Donald Trump Cant win! liberals cry
A reader writes, “Everyone says Donald Trump can’t win. Exactly why not?”
David Leonhardt, editor for The Upshot, considers the question:
Can Donald Trump win the Republican nomination? Sure, it’s within the realm of plausibility; he’s now been leading the polls for months, after all. But it seems highly unlikely because it would violate just about every historical pattern of presidential races.
No modern candidate has received a major-party nomination — and perhaps no candidate in American history — while being opposed by the party’s elites: donors, media figures, politicians and others.
Elite support matters because they have the ability to shape public opinion through endorsements, public criticism and other means. Many voters don’t follow campaigns very closely. They don’t dig through position papers or watch hours upon hours of debates. They’re influenced by what they hear.
In every recent Republican presidential campaign, a couple of contenders — often with resumes atypical of a serious candidate — have shot to the top of the early polls, only to fade as they face scrutiny and criticism. What’s fascinating about Mr. Trump is that he has, if anything, endured harsher criticism, and yet he has also remained atop the polls for longer.
Perhaps Republican primary voters have grown so fed up with the country and their party that they’re willing to dismiss the collective opinion of Republican elites (which now seems to favor Marco Rubio or Jeb Bush). But it really would be unprecedented for the party to nominate someone like Mr. Trump, Ben Carson or Carly Fiorina.
Ask The Times, a regular Times Insider feature, draws on Times staffers’ expertise to answer questions about current events, life at the paper, science, sports, culture and whatever else is making headlines. Send your questions to timesinsider@nytimes.com.
-
8:24
America Divided
5 months agoWill Donald Trump WIN The 2024 Republican Nominee?
37 -
13:48
Taking Back Trump's America
8 months agoTrump In, Ronna Out, Win Baby Win
204 -
8:44
Styxhexenhammer666
9 months agoDonald Trump Can Win... And We Must Do What We Can to Help Him
39.2K165 -
0:58
TrumpBeliver
1 year agoHow Donald Trump Will Win The 2024 Presidential Election
24 -
20:42
TheJoshBernsteinShow
6 months agoSORRY SNOWFLAKES BUT I GUARANTEE YOU LOSERS THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP WILL BE ON EVERY BALLOT IN 2024
4751 -
18:21
Project Sentinel
1 year ago $0.02 earnedWhat Trump Needs to Do to Win the Presidency in 2024
77 -
10:18
mark parham
5 months agodonald trump will win 50 states in 2024 | mark parham podcast
8 -
4:30
THE TRUMPEST
1 year agoWHY DONALD TRUMP WILL WIN IN 2024!
44 -
0:51
1 Minute News
1 year agoUS election: Trump tears into rising Republican rival DeSantis
3 -
4:51
about world news
1 year agoTrump 2024: could he win again?
11