# 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:** 321
### Author:  [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2016, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6403 "2016-09-13T22:58:31Z")
> [@RickJay](#):
>
> And yet Obama’s performance in the elections was pretty much what the polls predicted. **If a great GOTV effort mattered, he would have overperformed the polls**. But he did not. In 2012, when Obama was supposed to have a godo ground game and Romney’s famed “Orca” ground game nerve center was an infamous debacle, Obama actually underperformed at the polls by a little bit. If GOTV is so important how can that be?
It can’t be, and wasn’t. I don’t know where you got this piece of erroneous information, but the actual Obama margin of victory was more than 5 times bigger than his margin in the final poll average.
> **[2012 General Election: Romney vs. Obama | RealClearPolling](https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/president/general/2012/obama-vs-romney)**
>
> 2012 General Election: Romney vs. Obama | RealClearPolling
---
### Author:  [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2016, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6404 "2016-09-13T23:38:03Z")
> [@running\_coach](#):
>
> Same way he flat-out lies about unemployment rates.
You mean [the unemployment rate _isn’t_ 42%](http://money.cnn.com/video/news/economy/2015/09/28/donald-trump-unemployment-rate.cnnmoney/)??? 😕
---
### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2016, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6405 "2016-09-13T23:56:51Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#):
>
> You mean [the unemployment rate _isn’t_ 42%](http://money.cnn.com/video/news/economy/2015/09/28/donald-trump-unemployment-rate.cnnmoney/)??? 😕
[It’s called an ass-pull.](http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/feb/11/donald-trump/donald-trump-repeats-pants-fire-claim-unemployment/)
> [@](#):
>
> During his victory speech after the New Hampshire primary, Donald Trump repeated a claim he’d made several times before.
>
> “Don’t believe those phony numbers when you hear 4.9 and 5 percent unemployment,” Trump said. “The number’s probably 28, 29, as high as 35. In fact, I even heard recently 42 percent.”
>
> Actually, Trump’s the one who shouldn’t be believed. Numbers that high are not even close to accurate.
>
> To understand why, let’s start by discussing how the official unemployment rate is calculated.
---
### Author:  [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2016, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6406 "2016-09-13T23:57:10Z")
Decimal points are for losers.
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### Author:  [@GulfTiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GulfTiger)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2016, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6407 "2016-09-14T00:37:54Z")
> [@Biffster](#):
>
> Why do these Trump rallies remind me of faith healer gatherings?
I guess you don’t remember people fainting at Obama rallies.
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### Author:  [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2016, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6408 "2016-09-14T00:52:39Z")
> [@GulfTiger](#):
>
> I guess you don’t remember people fainting at Obama rallies.
I don’t remember people punching other people in the face at Obama rallies.
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### Author:  [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2016, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6409 "2016-09-14T00:55:28Z")
[I sure as hell don’t remember 69-year-old women getting punched out at Obama rallies.](http://wlos.com/news/local/69-year-old-woman-punched-in-face-outside-rally-by-trump-supporter)
Oh, but how dare Hillary call some of Trump’s supporters deplorable. I’m sure that grown man had a very good reason for cold cocking that woman on an oxygen tank.
---
### Author:  [@GulfTiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GulfTiger)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2016, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6410 "2016-09-14T01:17:53Z")
sweet subject change
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### Author:  [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2016, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6411 "2016-09-14T01:34:13Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#):
>
> Oh, but how dare Hillary call some of Trump’s supporters deplorable.
As the Facebook meme goes, “They can’t deplort me. I wuz born here.”
---
### Author:  [@GulfTiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GulfTiger)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2016, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6412 "2016-09-14T01:36:31Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#):
>
> [I sure as hell don’t remember 69-year-old women getting punched out at Obama rallies.](http://wlos.com/news/local/69-year-old-woman-punched-in-face-outside-rally-by-trump-supporter)
>
> Oh, but how dare Hillary call some of Trump’s supporters deplorable. I’m sure that grown man had a very good reason for cold cocking that woman on an oxygen tank.
Oh no, that is bad,
I didn’t know Hillary was at the Trump rally.
---
### Author:  [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2016, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6413 "2016-09-14T02:03:18Z")
Ooh. Snap.
---
### Author:  [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2016, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6414 "2016-09-14T02:22:49Z")
> [@GulfTiger](#):
>
> Oh no, that is bad,
>
> I didn’t know Hillary was at the Trump rally.
Really?
---
### Author:  [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2016, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6415 "2016-09-14T02:24:58Z")
> [@Biggirl](#):
>
> Really?
Shh. He’s really proud of that one. We should let him keep it.
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### Author:  [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2016, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6416 "2016-09-14T02:28:05Z")
> [@Biggirl](#):
>
> I don’t remember people punching other people in the face at Obama rallies.
Or chanting, “Lock him/her up!”
---
### Author:  [@skdo23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skdo23)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2016, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6417 "2016-09-14T02:36:36Z")
> [@skdo23](#):
>
> **House Democrats seek investigation of Trump Foundation**
>
> Looks like the WaPo story is [starting to grow legs](http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/13/politics/democrats-investigation-trump-foundation/index.html). Let’s hope that it does. Trump may be able to play the martyr card to his base and claim that he is the target of a conspiracy, etc., but the DOJ won’t have to put up with all the “I know you are but what am I” bullshit that would likely keep the Clinton campaign from pursuing this themselves.
Looks like the [NY Ag’s office has jumped on the bandwagon](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/09/13/democrats-ask-for-investigation-of-trump-foundation-donation/?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_trumpfoundation-0650pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.1842ddf092cb). In addition, [CNN.com’s lead](http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/13/politics/trump-small-business-owners/index.html) story right now profiles (relatively) small contractors in Atlantic City that were screwed over by Trump. Looks like the investigative journalists are at the gate, and the timing (probably intentionally) couldn’t be better with the debates starting in 2 weeks. I read an article a few weeks ago about HRC’s debate prep, that I can’t find now, saying that questioning Trump’s actual business savvy and success was one of his mental “triggers.”
---
### Author:  [@GulfTiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GulfTiger)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2016, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6418 "2016-09-14T02:50:27Z")
> [@skdo23](#):
>
> Looks like the [NY Ag’s office has jumped on the bandwagon](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/09/13/democrats-ask-for-investigation-of-trump-foundation-donation/?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_trumpfoundation-0650pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.1842ddf092cb). In addition, [CNN.com’s lead](http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/13/politics/trump-small-business-owners/index.html) story right now profiles (relatively) small contractors in Atlantic City that were screwed over by Trump. Looks like the investigative journalists are at the gate, and the timing (probably intentionally) couldn’t be better with the debates starting in 2 weeks. I read an article a few weeks ago about HRC’s debate prep, that I can’t find now, saying that questioning Trump’s actual business savvy and success was one of his mental “triggers.”
Smacks of desperate partisan politics.
They are scared.
---
### Author:  [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2016, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6419 "2016-09-14T03:02:39Z")
> [@GulfTiger](#):
>
> Smacks of desperate partisan politics.
>
> They are scared.
Lol. There’s nothing desperate about it. The idiot built his campaign around the house of cards that is his business acumen. The bankruptcies never caught on, let’s see how the public likes the backstabbing.
---
### Author:  [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2016, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6420 "2016-09-14T03:02:50Z")
> [@GulfTiger](#):
>
> Smacks of desperate partisan politics.
>
> They are scared.
Of what? An amoral vulgar white trash narcissist who panders to bigots and has no government experience becoming the leader of the United States? Of course they do, as does any un-deplorable human being with half an ounce of functioning brain matter.
But this has nothing to do with their investigation of Trump’s sham charity foundation. Also has nothing to do with partisanship, as Trump is barely a Republican. He just knows what side of the aisle has the most malleable rubes.
---
### Author:  [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2016, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6421 "2016-09-14T03:05:21Z")
> [@GulfTiger](#):
>
> They are scared.
We should _all_ be scared of the prospect of a Trump presidency. The best-case scenario if he takes office and implements his policies - _best_ case - is that the economy tanks, unemployment skyrockets, the safety net collapses, we have a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented scale in this country, America becomes an international pariah on a scale that makes the rest of the world nostalgic for George W. Bush, and the country winds up bankrupt after he spends four years embezzling from the Treasury to fund his bling.
Worst case scenario is that he starts World War III and we all die.
If you’re not terrified by the prospect of a Trump presidency, you’re not paying attention.
---
### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2016, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6422 "2016-09-14T03:33:24Z")
> [@Smapti](#):
>
> We should _all_ be scared of the prospect of a Trump presidency. The best-case scenario if he takes office and implements his policies - _best_ case - is that the economy tanks, unemployment skyrockets, the safety net collapses, we have a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented scale in this country, America becomes an international pariah on a scale that makes the rest of the world nostalgic for George W. Bush, and the country winds up bankrupt after he spends four years embezzling from the Treasury to fund his bling.
Technically, the best case is that he swiftly dies or is impeached, and Mike Pence, who would be a bad President but “bad” in the sense of Bush 2.0 or Harding, rather than catastrophically, nuclear-holocaust-starting bad, would eke out a mediocre one term Presidency.
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