http://www.weeklystandard.com/inside-the-trump-diversity-outreach-machine/article/2004055/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=t.co&utm_campaign=20160829_TWS-blog-inside-the-trump-diversity-outreach-machine-4_twitter&utm_content=TWSInside the Trump Diversity Outreach Machine"Moms are women, too. Women. Remember that."
4:15 PM, AUG 29, 2016 |
By JIM SWIFT
Leesburg, Va.
The invitation promised Omarosa, the much loved/hated star of "The Apprentice."
But as the National Diversity Coalition for Trump and Moms4Trump event got underway Sunday evening, it became clear that she wasn't attending. The 125 or so rallygoers weren't visibly disappointed. Katrina Pierson, spokeswoman extraordinaire, was invited but probably was not granted permission to leave the CNN studio in Dallas where she apparently lives.
Most were there to see Eric Trump's wife Lara, the newest addition to the Trump family. Joining her was Lynne Patton, who is the vice president of Eric Trump's foundation and works within the Trump organization.
A handful of minorities dotted the crowd, but like Loudoun County, it was mostly white. The emcee, Jo-Ann Chase, serves as the Virginia director of National Diversity Coalition for Trump. Chase has been involved in Republican politics for some time, and it was clear this wasn't her first rodeo. Perhaps old habits die hard, so when Chase asked the elected officials in attendance to stand up, only one did: Delegate Bob Marshall. Trump events typically skip this traditional recognition, since the electeds often don't wish to be recognized or simply don't attend.
The event was held at the Tally Ho Theatre, a small local venue, and featured a cash bar and tacos—yes, tacos—from the in-house taco joint.
Sheree Saber, a board member of Moms4Trump was the opening act. It did not go well. An excerpt:
Moms4Trump. Moms4Trump is an initiative started in Maryland with the objective of reaching out and creating votes, and more votes, and more votes, and more votes! We simply want to maximize the votes for Donald Trump in November of 2016. We are doing this through educating in our community, energizing, and enabling potential voters. And we are doing it with actions such as this. Social, gathering, media, and all of the various things. So keep in mind Moms4Trump.... We want to grow this across.... Because our moms are women, too. Women. Remember that. And women, as well as men, in your participation -- get your women out there -- and we are going to bring in the votes.
It was like an extended cut of the worst beauty pageant speech you've ever heard. Only longer.
The pageantry continued, as Lara Trump, Patton, and Loudoun County supervisor Suzanne Volpe walked down to the stage from the balcony. "Aren't they beautiful?" asked Chase. "They're beautiful outside, and very most importantly, inside."
Volpe is what Mitt Romney might describe as "severely conservative." Her meat-and-potatoes stump speech did rile the crowd up, including the specific emphasis on President Obama's middle name. Trump and Patton, both new to GOP politics, were both visibly uncomfortable.
Next up was Patton, who you might remember if you watched the GOP convention or her "viral" video, which she reminded attendees has "more than 4 million views to date." Patton focused on how great the Trump family is, and how she, as a black woman whose dad was born in Birmingham, knows that Donald Trump is not a bigot. It was effective, but perhaps the wrong audience for it.
Then, oddly, Patton's speech—perhaps written for a more undecided crowd—reminded voters it's OK to vote for Trump.
I say to my fellow minorities, you know, don't let the mainstream media or your other friends or family bully you into making a decision for you. You are an independent person. You are your own vote, and you can vote for whomever you please.
Patton then recited a bunch of memorized statistics on the state of black life in America, suggesting that President Obama has been bad for the black community. Then came the pivot.
"The State Department actually brings 100,000 foreign youth to the United States every summer, to work in our resorts, our seaside restaurants, amusement parks, and these are programs and jobs, opportunities that my boss wants to give the American people, wants to give the inner city youth."
"How many of those people [on J-1 visas] do you think show up to go back to their native land after three months?" "Zero!" the crowd shot back. "Thank you! My boss believes that these are positions that can be filled with Americans! My boss believes that these are positions that should be filled by our inner-city youth, coupled with maybe a training program in our inner-city high schools and hospitality... and I know that Trump hotels would be the first one to step forward and teach these kids a trade, teach them hospitality, so that they can turn these summer jobs into permanent employment. So that they can be managers in the hospitality industry..."
"Don't forget white Americans!" a woman shouts.
"That's right, that's right" replies Patton without missing a beat. "Because, you know, they need jobs, too."
Alas, no mention of Mar-a-Lago, which brings in foreign temporary workers, a practice Trump defends: "And during the season, it's very, very hard to get employees."
Patton then told a story about a small business she visited run by Hungarian immigrants not being able to afford healthcare: "And she literally told me with tears in her eyes, my health insurance I cannot afford anymore. I lay awake at night." Here, Patton herself started crying. "I lay awake at night because I had to take my husband off our policy. And I pray to god that he does not get sick."
Patton immediately stops crying and is extremely serious: "And meanwhile, we have a Congress that voted themselves lifetime healthcare and exempted themselves from Obamacare, by the way."
While it's not true that Congress voted itself lifetime healthcare, the room booed anyway.
In closing, Patton spoke down to would-be Trump detractors, a true minority in the room, in a weird Republicanism-as-a-second language with some New York bravado:
I want to remind the Republican party and those of you in this room who are registered Republicans. That my boss is the candidate because the people of this country, like yourselves, put him there. Let's not forget that he defeated seventeen formidable candidates to become our nominee, and let's stand behind him, and let's support him. And let's not give up. Everything he does turns to gold, I see it with my own eyes.
Consider the football spiked.
Last speaking was Lara Trump, who married into the family two years ago. On leave from her job as a producer for CBS's Inside Edition, Trump spent most of her speech describing her ascent from the daughter of a car wash owner in North Carolina to part of Trump royalty. Theme: I am normal. The Trumps are normal. You can trust me that they are normal. "I get it. I know what the real world is about."
Lara didn't talk about how she met her husband after moving to New York. She regaled the crowd with the story of how she met her father-in-law for the first time at the U.S. Open tennis tournament.
"He immediately made me at ease, because he goes 'Oh, I am eating an ice cream. Would you like an ice cream?' And I said, 'Oh my gosh, this is so normal!'" Also, Lara refers to her father-in-law as "Mr. Trump."
Lara continued: "I can tell you as a person with the greatest values that my parents instilled in me, I would not be with a man or be part of a family, especially representing a family, that I thought was anything less than incredible. So, I can tell you with my entire heart this is an incredible family."
Mrs. Trump eschewed policy, but reinforced that this is the most important election of a lifetime. She closed with a very Trump-sounding soundbite. Almost as if the man himself wrote it:
I'll tell you that I look forward, very much, to Christmas of 2017. When we can all wish each other a Merry Christmas again. Won't that be nice? When we can say the pledge of allegiance in our schools to our great flag! You gotta do it!
Before doing a hit with Fox News, Lara and Lynne took pictures with all of their admirers, which is something that totally normal people do.
