# Donald Trump's 2016 General Election Campaign
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901
**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:** 234
### Author:  [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2016, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4663 "2016-08-18T19:02:00Z")
I can see a glimmer of a point if one were to suggest that Trump does not do anything so subtle as a “dog whistle”. He wants to say something nauseatingly repulsive, he just goes ahead and does it.
For him, “second amendment people” just means ballistophiliacs and ammosexuals.
---
### Author:  [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2016, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4664 "2016-08-18T19:04:18Z")
> [@RickJay](#):
>
> You’ve already bored 95% of the electorate out of any interest in what you’re saying. Campaign fail. Move on to the next strategy. What’s happening in Germany? Who cares?
>
> I’m quite serious. **If the voter has to connect more than two dots, it’s a stupid campaign strategy.** Most voters, and ALL low information voters, don’t care. The few that do are absolute hard core racists whose votes were already won.
>
> “Make America Great Again” is a good campaign statement. “Crooked Hillary,” better still. “Trump can’t be trusted with the button” is good too. Installs fear! The all time champ is “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” That was a sensational one because\* it even worked as a callback.\* If you can fit it into one sentence, it’s a winner.
>
> Winners state. Losers explain.
The people it is directed to know exactly what he means. That’s literally what a “dog whistle” is.
---
### Author:  [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2016, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4665 "2016-08-18T19:15:20Z")
> [@JohnT](#):
>
> While it is tempting to accuse Trump of dog whistling every time he says words like “second amendment people”, **sometimes he is going to have to talk about real-world issues too** , so it’s like CarnelK says: sometimes a Merkel is just a Merkel.
My bold.
Are you sure about this? I’m not.
---
### Author:  [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2016, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4666 "2016-08-18T19:31:13Z")
> [@CarnalK](#):
>
> A completely lazy “cite” that was about the level of linking to a Google search. What are you defending?
Nothing really. I was just sort of expecting a thank you for pointing out what you were too petulant to look for yourself.
---
### Author:  [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2016, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4667 "2016-08-18T19:31:52Z")
> [@DigitalC](#):
>
> The people it is directed to know exactly what he means. That’s literally what a “dog whistle” is.
Here’s a one minute clip surrounding the “dog whistle”:
Before it he says how much money Clinton’s planned number of refugees would cost, after it he says how crime has gone up like crazy in Germany because of it. Now, I’m sure he’s full of shit but the dog whistle isn’t really different from the plainly spoken content.
---
### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2016, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4668 "2016-08-18T19:57:51Z")
> [@DigitalC](#):
>
> The people it is directed to know exactly what he means. That’s literally what a “dog whistle” is.
The time for Trump to use dog whistles is long past. He’s got the dogs.
The problem is that he needs to start winning over swing voters. Babbling about Angela Merkel isn’t going to get anywhere with them.
His major problem isn’t the enthusiasm of his base; he’s got that in spades, and it already figures into the polls. The problem he has is his massive negativity rating, and I don’t see how Angela Merkel helps him here. Trump needs to - and God, I hate to again trot this out - start looking Presidential. That means simple, direct messages that try to mitigate the damaging parts of his image.
He’s actually tried this, I hasten to point out. He’s tried tying his anti-Muslim stance into support for LGBTQ rights. He gave a speech reaching out to African American voters. He had not said anything insane in several days, which is a good record for him, and looks like he’s trying to be more controlled when he speaks. But he has not delivered the message with the same simplistic, memorable pithiness that he used with negative messaging to win the GOP nomination and get a solid redneck base.
On top of that, all evidence suggests his latest round of campaign hires are NOT the right people to get his campaign to deliver the proactive, swing-vote-capturing messages he needs.
---
### Author:  [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2016, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4669 "2016-08-18T20:05:43Z")
I just don’t get why you think “Clinton wants lots of refugees, I don’t. They’ll bring crime, terrorism and cost us money” is not simplistic and memorable. Why get hung up on Merkel’s name recognition? Trump’s position was loud and clear.
---
### Author:  [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2016, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4670 "2016-08-18T20:18:46Z")
Like he turned the volume on his mike to the max, held it down by his butt and ripped a big one.
---
### Author:  [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2016, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4671 "2016-08-18T20:26:47Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#):
>
> He did promulgate the hashtag #AmericasMerkel.
Ah, a woman politician who keeps winning elections?
I wonder of new leader Stephen Goebbels came up with this strategy.
---
### Author:  [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2016, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4672 "2016-08-18T20:29:40Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#):
>
> Every time I see a picture of Bannon, I think it’s John Goodman.
He’ll probably play Bannon in the next _Game Change_ movie.
Naked Trump statues have gone up in several American cities: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/08/18/anarchists-unveil-naked-donald-trump-statues-in-several-u-s-cities/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/08/18/anarchists-unveil-naked-donald-trump-statues-in-several-u-s-cities/)
---
### Author:  [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2016, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4673 "2016-08-18T20:30:04Z")
> [@amarinth](#):
>
> That was my first thought.
> My second was that my impression was that she did a pretty ok job of keeping Germany pretty unscathed by the recession and that she’s a fairly good leader in Germany. Or in other words, I don’t see the problem.
Have you been to Germany? The place is a wasteland, a scorched, blackened hell hole, vultures everywhere!
Acually , I just came back from my third visit. It never ceases to amaze me, it is an amazing country, and it if weren’t for the horrible weather, I’d move there one day.
---
### Author:  [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2016, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4674 "2016-08-18T20:52:30Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#):
>
> He’ll probably play Bannon in the next _Game Change_ movie.
>
> Naked Trump statues have gone up in several American cities: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/08/18/anarchists-unveil-naked-donald-trump-statues-in-several-u-s-cities/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/08/18/anarchists-unveil-naked-donald-trump-statues-in-several-u-s-cities/)
They put him on Hollywood Blvd. Nobody will even give him a second glance. 😃
---
### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2016, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4675 "2016-08-18T20:56:35Z")
> [@CarnalK](#):
>
> I just don’t get why you think “Clinton wants lots of refugees, I don’t. They’ll bring crime, terrorism and cost us money” is not simplistic and memorable. Why get hung up on Merkel’s name recognition? Trump’s position was loud and clear.
“Clinton wants lots of refugees, I don’t…” is excellent as a campaign statement. Forcing the voter to go through Merkel to get there is stupid.
---
### Author:  [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2016, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4676 "2016-08-18T21:01:38Z")
> [@CarnalK](#):
>
> I just don’t get why you think “Clinton wants lots of refugees, I don’t. They’ll bring crime, terrorism and cost us money” is not simplistic and memorable. Why get hung up on Merkel’s name recognition? Trump’s position was loud and clear.
[From August 16th:](http://www.breitbart.com/2016-presidential-race/2016/08/16/trump-hillary-americas-angela-merkel/)
> [@](#):
>
> As Breitbart News has previously reported, if elected president, Clinton’s policies could result in the permanent resettlement of close to one million Muslim migrants during the first term of her presidency alone. Under two terms of a President Hillary Clinton, the U.S. Muslim population could exceed the current Muslim population of Merkel’s Germany.
[Last September,](http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hillary-clinton-u-s-should-take-65000-syrian-refugees/) she wanted to take in 65,000 Syrian refugees.
A bit of a discrepancy there…
---
### Author:  [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2016, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4677 "2016-08-18T21:40:42Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#):
>
> [From August 16th:](http://www.breitbart.com/2016-presidential-race/2016/08/16/trump-hillary-americas-angela-merkel/)
> [Last September,](http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hillary-clinton-u-s-should-take-65000-syrian-refugees/) she wanted to take in 65,000 Syrian refugees.
>
> A bit of a discrepancy there…
Yes, that is a discrepancy but you are comparing Breitbart claims and reality, not Trump claims and reality. In fact, the Breitbart article you linked has a Trump quote that gives a much lower and different number than nearly a million Muslim migrants ie “Hillary Clinton’s plan would mean roughly 620,000 refugees from all current refugee-sending nations in her first term,” So you are kind of mangling your point. Don’t get me wrong, Trump’s claims don’t match reality either, and not just refugee numbers:
[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/08/16/trump-says-german-crime-levels-have-risen-and-refugees-are-to-blame-not-exactly/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/08/16/trump-says-german-crime-levels-have-risen-and-refugees-are-to-blame-not-exactly/)
But the fact remains that 65,000 Syrian refugees would probably double the total number of refugees usually allowed in a normal year. There’s not a lot of support for that amongst Americans so it’s a solid campaign point of differentiation.
---
### Author:  [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2016, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4678 "2016-08-18T22:11:10Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#):
>
> Naked Trump statues have gone up in several American cities: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/08/18/anarchists-unveil-naked-donald-trump-statues-in-several-u-s-cities/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/08/18/anarchists-unveil-naked-donald-trump-statues-in-several-u-s-cities/)
[The city’s response in NYC was priceless](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/nyc-parks-nude-trump-statue-erection-small);
> [@](#):
>
> “NYC Parks stands firmly against any unpermitted erection in city parks, no matter how small,” the statement read.
---
### Author:  [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2016, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4679 "2016-08-18T22:51:18Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#):
>
> He’ll probably play Bannon in the next _Game Change_ movie.
>
> Naked Trump statues have gone up in several American cities: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/08/18/anarchists-unveil-naked-donald-trump-statues-in-several-u-s-cities/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/08/18/anarchists-unveil-naked-donald-trump-statues-in-several-u-s-cities/)
Oh god. Why did I click on that link? Why did I look at that? Part of me is gone forever.
---
### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2016, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4680 "2016-08-18T22:54:19Z")
> [@Smapti](#):
>
> [The city’s response in NYC was priceless](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/nyc-parks-nude-trump-statue-erection-small);
Sad trombone sound. 😃
---
### Author:  [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2016, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4681 "2016-08-18T23:07:08Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#):
>
> Naked Trump statues have gone up in several American cities: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/08/18/anarchists-unveil-naked-donald-trump-statues-in-several-u-s-cities/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/08/18/anarchists-unveil-naked-donald-trump-statues-in-several-u-s-cities/)
Wrong thread. This belongs in “Donald Trump’s 2016 Genital Erection Campaign”
---
### Author:  [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2016, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/4682 "2016-08-18T23:28:41Z")
Apologies if this has been posted, and I missed it, but but Trump corporate counsel Michael Cohen supplies THE sound bite for the ages:
> **[gradient.is](http://www.gradient.is/reactions/behold-the-best-political-news-clip-of-your-entire-life/)**
>
> This domain may be for sale!
[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901.md?page=233)
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901.md?page=235)