# 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:** 18
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/342 "2016-06-03T17:25:49Z")
Yeah, what harsh attacks on Trump in the primaries? The other candidates treated him with kid gloves, figuring he’d eventually burn out or bow out thus leaving his supporters up for grabs. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/343 "2016-06-03T18:25:49Z")
> [@Enola\_Gay](#): > > Agreed. I think it’s a major mistake to underestimate him. > > I’m in California & Clinton ads are on tv all the time now…and I do not think they will help her with Republicans who aren’t comfortable with The Donald. > > One ad shows a sweet little girl crying that she is worried her parents will be deported since they are illegal aliens. Hilary calls the girl over & gives her an uncomfortable looking hug and states that she will do everything in her power to make sure the little girls’ parents will get to stay here. > > Fast forward to the facebook posts: 'The little girl is cute and all & I feel bad, but Clinton wants to keep the flood gates open and give amnesty to every single person on the planet who wants to enter this country illegally. That is what is killing our economy. As much as I hate Trump, he is the lesser of the 2 evils". > > And that statement was made by a very educated acquaintance of mine who, for the past year, was saying he would NEVER vote for that bozo Trump. I have no doubt that Clinton will win California, but the fact that Trump has become palatable to otherwise reasonable people is terrifying to me. Why is it terrifying? It seems logical that people are sick of a political class that lives by no rules. ---
**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:** [June 3, 2016, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/344 "2016-06-03T18:34:06Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Why is it terrifying? It seems logical that people are sick of a political class that lives by no rules. … so they decide to support an unethical, rude, ignorant business guy who lives by no rules. Makes perfect sense. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/345 "2016-06-03T18:44:14Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Why is it terrifying? It seems logical that people are sick of a political class that lives by no rules. I agree that this is the primary motivation of the plurality of Trump supporters. If they succeed in electing him, they will learn that electing an amateur outsider isn’t going to get them any of the things they want. Something similar would have happened if Bernie was elected President. This whole theory of the amateur-outsider would be put to the test and be found to be incorrect. Eventually people will come around to the recognition that the problem isn’t the political class or big corporations. The problem is party-based ideological polarization that has kneecapped the federal government’s power to respond to big problems in an era of rapid technological change and globalization. That doesn’t get changed or ameliorated by throwing people like Donald Trump at the problem. In fact, it makes it worse–and that’s true regardless of whether you like his cultural or policy ideas. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/346 "2016-06-03T19:50:35Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > If they succeed in electing him, they will learn that electing an amateur outsider isn’t going to get them any of the things they want. No, they won’t. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/347 "2016-06-03T19:57:02Z")
Some will, some won’t. But on balance, it will start to swing the pendulum toward explanations for Washington’s malfunction other than “we need an outsider President.” ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/348 "2016-06-03T21:32:52Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > … so they decide to support an unethical, rude, ignorant business guy who lives by no rules. > > Makes perfect sense. Yes it does, oddly enough. ---
**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:** [June 3, 2016, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/349 "2016-06-03T21:51:56Z")
That Trump is doubling down on his insistence that the judge in the Trump U case should resign because of his ethnicity gives me hope for a possible meltdown. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/350 "2016-06-03T22:21:35Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Why is it terrifying? It seems logical that people are sick of a political class that lives by no rules. Pols **do** live by rules. And [Trump has broken every one of them](http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/05/the-seven-broken-guardrails-of-democracy/484829/). ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/351 "2016-06-03T22:34:30Z")
If Hillary keeps insulting him, he’s going to blow up. I’ve been wrong with about every idea about Trump and this unbelieveable run, but one thing is predictable: That dude freaks out when he’s insulted. It’s a damn shame that the Republican candidate has dragged this cycle down to such a point, but if it’s the ability to insult that determines our next President, I wish Hillary the tenacity to needle him with no let up. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/352 "2016-06-03T22:41:56Z")
The beauty is Hillary isn’t really insulting him. She’s simply throwing his own words back at him, and pointing out how his own self-stated positions make him unfit to be president. She gives him no room to maneuver; he’s too ignorant to take her on on the merits, and so all he can really do is insist he has “very strong and thick skin” (alas, [not a joke](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-defends-his-skin)). ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/353 "2016-06-03T22:48:15Z")
Enjoy Today’s Episode of “Let Me Tell You How Strong and Thick My Skin Is”. > **[Trump: ‘I Don’t Have Thin Skin!’ (VIDEO)](https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-defends-his-skin)** > > In an attempt to respond to Hillary Clinton's "thin skin" jab at him during her foreign policy speech earlier in the week, Donald Trump is now defending his ability to take criticism. video at the link. > [@](#): > > “Well, I don’t have thin skin,” Trump protested. “I have very strong and thick skin. If you do a report and it’s not necessarily positive but, you’re right, I never complain. I do complain when it’s a lie or when it’s wrong.” > > Trump then went on to explain how his thick skin and “good temperament” made him have “one of the best-selling books of all-time” and a successful television show. ---
**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:** [June 3, 2016, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/354 "2016-06-03T23:08:31Z")
These attacks against Judge Curiel are an even more blatant example of overt anti-Mexican bigotry, and I think it’s possible that it may haunt Trump for the rest of the campaign. Every time Hillary or one of her surrogates talks about anything related to immigration or general criticism of Trump, they’ll bring up the fact that Trump doesn’t believe that Mexican Americans can serve as judges. ---
**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 6, 2016, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/355 "2016-06-06T23:07:05Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > These attacks against Judge Curiel are an even more blatant example of overt anti-Mexican bigotry, and I think it’s possible that it may haunt Trump for the rest of the campaign. Every time Hillary or one of her surrogates talks about anything related to immigration or general criticism of Trump, they’ll bring up the fact that Trump doesn’t believe that Mexican Americans can serve as judges. He apparently doesn’t believe that [Muslim judges](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/06/us/politics/could-a-muslim-judge-be-trump-neutral-trump-thinks-not.html)can be impartial either. Yet somehow, NO MATTER what he says, there are no consequences. WTF!!! ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/356 "2016-06-06T23:08:43Z")
There are always consequences in politics. Trump’s approval rating is toxic and he’d be unelectable if he wasn’t running against someone else who has richly earned a negative approval rating. ---
**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:** [June 6, 2016, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/357 "2016-06-06T23:14:28Z")
Interesting trend lines in the [most recent reuters/Ipsos](http://polling.reuters.com/#!poll/TM651Y15_13/filters/LIKELY:1/type/smallest/dates/20160401-20160603/collapsed/true/spotlight/1). Had been tied in their method 3 to 4 weeks ago, Clinton up since and widening to now Clinton +8 last reported. For this house the trend is what is most important. They poll the same preselected large pool repetively. An internet based method may or may not be a valid reflection of the country but it is a valid look at trends within a group intended to be broadly reflective of the voting population. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/358 "2016-06-06T23:14:32Z")
January 20 at noon: “I, Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton …” That would be your prediction too, if only you could steel yourself. ---
**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:** [June 6, 2016, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/359 "2016-06-06T23:32:23Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Interesting trend lines in the [most recent reuters/Ipsos](http://polling.reuters.com/#!poll/TM651Y15_13/filters/LIKELY:1/type/smallest/dates/20160401-20160603/collapsed/true/spotlight/1). Had been tied in their method 3 to 4 weeks ago, Clinton up since and widening to now Clinton +8 last reported. > > For this house the trend is what is most important. They poll the same preselected large pool repetively. An internet based method may or may not be a valid reflection of the country but it is a valid look at trends within a group intended to be broadly reflective of the voting population. 1. And locks in any inaccuracies between the group polled and the voting population. 2. When has an internet poll EVER been representative? ---
**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 7, 2016, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/360 "2016-06-07T00:16:36Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > 1. And locks in any inaccuracies between the group polled and the voting population. > 2. When has an internet poll EVER been representative? IIRC Google did alright in the past election and currently has a B grade on 538. Ipsos/Reuters that uses the Internet in recent polls has a score of A-. Of course we need more data to consider them to be as good as others, however today a live phone poll of registered voters from IDB shows Clinton up by 5 points, and it has to be noted that Ipsos also reported in May how close Trump got, but it looks like it was just a temporary bounce. Of course as I just noted that Trump is releasing the hounds on the judge and the press and calling them the “racists” (according to an email leaked to Bloomberg), good luck in alienating the ones that fed your campaign Mr. Trump. [http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-06-06/trump-orders-surrogates-to-intensify-criticism-of-judge-and-journalists](http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-06-06/trump-orders-surrogates-to-intensify-criticism-of-judge-and-journalists) ---
**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 7, 2016, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989/361 "2016-06-07T00:29:34Z")
Ah, looked at the video first, the text does report that the leak is worse, as it points to a few close to the Trump campaign sharing their notes of the call to the media. Worse in the sense that I can see now Trump becoming more paranoid and unhinged wondering who are the back stabbers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989.md?page=17) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-vs-clinton-in-the-general-election/754989.md?page=19)