# Trump's Republican primary campaign **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 3, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828 "2015-09-03T18:00:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 140
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/2785 "2016-03-21T16:33:59Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Mexican immigrants /= Mexicans They are still Mexicans, even if they live here legally, until they attain US citizenship. Then they are Americans. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/2786 "2016-03-21T16:53:50Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > And? Are you under the impression that I agree with Trump’s assessment? I am under the impression that Trump is a mean-minded idiot and that I am under the impression that you do not share that impression. ---
**Author:** ![Hank\_Beecher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hank_beecher/32/7275_2.png) [@Hank\_Beecher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hank_Beecher)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/2787 "2016-03-21T17:43:01Z")
[Poll shows Trump rapidly gaining ground on Clinton in general election match up.](http://polling.reuters.com/#poll/TM651Y15_13/filters/PD1:1,LIKELY:1/dates/20160307-20160318/type/day) ---
**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:** [March 21, 2016, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/2788 "2016-03-21T17:49:25Z")
> [@Hank\_Beecher](#): > > [Poll shows Trump rapidly gaining ground on Clinton in general election match up.](http://polling.reuters.com/#poll/TM651Y15_13/filters/PD1:1,LIKELY:1/dates/20160307-20160318/type/day) If we extrapolate from that extremely cherry-picked sample, then by election day Trump will have well over 140% support to Hillary’s -30%! She’s doomed! ---
**Author:** ![Hank\_Beecher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hank_beecher/32/7275_2.png) [@Hank\_Beecher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hank_Beecher)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/2789 "2016-03-21T17:49:47Z")
The question is whether[Trump’s ad](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7YQF5XPWYI) is hurting Clinton more than scenes like [this](http://media1.fdncms.com/riverfronttimes/imager/u/original/3063752/img_1152.jpg) and [this](http://i.imgur.com/9qWeZlw.png) and [this](https://twitter.com/LATSeema/status/711249835119128578/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) are helping Trump. ---
**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:** [March 21, 2016, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/2790 "2016-03-21T17:59:35Z")
> [@Hank\_Beecher](#): > > The question is whether[Trump’s ad](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7YQF5XPWYI) is hurting Clinton more than scenes like [this](http://media1.fdncms.com/riverfronttimes/imager/u/original/3063752/img_1152.jpg) and [this](http://i.imgur.com/9qWeZlw.png) and [this](https://twitter.com/LATSeema/status/711249835119128578/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) are helping Trump. As you informed us those could hurt Bernie if it is shown that those are indeed Bernie supporters. But then one could point at those as nutpicking. Contrast those few examples made to make a whole group to look bad with what Trump and the whole New Hampshire crowd did by showing how ignorant they were. As for the polls, That is only one, looking at others in the aggregate show that Trump did go from the regular 5 points behind Hillary to almost 10 behind Hillary now. [http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/2016-general-election-trump-vs-clinton](http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/2016-general-election-trump-vs-clinton) ---
**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:** [March 21, 2016, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/2791 "2016-03-21T18:00:32Z")
I don’t even have to say anything… Other than that I love the “Batshit Baboon Brigade.” That’s classic. 🙂 (In case there’s any doubt, I’m talking about the term, not the people themselves or their batshit beliefs.) ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/2792 "2016-03-21T18:07:13Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Mexican immigrants /= Mexicans > > He also said > > > [@](#): > > > > Many fabulous people come in from Mexico and our country is better for it. But these people are here legally,and are severely hurt by those coming in illegally," wrote Trump. “I am proud to say that I know many hard working Mexicans—many of them are working for and with me…and, just like our country, my organization is better for it.” > > Again, I am not defending his position, just pointing out what he actually said. Really, I have no idea any more if you’re trying to defend him or not, but once again this isn’t a balanced assessment and is hugely misleading with respect to the messages that he leaves his rube followers. Trump did make that statement, but he made it last July at the same time that he doubled down on his “Mexico is sending …” nonsense, accusing the Mexican government of “forcing their most unwanted people into the United States” which he said has become a “dumping ground for Mexico”. At the same time that he accused Mexicans of bringing “tremendous infectious diseases” to the US. At the same time that he actually doubled down again on his previous heinous remarks that these people being “sent” by Mexico are “… bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists” adding that these remarks could not have been “simpler or more accurately stated”. The [cite for this](http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jul/06/donald-trump-mexican-immigrants-tremendous-infectious-disease) does a good job of dissecting his egregious lies. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/2793 "2016-03-21T18:41:08Z")
I thought you just said you weren’t inclined to get into an argument again about interpreting Trumps remarks? Lol. The thing is, I don’t for real. I won’t argue if you think it’s a dog whistle. I won’t argue if you say his statements were meant to inflame while just staying on one side of the line. I was just sick of people reporting what he actually said inaccurately. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/2794 "2016-03-21T18:48:04Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > As you informed us those could hurt Bernie if it is shown that those are indeed Bernie supporters. And, even if they are, since Trump almost certainly will be facing Clinton, anything that might reflect poorly on Sanders is largely irrelevant anyway. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/2795 "2016-03-21T21:03:44Z")
Trump about to speak at AIPAC. I sure hope he tells them how much he hates it when illegal immigrants flood in and change the culture and identity of a region, regardless of the fact that their remote ancestors lived there. ---
**Author:** ![Hank\_Beecher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hank_beecher/32/7275_2.png) [@Hank\_Beecher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hank_Beecher)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/2796 "2016-03-21T22:23:28Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > As you informed us those could hurt Bernie if it is shown that those are indeed Bernie supporters. It doesn’t look likely that it is going to matter very much how much they hurt Bernie. They are very likely to help Trump by characterizing the most motivated opposition to him as coming from the type of people who mob up and block roads trying to shut down political speech they do’t like, step on Old Glory, and wave around the hammer and sickle. ---
**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:** [March 22, 2016, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/2797 "2016-03-22T00:40:43Z")
> [@Hank\_Beecher](#): > > It doesn’t look likely that it is going to matter very much how much they hurt Bernie. They are very likely to help Trump by characterizing the most motivated opposition to him as coming from the type of people who mob up and block roads trying to shut down political speech they do’t like, step on Old Glory, and wave around the hammer and sickle. Again, very likely to help only for people that do not know the difference between a nut and what most of his opponents are really doing and saying, Trump supporters seem to have trouble figuring out that difference; but, as pointed out many times before, it is not working much with most of the American people. ---
**Author:** ![Hank\_Beecher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hank_beecher/32/7275_2.png) [@Hank\_Beecher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hank_Beecher)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/2798 "2016-03-22T01:17:50Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Again, very likely to help only for people that do not know the difference between a nut and what most of his opponents are really doing and saying, Trump supporters seem to have trouble figuring out that difference; but, as pointed out many times before, it is not working much with most of the American people. It has a branding effect, though. One which will self-perpetuate as the media repeats coverage of the most sensational bits they can find.\* Trump will leverage it as much as he can. And _everyone_ is susceptible to that stuff. - See repetitions of bogus reports implying an association between Trump and the KKK. ---
**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:** [March 22, 2016, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/2799 "2016-03-22T01:33:41Z")
> [@Hank\_Beecher](#): > > It has a branding effect, though. The branding also happens in the opposite direction that you expect, specially because that is not just the only things that extremists are doing, what you are continuing to ignore that Trump is the extremist too. For example, early on the polls showed about 6 in ten Hispanics against Trump; the latest polls I have seen show now close to 8 in ten against Trump. > [@Hank\_Beecher](#): > > One which will self-perpetuate as the media repeats coverage of the most sensational bits they can find.\* Trump will leverage it as much as he can. And _everyone_ is susceptible to that stuff. Not until he repudiates Joe Arpaio. > [@Hank\_Beecher](#): > > - See repetitions of bogus reports implying an association between Trump and the KKK. I have not seen them, Usually it is about Trump playing coy about David Duke. ---
**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:** [March 22, 2016, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/2800 "2016-03-22T01:44:48Z")
And speaking of branding, that Trump is being supported a lot by Sarah Palin and Trump did seek that support [is not going to make wonders to the Trump brand in the general election](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/new-york-daily-news-palin-trump_us_569f04fce4b04c813761fc2b). ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/2801 "2016-03-22T09:52:46Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > And speaking of branding, that Trump is being supported a lot by Sarah Palin and Trump did seek that support [is not going to make wonders to the Trump brand in the general election](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/new-york-daily-news-palin-trump_us_569f04fce4b04c813761fc2b). Palin’s involvement might explain some of Trump’s recent [interview with the Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2016/03/21/a-transcript-of-donald-trumps-meeting-with-the-washington-post-editorial-board/): > [@](#): > > HIATT: So what do you think China’s aims are in the South China Sea? > > TRUMP: Well I know China very well, because I deal with China all the time. I’ve done very well. China’s unbelievably ambitious. China is, uh… I mean, when I deal with China, you know, I have the Bank of America building, I’ve done some great deals with China. I do deals with them all the time on, you know, selling apartments, and, you know, people say ‘oh that’s not the same thing.’ The level of… uh, the largest bank in the world, 400 million customers, is a tenant of mine in New York, in Manhattan. The biggest bank in China. The biggest bank in the world. > > China has got unbelievable ambitions. China feels very invincible. We have rebuilt China. They have drained so much money out of our country that they’ve rebuilt China. Without us, you wouldn’t see the airports and the roadways and the bridges; I mean, the George Washington Bridge is like, that’s like a trinket compared to the bridges that they’ve built in China. We don’t build anymore, and it, you know, we had our day. But China, if you look at what’s going on in China, you know, they go down to seven percent or eight percent and it’s like a national catastrophe. Our GDP is right now zero. Essentially zero. So that’s clear then. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/2802 "2016-03-22T13:03:56Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Palin’s involvement might explain some of Trump’s recent [interview with the Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2016/03/21/a-transcript-of-donald-trumps-meeting-with-the-washington-post-editorial-board/) Wow, our GDP is zero. I did not know that. I had been under the impression that it was somewhere around $18-19 trillion. But _zero_? Damn, I was certainly not expecting that. I guess you have to know those things when you’re an expert on trade, though. Huh. Zero. Learn something new every day… ---
**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:** [March 22, 2016, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/2803 "2016-03-22T14:02:36Z")
Even granting the verbal miscue and looking at GDP growth rates, he’s still completely incorrect: [http://www.tradingeconomics.com/united-states/gdp-growth](http://www.tradingeconomics.com/united-states/gdp-growth) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828/2804 "2016-03-22T14:22:45Z")
> [@Hank\_Beecher](#): > > - See repetitions of bogus reports implying an association between Trump and the KKK. There is nothing bogus about that. No on is implying Trump is a Klan member or even a sympathizer. What is significant and newsworthy is **their** support for **him.** [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828.md?page=139) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-republican-primary-campaign/729828.md?page=141)