It would
take far too much time to recite all of Donald Trump’s comments that have made
heads turned or caused problems. Of course, this has happened before.
Throughout the primary season, Trump consistently made incendiary comments but he
then had a huge advantage. A gaffe would occur but, before you knew it, a new
poll would arrive, Trump would still be ahead, and all of the sudden, the
comment didn’t look like a gaffe anymore.
Trump’s lead
over his opponents, which was basically wire to wire, meant that the polling metaphorically
had his back. As this most recent controversy heats up, the polling, rather
than having his back, is actually stabbing him in the back. Clinton’s recent
strength in the polls, which could have been interpreted as a Democratic
Convention bounce, is instead being seen as part of the Trump-in-free-fall
story. This will lead to more press coverage of the bad polling and the
controversy that caused it. The very same cycle that was virtuous for Trump in
the primary is damaging in the general election.
The Trump
campaign needs to change the story quickly, which is a Trump specialty. But
finding a statement that is considered outrageous by the elite yet liked by a
majority of Americans is much more difficult than finding a statement that is considered
outrageous by the elite yet liked by a majority of Republican primary voters.
Events could
still change the spiral. Part of the problem for Trump, however, is that the
idea he can’t control his attack may be sinking in. Once someone believes
someone else is crazy that is a hard thing to unbelieve.
Trump has defied
gravity for a long time but gravity may ultimately get him.
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