8a13-173759856fe0.html
Demsrule86
(68,455 posts)and Steve scmidt worked for McCain's campaign. but Stepian was there too.
brooklynite
(94,302 posts)Rick Davis was the National Campaign Manager