Apparently (I don’t watch the circus anymore), Trump in Albuquerque last night really blasted New Mexico Republican Gov. Susana Martinez, blaming her “for the state’s economic problems, for the growing number of food stamp recipients and for not doing more to reject Syrian refugees” and heaped on other “niceties.”
Martinez is the country’s first Latina governor and the first female governor of New Mexico.
While the governor, through her press secretary, pretty much destroyed Trump’s outburst:
Apparently, Donald Trump doesn’t realize Governor Martinez wasn’t elected in 2000, that she has fought for welfare reform, and has strongly opposed the President’s Syrian refugee plan. But the pot shots weren’t about policy, they were about politics. And the Governor will not be bullied into supporting a candidate … Governor Martinez doesn’t care about what Donald Trump says about her – she cares about what he says he will do to help New Mexicans. She didn’t hear anything about that today.
…James Hohmann at the Washington Post takes it seven steps farther listing and discussing “seven reasons why last night’s comments are deeply problematic…” and in doing so in effect presents seven reasons why this demagogue’s candidacy itself is problematic and, in addition and in my opinion, why this clown is so deeply flawed in so many ways.
Here are the seven reasons:
1. The riff underscored the hollowness of Trump’s promises to unite the fractured Republican Party.
2. Attacking the most prominent Latina in his party will make Hispanic outreach even harder.
3. Last night’s rally further illustrates why Trump is on track to get clobbered among women.
4. Even with the nomination wrapped up, Trump remains thin-skinned and lacks self-discipline.
5. Party unity is further out of reach than conventional wisdom suggests.
6. Trump’s willingness to go after Republicans who aren’t getting on board showcases the perils for GOP candidates who distance themselves.
7. As Trump snipes at fellow Republicans, he continues to galvanize the left.
The reader can find Hohmann’s excellent rationale for each one of these reasons here. However, one reason — reason “number 3” — deserves quoting the author’s full explanation, as Trump’s disgusting comments about, and attitude towards, women cannot be detailed often enough. Keep in mind, these were this misogynist’s offensive outbursts at just one event:
Martinez is not just Hispanic; she’s also the first female governor of New Mexico. Tellingly, she was not the only target of Trump’s ire. Several other women were in his crosshairs, as well, and his language was quite gendered.
Trump called Hillary a “low-life” and then went on to imitate the way she talks, raising his voice to a high-pitched yell. “I will never say this but she screams and drives me crazy,” Trump said. “I can’t listen.”
He once again referred to Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) as “Pocahontas,” a reference to her claims of Native American heritage. “She is probably the senator that’s doing just about the least in the United States Senate,” he said. “She’s a total failure. She said she was an Indian. She said because her cheekbones were high, she was an Indian.”
The most offensive language, though, came from one of the warm-up speakers. David Chavez, a former state lawmaker, compared voting for Clinton because she’s a woman to drinking bleach because it looks like water. “I’ve heard people say: I don’t know who to choose: Trump or Hillary. Even Bill Clinton chose other women. So you should, too,” Chavez said. (Jenna, our reporter in the room, says the crowd laughed and applauded…)
Finally, and most ironically, New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez was suggested by none other than Fox News “stalwart and Trump’s vanilla milkshake partner in crime,” Bill O’Reilly, as the “only choice” for Trump’s running mate.
According to Mediaite.com, “‘There is only one choice if he wants to win the White House, only one person,” O’Reilly said at the time. ‘[Martinez] cuts across all the ethnic boundaries. She’s very bright. She is a Republican conservative.'”
Apparently these rare words of possible wisdom by O’Reilly could not get through the Don’s coiffure and into his ears.
Gov Martinez’ photo courtesy http://www.governor.state.nm.us/Meet_Governor_Martinez.aspx
