The election is just a week away and the polls are showing the candidates somewhat evening out. Could this be because of the October surprise? Or are the polls even an accurate representation of how the election will turn out? How has Donald Trump altered his rhetorical strategy post another Clinton email scandal and how will he react to accusations that Paul Manafort had ties with Russia?
The way I see it, Trump hasn’t been a stranger to controversy during his campaign and his rhetorical strategy hasn’t really changed (at least in terms of his speaking.) It usually includes a brief recognition of the issue, such as regarding the leaked 2005 video as “locker room talk” and then he moves on. This strategy on response to scandals surrounding him has somewhat worked for Trump. Yes, his numbers dropped but they eventually made there way back up over the course of the month.
With the election quickly approaching we also see Trump call Hillary “Crooked Hillary” time and time again. This nickname has been at the front of his campaign since the beginning, and the recent FBI investigation is only making him scream it louder. With hopes of convincing America how untrustworthy Hilary is, this a rhetorical strategy Trump will undoubtedly continue to use until November 8th.
It is also interesting to consider how when Mr. Trump was down in the polls he claimed he system was rigged but now that he is coming back up that argument seems to have disappeared. Trump even Tweeted, “Wow even leading in @ABC/@Washingtonpost Poll 46 to 45. Gone up 12 points in 2 weeks, mostly before the Crooked Hillary blow-up!”
Trump can only hope that the latest scandal revolving around Hillary will turn just enough people away from her and onto him so that he can secure the Presidency. If he doesn’t win I think it is very obvious we will hear the rigged argument just a few more times.
Great post! I agree with you that we have to take the accuracy of the polls with a grain of salt. It seems that with there being so many of them at different percentages, it is hard to know if we can trust them. Especially the sampling example that Dr. Panetta gave in class. Great job covering how Trump continues to flip in his communication about not trusting the polls to being supportive of them as he gains points. As well as his push verbally against “Crooked Hillary.”