Trump will tell you that the system that got sim elected as the GOP's 2016 nominee was rigged. And he was right. He won because media outlets gave him 10x more attention than any of his competitors and his rise in the party can be marginally credited to the way the GOP has always dealt with campaigning: votes and money are virtually the same. I'm not going to waste your time going over examples. In short, the GOP fell right into the same trap it has always has: the money trap.
But looking past the primaries, Trump should have easily beat Clinton. The American people have always been very reluctant about the whole "same last name" elections; that being: we don't want another Bush, Kennedy, Clinton, in the White House. This should have been the first weapon in his arsenal. Leaving Bill Clinton out of the race was a must; yet he decided to repeatedly invoke the former president's name over and over again. The American people tend to look unfavorably at people who trash former presidents. And Trump has not only trashed Clinton but also Obama directly, and even the GOP poster-child George W. Bush indirectly.
Second, the good mark of any GOP nominee is to never EVER talk even slightly negative about a veteran. The GOP has a strong base with veterans, as we have seen in many elections; and Trump managed to not just talk negatively but attack a Gold Star family and Senator John McCain, a war hero and POW; but full on attack them repeatedly. This sparked national outrage and brought into question once again his ability to serve as commander in chief of the world's largest military. He then went on to say he knew more about ISIS than the "generals".
GOP politicians struggle to grapple with the female vote on many occasions. At times they fail and at times they succeed. The GOP platform on abortion and equal pay has always been their shortcoming. Yet, they almost always seem to barely hang on to the support of women; enough usually to carry them to election. Trump DECIMATED his chances with women on so many occasions. His history over the past year and a half has been a rocky road of half-misogynistic statements, leaked sexist remarks, sexual assault allegations, and leaked audio of him claiming he has sexually assaulted women. And just days ago, he came under fire as allegations of sexual assault came to light in a New York Times report. It is fair to say he has lost the female vote.
GOP politicians have to inevitably grapple with minorities and their substantial vote. In fact, Trump began his entire campaign by referring to Mexican immigrants as rapists and criminals. Yet, even so forth, he has faced criticism and outrage at some of his outrageous statements and policy decisions such as a complete ban on Muslims entering the country, and his "wall" (Which I am still hoping is a metaphor gone wrong). Many Republicans, however, have been able to nab enough support from blacks, Hispanics, and immigrants of all kinds. Trump's outreach to minorities is a joke. He is polling at less than 5 percent with blacks. This lethal mix of controversy and outlandish policy propositions have gotten him nowhere with ethnic communities.
A politician's family must seem as normal, relatable, and warm as possible. They are not only the second face of the politician; but they are also going to play significant roles as the first family of the United States. Donald Trump's family have drove him into the ground. Animal rights supporters became outraged at the Trump brothers, Eric and Donald Trump Junior, when a photo surfaced of them holding up a dead wild cat, which they hunted and killed while on a safari. It even caught the attention of global pop phenomenon, Madonna, who took to Instagram to call them "p***y" and threw some heavy insults at them. Donald Trump Junior then came under fire for posting an image of Skittles and comparing them to the refugee crisis; saying that if only a few were poisoned, would you still eat a handful? Melania Trump, the possible next first lady and Trump's wife, came under heavy fire for plagiarizing some of Michelle Obama's speech from nearly 8 years prior. And Ivanka Trump was embroiled in a scandalous lawsuit, alleging she had ripped off designs from another designer. And with three marriages and a tumultuous personal life, the Trumps were no ideal first family.
Next, business people have always been a target for GOP president hopefuls. They must set forth an agenda that will look good to small business owners and big corporations. Usually this is done by promising large tax cuts and standing firmly on the principle of trickle down economics. Trump almost made it. Until it came out that Trump had knowingly not paid contractors for their work on his many casinos, clubhouses, personal real estate, and others. He then attempted to fall back onto his business. Which failed because his failure to release tax returns, his shaky success stories, and his actual net worth all came under question and fire. His defense was not met well and he tried to straggle out of the pit, bruised and bloody with the promise of a 20% tax cut.
Endorsements are a huge plus to anyone running for office. Whether celebrity or otherwise, a good endorsement can do tons of good to a flailing campaign. However, Trump was not able to land ANY high-profile endorsements. And it WAS some of the endorsements that he DID receive that infuriated many people such as KKK leader David Duke, white supremacist groups, Neo-Nazi groups, amongst others. None of the political or celebrity endorsements (Duck Dynasty personalities, Scott Baio, Sarah Palin) were enough to get him any momentum. Clinton was able to land over a hundred major newspaper and media outlet endorsements and hundreds of celebrity endorsements such as Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, George Clooney, Madonna, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, The New York Times, Denver Post, USA Today, among others. His endorsements even withdrew such as McCain other Republicans.
The truth is a tricky thing in this election. Because if Trump could have fact checked all his statements before saying them in public, he may have been able to use the term "lying Hillary" to its full use. Instead, his debates and public speeches were riddled with untruths, and lies. Hillary rated at 80% truthful, while Trump was rated at 35% truthful. That means 65% of the statements he has given publicly in this election were deemed to be slightly untrue, untrue, or a flat out lie. Even when the tape was played of him endorsing the war in Iraq, he still denied it on national television in front of dozens of millions of people.
Experience not only makes the voter feel secure, but a familiar, warm face makes the voter feel like they could have a drink with the candidate. Trump has never held public office and has zero experience in government or politics. During the primaries, winning over Republicans was easy with the fact that he possessed none of these traits. He paraded around as the ultimate outsider. This revolutionary thought attracted many GOPers to the polls for Trump. He received for votes than any other GOP candidate in primary history. This radical thinking has not and will not attract undecided voters. No matter how good willed you are, the voter needs a ledge to grab onto. Trump has left many freefalling into Clinton's safety net.
Finally, Trump needed one thing above all: self control. He lost self control many times. He left it to his campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway among others, to cover and spin his statements. He depended one hundred percent on fanaticism to propel him to victory. This is the Clinton Trap Effect. And I suspect it will rise in popularity in future elections. What Clinton did was remarkably sharp: she baited Trump one on one, and then let Trump destroy himself. She made quick jabs and then fled while another head on the hydra exploded, its shrapnel often finding its way into the flesh of other GOP hopefuls such as Paul Ryan and John McCain.
The ten bullets that have destroyed Trump's campaign thus far were all fired from the same gun. His. None of these actions were caused by the media. Most of the allegations are true and reliable. He has declared war on his own party, and this does not bode well with the GOP, who is now clinging for dear life, as Trump unleashes an arsenal of attacks against them. Threatening to destroy the beautiful establishment they so thoughtfully made to withstand the rhetoric of the grenade, but not enough to withstand the power of Trump's nuclear weapons.
