# Donald Trump's 2016 General Election Campaign **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 4, 2016, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901 "2016-05-04T02:37:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 135
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2683 "2016-07-17T16:36:23Z")
Except that Clinton has a 32 pt lead when asked who Americans trust most to handle race relations. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2684 "2016-07-17T16:37:38Z")
The Republicans deliberately created an beleaguered black underclass with their War on Drugs, a beleaguered white underclass with tax/economic policies which shifted the burden of lifes mistakes and vicissitudes onto the middle class and poor, did their damndest to de-legitimize the United States government over the past 8 years, and then gave these disaffected populations _carte blanche_ to arm themselves. Is anyone really surprised the Party of Buchanan, Gingrich, Bush, Cruz, and Trump has lead to a situation where the country could be called “destabilized”? I’m not. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2685 "2016-07-17T16:38:21Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Except that Clinton has a 32 pt lead when asked who Americans trust most to handle race relations. That statistic means nothing. You will see. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2686 "2016-07-17T16:46:53Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Except that Clinton has a 32 pt lead when asked who Americans trust most to handle race relations. I wouldn’t go as far saying that means nothing, but if it’s intended to imply Clinton’s electoral fortunes will therefore improve if there’s more racial violence, since she’s ‘trusted to handle race relations’ I agree with asahi. That will definitely help Trump and hurt Clinton, certainly if the perpetrators are black and victims white as in Dallas. My crystal ball is foggy though as to whether it will help him enough, or how much such violence there might be. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2687 "2016-07-17T16:58:22Z")
It’s not meant to imply that it will help her, but I am doubting that it will seeing the race to Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Randolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Randolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randolph)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2688 "2016-07-17T17:35:20Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Mark my words: a few more of these assaults on police officers, and Donald J Trump will be the president of the United States. Holy crap!! Hillary’s been assaulting police officers?! You **finally** have an _actual_ scandal, a _bunch_ of them, sounds like, GOP, why the **fuck** don’t you run with this\*?\*!?!\*\*!\*\*1! ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2689 "2016-07-17T19:37:45Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Mark my words: a few more of these assaults on police officers, and Donald J Trump will be the president of the United States. This plays right into his narrative. And while a lot of whites will say the right things in the office, on Facebook, in front of their friends, and even in phone surveys, they will go to the polls to respond to what they feel is the last chance to save their country. UNLESS Trump is clearly and decisively shown up as the ineffectual incompetent that he is. One of the old-school journalists–and I can’t recall who\*–has said that every reporter should be asking Trump to _name just one business enterprise of his that has been a success._ He ruled out ‘selling his name’ because arguably that _has_ worked out well for Trump. But everything else–Trump, born rich, inherited some real estate in Manhattan and bought more. That’s pretty much guaranteed to bring in revenue. But actual entrepreneurial organizations…? Is there even one that has made money through anything other than scamming and fraud? If voters could be exposed to the apparent fact that Trump is rubbish at actually running things, that could go a long way to exploding the “Trump will take care of crime; Trump will take care of terrorists” myth that is currently propping up his poll numbers. \*I heard the guy say this on one of the cable news shows, as opposed to reading the guy’s column, whatever it is. I hope someone will recognize the likely source. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2690 "2016-07-17T19:44:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by asahi View Post > Mark my words: a few more of these assaults on police officers, and Donald J Trump will be the president of the United States. This plays right into his narrative. And while a lot of whites will say the right things in the office, on Facebook, in front of their friends, and even in phone surveys, they will go to the polls to respond to what they feel is the last chance to save their country. Save their country? I’m a middle-aged white guy, and I don’t even know what you mean, let alone even considering voting for such a man to address the concern. Even if there was a problem, Trump is not the solution. There is nothing wrong with the United States that Trump would not make quite a bit worse. What we need is relatively boring, but steady and thoughtful, competence. In other words, Hillary Clinton. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2691 "2016-07-17T19:58:47Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > If voters could be exposed to the apparent fact that Trump is rubbish at actually running things, that could go a long way to exploding the “Trump will take care of crime; Trump will take care of terrorists” myth that is currently propping up his poll numbers. I think voters will believe whatever the hell they want to believe. I never cease to be amazed and terrified at the mind-boggling inability of voters to distinguish fact from fiction. Voter ignorance has always been a problem for democracy, but it’s to the extreme now. And so is the perception that their world around them is crumbling, even despite all of the evidence that is not necessarily the case. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2692 "2016-07-17T19:59:36Z")
Nobody that is not currently a Trump supporter is going to be looking to him if shit really hits the fan. He is a protest vote for anyone outside complete believes, the more serious shit gets the less protest votes Trump gets. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2693 "2016-07-17T20:15:28Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > It’s not meant to imply that it will help her, but I am doubting that it will seeing the race to Trump. I don’t know. I just don’t think it’s much of an ‘except’, for her vulnerability to escalated racial violence, that a poll says people trust Clinton more on race relations, which was all you said. Horribly, there’s been another ambush of police officers, 3 dead so far, in Baton Rouge LA today. Trump is already quoted saying ‘we need law and order’. I find this not only distasteful but ham handed politically. But I think people of not only a certain political POV but class background might need to trust their gut a little less on Trump’s appeal to a lot of people, not necessarily limited to the plurality of GOP primary voters who got him the nomination. The national and key state polls are close for the general election, it’s not some tiny minority backing him when offered the choice of Clinton. I’ve dialed back on predictions based on what _I_ think about Trump and his antics. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2694 "2016-07-17T20:17:35Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > I think voters will believe whatever the hell they want to believe. I never cease to be amazed and terrified at the mind-boggling inability of voters to distinguish fact from fiction. Voter ignorance has always been a problem for democracy, but it’s to the extreme now. And so is the perception that their world around them is crumbling, even despite all of the evidence that is not necessarily the case. I agree completely. Still, given the number of people who say things like ‘I don’t really like the things Trump says but I like that he’s a successful businessman’----if the Dems would make some good pithy ads documenting Trump’s actual lack of talent as an entrepreneur, it could chip away at that particular rationalization. It might not destroy it, but it would keep people from saying “But I like that he’s a successful businessman” in that tone that implies “we all agree that this is true.” Those people would have to find another rationalization. Could they? Probably. But the job of the Democrats is to make that harder to do. I don’t pretend to know the origin of every dollar of whatever assets Trump has, but my impression is that most of it was made by cheating and defrauding and avoiding taxes and getting out before his various bankruptcies. And yes, selling his name. (That particular business may not be as lucrative in future.) I can see the ad: First a sentence each from six or eight of the business partners Trump has stiffed. Then the voice of an announcer: "Can Donald Trump actually manage a business? Here’s the pie chart showing the origins of his revenues–and none are from successfully making a product or service that sell on an ongoing basis. It’s a record of scams and rackets and failing to pay contractors. “_Can_ Donald Trump actually manage…anything?” ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2695 "2016-07-17T21:55:35Z")
> [@Corry\_El](#): > > I don’t know. I just don’t think it’s much of an ‘except’, for her vulnerability to escalated racial violence, that a poll says people trust Clinton more on race relations, which was all you said. Well, I was responding to someone simply saying “Mark my word, this is going to happen” so it’s not as though there’s a lot of room for factual rebuttal. No, I don’t think that people swayed by the idea of Trump protecting them from marauding gangs of black cop-killers is a significant swing vote. I suspect most of them are already safely in the Trump camp and Tweeting about how come it’s not “All Lives Matter”. Now maybe I’m wrong here but the evidence for such isn’t people saying “You’ll see…” ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2696 "2016-07-18T00:18:46Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > I agree completely. Still, given the number of people who say things like ‘I don’t really like the things Trump says but I like that he’s a successful businessman’----if the Dems would make some good pithy ads documenting Trump’s actual lack of talent as an entrepreneur, it could chip away at that particular rationalization. It might not destroy it, but it would keep people from saying “But I like that he’s a successful businessman” in that tone that implies “we all agree that this is true.” > > Those people would have to find another rationalization. Could they? Probably. But the job of the Democrats is to make that harder to do. > > I don’t pretend to know the origin of every dollar of whatever assets Trump has, but my impression is that most of it was made by cheating and defrauding and avoiding taxes and getting out before his various bankruptcies. And yes, selling his name. (That particular business may not be as lucrative in future.) > > I can see the ad: First a sentence each from six or eight of the business partners Trump has stiffed. Then the voice of an announcer: "Can Donald Trump actually manage a business? Here’s the pie chart showing the origins of his revenues–and none are from successfully making a product or service that sell on an ongoing basis. It’s a record of scams and rackets and failing to pay contractors. > > “_Can_ Donald Trump actually manage…anything?” Two things: 1. Trump is a guy on TV a lot – so he must be rich (and thus, successful) 2. Any political ad saying otherwise will be tossed in the rubbish bin as, well, political muck. That’s the reality: people already see Trump as a successful businessman. No ads are going to change that position except for a handful of people who actually know stuff about accounting and finance. In a bygone era, yeah, you’d be right. But in this age of know-nothing politics, the idiots rule the roost. And that favors Trump, not Clinton. Clinton’s hope is that women and minorities are terrified of Trump and that white conservatives and moderates get so turned off that they just don’t get motivated to vote. If we have an otherwise uneventful year like, say, 2014, maybe there’s no problem. But attacks against the police while having a black president who seems more outraged over police violence than violence against police…is a GAME CHANGER!!! Not to mention the uptick in Muslim violence. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2697 "2016-07-18T00:20:27Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Well, I was responding to someone simply saying “Mark my word, this is going to happen” so it’s not as though there’s a lot of room for factual rebuttal. No, I don’t think that people swayed by the idea of Trump protecting them from marauding gangs of black cop-killers is a significant swing vote. You are WRONG! ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2698 "2016-07-18T00:32:47Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > You are WRONG! I laughed so hard, John McClaughlin. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2699 "2016-07-18T02:28:10Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > You are WRONG! No YOU! ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2700 "2016-07-18T05:18:29Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > I laughed so hard, John McClaughlin. Not a _bad_ guitar player. A bit pretentious, sure, but he can play. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2701 "2016-07-18T05:57:49Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Not a _bad_ guitar player. A bit pretentious, sure, but he can play. But, on a scale of zero to ten, with ten being total metaphysical godhood, how well does McLaughlin play? ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/2702 "2016-07-18T07:06:28Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Not a _bad_ guitar player. A bit pretentious, sure, . . . WRONG Eleanor! NEXT! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901.md?page=134) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901.md?page=136)