Clinton only in trouble IF mogul can capitalize
WASHINGTON — FBI Director James B. Comey’s condemnation of how Hillary Clinton handled highly sensitive and classified information, even without a recommendation of criminal charges, could damage her chances of convincing undecided and independent voters that she’s trustworthy.
But only if presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump can effectively capitalize on Comey’s harsh assessment of Clinton’s actions as secretary of state.
Republican and Democratic strategists say that’s a big if.
“The assumption there is that Donald Trump can stay on message,” said GOP strategist Alex Patton. “But he’s not been able to do that yet. It depends on whether his team can convince him to get on message and stay on message.”
“It’s maddening,” said Republican strategist Matt Mackowiak. “We keep being handed these golden opportunities, and Trump’s campaign keeps tripping over them.”
Comey blasted Clinton’s use of a private home email server, which stored 110 emails containing classified information — eight of them top secret — and also left sensitive information vulnerable to hacks by “hostile actors.”
He also criticized her lawyers, who vetted her emails and discarded thousands they deemed to be personal, for deleting workrelated documents — three of which were found to have also contained sensitive documents. Comey called Clinton’s email use “extremely careless.”
Glenn McCall, a Republican National Committee member from South Carolina, said suspicions were rife that President Obama knew how the FBI was going to rule on the email scandal prior to his campaign speech on Clinton’s behalf yesterday in Charlotte, N.C.
McCall also said Comey’s assessment of Clinton is resonating, particularly with undecided Southern Republicans and independents.
“One of the folks I talked to today, retired military, was disheartened by what happened to Gen. (David) Petraeus,” who was charged and pleaded guilty to mishandling classified information, McCall said. “His actions were treated somewhat severely, and they think what she did was far more severe.”
Democratic strategist Brad Bannon said how bad a hit Clinton eventually takes depends on how hard Trump can hit her with the email scandal.
“If Clinton’s campaign continues to get hit like this, and Trump gets his act together, that would be a problem for Clinton,” Bannon said. “But I’m more likely to play shortstop for the Red Sox this year than Trump is likely to get his act together.”