2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumTPM - "How Does It Feel To Be Losing So Badly?"
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/how-does-it-feel-to-be-losing-so-badlyThere's a campaign dynamic now coming into view which under other circumstances might only be a matter of trash talk or taunt. In this unique campaign cycle, it will likely be a driving issue. Put simply, as Donald Trump's poll numbers continue to fall - or more likely become more anchored in a position with him clearly behind - he is himself being lowered onto his own personal kryptonite: Loserdom.
One charge, one taunt, one attack will rile and unhinge Donald Trump more than any other. That he's a loser. At the moment, the facts leave little question on this point.
In the Trumpian world of pure alpha dominance no failure or state of existence is more total, hopeless, unmanning or unbearable. He is now living there, in public, each day, for all to see, even helpfully enumerated on most days in new poll numbers. A brittle narcissistic ego, coddled for decades by armies of yes men and a generally fawning business and tabloid press, won't hold up well under that kind of strain.
Losing is always hard. Few of us have ever been candidates for public office. But we all know this from our own lives. But it is uniquely hard for Trump's campaign because the campaign's entire premise is "winning" and on a slightly less literal level on what I've called dominance politics. Losing is hard for any campaign both emotionally for all involved but also because losing is demoralizing and can trigger a self-perpetuating cycle. But most campaign's have issue agendas, goals that provide an emotional and aspirational ballast to the effort. You may be losing but that doesn't invalidate what you believe or the substance of your proposed policies. That's not true for Trump because "winning" isn't just the goal it's the raison d'etre and premise of the whole effort. A candidacy based on "winning" which is in fact losing and perhaps losing badly isn't just on the ropes; it begins to look ridiculous.
Response to Alfresco (Original post)
stopbush This message was self-deleted by its author.
workinclasszero
(28,270 posts)Or declare himself the winner and drop out before that?
JenniferJuniper
(4,515 posts)And Trump himself probably envisioned only the free air time for his products and places, "suspending" his campaign after he thought he'd gone as far as he could go.
When he loses - to a woman! - he won't be able to spin himself out of being a loser. Oh, sure "Crooked Hilary" will have stolen the election but it will be hard for even him to claim that with a straight face if he loses a y-huge amount of states by big enough numbers.
It will be interesting to see if he comes up with an exit strategy. He'd much rather take his ball and go home than face losing the game to a girl. In front of the whole neighborhood.
Happyhippychick
(8,379 posts)He wrote the book on losing. Anyone who thinks they can out-lose him is a LOSER.
jcgoldie
(11,656 posts)bravo!
annabanana
(52,791 posts)perfect.