Let’s get this straight. Trump can refer to Mexicans as “rapists” and Erick Erickson, the Editor of Redstate, is fine with that but when he says Megyn was being nasty to him because he said she had “… blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her wherever.” Erickson comes to save the day and disinvites him from the annual Redstate Gathering.
Erick works with Megyn at FoxNews, she’s a star he’s a backbench commentator.
This is the same Erick Erickson who said this about Candy Crowley after she defended Obama in the debate she “moderated.” By the way, at the time of this quote Candy was a star at CNN and Erick was a backbench commentator.
But for all the people heaping aspersions on [Crowley] (full disclosure: I am a political contributor for CNN and have long thought the world of Candy Crowley even before I had a relationship with CNN), they should be thanking her. It was her interjection to clarify what was and was not said that muddied the water on what the President actually said.
Here’s his “rationale” for booting The Donald – and by the way, he’s giving that speaking slot to Megyn Kelly.
He is not a professional politician and is known for being a blunt talker. He connects with so much of the anger in the Republican base and is not afraid to be outspoken on a lot of issues. But there are even lines blunt talkers and unprofessional politicians should not cross.
Decency is one of those lines.
As much as I do personally like Donald Trump, his comment about Megyn Kelly on CNN is a bridge too far for me.
Erickson is yanking the the guy who has a double digit lead in the polls over all the other candidates he was happy to host. Trump also happens to be the guy who, though he offended Erick’s tender sensibilities, struck a chord with the American people in Thursday’s debate.
The theme of the debate that Trump was in seemed to be “punch Trump.” Both from the moderators (Kelly included) and the candidates. Donald seems to have weathered the storm just fine and given his appeal to the Republican base, it’s absolutely outrageous that Redstate – a group that promotes itself as a voice for the base – would exclude Trump.
Is Donald outrageous? Absolutely. He’s also crass and about a dozen other adjectives I can think of off the top of my head. He’s also changed the face of the 2016 Presidential race because he’s willing to bring up issues the American people want addressed and no other candidate on either side of the divide wants to talk about.
He also brings things up in a way that demand that people address those things. His commentary on Mexicans coming here to commit crimes and be rapists forced both Hillary and Bernie to discuss sanctuary cities. In no small measure the Congress is talking about taking legal action against sanctuary cities because of the hornets’ nest Trump stirred up.
I doubt Trump will be the Republican candidate. He’s got more political baggage than Hillary and he’s spent lots of money supporting her campaigns to boot. His positions on a whole variety of issues important to the Republican base are, at best, clouded. Sooner or later he’ll have to defend his past actions and remarks and I think he’l drop like a rock in the polls.
But he’ll drop because of his positions on issues, Mr. Erickson, not because he offended your prissy little sensibilities with a comment about Megyn. She’s a big girl and she’s got big platform to speak from. Let her defend herself. God knows she doesn’t need you.
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