Thread: A rocky October for Donald Trump

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...-donald-trump/

A rocky October for Donald Trump
By Jennifer Rubin October 14

So far it has been a lackluster month for Donald Trump. In the latest Fox News poll his lead is down to one percent, well within the margin of error, over Dr. Ben Carson. Other polls show he is weaker against both Hillary Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden than a number of other Republicans. Despite his efforts to run them down, Carly Fiorina is gaining steam (in polling and fundraising), while Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) holds his own in polling, gets good reviews from pundits and may get the backing of mega-donor Sheldon Adelson. Even “low energy” Jeb Bush is showing plenty of verve, getting strong kudos for his health-care proposal.

None of this should be surprising. Other candidates are growing, improving and polishing their message. Trump is still Trump, and failing to offer anything but his standard braggadocio. He tried to overshadow the Democratic debate by live-tweeting the event, and wound up being entirely irrelevant. (The candidates barely mentioned him.) His media monopoly has ended as other candidates, the Democratic race, and world events diversify coverage, robbing him of dozens and dozens of hours of free media time.

The Democratic debate is not likely to help much either. His erratic policy prescriptions mimic Clinton’s on entitlements ( no cuts!), on making the rich pay more (his tax policy doesn’t even deliver on that), trade protectionism and universal healthcare. Like Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Trump has managed to get to the left of Clinton, who at least has the sense to know Russia and Iran moving into Syria is a bad thing. (She certainly contributed mightily to the problem, but how would Trump criticize her?) If the Republicans are looking for a policy contrast with Clinton he sure is not it, except when it comes to his noxious views on immigration. Moreover, if Hillary Clinton is to be the nominee, does any Republican really want to have an overtly misogynistic nominee with a jumbo gender gap?

When it comes to honesty and likability Trump ranks low among GOP contenders. The GOP essentially would be throwing away the character issue with Trump as the nominee. He does not even have the benefit of youth; he is two years older than she. Up against him, Clinton really would seem “dead broke” and in sync with “everyday” Americans.

In short, Trump’s limitations as a candidate within the party are dwarfed by his limitations as a general election candidate. Clinton may have a rotten record, but she is smooth and can fence ably with interviewers and opponents. The Republicans will need a far sharper wit, a keener policy practitioner and a far less offensive candidate than Trump if they are to avoid a Clinton presidency.

One could imagine a number of GOP contenders (e.g., Carly Fiorina, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush) presenting a much more formidable threat to Clinton than the buffoonish Trump. None of those four can be tarred as anti-immigrant (especially Rubio) or anti-woman. All have presented critiques of her foreign policy. Several have proposed viable Obamacare alternatives, government reform plans, and tax and regulatory innovations. Can anyone seriously argue that Trump matches up better against Hillary than any of those four (or several others in the GOP race)?

One can expect that Trump’s problems will become more acute as we draw closer to voting time. Electability will become a prime consideration. As in the second debate, Trump is likely to be sidelined when future GOP debates turn to serious policy matters — an omen of his inability to take on a well-prepared Democrat like Clinton. As Republicans figure this out, look for him to sink further in the polls.

That's so funny! You wrote your article the day before the early state polls came out where Trump is crushing his opponents, and 2 days before the campaign financial reports were released showing he's adored by his Trump Supporters who are sending him money to help him finance his campaign, even though he doesn't solicit for them.

Silly Rabbit!!

Maybe you should the journalistic obligation to report rather than speculate.

Huh, Huh, Huh???!! You'll look a lot less STUPID.