# 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:** 57
**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 22, 2024, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/1121 "2024-08-22T20:53:39Z")
“Trump is Normal YouTube Video!… Attempt Number 23! Lights? Action!!!” Theo Von is hilarious. I wish comedy radio played him more.” ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/1122 "2024-08-22T20:58:21Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > Wasn’t trying to split hairs. I had forgotten that it had got as far as being rejected by the SC. I stand corrected. I understand, as most of the attention was focused on state courts (where Trump lost over and over again) because those were televised, were full of drama, and dominated headlines for an extended amount of time. The SCOTUS rejection was pretty swift and was easy to miss among all the noise and controversy of the other cases. ---
**Author:** ![CoolHandCox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coolhandcox/32/16233_2.png) [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/1123 "2024-08-22T21:03:33Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > About the only thing that could be done that could go to the SC is an entire state finding itself unable to certify based on a local or statewide refusal to certify. This is what Georgia is up to. Allowing a single county to hold up the entire process based on a “reasonable inquiry” by some low level worker. Georgia would either have to certify its results without all counties reported (or under a cloud of uncertainty), or miss hard certification deadlines. It would be pretty uncharted territory with just enough window dressing of evidence to possibly get it past a motion to dismiss stage in Court (which does not take much evidence - just something). The key is R’s have better plans in place to not allow State certification by the required State/Federal deadlines (or certified while a “reasonable inquiry” is ongoing). Not sure what happens after that, but it’s “better” than in 2020 when all the States were actually certified and/or no laws to legally hold up the process before certification. The rest of your paragraph is correct. It only matters if Trump loses Georgia, and Georgia is the difference. This will be tried in all the battleground states, though, it’s just Georgia has made the most legal “progress” to help Trump do it. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/1124 "2024-08-22T21:04:56Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > They care about themselves. I expect them to care about nothing else. If they start a revolution, I think they know that they are not going to come out of it with their careers and freedom intact. Even if that revolution were won by MAGA, they know they would have zero power in an authoritarian government. Lose-lose. I disagree. People who are running on grievance and resentment never think rationally, never think about plausible futures, never think about unintended consequences, never think that their leader who has betrayed thousands of others like them would ever betray _them_. They only think about vengeance, and how they are going to make the Others grovel, if not worse. Or maybe bask in trump’s baseless promises to them. Other than that they really do not think at all. They only feel. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/1125 "2024-08-22T21:06:54Z")
> [@robby](#): > > I evidently glossed over the significance of the panel of young voters all being “undecided.” So definitely not a random sample. Pretty much anytime you see a “we interviewed X people about the election” article where X is under 20, its going to be a selected group. Their purpose is usually to understand the thinking behind those with a particular opinion but not the prevalence of that opinion in the general population. ---
**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 22, 2024, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/1126 "2024-08-22T21:32:15Z")
I don’t buy any of this, sorry. They’re SC justices. They have to think because they have to _argue_ (against the minority) and _write._ It’s not like Roberts can just shout, “Dammit, Trump is president!” Since they have to argue and write, they would _feel_ (as you say) the need to make it at least plausible. The more blatant the steal would seem, the more they would fear blowback. Plus, that’s just the majority. They would be fought tooth and claw by the minority on this, who would know they were fighting for the existence of the United States itself. They might go to the media; they might do something even more unprecedented. The majority would fear the chaos. Plus part 2, there is no guarantee that the Democrats, who would still have the executive power, would not react in an unexpected way. If it’s going to be a blatant steal anyway, why not steal back? Refuse to leave? Take the SC justices into custody–remember that immunity? Could come in handy. _Any fucking thing_ could happen. Yeah, they would feel: a whole lot of fear. ---
**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 22, 2024, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/1127 "2024-08-22T21:35:07Z")
The thing about Georgia is that these people are just grunts. If they see that Harris has clearly won the election, it will take a lot of cojones for these people to be the only thing standing in the way of her taking her legitimate win. They would know that the hammer of God was going to come down on them if they tried to serve as the foundation of a steal. My guess: they don’t do it. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/1128 "2024-08-22T21:54:56Z")
> [@CoolHandCox](#): > > I just watched Trump be pretty normal during a 57min interview. It’s been viewed probably 10 million times already, likely by fairly normal people. For his campaign, it’s great content that is now out in the wild. I’m just curious. Was this a morning interview? He seems to start sunsetting in the early afternoons and evenings. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/1129 "2024-08-22T22:06:59Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > Was this a morning interview? It was released yesterday and was certainly not live. I’ve not been able to find when it was actually filmed. I’m guessing it was heavily edited before it was released. ---
**Author:** ![CoolHandCox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coolhandcox/32/16233_2.png) [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/1130 "2024-08-22T22:09:04Z")
I respectfully disagree. But we probably are not thinking of the same thing. It’s not like everything is perfect. That’s why the phrasing is never “no election fraud” but instead “not enough election fraud to overturn the results” or something like that. A reasonable inquiry is undefined. There’s going to be something minimal _somewhere_ that could be worth looking into. They now have the legal cover to investigate it even if it turns about to be nothing/not a lot. They did not have this cover before/it was not their jobs. The plan is not really about getting to the bottom of it, but to have legal cover to _take time_ to investigate. Run out the certification clock or have the State certify under a plausible _and_ **legal** cloud of cover. What then? It’s happened recently 2020/2022, but it was always rogue officials with no basis to do it. It’s not rogue when it’s legal. Basically, “reasonable” legally means it’s just harder to dismiss the case. With all this said, the new Federal law helps to prevent some of this time-wasting stuff/procedures in place for rogue uncertified counties, etc/which Courts will hear these challenges on an expedited basis, etc. But it’s new laws all-around and they are that tested in Court, yet, and the lawyers are ready/planning for it. Easier to create “legit” chaos. Late: _It does require a very close win by Harris, though. Couple thousand votes. But still. Just turning what used to be a formality into a brawl and further eroding trust in the voting process overall_. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/1131 "2024-08-22T22:09:29Z")
Thank you for looking. I was idly curious, but if it was a morning taping, it would add to one of my private notions. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/1132 "2024-08-22T22:15:38Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > Thank you for looking. Certainly. I watched part of it and, as @CoolHandCox stated, Trump looked calm and coherent throughout, at least the part I watched. Thus, I concluded that it must have been heavily edited. ---
**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 22, 2024, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/1133 "2024-08-22T22:20:43Z")
They can try something. And it would be a brawl. Trump has publicly defamed Brian Kemp recently, so I have my doubts the governor would be on their side. Every Democrat in the state would be up in arms. Also, not all of the board members are Republicans, and the Democrats would be screaming bloody murder. The media would be all over it like flies on shit, debunking every bogus claim. Every board member would come under extreme public scrutiny and would probably be afraid of prosecution if they failed. Nothing Trump tried in 2021 worked. No state came close to not certifying their votes or successfully submitting false electors. So this would have to be an “extra-special” attempt with some real muscle behind it. I’m not seeing it. ---
**Author:** ![CoolHandCox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coolhandcox/32/16233_2.png) [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/1134 "2024-08-22T22:25:21Z")
I clearly can’t speak to the editing, but will say this: It looks like all the other shows Theo Von does (or at least the few I’ve seen). All about an hour plus long. Very relaxed. An actual conversation. Theo being himself (eg., Bernie Sanders praised Theo and said the show was great). On Trump’s, it does slowly, but surely, ramp up to classic “Trump” as the show hits it’s last 10mins. Definitely feels like it was shown in order of the actual conversation. Obviously, the show is edited and those types of podcasts (just talking) get edited as they should. But I think you mean edited _solely_ to favor Trump and I didn’t get that vibe. But again, I don’t know. Anyways, just putting out there some content of Trump a ton of other voters are seeing and in a very different/“cooler” format. It’s not a weird rally or bonkers press conference. ---
**Author:** ![CoolHandCox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coolhandcox/32/16233_2.png) [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/1135 "2024-08-22T22:33:43Z")
Don’t disagree. But they are like the Terminator in that they will never stop and they are shameless. Here’s [an article](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/georgia-election-board-beloved-by-trump-keeps-cranking-out-rules-that-may-sow-chaos/ar-AA1pg4oF) from _yesterday_ (there are many, I just grabbed the first one): > Election truthers in Georgia got their latest win this week when the Republican-controlled Georgia State Election Board **approved another rule that gives county election officials a new way to potentially delay certification**. It’s the second time this month that the Trump-friendly board has passed a rule of this type, a particularly worrying development given how close we are to the upcoming presidential election. > > There may well be more to come. They are all nuts (they pushed out the normal/sane members). In other States, they haven’t been able to push out the reasonable/mainstream Republicans and the laws have not passed. In Georgia it’s a 5-person board and majority wins - so 3 people required. Trump has praised them by name at his Atlanta rally. Late: _I’m not worried worried, but I think we should all assume 2020 election chaos is the new norm_. ---
**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 22, 2024, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/1136 "2024-08-22T22:44:27Z")
Well, the new norm for one more election. I don’t think anyone would try this but Trump. That Georgia board is really dumb if they think they can contest the entire election. If they are that dumb, it will not go well for them. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/1137 "2024-08-22T23:12:53Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > If they start a revolution, I think they know that they are not going to come out of it with their careers and freedom intact. Even if that revolution were won by MAGA, they know they would have zero power in an authoritarian government. No, they think they’ll be Trump’s honored chosen ones with all the freedom. It’s only those evil woke commie democrats that will suffer. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/1138 "2024-08-22T23:28:04Z")
> [@GailForce](#): > > Trump’s plan is obvious to me: he wins 200-odd Electoral College votes by dint of being a repulsive, vulgar rightwing nutter, and then he counts up the EC votes in whichever states he lost but came closest to winning in. Trump is definitely trying to win outright, because one of his first acts will be to pardon himself of everything and use his office to eliminate opposition. ---
**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 22, 2024, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/1139 "2024-08-22T23:29:42Z")
I think this is in the fantasy zone at this point, kind of like the argument about all the riots that would/would not be happening at the DNC. It’s just irrational and fear-based. The SC is bad enough without having to go that far. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2024, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351/1140 "2024-08-23T01:35:27Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > Meanwhile, Harris is gaining on Trump in… Texas?! Pretty disastrous poll for his Orangeness (and Ted Cruz): Wow- texas in play? And Florida already is- and due to Abortion on the ballot- which always bring sout women voters, that could be disastrous for trump. > [@Aeschines](#): > > This isn’t really a realistic scenario and has been analyzed ad infinitum. Simply screaming fraud didn’t work with the Supreme Court _at all_ in 2020. Or any court, to be honest. > [@Aeschines](#): > > I think this is in the fantasy zone at this point, kind of like the argument about all the riots that would/would not be happening at the DNC. It’s just irrational and fear-based. The SC is bad enough without having to go that far. Yep. Not gonna happen. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351.md?page=56) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-donald-trump-win-at-this-point/1005351.md?page=58)