# 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:** 89
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1761 "2016-06-22T15:43:07Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > In her new book [_Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right,_](https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Money-History-Billionaires-Radical/dp/0385535597) Jane Mayer writes that in preparing for the 2014 midterm elections, “Americans for Prosperity had expanded its ground game to 550 paid staffers, with as many as 50 in a pivotal state like Florida, as _Politico_ reported.” > > But it’s pretty clear the Koch Brothers and their allies don’t like Trump. They’re not going to help him. Does their network have such numbers of staffers this year, I wonder, and if so what will they do with them? And it’s no surprise they don’t like Trump: [QUOTE=Donald Trump] We will never be able to fix a rigged system by counting on the same people who rigged it in the first place. The insiders wrote the rules of the game to keep themselves in power and in the money. That’s why we’re asking Bernie Sanders’ voters to join our movement: so together we can fix the system for ALL Americans. Importantly, this includes fixing all of our many disastrous trade deals. Because it’s not just the political system that’s rigged. It’s the whole economy. It’s rigged by big donors who want to keep down wages. It’s rigged by big businesses who want to leave our country, fire our workers, and sell their products back into the U.S. with absolutely no consequences for them. [/QUOTE] Stopped clock, blind squirrel, etc. . . . ---
**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 22, 2016, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1762 "2016-06-22T15:43:10Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > Basically, it seems to boil down to two talking points: > > 1. I’m a genius because I made lots of money. > 2. Hillary is a crook because she made lots of money. Trump’s strategy at this point seems to boil down to accusing his enemies of doing the same thing he’s doing or would do in their shoes. Why does he accuse American soldiers in Iraq of embezzling government funds? Because it’s what he’d do if he had access to that kind of cash. Why does he accuse Clinton of getting rich off her campaign? Because it’s what he’s doing right now. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1763 "2016-06-22T15:46:04Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > The Fortune article I linked above mentions that they structured it that way because there’s not enough money in burn treatments to attract venture capitalists. Also > > So I’m not sure what IP they may or may not have - they are taking from existing research and trying to make a product out of it. > > But this is a little silly. It really has nothing to do with the political work Draper Sterling might have done. They founded their company several months ago. They have no IP. No history of research; Their only employees are fraudulently claiming qualifications that they don’t have. And, they claim that they are initiating clinical trials by the end of this year with a product that has no evidence of existing and a clinical trial that has no record on [clinicaltrials.gov](http://clinicaltrials.gov) or anywhere else. It has to do with the political work because this company appears to be a total fraud, and just so happens to be linked to Trump’s campaign somehow. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1764 "2016-06-22T15:47:44Z")
The salient fact about Trump isn’t his wealth, alleged or not. He’s _cheap!_ He isn’t making all that much money off of directing his money stream back to himself, he just can’t bear to see that money go away without some gitback. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1765 "2016-06-22T15:49:12Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > They founded their company several months ago. They have no IP. No history of research; Their only employees are fraudulently claiming qualifications that they don’t have. And, they claim that they are initiating clinical trials by the end of this year with a product that has no evidence of existing and a clinical trial that has no record on [clinicaltrials.gov](http://clinicaltrials.gov) or anywhere else. > > It has to do with the political work because this company appears to be a total fraud, and just so happens to be linked to Trump’s campaign somehow. Its alternative medicine. A bit like the homeopathic politics Trump is practicing. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1766 "2016-06-22T15:49:54Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > “Thanks to Hillary Clinton, Iran is now the dominant Islamic power in the Middle East, and on the road to nuclear weapons.” > > This is the quote [from Politico](http://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/transcript-trump-speech-on-the-stakes-of-the-election-224654). Tangential, but “thanks to Hillary Clinton” Iran is now proposing to buy $25 billion in Boeing commercial aircraft from the US, pending the usual footstamping from Congress. But do we really want their filthy terrorist-loving money? Yes please! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1767 "2016-06-22T16:05:30Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Interesting article in [the National Review.](http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/436890/did-donald-trump-and-jeffrey-epstein-rape-13-year-old-girl) Did Trump rape a 13 year old in 1993? Is this just someone trying to make a quick buck in a law suit long after the statute of limitations expired? I don’t expect much to come of the suit, but could this get any traction? I generally give somebody alleging they’ve been raped the benefit of the doubt. But the timing in this case is pretty suspicious. That said, I can’t see any way in which this will help Trump. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1768 "2016-06-22T16:10:46Z")
An obviously false charge allows the listener to say “Well, look, all these false charges, must be a campaign of disinformation based on lies!”. ---
**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 22, 2016, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1769 "2016-06-22T16:12:49Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Trump’s strategy at this point seems to boil down to accusing his enemies of doing the same thing he’s doing or would do in their shoes… He’s only sore that they got there first. ---
**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:** [June 22, 2016, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1770 "2016-06-22T16:17:01Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > They founded their company several months ago. They have no IP. No history of research; Their only employees are fraudulently claiming qualifications that they don’t have. And, they claim that they are initiating clinical trials by the end of this year with a product that has no evidence of existing and a clinical trial that has no record on [clinicaltrials.gov](http://clinicaltrials.gov) or anywhere else. [Skin grafts from genetically modified pigs may offer alternative for treatment of serious burns](http://www.massgeneral.org/about/pressrelease.aspx?id=1709) > [@](#): > > A team of investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) report that skin grafts from pigs lacking the Gal sugar molecule were as effective in covering burn-like injuries on the backs of baboons as skin taken from other baboons, a finding that could double the length of time burns can be protected while healing. The report in the journal Transplantation has been published online. With all due respect to your Google skills, I’m going to hold off on calling fraud. ---
**Author:** ![truthSeeker2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7cd45c/32.png) [@truthSeeker2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/truthSeeker2)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1771 "2016-06-22T16:35:31Z")
Dollar overvalued by 10-20%: IMF - > **[US Dollar Overvalued by 10-20% - IMF](https://sputnikglobe.com/20160622/us-dollar-overvalued-imf-1041749425.html)** > > The US dollar has been overvalued by 10-20 percent, according to the IMF. If oil gets traded in some other currency, then I would say, dollar is perhaps 50-60% overvalued. ---
**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 22, 2016, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1772 "2016-06-22T16:59:35Z")
We just need our biggest, our best, our yuuugest dollars out there. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1773 "2016-06-22T17:02:28Z")
It seems like a futile gesture, but, [NYT fact-checks Trump’s speech](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/23/us/politics/donald-trump-speech-highlights.html?_r=0). ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1774 "2016-06-22T17:30:47Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > [Skin grafts from genetically modified pigs may offer alternative for treatment of serious burns](http://www.massgeneral.org/about/pressrelease.aspx?id=1709) > > With all due respect to your Google skills, I’m going to hold off on calling fraud. With all due respect to your science skills this is pig + baboon skin, which is not what their xeno skin (pig + human) product is. It’s a nice start, but it is not in any way a clinical stage product. There is exactly a 0% chance that they are initiating a clinical trial on this in 2016, which is what they state. Further, the founders of xenotherapeutics (Holzer et al) had nothing to do with this work and are not listed anywhere as authors on the study. As conceded in a post above, the absolute only thing that gives this company any legitimacy is that the lead author of this study appears to be affiliated with Xenotherapeutics despite not listing it anywhere on his linkedin page or anywhere else for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1775 "2016-06-22T17:34:33Z")
Though I do now find one relevant patent application: > **[WO2013169929A1 - Reducing immunogenicity of xenogeneic transplant tissues ...](https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2013169929A1/en)** > > Methods of preparing and porcine cells, organs and tissues that have reduced immunogenicity, e.g., for transplant into humans, e.g., for the treatment of burn injuries. But, it does not appear to be owned by Xenotherpeutics (which has filed no IP) best I can tell. ---
**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 22, 2016, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1776 "2016-06-22T17:42:13Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Interesting article in [the National Review.](http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/436890/did-donald-trump-and-jeffrey-epstein-rape-13-year-old-girl) Did Trump rape a 13 year old in 1993? And was Glenn Beck there? I note that he’s never denied it… ---
**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:** [June 22, 2016, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1777 "2016-06-22T17:53:55Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Though I do now find one relevant patent application: > > [WO2013169929A1 - Reducing immunogenicity of xenogeneic transplant tissues - Google Patents](http://www.google.com/patents/WO2013169929A1?cl=en) > > But, it does not appear to be owned by Xenotherpeutics (which has filed no IP) best I can tell. The applicant “The General Hospital Corporation” appears to be one and the same as Massachusetts General Hospital, the one that Holzer fellowed at, Dr Cetrulo is a transplant surgeon at and was the subject of the announcement I just linked. So I would assume Xenotherpeutics hopes/plans to lease the patent from them. But hey, keep up the detective work if you want. ---
**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 22, 2016, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1778 "2016-06-22T17:57:50Z")
Trump gives his big “gonna lay the smackdown on HRC and _then_ the election will turn in my favor!” speech today and, bizarrely enough, at about the same time, [John Lewis just happens to organize a sit-in on Capital Hill](http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/22/politics/john-lewis-sit-in-gun-violence/index.html) to protest the Republican stonewalling on the gun issue. Trump has now been thrown off the lead, his speech isn’t going to inspire America to go digging for more dirt, and now the Repubs have to worry about John Lewis making them look like idiots while at the same time realizing their candidate just destroyed any chance that their “emails and Benghazi” campaign would gain traction. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1779 "2016-06-22T17:59:36Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Did Trump rape a 13 year old in 1993? Didn’t everybody? It was a very odd year, '93, and probably best forgotten . . . ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901/1780 "2016-06-22T18:07:32Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > The applicant “The General Hospital Corporation” appears to be one and the same as Massachusetts General Hospital, the one that Holzer fellowed at, Dr Cetrulo is a transplant surgeon at and was the subject of the announcement I just linked. So I would assume Xenotherpeutics hopes/plans to lease the patent from them. But hey, keep up the detective work if you want. Holzer was never a real “fellow” anywhere. You can’t be a postdoctoral fellow until you have a doc in the first place, which he does not. Anyone who is predoctoral and calls themselves a fellow (or an MD which he also calls himself) is a fraud. It’s not detective work. The three founders of the company list five degrees among them, and at least four of those degrees (and likely the fifth as well) they absolutely do not hold. This is not debatable. This isn’t sketchy to you? And, for the third time, Cetrulo appears to be qualified to found a company like Xenotherapeutics, but he didn’t. It was founded by two completely unqualified guys who happen to, in their spare time, also run a completely sketchy advertising firm? And they brought him on as CMO. What role would these other utterly unqualified people possibly have for this company based on research that they had absolutely nothing to do with? Could be a coincidence, I guess. But it isn’t. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901.md?page=88) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trumps-2016-general-election-campaign/753901.md?page=90)