# Will Trump survive his treatment of Khizr and Ghazala Khan?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-survive-his-treatment-of-khizr-and-ghazala-khan/761463>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Created:** [August 1, 2016, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-survive-his-treatment-of-khizr-and-ghazala-khan/761463 "2016-08-01T13:37:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-survive-his-treatment-of-khizr-and-ghazala-khan/761463/61 "2016-08-01T19:02:39Z")

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> [@bucketybuck](#):
>
> America appears to have millions and millions of people not only preparing to vote for Trump but actively convincing themselves that its the right thing to do. They have embraced ignorance and absolutely no event, fact or explanation can change their thinking.
> 
> There is no third level deep thinking long game going on here, its simply that a very large number of Americans are fucking idiots.

> [@elucidator](#):
>
> But how many? I’ve sorta settled on about 20%, rough guesstimate. But really, who knows?

We’ll have a pretty good idea come November.

Personally, I think the number is closer to 40%.

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**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-survive-his-treatment-of-khizr-and-ghazala-khan/761463/62 "2016-08-01T19:06:59Z")

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> [@Boyo\_Jim](#):
>
> As to the OP, I think the tipping point was reached long ago, and\*\* Trump will lose by historically large numbers.\*\*

By popular vote or Electoral College?

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**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-survive-his-treatment-of-khizr-and-ghazala-khan/761463/63 "2016-08-01T19:09:07Z")

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Of course, Trump will “survive” his attacks on the parents of an actual hero. His followers are mad as hell and they are not going to even pay attention to that sort of thing.

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**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-survive-his-treatment-of-khizr-and-ghazala-khan/761463/64 "2016-08-01T19:12:33Z")

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> [@DSeid](#):
>
> I’m actually surprised Trump hasn’t said “I prefer heroes who are smart enough to stay alive…”

I am, too. After all, Trump managed to get through the Vietnam years without getting killed, didn’t he?

That would make him a “war hero,” wouldn’t it? His people should be playing up this angle.

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**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-survive-his-treatment-of-khizr-and-ghazala-khan/761463/65 "2016-08-01T19:16:17Z")

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> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#):
>
> But this ignores the point **Jonathon Chance** was making - if a block of air-time is already sold it can’t be sold again, not even to a SuperPAC with millions of dollars.

On the other hand, the actual content of those ads is not yet set in concrete. Whoever has already purchased the air time could simply substitute the unending bloopers for whatever slick message they had originally intended.

Of course, in the real world, it does not matter: Trump supporters have long since determined that he is The One and not even finding a dead girl or a live boy in his bed is going to change their opinions. There might be some Clinton hating independents who could be persuaded by such ads, but I suspect that we could move the vote up to tomorrow and get the same results we will get in November.

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**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-survive-his-treatment-of-khizr-and-ghazala-khan/761463/66 "2016-08-01T19:17:30Z")

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Trump is a cockroach. He’ll survive a nuclear holocaust.

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**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-survive-his-treatment-of-khizr-and-ghazala-khan/761463/67 "2016-08-01T19:18:24Z")

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> [@Velocity](#):
>
> By popular vote or Electoral College?

Both. I think 65%-35% loss isn’t out of the question by popular vote, though that’s pushing it.

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**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-survive-his-treatment-of-khizr-and-ghazala-khan/761463/68 "2016-08-01T19:20:05Z")

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> [@elucidator](#):
>
> But how many? I’ve sorta settled on about 20%, rough guesstimate. But really, who knows?

The standard crazification factor is 27%.

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**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-survive-his-treatment-of-khizr-and-ghazala-khan/761463/69 "2016-08-01T19:31:24Z")

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Ooops. Wrong thread.

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**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-survive-his-treatment-of-khizr-and-ghazala-khan/761463/70 "2016-08-01T19:32:22Z")

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All these posts that pop up each time Trump says something outrageous suggesting that “now he’s done it! This is the big one!” made me think of [Fred Sanford](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stdi-1tIUhM). (Replace “I’m coming to join you” with “He’s coming to join you” and “I’m dying” with “he’s dying.” You know what I mean.)

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**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-survive-his-treatment-of-khizr-and-ghazala-khan/761463/71 "2016-08-01T19:37:19Z")

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> [@QuickSilver](#):
>
> Trump is a cockroach. He’ll survive a nuclear holocaust.

Cockroaches object to being associated with Trump.

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**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:** [August 1, 2016, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-survive-his-treatment-of-khizr-and-ghazala-khan/761463/72 "2016-08-01T19:39:21Z")

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> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#):
>
> But this ignores the point **Jonathon Chance** was making - if a block of air-time is already sold it can’t be sold again, not even to a SuperPAC with millions of dollars.

That depends on how the contract is written, pretty sure there’s often some flexibility. I also imagine that if someone is paying enough, a station can cut back on “Next time on \<blank\>!” and public service spots.

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**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-survive-his-treatment-of-khizr-and-ghazala-khan/761463/73 "2016-08-01T19:40:05Z")

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> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#):
>
> But this ignores the point **Jonathon Chance** was making - if a block of air-time is already sold it can’t be sold again, not even to a SuperPAC with millions of dollars.

There are 60 minutes in an hour. TV stations will be willing to make the big sacrifice to sell more time by substantially cutting back low priority items like programs.

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**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-survive-his-treatment-of-khizr-and-ghazala-khan/761463/74 "2016-08-01T19:44:38Z")

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> [@Skammer](#):
>
> Actually, I heard an interview with him yesterday (on one of the NPR shows, I think), and he said yes, he does habitually carry around that copy of the constitution in his coat pocket. He said he wasn’t originally planning to say that in his speech, but when he grabbed his jacket to put it on to go to the convention center he felt it in there and that’s what inspired him to pull it out.

The W_ashington Post_ [gave some more background…](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/in-clash-between-trump-and-the-khans-new-signs-of-a-cultural-and-political-divide/2016/07/31/806e490c-5722-11e6-9aee-8075993d73a2_story.html)

> [@](#):
>
> Khan said the Constitution he waved before the cameras Thursday night came out of the boxes of 99-cent pocket versions that he orders from the American Bar Association to hand out to fourth-year cadets graduating from the University of Virginia’s ROTC program.
> 
> Every year since their son’s death, the Khans have invited the cadets to their house for hot dogs and burgers, to honor their son, a graduate of the program, and to give the students their first exposure to a Muslim home, to see “how similar it is to their own,” Khan said. “They’d feel like this is our aunt or uncle’s home. And I have cards from them, understanding the gesture of giving them the Constitution, because they were getting ready to take an oath to that Constitution.”

Alas, I don’t know that this latest atrocity will convince any hard core Trump supporters. But it’s one more event that might wake up those still undecided…

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**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-survive-his-treatment-of-khizr-and-ghazala-khan/761463/75 "2016-08-01T20:00:19Z")

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The highly accurate (which I’m basing on the last two presidential elections) [FiveThirtyEight](https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2016-election-forecast/?ex_cid=2016-election#now) site ran by Nate Silver shows a significant jump for Clinton in all three of the poll methodologies used there, including a whopping jump of 15% since Saturday of Clinton winning the election if it were held today. Was this just a convention bounce, or did Trump’s comments on Khan have more to do with it? I cannot say, but they certainly haven’t helped him.

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**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-survive-his-treatment-of-khizr-and-ghazala-khan/761463/76 "2016-08-01T20:01:26Z")

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> [@Boyo\_Jim](#):
>
> Whoo hoo! That’s ONE! The floodgate has been opened. :rolleyes:

I wonder if your post would have been different if you actually read the link? :rolleyes:

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**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-survive-his-treatment-of-khizr-and-ghazala-khan/761463/77 "2016-08-01T20:01:47Z")

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> [@Alley\_Dweller](#):
>
> All these posts that pop up each time Trump says something outrageous suggesting that “now he’s done it! This is the big one!” made me think of [Fred Sanford](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stdi-1tIUhM). (Replace “I’m coming to join you” with “He’s coming to join you” and “I’m dying” with “he’s dying.” You know what I mean.)

Yet, eventually [it did happen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redd_Foxx#Death) (and on the set of a TV show he was filming, too. Nobody at first checked on him because they simply assumed that it was just another one of his pratfalls in that vein).

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-survive-his-treatment-of-khizr-and-ghazala-khan/761463/78 "2016-08-01T20:19:34Z")

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It appears this episode has frightened Trump’s own campaign staff, and they are looking to Republicans in the Senate and house for some kind of unspecified “support.” [Here is a Reuter’s story about it.](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-idUSKCN10C2GO)

The campaign is soliciting supportive statements from elected party members about his statements regarding the Khans, and they are trying to spin his words into something not so egregiously offensive. The reinterpreting his words is not new, but as far as I know soliciting support from within the party apparatus is.

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**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 1, 2016, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-survive-his-treatment-of-khizr-and-ghazala-khan/761463/79 "2016-08-01T20:24:28Z")

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> [@Boyo\_Jim](#):
>
> It appears this episode has frightened Trump’s own campaign staff, and they are looking to Republicans in the Senate and house for some kind of unspecified “support.” [Here is a Reuter’s story about it.](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-idUSKCN10C2GO)
> 
> The campaign is soliciting supportive statements from elected party members about his statements regarding the Khans, and they are trying to spin his words into something not so egregiously offensive. The reinterpreting his words is not new, but as far as I know soliciting support from within the party apparatus is.

It’s a smart move. If there’s one thing Congressional Republicans love, it’s an opportunity to go back to their districts in an election year and say that they stood up to the families of service members who were killed in action.

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**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-survive-his-treatment-of-khizr-and-ghazala-khan/761463/80 "2016-08-01T20:25:59Z")

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> [@Morgenstern](#):
>
> Is this likely to be a tipping point for many people previously undecided voters? I can’t see how this won’t resonate deeply with veterans, blue and red alike. Certainly any gold star parent isn’t interested in hearing about how Trump “sacrificed” by building an empire.

Unfortunately, it won’t matter nearly as much as it should because the offender is a white conservative male and the people being disparaged are Muslims, whose contributions are less valued. Trump will survive this, and assuming he does, it will in my mind represent one hell of a dangerous tipping point in American political and social discourse. We are nearing the point of no return.

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