Is Donald Trump the one really playing the gender card?

"Frankly, all I'm doing is stating the obvious," Trump insisted, when pressed about whether his latest Clinton takedowns were sexist. "Without the woman's card, Hillary would not even be a viable person to run for city council."

That message may resonate with one subset of the electorate and touch off outrage with another. But for many other voters, Trump's line of attack is simply baffling when America is trying to deal with far more complex matters of gender, such as gay marriage and transgender rights.

"It's a very simplistic notion of gender," said Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. She said Trump is "putting out there a notion of masculinity" that fits with popular images of the presidency. "He is playing the gender card but not connecting it to policy, instead connecting it to his own macho image and his bravado."
Trump's focus on women sets stage for a key battle

The way Debbie Walsh described it, I suppose Trump's version of the gender card should be called the machismo card.

machismo

​strong ​pride in ​behaving in a way that is ​thought to be ​typically ​male, esp. by ​showing ​strength and ​power
dictionary.cambridge.org...

The article above gives a good synopsis of how Trump's been playing the machismo card ever since he started his campaign:

1. Trump described Hillary Clinton as a token female who's playing the "woman's card."

2. Trump mocked the face of onetime GOP rival Carly Fiorina.

3. Trump retweeted an unflattering image of Heidi Cruz, the Texas senator's wife, juxtaposed with a glamorous photo of his wife, Melania.

4. Trump called Megyn Kelly of Fox News a "lightweight" and a "bimbo."

It's obvious to me that everything Trump has portrayed has been total machismo. Using the word "portrayed" is correct as the story quoted below reports. Meanwhile, I haven't noticed Hillary Clinton playing the gender card at all. Could Trump's accusations of Clinton playing the gender card just be a case of psychological projection by Trump?

Trump team tells GOP he has been 'projecting an image'

Donald Trump's chief lieutenants told skeptical Republican leaders Thursday the GOP front-runner has been "projecting an image" so far in the 2016 primary season and "the part that he's been playing is now evolving"

...

"When he's out on the stage, when he's talking about the kinds of things he's talking about on the stump, he's projecting an image that's for that purpose," Manafort said in a private briefing.

"You'll start to see more depth of the person, the real person. You'll see a real different way," he said.

The Associated Press obtained a recording of the closed-door exchange.

"He gets it," Manafort said of Trump's need to moderate his personality. "The part that he's been playing is evolving into the part that now you've been expecting, but he wasn't ready for, because he had first to complete the first phase. The negatives will come down. The image is going to change."
Trump team tells GOP he has been 'projecting an image'

a reply to: Profusion

This is how you find out for sure.

Go ask people at a Trump rally why they are going to vote for Trump

Then go to a Hilary rally and ask them why they are voting for Hilary.

I've never heard anyone state that they are going to vote for Trump because he is a man. Hillary though, that's a different story. My guess is this is just another Trump hit piece that will be largely ignored because the people that want Trump don't care about the PC B.S. which is what this equates to.

Trump 2016

a reply to: Profusion

Meanwhile, I haven't noticed Hillary Clinton playing the gender card at all.

Well, she has, here are 13 instances where she has played the gender card........



Here is another vid - there are plenty.

I'm sick of cards.

I suck at card games.

There's more "cards" being thrown around in this election (and society in general) than Caesar's Palace in Vegas...

a reply to: MystikMushroom

I am sad to say I have never won a poker hand for real money.

a reply to: Phage

Don't despair, you're in familiar company.

To me, gambling is a "tax on stupidity". I'd probably garner more enjoyment feeding $20 bills through a paper shredder than gambling it away on games of "chance".

a reply to: Sublimecraft

Yes, you are spot on mate.

Convince the gender vote in US. That's her only chance for a win.

Kind regards,

Bally

a reply to: Profusion

If Hillary was a man she wouldn't even be around and she plays the woman card almost every time I've heard her speak. Taken with a slight grain of salt as I have missed many of her talks..

I remember seeing her laugh cackle and joke about blowing people up and when I saw that interview she had no coming back for me. It was disgusting to watch. Maybe I can find it. Don't hold your horses but I'll try.

I said I'd try here is one example..




Aside from evil person who lies all the time with a straight face, she also wants loving moms to know she's a woman and she's on your side.. Just don't be an Iranian mother cause then she wants to bomb you..

Trumps is a Chastity Belt... Hillary a Vagina.

Isn't Hillary's own campaign embracing the 'woman card' now? They have recently even making light of it on her website! Personally, I think it is more insulting than funny, but I guess one has to be a true supporter to get the joke!

Edit add: Hillary own site link

Hello, this is the nature of politics!

How can any women running for president not play the gender card? We've never had a women as president. Just like before Obama, we never had a black president. The basic campaign strategy of every election is to gather the largest percentage of every segment of the voting population.

Candidates are selling themselves just like advertisers are selling a product to consumers. Manufactures have a specific target market they're after to increase sales. Just like an advertiser is going to target men when selling outdoor grills. That's the largest market of the population who ends up deciding and purchasing out door grills.

When you're running for office You don't say things to alienate any segment of the population. Everyone is your target market. Unfortunately Trump wasn't too bright to realize this before starting his campaign. He wouldn't have lost a good percentage of the women's vote if he wouldn't have attacked so many women with his rude remarks. He could have also lessened the damage about his wall idea by not calling all illegals rapists, murderers etc.... Using the wrong words has consequences, not only in advertising but also on the campaign trail. There are those who will say that's why people like Trump because he's not politically correct and doesn't care who he offends. That's OK, but don't whine about it when you offend that voting segment and your decline in support reflects that.

It's a ridiculous argument. You can't ignore a candidate's gender, race, or culture when those aspects automatically appeal to those voting segments. When a candidate runs against someone who has that advantage, a smart campaign strategist will try to make it less damaging by trying to appeal to that voting segment, not by attacking them.

Simply put, Trump screwed himself and there is nobody else to blame but himself.

As I have said from the get go.
Trump is a Trojan horse.

If he wins the nomination, he will loose the race, to get Hildabeast in office.
If he he falls short of the needed 1237 delegates, he will cry foul and go independent...thus giving Billary the office.

He is a loose / loose for the US... period.
He will say and do anything to get the vote or just screw it up for the republican party.
They them selves do a real good job on their own..

I fear we will have the someone worst the O'bummer in office real soo... god help us and I mean the world at large.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: MystikMushroom

I am sad to say I have never won a poker hand for real money.

Even I've won money from card games.

I'm a better gambler than Phage... right on.

originally posted by: WeRpeons
He could have also lessened the damage about his wall idea by not calling all illegals rapists, murderers etc....

He didn't call them all rapists and murderers. That's not what he said no matter how often people repeat it.

a reply to: C8H10N4O2

I've never heard anyone say they were voting for Hillary because she's a woman. I've seen people say they are voting for trump because he's going to build a wall. Or because he thinks he can beat China and Russia (good luck wiith that lightwweight Donald wouldn't last two minutes against Putin ) I've seen trump supporters ignore or say they just don't care about the disgusting things he has said about women.

But mostly they want to vote for trump because he isn't PC. Wow that's a great platform.