# The lack of Trump craziness this week is disturbing **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 18, 2016, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lack-of-trump-craziness-this-week-is-disturbing/763206 "2016-08-18T20:25:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tierce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@Tierce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tierce)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lack-of-trump-craziness-this-week-is-disturbing/763206/21 "2016-08-19T00:30:38Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > And a ‘tip of the hat’ to poster JohnT. Very well done. I think off Broadway would work for that. Quite. It reminded me of an off-Broadway show I saw in 1992 that ended with a sketch entitled **Glengarry Glen Ross Perot**. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lack-of-trump-craziness-this-week-is-disturbing/763206/22 "2016-08-19T00:36:21Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > That is what is amazing. He has a top advisor apparently in bed with the Russkies, he has to shuffle his campaign again, he gives a tepid speech in WI… > > And it’s been a BETTER week for him. That’s amazing Giuliani declared that Trump speech ‘the best speech that any Republican, at the least, has ever given’ Better than any speech that RINO Reagan ever gave, eh? That’s telling them. That “Forescore and seven years ago” crap that some dude said once? Overrated, I’m telling ya. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lack-of-trump-craziness-this-week-is-disturbing/763206/23 "2016-08-19T00:40:03Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > The law of diminishing returns dictates that in order to inspire his “base” of kooks, he has to deliver increasingly insane statements and tactics. He won’t just double down, he will double down to the 10th power. I would frankly not be surprised if he calls Clinton a filthy foul name during the live debates. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lack-of-trump-craziness-this-week-is-disturbing/763206/24 "2016-08-19T00:51:18Z")
[Do not worry. Trump’s in bed with so many crazies right now that _one_ of them is statistically _guaranteed_ to drop a load in public](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/joseph-schmitz-trump-adviser-allegations-anti-semitism): > [@Talking Points Memo](#): > > One of Donald Trump’s foreign policy advisers doubted the extent of the Holocaust and bragged about firing “the Jews” during his tenure as inspector general at the Defense Department, according to allegations surfaced by McClatchyDC on Thursday. > > After working for the federal government, Joseph E. Schmitz worked as an executive at Blackwater Worldwide and now works as a private practice attorney in Washington. He was named as an adviser to Trump’s campaign in March. > > In a complaint file obtained by McClatchy, senior intelligence official Daniel Meyer wrote of Schmitz, “His summary of his tenure’s achievement reported as ‘…I fired the Jews.’” Meyer, who worked in the Pentagon inspector general’s office, cited another Pentagon official, John Crane, as the source and witness to Schmitz’s alleged remark. > > [snip] > > “In his final days, he allegedly lectured Mr. Crane on the details of concentration camps and how the ovens were too small to kill 6 million Jews,” Meyer wrote. Of course, he denies everything: > [@](#): > > In an interview with the site, Schmitz said the allegations are “completely false and defamatory.” He also said while his wife is not practicing, she is “ethnically Jewish.” But, there’s more: > [@](#): > > Schmitz left the George W. Bush administration in 2005 to take the Blackwater job, a move that came after Schmitz was reportedly informed he was the focus of a congressional inquiry into whether he blocked two criminal investigations of Bush officials the year before. But at the time, Schmitz insisted to TPM that his resignation was not connected to the allegations. > > Schmitz is the son of the late John G. Schmitz, the former ultraconservative congressman from Orange County, California. In 1972, he was drafted by the American Independent Party to run for president against Richard Nixon after Alabama Gov. George Wallace was shot In Maryland. As a sitting congressman, Schmitz refused to comment after he wrote the foreword and endorsed the publication of a book that contained widely-condemned anti-Semitic propaganda and was written by a longtime member of the John Birch society. John G. Schmitz was also a member of the organization, but his membership was revoked for holding views still too far right, even for the very conservative group. You have to be pretty much an explicit Neo-Nazi or similar off-the-charts far-right to be kicked out of the Birchers for being too right-wing. The Birchers are the ones who accused Eisenhower of being a pinko dupe which, in the different era of a couple generations ago, got them kicked out of the GOP. One final beignet, lagniappe, and twist to the turd: > [@](#): > > Joseph E. Schmitz’s sister is Mary Kay Fualaau, formerly Letourneau, the former teacher who served six years in prison after being convicted of raping her 12-year-old student, whom she later married. ---
**Author:** ![youropinionman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/65b543/32.png) [@youropinionman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/youropinionman)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lack-of-trump-craziness-this-week-is-disturbing/763206/25 "2016-08-19T00:54:33Z")
Trump delivered a surprisingly rational, coherent speech tonight acknowledging some campaign missteps. Among other things, he said, “Sometimes, in the heat of debate and speaking on a multitude of issues, you don’t choose the right words or you say the wrong thing. I have done that. And believe it or not, I regret it. And I do regret it, particularly where it may have caused personal pain. Too much is at stake for us to be consumed with these issues. But one thing I can promise you, is this: I will always tell you the truth.” Is this the first time he hasn’t just doubled down? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lack-of-trump-craziness-this-week-is-disturbing/763206/26 "2016-08-19T01:46:48Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Oh, I forgot. Roger Ailes needs a job, right? He handles analog, Bannon handles digital, Trump expresses regrets, and we are off to the races! > > (c) 2016, TrumpBart > [@youropinionman](#): > > Trump delivered a surprisingly rational, coherent speech tonight acknowledging some campaign missteps. Among other things, he said, “Sometimes, in the heat of debate and speaking on a multitude of issues, you don’t choose the right words or you say the wrong thing. I have done that. And believe it or not, I regret it. And I do regret it, particularly where it may have caused personal pain. Too much is at stake for us to be consumed with these issues. But one thing I can promise you, is this: I will always tell you the truth.” > > Is this the first time he hasn’t just doubled down? … 😃 I’d love to say I called it, but I’m an honest man. Like Brutus or something. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lack-of-trump-craziness-this-week-is-disturbing/763206/27 "2016-08-19T02:44:36Z")
> [@youropinionman](#): > > Trump delivered a surprisingly rational, coherent speech tonight acknowledging some campaign missteps. Among other things, he said, “Sometimes, in the heat of debate and speaking on a multitude of issues, you don’t choose the right words or you say the wrong thing. I have done that. And believe it or not, I regret it. And I do regret it, particularly where it may have caused personal pain. Too much is at stake for us to be consumed with these issues. But one thing I can promise you, is this: I will always tell you the truth.” > > Is this the first time he hasn’t just doubled down? But if he says he regrets some of the things he’s said and he also says he’s always told the truth, then isn’t he saying he regrets telling the truth? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lack-of-trump-craziness-this-week-is-disturbing/763206/28 "2016-08-19T03:00:06Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > But if he says he regrets some of the things he’s said and he also says he’s always told the truth, then isn’t he saying he regrets telling the truth? As I noted in another thread, actions speak louder than words. Just based on what was considered appropriate to demand to candidates in past elections, I demand that Trump publicly repudiate racial profiler and convicted contempt of court Sheriff Joe Arpaio. With less justifications Obama was hounded to leave his church just because one preacher there had weird notions about the reasons for the 9/11 attacks. Trump joining Arpaio to the hip was done and continues with the media’s efforts to normalize not only the reprehensible things that Trump says, [but also the unlawful and Orwellian acts that the buddies of Trump are doing to America.](http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2015/04/23/joe-arpaio-apologizes-contempt-hearing-day-three-abrk/26240715/) And based on what Trump is traveling with there is very little to imagine about that Trump wants to allow his ilk to do to the nation. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lack-of-trump-craziness-this-week-is-disturbing/763206/29 "2016-08-19T03:17:01Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Giuliani declared that Trump speech ‘the best speech that any Republican, at the least, has ever given’ > > Better than any speech that RINO Reagan ever gave, eh? That’s telling them. That “Forescore and seven years ago” crap that some dude said once? Overrated, I’m telling ya. Honestly, two weeks ago I had no idea what a dolt Giuliani was. Now, I can’t look at him without laughing. Another victim of the Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lack-of-trump-craziness-this-week-is-disturbing/763206/30 "2016-08-19T04:02:36Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > As I noted in another thread, actions speak louder than words. Just based on what was considered appropriate to demand to candidates in past elections, I demand that Trump publicly repudiate racial profiler and convicted contempt of court Sheriff Joe Arpaio. He isn’t convicted of being a contempt of court, he’s convicted of holding a court in contempt. He’s a convicted contemnor, which should be a word in more common currency. Anyway, I agree with you, but, given who Trump associates with when he’s trying to be a Big Man in Politics, I honestly think he’d need a real change of heart to sincerely repent of standing by Arpaio. Even if you buy the notion that he’s only in it for the TV and book deals he’ll get afterwords, you don’t need to salt your closest staff with Neo-Nazi and alt-right figures to sell fear to the fearful. You can stop a few steps short of merging with Breitbart and still sell warmed-over conspiracy theory pabulum to that crowd. Let me put it more plainly: Trump is associating too closely with the real lunatics of the world for someone who’s just putting on an act. The least hypothesis now is that he actually believes this shit. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lack-of-trump-craziness-this-week-is-disturbing/763206/31 "2016-08-19T04:27:29Z")
I’m not saying he doesn’t believe what he’s saying, merely now that he has an exit strategy in case he loses the election, he will actually run a more focused campaign, designed to facilitate that strategy. ---
**Author:** ![john\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@john\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/john_L)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lack-of-trump-craziness-this-week-is-disturbing/763206/32 "2016-08-19T06:06:02Z")
no craziness … and now it’s a 4 point race … says latest Pew poll. 41%–37%. w/ 2.8 % margin of error … that’s almost even. too soon for polls to matter. but w/ his new crew & new speech format tonight… who knows what it’ll be by next week. we’ll see. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lack-of-trump-craziness-this-week-is-disturbing/763206/33 "2016-08-19T06:19:05Z")
Pew seems to be steady as I noticed the same in the 14th, Other more recent polls put Clinton ahead by 6 or 7. [http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/2016-general-election-trump-vs-clinton](http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/2016-general-election-trump-vs-clinton) Clinton is ahead by 9 in the NBC/SurveyMonkey Aug 8 – Aug 14 ---
**Author:** ![john\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@john\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/john_L)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lack-of-trump-craziness-this-week-is-disturbing/763206/34 "2016-08-19T06:36:08Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Pew seems to be steady as I noticed the same in the 14th, Other more recent polls put Clinton ahead by 6 or 7. > > [http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/2016-general-election-trump-vs-clinton](http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/2016-general-election-trump-vs-clinton) > > Clinton is ahead by 9 in the NBC/SurveyMonkey Aug 8 – Aug 14 bloated bob’s basement poll has her up by 24 points . :rolleyes: Morning Joe will prolly use bob’s stat today. ha! ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lack-of-trump-craziness-this-week-is-disturbing/763206/35 "2016-08-19T06:44:56Z")
> [@john\_L](#): > > bloated bob’s basement poll has her up by 24 points . :rolleyes: > > Morning Joe will prolly use bob’s stat today. ha! Seems that many are freaking out for a poll that is just from New York. Only useful to report that Trump is certifiably deluded for telling us recently that New York is in play. > **[News](https://www.siena.edu/news/)** > > Siena College News ---
**Author:** ![john\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@john\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/john_L)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lack-of-trump-craziness-this-week-is-disturbing/763206/36 "2016-08-19T07:02:35Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Seems that many are freaking out for a poll that is just from New York. Only useful to report that Trump is certifiably deluded for telling us recently that New York is in play. > > [News | Siena College](https://www.siena.edu/news-events/article/clinton-expands-lead-over-trump-to-30-points) i’ll check back in w/ NYC when it starts to matter… never ! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lack-of-trump-craziness-this-week-is-disturbing/763206/37 "2016-08-19T12:53:47Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > As much as my brain and logic tell me it’s over for Trump, something in the recesses of my mind wonders if he hasn’t lowered the bar so much that the public simply stops caring about anything he does. His campaign has undoubtedly desensitized us so much that outrage is almost dead, even among people who would ordinarily be outraged. The law of diminishing returns dictates that in order to inspire his “base” of kooks, he has to deliver increasingly insane statements and tactics. He won’t just double down, he will double down to the 10th power. Well, after all, last week he said someone should murder Hillary Clinton. It takes awhile to come up with a sequel to that one, and you’ve gotta pace yourself. Can’t use up all the really good material before Labor Day. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lack-of-trump-craziness-this-week-is-disturbing/763206/38 "2016-08-19T14:45:07Z")
> [@youropinionman](#): > > Trump delivered a surprisingly rational, coherent speech tonight acknowledging some campaign missteps. Among other things, he said, “Sometimes, in the heat of debate and speaking on a multitude of issues, you don’t choose the right words or you say the wrong thing. I have done that. And believe it or not, I regret it. And I do regret it, particularly where it may have caused personal pain. Too much is at stake for us to be consumed with these issues. But one thing I can promise you, is this: I will always tell you the truth.” > > Is this the first time he hasn’t just doubled down? What we didn’t see was Mitch McConnell standing in a shadows, holding a gun to Melania’s head, and Paul Ryan holding a gun to her breasts. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lack-of-trump-craziness-this-week-is-disturbing/763206/39 "2016-08-19T14:51:19Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Well, after all, last week he said someone should murder Hillary Clinton. It takes awhile to come up with a sequel to that one, and you’ve gotta pace yourself. Can’t use up all the really good material before Labor Day. You’re right. He’s probably saving the really good stuff for the debates. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lack-of-trump-craziness-this-week-is-disturbing/763206/40 "2016-08-19T14:53:18Z")
> [@CaptMurdock](#): > > What we didn’t see was Mitch McConnell standing in a shadows, holding a gun to Melania’s head, and Paul Ryan holding a gun to her breasts. 😃 You mean he has to _choose_? Cruel. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lack-of-trump-craziness-this-week-is-disturbing/763206.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lack-of-trump-craziness-this-week-is-disturbing/763206.md?page=3)