Kellyanne Conway is Donald Trump's third campaign manager in the past couple of months. He replaces them faster than he does his wives. Conway has attempted to hit the reset button for Trump, trying her best to recreate him both cosmetically and substantively-- resulting in shifting sands for a shifty candidate.
Almost gone is Trump's orange-colored "tan," as well as his prior disdain for Teleprompters--he now relies on them to keep himself on message. He recently issued a vague apology for his words that may have caused personal pain. He went to flood stricken Louisiana to make himself look "presidential," where he handed out boxes of Play Doh (something every flood victim really needs). However, it appears he is keeping most of his real dough in his pockets for now-- and difficult to reach with short fingers. There is a video of him signing autographs, but not checks. A Baptist church near Baton Rouge is reportedly still waiting for a promised $100,000 donation from Trump.
At any rate, Ms. Conway is on the road to reinventing Trump. He dialed back his comments about banning all Muslims from entering the country, now limiting the prohibition to those countries that have been "compromised by terrorism"-- whatever that means. Trump is the master of double-talk, the most stunning example being when he suggested that "the second amendment people" might be able to do something about Hillary Clinton and certain judges-- later alleging that he only meant they should vote as a bloc.
Trump has now reached out to black voters with his condescending "what the hell do you have to lose" pitch, while attempting to pit them against other minorities, such as Mexican and Muslim immigrants.
He does not talk much anymore about the huge wall he is going to build along the 2000 mile US/Mexican border. And in his latest incarnation he is back-peddling on his prior promise to immediately deport all "illegal" immigrants. Every day he seems to take a step further away from that ridiculous pledge. The new Trump has met with Hispanic groups and reportedly is using consolatory rhetoric about a "humane and efficient" way to work with those already here. Now he is asserting that he will deport the "bad ones," such as gang members-- adding with typical Trump ambiguity "As far as everybody else, we're going to go through the process." He reportedly is now saying "There certainly can be a softening because we're not looking to hurt people."
Sunday when CNN's Dana Bash asked campaign manager Conway whether Trump still intends to have a "deportation force" for millions of undocumented immigrants, her three word reply was "To be determined."
Trump is doing a balancing act. He is hoping those who voted for him in the primaries will rely on what he said during those campaigns, writing off what he now says to simply being his attempt to attract additional voters. And he anticipates that voters in the general election will chose to believe that the true Trump is the new Trump, and whatever he said or did before was just politics to win the primaries. The bottom line is that he believes his flip flopping will net him more votes than he will lose. He would willingly sacrifice five primary voters to gain ten general election voters.