# 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:** 72
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1421 "2016-06-16T15:19:01Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > “I have, right here, a tape-recorded conversation of me and the go-between who always relayed my instructions from the Clintons; his name is John Miller.” And then he reveals that it’s really Johnny and Trump’s real name is Senor Wences? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1422 "2016-06-16T15:21:25Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > He’ll have to provide some proof, though, for any of it to actually matter. I feel you are really overestimating the value of evidence for the people I’m talking about. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1423 "2016-06-16T16:27:11Z")
I’m talking about actionable, real evidence. Yeah, there will be idiots who will CT Trump’s loss to the ends of time, but that’s to be expected. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1424 "2016-06-16T16:34:32Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Despite how bad he is doing, and likely will continue doing, I doubt Trump is a mole. If he was, however, admitting it after the election would certainly cause serious PR problems for President H.R. Clinton. It would certainly give the Republicans in Congress their excuse to block her entire agenda, refuse to review her nominations to the judiciary (including SCOTUS), and to make it their top priority to see that she is a one-term president. In addition to the vagina thing, of course. ---
**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:** [June 16, 2016, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1425 "2016-06-16T16:40:11Z")
The idea that Donald J. Trump is willing to dedicate this much time and effort to helping out someone not named Donald J. Trump is far more difficult to believe than any of his campaign claims. ---
**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:** [June 16, 2016, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1426 "2016-06-16T16:46:02Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > It would certainly give the Republicans in Congress their excuse to block her entire agenda, refuse to review her nominations to the judiciary (including SCOTUS), and to make it their top priority to see that she is a one-term president. In addition to the vagina thing, of course. So really, no change at all in what would happen then. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1427 "2016-06-16T16:48:55Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > The idea that Donald J. Trump is willing to dedicate this much time and effort to helping out someone not named Donald J. Trump is far more difficult to believe than any of his campaign claims. But that he could, after the fact, claim to have been doing that, is not so difficult to believe at all. He’d do it simply out of spite against the person who beat him. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1428 "2016-06-16T17:05:23Z")
Which is my point. Hell, we are 5 mths out and speculating on a topic that would never have come up with any D or R nominee in my lifetime. \*We’re already anticipating this \*, which itself is inoculation against the idea. No proof = more Trump bullshit Proof = Crisis ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1429 "2016-06-16T17:24:48Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > So really, no change at all in what would happen then. Do you see an alternative? You don’t think the Woman isn’t going to deal with the same shit as the Black Guy? ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1430 "2016-06-16T17:28:08Z")
Drip… drip… drip… [New Evidence Donald Trump Didn’t Pay Taxes](http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/06/15/new-evidence-donald-trump-didn-t-pay-taxes.html) ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1431 "2016-06-16T17:30:13Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Him saying “Yeah, I was a mole and did this to get the President elected”, in time, may the the most self-pleasingly narcissistic thing he can say about his role in this election. He might not only say it, he might start to believe it. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1432 "2016-06-16T17:33:53Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Which is my point. Hell, we are 5 mths out and speculating on a topic that would never have come up with any D or R nominee in my lifetime. \*We’re already anticipating this \*, which itself is inoculation against the idea. > > No proof = more Trump bullshit > Proof = Crisis But there are large numbers of people who would believe him regardless of a lack of proof. I’m not saying that he’ll do this, but if he did he’d have lots of believers. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1433 "2016-06-16T18:29:56Z")
Yeah, but they believed 9/11 theories, they believed Kennedy theories, they believed the Zimmerman telegraph was a hoax, they believe in all sorts of shit. Many will believe Trump was a hired Clinton ally even if Trump never says a word. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1434 "2016-06-16T18:44:46Z")
Well, we could go back and forth on this all day, but that would be pointless. He probably won’t do it anyway. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1435 "2016-06-16T18:50:20Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Yeah, but they believed 9/11 theories, they believed Kennedy theories, they believed the Zimmerman telegraph was a hoax, they believe in all sorts of shit. Many will believe Trump was a hired Clinton ally even if Trump never says a word. That’s true. But I think the risk from a particular, freeperiffic, section of the demographic is what’s scary. They are wholeheartedly buying in to Trump. They are hoping for Trump to destroy the RNC and the RINOs and the Democrats and Congress. They hate McCain and Romney and McConnell and Ryan. And most of all they hate Obama. You take a group like that, a group of white, angry men (mostly), who do not cavil at racism and homophobia, who call Muslims “muzzies” and talk about their deaths, and you dangle a Donald Trump in front of them, giving them red meat, giving them someone they desperately want to believe in because he’s as vicious as they are, and you let them get invested, and you let them campaign and send money and vote, and then you say “Psych!” Those people will not, as a group, just mutter a bit and slink away. Trump is their Great White Hope. I firmly believe that if Trump pulled something like that, people would end up dead. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1436 "2016-06-16T19:00:10Z")
They could, but HRC would still be President. Without proof, that is. With proof, we’ll all just riot in the streets, I guess. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DonLogan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@DonLogan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DonLogan)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1437 "2016-06-16T19:00:15Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > That’s true. But I think the risk from a particular, freeperiffic, section of the demographic is what’s scary. They are wholeheartedly buying in to Trump. They are hoping for Trump to destroy the RNC and the RINOs and the Democrats and Congress. They hate McCain and Romney and McConnell and Ryan. And most of all they hate Obama. > > You take a group like that, a group of white, angry men (mostly), who do not cavil at racism and homophobia, who call Muslims “muzzies” and talk about their deaths, and you dangle a Donald Trump in front of them, giving them red meat, giving them someone they desperately want to believe in because he’s as vicious as they are, and you let them get invested, and you let them campaign and send money and vote, and then you say “Psych!” > > Those people will not, as a group, just mutter a bit and slink away. Trump is their Great White Hope. > > I firmly believe that if Trump pulled something like that, people would end up dead. Well, what do you think is going to happen when he loses, handshakes at center ice? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1438 "2016-06-16T19:03:51Z")
> [@DonLogan](#): > > Well, what do you think is going to happen when he loses, handshakes at center ice? A lot of bitching and whining. There’s a huge psychological difference between “My guy lost” and “My guy lost because he was cheated out of it” and “My guy lost because he colluded with the other side to throw it.” The latter two are dangerous each in their own ways. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1439 "2016-06-16T19:07:38Z")
If that were truly the case and DJT was supported by HRC, I don’t think either party would survive. ---
**Author:** ![DonLogan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@DonLogan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DonLogan)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1440 "2016-06-16T19:07:48Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > A lot of bitching and whining. > > There’s a huge psychological difference between “My guy lost” and “My guy lost because he was cheated out of it” and “My guy lost because he colluded with the other side to throw it.” The latter two are dangerous each in their own ways. It’s going to be worse than that. Trump may pick Sessions as his VP candidate. The Sessions who drunkenly introduced Trump at a football stadium in Alabama as white America’s last chance. What do you think the hangover from 4 months of that kind of talk is going to be like? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901.md?page=71) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901.md?page=73)