# Are we at Trump’s tipping point? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 21, 2018, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-at-trump-s-tipping-point/810944 "2018-03-21T03:29:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 17
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2018, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-at-trump-s-tipping-point/810944/321 "2018-04-01T12:32:09Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > All Trump did was nominate the person who he was told to nominate. You could have trained a dog to do that. > > I don’t see how Trump deserves credit for doing something so basic, it would have literally been more difficult for him to have not done it. Isn’t it fun to hear him taunt Obama for leaving so many court vacancies for him to fill? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2018, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-at-trump-s-tipping-point/810944/322 "2018-04-01T15:45:00Z")
> [@Chisquirrel](#): > > Spoken like someone that never actually listened to Clinton. I couldn’t help it. Her voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard to me. ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2018, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-at-trump-s-tipping-point/810944/323 "2018-04-01T18:40:57Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > I couldn’t help it. Her voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard to me. It’s ok, you could try [reading](https://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/a-fair-tax-system/). I did a /find for Deplorable that came up empty, so you should be safe. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2018, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-at-trump-s-tipping-point/810944/324 "2018-04-01T19:08:41Z")
> [@Chisquirrel](#): > > It’s ok, you could try [reading](https://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/a-fair-tax-system/). I did a /find for Deplorable that came up empty, so you should be safe. I’m not sure that was the best cite. Most of it talked about raising taxes, not lowering them. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2018, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-at-trump-s-tipping-point/810944/325 "2018-04-02T00:39:21Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Well it’s one week later. The Stormy interview was on Sunday, so to be scrupulously fair, we should probably wait 3 more days for a more definitive answer. > > That said, 538’s weighted trend is currently at… 40.7%, exactly the same as 1 week ago. During the past week, it blipped up to 41.1% for a while: scary! Well no, not really. > > Not seeing a tipping point. I wouldn’t be surprised if Trump’s numbers are a tad higher in 3 days. > > Circus stuff doesn’t hurt Trump. Unpopular policies hurt Trump. Whether criminal charges would cause Trump’s base to question their support is not yet clear. Ok, the Stormy interview with 60 Minutes a week ago should be reflecting in polling by now. The 538 trend is now at… 40.5%. ::rubs it in:: Yes, Trump’s support has certainly collapsed over the past week. 0.2%! Extrapolating, in 200 weeks Trump will have no approval at all. That would be on January 30, 2022. That will really hurt his efforts to sell steak knives. ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2018, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-at-trump-s-tipping-point/810944/326 "2018-04-02T07:44:50Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > I’m not sure that was the best cite. Most of it talked about raising taxes, not lowering them. Pardon me if I value small businesses and families over money managers and billionaires - ya know, the ones who’ve made out like bandits from CUT CUT CUT, or whatever the hell that ridiculous abomination of a tax cut bill was. Unless all you care about is fat cats getting fatter. Your last name wouldn’t happen to be Koch, would it? ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2018, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-at-trump-s-tipping-point/810944/327 "2018-04-02T13:18:16Z")
> [@Chisquirrel](#): > > Pardon me if I value small businesses and families over money managers and billionaires - ya know, the ones who’ve made out like bandits from CUT CUT CUT, or whatever the hell that ridiculous abomination of a tax cut bill was. You can value whatever you like, but if you don’t even know what the bill is called, I’m skeptical that you’ve got a very well-informed opinion about it’s contents. Either way, sounds like we agree that Clinton was going to try to raise a bunch of taxes, and perhaps lower a few, although that cite was so vague about everything it’s hard to guess at what the details might have been. > [@Chisquirrel](#): > > Unless all you care about is fat cats getting fatter. Your last name wouldn’t happen to be Koch, would it? No, not a Koch, but I do like that the tax cuts that were enacted affected most taxpayers in a positive way. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2018, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-at-trump-s-tipping-point/810944/328 "2018-04-02T13:26:21Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > No, not a Koch, but I do like that the tax cuts that were enacted affected most taxpayers in a positive way. It’s rather like firing a fire extinguisher into the air. Sure, it’s fun but if a fire occurs, you don’t have the remedy. Lowering taxes when the economy is humming along is pointless. It’s something you do when the economy is tanking and you want people to spend money and get it going again. Now there’s an even larger deficit and nothing to show for it. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2018, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-at-trump-s-tipping-point/810944/329 "2018-04-02T13:29:58Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > No, not a Koch, but I do like that the tax cuts that were enacted affected most taxpayers in a positive way. Interesting phrasing. Are you one of those who believe 47% of Americans don’t pay taxes? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2018, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-at-trump-s-tipping-point/810944/330 "2018-04-02T13:45:08Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > if you don’t even know what the bill is called, I’m skeptical that you’ve got a very well-informed opinion about it’s contents. Tell Trump. The name is[\*his \*idea.](https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/01/politics/tax-plan-trump-cut-cut-cut-bill/index.html) I think we agree he’s not well-informed about its contents, though. > [@](#): > > No, not a Koch, but I do like that the tax cuts that were enacted affected most taxpayers in a positive way. Doubling the standard deduction but eliminating personal exemptions is a wash or worse for working people, especially those with multiple children. Plus, it reduces incentives for charitable donations. What positive effects are you thinking of? ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2018, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-at-trump-s-tipping-point/810944/331 "2018-04-02T14:50:54Z")
Clinton: “I’m going to raise taxes on the 1% and corporations, while lowering them for pretty much everyone else.” **HurricaneDitka** : “See, she’s going to raise taxes!” The “most positive way” is roughly $40 for the poorest Americans, while giving roughly $33,000 to the top 1%. $40 is a single tank of gas. That’s a joke, not a tax cut. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2018, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-at-trump-s-tipping-point/810944/332 "2018-04-02T15:08:23Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Interesting phrasing. Are you one of those who believe 47% of Americans don’t pay taxes? I believe there’s a significant portion of the population that doesn’t pay (net) federal income taxes. Even many of those will benefit from the refundable portion of the child tax credit. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2018, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-at-trump-s-tipping-point/810944/333 "2018-04-02T15:10:13Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > … Doubling the standard deduction but eliminating personal exemptions is a wash or worse for working people, especially those with multiple children. Plus, it reduces incentives for charitable donations. > > What positive effects are you thinking of? See my post above this one. Refundable portion of the child tax credit would seem particularly positive “for working people, especially those with multiple children.” ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2018, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-at-trump-s-tipping-point/810944/334 "2018-04-02T15:32:11Z")
**HD** , have you considered applying for trump’s \*Minister of Twitter \*opening? ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2018, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-at-trump-s-tipping-point/810944/335 "2018-04-02T16:26:49Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Why is this worth mentioning? There was absolutely, positively, in no way, in no universe, real or theoretical, any action performed by President Trump that any other politician who has ever lived wouldn’t also perform in the exact same way. The bar is now scraping the ground. Jesus. That is just not true. Plenty of Presidents have made horrible choices for the Supreme Court. George W. Bush tried to nominate his personal lawyer - a pick so bad that both parties in Congress revolted against it. And let’s not forget Robert Bork. Trump could easily have nominated someone like Bork, or some lawyer he had worked with in the past who was a ‘good guy’ or something. You can’t simultaneously say that Trump is a complete ignoramus, then say that his very good pick for the Supreme Court was an inevitability. It could have been much worse. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2018, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-at-trump-s-tipping-point/810944/336 "2018-04-02T16:38:05Z")
As for Trump’s ‘tipping point’… Unfortunately, his approval on the Rassmussen index is now at 50%. That’s higher than Obama’s approval at the same point in his presidency. This despite Trump getting the most negative press coverage in my lifetime, while Obama got the most fawning press coverage in my lifetime. Even more depressingly from my point of view, his popularity seems to be spiking because of the worst policy choices he has made - tariffs, and signing a gigantic, bloated budget. The strongly approve/disapprove index for him is -12%, meaning 12% more people strongly disapprove of him than strongly approve. That sounds pretty bad - until you read that Obama’s was -13% at the same point in his Presidency. It’s almost like America is a highly polarized country, and the percentages don’t change much regardless of who is in power or what attitudes partisans attempt to manipulate in the public. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2018, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-at-trump-s-tipping-point/810944/337 "2018-04-02T16:50:59Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > That is just not true. Plenty of Presidents have made horrible choices for the Supreme Court. George W. Bush tried to nominate his personal lawyer - a pick so bad that both parties in Congress revolted against it. And let’s not forget Robert Bork. Trump could easily have nominated someone like Bork, or some lawyer he had worked with in the past who was a ‘good guy’ or something. > > You can’t simultaneously say that Trump is a complete ignoramus, then say that his very good pick for the Supreme Court was an inevitability. It could have been much worse. Of course you can say he is an ignoramus, and also made a pick for the court from a list. Where is the contradiction? He can be stupid. He can follow orders. He can talk about his base with Bannon. He can do multiple things. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2018, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-at-trump-s-tipping-point/810944/338 "2018-04-02T17:00:17Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > See my post above this one. Refundable portion of the child tax credit would seem particularly positive “for working people, especially those with multiple children.” It might be if the elimination of the personal exemption didn’t more than overcome it. But people may not realize how much they got screwed by the Cut Cut Cut Bill until they do their returns, \*after \*the next elections. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2018, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-at-trump-s-tipping-point/810944/339 "2018-04-02T17:01:38Z")
Making a Supreme Court pick is not easy. Trump would have had every vested interest whispering in his ear over that one. He no doubt had people telling him to nominate a social conservative dedicated to ending abortion. He could have ignored the list in favor of a ‘gut’ pick. He could have tried to nominate some powerful celebrity businessman with a law degree. Heck, given that it’s Trump he could have tried to nominate Judge Judy because he likes her style when he watches her show in the afternoon. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2018, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-at-trump-s-tipping-point/810944/340 "2018-04-02T17:29:34Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > It might be if the elimination of the personal exemption didn’t more than overcome it. > > But people may not realize how much they got screwed by the Cut Cut Cut Bill until they do their returns, \*after \*the next elections. Pretty much every estimate I saw was that most people would see their 2018 taxes decrease. Do you think I got the wrong impression on that point? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-at-trump-s-tipping-point/810944.md?page=16) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-at-trump-s-tipping-point/810944.md?page=18)