# Trumpwatch: Countdown to blame **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 2, 2016, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumpwatch-countdown-to-blame/761573 "2016-08-02T19:11:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumpwatch-countdown-to-blame/761573/1 "2016-08-02T19:11:29Z")
Trump’s delicate ego will never permit him to concede a defeat by Hillary. This is not my original opinion, but one that I agree with. I thought I’d start this thread so we can note the signs and omens portending this blessed event. Nobody can say exactly how it will go down, but it’s likely to fall under the categories of: [ul] [li]The Republicans stabbed me in the back[/li][li]The Republicans didn’t support me[/li][li]The debates are rigged[/li][li]The opinion polls are rigged[/li][li]The election was/will be stolen[/li][li]I’ve found a huger opportunity than being president, believe me, and this head fake at the presidency was just a stepping stone toward this greater scheme.[/li][/ul] Where will this serial blamer ultimately end up shifting responsibility for his defeat? Let’s start with what we’ve got (disregarding what was said during the primary, since obviously he didn’t lose that). [ul] [li][Trump complains that debate dates conflict with NFL games](http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-complains-debates-conflicting-nfl-games/story?id=41026741)[/li][li][Trump is “afraid” the election is going to be rigged.](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-general-election-rigged-potential-challenge)[/li][li][Trump blames fire marshals for people not appearing at his rallies](https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/trump-complains-fire-marshall--turned-away-thousands-at-rally/2016/08/01/9ea36cfa-5820-11e6-8b48-0cb344221131_video.html)[/li][li][Trump blames a baby](http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/02/politics/donald-trump-ashburn-virginia-crying-baby/)[/li][/ul] Right now I think the odds are slightly better than even that he’ll find a reason to bail out before the election. But after his latest flirtation with questioning the legitimacy of the election, I could also see him trying to contest his defeat in the divided Supreme Court if only to prolong his chaotic time in the spotlight (who knows what a 4-4 decision would even mean?) Anyhow, the betting window is open… ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumpwatch-countdown-to-blame/761573/2 "2016-08-02T19:15:09Z")
You are overthinking this, because the obvious answer is ALL OF THE ABOVE. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumpwatch-countdown-to-blame/761573/3 "2016-08-02T19:22:12Z")
True, but I just thought it would be fun to follow the various predictions out there. Will it be the first debate? Will it be the second debate? If it runs through the election, will there be an epic temper tantrum expressed through lengthy court proceedings, or will he follow through with his insinuations of de-legitimizing the government? I think he’s got a tiger by the tail and doesn’t know what he himself is going to do at this point. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumpwatch-countdown-to-blame/761573/4 "2016-08-02T19:28:15Z")
I sometimes wonder if this whole thing was meant to get someone to offer him a yuge cash bribe to drop out – and the weeks went by, and the offer didn’t come in, and even to this day he’s still thinking _okay, any minute now…_ ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumpwatch-countdown-to-blame/761573/5 "2016-08-02T19:31:54Z")
I’d like this better if we could come up with 24 Patsies, organized into a 5x5 a square. Maybe one with an “It Wasn’t Me” in a circle around a picture of The Trump Smirk in the exact middle of the card. Think of it as a “Free Space”. …because then we could all play “Finger Point Bingo”…! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumpwatch-countdown-to-blame/761573/6 "2016-08-02T19:45:50Z")
When Trump loses, he’ll be found, naked, in a public fountain, mumbling about this being Cruz’s fault. The next we’ll see of DT will be at one of his sanity hearings, before a Mexican-American judge, represented by a female Muslim attorney. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumpwatch-countdown-to-blame/761573/7 "2016-08-02T19:57:11Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > Trump’s delicate ego will never permit him to concede a defeat by Hillary. This is not my original opinion, but one that I agree with. I thought I’d start this thread so we can note the signs and omens portending this blessed event. Nobody can say exactly how it will go down, but it’s likely to fall under the categories of: > > [ul] > [li]The Republicans stabbed me in the back[/li][li]The Republicans didn’t support me[/li][li]The debates are rigged[/li][li]The opinion polls are rigged[/li][li]The election was/will be stolen[/li][li]I’ve found a huger opportunity than being president, believe me, and this head fake at the presidency was just a stepping stone toward this greater scheme.[/li][/ul] > > Where will this serial blamer ultimately end up shifting responsibility for his defeat? Let’s start with what we’ve got (disregarding what was said during the primary, since obviously he didn’t lose that). > [ul] > [li][Trump complains that debate dates conflict with NFL games](http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-complains-debates-conflicting-nfl-games/story?id=41026741)[/li][li][Trump is “afraid” the election is going to be rigged.](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-general-election-rigged-potential-challenge)[/li][li][Trump blames fire marshals for people not appearing at his rallies](https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/trump-complains-fire-marshall--turned-away-thousands-at-rally/2016/08/01/9ea36cfa-5820-11e6-8b48-0cb344221131_video.html)[/li][li][Trump blames a baby](http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/02/politics/donald-trump-ashburn-virginia-crying-baby/)[/li][/ul] > > Right now I think the odds are slightly better than even that he’ll find a reason to bail out before the election. But after his latest flirtation with questioning the legitimacy of the election, I could also see him trying to contest his defeat in the divided Supreme Court if only to prolong his chaotic time in the spotlight (who knows what a 4-4 decision would even mean?) > > Anyhow, the betting window is open… We’re all familiar with Trump the petulant child, but don’t forget about Trump the manipulative mercenary. It’s possible that Trump will manage the end of the race for what he calculates to be the greatest benefit to himself. If he thinks there’s more money and branding opportunities to be gained by appearing statesmanlike and graciously admitting defeat, he could go that way as well. ---
**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:** [August 2, 2016, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumpwatch-countdown-to-blame/761573/8 "2016-08-02T20:25:48Z")
The minute Trump started falling in the polls this week, he started to “protect himself” on two fronts, the first being the one described in this thread: laying the groundwork for a good solid excuse for losing the election. It’s the second that concerns me more. His second strategy appears to be calling for–in a manner he thinks will give him plausible deniability–the assassination of Hillary Clinton. “She’s the devil” —this is a new tack for him, and I believe it represents a new push to characterize Clinton as something other than human. This has been precisely the technique used by anti-abortion forces to gin up their less stable followers into “righteous” violence against doctors and other clinic personnel. You put out the idea that someone is inhuman, and you give the unhinged a “reason” to slaughter them. You make it a “virtuous” thing for them to do. I’m guessing that we will be hearing more along this line from Trump. He is running scared. His ego will NOT take a loss in November. Telling his followers that the process is rigged is wildly counter-productive, in that it encourages them to stay home on Election Day–but Trump can’t help himself. He can’t help trying to provide himself with an excuse. At the same time, I believe, he holds out hope that a loss will be avoided via a bullet or explosion (or polonium or thallium poisoning, if Putin can be persuaded to take a hand in the matter). On some level his brain is calculating that he’d be triumphantly ushered into office, if only “devil” Hillary can be removed from the scene. It’s worth listening closely to learn how deeply he may be clinging to this hope, and how far he may go in trying to inspire his most unbalanced fans. > **[Donald Trump on Hillary Clinton: "She's the devil"](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-on-hillary-clinton-shes-the-devil/)** > > The GOP nominee criticized Bernie Sanders for endorsing Clinton, his Democratic primary rival ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumpwatch-countdown-to-blame/761573/9 "2016-08-02T20:31:02Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > Trump’s delicate ego will never permit him to concede a defeat by Hillary. This is not my original opinion, but one that I agree with. I thought I’d start this thread so we can note the signs and omens portending this blessed event. Nobody can say exactly how it will go down, but it’s likely to fall under the categories of: > > [ul] > [li]The Republicans stabbed me in the back[/li][li]The Republicans didn’t support me[/li][li]The debates are rigged[/li][li]The opinion polls are rigged[/li][li]The election was/will be stolen[/li][li]I’ve found a huger opportunity than being president, believe me, and this head fake at the presidency was just a stepping stone toward this greater scheme.[/li][/ul] > > Where will this serial blamer ultimately end up shifting responsibility for his defeat? Let’s start with what we’ve got (disregarding what was said during the primary, since obviously he didn’t lose that). > [ul] > [li][Trump complains that debate dates conflict with NFL games](http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-complains-debates-conflicting-nfl-games/story?id=41026741)[/li][li][Trump is “afraid” the election is going to be rigged.](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-general-election-rigged-potential-challenge)[/li][li][Trump blames fire marshals for people not appearing at his rallies](https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/trump-complains-fire-marshall--turned-away-thousands-at-rally/2016/08/01/9ea36cfa-5820-11e6-8b48-0cb344221131_video.html)[/li][li][Trump blames a baby](http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/02/politics/donald-trump-ashburn-virginia-crying-baby/)[/li][/ul] > > Right now I think the odds are slightly better than even that he’ll find a reason to bail out before the election. But after his latest flirtation with questioning the legitimacy of the election, I could also see him trying to contest his defeat in the divided Supreme Court if only to prolong his chaotic time in the spotlight (who knows what a 4-4 decision would even mean?) > > Anyhow, the betting window is open… I think I read somewhere recently that he’s already saying that he thinks the elections will be rigged, so it seems (if my memory is correct on that) he’s already setting things up for when he loses. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumpwatch-countdown-to-blame/761573/10 "2016-08-02T23:26:26Z")
If Trump wants to argue that the general election is (going to be) rigged, does that mean he is going to be talking about voter fraud? Does that mean that he is going to be denouncing the SCOTUS decisions striking down various voter ID laws in the country? Does that mean that he is going to be complaining about the present composition and incompleteness of SCOTUS? Does that mean that he will be urging Republicans to approve Obama’s pick for the open spot on SCOTUS (well, he might choke on this part)? Maybe not, but I sure hope so! ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumpwatch-countdown-to-blame/761573/11 "2016-08-02T23:47:38Z")
Well, saying he’s been “stabbed in the back” does kinda fit into his wider motif. But agree with the earlier poster, he’ll just cycle between all the various excuses, even the ones that contradict each-other. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumpwatch-countdown-to-blame/761573/12 "2016-08-02T23:57:03Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > When Trump loses, he’ll be found, naked, in a public fountain, mumbling about this being Cruz’s fault. The next we’ll see of DT will be at one of his sanity hearings, before a Mexican-American judge, represented by a female Muslim attorney. Are there any Gold Star Muslim women of Mexican descent on the bench? ---
**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:** [August 3, 2016, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumpwatch-countdown-to-blame/761573/13 "2016-08-03T01:15:28Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Well, saying he’s been “stabbed in the back” does kinda fit into his wider motif. > > But agree with the earlier poster, he’ll just cycle between all the various excuses, even the ones that contradict each-other. Yeah, he can say he’s been stabbed in the back, betrayed by the “November criminals” who stole victory away from him. A good chunk of his supporters will eat that shit up.