# 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:** 364
**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:** [September 26, 2016, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/7263 "2016-09-26T04:34:02Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Ms Flowers was not invited, Trump unsaid that. Unsaying something means it was never said. “Mr. Trump? Mr. Orwell is on Line 2.” ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/7264 "2016-09-26T10:25:41Z")
Tom and I have discussed things. We have decided this thread is approaching the end of its natural lifespan. It will be closed on the 30th and replaced with a ‘Stretch Run’ thread. It’s our hope that it will be friendlier for new people to jump on board than a thread with such a deep history. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/7265 "2016-09-26T12:46:46Z")
Wouldn’t its natural lifespan run through election day? ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/7266 "2016-09-26T13:10:18Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Wouldn’t its natural lifespan run through election day? Natural lifespan as a message board thread, not natural lifespan as a topic of discussion. The natural lifespan of this as a topic of discussion is going to run until we’re all dead and gone, if only as an extremal case in political behavior and demographic targeting. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/7267 "2016-09-26T16:39:01Z")
Trump is trying to preemptively nullify attempts by Lester Holt to fact check him: - "TRUMP: And by the way, Lester is a Democrat. ``` "O'REILLY: I didn't know that. "TRUMP: Look, it's a phony system. Lester is a Democrat. I mean, they are all Democrats. Okay? It's a very unfair system."* ``` The only problem with that is that this claim needs a fact check, because Lester Holt is a [registered Republican](http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/09/20/494791154/oops-trump-calls-nbc-news-anchor-and-fellow-gop-er-lester-holt-a-democrat). ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/7268 "2016-09-26T16:53:22Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Trump is trying to preemptively nullify attempts by Lester Holt to fact check him: > > - "TRUMP: And by the way, Lester is a Democrat. > > ``` > "O'REILLY: I didn't know that. > > "TRUMP: Look, it's a phony system. Lester is a Democrat. I mean, they are all Democrats. Okay? It's a very unfair system."* > > ``` > > The only problem with that is that this claim needs a fact check, because Lester Holt is a [registered Republican](http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/09/20/494791154/oops-trump-calls-nbc-news-anchor-and-fellow-gop-er-lester-holt-a-democrat). On Morning Joe today, Trump’s mouthpiece was trying to say that this doesn’t count as a lie, because Trump didn’t actually know that Holt was a registered Republican. He comes from the George Costanza school of ethics “It’s not a lie if _you_ believe it.” ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/7269 "2016-09-26T17:15:52Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > On Morning Joe today, Trump’s mouthpiece was trying to say that this doesn’t count as a lie, because Trump didn’t actually know that Holt was a registered Republican. He comes from the George Costanza school of ethics “It’s not a lie if _you_ believe it.” I’d agree. It’s not a lie. It is slapdash and careless. And trying to excuse people of being stacked against you like that is very poor sportsmanship (and worse when your claim is ridiculously easily proven to be false). ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/7270 "2016-09-26T17:22:51Z")
So what _do_ you call a statement that turns out to be false, which is easily verifiable? I’m calling it a falsehood. He was constructing a narrative. Facts were irrelevant to his narrative. It smacks of desperation to me. He’s setting up a story for his base in case things don’t go well at the debate(s). Methinks he’s not feeling too confident. ---
**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 26, 2016, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/7271 "2016-09-26T17:28:31Z")
When you don’t know the truth but just blather as if you do that pretty much falls into the definition of bullshitting. Saying that smacks of desperation smacks of desperation. Trump has bullshitted his entire life, desperate or not. ---
**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 26, 2016, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/7272 "2016-09-26T17:36:16Z")
“I’m either too stupid or simply unable to find out what the facts are. So I can say whatever asinine thing pops into my head, and I’m not lying. So there is no problem.” ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/7273 "2016-09-26T18:12:22Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Tom and I have discussed things. We have decided this thread is approaching the end of its natural lifespan. > > It will be closed on the 30th and replaced with a ‘Stretch Run’ thread. It’s our hope that it will be friendlier for new people to jump on board than a thread with such a deep history. No offense, Jonathan, but that seems like a rather arbitrary decision. Have the members of the thread been asking for this change? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/7274 "2016-09-26T18:17:55Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > So what _do_ you call a statement that turns out to be false, which is easily verifiable? > > I’m calling it a falsehood. He was constructing a narrative. Facts were irrelevant to his narrative. It smacks of desperation to me. He’s setting up a story for his base in case things don’t go well at the debate(s). Methinks he’s not feeling too confident. And he’s doing this because he KNOWS he’s being it up as he goes along since the start. Problem is, he’s told son many lies he can’t even keep track of what he’s said anymore. Yesterday he said he didn’t criticize John McCain for being captured. His head should be spinning tonight. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/7275 "2016-09-26T19:13:16Z")
Assuming Trump truly didn’t know that Holt is a Republican, the lie is not “Holt is a Democrat.” The lie is “I know Holt’s party affiliation.” ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/7276 "2016-09-26T19:17:36Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > “I’m either too stupid or simply unable to find out what the facts are. So I can say whatever asinine thing pops into my head, and I’m not lying. So there is no problem.” “And also, Lester Holt is black. That makes him a Democrat, okay? Everyone knows this.” ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/7277 "2016-09-26T19:18:52Z")
> [@you\_with\_the\_face](#): > > “And also, Lester Holt is black. That makes him a Democrat, okay? Everyone knows this.” OR “He’s not one of MY blacks, so he must be a brainwashed Democrat.” ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/7278 "2016-09-26T19:31:14Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > OR > > “He’s not one of MY blacks, so he must be a brainwashed Democrat.” One of my Facebook “friends”, and I use the term reservedly, posted a Trumpian meme that said: “So you’re Anti-Trump?” You must be a Liberal, an illegal, or living off the government." First: Sure, I’m proudly liberal. I’ll own it, and refuse to acknowledge the implied insult. Second: Which category does John McCain fall into? David Brooks? Meg Whitman? ---
**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 26, 2016, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/7279 "2016-09-26T19:42:28Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > The natural lifespan of this as a topic of discussion is going to run until we’re all dead and gone, if only as an extremal case in political behavior and demographic targeting. Or until President Trump shuts down the Internet–whichever comes first. ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/7280 "2016-09-26T21:14:42Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > One of my Facebook “friends”, and I use the term reservedly, posted a Trumpian meme that said: > > “So you’re Anti-Trump?” You must be a Liberal, an illegal, or living off the government." > > First: Sure, I’m proudly liberal. I’ll own it, and refuse to acknowledge the implied insult. > > Second: Which category does John McCain fall into? David Brooks? Meg Whitman? I thought McCain had endorsed Trump. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/7281 "2016-09-26T21:20:46Z")
> [@Drum\_God](#): > > I thought McCain had endorsed Trump. You’re right. Scratch McCain, and substitute Bush (any of them), Colin Powell, or Dennis Gates. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/7282 "2016-09-26T21:24:23Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > One of my Facebook “friends”, and I use the term reservedly, posted a Trumpian meme that said: > > “So you’re Anti-Trump?” You must be a Liberal, an illegal, or living off the government." > > First: Sure, I’m proudly liberal. I’ll own it, and refuse to acknowledge the implied insult. > > Second: Which category does John McCain fall into? David Brooks? Meg Whitman? Voting for Trump is a way for disaffected whites with a persecution complex to punch their perceived enemies in the teeth. They approach this election the way they approach topics like climate change, evolution, and vaccinations: telling them their wrong just fires them up more, makes them stamp their feet harder, and makes them insist that much more that you’re wrong and they’re right. No fucking logic to it whatsoever. Just a burning desire for vengeance. This is Sarah Palin’s moment. This is the Tea Party’s moment. This is Paul Deen’s and Phil Robertson’s moment. They’ve been listening to people label them as barking mad and stupid for years and they’ve been waiting to knock the piss out of their opponents, and their time has come. And I think they’re just getting started. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901.md?page=363) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901.md?page=365)