Expecting real estate mogul land former reality TV star Donald Trump to falter in the Sept. 16 CNN debate, the Republican establishment didn’t get what it wanted. While not reciting predigested talking points like former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush or former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, Trump continued his steady message that he intends to “make America great again.” Unlike the other policy-wonks, Trump isn’t a detail man, instead setting the vision and expecting underlings to do the policy details. When you consider all the GOP candidates, Trump and Fiorina come from outside the Beltway, something attractive to voters in 2016. Unlike Trump, Fiorina shows over-preparation, reciting memorized talking points, reflecting her lack of common sense in basic diplomacy. Asserting forcefully she would stop talking to Russian President Vladimir Putin and lecture Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei, Fiorina tipped her hand.
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul correctly pointed out that President Ronald Reagan kept talking to Leonid Brezhnev and Mikhail Gorbachev all through the Cold War, until the Soviet Union collapsed Dec. 26, 1991. Unlike Trump, Fiorina speaks with the certitude of a neophyte, trying to cram in years of domestic and foreign policy, alien to her work as a technology CEO. What’s different with Trump is that he doesn’t pretend to be a policy wonk like Fiorina. While TV news pundits rail against Trump’s lack of predigested talking points, they should praise the 69-year-old’s lack of pretense. Fiorina should scare voters listening to her regurgitate memorized talking points without any real knowledge of the economy or foreign policy. Apparently voters picked this up, handing Trump his second debate victory by a wide margin. Only network and cable TV’s talking heads saw things differently.
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus and the Party establishment remain dumbfounded by Trump’s success, so far. Voters like Trump’s authenticity, despite his obvious lack of knowledge about domestic and foreign policy issues. Running a successful real estate enterprise speaks for itself. Fiorina provoked a strong reaction from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, disgusted watching Fiorina rip Trump for his past bankruptcies in certain real estate projects. Carly has more predigested answers when asked about her tenure as CEO at Lucent Technologies and Hewlettt- Packard. Fiorina enriched herself with her hefty CEO salaries, bonuses and stock options, while Lucent went under and Hewlett-Packard struggles to survive. Trump’s made clear to voters that he wants to take his business success and translate it to Washington’s gridlocked atmosphere.
To preempt the pundits’ attacks on his lack of knowledge, Trump simply needs to tell voters he has no intent of using his time in debates to spit back predigested talking points. Telling voters, as he has, he’d put the best possible foreign and domestic policy team together is really all that matters. Anyone that believes that President Barack Obama knew anything other than predigested talking points when he ran for president in 2008 hasn’t paid much attention. While experience counts, logic and common sense are more important. Telling voters she’d stop talking to Putin and lecture the Ayatollah tells you a lot about Fiorina. “I keep looking for a speed bump that knocks Donald Trump off track,” said Tea Party co-founder Mark Meckler, disappointed by the performance of Tea Party favorites Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fl.), all polling poorly.
With four GOP left before the Iowa Caucuses, Trump needs to remind voters he won’t play the memorized talking points game. “He never really gives any specifics, so most of his appeal is kind of reality talk show entertainment,” said Paul’s advisor Steve Munisteri, repeating the same attack on Trump as other GOP candidates. Trump’s appeal is far more than a former reality TV star: It’s an iconic entrepreneur willing to sacrifice his already successful career to serve his country. Relative to other GOP candidates, Trump is bigger than life, showing the kind of charisma not seen since President Ronald Reagan. Unlike Reagan, Trump’s far more brash and critical, not hesitating to dish back the same vitriol he gets from the press or fellow GOP candidates. Voters watched almost the entire GOP field at the Reagan Library pile on to Trump, hoping to save their flagging campaigns.
Trump’s appeal to voters is his unscripted, straight-shooting, down-to-earth style, speaking to voters without the phony pretense and formalities. Excessive talking points is what’s killed former GOP front-runner Jeb Bush, who can’t speak extemporaneously without looking awkward or making mistakes. None of the GOP’s hoard spews talking points more that Fiorina, demonstrating, her lack of trust just being herself in the debates or on the stump. With all of Trump’s GOP rivals piling on to score points, the more established entrepreneur needs to help voters understand the difference between himself and typical politicians. Trump finds himself in the enviable position as front-runner, despite its liability of becoming the GOP’s bull’s eye. Pointing out he won’t play the media-minutia-gotcha-game should help shield Trump from constant criticism about his lack of policy details.
