# 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:** 335
**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 18, 2016, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6683 "2016-09-18T19:43:35Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > I’ll answer. Facts don’t matter. If logic and facts were sufficient to compel action politicians wouldn’t behave or speak the way they do. Politicians are rewarded for dishonest behavior. This sounds like the second option. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2016, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6684 "2016-09-18T19:46:14Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > This sounds like the second option. It is but I don’t think it reflects as poorly on The Donald as it does the people. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2016, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6685 "2016-09-18T19:46:59Z")
Trump saying he’ll deport all the illegals is maybe not a lie, as such. He can’t, we know he can’t, but he may not know it. Hillary saying the same thing _would_ be a lie, because we already know she doesn’t want to and are pretty sure she knows she can’t. But Trump saying he wasn’t a “birther”? That does for lies what Gibraltar does for rocks. ---
**Author:** ![MacCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maccat/32/216_2.png) [@MacCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacCat)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2016, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6686 "2016-09-18T19:53:13Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Is Trump so stupid and credulous that he bought into baseless bullshit? Or is he so cynical and dishonest that he just doesn’t care and used it to get attention? Both, likely. ---
**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:** [September 18, 2016, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6687 "2016-09-18T19:54:47Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > … Trump continued spreading the birther lies and fact-free bullshit for years afterwards, until Friday, proving that his “curiosity” was never about evidence or proof or any records, and only about deligitimizing and de-Americanizing Barack Obama. I see only two possibilities as to why Trump continued to spread this evidence-free nonsense: Trump either is so incredibly stupid that he bought into the fact-free bullshit claims of others, or he’s so cynical and dishonest that he didn’t care that there was no evidence for it. Which explanation do Trump supporters favor? One wonders how many Trump supporters have noticed that Trump’s own campaign released a statement labelling what they (and Trump) have been doing for years as [ul] [li]a “smear”[/li][li]“vicious and conniving behavior”[/li][li]“ugly”[/li][/ul] So much for the rationale that birtherism was a noble and patriotic exercise in ‘just getting the facts.’ (The 180 must be causing a lot of whiplash.) [The full Trump statement with annotations is at [Trump's Repeats Baseless Claim That Clinton Started The Birther Conspiracy : NPR](http://www.npr.org/2016/09/16/494231607/the-trump-campaign-s-birther-statement-a-close-reading) ] ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2016, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6688 "2016-09-18T19:54:56Z")
It was an emotional truth. ---
**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 18, 2016, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6689 "2016-09-18T19:55:19Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > There was never any evidence, not a single shred, that Obama was born anywhere but Hawaii. According to Trump Surrogate Chris Christie, one of the saner clowns on the GOP stage, after Obama finally released his long-form birth certificate, Trump [no longer spewed birther nonsense ‘on a regular basis’](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/09/18/christies-claim-that-trump-did-not-on-a-regular-basis-spout-birther-nonsense-after-2011/). Yes, he squirted out 40 Twitters on the topic after 2011, but that’s not ‘a regular basis.’ I guess if he had still taken that issue seriously, he would have squirted out at least 100 birther Twitter-turds. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ETA: What was with the inexplicable and irrelevant snark about _Newsweek_? Yes, I heard that story from Rachel Maddow. So what? ---
**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:** [September 18, 2016, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6690 "2016-09-18T19:56:53Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Sec. Gates worked for both Republican and Democratic presidents. So what? In case you forgot, Trump is running as an “outsider”. He’s freely admitted donating to both sides. He slammed Bush for not keeping us safe. Bush was a Republican President. ---
**Author:** ![ganthet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de0a6/32.png) [@ganthet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ganthet)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2016, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6691 "2016-09-18T19:57:41Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > I’ll answer. Facts don’t matter. If logic and facts were sufficient to compel action politicians wouldn’t behave or speak the way they do. Politicians are rewarded for dishonest behavior. I thought one of the chief appeals of Trump was that he wasn’t the typical Washington politician who said something or promised something one minute and casually discarded it the next when it became even slightly inconvenient or problematic? For all his other civil rights/court order violations, Sheriff Joe in Maricopa County, Arizona at least has the courage of his misguided and entirely misplaced convictions on this issue, since he has said he will continue to investigate the out-of-his-jurisdiction issue of whether the Hawaiian long form birth certificate is a forgery or not and that this issue is still open for him. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2016, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6692 "2016-09-18T19:59:56Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > … if he had still taken that issue seriously, he would have squirted out at least 100 birther Twitter-turds. … When he squirts out Twitter-turds it gets hard count them as it tends to blend together into a watery mucousy foul smelling mess. The key is that it was episodic diarrhea, not every day! Hey. When you troll the sewers of alt-right for material you have to put some back in. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2016, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6693 "2016-09-18T20:03:03Z")
> [@ganthet](#): > > I thought one of the chief appeals of Trump was that he wasn’t the typical Washington politician who said something or promised something one minute and casually discarded it the next when it became even slightly inconvenient or problematic? > > For all his other civil rights/court order violations, Sheriff Joe in Maricopa County, Arizona at least has the courage of his misguided and entirely misplaced convictions on this issue, since he has said he will continue to investigate the out-of-his-jurisdiction issue of whether the Hawaiian long form birth certificate is a forgery or not and that this issue is still open for him. I don’t know what Trump’s appeal is. I think everyone who supports Trump has their own reasons. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2016, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6694 "2016-09-18T20:06:26Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > I don’t know what Trump’s appeal is. I think everyone who supports Trump has their own reasons. IIRC, not too long ago I saw a poll saying the #1 reason people gave when asked why they’re voting for Trump is – ‘To Stop Hillary Clinton’. (And that the #1 reason people gave when asked why they’re voting for Hillary is ‘To Stop Trump’.) ---
**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 18, 2016, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6695 "2016-09-18T20:06:39Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > It is but I don’t think it reflects as poorly on The Donald as it does the people. I think it reflects very poorly on both, especially considering the racist nature of birtherism. That’s an aggravating factor, IMO – telling racist lies is even worse than “regular” lies. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2016, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6696 "2016-09-18T20:20:20Z")
[Trump wants to sue the New York Times for saying mean things about him](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/777280259875975169). I guess the First Amendment no longer exists. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2016, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6697 "2016-09-18T20:21:47Z")
Pence has a hero. [Guess who.](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mike-pence-dick-cheney_us_57deacaee4b0071a6e07d120?u75wtd7k955t57b9&) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2016, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6698 "2016-09-18T20:29:11Z")
> [@](#): > > …telling racist lies is even worse than “regular” lies. Dunno. If racism were true, and some varieties of human were genetically “inferior”, then we would be obliged to find humane ways to deal with that fact. But it _isn’t_ true, so that’s off the table. Racists, far as I have experienced them, don’t offer and don’t seek humane responses to what they accept as fact. The simply want an excuse to blame it on nature, and claim it as one of those unchangeable truths. If the victims of racism suffer from that unchangeable truth, gee, that’s too bad, what’s on TV? ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2016, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6699 "2016-09-18T20:29:51Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ > ETA: What was with the inexplicable and irrelevant snark about _Newsweek_? Yes, I heard that story from Rachel Maddow. So what? It’s pretty standard policy among the right-wing blogosphere: When confronted with a factual and well researched analysis that shows “your team” as being crappy or dishonest, then: Retort with such things as “Oh ya, well nobody reads that rag anyways”. Like that makes an iota of difference to the facts on the ground. The usual stuff. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2016, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6700 "2016-09-18T20:30:48Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Pence has a hero. [Guess who.](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mike-pence-dick-cheney_us_57deacaee4b0071a6e07d120?u75wtd7k955t57b9&) Yeah, right! Fucking _Onion_! ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2016, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6701 "2016-09-18T20:31:47Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I think it reflects very poorly on both, especially considering the racist nature of birtherism. That’s an aggravating factor, IMO – telling racist lies is even worse than “regular” lies. Why? Let’s assume so-called birtherism is motivated by racism. How is that worse than being a pathological liar who says anything in order to gain political power? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2016, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/6702 "2016-09-18T20:34:17Z")
Oh, he’s both. Your point? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901.md?page=334) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901.md?page=336)