I have no way of knowing, it might be both, but it’s a fact that the inability to take criticism, and retribution against his critics and detractors, has been one of Trump’s defining attributes for years, and has been very prominent this election cycle. How can you possibly rule out pure vindictiveness against Fox and Kelly as one of the motivating factors, given Trump’s history, or perhaps even the sole motivating factor?
On the other side of the coin, not appearing at all poses risks, too, whereas Trump’s perception of his debate performances – and especially the last one by most critics’ estimations – suggest that this would be an opportunity to solidify his lead even further. IOW, if he could calm down his pathological need for revenge, a rational view might suggest that engaging in the debate might be the preferred risk/benefit path.
OK, so he might have relented if he had received an abject apology from Megyn Kelly and Fox News, and a promise from Megyn to be good in the future. Is that any different, really? That’s what Hugh Hewitt had to do to get Trump back on his show. And it’s absolutely shameful, the very opposite of journalistic integrity.
Why would you assume it’s vindictiveness rather than garden-variety self-interest? If a candidate can ensure positive coverage by throwing a tantrum, the candidate is stupid if he doesn’t throw said tantrum.
We’re talking about Fox News. Journalistic integrity is irrelevant.
Is he getting that positive coverage, though? Most of what I’ve seen says that he’s skipping because he’s mad at Kelly for asking tough questions. If that’s positive, then I really have fallen in the rabbit hole.
I don’t rule it out as one of the motivating factors, but I think it’s unrealistic to think a person like Trump acting impulsively in this fashion without also considering the downstream impacts. Consider what’s already happened - the narrative shifts to him, during the debate and the after analysis will be framed with respect to his absence. It doesn’t have to be a brilliant tactical move, but it could be motivated purely by strategy. I just think it’s silly to ignore areas of acumen because he is otherwise a buffoon. It’s like saying he doesn’t really want to win…it’s just a weird interpretation that doesn’t square with reality.
I can imagine Trump saying something like this to Fox - Trump: *You know what, fuck you, that’s what.
*
And the crowd goes wild. Is that vindictive or playing to his strengths?
The reason why I call it fantasy is because you are inferring way beyond what is supportable. You’re trying to get in Trump’s head and concocted a fanciful narrative. Megyn Kelly banned for life from moderating debates. Megyn Kelly fired. Trump believing in special rules about the way the world works. Trump having a fragile ego. It would be amusing if you weren’t actually being earnest.
That’s the point: Trump’s previous tantrum apparently did guarantee positive future coverage from Hugh Hewitt (I have no idea who he is and don’t much care, so I am relying on wolfpup’s post).
So by threatening to skip the Fox debate Trump can perhaps force Ailes/Murdoch/Kelly to promise to report positively from now on.
Not to mention the guy is a fucking hypocrite. He wasn’t too complimentary about Romney missing a debate back in 2012 in an interview with, yep… Megyn Kelly.
I think it’s thin-skinned vindictiveness and what he needs to do. He can’t be seen to get held up for ridicule by Fox and then still meekly come along to the debate, or go and whine about it while standing on their stage and boosting their ratings. That’s the kind of thing that Jeb does, which causes him to look like a beta male, or an omega really.
To put it another way, it may be true that Trump would have been better off, and preferred it, if Fox had not sent those tweets, and Trump went to the debate. But once they did tweet that ridicule about him, he really had no choice but to walk away.
There’s no poetry or prose in Twitter. The Donald should once and for all put on his big boy pants and stop his twitter bullshit because the media will just do the same.
Is it a hijack to bet a nickle Ms Kelly will be defended up to the debate, but that after her contract won’t be renewed?
That if she stays with FOX, it won’t be in the NY Market after that?
Whoever it was at FOX who decided it would be a good idea to attack and insult Trump, a valid Presidential contender and soon to be quest at a FOX debate, via twitter is a moron. They had to have been drunk when they tweeted about President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and Iran’s supreme leader.
“We learned from a secret back channel that the Ayatollah and Putin both intend to treat Donald Trump unfairly when they meet with him if he becomes president — a nefarious source tells us that Trump has his own secret plan to replace the Cabinet with his Twitter followers to see if he should even go to those meetings.”
That is something that a Google or Yahoo chat room inmate might say, not something one would expect from the leader of a major network. :eek:
Trump is not running away from anyone. Trump is in control. FOX, and the other media outlets, NEED Trump more than he needs them. It’s amusing to see most of the talking heads on the main stream media outlets trying to second guess what Trump really means or what Trump will do next.
*Mr. Lewandowski said that instead of attending Thursday’s debate, Mr. Trump would hold an event in Iowa, raising money for the wounded soldiers in the state. He cited recent statements by the network about Mr. Trump as a reason for the decision to withdraw from the event.
“They’ve been very clear about what their position is about Mr. Trump,” Mr. Lewandowski said. “They’ve put out a series of statements in the last three or four hours about what they thought about Mr. Trump.”
“Mr. Trump said ’That’s fine. Fox is entitled to their opinion.’ He’s entitled to do what he wants,” Mr. Lewandowski said.*
If Megyn Kelly’s viewership numbers go down, she’s toast. There are lot’s of people waiting in the wings to take over a evening new reader/commentator/reporter slot.
If Kelly’s numbers remain high, she keeps her job and time slot.
Trump didn’t want Kelly moderating the debate but he was still willing to show up. It was the ridiculous tweet:
“*We learned from a secret back channel that the Ayatollah and Putin both intend to treat Donald Trump unfairly when they meet with him if he becomes president — a nefarious source tells us that Trump has his own secret plan to replace the Cabinet with his Twitter followers to see if he should even go to those meetings.” *
Here’s the link again