There’s an old rule in advertising that you don’t respond directly to other people’s ads.  The thinking is simple:  they chose to say it, so why repeat it on your dime?  In political terms, we warn that you don’t let your opponent set the terms of the debate.  If they want to talk about it, you more than likely don’t.

HRC is getting a lot of play out of the woman card – offering “woman cards” to people who make donations.  She’s built the “deal me in” line to her recent speeches and seems to revel in delivering it, and her online ads have moved from red, white, and blue, to pink-ish and yellow with a universal symbol for the women’s rest room.  It’s a clever, well executed “campaign” as advertising types would call it.  But is it helping her?

I’m wondering if Trump, or his new staff, is clever enough to  have set a trap.  His very first words on the national stage (the first debate) were “I frankly don’t have time for total political correctness and to be honest with you, this country doesn’t have time either.”  Thunderous applause in the room, and it certainly hit a nerve for people who can’t pay their mortgages and don’t have time to worry about whether “he or she” is as offensive as simply saying he.  (See South Park episode “Sponsored Content”.  Seriously.  See it.)  After months of getting beaten up by the press but rewarded by voters for his comments about women, after watching the Fiorina ploy do nothing to hurt Trump, do we think he was stupid to play the woman card on HRC’s playing of the woman card?

Historically, the Clintons have always worked to distance themselves from special interests that smack of the 60s, the New Left, unions, undue deference to blacks.  Like it or not, WJC and HRC have both won over white centrists with strategic digs at these constituencies and stances against them (eg, DOMA).  At a time when Gloria Steinem and others are scolding women to vote on gender rather than economics, it might be that the one special interest the Clintons held onto – women – could become a liability if HRC plays it too hard.

It’s ironic to watch HRC not only walk into the space Trump has invited her, but to even venture into the true, scary flavor of “political correctness” where you have papers showing you adhere to the party line, and where there are fire and brimstone consequences for those who don’t toe the party line.  That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but might the cards and the tone be playing into the worst parts of PC and right into Trump’s hand?