August 27, 2016

"... Ann Coulter writes the following words on page 3 of her new book about how Trump is awesome: 'there’s nothing Trump can do that won’t be forgiven. Except change his immigration policies.'"

"Given Trump’s gyrations on immigration this week, this is such an unfortunate sentence. It leads to sad headlines like, 'Trump Betrayal of Ann Coulter Timed Perfectly to Release of Ann Coulter Book About Always Trusting Trump' and sad pictures of Coulter steeling herself to give book talks and angry Coulter tweets at Trump.... Like Rush Limbaugh (words I never thought I would type in that order), my first reaction upon hearing that sentence was [hysterical laughter]. Watching Coulter go through the five stages of grief in the span of 24 hours has also been a gift from the schadenfreude gods. Yet as Coulter has finally arrived at the realization that she can’t abandon Trump, I can’t fully commit to savoring her discomfort...."

Writes Dan Drezner (at WaPo) in "Ann Coulter is currently experiencing every nonfiction author’s nightmare/Sympathy for the devil in Prada."

One more reason to blog instead of writing a book.

But I'm not sure Coulter is a big loser here. Her book is getting a lot of attention because people who love to hate her see a hilariously colossal clash between her book — "In Trump We Trust: E Pluribus Awesome!" — and Trump's supposed "softening." There's so much more reason now to bring her on the shows — where she can continue to promote herself — than there might have been if this was just another book by Ann Coulter. There are so many! Don't all the liberal (and conservative) show hosts want to needle her about her dramatic experience in publishing timing. And suddenly she's leveraged as the expert on how Trumpsters feel when he flips on their favorite issue.

39 comments:

traditionalguy said...

Coulter reads her book on Audible. As usual her lawyer's argument style conveys more truth than most people want to hear.

Trump seeking a compromise to mass deportation is the biggest story of the campaign. And Annie is not going to let him do it.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

I guess the business is selling a service, that being telling other people what to think.

It's nice that consumers are able to pick and choose their own service providers, I suppose.

Me? I try to go DIY as much as possible, which I see as a personal defect.

tim in vermont said...

Turns out America would rather have a bunch of people in charge who think of government as a way to get those "serving" in it personally rich.

damikesc said...

She's showing that there is a line that she will not cross.

Can't think of many Democrats who the same can be said of.

DavidD said...

Oh, I wouldn't worry, Ms. Coulter. He'll change his position two more times before the election--and untold times after, as well.

Darrell said...

Trump is just stressing that whatever he does will be within the law. That is to counter the liars saying that he will use extra-legal means. Ann Coulter is reminding Trump why he got the nomination.

Phil 314 said...

I'm trying to muster some sympathy for Ms. Coulter.z

Humperdink said...

Coulter's rhetorical style matches Trump's . Hard charging, take no prisoners, no retreat, no ambiguity. It works great if your candidate is travelling in the same lane with you.

Paddy O said...

He seemed so dreamy, but he's just like all the other boys.

jacksonjay said...

"...Trump's supposed softening."

Wwwhhhaaaattttt???

Has this been in the news? What softening? Does Dilbert know about this? You know, Trump wrote a book and had a TV show! He is very persuasive! Softening? Immigration? Nooo. Can't be!

David Begley said...

Coulter has the same image problem as Trump.

Darrell said...

Coulter has the same image problem as Trump

Yeah. Lefties hate 'em.

FullMoon said...

DavidD said... [hush]​[hide comment]

Oh, I wouldn't worry, Ms. Coulter. He'll change his position two more times before the election--and untold times after, as well.


Evolving, as Obama and Clinton have on gay marriage and other things.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Trump is in this thing to hand it to Hillary. Ann is part of the duped group.

Darrell said...

Trump is the only one to damage Hillary in twenty five years. The theory that he is working with Hillary is ridiculous. Cruz must have thought of it.

Bob Boyd said...

"Trump is in this thing to hand it to Hillary."

Is that a reason to vote for Trump or to not vote for Trump?

Jon Burack said...

Coulter was on Hannity complaining that all kinds of #NeverTrump types "no one ever heard of" have been on TV lately getting coverage just because they are against Trump. She specifically targeted Rick Wilson. It's truly hilarious. I have to think she also had in mind Wisconsin's own Charlie Sykes, whose been getting long-overdue respect that way. Sykes could run circles around Coulter (and his remark about how the more he listens to Hannity the dumber he can feel himself getting was perfect for that mediocrity). But her sense of entitlement triumphs over all for her, given that people HAVE heard of her. The irony of her contemptuous "little people" remark apparently escapes her so totally because of how immersed she is in the view that media makes the man (and woman). She is the very enemy she thinks she is fighting. As fundamental a part of the celebrity driven elite as her hero, who also bamboozles his flock into thinking he is everything he is not.

Paddy O said...

"Trump is the only one to damage Hillary in twenty five years."

Well, Obama won the presidential nomination over Hillary in 2008. And Hillary was polling as losing to most every other Republican primary nominee. But, Trump is still dreamy, and he only hurts us because he loves us. Don't leave, Donny! We'll be better this time!

traditionalguy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
traditionalguy said...

Trump has a good heart. So he is going to struggle with his own promise of mass deportation of so many good people.

This is the what if Trump shot some one in Times Square moment for his supporters, and ironically it comes from his public thoughts about not shooting people...maybe.

I predict he will settle on enforcing current Law.

Quaestor said...

Well said, Bob Boyd.

What Trump is doing is taking a page from Ronald Reagan's 1980 campaign -- not taking about the threat of the Soviet Union all the damned time. When Reagan ran in 1976 he was pilloried for "promising to to inflame the Cold War" or some such nonsense, just as Trump is tarred as a racist because he believes immigration reform consists in rigorous enforcement of existing laws.

Hagar said...

This government is not capable of rounding up 11 million people (which probably actually is 20-30 million by now) even if everybody was willing to cooperate, and the reality is that no Democrat controlled states or local governments would. So it is not going to happen, and maybe someone finally explained that to him.
Likewise, there is not going to be a wall of any kind built down the centerline of the Rio Grande, wherever that might be at the time.
We do need to get some orderly process established to get a handle on this "invasion," and it has to be something that will at least be grudgingly generally accepted.
Which is not going to be done in just one presidential term, but we need to get started.

Paul said...

Now since American politics have been around... the candidates all go right or left and once they win the nomination they move toward the center.

Are we shocked Trump is doing that (and actually what he is saying is realistic.) He WILL build a wall... but cattle car 11 million illegals back... nope. Might over 4 years of very strict immigration policy (and making hiring them illegal AND ENFORCING IT) I can see maybe 5 million gone plus an almost halt of illegals coming in.

So I don't find Trumps words shocking at all. I figured he would see some reality and move somewhat.. slowly.. toward the center.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lucien said...

Nobody needs to round up millions of illegal immigrants, we need to enforce the laws against employers. Require them to use up to date technology to verify that everyone they hire has the right to work in the US and then report what they collect. That means anyone here illegally must utter forged documents to get a job -- forgery being a crime just about everywhere, and often a felony. Every state has the right to enforce its own forgery statues. When enforcement against employers is rigorous enough, illegal aliens will not be able to get jobs and they will mostly go home. This fact of economic self-interest and incentives is so powerful that the left had to invent a term to demonize it "self-deportation" (scary, right?).

Everyone caught here illegally should be fingerprinted and have a DNA sample taken. We should then increase the number of legal immigrants allowed, and make sure that each applicant must submit a fingerprint and DNA sample. Then we should make it clear that once you have been caught here illegally you can never enter legally.

We should also require anyone applying for government benefits to show that they have the right to be in the US and enforce the requirement against state and local governments just as we do against employers, making it clear that there will be no immunity for government officials who negligently or intentionally fail to verify the right of every beneficiary to be here.

Chuck said...

I can't stop loving Ann Coulter, no matter how much she shills for Trump. In fact, she's not much of a shill at all. Nothing like the toady Sean Hannity. Coulter is a million times smarter; a million times a better debater.

Coulter is tougher on Trump than any of his supporters. And Coulter is (and I respect this) ideologically devoted to the immigration issue. Who the hell knows why Hannity likes Trump so much? Maybe because neither Hannity nor Trump has ever been much of a Republican.

Anyway, I loved Ann Coulter's putdown of Trump's solemn promise that he'd be tough on illegal immigrants and that even if he allowed them to stay, they'd have to pay back taxes. Coulter's Twitter response? "Pro Tip: 'Back taxes' means we pay illegals $30k apiece in EITC."

It would be a step forward for the Trump campaign if they just said to the press, "From now on, all of our immigration policies will be directed by Ann Coulter. All your questions should go to her..."

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Jeb and Trump were the 2 worst candidates. two ego-driven entitled pricks at either end of the teeter-totter.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Is that a reason to vote for Trump or to not vote for Trump?

Not the point.

I'm voting for the guy, but I am under no illusions, and it will mean nothing. He's a terrible candidate and now his one big issue -(immigration) it turns out he is just like the others. & The others would be beating Hillary. Trump, the guy who insults and talks like a 6th grader, with higher negatives than the She-Chavez, is losing badly to total corruption. Wow - did we blow it.


**

Bob Boyd said...

Paul said..."cattle car 11 million illegals back"

Maybe this is a way to get Republicans on board with high speed rail!

Bob Boyd said...

@ AprilApple

I hear ya, sister.

Paddy O said...

AprilApple, you're describing my position.

The frustrating thing now is that those who insisted on Trump because of his immigration rhetoric abandon him when he shifts on it. They then abandon him to the rest of the party who didn't want him to begin with. Having created a mess they leave it for others to make the house clean. Nothing can be done. But it's definitely frustrating.

Yancey Ward said...

Trump is simply acknowledging that policy has to be both reasonable and possible. Mass deportation was never going to be a policy implemented, and everyone knows this. Trump wins this debate with Clinton with neither mass deportation or a wall- simple enforcement of present labor law is actually enough to stop the flow in and cause a good number to self-deport. Clinton is on the record for supporting the continued influx and the legalization all the illegals here now, and in the future- basically she supports an open border policy- Trump is not, and that position benefits him. He won the nomination precisely because none of his opponents could even stake the position he seems to be evolving to today.

As for Coulter, as a book writer, there is no such thing as bad publicity.

dreams said...

I'm a big Ann Coulter fan, even before I found out that her mother was from Ky.

Paddy O said...

Yancey, many of the other Republican candidates had the same position. What got Trump traction was his much sharper rhetoric. Now that he's more in line with others, he really has nothing to offer those who jumped on his bandwagon and nothing to offer those who didn't trust his rhetoric to begin with. I actually agree with his shift here, and think it's better overall. But, he's pretty much left with a small pool of people who like him in general and knew he would shift on the immigration. He's made an easy win into a hard win because of positions he took that he doesn't take anymore first alienating moderates with the early position then alienating his more passionate supporters with his new one.

If we were going to have a Tea Party position on immigration it would have been nice to have someone who could carry the cause deeper and wider across many issues.

But that's not the option anymore. Both parties betrayed their constituents and both parties have to own up to the mess we have before us.

Yancey Ward said...

Paddy O, well, no, none of the other candidates stake out even this watered down position. They all supported a way to deal with the present illegals by basically giving them legal rights to work and pay taxes that did not deny citizenship at some point. Yes, they all mouthed support for greater border control, but then out of the other side of their mouths pooh-poohed the idea of a physical wall (a position I actually agree with!). Trump may well end up at that same position before November, but he isn't there yet- there are still light years between Trump and Clinton on this issue.

Big Mike said...

You know, I've had to choose between Dick Nixon and Hubert Humphrey, and I've had to choose between Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. But this is hands down the most depressing election I've ever faced.

grackle said...

It has been happening to me since the beginning. I would see Trump, listen to him and then when I see the MSM reaction it’s like they heard a different speech by a different candidate, with very little relation to the actual words of Trump.

This MSM-manufactured false “softening/compromise” narrative is the latest. All Trump is saying is that he will enforce the laws on the books, which is all that will be needed to correct most of the problem. The Wall(with Mexico paying), doubling the Border Patrol force and ending illegal hiring of illegal aliens by greedy employers will take care of the rest. If there is no opportunity for work they will eventually stop coming over here.

So Trump favors self-deportation and has favored it since the beginning but probably doesn’t want to use that term since the MSM labeled it as “racist” when the hapless Romney used it in the last presidential.

The only significant change is with Trump throwing out the trail balloon of a more humane policy for any hard-working, crimeless, illegal alien family that has been here for a significant amount of time and has contributed taxes to our coffers. According to Ms. Coulter these upstanding alien families are so rare as to be almost nonexistent so we are talking about a VERY minor demographic.

eric said...

The other thing they don't realize is, they've all pushed Trump back into the hardline category of Immigration. The pushback against his supposed softening on immigration was immediate and overwhelming.

Take out the stupid softening language. It makes you sound like Rubio and Bush, and if you sound like them, then everyone is going to think you've adopted their positions.

And in this cycle, the intellectual dishonesty isn't just on the left in the MSM. The right has picked up the banner and run with it.

eric said...

I would see Trump, listen to him and then when I see the MSM reaction it’s like they heard a different speech by a different candidate, with very little relation to the actual words of Trump.

I've been having the same experience.

Only, this time it's from the #NeverTrump right as well as from the MSM Democrats. It's opened my eyes to the slippery eels that make up the established Republican media.