# Prioritize the Trump target. **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 2, 2016, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prioritize-the-trump-target/767537 "2016-10-02T22:41:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [October 2, 2016, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prioritize-the-trump-target/767537/1 "2016-10-02T22:41:07Z")
You are in charge of Team Clinton. You are aware that Trump has many targets but that the American public needs to have their attention drawn to just two or three tops or else they just shut down and absorb nothing at all, let alone be able to hear any positive self-messaging from your team in the same cycle. Of all the targets out there which are the top two most cogent to American voters? Which do instruct your team to focus fire upon? ---
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2016, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prioritize-the-trump-target/767537/2 "2016-10-02T22:55:17Z")
Doesn’t matter really. The Machado affair shows it’s not really the substance, it’s the timing of the attack. Find something outrageous (and there’s a lot), mention it at the closing of the next televised debate, and simultaneously release a video of DT actually saying it. Pure genius, as I can’t think of any effective defense. ---
**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:** [October 2, 2016, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prioritize-the-trump-target/767537/3 "2016-10-02T22:58:17Z")
Doing phone work for HRC, two messages resonate: Machado and nuclear weapons. Sure, throw some things about the financial stuff, but Machado has moved the needle like nothing else. ---
**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:** [October 2, 2016, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prioritize-the-trump-target/767537/4 "2016-10-02T23:00:58Z")
Well **kk** to no small degree that is attacking the target of his _temperament_ and hitting that target not by talking about it but showing it by demonstrating how easily he is provoked and how unhinged he behaves when he is. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2016, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prioritize-the-trump-target/767537/5 "2016-10-02T23:02:26Z")
There is so much to choose from, but I suspect the Top 3 Vote Swingers are misogyny, taxes/bankruptcies, and anger management. That’s exactly what Clinton is focusing on. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2016, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prioritize-the-trump-target/767537/6 "2016-10-02T23:08:00Z")
Surprisingly, the major stuff doesn’t seem to move the needle. It’s the Khans and the Machado thing that are sticking. There are an endless supply of real people that he has stiffed and screwed over over the years. Find one shining example of everyday people that he has fucked over and make one an issue every week. Next week, [Vera Coking](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vera_Coking). Even though she’s no longer alive, I don’t think Republicans like the idea that a rich guy can try to use the government to take your house. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2016, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prioritize-the-trump-target/767537/7 "2016-10-02T23:20:23Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Doing phone work for HRC, two messages resonate: > > Machado and nuclear weapons. > > Sure, throw some things about the financial stuff, but Machado has moved the needle like nothing else. Elaborate, please, on Machado. What are people saying? What’s the takeaway? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2016, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prioritize-the-trump-target/767537/8 "2016-10-02T23:39:32Z")
At least part of my strategy – keep coming up with ways to subtly needle Trump with every statement on every issue in the debates. Trump always will spend half his time defending or attacking rather on the issue at hand – he can’t stop himself. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2016, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prioritize-the-trump-target/767537/9 "2016-10-02T23:47:26Z")
Pick from the Buffet, really. Some things that might not have triggered a reaction previously might start triggering reactions now. I think only the most delusional and committed of Trump voters (back down to his hardcore base of 28%) accept that Trump is a business wizard. He might add on an additional 10 percent of people who just hate Hillary and Democrats. But he’s going to struggle from now until the end of the race to stay above 35-40%. At this point, I think it’s basically about making sure Hillary’s numbers stay up. I think what she did during the debate was basically effective: bump him a little but stay focused on economic messages, moving past our divisions, and national security. If she can avoid making “deplorables” remarks, she’s pretty much a lock to win. The media is going to be relentless in going after those returns that he has yet to file, and I’m betting that his failure to release them has more to do with simply not paying taxes. There’s other shit he’s trying to hide – we just don’t know what it is yet. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2016, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prioritize-the-trump-target/767537/10 "2016-10-02T23:51:06Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Surprisingly, the major stuff doesn’t seem to move the needle. It’s the Khans and the Machado thing that are sticking. There are an endless supply of real people that he has stiffed and screwed over over the years. Find one shining example of everyday people that he has fucked over and make one an issue every week. > > Next week, [Vera Coking](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vera_Coking). Even though she’s no longer alive, I don’t think Republicans like the idea that a rich guy can try to use the government to take your house. I think not paying taxes for 20 years moves the needle, because it’s going to cause Trump to have another tantrum – guaranteed. He’s lost control of the narrative on this one, and his critics are going to pound him into the turf with it. They can either go two ways with it: Either a) Trump lost a BILLION during one of the longest periods of economic prosperity and thus ain’t a genius or b) He’s a rich freeloader who pays no taxes but as the guy who will staff the IRS will expect you to pay up. There’s no way this story doesn’t resonate. No way. He’s fucking toast. And he’s hiding something which I suspect will characterize him in an even worse light. But he knows that so as bad as this is, he’ll try to limit the damage, pray that nobody else releases more damaging info, and pray that more people are dumb. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2016, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prioritize-the-trump-target/767537/11 "2016-10-02T23:57:43Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > I think not paying taxes for 20 years moves the needle, because it’s going to cause Trump to have another tantrum – guaranteed. He’s lost control of the narrative on this one, and his critics are going to pound him into the turf with it. I really want to believe you here, but I’ve been convinced at least six times previously that he is toast! That’s the only reason I’m reticent of thinking that this tax reveal (revealing something that, c’mon, we all already knew!) is not going to last. Regardless, he is running out of time to make up ground, and this is certain to suck up some of those precious days. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2016, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prioritize-the-trump-target/767537/12 "2016-10-03T00:03:57Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > … The media is going to be relentless in going after those returns that he has yet to file, and I’m betting that his failure to release them has more to do with simply not paying taxes. There’s other shit he’s trying to hide – we just don’t know what it is yet. Investigative reporting could really move that needle if solid evidence on Trump’s debts emerges. If it can be established beyond reasonable doubt that Trump is in hock to Putin’s oligarch buddies, that will be a tough one for Trump’s fans to spin as a positive. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2016, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prioritize-the-trump-target/767537/13 "2016-10-03T00:04:24Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > They can either go two ways with it: > > Either a) Trump lost a BILLION during one of the longest periods of economic prosperity and thus ain’t a genius This one. Paint his as “The Billion Dollar Loser”. Make it clear to him that’s the nickname that he will wear into the future. He’ll have a melt down. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2016, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prioritize-the-trump-target/767537/14 "2016-10-03T00:06:16Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Investigative reporting could really move that needle if solid evidence on Trump’s debts emerges. If it can be established beyond reasonable doubt that Trump is in hock to Putin’s oligarch buddies, that will be a tough one for Trump’s fans to spin as a positive. Are you kidding? Trumps fans would accept ANYthing from him. Even now, some of Trumps base think that Russia helped us defeat the Soviet Union Communists during World War 1. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2016, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prioritize-the-trump-target/767537/15 "2016-10-03T00:07:22Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > There are an endless supply of real people that he has stiffed and screwed over over the years. Find one shining example of everyday people that he has fucked over and make one an issue every week. > > Next week, [Vera Coking](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vera_Coking). Even though she’s no longer alive, I don’t think Republicans like the idea that a rich guy can try to use the government to take your house. This idea is THE BEST, I think. But don’t use poor Vera. Because she’s no longer with us. You need to have a live person, so Trump can engage in a twitter war with them, and insult them personally for a week. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2016, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prioritize-the-trump-target/767537/16 "2016-10-03T00:12:35Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > This idea is THE BEST, I think. But don’t use poor Vera. Because she’s no longer with us. You need to have a live person, so Trump can engage in a twitter war with them, and insult them personally for a week. Oh, I don’t think she’d mind! It would be better if she were around to talk about it, but I think the issue of eminent domain is a big one for a lot of conservatives, and the fact that Trump fought an old lady to remove her from her house in order to have a place to park his limos (and the fact that he ultimately lost to said old woman) is hard for them to ignore. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2016, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prioritize-the-trump-target/767537/17 "2016-10-03T00:19:26Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Oh, I don’t think she’d mind! It would be better if she were around to talk about it, but I think the issue of eminent domain is a big one for a lot of conservatives, and the fact that Trump fought an old lady to remove her from her house in order to have a place to park his limos (and the fact that he ultimately lost to said old woman) is hard for them to ignore. Yes, although don’t underestimate the value of a week’s worth of Trump insulting some small businessman via twitter at 3:30 in the morning. It’s the punching down of an identified (living) victim that really works. The key is to engage Trump on a personal level - call him a loser, get some “smaller” person (in his eyes) to call him out. Trump cannot, CANNOT resist bullying. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2016, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prioritize-the-trump-target/767537/18 "2016-10-03T00:21:17Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > (and the fact that he ultimately lost to said old woman) Theme slogan for a series of political ads: DONALD TRUMP: HE LOSES TO THE LADIES ---
**Author:** ![skdo23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@skdo23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skdo23)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2016, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prioritize-the-trump-target/767537/19 "2016-10-03T00:49:32Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > This one. Paint his as “The Billion Dollar Loser”. Make it clear to him that’s the nickname that he will wear into the future. > > He’ll have a melt down. This. As I’ve posted a couple of times before, this is a known trigger point for Trump that Hillary’s campaign is well aware of and is now milking for all it’s worth. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2016, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prioritize-the-trump-target/767537/20 "2016-10-03T00:56:19Z")
Anyone notice how Trump hasn’t said shit today? Or if he has it’s been totally drowned out by his negative press? Either way, we’re breaking new ground here, folks. He’s a wounded (paper) tiger. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prioritize-the-trump-target/767537.md?page=2)