I’ve got no use for Republican strategist Liz Mair, who has shilled for odious candidates such as Rand Paul, Rick Perry and Scott Walker. But damned if she doesn’t have Trump’s number:
For those of you who can’t watch the video, here’s an excerpt from the transcript via Jezebel:
“Have you lost any hope that the GOP can reign Trump in to be more traditional?” Cooper inquired. “Or at least more disciplined as a candidate?”
“I lost all hope of that probably seven, eight months ago now, quite candidly,” Mair replied. “It’s amazing to me that anybody’s still having a discussion about having some sort of an intervention or bringing him back on message… This is his message. His message is being a loudmouthed dick, basically, and going out there and offending people and then engaging in a bunch of airing of grievances. That’s what he does. He doesn’t have another message.”
She’s right. That’s why it has thus far proved impossible for Trump’s advisers to get him to stop doing self-destructive things like attacking the Khans, re-litigating the primaries, carrying out public feuds with Republican officials who have shown insufficient deference, etc.
Trump is a loose cannon on the leaky SS Republican Party, careening wildly across the deck and blasting in all directions, including at the wheelhouse. The best the party-first deckhands tasked with containing that loose cannon can hope for is to aim future fusillades at Hillary Clinton. But they won’t be able to get him to elevate the tone or focus on policy. Not now. Not ever.