# 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:** 282
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5623 "2016-09-02T07:50:36Z")
Trump was on Laura Ingraham’s radio show today, and was asked why he said in Mexico that he and Pena Nieto didn’t discuss who was paying for the wall. His response was, well, it was _something_, that’s for sure; [QUOTE=Loser Donald] No, no, I didn’t say—I didn’t say that. No, no, I just saw it on television. Actually, I said, no, we did discuss the wall. And I actually said that and, you know, I guess it was a question that was asked. I said—they said, did you discuss the wall. I said we did discuss the wall. So the wall was basically discussed. [/QUOTE] Frankly, I’m starting to wonder if Trump even _remembers_ what he did in Mexico without having to watch the TV to refresh his memory. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5624 "2016-09-02T08:23:21Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > And if anyone doubts Assange is a Russian stooge, when the Panama leak came out showing the Putin’s cronies have money stashed overseas, Assange attacked it. > That rapist is a piece of scum. Yeah, I’m going to need a cite that Assange did that. Assange has said that he believes the ICIJ should release the entire Panama papers, not just the sections they already have. > **[The Listening Post | Video | Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/program/the-listening-post/)** > > A weekly programme that examines and dissects the world’s media, how they operate and the stories they cover. Assange has done some good things in the past and to be fair he would release info on Trump as well if he had any that would damage him. Assange may be an unwitting Russian stooge, but nope he’s a not a conscious one. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5625 "2016-09-02T08:51:55Z")
[Trump’s learned how to dog-whistle, and he’s whistling right to the White Nationalists](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-schmeltzer/trump-makes-white-nationa_b_11814808.html): > [@Donald Trump](#): > > We’ve admitted 59 million immigrants to the United States between 1965 and 2015. Many of these arrivals have greatly enriched our country. So true. But we now have an obligation to them and to their children to control future immigration as we are following, if you think, previous immigration waves… > To keep immigration levels measured by population share within historical norms. To select immigrants based on their likelihood of success in U.S. society and their ability to be financially self- sufficient. > We take anybody. Come on in, anybody. Just come on in. Not anymore. So, what’s the significance of 1965? That’s when we modified our immigration laws to no longer fear a brown planet: We passed the Immigration and Nationality Act, which repealed the Emergency Quota Act (as modified in 1924), destroying the racial quota system that act imposed on immigration. Make no mistake: The Emergency Quota Act was a White Nationalist act, in that it aimed to preserve a White Nation, explicitly capping every race other than White European at very low levels. [MediaMatters has the evidence that the message is getting through](https://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/08/31/white-nationalist-media-cheers-trump-s-almost-perfect-immigration-speech/212803): > [@Richard B. Spencer](#): > > Trump is returning to the ideas of the 1924 Immigration Act. > > Immigrants will reflect the racial makeup of the country.#AmericaFirst > [@Richard B. Spencer](#): > > 1965 will be repealed. > > 1924 will be revived. #TrumpAZ Richard B. Spencer is the founder of the alt-right movement. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5626 "2016-09-02T09:08:34Z")
Pardon if I missed it, but did anyone mention Trump’s charity making a donation to the campaign of the Florida Attorney General, [who then conveniently decided not to pursue charges against Trump University](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/09/01/trump-pays-irs-a-penalty-for-his-foundation-violating-rules-with-gift-to-florida-attorney-general/?postshare=1571472754914051&tid=ss_tw)? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5627 "2016-09-02T09:28:54Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > The Internet is using “Taco trucks on every corner” as a reason to vote \*\*\*for \*\*\*Hillary. Does anybody know if they will also have tamales? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5628 "2016-09-02T09:30:54Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Pardon if I missed it, but did anyone mention Trump’s charity making a donation to the campaign of the Florida Attorney General, [who then conveniently decided not to pursue charges against Trump University](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/09/01/trump-pays-irs-a-penalty-for-his-foundation-violating-rules-with-gift-to-florida-attorney-general/?postshare=1571472754914051&tid=ss_tw)? Yes, that was actually a pretty decent sized story a couple months back. Is there an honest AG anywhere in the country or are all of them politicizing the rule of law these days? ---
**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:** [September 2, 2016, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5629 "2016-09-02T09:49:05Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > [Latinos4Trump founder is worried that if Hillary is elected, there will be “taco trucks on every corner”.](http://newcenturytimes.com/2016/09/01/anti-immigration-trump-supporter-fears-taco-trucks-on-every-corner-video/) > > Is that a bad thing? Hillary should give away free tacos at every campaign stop. ---
**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:** [September 2, 2016, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5630 "2016-09-02T11:01:28Z")
More evidence Trump’s supporters are dumb as shit and, as the Orange Menace himself noted, will follow him no matter what he does. [http://www.npr.org/2016/08/29/491737744/for-some-trump-loyalists-it-s-personality-over-policy](http://www.npr.org/2016/08/29/491737744/for-some-trump-loyalists-it-s-personality-over-policy) > [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Hillary should give away free tacos at every campaign stop. Love that idea! ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5631 "2016-09-02T11:29:38Z")
I’m not sure Clinton supporters should throw stones. Their candidate is running from the media as if they are ISIS trying to kidnap her. ---
**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:** [September 2, 2016, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5632 "2016-09-02T11:31:57Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > I’m not sure Clinton supporters should throw stones. Their candidate is running from the media as if they are ISIS trying to kidnap her. :rolleyes: She has given over 300 interviews this year. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5633 "2016-09-02T11:44:08Z")
Our 45th President won’t need a Teleprompter. Here’s his articulate comment on the Iran nuclear deal: [QUOTE=Donald J. Trump, one of the smartest people in the world] Look, having nuclear — my uncle was a great professor and scientist and engineer, Dr. John Trump at MIT; good genes, very good genes, okay, very smart, the Wharton School of Finance, very good, very smart — you know, if you’re a conservative Republican, if I were a liberal, if, like, okay, if I ran as a liberal Democrat, they would say I’m one of the smartest people anywhere in the world — it’s true! — but when you’re a conservative Republican they try — oh, do they do a number — that’s why I always start off: Went to Wharton, was a good student, went there, went there, did this, built a fortune — you know I have to give my like credentials all the time, because we’re a little disadvantaged — but you look at the nuclear deal, the thing that really bothers me — it would have been so easy, and it’s not as important as these lives are (nuclear is powerful; my uncle explained that to me many, many years ago, the power and that was 35 years ago; he would explain the power of what’s going to happen and he was right — who would have thought?), but when you look at what’s going on with the four prisoners — now it used to be three, now it’s four — but when it was three and even now, I would have said it’s all in the messenger; fellas, and it is fellas because, you know, they don’t, they haven’t figured that the women are smarter right now than the men, so, you know, it’s gonna take them about another 150 years — but the Persians are great negotiators, the Iranians are great negotiators, so, and they, they just killed, they just killed us. [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5634 "2016-09-02T11:55:54Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > :rolleyes: She has given over 300 interviews this year. First, no talking points from campaign spokesmen are allowed in the Dope. If it’s not a rule, it should be. Second, interviews with selected allies in the media is not openness to the media, and her avoidance of the media is so unprecedented that the media is pushing back: > **[Dem VP Candidate Tim Kaine Defends Hillary Clinton's Questionable Media...](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/dem-vp-candidate-tim-kaine-defends-hillary-clintons/story?id=41795662)** > > “Hillary takes questions from reporters every day," Tim Kaine said. "She does." > [@](#): > > It has been 271 days since Clinton last held a formal news conference, on Dec. 4. > > It is true that she has held several interviews with local and national reporters, including this one. The practice of choosing one-on-one interviews instead of news conferences, however, allows the campaign more control over the message: It gets to choose who interviews Clinton and when. > > Asked during a recent phone interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper about when she will hold a news conference, Clinton immediately quipped, “Well, Anderson, I’m talking to you right now.” > > For Kaine’s part, he has gathered informally to take questions from his press corps four times since becoming the vice presidential nominee in late July. He does local interviews routinely but often ignores questions from the traveling press when approached on the rope line at events. Of course Kaine holes press conferences, he’s honorable and has nothing to avoid(other than his running mate). Now Donald Trump, as the article says, is VERY available to the press. Trump supporters are often stupid, but for many, Trump is more palatable because he gives the appearance of transparency while Clinton gives the appearance of wanting to govern in private. Her SOTU will consist of "So here’s what I’ve been doing the last year: none of your business. " ---
**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:** [September 2, 2016, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5635 "2016-09-02T12:10:46Z")
**Adaher** , are you the pot or the kettle? Does anyone push more GOP talking points than you do? :rolleyes: Your assertion that she dodges the press is itself just such a talking point, and an inaccurate one at that. David Folkenflik did an analysis of this question on NPR a few days ago: > **[Has Hillary Clinton Actually Been Dodging The Press?](https://www.npr.org/2016/08/25/491311747/tallying-hillary-clintons-appearances-with-the-news-media)** > > Clinton has been criticized for failing to give enough access to the media, but she says she's done more than 300 interviews. According to an NPR analysis, that's only part of the story. He determined that she gave 350 interviews in the first seven months of 2016. Of those, 285 qualified as journalistic interviews. Folkenflik concluded, after playing a clip of a radio interview conducted by Ina Gomez of Univision Radio: > [@](#): > > Though sympathetic, Gomez asked questions with both local and national relevance about immigration, Puerto Rico’s fiscal crisis and the nation’s new relationship with Cuba, so it’s a mix. More than 300 interviews? Yes. More than 300 chances for people to ask revealing questions? Absolutely. ETA: It’s the national political press that follows her around that mostly gets shut out. Boo hoo for them. But as Hillary noted, they are really just out for a political “gotcha”, not to address issues in any substantive way. ---
**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:** [September 2, 2016, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5636 "2016-09-02T12:11:40Z")
Hillary has heard your concerns about press access and is [getting a bigger plane](http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/hillary-clinton-start-travelling-press-corps-larger-aircraft/story?id=41813361). ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5637 "2016-09-02T12:15:47Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > **Adaher** , are you the pot or the kettle? Does anyone push more GOP talking points than you do? :rolleyes: Your assertion that she dodges the press is itself just such a talking point, and an inaccurate one at that. A talking point is a direct repetition of something from a political hack that has little or no corroboration from a credible source, or is just pure spin. The “300 interviews” came directly from her campaign manager! Now I"ll admit that maybe I repeat thoughts that aren’t entirely original, but I do not cite Rance Priebus as a credible source, or carry water for his spinning so directly. In an argument between Clinton’s campaign manager and the media, the media deserves more credence and they say they aren’t getting access. And Robby Mook knows how many interviews she’s had because he’s the guy who vets journalists to make sure they don’t make her answer questions she doesn’t want to answer. He could probably recite the exact number, but didn’t because that would have made it too obvious. ---
**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:** [September 2, 2016, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5638 "2016-09-02T12:21:26Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > A talking point is a direct repetition of something from a political hack that has little or no corroboration from a credible source, or is just pure spin. The “300 interviews” came directly from her campaign manager! Actually, in my case, it came from the the meticulously researched Folkenflik piece on NPR. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5639 "2016-09-02T12:30:15Z")
She’s also been on talk shows, but those aren’t very adversarial either. She may never give a press conference again. Trump is just better in this regard. A lot better. Trump supporters like his willingness to speak on any subject at any time. What is Clinton afraid of? Supposedly she’s just so much better a politician than Trump, yet she’s acting like she can’t handle the heat. How is she supposed to face down ISIS and Putin if she’s afraid of the press corps? Now THAT’s a talking point.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5640 "2016-09-02T12:36:31Z")
You don’t get the part about not distracting from your opponent’s self-destruction? This is like reading “Mallard Fillmore”. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5641 "2016-09-02T12:39:37Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > She’s also been on talk shows, but those aren’t very adversarial either. She may never give a press conference again. > > Trump is just better in this regard. A lot better. Trump supporters like his willingness to speak on any subject at any time. What is Clinton afraid of? Supposedly she’s just so much better a politician than Trump, yet she’s acting like she can’t handle the heat. > > How is she supposed to face down ISIS and Putin if she’s afraid of the press corps? Now THAT’s a talking point.🙂 She doesn’t like press conferences, and right now she calculates that she can afford to avoid them. I don’t particularly care, since I think press conferences are no more illuminating (and usually less so) than press interviews, and she gives plenty of those. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/5642 "2016-09-02T12:40:39Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > You don’t get the part about not distracting from your opponent’s self-destruction? > > This is like reading “Mallard Fillmore”. Oh, I get the strategy, but it’s a cowardly one, and it’s backfiring once the media starts squawking and your avoidance of the press becomes the story. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901.md?page=281) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901.md?page=283)