CNN's Kaitlan Collins, "toe to toe" with the orange man, should have punched him in the nose. Articulate, polite, she was no match for a guy whose brand is not playing fair. When he doesn't play fair, you don't play fair. When he interrupted her, she talked through him--but politely. Poised. Like a reasonable person. He yelled through much of what she said.
She allowed him to be himself. That was fatal.
This cheap bully, this gangster, knows no boundaries, has no morals, no interest in anyone or anything other than himself. Obvious as this is to half the country, it's anything but to the other half.
Collins did nothing to change the hearts and minds of those who love the guy.
She would have had to bully him. For example, physically leaned forward in his face. Gotten a look on her own like he was a naughty little boy, she was the teacher, and she was going to wag her finger and say, "Stop lying, kid!" Instead, her face remained neutral, polite. Anything but aggressive.
This did not make a good impression with the crowd who loves him. He called her a "nasty person." Got away with that.
Remember how, during the 2016 debates, he prowled behind Hillary Clinton like a huge razorback gorilla? She tried to ignore him. She looked uncomfortable. God, how I wish she'd turned, laughed, and said, "Donald, are we having trouble standing still? Do you need to take a break or can you go back to your podium?" Or even: "Donald, get out of my space!"
That would have been very different from the "basket of deplorables" line that may have sunk her. The former is self-defense. The latter is talking down to half your potential voting bloc.
When the former POTUS acts the way he acted last night, the thing to do is either schoolmarm him into the ground or laugh at him. Break into his lies with, "Oh, come on! Do you expect me to believe that?"
Very different from saying "Nobody believes that," because he's banking on the folks who do believe. The facts, CNN, are irrelevant. The emotional hold he continues to have, the "I am 100% sure of myself and I know everything you need to know and I will tell you what you need to know and you just listen to me and I love you!" is breathtakingly powerful. You can't crack that with his loss in the E. Jean Carroll case or any other potential legal loss. He wants everyone to know he can grab any part of any woman he wants and shoot anyone he wants on Madison Avenue or anywhere else and do it all with impunity.
That is precisely his appeal. CNN, please rise to the occasion and bully him back.
