# Trump vs Clinton in the General Election **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 17, 2016, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989 "2016-05-17T13:19:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2016, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/282 "2016-05-30T21:04:08Z")
Fortunately for us, Clinton isn’t Obama. Tying herself to Obama is her election strategy, and it’s a smart one that midterm candidates should have emulated. That does not mean she will continue his policies once elected. Her record is much more hawkish and she has a great relationship with the military brass that Obama still lacks. America’s strength is not something I worry about with her. And I still say that she’s a vast improvement over the last two Presidents. SHe’s just quite character deficient and government transparency will be a joke with her in office. Thank goodness for Johnson/Weld. ---
**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:** [May 30, 2016, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/283 "2016-05-30T22:03:04Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Fortunately for us, Clinton isn’t Obama. Tying herself to Obama is her election strategy, and it’s a smart one that midterm candidates should have emulated. That does not mean she will continue his policies once elected. Her record is much more hawkish and she has a great relationship with the military brass that Obama still lacks. > > America’s strength is not something I worry about with her. And I still say that she’s a vast improvement over the last two Presidents. SHe’s just quite character deficient and government transparency will be a joke with her in office. Thank goodness for Johnson/Weld. Obama bashing poorly disguised as analysis, ignored. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2016, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/284 "2016-05-30T22:09:25Z")
That, and generic Hillary character disparagement with, as usual, no specifics to back it up, and certainly no comparative analysis. Laughed at, also as usual, and \*then \*ignored. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/285 "2016-05-31T04:08:23Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > [Hillary]has a great relationship with the military brass that Obama still lacks… I will almost certainly vote for her, but I am skeptical as to both aspects of this statement. Cite? ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/286 "2016-05-31T04:27:51Z")
> [@Phu\_Cat](#): > > You KNOW it’s true: The world is at its safest when the United States is at its strongest. I don’t actually know this. Cite, please? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/287 "2016-05-31T05:21:09Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I will almost certainly vote for her, but I am skeptical as to both aspects of this statement. Cite? Dunno about Obama, but this is a good article on Hillary’s military relationships: [http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/24/magazine/how-hillary-clinton-became-a-hawk.html?\_r=0](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/24/magazine/how-hillary-clinton-became-a-hawk.html?_r=0) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/288 "2016-05-31T06:56:16Z")
> [@](#): > > …You KNOW it’s true: The world is at its safest when the United States is at its strongest. For the earliest years of my life, I lived in the single most powerful nation in human history. As measured by potential destructive force at hand. Which is why I was taught how to hide under my desk so that I might be vaporized a nanosecond later. How many times did some international tension send Americans stampeding to the grocery store to buy everything? So, no, I don’t KNOW that’s true. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/289 "2016-05-31T15:44:11Z")
For the Obama cite, you’ll have to read the books written by figures like Robert Gates, Stan MacChrystal, and Leon Panetta. Bob Woodward’s first book on the Obama administration also details his difficult relationship with the brass. Or dull roar of military men calling for more aggressive action against ISIS. Obama has pretty consistently listened to what the military says they need to perform the missions the President wants done(assuming he gives them a mission at all) and then given them half of it. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/290 "2016-05-31T15:49:06Z")
**North Korean state media offers support for ‘wise politician’ Donald Trump** [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/)…-donald-trump/ Offered without comment. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/291 "2016-05-31T16:31:29Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > **North Korean state media offers support for ‘wise politician’ Donald Drumpf** > > [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/)…-donald-Drumpf/ > > Offered without comment. Your link did not work for me, here is another [try.](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/05/31/north-korean-state-media-offers-support-for-wise-politician-donald-Drumpf/) Yeah, when Pyongyang gets behind your campaign, that says a lot. ---
**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:** [May 31, 2016, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/292 "2016-05-31T17:15:37Z")
It appears to be behind a paywall. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2016, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/293 "2016-06-01T04:22:04Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > Dunno about Obama, but this is a good article on Hillary’s military relationships… > [@adaher](#): > > For the Obama cite, you’ll have to read the books written by figures like Robert Gates, Stan MacChrystal, and Leon Panetta. Bob Woodward’s first book on the Obama administration also details his difficult relationship with the brass… OK, thanks to you both. ---
**Author:** ![Phu\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/77aa72/32.png) [@Phu\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phu_Cat)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2016, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/294 "2016-06-01T19:48:52Z")
[SIZE=“3”]OK, elucidator, I think I’ve figured out what you were trying to say. Your message was hard to follow and didn’t make much sense. I lived thru the era you are talking about. The reason we were taught to get under our desks had nothing to do with the speed at which we might be incinerated. It was to hopefully protect us should anything fall out of or thru the ceiling in the event of an attack. Also, nobody stampeded to the store in those days for anything where I lived. The only fear came from ‘those crazy Russians’ that Kennedy backed down in Cuba. And the reason they backed down was because they knew as well as we did that nobody would win a nuclear war. Eventually Russia had more financial problems than we did and we came out on top. In that case being financially strong was helpful too. Go ahead, pat yourself on the back along with the rest of your liberal buddies for making the once best country in the world into a nearly 2nd world country. Be happy that liberalism has DRASTICALLY increased crime in the US by being soft on criminals, taught girls it’s just fine to have sex in grade school or experiment with drugs if they want, or tell their teachers to get "F"ed, and that the American Criminal Liberties Union is an organization to be promoted and fostered. All of the above is just the opposite of the 6 pages of what was written degrading Donald Trump. So there. Phu Cat /SIZE] ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2016, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/295 "2016-06-01T20:29:42Z")
> [@Phu\_Cat](#): > > Go ahead, pat yourself on the back along with the rest of your liberal buddies for making the once best country in the world into a nearly 2nd world country. The only thing doing that is the persistence of poverty and the stagnation of wages since the 1970s even as per-worker productivity has steadily increased. And that ain’t on the liberals. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2016, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/296 "2016-06-01T21:14:40Z")
> [@Phu\_Cat](#): > > [SIZE=“3”]OK, elucidator, I think I’ve figured out what you were trying to say. Your message was hard to follow and didn’t make much sense… Don’t read them. I’m not likely to say anything that no one else will say, no special viewpoint that you cannot do without. I’ll get over it. > [@](#): > > …I lived thru the era you are talking about… As did I. Lived on a SAC airbase during the Cuba crisis. We were advised that if we heard a particular alarm sounding, we were to assemble soonest for embarkation and evacuation. It was a crock, of course, even the lad I was, I knew the timing constraints and logistics made that a fantasy. > [@](#): > > … because they knew as well as we did that nobody would win a nuclear war… Oh? Does the name Gen Curtis LeMay sound any knells? > [@](#): > > …Eventually Russia had more financial problems than we did and we came out on top. In that case being financially strong was helpful too… Goody gum drops, we made the lives of ordinary Russians more grey and miserable than it already was. Pretty sure you’re right about that financial strength, but also pretty sure we could do a damn sight better job with it. > [@](#): > > …Go ahead, pat yourself on the back along with the rest of your liberal buddies for making the once best country in the world into a nearly 2nd world country. Be happy that liberalism has DRASTICALLY increased crime in the US by being soft on criminals, taught girls it’s just fine to have sex in grade school or experiment with drugs if they want, or tell their teachers to get "F"ed, and that the American Criminal Liberties Union is an organization to be promoted and fostered… You sound kinda familiar… > [@](#): > > …All of the above is just the opposite of the 6 pages of what was written degrading Donald Trump. So there… There? Didn’t doubt _where_ it is, not sure quite _what_ it is. _Why_ eludes me altogether. At any rate, don’t trouble yourself, my name is right there top left. See it, just pick up your little basket and skip along, skip along. Lot of times I write to provoke a chuckle from people here I like, most of whom know as much as I if not more. So, keep reading, leave me off, and you will still get an education. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2016, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/297 "2016-06-01T21:21:50Z")
[CNN Poll of Polls](http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/01/politics/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-poll-2016/) is showing Trump & Clinton in a statistical dead heat. Is anyone else thunderstruck that the race is this close? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2016, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/298 "2016-06-01T21:32:25Z")
I’m utterly amazed. Clinton is hardly inspiring but people must be hoping that Trump will be reined in by his advisors and the need to compromise with the Houses. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2016, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/299 "2016-06-01T21:33:34Z")
After the Dem nomination is over, Obama will be unconstrained, there will be a nominee from his party. Both he and Horndog Bill will campaign for her, and I’m betting Bernie will as well. There is a droll wit lurking behind Barry O’s Broder-ish facade, I expect to see it surface with a sharpened stinger. Which reminds, excuse…Cortana: shopping list more popcorn. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2016, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/300 "2016-06-01T22:11:51Z")
> [@Phu\_Cat](#): > > …DRASTICALLY increased crime in the US… Let’s just focus on this part of your post. Please justify the accuracy of this claim, which is that crime has “DRASTICALLY increased” in the US. What time period are you considering? Property crime or violent crime? Based on victim reporting surveys, arrests, or convictions? FBI statistics? Something more local? Please educate me… ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2016, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/301 "2016-06-01T22:12:25Z")
> [@Enola\_Gay](#): > > [CNN Poll of Polls](http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/01/politics/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-poll-2016/) is showing Trump & Clinton in a statistical dead heat. > > Is anyone else thunderstruck that the race is this close? 😕 Not me, months ago in a sdmb poll I predicted that by hook or by crook the media and powerful interests would make this a horse race; but in the end, just like in the past race were Obama was ahead by 3 points or less for ages, I expect Hillary to win. Too bad that the Republicans have decided that their party support for Trump is more important than social justice, the environment and the economy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989.md?page=16)