As we know, Donald Trump has had many mishaps throughout his campaign, but what’s damaging him most now it the videos about sexual assault that he was associated with. In class, we discussed that the media stays hooked onto stories such as these because they appeal to the voters’ emotion as opposed to the media becoming so deeply invested in the Clinton emails. We also talked about how Trump claims that the voting system is rigged and the media is mostly liberal, and some of his recent comments have support his narrative about voting in America is a conspiracy.

Donald Trump has said things that would lead those who don’t support him, and just voters in general, that the voting system is rigged, but not only is it rigged, polling is also inaccurate. “They say we are tied in Colorado, I don’t think so, I’ll be honest. Something’s going on, something,” Trump said during his second rally of the day in the state. Trump honestly believes he is ahead through all the things he has said to degrade women and minorities, he still thinks the media is out to get him. He thinks that voting is just a fraud and that if he loses, it will be because some cheating took place. Not only does Trump say that voting is rigged, but his recent accusations are causing his polling to go down. The poll also found that 56% of voters said the 2005 recording of Donald Trump talking about sexually assaulting women “will be a concern” as they vote, compared with 40% who said he had put the issues to rest. Though polling allegedly doesn’t matter to Trump, the little things that have come about are causing him to lose support which will be detrimental to him in the long run.

“I don’t believe the polls,” Trump said during the rally.

“They are not terrible, they are sort of good,” he immediately followed.

At this point in the race, the things that are coming out about Trump are severely harming his campaign. If he goes with the story that the media is out to get him and that they’re liberals, then it could alleviate some of the pain, but as of right now, it seems like support of him is on the decline.

 

With the last Presidential debate happening in just hours one can only assume that Republican Candidate Donald Trump will focus on voter fraud. He has always accused the election of being rigged but as his numbers in the polls decline we see him focus his rhetorical strategy around the corruption of the American political establishment and the media.

The American Constitution was signed with a primary goal of elections being fair. This is a core value of American Democracy and Trump accusing the system of being corrupt further pushes home his point of being a political outsider and anti-establishment. This rhetorical strategy would give Trump and excuse if he looses however, it could spark a national problem regarding the legitimacy to Clinton’s Presidency if she took home the win.

To further this rhetorical strategy of pushing the argument that the election is rigged he has used surrogate speakers, such as former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani to help draw attention in the media on this issue. However, House Speaker Paul Ryan has said he will no longer work for Trump’s election and is “fully confident” the election will be conducted with integrity.

Trump has also strategically used women surrogate speakers, such as his wife, to speak out again the sexual assault allegations against him. These allegations of sexual assault are definitely not helping Trump in the polls. After having a difficult time reaching women voters these claims come at a time that is detrimental to Trumps campaign. The allegations on top of the 2005 video that was released have only pushed potential voters away. His strategy of considering what he said “locker room talk” hasn’t seemed to work for him following the second debate. Maybe it also had something to do with that fact the he barely (if even) apologized for his comments.

At this point, I see Trumps rhetorical strategy as a failure and almost as a scare tactic in a lot ditch effort to win undecided voters. I do not predict any changes in the polls after this debate. I think that Trumps poll numbers have flatlined. I do not think that he will win over anymore undecided voters but I also think that his long time supporters will continue to support him.

Trump’s interesting rhetoric confuses to take him down in the polls. In a recent article from Newsday, we find that Trump’s comments about women are making an impact on his campaign. These absurd and disrespectful statements about his past with women are causing him to lose ground with women voters.

Overall, we find that despite women continuing to show up to his rallies and support, the polls show that he is falling behind with women voters. I mean, is anyone surprised? In his the recent surfacing video from 2005, Trump discusses kissing and groping women without consent. These words are not going to settle well with many people. Although those who firmly support him are continuing to do so, he is not broadening his base or expanding to those voters who continue to sit on the fence. The sexual remarks take the focus away from the prominent issues in the race.

Following the comments, in Pennsylvania, which Trump guaranteed as a win for himself, many voters said they were “bothered” and we see the polls drop significantly among women. In battleground states where Trump needs the support of women, we see his rhetoric and past words coming back to bite. Even as he put out a video to defend his remarks, it may have dug the whole deeper.

In this campaign, we see more junkyard dog journalism than we’ve seen in many past campaigns. But with the topics arising and the candidates past in the celebrity spotlight it is only natural.

The question is how can Trump turn around his rhetoric, and past remarks to gain necessary support of women voters?

 

With just weeks to go until the official Election Day, communication surrounding political scandals litters almost every day-to-day conversation. After the lewd Trump video was released here, his supporters have made every attempt possible to further taint Clinton’s name in media. The controversy of deleted e-mails has clearly not carried them as far as they had hoped. As a result, there are many stories with different amounts of truth-value circulating all platforms of social media. If we are learning anything about Trump and his supporters it is that they would never go down without a fight. They are having to work with new story lines in hopes to change not only the polls to favor Trump, but the election itself.

Communication about scandals concerning Hillary Clinton has surfaced through many platforms including word of mouth, social media, and broadcast television. This rhetoric that further promotes her as untrustworthy is what many Trump supporters have turned to in order to influence polls and on the fence voters. They are using every resource they can to frame her in a way that she looks untrustworthy in order to sway voters to support Trump as the lesser of two evils.

While many of these accusations and controversies may seem weak in comparison to the release of Trump’s “locker room” trash talk, these stories about Clinton’s untrustworthy character are Trump supporter’s last ditch attempt to convince voters through communication tactics that Clinton is not the right candidate for the position of president. Because Trump is behind in the polls and lacks official surrogates, it is his fanatic followers to make an attempt to rally the nation to support their non traditional leader.

In light of recent speeches made by Donald Trump, the overarching theme seems to be to discourage people from voting in general or to vote for him, which would be even better. The “people” he wishes to not come out to vote are more specifically African Americans and other minorities he has bad-talked in the past.

Unsurprisingly, Trump’s polling amongst the African American community has been on a constant decline. He has given many speeches where he degrades them and what they stand for. Things Trump has said about them such as, “You live in your poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs, 58 percent of your youth is unemployed.”Though his numbers are still decreasing within this minority, he is trying to clean up his wrongdoings and actually “engage” more with them, or so it seems. In particular, Trump going to visit the predominantly African American church in Detroit shows that 1) he’s desperate for their vote, 2) he wants to right his wrongs, or 3) he just wants to get back in their good graces.  Despite him trying to sway the people, African Americans have already made up their minds about him, and he has gone to a place of no return.

Lewis also believes Saturday’s visit shows Trump’s desperation as election day draws closer and he needs the black vote.

“He left us out and he wants to make up for that,” she said. “But it’s a little too late.”

On another note, Trump seems to have “plans in store” for African American voters for Election Day. Allegedly there will be some type of violence on Election Day to deter African Americans from voting. Donald Trump specifically said, “Go and vote and then go check out areas because a lot of bad things happen,” he said in Pennsylvania, where lax state laws allow poll watchers to challenge voters as they arrive at precincts.” This instills fear in African American voters and will deter them from voting or even trying to attend the polls once word gets around that this is happening.

This tactic can be strategic, but counteractive to his efforts of trying to get African American people back on his campaign.

With almost 20% of states being considered “toss up-states” according to the Daily Wire, there is a lot of chance surrounding next month’s presidential election. As of yesterday, there are 9 states that sit on the fence between the two leading presidential candidates which leaves 113 electoral votes up for grabs. While this could be a time for Trump to leverage influence and woo potential voters, it seems to be used instead as a time to increase mocking of one of the most questionable candidates America has ever seen. Rhetorically, Trump doesn’t get to control his polls because the media is controlling it for him based off of the careless things that come out of his mouth. His communication is abrasive and the communication about his actions is absolute mockery.

 

Trump’s need to improve his poll numbers has recently been used a source of entertainment for shows like The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Fallon impersonating Trump begs the character Madea, and other famous characters including a caricature of Hillary Clinton to vote for him in the upcoming election. The parody includes jokes about Trump’s falling poll numbers as well has his tiny hands.

In light of my other post, speaking to the fact that Trump seems to disregard the polls, he wasn’t helped in that area of perceived flippancy when a video of a provocative conversation from 2005 surfaced last week. In the video Trump spent some time talking with a buddy and extensively degraded women. When confronted about it during the debate he referred to it as “locker room talk” and that it didn’t represent his character. While Trump seemed to have some feelings of regret about this lewd conversation, his apologia speech seemed cold- and he used it as an outlet to bring up mistakes of Hillary and Bill Clinton which practically negates the apology after all. This speech was also a point of mockery for late night television- making Trump seem more and more like a monkey in the world of politics.

Between the mockery that Trump seems to walk right into and continually putting his foot in his mouth when it comes to every situation- Trump has a lot of work to do repairing and maintaining his image before he can do anything about the polls besides pray.

 

 

Due on Sunday, edited after global feedback.

Trump’s rhetorical devices and concepts have taken a turn that have confused many in the past week. Trump stunned many when he met publicly with several women who have accused Bill Clinton of sexual advances and in some cases rape. Bringing these ideas to the table had many people talking about Trump, as some of people’s biggest issues with Trump is the way he has spoken about women in the past. This was an obvious tactic used by Trump to attempt to divert people from thinking of his derogatory comments that he has spoken (Washington Post). Trump knows the pressure is on and feels that he must overcompensate for these past remarks along with the vulgar comments released in the past week from a 2005 video.

For most the topic of sexual assault is a serious topic not to prance around. And for these people, well they are hanging on to every word that leaves Trump’s mouth making sure he doesn’t take a step over the line – as if he hasn’t already..

The question is how have these remarks effected the polls?

Well following these discussions, the tactics did not seem to work in Trump’s odds because not only is he falling behind in polls but he is starting to fall behind in key battleground states, Florida and Pennsylvania.

How will Trump move forward in his rhetoric, and really how far is too far in these touchy subjects? Not only are we stepping on thin ice as these serious issues are discusses, but they take a way from key national topics that need to be addressed in these crucial times in the elections.

http://bcove.me/7gjnmfzo

Above is a link displaying the no handshake beginning of Sunday’s debate.

It’s no surprise that Trump has alienated voters and insulted even his own party, but that should’ve been expected. What we shouldn’t have expected was that his $916 million dollar loss from his 1995 tax return would be uncovered and that he wouldn’t have anything to say to defend himself other than threatening to sue the newspaper for what he insists is “illegally obtained” material. Through all the insults and the general dislike of Donald Trump, surprisingly, the results of recent polling are in his favor and in some states, he has been projected to be better off than Clinton.

At this point in the race, it seems like both candidates have “found their safe places” and know the extent to what they can and can’t say that will cause controversy and a loss of supporters in the end. In my opinion, Donald Trump has realized that he can’t slander everyone or he would be left with no supporters. I think he realizes that his supporters may not 100% voting for him, but he’s doing everything he can to keep them on his side, which is why him leading polls in Maine isn’t surprising. Trump led by 10 points in a Boston Globe/Colby College poll conducted last month, and by 14 points in a Portland Press Herald poll. Maine is mostly a blue state, so this is very surprising that he is turning some districts of Maine in his favor, he is doing something extremely right.

Throughout Trump’s campaign, he has successfully kept supporters by keeping his themes for presidency broad, like by just talking about pressing issues like immigration and trade. Keeping themes broad has allowed supporters to stick by his side because they want to see a change with these issues, but going too specific will also lose support for him. Trump also has a good knack of talking about pressing problems at the right time. Though it might just be rhetoric and not necessarily meaningful, it has kept people on board with him. “As I’ve said all along, Donald Trump’s message on the economy and jobs really resonates with people who feel they’ve been left behind and who have lost their jobs because of poorly negotiated trade agreements,” Collins said.

Donald Trump may have done some sketchy things throughout this campaign season, but he is undoubtedly still a strong contender and his polling numbers going up does nothing but confirm this statement.

 

We’ve all seen the memes floating around about how Trump and Clinton argued like our parents do over directions on the way to our weird Uncle Larry’s house for Thanksgiving. Trump shouted, sniffled, and made sure he was heard while Clinton nodded her head, gave a cheeky soft smile, and thought of a comeback. Nielson estimated that nearly 80 million people tuned in and watched (or cringed) at the debate. So what are the polls saying after the debate?

Well, it is pretty obvious that the polls aren’t in favor of business man turned presidential candidate Donald Trump. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that he said, “it could be somebody sitting on their bed that weighs 400lbs” when referring to who was behind the DNC hack. Or maybe it was Clinton mentioning, one of the worst things he has said about women, referring to Trump calling former Miss USA winner Miss Piggy and Miss Housekeeping because she was Latina. And when he called in on Fox and Friends to try and dispute this claim all he had to say for himself was, “and she was the worst we ever had, the worst, the absolute worst… She gained a massive amount of weight, and it was a real problem.”

The only REAL problem I see here is for Mr. Trump and his diminishing polls. He has consistently had a problem getting support from female voters and the incidents after the debate certainly aren’t prompting women to go down to the voting station and check the box for Mr. Trump.

The upcoming debates will be crucial for Trump and his standing in the polls. But, will Trump make changes to his harsh rhetorical strategies in order to win over voters or will he continue down the same slipper slope that put him at the bottom of the polls post debate?

Donald Trump tends to go about things differently than an expected candidate would do. With the polls currently not in his favor, he continues to speak in a way that is concerning to so many voters. Trump consistently uses rhetoric that leaves many voters feeling attacked. His angry persona and dicey comments is indicated in the polls as Hillary is far ahead. The polls are not showing some of the more silent Trump supporters.

Yes, Trump is arguably the most hated presidential candidate in history. But, his persuasive rhetoric is swaying some voters who are keeping their opinions more quiet. The left-leaning areas of the country who may not want to deck out and go to a Trump rally, are still going to give him a vote when elections come in November. I think because Trump knows that he has some silent voters, he continues to use aggression and his hostile rhetoric tactics in his campaign. Not to say any of this is smart… while many voters will remain and vote for him, many are turning away from him and his aggressive remarks.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/us/general_election_trump_vs_clinton-5491.html

In the link above, Real Clear Politics maps out the average of the polls in the past year. Donald Trump may not see top results in the polls, but his rhetoric and style really acts as if the polls do not exist. His aggression and hostility may decrease slightly as the election draws closer, but overall his style seems consistent regardless of the the results in the polls.