# GropeGate is the worst thing that could have happened to this election. **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 15, 2016, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gropegate-is-the-worst-thing-that-could-have-happened-to-this-election/768568 "2016-10-15T00:18:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**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:** [October 15, 2016, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gropegate-is-the-worst-thing-that-could-have-happened-to-this-election/768568/61 "2016-10-15T17:03:41Z")
> [@Hector\_St\_Clare](#): > > Trump isn’t losing because of the Muslim ban, he’s losing _in spite of_ it, for reasons including his character defects. The Muslim ban is one of his most popular ideas, with support from about 20% of Democrats and 32% of people who voted for Obama last time around. it’s one of the elements of the Trump campaign that is here to stay, and isn’t going to go away with trump, so I think it’s good that Democrats don’t take a Clinton victory in 2016 as a sort of referendum on her immigration policy, because it isn’t one. I agree or at least it’s arguable which direction that issue pushes things, for or against Trump. Also like a lot of Trumpisms it would be more clearly positive for his general side of it without the hyperbole, which he drops eventually anyway\*. I think a majority of the electorate is open to accepting that the Democratic approach to the Islamic radicalism problem is dangerously fettered by PC. And in general Trump is a populist nationalist, not a conservative and not really a Republican unless the party changes further beyond just being generally willing to tolerate him (actually Trumpist down ballot general election or even competitive GOP primary candidates have been few so far). It’s not a big shock if populism is popular. 🙂 It’s definitely a mistake in my view to think really, not just say in spin mode, that rightist populist nationalism is _all_ about ‘racism’ and that a future refined version of it couldn’t win a national consensus. \*naturally for spin purposes anti-Trump’s don’t want to let go of his initial statement implying banning absolutely all Muslims even potentially US citizens who happened to be out of the country when it was imposed. I understand the need for spin in political campaigns, and even fundamentally it’s reasonable to argue the initial overheated versions reflect badly on both Trump and his supporters. However, he has in fact seriously modified that statement like he has a lot of others. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2016, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gropegate-is-the-worst-thing-that-could-have-happened-to-this-election/768568/62 "2016-10-15T20:09:41Z")
Didn’t the name “gropegate” already get used for a scandal involving then-governor Schwarzenegger? ---
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2016, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gropegate-is-the-worst-thing-that-could-have-happened-to-this-election/768568/63 "2016-10-15T20:43:08Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > I don’t think so. If I had a bombshell tape against Trump, I’d release it just as early voting was starting, not days before the election. The timing of this tape was perfect in that sense. Even better is that Trump won’t drop it, insisting on vilifying his victims at every event now. There are probably no more tapes or bombshells,and none are necessary. I agree that none are necessary but the idea that Trump has spent countless hours on and around microphones and this is the only “bombshell” is doubtful to me, unless this type of talk is truly unrepresentative of his usual banter which I also doubt. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2016, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gropegate-is-the-worst-thing-that-could-have-happened-to-this-election/768568/64 "2016-10-15T21:23:34Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Didn’t the name “gropegate” already get used for a scandal involving then-governor Schwarzenegger? It’s possible. I forgot all about that, but he had a scandal going at least as big as Trump’s and it didn’t stop him from winning (governor of CA). That is not to say I think Trump will follow a similar path, just remembering the whole deal way back when. ---
**Author:** ![ganthet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de0a6/32.png) [@ganthet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ganthet)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2016, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gropegate-is-the-worst-thing-that-could-have-happened-to-this-election/768568/65 "2016-10-15T21:26:01Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > No, he won’t. That would be admitting that his actions had anything to do with his loss. He’ll stick with the ‘Corrupt Hillary rigged the election’ drum he’s already started beating. And a kind of post-WWI Germany “GOP stabbed us in the back” narrative about Paul Ryan, the RNC, and other prominent Republicans going back on their support or endorsements, sabotaging what was otherwise a sure-to-win campaign. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2016, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gropegate-is-the-worst-thing-that-could-have-happened-to-this-election/768568/66 "2016-10-15T21:44:07Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Didn’t the name “gropegate” already get used for a scandal involving then-governor Schwarzenegger? Probably, but Gropenator was a more popular name. So this is a sequel: Gropenator 2: Trumpment Day ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gropegate-is-the-worst-thing-that-could-have-happened-to-this-election/768568/67 "2016-10-16T04:47:10Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > This post has been Groped by the Gropist! Makes me want to improve this campaign by applying all the Classic Doper Clichés. As we all enjoy watching The Donald stuck in a 1920’s Style Death Spiral. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gropegate-is-the-worst-thing-that-could-have-happened-to-this-election/768568/68 "2016-10-16T06:52:05Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Makes me want to improve this campaign by applying all the Classic Doper Clichés. > As we all enjoy watching The Donald stuck in a 1920’s Style Death Spiral. What’s the “first name” of that river where Trump wants to build that wall? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gropegate-is-the-worst-thing-that-could-have-happened-to-this-election/768568/69 "2016-10-16T08:58:59Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > What’s the “first name” of that river where Trump wants to build that wall? El. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gropegate-is-the-worst-thing-that-could-have-happened-to-this-election/768568/70 "2016-10-16T09:36:15Z")
Ah. El Hambriento Como El Lobo Grande. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gropegate-is-the-worst-thing-that-could-have-happened-to-this-election/768568/71 "2016-10-17T03:45:13Z")
Oh, well. She might really show you all she can\*, but she ain’t been doin’ much dancing across the Rio Grande in recent years. 🙂 (\*only when properly illuminated, of course) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gropegate-is-the-worst-thing-that-could-have-happened-to-this-election/768568.md?page=3)