Trump's PR Formula to Beat Hillary

Fraser Seitel

Barring a last-minute “Hail Mitty” by panicked Republican leaders at the July Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Donald Trump will be the party’s candidate for U.S. president.

On the record, Democrats voice concern that Trump has significant crossover appeal, particularly with disaffected white working men. But don’t believe it. Beltway Democrat insiders don’t think Trump has a prayer against Clinton in the general election.

First, according to every poll, women can’t stand him. Second, according to the same polls, nonwhites and Millennials don’t have much use for him either. Then there are the Hispanics, who now number 17 percent of the U.S. population and probably are a bit peeved about that wall Trump promises to build. Finally, there are the panicked Republicans who’ve already admitted they can’t bring themselves to vote for Trump.

While Democrats won’t admit it publicly, they believe absolutely, Trump’s negatives will translate into their candidate sweeping traditional Democratic strongholds like California, Illinois, Michigan, New York, and New Jersey, clinching about 90% of the electoral votes needed for election.

So how then could Donald Trump possibly beat Hillary Clinton? Here’s a five-part prescription, if Trump is willing to swallow it — and that’s a pretty big if — that could make the election a lot closer.

Talk inner city job building

Trump’s greatest — and perhaps only — strength is that he has created jobs. True, many of them have been lost through various bankruptcies and failed enterprises, but compared to Hillary’s zero job creation record, Trump has the clear edge.

This is especially important in wooing the African American vote, where inner city poverty pockets — from the South Bronx to Chicago’s Southside to downtown Memphis to Los Angeles South Central — are bereft of employment and rife with crime.

Trump should make a direct pitch to African American voters, who have remained loyal to the Clintons for a quarter century, despite lofty promises from Democrats over the decades that have failed to improve conditions. Trump should expose this and present an inner city job-building alternative, which conceivably could disrupt this traditional Democrat stronghold.

Talk trade parity

Hillary Clinton, like most establishment politicians, is ardently in favor of free trade. But Trump questions how, or even whether, free trade has benefitted U.S. labor. And his protectionist message has struck a chord, particularly with union members, another traditional Democrat voting bloc.

Free traders, of course, are apoplectic that were Trump’s tough talk enacted in an inextricably interrelated commercial world, the results would be catastrophic, with important overseas markets effectively being closed to U.S. companies.

But elections are about votes. And Trump’s promise to renegotiate tougher trade deals has great appeal in key swing states like Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

Question Hillary’s achievements

It’s axiomatic that Americans in 2016 simply don’t like politicians. Hillary Clinton is a career politician, who, according to most polls, is neither trusted nor liked by a majority of her fellow citizens.

So, Hillary is vulnerable. But that doesn’t mean that Trump will win by going after her physical appearance or even her speaking style (which has been noticeably toned down in recent days). Indeed, despite the fact that Trump triumphed in the primaries by getting nasty and personal with his adversaries, he should resist bullying Hillary.

Rather, he should go after Clinton on her achievements, or lack thereof. As New York Senator, there is precious little at which to point, other than helping pass a bill benefitting Army Reservists and National Guard members. As Secretary of State, Clinton gets credit for talking about women’s issues and traveling a lot. But compared with the record of her successor, John Kerry — who opened Cuba, negotiated a treaty with Iran, battled the Russians in Ukraine and engaged them in Syria, traveling nonstop to world hot spots — Hillary’s successes seem like rather thin gruel.

In fact, after 40 years at the highest level of U.S. politics, Clinton has precious little successes to show for it, beyond a personal net worth of $30 million. And Trump should exploit her lack of tangible accomplishments.

Go After Bubba

On the other hand, if the Democrats make the mistake of allowing Bill Clinton to attack him, Trump should come out with all guns blazing.

The former President’s embarrassing ethical record, from his liaisons as governor of Arkansas to his dalliances with interns in the Oval Office to recent accusations of his friendship with convicted pedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, are all fair game for Trump. All Bill has to do is continue his role as Hillary’s attack dog, and he will face as withering and personal a counterattack as any politician has ever experienced.

And Trump’s blowback on Bill’s record regarding the treatment of women will redound to his wife’s detriment.

Talk tough internationally

Finally, Trump should double down on his tough talk about acting harshly with America’s enemies, particularly ISIS and radical Muslim extremism. On the one hand, Trump’s brazen bashing of Muslims, Mexicans, and immigrants has gone way beyond the pale and must be dialed back in the general election.

On the other hand, polls indicate that after Paris, San Bernardino and Brussels, Americans consider terrorism the nation’s number-one problem. If Hillary isn’t ready to identify radical Muslim extremism as the enemy and ratchet up the rhetoric about defeating ISIS and its sympathizers, Trump can seize the advantage.

Moreover, if, heaven forbid, there is another terrorist attack on U.S. soil before the election, it would unquestionably benefit a Trump candidacy.

Would the notoriously shallow and self-centered Trump be willing to follow advice like this? Probably not. And even if he did follow this type of campaign blueprint, would it be enough to wrest swing states like North Carolina or Colorado or Florida into the Republican column. Not likely.

On the other hand, how many people ever expected Donald Trump to be the Republican candidate for president?

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Fraser P. Seitel has been a communications consultant, author and teacher for 40 years. He may be reached directly at [email protected]. He is the author of the Prentice-Hall text The Practice of Public Relations, now in its 12th edition, and co-author of Rethinking Reputation and Idea Wise.