I just can't figure out what the hell Trump is doing
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Anonymous
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I do agree that this whole election is fascinating. I feel a writer couldn't have constructed a better premise for a novel reflecting our times than this election cycle. Both candidates are such an opposing reflection of our times, compelling foils of each other, it's bizarre.
She a product of studies and polling, carefully cultivated to be what we ask for, evolving over time to reflect the changing demands of the people, so much so that no one really knows who she is or what she stands for. He all persona and rhetoric and no substance. Saying so much and yet standing for nothing, other than his own narcissism. It's all about likes and retweets and impressions. Fascinating. |
Anonymous
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OP, I think it's possible that Trump is appealing to voters and alienating them at the same time. They are just different groups of voters. While there are certainly exceptions, the racial/ethnic divide in voter support this election is pretty stark even compared to 2012. Trump knows exactly who will be swayed by the statements he's making, and he's at least implicitly gambling that those voters will be enough to deliver him the election.
Given the extent to which Obama tried to reach his hand out to the other side (whether people saw it or not) in his first term, Trump's strategy is a huge change from what we've gotten used to in Presidential politics. I find it downright frightening as someone who would stand to lose her citizenship if the most extreme policies I've heard coming from Trump and his supporters get enacted (I was born in the US to green-card holders). But I also get where some of his supporters are coming from. And even I will admit that he's raised issues I think are important even if I find his proposals and manner of speaking about them to be looney tunes. |
Anonymous
Don't kid yourself that the Sanders supporters were somehow immune to relentless right wing attacks and sexism. |
Anonymous
Agree with all that you say with one qualifier: Trump despite his lack of substance and convictions still appeals to a substantial number of Americans. |
Anonymous
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Which is the most terrifying part of this election.
And no low is too low-there is still a defense or excuse |
Anonymous
Could this be because there are Americans who feel they have been taken for a ride by establishment politicians from both parties over the last several decades? For example, the trade deals were sold as creating millions of new jobs in the US. What we have seen is the decimation of manufacturing jobs in the US. Have the chickens come home to roost? |
Anonymous
But the thing is that he could have NOT backed down without offending the family. There are SO MANY THINGS he could have said in response that would still have him hold his head high. For instance: - we can never repay this family's sacrifice or thank them enough. When I'm president, there will not be any more of these senseless wars and grieving families like Khan's. Or - let's honor this young man who died saving his comrades from real terrorists. We need to work even harder to protect our country from the danger that killed Captain Khan. Etc. etc. You can NEVER ever score political points offending grieving families. It's like a sacred cow. But Trump is like a petulant child who can never let anything slide, no slight, real or perceived, must be left unrebuked. |
Anonymous
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We all know its an anti-establishment election
I feel like Trump knows that whenever the MSM/elites bash him it just makes him stronger MSM polling is almost as bad as congress think its less than 25% And Hillary is the most focus group tested person ever. Who knows what she will or won't do. And how is she proposing to pay for everything now Reality is so gone for both of these clowns |
Anonymous
The main opportunity he has received is getting $1 million from his father to start out and then having him back deals like the Grand Hyatt project next to Grand Central. Trump views this all as an investment in his brand. It's never about anything other than Trump. Never. |
Anonymous
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I think part of this issue is the media's exaggeration of everything Trump says...
They make a huge deal out of everything if they think it can be used to make fun of or attack Trump. I generally agree with the points Trump is making and if you actually listen to him, what he says is not nearly as mean or crazy as the media makes it out to be... That said, I think Trump needs to be extra cautious because the media always attacks him so maybe he shouldn't even comment on certain things. (Although the media asks him these type of gotcha questions at press conferences.) Trump is more accessible to the press than Hillary. She avoids the press so that is another reason she doesn't have these brouhahas so much. (She did get in trouble for her Fox interview this weekend.) I still like Trump so much more than Clinton. |
Anonymous
If I had to choose, I'd pick Trump over Clinton. I'm not choosing, however, but if someone put a gun to my head . . . |
Anonymous
I agree with you on this: the media bias against Trump is just beyond belief even by respected outfits like the Washington Post. Just this morning on Morning Joe, they started out by saying they were going to talk about the Trump/Khan situation as well as the Clinton/Fox interview. They spent 20 minutes on the former - just ravaging him and then spent just five minutes about how Hillary lied in her interview with Chris Wallace! Thereafter, there was an interview with the Khans which I did not see which obviously would have been continued criticism against Trump. |
Anonymous
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I don't think he really wants to be POTUS. He wants to win, but he doesn't want to govern. He suffers from NPD.The Mayo Clinic’s definition of NPD is:
“A mental disorder in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for admiration, and a lack of empathy for others. Behind this mask of ultra-confidence lies a fragile self-esteem that is vulnerable to the slightest criticism. If you have NPD, you may come across as conceited, boastful or pretentious, you often monopolize conversations, you may belittle or look down on people you perceive as inferior, and you may feel a sense of entitlement (when you don’t receive special treatment, you may become impatient or angry). At the same time, you have trouble handling anything that may be perceived as criticism. You may have secret feelings of insecurity, shame, vulnerability and humiliation. To feel better, you may react with rage or contempt and try to belittle the other person to make yourself appear superior.” Narcissists are a danger to others because they are in complete denial of reality and they lack empathy. One of the key presenting traits of narcissists is their utter incapability to empathize, which can manifest itself in a variety of ways: • Ignoring requests to cease behavior (such as cheating and lying). • Name calling, criticizing, belittling, mean “jokes”, jabs and put downs (verbal abuse). • Arguments surrounding the same issues over and over. • Turning around a partner’s concerns to blame him/her and block the conversation. • No closure - no apologies, no accountability, no consequences, no change. • Narcissists are capable of inflicting physical and psychological harm on others and are unmoved by the plight of those they hurt. A person with a mental disorder should obviously not be POTUS. |
Anonymous
I don't think the media is biased against Trump at all. We've seen plenty of negative publicity against Clinton as well in the last few months. In fact Clinton has gotten decades worth of bad press. It's that Trump himself is deliberately provocative in order to get attention. He believes there is no such thing as bad publicity. |
Anonymous
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