A Debate Strategy for Trump

Gary North - September 26, 2016

What if Hillary Clinton goes into one of her legendary 3-minute coughing fits? That would finish her campaign.

Drudge says that the rules will not let the TV networks break. His report is here.

She would stand at the podium, hacking away, as the undecideds -- "fence-sitting deplorables" -- climb off the fence and move into Trump's camp.

It could happen. Allergies, you understand.

If the cameras stay focused on her, hacking uncontrollably, it's President Trump.

This debate will probably determine the next President. The polls are close -- often within the statistical margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points. The odds favoring Hillary are falling on the British betting sites. Her campaign is clearly in trouble.

I don't think most Americans will tune in to the next two debates. They will make their decisions based on tonight's debate.

Trump has only a few themes. This is a huge advantage. Hillary is a policy wonk, just as her husband was. She is all over the landscape. She refuses to focus. That is her Achilles' heel.

THE ONE BIG IDEA

Marketing success is based on this: the one big idea. If you do not have this, or if you do not articulate it, you will pour advertising money down the drain.

Trump has his: the wall. He says the government should enforce immigration laws. This message is clear. If he waffles, he hands the Presidency to Hillary. He dare not waffle.

What if he gets this question? "Mr. Trump, if you win, and Congress refuses to allocate money to build the wall, what will you do?"

There is an answer. He may not see it.

"We can close our porous, undefended border without a wall. We can do it with drones, coupled with the U.S. Army. If Congress balks, I will exercise my authority as Commander-in-Chief. I will order order the Army to close the border as a national defense measure. I will close the border to terrorists. If necessary, I will bring troops back from Europe. The Europeans can afford to defend their own borders. As Commander-in-Chief, it will be my responsibility to defend America's borders. That is what I will do if I am elected."

That would be a drone-delivered missile fired into the laps of the media and Mrs. Clinton.

What would the talking-head interrogator do? Ask about costs of drones? Low-cost drones and the U.S. Army reinforce Trump's big idea: close the border.

That would close the trap on Hillary. She must then move to a "me, too" position -- suicidal -- or come off as a defender of Obama.

He needs to return to the issue of email security bungling. National security was at risk. She would not follow protocol.

He has to play hardball on the issue of terrorism.

Next, jobs. He ties this to closing the border. He paints her into a corner: a spokesman for Obama. "Paints" is probably too mild. "Tars and feathers" is closer to it. He must position her as Obama's faithful lap dog on issues where the public is opposed to Obama.

He must set the agenda by his answers. He must keep moving the discussion back to these themes:

Immigration
Jobs
Terrorism
Obama

He must tie these to his one big idea: policing the border with Mexico.

He must also pray for a coughing fit.