# The Trump Campaign Promise Walk-Back Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 12, 2016, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-campaign-promise-walk-back-thread/771556 "2016-11-12T00:14:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2016, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-campaign-promise-walk-back-thread/771556/201 "2016-11-24T02:57:14Z")
> [@chacoguy](#): > > He seems to have flipped on a number of issues; I’m trying to figure out who is actually in charge and forcing him to be a grown up. Or how long will it take for him to slip away, or become peeved by something someone said about \*those \*subjects, and there we go again… ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2016, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-campaign-promise-walk-back-thread/771556/202 "2016-11-24T03:00:39Z")
There’s already a thread in this forum about this subject. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=810456](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=810456) ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2016, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-campaign-promise-walk-back-thread/771556/203 "2016-11-24T03:25:58Z")
Merged threads starting at post #200. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2016, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-campaign-promise-walk-back-thread/771556/204 "2016-11-24T03:54:50Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > I’m sure every participant in this thread knows that every Presidential candidate, once elected, breaks campaign promises. [Politifact](http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/obameter/rulings/promise-broken/) has 7 pages - well over 100 - promises that Mr. Obama broke. That listing does not even include the category “Compromised”, just straight out “Broken”. :dubious: Somewhat apples and oranges there. That “Broken Promises” category draws no distinction between pledges that Obama **chose** to abandon or take no action on (such as the promised elimination of no-bid contracts above the arbitrary cutoff of $25K) and ones that he was actively **prevented** from fulfilling by a vehemently obstructionist Republican Congress (such as the elimination of oil and gas tax loopholes, and lifting the payroll tax cap on earnings above $250K, and signing the UN Convention on the rights of the disabled, and providing a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, etc.). What we’re talking about in Trump’s case are promises that he’s **already** unilaterally choosing to abandon **before he’s even in a position to try to implement them as President**. This isn’t just being unable for various reasons to fulfill as President every promise you made as a candidate: this is a President-Elect plain old flip-flopping on promises which, in many cases, were easily perceived by any rational voter as completely unworkable right from the get-go. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2016, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-campaign-promise-walk-back-thread/771556/205 "2016-11-24T10:14:55Z")
> [@chacoguy](#): > > 1. When was the last time he mentioned Building The Wall? > > 2. When was the last time he mentioned deporting millions of illegal immigrants? > > 3. When was the last time he mentioned blocking Muslims from entering the country? > He seems to have flipped on a number of issues; I’m trying to figure out who is actually in charge and forcing him to be a grown up. Donald Trump. Someone said recently that Trump’s detractors listened to the detail of what he said (and were horrified) while his supporters listened the sentiment but not the detail. His crazier statements (like those above) were intended to make him sound like a xenophobe’s xenophobe. The type of guy whose heart was - by xenophobic standards - in the right place. He never meant any of that shit. He just said it to win. ---
**Author:** ![computergeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e56c9b/32.png) [@computergeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/computergeek)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2016, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-campaign-promise-walk-back-thread/771556/206 "2016-11-24T11:34:59Z")
The thing with Trump is that he made himself out to be different than the lying politicians, more honest and in tune with people’s needs. So I for one would be very glad to point out where he backs off promises he made. Many of Trump’s supporters seemed to support him because he “told it like it is” with his bullying and politically incorrect word salad, along with listening to the sentiment of his words, not the actual, specific words, as Princhester said. So most of his supporters probably won’t care as long as he continues to skewer enemies like the news media and somehow brings back jobs. Some of his supporters are likely to be pissed though, especially though who hate Clinton On the other hand, many of his promises were scary to a lot of people, including myself. So if he backs off a lot of his nuttier promises and can govern more as a centrist, so much the better. Though with his cabinet made up mostly of right wing conservatives, it will probably be more in that mode ---
**Author:** ![computergeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e56c9b/32.png) [@computergeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/computergeek)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2016, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-campaign-promise-walk-back-thread/771556/207 "2016-11-24T15:35:48Z")
One of these days, you hope Republican voters will finally see that much of the noise and fury raised by the party and talk radio about the other side is mostly bunk. We’ll see how much party members protest the stuff that Trump does that’s over the line in ethics and way worse than they could actually prove with Clinton. The Trump Foundation’s self-dealing and Trump’s continuing use of his office to help his business should raise hackles but aren’t ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2016, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-campaign-promise-walk-back-thread/771556/208 "2016-11-24T20:02:51Z")
Every time I read about him walking back a campaign promise, I find myself wondering when he will walk back the walk back. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2016, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-campaign-promise-walk-back-thread/771556/209 "2016-11-24T20:23:08Z")
Exactly. If he just said shit to trick people into voting for him, now that he’s president he’s just saying shit to trick people into thinking he’s “presidential”. Why anyone would believe the lying lies that come out of his lying mouth, I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2016, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-campaign-promise-walk-back-thread/771556/210 "2016-11-24T21:11:12Z")
Sorry if this has already been answered, but is there any polling as to what percentage of Trump voters literally expect the few very concrete positions Trump took including the 20 foot wall Mexico is paying for, the jailing of Clinton and the deportation of all people here illegally? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2016, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-campaign-promise-walk-back-thread/771556/211 "2016-11-24T21:18:05Z")
Kinda depends on whether the Build the Wall group is the same as the Bomb the Mooslims. Probably not the same as the Give All Our Money to the Rich Guys vote. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2016, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-campaign-promise-walk-back-thread/771556/212 "2016-11-24T21:56:51Z")
I guess I meant for each one broken out. I mean, what percentage of Trump voters will be disappointed come 2020 when that wall isn’t built and Mexico didn’t pay for it? ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2016, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-campaign-promise-walk-back-thread/771556/213 "2016-11-24T23:40:16Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > Exactly. If he just said shit to trick people into voting for him, now that he’s president he’s just saying shit to trick people into thinking he’s “presidential”. Why anyone would believe the lying lies that come out of his lying mouth, I don’t know. Yeah, like while everyone is catching their breaths in relief over no actual Wall or no Extradition Force, he sneaks in a “The World Was Perfect In 1950” SC Justice or a tax break for defense contractors that book all their travel at Trump hotels, and everyone’s too exhausted by then to stand up to that. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2016, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-campaign-promise-walk-back-thread/771556/214 "2016-11-24T23:58:26Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > I guess I meant for each one broken out. I mean, what percentage of Trump voters will be disappointed come 2020 when that wall isn’t built and Mexico didn’t pay for it? None, at least who will admit it. “Sheesh, you weren’t supposed to take that _literally!_ It was symbolic. It’s a whaddayacallit, like in the Bible. A parabola.” ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2016, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-campaign-promise-walk-back-thread/771556/215 "2016-11-25T03:40:15Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > Exactly. If he just said shit to trick people into voting for him, now that he’s president he’s just saying shit to trick people into thinking he’s “presidential”. Why anyone would believe the lying lies that come out of his lying mouth, I don’t know. Because they want to. Trump understands that for many people, if they like you, if they think you are one of them, they will not hear your lies and do not care what you do wrong to others. I don’t know how bright Trump is but he’s certainly a natural psychologist. He understands how tribalism works. You’ll remember when he said he could walk out onto the street and shoot somebody and he would still be popular. It wa an exaggeration but only a little. Tribalism. That’s why pussy grabbing didn’t make him unelectable. That’s why lying didn’t make him unelectable. That’s why threatening minorities didn’t make him unelectable. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2016, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-campaign-promise-walk-back-thread/771556/216 "2016-11-25T05:42:06Z")
Frankly, I’d rate Politifact’s use of “promises broken” as at most half true. Breaking a promise means you didn’t try to fulfill it. It’s shitty language, when the entire point of the Obameter was supposed to be to show that Presidents rarely break promises-- i.e. actually make promises they didn’t intend to keep ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2016, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-campaign-promise-walk-back-thread/771556/217 "2016-11-25T21:11:35Z")
[If you like your tax rate, you get to keep it.](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/middle-class-trump-plan-mean-tax-increase-153628510--finance.html) > [@](#): > > President-elect Donald Trump’s proposals would modestly cut income taxes for most middle-class Americans. But for nearly 8 million families — including a majority of single-parent households — the opposite would occur: They’d pay more. > > Most married couples with three or more children would also pay higher taxes, an analysis by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center found. And while middle-class families as a whole would receive tax cuts of about 2 percent, they’d be dwarfed by the windfalls averaging 13.5 percent for America’s richest 1 percent. > > The tax hikes that would hit single parents and large families would result from Trump’s plan to eliminate the personal exemption and the head-of-household filing status. These features of the tax code have enabled many Americans to reduce their taxable income. ---
**Author:** ![Emily\_Litella](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emily_litella/32/3370_2.png) [@Emily\_Litella](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emily_Litella)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2016, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-campaign-promise-walk-back-thread/771556/218 "2016-11-29T03:46:10Z")
I’m wondering what are the parameters of making America great again? What if one day when everything is going to hell he tweets “Hey! I’ve done it, everything is great! America IS great again!” Would his supporters believe him? If he tried to back that up with actual facts you would have to pick my jaw up off the floor, but it would be fun to see Kellyanne Conway trying to spin it. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-campaign-promise-walk-back-thread/771556/219 "2016-12-04T10:39:39Z")
The wall [isn’t going to be along the _whole_ border](http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/trump-no-full-border-wall-thanks-vicious-rivers-article-1.2895264), you see, because of mountains and vicious rivers. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-campaign-promise-walk-back-thread/771556/220 "2016-12-04T17:10:42Z")
Is that the same mighty Rio Grande that Mexicans wade across? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-campaign-promise-walk-back-thread/771556.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-campaign-promise-walk-back-thread/771556.md?page=12)