# 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:** 43
**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 17, 2024, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/841 "2024-08-17T12:36:24Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > The article on the poll is worth using up a gift link. Thanks. The next one’s on me. 🙂 Cohn offers a couple tentative ideas about why Georgia might be polling worse than North Carolina for Harris. I might add that the many get-out-the-vote campaigns for Biden in Georgia in 2020 were unusually strong – thanks to efforts led by by Stacy Abrams, and also to nationwide groups that efficiently provided volunteers (like me) to send targeted postcard reminders (I still have a few) to Georgia voters – emphasizing the crucial Senate races that elected Warnock and Ossoff. ---
**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 17, 2024, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/842 "2024-08-17T12:40:16Z")
I don’t know why PAC advertisements don’t focus on very specific horrible stuff Trump did. Trivializing a potential disaster affecting millions by adding Sharpie to a hurricane map prepared by experts when people were deciding whether to evacuate. Throwing paper towels to the _Puertoriqueños_. Whose boat is this boat? Contrast government helping you if you live on the Florida coast, getting insurance, watching your back… to whatever that was. Of course, the Democratic campaign itself should retain a positive and optimistic tone. It’s morning in whatever is left of America. ---
**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 17, 2024, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/843 "2024-08-17T14:06:14Z")
So Trump’s maximally offensive comment about the MoH has turned out to be a fairly big deal. He received a scathing letter from the head of the Veterans of Foreign Wars: > **[Trump GETS Letter HE FEARED from FED UP Military Vet LEADER](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZXxK-PAHCo%2F)** > > MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on the scathing letter sent by the leader of a top veteran group, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, to Donald Trump admonis... Idiot Vance has been asked about this as well, and it’s all over YouTube and various MSM outlets. There is a drip drip drip of Republicans ditching the Orange One: > **[Pa. Republican Committee member under fire for saying he will not vote for...](https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/politics/matthew-mccaffery-republican-voting-against-trump-battleground-politics-pennsylvania/3943748/)** > > A member of the Montgomery County Republican Committee is causing quite a stir after he said he will not vote for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. Bill O’Reilly and Megyn Kelly were criticizing the Trump campaign, etc. Trump gave a low-energy, mumbling speech at his golf club (way to appeal to the hoi polloi) about inflation something something, and he was later smashed like a bug when Harris gave her economic speech that killed it (in which she could actually, you know, talk, makes gestures, have facial expressions… I think at one time Trump did these things too…). I still don’t see anything going Trump’s 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 17, 2024, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/844 "2024-08-17T14:12:26Z")
Also, this: > **[Frank Luntz sounds a rather Desperate Alarm for Conservatives concerning...](https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/8/16/2263741/-Frank-Luntz-sounds-a-rather-Desperate-Alarm-for-Conservatives-concerning-their-Prospects?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=trending&pm_medium=web)** > > — — Well, conservatives are in a bit of panic. It seems that all their cynical Trump-enabling has finally caught up with them. It is starting to dawn on them that their “chosen candidate,” lacks the character, clarity, and competence — to actually... Frank Luntz, from what I hear, is a pretty right wing guy, thus not biased against GOP chances, but he’s sounding the alarm bell. I also saw him in a video say that he doesn’t just look at the polls but also holds focus groups to hear what actual voters are thinking. And what they’re thinking apparently isn’t very positive for Trump right now. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2024, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/845 "2024-08-17T14:15:35Z")
I never thought some candidate would make Jeb Bush look good but there you are. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2024, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/846 "2024-08-17T14:34:17Z")
Georgia also is, per Silver, a very inelastic state. Not many swing or undecided voters. Have the demographics changed there at all? People moving there during Covid? ---
**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 17, 2024, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/847 "2024-08-17T14:40:27Z")
Frank Luntz is largely responsible for the denigration of public discourse. I believe he is the one who said you should use powerful and disingenuous weasel words to tarnish your opponents - like sick, twisted, evil, criminal, horrid, deluded, etc. In fairness, his work includes advertising of all kinds and his influence strays far beyond politics. But, intentional or not, he was paid to polarize and others have taken his work much further. Some people listened to his advice more than others. Funny how the people who give extreme advice are sometimes the first to try and sound reasonable when things change. ---
**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 17, 2024, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/848 "2024-08-17T14:42:35Z")
I don’t know much about him, but if he’s on the right, I’m suspicious of his motives for sure. One Liberal YouTuber was saying that a lot of the RW talking heads are getting their criticisms of Trump out now not because they hope he loses but to allow themselves to say, “I told you so,” at a later date. Still, I’ll take it. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2024, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/849 "2024-08-17T15:03:40Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > I don’t know much about him, but if he’s on the right, I’m suspicious of his motives for sure. I suspect Frank Luntz is more vested in being the GOP Nostradamus than being a Trump cheerleader. He totally botched his 2022 midterm predictions and he knows he has to get it right this election if he wants future GOP candidates to retain his services. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2024, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/850 "2024-08-17T15:04:46Z")
As much as I’d like to welcome those who have finally realized who Trump really is, I can’t help but think a lot of right wingers _knew_ who he was the entire time. I’ve had Trump supporters tell me to my face it didn’t matter what kind of person he was it just mattered what he was doing in office. Evangelicals compared Trump to Cyrus the Great, a man chosen by God to save the Jewish people even though he himself wasn’t a Jew. Republicans sold their souls for Trump. I’ll welcome regular people who abandoned Trump, but not politicians or pundits who suddenly have cold feet. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2024, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/851 "2024-08-17T15:04:48Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > I never thought some candidate would make Jeb Bush look good but there you are. In 2016 idiot trump made Jeb Bush look like a genius national savior. The problem was the ~50% of the country who desperately wanted to commit national political suicide. And who _almost_ succeeded. As with many folks who almost succeed at suicide, the next time the opportunity comes up they’re a bit more reluctant to eat the pills, jump off the bridge, whatever. Here in a couple months we’ll see just how much more reluctant. ---
**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 17, 2024, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/852 "2024-08-17T15:10:19Z")
Ah, makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2024, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/853 "2024-08-17T15:15:11Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > I’ve had Trump supporters tell me to my face it didn’t matter what kind of person he was it just mattered what he was doing in office. _“I’d vote for a monkey,”_ I was told, by a Trump voter, to my face, unprompted, twice. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2024, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/854 "2024-08-17T15:18:03Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Let me know when it’s featured on Fox News, Newsmax or OAN. I’ll wait. My online news feed has a link to the story being reported on USA Today (hardly a left-wing socialist news source), and the comments are overwhelmingly anti-Trump. This is an encouraging sign. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2024, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/855 "2024-08-17T15:19:31Z")
A monkey would be a better choice. ---
**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 17, 2024, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/856 "2024-08-17T15:19:52Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > I’ll welcome regular people who abandoned Trump, but not politicians or pundits who suddenly have cold feet. I’m the same way. Average Trump voters are either stupid (= some combo of low-IQ, uneducated, uninformed) or evil, but it’s mostly the former. Oh, so much of the former! Politicians and pundits mostly don’t have this excuse: there’s at least some degree of evil there, since they know who Trump is and what they’re doing. I will never forgive any of the Republicans who currently support Trump without a truly heartfelt and believable mea culpa. ---
**Author:** ![GailForce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dfb087/32.png) [@GailForce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GailForce)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2024, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/857 "2024-08-17T15:27:49Z")
My next door neighbor, a nice fellow who holds strong rightwing views (though he dislikes Trump), tends to rail about how much he hates all Democrats, his friendliness towards me notwithstanding. I think he was dropped on his head by a Democrat or something–it seems to be an all-encompassing hatred, devoid of specific policy issues. Just “Dems = Evil.” Fortunately for us, he isn’t a U.S. citizen so can’t vote, but if he could he’d certainly cast his ballot for Trump in this election. ---
**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 17, 2024, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/858 "2024-08-17T15:42:53Z")
Ah, must be Canadian. Anyone else wouldn’t know what Democrats are! ---
**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 17, 2024, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/859 "2024-08-17T16:04:20Z")
In my experience, _empathy_ vs. lack thereof correlates most strongly with Trumpist/Republican vs. anti-Trump/Democrat. (extra words here to satisfy Discourse) ---
**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 17, 2024, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/860 "2024-08-17T16:11:15Z")
Yes. And also openness to experience (one of the Big 5–low for Trumpers), tendency toward authoritarianism (high for Trumpers), etc. Just my speculation but readily testable. I really think it’s a genetic thing and they’re found in every society. They just can’t be allowed to _take over_ society. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351.md?page=42) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351.md?page=44)