Cow Mengde
Banned
Huh. Could have sworn GAF knew Trump would fizzle out and not make it to the GE. Whatever happened to that?
What do you think Hillary's game plan will be come general election time?
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minor effort
Banned
Granted, he's gone a LOT further in the GOP race than most thought he would, and is now favored to win the nomination.
But even despite beating all those predictions, that doesn't mean the gearshift his campaign will have to undergo to work its way back into the middle will carry the same momentum that's been so successful in the primary.
I always thought Trump wasn't an idiot, and all his outrageous stunts and statements were carefully calculated to appeal to the ugliest base of the GOP. But it's a strategy that has more limited currency in the general election.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
This is the only thing that worries me
Polling currently shows that the party is significantly more united and willing to support the eventual nominee than we were at this point in 2008. As time goes by and the nominee benefits from contrast with the GOP's madman nominee, support will consolidate even more, to the point where we reach that usual 90% mark.
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And not everyone thought he'd fizzle. A fair number of us have bet that he had a very good shot as far back as September or October. Some even put money on it.
Cow Mengde
Banned
EVERYONE thought he would fizzle.
I liquidated my betting positions way too soon
When Trump announced his election, I knew the Republicans found their candidate. This is the guy behind the birther crap. His shit resonates with the GOP base.
EVERYONE thought he would fizzle.
I liquidated my betting positions way too soon
Too many grown men and women in the kiddie pool. That was always the case. Donald Trump was always the most recognizable figure in the field and he easily managed to capitalize on that early due to that disaster.
eBay Huckster
Member
hey now, a majority of PoliGAF actually
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(you won't get any argument from me regarding mainline OT's collective political wisdom being the equivalent of a very slow child, though)
GAF wrong on politics but how? The mind boggles? We know it all.
Veritigo_X
Member
Please proceed, Prologue.
GoldenEye 007
Member
If it is Hillary v Trump, I think... well fuck I don't know. As long as she doesn't lose her shit and can defend the things we all know Trump would point out like emails, etc., I think she'll be good. Point out the good foundation Obama laid and how she can continue and improve those things. Do everything she and the campaign to energize young voters and do things to appeal to them (even if it isn't her directly as she's awkward as fuck).
But tonight in the SC Town Hall, she had amazing answers to black issues in the US, which should help secure the minority vote.
She'll wipe the floor with foreign policy even with Banghazi.
But tonight in the SC Town Hall, she had amazing answers to black issues in the US, which should help secure the minority vote.
She'll wipe the floor with foreign policy even with Banghazi.
minor effort
Banned
Benghazi?
Every cent of political capital on Benghazi was used up in 2012, and Republicans went into debt trying to bring it up again last year when Hillary walked through that last hearing.
The emails have pretty much fizzled out as an issue as well.
And_Gignac
Member
Lol nope. Stop being so dismissive of almost half of the Democratic electorate. Bernie will survive past April.
You all will watch in horror as she becomes Jeb Bush 2.0 trying to gain some populist mojo.
GoldenEye 007
Member
I'm aware of that. But it doesn't mean media master Trump is going to let that go.
Veritigo_X
Member
Hillary was competitive against a cool black dude. She's no Jeb Bush.
If he gets the nom Trump will hit Hillary hard on the contributions she's taken from big banks. This is a big part of the appeal of Berine and Trump, they are self funding and only taking contributions from small donors. I still don't understand why she isn't releasing the transcripts from those paid speeches.
Her comment today on this was she will only release them if the Republicans do: https://theintercept.com/2016/02/23...ease-big-bank-speeches-if-the-republicans-do/
Why not take the lead and set an example? Strange
Her comment today on this was she will only release them if the Republicans do: https://theintercept.com/2016/02/23...ease-big-bank-speeches-if-the-republicans-do/
Why not take the lead and set an example? Strange
Trump would only be convincing to a small minority of voters who are already predisposed to vote against Hillary. It's true that the normal rules of politics don't apply to Trump. I could see him using both Hillary's Iraq vote and Benghazi against her, but that doesn't mean it would resonate with the GE electorate.
SlimySnake
Flashless at the Golden Globes
Hillary cant have a gameplan against a guy who is going to call her a loser, shush her and scream over her like a fucking maniac. anytime Hillary will call him a misogynist he will shrug and say something even more sexist and gain 5 points more in the polls.
No ONE has ever faced anyone like Trump. He has changed the rules. you can now treat the debates like a school yard fight. even people in third world countries dont debate like this. Hillary just has to hope that people turn up to vote because she is going to get trounced in the debates even if the mainstream media says she won the debate.
No ONE has ever faced anyone like Trump. He has changed the rules. you can now treat the debates like a school yard fight. even people in third world countries dont debate like this. Hillary just has to hope that people turn up to vote because she is going to get trounced in the debates even if the mainstream media says she won the debate.
RoadHazard
Gold Member
Against Trump? Sit back and laugh her way right into the White House.
Roland_Gunner
Member
Bill's actually a pretty poor debater. His answers tend to wander all over the place and lack impact. In a debate you want to make a point quick, hammer it home, and get out. Very different than a normal speech. Hillary and John Kerry are the best debaters of the recent group of politicians.
I'm sure that Clinton's team has full documentation on Trump's very, very long and public history. Both these candidates are fairly old, so we're going to see an immense amount of dirt excavated relative to the usual campaign cycle. Trump has an even greater reason to dislike the New York Times than the usual Republican candidate because the paper reported on the racist landlord policies espoused by the Trump Management Corporation back in the 70s.
Oddly enough, Woody Guthrie was a tenant at the elder Trump's apartment complex in the 50s and even wrote a song about it.
Oddly enough, Woody Guthrie was a tenant at the elder Trump's apartment complex in the 50s and even wrote a song about it.
It doesn't work like that in the General Election. There that shit starts to hurt you.
Pamplemousse
Member
Idk, but she's so boring. I don't think I'll bother voting at all when she gets the nom. :-/
minor effort
Banned
Again, even Trump knows he'll have to alter his strategy in the general election. After a certain point saying outrageously sexist stuff about Hillary will begin costing him far more female voters than overall voters he'd gain.
I'm predicting Trump eases up on the inflammatory rhetoric in the general election. It's not that Trump actively "lacks a filter" like so many have claimed, but that he deliberately says outrageous shit daily because it's a winning strategy - in a GOP primary.
excelsiorlef
Member
Might as well vote Trump then.
It's the same thing in the end.
Sorry she's not entertaining enough to get you to not enable Trump and his 20% pro slavery followers.
That's the spirit! Make sure the SCOTUS nominee stonewalling has more impact by just staying home for the vote. Because she's boring.
We also shouldn't discount one reason for Trump's success being that almost all the republican candidates are/were too scared to take him on directly. Jeb was the only one to really go after Trump, but Jeb is boring so no one cared. Trump has clear weaknesses in the context of a very conservative primary, but no one, no GOP candidate, no megadonor is willing to commit the time, political capitol, or money to taking him on. This won't be a problem for democrats.
Would you describe her as "low energy"?
Pamplemousse
Member
Everyone else will vote for her. Voting is a lot of work, and I'm only gonna do it if the candidate is exciting.
Hey man, PoliGAF been on the Trump train for months and months. Some of us made some big money on this shit.
Ahem.
Damn dude, and here I thought I made money tonight.
minor effort
Banned
Don't you have any important local elections where you live? Some of that stuff might actually end up impacting you far more than whether Bernie or Hillary is in the white house.
Even if you vote for a third party or write-in candidate for president, I encourage you to look at your local and state electorate and vote nonetheless.
"I don't have to vote. Everyone else will take care of it for me." Not dangerous thinking at all.
Mr_Antimatter
Member
She's been the target of abuse for 20+ years. What could Trump possibly throw at her that hasn't been tried before?
Trump is all pomp and ego, he gets slaughtered if hes actually asked to explain how he'll do anything on the world stage. He looks "good" compared to the other GOP folks mainly because they are all terrible at stuff like that.
Even Domestically hes a mess. A lot of talking points, but no idea how to actual govern or accomplish any of it without a massive shift to a dictatorship or such.
Trump is all pomp and ego, he gets slaughtered if hes actually asked to explain how he'll do anything on the world stage. He looks "good" compared to the other GOP folks mainly because they are all terrible at stuff like that.
Even Domestically hes a mess. A lot of talking points, but no idea how to actual govern or accomplish any of it without a massive shift to a dictatorship or such.
I made money betting on him as well, but I'll be honest, I never thought he was going to win, I spread the long shot early on and hedged those who got hot, easy money, though I did leave a lot of on the table by dropping my positions too early.Ahem.
Oh well.
I think Trump's strengths have been overblown in the primaries because few candidates were willing to take him on directly because they were going for the same demographic.
Hillary won't have such problems, and she won't be bullied. Follow her Twitter and her comments on the campaign trail: she's practically been chomping at the bit to take on Trump directly.
Hillary won't have such problems, and she won't be bullied. Follow her Twitter and her comments on the campaign trail: she's practically been chomping at the bit to take on Trump directly.
remember when obama's approval was in the 30s and uh oh if romney gets the nom it's going to be a bloodbath
after the convention things pretty much fall into place. you'll have the overwhelming electoral math on her side, obama and bill campaigning in ohio, florida, ect, and a massive shitshow on the other side if trump manages to pull this off...
i'm not too worried
after the convention things pretty much fall into place. you'll have the overwhelming electoral math on her side, obama and bill campaigning in ohio, florida, ect, and a massive shitshow on the other side if trump manages to pull this off...
i'm not too worried
For better or worse Hillary has been a politician for most of her adult life,and she is married to one of the better politicians of the last 30 years.
Trump is basically all shock and awe. It's working surprisingly well for him right now because frankly his opponents are incompetent and don't know how to handle it. I'd love to see a debate between her and Trump, I think she'd eat him for breakfast.
Trump is basically all shock and awe. It's working surprisingly well for him right now because frankly his opponents are incompetent and don't know how to handle it. I'd love to see a debate between her and Trump, I think she'd eat him for breakfast.
minor effort
Banned
I'm still laughing at the idea that Hillary Clinton is just going to stand there sadly like Jeb Bush and absorb every attack thrown at her by Trump.
Hillary Clinton wants to be president more than anyone else running.
Hillary Clinton wants to be president more than anyone else running.
Boombloxer
Member
Baron Aloha
A Shining Example
I don't think she will be as effective against him in a debate as you guys think. There is no way his bully persona will come out but he will stand up to her and call her out more than Bernie has. Say what you want but the man's not dumb. He knows how to play to an audience.
She will go after him on his racist remarks and lack of foreign policy experience. He will attack her trustworthiness (something like 70% of Americans don't trust her, more trust him), her own racist remarks/dog whistles, how she can be bought by special interests (including how he gave her money for favors and/or access), her Iraq war vote, Libya, etc.
She will probably win the debates, but I don't think it will be a cakewalk and I do think he will do some damage.
She will go after him on his racist remarks and lack of foreign policy experience. He will attack her trustworthiness (something like 70% of Americans don't trust her, more trust him), her own racist remarks/dog whistles, how she can be bought by special interests (including how he gave her money for favors and/or access), her Iraq war vote, Libya, etc.
She will probably win the debates, but I don't think it will be a cakewalk and I do think he will do some damage.
If current trends holding Trump still isn't on path to get enough delegates. We're headed for a brokered convention.
Zeus Molecules
illegal immigrants are stealing our air
I expect them to stump heavy for Hillary so we'll probably see them mock the hell out of trump on the regular during the campaign.
I'll say this for debating.
So far Trump has basically gotten no experience at long form answering debate questions 1v1, and has not really been in an environment where moderators will hold him or anybody up on stage to any sort of penalty for not answering the question.
Clinton and Sanders alternatively, have been doing this for months.
So far Trump has basically gotten no experience at long form answering debate questions 1v1, and has not really been in an environment where moderators will hold him or anybody up on stage to any sort of penalty for not answering the question.
Clinton and Sanders alternatively, have been doing this for months.
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