# How can Donald Trump win at this point? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump, kamala-harris\ **Created:** [August 6, 2024, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351 "2024-08-06T21:13:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/261 "2024-08-08T04:43:44Z")
I remember it. And I still despise them for it. All censorship is vile and PRMC was a stupid stupid stupid movement. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/262 "2024-08-08T04:44:13Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Look, Trump is calling for concentration camps but not death camps. So I don’t call him a Nazi. Sounds like Hitler to _me_, not saying the nasty part out loud. Would you call Hitler a Nazi? ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/263 "2024-08-08T04:52:17Z")
Death camps are a mark of Nazism, and _Mein Kampf_ reeks of Nazism. That said, people always talk about the bad things Hitler did, without mentioning the good things. For example, he killed Hitler. Not many people can say that. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/264 "2024-08-08T06:44:49Z")
Yep, idiocy. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/265 "2024-08-08T06:57:39Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Look, Trump is calling for concentration camps but not death camps. So I don’t call him a Nazi. This is simply an error. It is as if you are saying that we can’t call someone a nazi unless they support the worst things Hitler did. Hitler was a literal nazi before there were death camps _or_ concentration camps. Hitler took power in 1933 and had concentration camps up and running very quickly. The death camps did not get going until 1941: > **[Holocaust Memorial Day Trust | Death camps](https://www.hmd.org.uk/learn-about-the-holocaust-and-genocides/the-holocaust/the-camps/extermination-camps/)** > > In 1941-1942 the Nazis built camps in German occupied Poland whose sole purpose was to kill people on an industrial scale. Belzec, Chełmno, Sobibor, and Treblinka camps were built to murder hundreds of thousands of people using carbon monoxide gas. Fascism arose in Italy, and the fascists there literally called their party _Partito Nazionale Fascista_: > **[National Fascist Party](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Fascist_Party)** > > The National Fascist Party (Italian: Partito Nazionale Fascista, PNF) was a political party in Italy, created by Benito Mussolini as the political expression of Italian fascism and as a reorganisation of the previous Italian Fasces of Combat. The party ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1922 when Fascists took power with the March on Rome until the fall of the Fascist regime in 1943, when Mussolini was deposed by the Grand Council of Fascism. It was succeeded, in the territories under the contro Hitler never called himself a fascist, but we now call Mussolini, Hitler, and other assholes “fascist” based on their common characteristics. Trump shares many of those characteristics, and his movement definitely does, so it’s fair IMO to call them all “fascist.” ---
**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:** [August 8, 2024, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/266 "2024-08-08T07:35:30Z")
One word: momentum. Trump doesn’t have it anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/267 "2024-08-08T07:56:24Z")
That’s my feeling: Trump has little to no momentum. He was doing great against “Sleepy Joe” (his words), because he was a little younger and appeared to have more energy than Biden. All that fake concertina playing, and dancing at his rallies, and talking about “Sleepy Joe” campaigning from his basement. Then Biden stepped down, and Harris took over, and re-energized the Democrats. If Trump is to win, then he needs to come up with something that can beat the vitality of Harris and Walz. Harris practically bounding down the steps of Air Force Two, Walz’s speech yesterday; holy hannah, those two project life. Trump doesn’t. If Trump is to win, then he’s got to find a way to inject some vitality into his campaign, and so far, Vance isn’t it. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/268 "2024-08-08T08:17:43Z")
Biden was Drew Bledsoe, and Trump (defense) had figured him out. But now Bledsoe is benched and Tom Brady is tearing it up on the field, and the defense is utterly flummoxed. …Okay, I’ll stop… ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/269 "2024-08-08T08:50:53Z")
As soon as the Democrats believe they’ve won, they’ll lose. Harris and team need to keep selling the positive future dream and try to drag as many uncommitted voters to their side as they can. The polls and odds are a dead heat, it could easily go either way. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/270 "2024-08-08T08:51:32Z")
> [@Biffster](#): > > One word: momentum. Trump doesn’t have it anymore. Yeah, it’s bad. Trump is not leaving his swamp compound, and Vance is doing pathetic little pressers in parking lots! I’m not kidding. Meanwhile, Harris and Walz are filling huge arenas. So I guess Trump plans not to campaign and just glide into victory with his current level of support. Not sure if that’s gonna work, Donnie! ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/271 "2024-08-08T08:53:05Z")
> [@stui\_magpie](#): > > As soon as the Democrats believe they’ve won, they’ll lose. I’m all for fighting until the end, especially since I heard today that the senate races are not looking great. But Trump is not magic. ---
**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:** [August 8, 2024, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/272 "2024-08-08T10:55:04Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > I heard today that the senate races are not looking great. Where did you hear that? Looking over the list of polls (link below), the only one that looked a bit worrisome was Baldwin tied with her opponent in Wisconsin, but that was on July 10 — four other polls (three of them more recent than that) show Baldwin rather comfortably ahead. There’s a recent poll with Brown only up by 4 in Ohio — could that be it? Since early this year, we’ve known that Gallego’s Arizona race would be quite close, and it likely will be, but polls show him with a small lead at this point, so that’s good. (Maybe we should continue this discussion in the Senate thread?) > **[Senate Election Polls 2024 | Latest Polls | RealClearPolling](https://www.realclearpolling.com/latest-polls/senate)** > > Explore up-to-date 2024 senate election polls. Gain valuable insights into the evolving political landscape and stay ahead of the latest trends. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/273 "2024-08-08T11:24:40Z")
I agree. But I also note the election is many months off. Whether this momentum can be sustained that long is a different question. ---
**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:** [August 8, 2024, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/274 "2024-08-08T12:13:25Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > I don’t think he is a fascist but I do think he has desire for less constraints on power in the sense that with less constraints he could get more done. I think that’s problematic. So he could get more of what done? Punish his enemies, make life miserable for minorities and LGBTQs? He doesn’t give a fuck about any policy except enriching himself and making life hell for those he hates. There are two battles looming in November- one at the polls and one in the courts. You KNOW that DJT is going to take the election to court when he loses and I wouldn’t count on the corrupt Supreme Court to save the day if it gets that far. Harris needs to win twice- in the polls and in the court whereas Nazi Don only needs to win in either one. ---
**Author:** ![TeroSunbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terosunbear/32/14748_2.png) [@TeroSunbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeroSunbear)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/275 "2024-08-08T12:51:01Z")
Not sure Trump has any path anymore. with WI MI and soon PA gone soon…he is entering Dukakis territory as a candidate. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/276 "2024-08-08T14:24:06Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Where did you hear that? It was in one of the many videos I watched (skimmed) last night, forget which one or I’d link, but they said that there had not been seen yet any Senate coattails effect from Harris’s upsurge in the polls. But that was the only thing I heard. I will check out the senate thread too. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/277 "2024-08-08T14:36:51Z")
I will be overjoyed if that turns out to be true. One scenario we haven’t discussed here, probably because we don’t want to be overconfident, is that of the Trump campaign quickly imploding. The polls will tale the tale soon enough, but I do think it’s _fucking crazy_ that Trump is not campaigning this week (except in Montana! Maybe he’ll be looking upward for votes in Big Sky Country!?). There is absolutely no good excuse for it. He knows that Harris has caught up quickly. There is no way his campaign staff seem happy or easygoing about it. It should be a 5-alarm reaction of increased campaigning and real-time strategizing. Even if we suppose he really doesn’t care because he plans to steal the thing later, there are some problems with that: 1. He can’t tip off the enemy by doing nothing. He must also know that rumors of an impending steal attempt are swirling. That means that people are also preparing to fight the attempt. The best way to prevent that is to seem to care about the election. 2. It’s much easier to steal a close election than a blowout. It’s going to be much, much hard to steal multiple states instead of just one. And not just that: If the whole country is screaming, “We’re not going back!” then it’s much more likely that the various local actors and Supreme Court will be cowed into not implementing their part of the deal in the first place. At this stage, I think it’s much more likely that Trump is “quiet quitting,” lol. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/278 "2024-08-08T15:08:36Z")
Nah, the attention span of the public isn’t that great. Even something as newsworthy as an assassination attempt has already mostly faded from the news. Mid September thru October will be more worthwhile to spend energy in. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/279 "2024-08-08T15:33:10Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > One scenario we haven’t discussed here, probably because we don’t want to be overconfident, is that of the Trump campaign quickly imploding. The polls will tale the tale soon enough, but I do think it’s _fucking crazy_ that Trump is not campaigning this week (except in Montana! Maybe he’ll be looking upward for votes in Big Sky Country!?). > > There is absolutely no good excuse for it. He knows that Harris has caught up quickly. There is no way his campaign staff seem happy or easygoing about it. It should be a 5-alarm reaction of increased campaigning and real-time strategizing. Remember all the accusations from the Trump campaign about White House staff and campaign hiding Biden’s infirmities? The truism that Republicans only make accusations about things they’re guilty of might be relevant. I’m beginning to suspect that Trump is suffering from issues that prevent him from actively campaigning. And I think it must be serious, because Trump loves campaigning in front of adoring fans. From a tactical stand point, not actively campaigning means you’re actively losing. I don’t think the Trump campaign is so incompetent as to not know that. The Trump campaign has a path to victory, but they seem to be avoiding it at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/280 "2024-08-08T15:35:23Z")
Is it standard practice during a presidential campaign just to chillax for a few weeks in August? Maybe Trump can pioneer a new way of winning! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351.md?page=15)