# 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:** 224
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4463 "2016-08-17T11:49:34Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Since, IIRC, that site is a big fan of Trump, one might consider it an indication that he’s going to stay the course and not listen to outside advice. He seems to think he can get himself back into what happened in the primaries, and have the outcome be the same. Yes. I don’t see how this move can do anything but accelerate the drift of establishment Republicans away from Trump. In addition to everything in the past, now Trump has hired someone who has made a career out of opposing establishment Republicans. Whatever moderating influence Manafort has had is now absolutely nil, and I expect he has been taking home a load of personal stuff from his office every day lately. That way, when he’s fired, he only has to grab his hat. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4464 "2016-08-17T11:57:14Z")
Trump? An unwitting ally? _Meanwhile, somewhere in the UK… someone just coughed…_ ---
**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:** [August 17, 2016, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4465 "2016-08-17T12:04:16Z")
Some are calling Trump’s “I am who I am” strategy the Popeye strategy. Oh, no. Trump is too grand for a mere cartoon character. It should be “I am that I am” or perhaps simply call himself YHWH. Looks like Trump got sick of being told to so something that he is constitutionally incapable of doing- change his personality. So he hired a new yes man to tell him what he wants to hear. What could go wrong? ---
**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:** [August 17, 2016, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4466 "2016-08-17T12:34:40Z")
I keep hearing the same things pop up: 1. Trump is doubling down on his White Nationalism/populism message. 2. By doing this he is rejecting the advice of those who want him to pivot to the center. 3. This is a surprise to the GOP establishment. (This is more speculation, given the timing of the announcement.) 4. Breitbart is antithetical to the GOP establishment, further deepening the rift between them and Trump. 5. Yeah, this is still America, and this is what happens when you piss off the Press. I’m literally, last night, thinking he might be putting this thing together a little bit. I was foolish. ---
**Author:** ![oft\_wears\_hats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7993a0/32.png) [@oft\_wears\_hats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oft_wears_hats)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4467 "2016-08-17T12:52:52Z")
I just hope that Trump isn’t going to accelerate alienating the RNC. I’d rather they spend another two months telling themselves that he’ll turn around, instead of pulling his funding now and putting it into down ballot races. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4468 "2016-08-17T12:56:31Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > That Thursday story I mentioned a few hours ago might be breaking early: > > [http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/ap-trump-chair-routed-ukrainian-money-to-dc-lobbyists-227101#ixzz4HaVIagVz](http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/ap-trump-chair-routed-ukrainian-money-to-dc-lobbyists-227101#ixzz4HaVIagVz) > > Looks like Paul Manafort was laundering pro-Russian money into two DC lobbying firms, at least $2.2 million worth. And it’s not just Manafort. > [@](#): > > Manafort and business associate Rick Gates, another top strategist in Trump’s campaign, were working in 2012 on behalf of the political party of Ukraine’s then-president, Viktor Yanukovych. > > People with direct knowledge of Gates’ work said that, during the period when Gates and Manafort were consultants to the Ukraine president’s political party, Gates was also helping steer the advocacy work done by a pro-Yanukovych nonprofit that hired a pair of Washington lobbying firms, Podesta Group Inc. and Mercury LLC. ---
**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:** [August 17, 2016, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4469 "2016-08-17T12:59:21Z")
It would be hilarious, in a sad way, if \*this \*is what finally separates the GOP from Trump. Regardless, bunch of heated phone calls between area codes 202 and 212 going on this morning, I bet. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4470 "2016-08-17T13:28:23Z")
I’m sure Trump will hire a new campaign advisor by next Tuesday. **Some of the more recent polls suggest he’s stopped the bleeding,** so don’t assume he’s dead yet. He’s actually inching back up in the projections. Trump taking an incredibly offensive stance is probably a better strategy for him than no particular plan at all, which is what it seemed like he was doing for a few weeks after the DNC. For awhile Trump was reacting, and reacting is always bad. He needs to ACT, to control the dialogue, and try to mobilize the white guy to get out and vote. ---
**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:** [August 17, 2016, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4471 "2016-08-17T13:47:28Z")
Trump was supposedly furious about the New York Times article (and following WSJ editorial) describing dissent in his campaign ranks and concerted efforts by his circle to bring Trump “under control”. Bannon is a guy who’ll let Trump do what Trump wants to do: hold massive rallies, insult people (namely Clinton) and wave the nationalist/populist banner. Both Bannon & Trump think that’s the winning formula. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4472 "2016-08-17T14:11:08Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Trump was supposedly furious about the New York Times article (and following WSJ editorial) describing dissent in his campaign ranks and concerted efforts by his circle to bring Trump “under control”. Bannon is a guy who’ll let Trump do what Trump wants to do: hold massive rallies, insult people (namely Clinton) and wave the nationalist/populist banner. Both Bannon & Trump think that’s the winning formula. If he could stick to insulting Clinton he would be in much better shape right now. ---
**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:** [August 17, 2016, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4473 "2016-08-17T14:22:01Z")
Here’s CNN on the latest rearrangement of deck chairs on the _Trumptanic_: [http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/17/politics/trump-campaign-overhaul/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/17/politics/trump-campaign-overhaul/index.html) When will they see that it’s the captain himself who’s the problem? Probably… never. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4474 "2016-08-17T14:30:17Z")
So, I wonder if it was the outgoing campaign leadership, or the incoming, tht was responsible for his speech last night? To dedicate such a big part of his “law and order” speech directly trying to flip African-Americans to vote for him seemed…odd. To give a speech so directly targeting the A-A demographic, and give that speech in a 95% white county, to an audience that seemed to be 99% white seemed…odd. To use, as his appeal to said African-Americans, that the DEmocrats have been taking them for granted, while not being able to show ANY evidence that a Republican administration would be as good or better, seemed…odd. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4475 "2016-08-17T14:46:54Z")
> [@AngelSoft](#): > > Has anyone else noticed, the website linked to in Trump’s letter of EXCELLENT health doesn’t even work? [haroldbornsteinmd.com](http://haroldbornsteinmd.com) leads to a filler site. I did a Whois lookup and it seems it’s owned by WIDE RIGHT DOMAINS LLC now. Poor Harold let the domain expire in January of this year. But it’s in the Wayback Machine and the picture of this guy is just…[wow](http://web.archive.org/web/20151222061919im_/http://haroldbornsteinmd.com/images/harold_self.jpg)lol I didn’t realize the wayback machine on the internet went to 1974. ---
**Author:** ![Anny\_Middon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@Anny\_Middon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anny_Middon)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4476 "2016-08-17T14:47:40Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > In all fairness, a [Gastroenterologist](http://patients.gi.org/what-is-a-gastroenterologist/) is not just a digestion-issues doctor. They are a specialist in the GI track and liver diseases. You wouldn’t see one unless you had health issues with those organs. A GP will usually refer a patient to a GI specialist for problems that aren’t treatable with just some anti-acid. So one has to ask the question if Trump has a chronic health problem with his gut. Or perhaps he simply ate someone that disagreed with him. I’m going to be a bit of a pedant here. You need to see a gastroenterologist to have a colonoscopy, which is recommended every ten years (unless there’s a reason to have them more frequently) starting at age 50. I’m in my 60s, so I’ve had two colonoscopies. I’ve seen my gastroenterologist four times – once before each procedure and (of course) at the procedure itself. Having said that, if someone went to my gastroenterologist and asked about my general health, she’d say, “Her colon is fine. As to everything else, why the hell are you asking me? Talk to her primary care physician.” Which leads to another thought. Why would his gastroenterologist even talk about Trump’s general health? I have doctors in several specialties, and while they are all MDs and perfectly capable of reading my chart and rendering an opinion on my general health, I’m confident that none but my PCP would actually do so. There’s no upside to them to render such an opinion, and plenty of downside. Hell, I have both a urologist and a nephrologist. Both are kidney specialists, but if I ask one a question he figures is in the other’s bailiwick, he always instructs me to ask the other doctor. ---
**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:** [August 17, 2016, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4477 "2016-08-17T14:54:31Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > To give a speech so directly targeting the A-A demographic, and give that speech in a 95% white county, to an audience that seemed to be 99% white seemed…odd. It’s not as though he was going to get 20,000 African-Americans to pack an arena for him. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4478 "2016-08-17T14:57:20Z")
> [@Anny\_Middon](#): > > Why would his gastroenterologist even talk about Trump’s general health? Maybe he was in the best position to examine Trump’s head? (Oh, come on - you were thinking it too.) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4479 "2016-08-17T15:02:41Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Maybe he was in the best position to examine Trump’s head? > > (Oh, come on - you were thinking it too.) Proctologist. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4480 "2016-08-17T15:06:07Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Proctologist. I don’t know. It’s really pretty far up there. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4481 "2016-08-17T15:21:28Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > It’s not as though he was going to get 20,000 African-Americans to pack an arena for him. Particularly since a negative number of African Americans voting for him is within the margin of error. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4482 "2016-08-17T15:27:21Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > It’s not as though he was going to get 20,000 African-Americans to pack an arena for him. Yeah, I get that. But at least make some effort at appearances. If you are going to hold a rally in Milwaukee to highlight the violence and riots and speak to African-Americans, maybe you should, you know, actually go to Milwaukee. Not to a 95% white semi-rural county 1 hour outside of Milwaukee. [Maps](http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/funny-world-map-donald-trump-latest-raw.jpeg) are not his strength, though [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901.md?page=223) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901.md?page=225)