Could this be the start of the end for the Trump campaign? Two major overhauls in recent months (essentially unheard of) and now a key player quits only a couple of months before the election? It doesn't look good...

moo wrote:

Could this be the start of the end for the Trump campaign? Two major overhauls in recent months (essentially unheard of) and now a key player quits only a couple of months before the election? It doesn't look good...

The Convention was the beginning of the end for the Trump campaign.

Issues that I think haven't gotten enough press:
1) Mr. Manafort's connection to the Russian government and Russian interests and how these connections have influenced Mr. Trump's campaign.
2) The absurd physician's note that the Trump Campaign released six months ago. It's either medical fraud by the physician or medical fraud by the campaign. Someone in law enforcement needs to grow a spine and investigate that. As a physician, I take issues of medical fraud and impersonation of a physician seriously.
3) Mr. Trump's refusal to release his tax returns.

DocLightning wrote:

2) The absurd physician's note that the Trump Campaign released six months ago. It's either medical fraud by the physician or medical fraud by the campaign. Someone in law enforcement needs to grow a spine and investigate that. As a physician, I take issues of medical fraud and impersonation of a physician seriously.

Yeah that'll be the day. Given how ultra-conservative much of law enforcement is, most of them are on Team Trump.

DocLightning wrote:

1) Mr. Manafort's connection to the Russian government and Russian interests and how these connections have influenced Mr. Trump's campaign.

I don't buy the whole let Trump be Trump nonsense. I suspect this is THE reason Manafort was dumped, and dumped quickly. Even a campaign running to lose can't fake legitimacy with a guy like Manafort being accused of colluding with Russia. It's particularly resonant after recalling Trumps' bravado about dealing with Putin (oh wait, he doesn't know the man...). Even further backed up when the *best* they could do was Bannon.

More like the middle of the end than the beginning of the end. This joke of a nominee will go down as the biggest loser in history. He's going to make Goldwater and Dukakis look like landslide winners by comparison. It wouldn't surprise me at all if the GOP somehow figured out a way to drop him from the ticket and have Pence be at the top while they name a new VP nominee. At this point they have to do something to stop this slow-motion train wreck in order to prevent the Dems from winning senate and house races on Hillary's coattails.

Actually, I think the opposite, while I am firmly anti Trump, I think in the next couple of weeks we will see a more sane Trump running around rather than the "lets do our best to pander to the far right while alienating the rest of America Trump", someone has finally gotten through to him that he is going to lose and lose big if he doesn't pull his head out of his butt and start trying to get the more central Republicans on board, the speech today shows this.

Any autocue Trump speech has five hours of currency before he gets let loose again.

New Yorker has an extremely interesting take on all this.

What Are Donald Trump, Roger Ailes, and Steve Bannon Really Up To?

http://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cass ... NTkyNDg1S0

Are these cynical and ruthless predators planning to start a proTrump style right wing media outlet to compete (devour) Fox news?
Trump could even use unused campaign funds for the startup.

[size=50]That's my contribution to conspiracy theories.[/size]

moo wrote:

Could this be the start of the end for the Trump campaign? Two major overhauls in recent months (essentially unheard of) and now a key player quits only a couple of months before the election? It doesn't look good...

You know, this is what I don't get. When you run for POTUS, every media outlet is going to put a microscope up your backside, so deep, there is no hiding ANYTHING! I certainly could never run. Probably, 85% of us here on A.net couldn't run, LOL! But I'm always amazed someone thinks that cash payments from foreign governments are never going to be uncovered. Then on top of it, I wonder if this was even declared as income to the IRS???

Remember Gary Hart (D) literally daring the press to follow him around and dig up dirt on him? They found plenty. As Bugs Bunny would say...."What a marooon"! LOL!

salttee wrote:

New Yorker has an extremely interesting take on all this.

Are these cynical and ruthless predators planning to start a proTrump style right wing media outlet to compete (devour) Fox news?
Trump could even use unused campaign funds for the startup.

[size=50]That's my contribution to conspiracy theories.[/size]

I honestly think this is what the deal is. It's the only thing that makes sense. Donny Deutsch has laid this out. I know Mr. Deutsch, and respect him greatly, and think he's onto something. As he said, if Donald Trump can get 55+ million voters to come out for him, and Hillary will probably get 65+ million, that still leaves Donald with a huge audience. Let's say he "only" can get a 15% take up rate from 55 million equals 8.25 million members who would be willing to pay you $6 or $7 per month for a "Trump Online TV" (much like Glenn Beck) and that brings in over $600 million in viewer revenue, plus another $150+ million in ad revenue, and you are now nearly hitting $800 million in revenues, in a biz that has 30%+ gross margins. That makes The Donald taking home $100 million to $200 million per annum. Think about it!

Obviously, with the news that Manfort is under FBI and DOJ investigation for his ties with Russia and Ukraine, we have our reason why he left. And there's no way this won't stick on Trump either, not with his pro-Russian comments in the last two months, including saying he's sell out Crimea and would think of breaking our NATO obiligations.

Plus, the timing takes place right around the time Trump gets his first full intel briefing. Wonder if The Feds told Donald that you better not bring Manfort along?

This one stunk from the very moment Manfort joined Trump's team.

Hillis wrote:

Obviously, with the news that Manfort is under FBI and DOJ investigation for his ties with Russia and Ukraine, we have our reason why he left. And there's no way this won't stick on Trump either, not with his pro-Russian comments in the last two months, including saying he's sell out Crimea and would think of breaking our NATO obligations.

Plus, the timing takes place right around the time Trump gets his first full intel briefing. Wonder if The Feds told Donald that you better not bring Manfort along?

This one stunk from the very moment Manfort joined Trump's team.

This is the most likely explanation, but beyond that, Trump doesn't want anyone telling him what to do, even if is the right thing. There is also the possible outing of Trump getting financial backing from Russian friends of Putin. That doesn't look good for him.

I think Trump has a very weak losing post-election future.

PacificBeach88 wrote:

I honestly think this is what the deal is. It's the only thing that makes sense. Donny Deutsch has laid this out. I know Mr. Deutsch, and respect him greatly, and think he's onto something. As he said, if Donald Trump can get 55+ million voters to come out for him, and Hillary will probably get 65+ million, that still leaves Donald with a huge audience.

I don't think that is realistic in any way. Look at the numbers for many political commentators on radio, even on Sirius, and they have been dropping like a rock. in parts due to declining ad revenues as the internet and smartphone have taken over entertainment.
Donny Deutsch also said on Morning Joe last week that he says Trump's name has substantially gone down in value due to his controversial comments and views as to Muslims, immigrants, women and so on, making him poison to many corporations and investors who don't want to be seen as endorsing those views.

Has there been another election year where a candidate dumps his campaign chair/managers this late in the year?