# What the hell is Trump? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [July 30, 2015, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-trump/726581 "2015-07-30T15:21:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-trump/726581/281 "2015-08-26T10:48:32Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Except there aren’t very many Republicans that don’t usually vote, and a lot of Republicans that wouldn’t vote for him even if Ronald Reagan reincarnated and kissed him the the forehead. Keep thinking that. Republicans fall in line just like Democrats fall in line come election time. But when I say those who don’t vote, I am not talking about Republicans. I am talking about people who are not Republicans or Democrats. People who are apolitical. People who like Trump and will vote because they like Trump. Not because he is a Republican. ---
**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:** [August 26, 2015, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-trump/726581/282 "2015-08-26T10:52:23Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Which will be offset by a lot of new voters voting for Trump who didn’t bother to vote before. Even if Trump could get 50% of the Republicans, including the ones that did not bother to vote before, that still leaves a lot of moderates that will indeed sit this one out or that they will vote for Hillary. You are forgetting that there was a good number of Hispanics that are Republicans that will not be amused if Trump is the nominee, and believe me on this one: Univision with the Miami Cuban connections it has, is indeed the voice of the reactionary and conservative Hispanic community! What I do think many reporters did attempt to remind Trump was what it was going to happen when you alienate a group from the Hispanic community that just recently was supporting the republicans, I think it is too late now to get them to love the Trumpers. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-trump/726581/283 "2015-08-26T10:52:37Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Which will be offset by a lot of new voters voting for Trump who didn’t bother to vote before. I think this is correct. I think one thing that people underestimate about Trump is that he actually excites people about a new way of doing things: a new way to for a pol to speak, a new way to handle the press, etc… I think he’ll motivate the portion you mention, and also will attract a good amount of Independents and Democrats. More than enough to make up for the Reps that stay home. I don’t know hope much credence to give the Nevada poll Trump alluded to, but he evidently did even better with Hispanics there (31.4%) than he did with the general populace (27.7%). ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-trump/726581/284 "2015-08-26T10:55:11Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Univision with the Miami Cuban connections it has, is indeed the voice of the reactionary and conservative Hispanic community! 'Cuz, of course, the “reactionary and conservative Hispanic community” just luuuvz illegal immigrants. ---
**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:** [August 26, 2015, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-trump/726581/285 "2015-08-26T10:58:35Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > “Another thing coming” makes no sense. There is no “thing” coming. Well, in this case there are votes and more volunteers from the Hispanic community coming up against Trump. As the Grammarist and Webster’s with Britannica point out, it makes sense too so it is an alternative that came thanks to common use. Too bad that English changes, it is not really a very conservative language. 🙂 ---
**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:** [August 26, 2015, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-trump/726581/286 "2015-08-26T11:07:00Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > 'Cuz, of course, the “reactionary and conservative Hispanic community” just luuuvz illegal immigrants. Since you do not watch it the reality is that a lot of the recent reports are related to the gross injustices. Like the injustice shown by the rabid opposition against the dreamers and the Hispanics that were involved in the recent humanitarian crisis that was turned in to a “border crisis” by nativist groups, Univision has also reported a lot about the abuses to Hispanic legal residents **and even citizens** at the hands of guys like Arpaio, and because Trump looked for and got his support that just can not be hidden away like when Univision supported the coup in Honduras, in the USA too many Hispanic conservatives are not seeing any fairness coming from many Republicans. And Trump just confirms where the party is headed. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-trump/726581/287 "2015-08-26T11:17:57Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Even if Trump could get 50% of the Republicans, including the ones that did not bother to vote before, that still leaves a lot of moderates that will indeed sit this one out or that they will vote for Hillary. > **[CNN/ORC Poll: Donald Trump now competitive in general election | CNN Politics](https://www.cnn.com/2015/08/19/politics/2016-poll-hillary-clinton-joe-biden-bernie-sanders/)** > > For the first time in CNN/ORC polling, Donald Trump’s gains among the Republican Party have boosted him enough to be competitive in the general election. The poll finds Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton ahead of Trump by just 6 points, a dramatic tightening since July. Trump is the one of three Republican candidates who have been matched against Clinton multiple times in CNN/ORC polling to significantly whittle the gap between himself and the Democratic frontrunner. He trailed Clinton by 16 points in a July poll, and narrowed that gap by boosting his standing among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (from 67% support in July to 79% now), men (from 46% in July to 53% now) and white voters (from 50% to 55%). But Clinton still holds the cards overall in the race for the White House, leading four Republican contenders: She tops Trump and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker by 6 points each among registered voters, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush by 9 points, and businesswoman Carly Fiorina by 10 points. So: 1. Trump’s numbers are continuing to improve 2. Hillary’s numbers are continuing to worsen 3. In one-on-one matchups against Hillary, Trump performs better in the poll than other Republican candidates. And Trump is just starting to run. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-trump/726581/288 "2015-08-26T11:21:59Z")
A Chump. I lived 60 miles from Atlantic City in the '80s & '90s. It was all casinos, all tabloids, all bankruptcies. There isn’t a chance in the world guys like the Kochs would say, “Yeah. Let’s support him.” What no one understands: Trump doesn’t want the job. He knows he can’t do it. And how would he look? If all these phony promises lead him to the oval office, exactly how would he deal with the DoD? Dinners with Indonesian elites? How would he handle hearing, “You can’t do that. It’s against the law”? He’s bringing out the GOP-religious loving-anti-equality assholes to a big “death to anyone who disagrees with me” rally and then succumbing, handing tens of millions of votes to whomever he supports. And that’s my question: Come January/February, this shmuck’s little fantasy is ending. He’s supporting… Carly Fiorina. So, **Starving Artist** , would you support whomever The Toupee supports, even if it’s say, Ben Carson? Scott Walker? ---
**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:** [August 26, 2015, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-trump/726581/289 "2015-08-26T13:36:38Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > So: > > 1. Trump’s numbers are continuing to improve And I told about all what it is happening by knowing that already. Things will change once voters that are more informed begin to pay more attention. > [@Terr](#): > > 1. Hillary’s numbers are continuing to worsen And the matching polls I have seen report that Sanders will win against Trump. > **[2016 General Election: Trump vs. Sanders Polls | RealClearPolling](https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/president/general/2016/trump-vs-sanders)** > > Explore poll data on the 2016 General Election between Trump and Sanders. Gain insights into key trends and electoral dynamics with RealClearPolling. > [@Terr](#): > > 1. In one-on-one matchups against Hillary, Trump performs better in the poll than other Republican candidates. > > And Trump is just starting to run. That is when one wants to just rely on one poll, in the aggregate, and even with Trump improving recently, Trump is still not doing better compared to many other Republican candidates. [http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/2016\_presidential\_race.html](http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/2016_presidential_race.html) ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-trump/726581/290 "2015-08-26T19:30:56Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > What no one understands: Trump doesn’t want the job. He knows he can’t do it. And how would he look? If all these phony promises lead him to the oval office, exactly how would he deal with the DoD? Dinners with Indonesian elites? How would he handle hearing, “You can’t do that. It’s against the law”? > > He’s bringing out the GOP-religious loving-anti-equality assholes to a big “death to anyone who disagrees with me” rally and then succumbing, handing tens of millions of votes to whomever he supports. I agree with the first part of your post but not the second part. I suspect that when Trump opened his candidacy he expected to be just another clown in the car, say some outrageous things, get some press and promote his brand as an over the top personality for a few weeks, and then settle down to do it again in another 4 years. But now that he’s discovered that xenophobic Pubs are actually buying his schtick, I think he intends to ride this horse as far as it will take him. I doubt that he has much desire to be king maker, unless its himself that he is crowning. ---
**Author:** ![Andiethewestie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@Andiethewestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andiethewestie)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-trump/726581/291 "2015-08-26T20:16:41Z")
> [@dude77](#): > > yes oh my … quite eye opening … how offended are you ? … > > he doesn’t address it because it is insignificant … he knows and we know he’s not about that … address some idiot in a crowd yelling ‘white power’ … are you serious ? … obama had a lot of black voters who voted for him simply because he’s black … I guess he should’ve addressed those idiots as well … and he attended a racist church … nonstory Gee and women might just vote for Hillary because she has a vagina. That doesn’t advocate violence unless maybe you’re a misogynist and can’t get over it. But yelling White Power at a rally isn’t a loaded extremist point of view? Come on, allowing it to continue unchallenged invites the kind of violence it advocates. And speaking of advocates David Duke endorses him and the wackos on Stormfront are calling it the 4th Reich. But hey, carry on. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-trump/726581/292 "2015-08-26T21:13:16Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > The more people get to know Trump the more they like him. This is true in his personal life and it’s proving true in his presidential campaign. That’s completely reversed for me - the mor I learn, the less I like. I used to not know much, just that he was rich. Then I saw him on The Apprentice, and my estimate of him went down. Then he went all birther, and my opinion of him plummeted. Then he joined the Presidential race, and his status took another drop. And another. And another. Every time I think he’s but rock bottom, he finds a way to go lower. At this point, if he’s the Republican candidate, and Vladimir Putin somehow was the Democratic candidate, I would see what Putin had to offer. > [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > That’s the thing though: he’s not rude to women generally. Kelly said he called “women” (plural) a string of names that he’s only on record calling Rosie O’Donnell, This is false. You are buying his spin. I’ll have to go dig up the link to his record. He has made dozens of spiteful and derogatory remarks about numerous women. Now to be fair, he’s not particularly nice toward men he has a grudge against, but the terms he uses for them are “loser” and “idiot”, whereas he is obsessed with making remarks about women for their looks, and his insults against them are usually gender based. > [@](#): > > and then she took out of context and mischaracterized his remark to Brande Roderick about looking good on her knees. No, it is a mischaracterization to suggest Trump was not trying to be salacious. Brande explained she was begging, and then Trump made the remark to suggest that was worth seeing, \* if you know what I mean \*. He didn’t have to say those words, it was in the time of his voice, and in the look Brande gave him in response. And she may claim she doesn’t remember it, doesn’t mean it didn’t annoy her at the time, just that she’s probably used to it and put it out of her mind. > [@](#): > > She was out to do exactly what she convinced you of, and that was to cultivate the opinion that Trump is a jerk to women when the fact is he has a long history of installing women in key positions in his companies, and the very women he’s been publicly accused of abusing (Ivana and Roderick) have both come to his defense. Has Ivana, his ex wife, come to his defense? Or are you confusing her with his daughter, Ivanka? Regardless of if he promotes women or gives them authority, he has a public record of being crude to women, and it is revisionist history to claim otherwise. Kelly had a legitimate point to the lead in to her question - she quoted his own statements and summarized his public record, and the point was not just to make him look bad (she might have wanted that, I don’t know, but that’s not the only reason) - the question was about convincing women voters he will look out for them. Especially since the Republican party is not known for being strong for women. > [@](#): > > Kelly is not a “quality journalist” as she and Roger Ailes like to claim. She’s a hack who was out to get Trump by hook or by crook, and in the course of that debate she tried both. Meh, I don’t know her, or much care. He is a bloviating pig, which his behavior towards her afterwards has only continued to prove. > [@GIGObuster](#): > > And I have said before that Ramos was not behaving and deserves criticism but one part that a few videos do not show is what took place after Ramos was escorted out, other reporter’s questions then came about how Trump was looking by not facing Ramos, and not just from one reporter. Trump should had left Ramos out (if we follow the narrative that he uses against reporters that do not agree), but the other reporter’s questions did rattle him. Yes, I watched a bit of that online - that’s where I get the part about the other reporters being unfair to him, and in turn him misrepresenting things. > [@](#): > > Trump was forced to confront Ramos, but that IMHO was the moment were Trump realized that he is not going to control the narrative, even if one of the reporters was rude to him. Yes that may be the single good out of that exchange, that the collective made Trump give in. It just so happens in this case Trump was in the right, but couldn’t defend himself well. Fancy that. > [@Terr](#): > > “Another thing coming” makes no sense. There is no “thing” coming. Too bad making sense isn’t a strict requirement for idioms. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-trump/726581/293 "2015-08-26T21:16:30Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > Has Ivana, his ex wife, come to his defense? Or are you confusing her with his daughter, Ivanka? Yes, [Ivana](http://www.mediaite.com/online/ivana-trump-defends-donald-amidst-marital-rape-uproar/). "I have recently read some comments attributed to me from nearly 30 years ago at a time of very high tension during my divorce from Donald. The story is totally without merit,” Ivana Trump told CNN in a statement Tuesday. “Donald and I are the best of friends and together have raised three children that we love and are very proud of. I have nothing but fondness for Donald and wish him the best of luck on his campaign. Incidentally, I think he would make an incredible president.” ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-trump/726581/294 "2015-08-26T21:17:46Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > Meh, I don’t know her, or much care. He is a bloviating pig, which his behavior towards her afterwards has only continued to prove. In other words, she can be a hack with an agenda out to get him, he’s still an asshole. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-trump/726581/295 "2015-08-27T02:39:06Z")
> [@Andiethewestie](#): > > His father was German. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. 🙂 Do you know who else’s father was, er, Germanic? ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-trump/726581/296 "2015-08-27T03:52:55Z")
The only other politician in America who’s as alpha as Trump - Arnold Schwarzenegger? ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-trump/726581/297 "2015-08-27T04:10:28Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > The more people get to know Trump the more they like him. This is true in his personal life and it’s proving true in his presidential campaign. Don’t forget he still has fifteen months to win over another 25% or so. > > At the rate he’s been going that oughtta take about three more months. > > Trump may be the first candidate to win a landslide election a year before it takes place. 😉 There are a fair number of socially conservative voters who can torpedo that. Trump is _tacky._ Casinos? Trophy wives? Screwing over his investors, repeatedly! I think a lot of otherwise Republican voters will decide that Trump lacks taste, class, and honor. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-trump/726581/298 "2015-08-27T04:27:02Z")
GIGObuster’s use of, “another thing coming,” is just fine. _Native_ English speaker here. And another thing: “Alpha”? Really? ---
**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:** [August 27, 2015, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-trump/726581/299 "2015-08-27T04:29:15Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > The only other politician in America who’s as alpha as Trump - Arnold Schwarzenegger? Well, it is really sad that he was really one of the last smart Republicans. [QUOTE=Arnold Schwarzenegger] ['I’ve starred in a lot of science fiction movies and, let me tell you something, climate change is not science fiction. 'This is a battle in the real world, it is impacting us right now. ‘This is bigger than any movie, this is the challenge of our time.’]([Arnold Schwarzenegger: climate change is not science fiction | Climate crisis | The Guardian](http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jul/21/arnold-schwarzenegger-climate-change-is-not-science-fiction)) [/QUOTE] Trump is only happy to ignore that challenge to our nation and the world. [QUOTE=Trump] [NBC News just called it the great freeze - coldest weather in years. Is our country still spending money on the GLOBAL WARMING HOAX?](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/08/24/donald-trump-makes-the-weather-page-but-needs-to-take-climate-101/) [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-trump/726581/300 "2015-08-27T04:30:14Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > There are a fair number of socially conservative voters who can torpedo that. Trump is _tacky._ Casinos? Trophy wives? Screwing over his investors, repeatedly! > > I think a lot of otherwise Republican voters will decide that Trump lacks taste, class, and honor. I must say it’s been a real revelation to learn what a high opinion Dopers actually have of most Republicans’ intelligence, taste and integrity. Trump truly is a transformational candidate! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-trump/726581.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-trump/726581.md?page=16)