# 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:** 85
**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 21, 2016, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1681 "2016-06-21T18:28:52Z")
[More on Draper Sterling.](http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/06/21/what_is_draper_sterling_we_knocked_on_the_door_to_find_out.html) > [@](#): > > I drove to Draper Sterling on Tuesday to see what was going on at this plucky local advertising firm doing well-remunerated work for a national presidential campaign. The address took me down a winding residential street. Near the end of a dead-end road was a two-story home with a tidy yard. A little girl peeked out the window as I approached, and a woman who appeared to be in her 50s answered the door, opening it just a crack. > This was Sharon, Jon Adkins’ mother-in-law. “I don’t know what he does,” she told me. “All I do is I watch his kids.” ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2016, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1682 "2016-06-21T18:32:16Z")
Trump certainly has the talking heads wagging their fingers and shaking their heads. He seems to think that what was so easy and cheap in the primaries will be just as easy and cheap in the general. From the paltry amount in his war chest to the pitifully small number of staffers nationwide to his incoherent ranting and raving whenever he gets in front of a camera, you have to wonder if a) he can turn this around b) wants to turn it around c) has a clue on what he should be doing. He brings new breadth and depth to the word “incompetent”. Before you can be trusted to manage a country, you should prove that you can manage a campaign. Or will he manage this like he did Trump Steak, Trump Mortgage, Trump Casino, Trump University, Trump Vodka…? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2016, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1683 "2016-06-21T18:35:01Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Not really as that story is basically reporting on the thinkprogress story rather than doing any of their own research. Think I’ll wait before I assume Trump is paying off the mob through his campaign funds. I’d be surprised if it’s a mob payout (but, hey, it’s possible), but based on the information that’s come out in the last 24 hours, the evidence doesn’t seem terribly consistent with it being an above-the-board payment for services actually rendered. We shall see, I suppose. ---
**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 21, 2016, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1684 "2016-06-21T18:37:40Z")
Again, more evidence of reactive, ad-hoc campaigning. This report about the $35k comes out and then Trump rants about HRC within a couple of hours (remember what I said about coincidences?), re-announcing his anti-Hillary speech for tomorrow night. ---
**Author:** ![Crybaby\_Boobie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crybaby_boobie/32/545_2.png) [@Crybaby\_Boobie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crybaby_Boobie)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2016, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1685 "2016-06-21T18:54:47Z")
I think it’s more a reaction to Hillary’s Anti-Trump speech today, than this Mad Men money. ---
**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:** [June 21, 2016, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1686 "2016-06-21T19:07:05Z")
I gotta admit. As a former political reporter reading that CBS story made my ‘we’re going to destroy some bastard’ juices flow. It’s got ‘ruin someone’s day’ written all over it. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2016, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1687 "2016-06-21T19:27:02Z")
And from Bloomberg: [Albert Hunt: Republicans get weirder in search for ways to find shelter from Trump](http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/albert-hunt-republicans-get-weirder-in-search-for-ways-to-find-shelter-from-trump) > [@](#): > > How desperate is the Republican Party? This desperate: Political strategists are concocting schemes to preserve their congressional majorities that they know would concede the presidential contest to Hillary Clinton. > > The idea is to give endangered Republican senators like Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania a way to avoid being associated with Donald Trump or being disloyal to the party. To do that, Republicans would recruit respected party elders to run as independent presidential candidates in competitive states. Think of former governors Tom Ridge in Pennsylvania and Tommy Thompson in Wisconsin, and the ex-senators John Sununu and Judd Gregg in New Hampshire. > > That would provide what the would-be strategists are calling “safe havens” that would relieve Republican candidates of the pressure to back Clinton or defend Trump. Or so the theory goes. > [@](#): > > Republicans currently control the Senate, 54 to 46, but nine of the 10 most competitive seats on the November ballot are held by their members. Losing half of them would mean Democratic control. In the House of Representatives, Republicans would have to lose 30 seats, considered almost impossible before the past few weeks. ---
**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:** [June 21, 2016, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1688 "2016-06-21T19:31:23Z")
Hillary is significantly out-fundraising The Donald in the battleground state of Ohio: [http://www.dispatch.com/content/blogs/the-daily-briefing/2016/06/20062016---trump-little-from-ohio.html](http://www.dispatch.com/content/blogs/the-daily-briefing/2016/06/20062016---trump-little-from-ohio.html) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2016, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1689 "2016-06-21T19:45:17Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > And from Bloomberg: > > [Albert Hunt: Republicans get weirder in search for ways to find shelter from Trump](http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/albert-hunt-republicans-get-weirder-in-search-for-ways-to-find-shelter-from-trump) What do they mean when they say “respected Republicans” running as “independent”? Does that mean they don’t run as Republicans? That they aren’t officially endorsed by the Republican Party? Aren’t they going to need at least _some_ money? Of course, in some of these states, they could out-fund the Trump “organization” with a couple of PTA bake sales. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2016, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1690 "2016-06-21T20:05:34Z")
I think Trump could be persuaded to give up the nomination in Cleveland and become kingmaker instead. He is smart enough to realize that he will probably lose in November and that the general election campaign is going to be a lot more work than the primaries. So he basically he loses after an unpleasant 5 month grind. If he gives up the nomination, he remains a magnanimous winner and retains enough cachet which he can then translate into serious money perhaps by starting his own network to rival Fox. It seems the smarter move both for his ego and his pocketbook and does he care about anything else? ---
**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 21, 2016, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1691 "2016-06-21T20:07:59Z")
> [@Lantern](#): > > He is smart Assumes facts not in evidence. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2016, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1692 "2016-06-21T20:14:37Z")
I downloaded Trump’s FEC filing and poked around a little. Trump got donations from 3054 individuals in about 2964 households/organizations. In the whole month of May, Trump only convinced about 3000 people to give him money. I didn’t look at Clinton’s numbers. But 3000 donations sounds like not a lot. ---
**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 21, 2016, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1693 "2016-06-21T20:31:04Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > I know everyone likes to question Trump’s intelligence and net worth but using the campaign to pay $30k to someone he doesn’t want people to know about is impossibly stupid. There’s about a zillion other ways that don’t require an FEC filing. It’s not enough for him to just be a grifter – he has to be a blatant and petty grifter whose scampaign would embarrass Boss Hogg. ---
**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:** [June 21, 2016, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1694 "2016-06-21T20:34:58Z")
Further research into “Draper Sterling” shows that there have already been fraud charges filed against them with the FEC for a campaign for the Missouri Governorship. [Interesting details in this story](http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/06/21/3790715/weird-story-behind-trump-campaigns-35000-payment-draper-sterling-advertising/). ---
**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:** [June 21, 2016, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1695 "2016-06-21T20:40:25Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > It’s not enough for him to just be a grifter – he has to be a blatant and petty grifter whose scampaign would embarrass Boss Hogg. That is the hallmark of a sociopath–mere successful deception doesn’t satisfy them. They need to believe that others fall for even the flimsiest, most inept ruses due to being ridiculously stupid (in comparison with their own super-genius selves). ---
**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:** [June 21, 2016, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1696 "2016-06-21T20:41:58Z")
Trump’s campaign paying off Trump companies. > **[Donald Trump's Campaign Paid Donald Trump's Companies More Than A Million...](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-campaign-payments_n_5768a69ee4b0853f8bf1fe2d)** > > The campaign funded Trump's use of his jets and his Florida mansion, Mar-A-Lago. ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2016, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1697 "2016-06-21T20:56:06Z")
> [@Lantern](#): > > I think Trump could be persuaded to give up the nomination in Cleveland and become kingmaker instead. He is smart enough to realize that he will probably lose in November and that the general election campaign is going to be a lot more work than the primaries. So he basically he loses after an unpleasant 5 month grind. If he gives up the nomination, he remains a magnanimous winner and retains enough cachet which he can then translate into serious money perhaps by starting his own network to rival Fox. It seems the smarter move both for his ego and his pocketbook and does he care about anything else? You are assuming that he is capable of recognizing the possibility that he \* might\* lose in November. All evidence seems to point to him being a massive narcissist, possibly not even recognizing that other people are even real. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2016, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1698 "2016-06-21T21:05:23Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > I know everyone likes to question Trump’s intelligence and net worth but using the campaign to pay $30k to someone he doesn’t want people to know about is impossibly stupid. There’s about a zillion other ways that don’t require an FEC filing. OTOH paying from a campaign is using somebody else’s money not the candidate’s own. Trump hasn’t AFAIK given any of his money to the campaign, he’s lent most of the money the campaign has used but hopes future contributors pay it back, as well as collecting some contributions. That said though the campaign is a small outfit, it isn’t just Trump. It could have been somebody besides Trump without his knowledge. The just fired Lewandowski is from the same part of NH as the shell co. Seems to me it could be anything from really juicy to not much. ---
**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:** [June 21, 2016, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1699 "2016-06-21T21:13:40Z")
> [@Corry\_El](#): > > Seems to me it could be anything from really juicy to not much. I’m betting it’s a blackmail payment, to prevent release of the video of Trump crying like a baby when his Muslim boyfriend slaps him and knocks his hair-weave thing right off the back of his head. ---
**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 21, 2016, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1700 "2016-06-21T21:21:25Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Further research into “Draper Sterling” shows that there have already been fraud charges filed against them with the FEC for a campaign for the Missouri Governorship. [Interesting details in this story](http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/06/21/3790715/weird-story-behind-trump-campaigns-35000-payment-draper-sterling-advertising/). You can see the principals LinkedIn pages and none of them mention “Draper Sterling”. [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-holzer-7746078b](https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-holzer-7746078b) [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-adkins-06bb63](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-adkins-06bb63) [https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-mclain-307830110](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-mclain-307830110) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901.md?page=84) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901.md?page=86)