# 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:** 152
**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 27, 2016, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/3023 "2016-07-27T19:48:30Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Trump said today Tim Kaine has done a really bad job being governor of New Jersey. > This is understandable, inasmuch as Tim Kaine was quite busy being a senator from Virginia. He was a governor once. Of Virginia. > [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > To be fair, at the same press conference he said that David Hinckley should not have been freed. So, where’s that guy who was posting all over these threads yesterday that Trump was a mastermind playing fourth-dimensional chess, whose brilliant moves were far too cerebral for us mortals to understand? ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2016, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/3024 "2016-07-27T19:54:00Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I can think of lots of Davids who will be very grateful not to be mentioned by The Orange One. They all have their own hands but they come from different moms. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2016, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/3025 "2016-07-27T20:00:18Z")
On the campaign trail, has Trump ever joked about anything? Have we ever seen him chuckle, the way normal people chuckle when they joke? Has he ever had that little crinkling at the corner of his eye that tells you he’s pulling your leg? Watch Obama’s performances at the White House Correspondents’ Dinners. He’s joking there. You see him smiling and laughing. Has anyone seen Trump acting that way? Have we ever seen him smile a genuine smile, not some smirk? Not only was he not joking today, I’m not sure he knows _how_ to joke. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2016, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/3026 "2016-07-27T20:03:56Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > So, where’s that guy who was posting all over these threads yesterday that Trump was a mastermind playing fourth-dimensional chess, whose brilliant moves were far too cerebral for us mortals to understand? That’s over at the Scott Adams blog. To provide some context, Adams blogged today that the DNC is a disaster because it’s reducing testosterone levels in men. No, I’m not making that up. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2016, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/3027 "2016-07-27T20:08:38Z")
As a political pundit, he’s a helluva cartoonist. ---
**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 27, 2016, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/3028 "2016-07-27T20:34:48Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > That’s over at the Scott Adams blog. > To provide some context, Adams blogged today that the DNC is a disaster because it’s reducing testosterone levels in men. No, I’m not making that up. Poor Adams. Jeez, testosterone levels, really? Poor guy. But we did have a poster making the rounds here, yesterday, trying to peddle the Trump Is a Mastermind “explanation” for why Trump so frequently says and does things that make no kind of freaking sense. (Could have been Adams himself for all we know, I suppose.) You can see how Trump apologists would have to come up with _something_ to explain the man’s increasingly long roster of bizarre claims, blunders, and failures to take advantage of obvious opportunities–in just the campaign alone, never mind in his life as a whole. “It just _seems_ stupid; in reality it’s too sophisticated and advanced for our minds to comprehend” probably actually _is_ the best they can do, absurd though it may be. ---
**Author:** ![Personal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Personal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Personal)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2016, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/3029 "2016-07-27T20:38:01Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Gallup: 51% said the RNC made them _less_ likely to vote Trump. Previous record, dating back to at least 1988: 38%. > > [https://twitter.com/Taniel/status/758348257764503552/photo/1](https://t.co/Tp42eNXbqA) Where does the 1988 date come from? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2016, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/3030 "2016-07-27T21:04:42Z")
> [@Personal](#): > > Where does the 1988 date come from? From the random tweeter he linked, who apparently can’t read his own posting. From the actual article and screen cap on the twitter feed: > [@](#): > > This is the highest “less likely to vote” percentage for a candidate in the 15 times Gallup has asked this question after a convention. The previous “less likely” high was 38% after both conventions in 2012, and after the GOP conventions in 2004 and 2008. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2016, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/3031 "2016-07-27T21:09:49Z")
Does anyone watch these conventions that isn’t already pretty much decided? Any stats on that? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2016, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/3032 "2016-07-27T21:25:55Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Does anyone watch these conventions that isn’t already pretty much decided? I would bet almost no one. I’m sure some undecideds watch the selected sound bites fed to them on the nightly news. ---
**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 27, 2016, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/3033 "2016-07-27T21:28:38Z")
They can get people fired up, however. And budge people on the fence, or move people who heretofore haven’t paid a lick of attention to the campaigns. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2016, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/3034 "2016-07-27T21:34:19Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > They can get people fired up, however. And budge people on the fence, or move people who heretofore haven’t paid a lick of attention to the campaigns. I suppose. I assume it helps fire up the volunteers and party workers anyway. But really, the people who start paying a lick of attention post-convention might be doing so because the general election is then officially on. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2016, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/3035 "2016-07-28T00:13:40Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Every time I waffle back to “no, Trump is totally serious about this campaign” he throws out something that makes me think again that he’s playing a practical joke to see how outrageous he can be before he’s finally booted off the national stage. Could you imagine the fucking mass immediate apeshit that would fall over every republican in the country if Obama called for Russia to break into our secret information? [Vox has a piece out](http://www.vox.com/2016/7/27/12298512/donald-trum-dnc-hack-russia) on how absolutely fucking loonytunes that guy is getting (and he was already pretty nuts before!). I followed their link within that one to the transcript of the press conference from the day after his big RNC speech. I had heard parts of it before, but the last little bit had me literally LOLing. This is better than anything on \*Veep \*for chrissakes: > [@](#): > > Two other things. > > Two other things, just to finish with Ted because I like Ted. He’s fine. > > Again, I don’t want his endorsement. If he gives it, I will not accept it. Just so you understand. I will not accept it. It won’t matter. Honestly, he should have done it because nobody cares and he would have been in better shape for four years from now if he’s gonna — I don’t see him winning anyway, frankly. But if he did, it’s fine. > > Although maybe I’ll set up a Super PAC if he decides to run. Are you allowed to set up a Super PAC, Mike, if you are the president, to fight somebody? > > [Mike Pence shakes his head and mouths the word “no.”] I also love how Trump (that #whinylittlebitch) has almost a tic, where he always insists he actually likes someone, or at least doesn’t care one way or another, before he goes on a manic tirade against them. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2016, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/3036 "2016-07-28T00:48:01Z")
Its not personal, Sonny, its just business. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2016, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/3037 "2016-07-28T00:52:04Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > I also love how Trump (that #whinylittlebitch) has almost a tic, where he always insists he actually likes someone, or at least doesn’t care one way or another, before he goes on a manic tirade against them. Brutus is an honorable man. – Marc Antony ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2016, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/3038 "2016-07-28T00:53:07Z")
For yuks, figured some of you would get a kick out of this: [Calvin and Hobbes, Trump replaces Calvin](http://www.filmsforaction.org/articles/donald-and-hobbes-is-genius/) (the dialogue is completely unchanged). I like the one where he tries to explain the Constitution in his own words. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2016, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/3039 "2016-07-28T01:09:29Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > [Trump calls for Russia to hack into State Department servers.](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/28/us/politics/donald-trump-russia-clinton-emails.html) I suppose it would be too much to hope that this could net Trump a treason charge. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2016, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/3040 "2016-07-28T01:23:55Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Does anyone watch these conventions that isn’t already pretty much decided? Any stats on that? There’s inevitably a post-convention bounce in the polls. Trump got one and now I suppose Clinton will get one so it’s probably a wash. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2016, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/3041 "2016-07-28T01:47:32Z")
> [@standingwave](#): > > There’s inevitably a post-convention bounce in the polls. Trump got one and now I suppose Clinton will get one so it’s probably a wash. Yeah, the conventions are the first time a non insignificant number of the population starts paying attention. ---
**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 28, 2016, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/3042 "2016-07-28T01:59:05Z")
> NY Daily News cover [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901.md?page=151) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901.md?page=153)