Here’s Why Donald Trump Really Could Be Elected President

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Vanity Fair:

From Brentwood mansions to Embassy Row in Washington, D.C., the idea that Donald Trump could become president has alternately set off fits of laughter and terror. While some political insiders, including a growing number of establishment Republicans, concede that Trump could win the nomination, few believe that Trump could actually become president. But a close analysis of the political climate and electoral path to the presidency shows that the possibility of a Donald in chief is less far-fetched than people imagine.

The establishment argument goes something like this: first, Trump will implode, owing to some stupid thing he says or does (so far no sign of this). Then, maybe he could win the nomination but ultimately voters will see what “we” (the elites) all see: he is unfit to be president and they will vote for an alternative. That argument might work well if elections were won by a national vote taken the year before the election, when the majority of people paying attention are political elites, plus a small number of people in early primary states. However, elections are won by achieving a mathematical number: 270 electoral votes. In that formula, Trump is just as competitive—and perhaps more so—as either John McCain, in 2008, or Mitt Romney, in 2012.

To be clear, at the moment Trump is the absolute and clear front-runner for the Republican nomination. Trump has been the front-runner longer and by a more significant margin than any of the many flameouts he is often compared to from past campaigns. Comments made by Trump, which would have tanked any other politician’s campaign, seem to bounce off him, and even make him more compelling to certain voters.

Assuming Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee, some inside the Beltway believe there is a possibility that she might win states like Indiana, North Carolina, Missouri, and Montana, which Obama won or only narrowly lost in 2008. But with Trump in the race, all of those states—which are more red than they were in ’08—are likely out for Democrats. Swing states like Colorado and Virginia are clear toss-ups. There are few states that Romney or McCain won where Trump, as the Republican nominee, wouldn’t be in the running, and an analysis of other key states shows that Trump’s in far better position than his detractors would like to admit. If Trump were to win every state that Romney won, Trump would stand today at 206 electoral votes, with 55 electoral votes up for grabs in Pennsylvania, Colorado, Nevada, Wisconsin, Iowa, and New Hampshire. Similarly, Trump does not necessarily lose in a single toss-up state versus Hillary Clinton and, in fact, is seemingly competitive in many.

Virginia is trending blue, but could be a toss-up, particularly given the tale of Dave Brat, whose success in 2014 could be read as a harbinger of Trump. Colorado will have high Republican turnout, given that it is home to what’s likely to be one of the country’s most contested Senate races—which could make it more competitive than it should be, considering Trump’s comments about Latinos. Depending on how well Trump shows in the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries, they too could be in play. In two of the remaining states, Wisconsin and Nevada, any Democratic nominee will have an upper hand—particularly Clinton. But Trump will be able to effectively contest, particularly in a place like Wisconsin, with working-class white voters who elected Scott Walker three times in four years. Finally, Pennsylvania, which has been leaning ever-more blue and will likely go blue this year, will nonetheless require Clinton to spend some resources and time there—taking away from her efforts in other swing states.

Which all means that the election comes down to Florida and Ohio, two states where Trump has significant advantages. In Florida (29 electoral votes), he is a part-time resident and is polling better than the state’s former governor and sitting U.S. senator. He’s also currentlyneck and neck with Clinton in polls of the state’s likely voters. The state’s important Hispanic population is more skewed toward people of Cuban rather than Mexican ancestry—some of whom may not be as turned off by Trump’s anti-Mexican immigration comments as Hispanics in other states. The Florida voting population includes a high percentage of evangelicals (a group with whom Trump seems to have had baffling success). Let’s also not forget Florida’s troubled history around running elections properly, which includes not just the Bush v. Gore campaign of 2000, but regularly some of the longest lines and most egregious cases of disenfranchisement of minority voters anywhere in the country. Plus, it currently has a Republican governor, and Republican majorities in both of its state legislatures.

In Ohio (18 electoral votes), it’s a similar story.

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Huge accidental truth in that 2nd paragraph:

Then, maybe he could win the nomination but ultimately voters will see what “we” (the elites) all see: he is unfit to be president and they will vote for an alternative.

Except that, by the time a Trump has sown up the nomination, we, the elites (that includes elites from both Republican and Democrat Parties) will all have to throw support to Hillary (or who ever in the Dem nominee.)
So, Vanity Fair aligns its reasoning with so-called mere bloggers who exposed this some months ago.
Elites just want Hillary OR Bush.
And, be they Dem elites or Rep elites, they don’t care which.
And THAT is the problem.

all of the sites out there tonight are going off one poll and saying carson is in the lead. However, they did not look deep into the pool. If they did they would see that trump has more loyalty….. http://newsdailynow.com/2015/10/27/carson-trump/

@Larry Jackson: Carson is only leading in the polls that are controlled to favor Dimocrats. They will say whatever they have to to sell the Socialist agenda

Carson held a Town Hall recently in Iowa that drew a few hundred.

Trump held a Town Hall recently in Iowa that drew a few thousand.

The eye test does not lie.

@mossomo: The Apprentice also did well.
Dr. Carson’s brain surgeries were sparsely attended.
Evangelicals are nearly 50% of Republican Primary voters—They will give Carson a double digit win in Iowa–As they did Huckabee in 2008 and Santorum in 2012

Trump claims to be many things—Evangelical isn’t one of them. When queried if he’s asked for forgiveness—his response—“FOR WHAT” That’s The Donald.

CNBC Worst debate moderators I have ever seen.

@Roch Wheeler: Hi Roch, you related to Rich?

@Rich Wheeler:

Trump claims to be many things

I guess you’ve seen his reaction. Would McCain do that? Would Obama?
“Wounded Warrior Sends Trump Into RAGE With 1 Comment… Trump Pulls Out Phone Immediately”

@Redteam: Ha–doubled up and extended happy hour to survive that “debate”
Who did Trump call?

RT Just saw the wounded First Sergeant on CNN Glad Trump offering his help

As Vets we should all do what we can with time and money to help our Wounded Warriors.

@Rich Wheeler:

doubled up and extended happy hour to survive that “debate”

And of course that was because it was CNBC. You know they didn’t intend a debate but a Dimocrat Network show.

I sincerely hope that by the time of the next debate the field is sufficiently whittled down to allow actual discussions of policy. Paul, Bush, Kasich dropping out would be a good start. Any candidate with less than 5% should not be up there, and if Priebus doesn’t ensure actual debate moderators instead of DNC operators, he should be fired, tarred and feathered.

@Pete:

and if Priebus doesn’t ensure actual debate moderators instead of DNC operators, he should be fired,

Priebus has never been a serious ‘whatever he is’. He’s just there to fill a slot and bow to the establishment Repub party. don’t expect anything out of him. See how Trump took it upon himself to set the time for this debate. Priebus wouldn’t do it.

Rich, you did see the results of the debate: “Overnight poll on who won the debate: Trump 27, Rubio 21, Cruz 17”

http://hotair.com/archives/2015/10/29/overnight-poll-on-who-won-the-debate-trump-27-rubio-21-cruz-17/

Note that same poll shows If you were voting today, who would you vote for: Trump 32.7 Carson 22.6 Rubio 14.5

That reinforce your belief that ‘Trump is dead’?

@Redteam: “Trump is dead” Certainly never said that—a few minutes ago I said I thought it even with Rubio a strong third. I do think Trump will eventually fall to 4th trailing Rubio, Cruz and Carson. Long way to go.

Most thought Cruz and Rubio won poorly moderated debate–Trump was surprisingly muted.

@Rich Wheeler:

“Trump is dead” Certainly never said that

Saying that Trump won’t get the nomination is equivalent to saying he’s dead. I think, that Trump will continue to rise at the expense of some of the back markers. As Christie, Graham, Huckabee, Bush, etc fall out, those will tend more toward Trump. Most people are not going to migrate toward establishment candidates.

I am trting to ascertain wherher the MSM is being so blatant in ahowimg their bias out of increased arrogance or panic.

@Pete: a little of each

Possibly insane, but currently the front-runner.

This just in, from The Donald:

“The tragic attacks in Paris prove once again that America needs to get tough on radical Islamic terrorism. President Obama and other politicans have consistantly failed us. Just hours before the attacks in Paris, President Obama said ISIS had been contained. It is amazing that the United States could have a president who is so out of touch. It is also dangerous. Obama has no strategy to defeat ISIS and now he is preparing to let hundreds of thousands of refugees from Syria into the United States. I will stop illegal immigration. We will build a wall on the southern border, and yes, I will also quickly and decisively bomb the hell out of ISIS. We’ll make the military so strong, no one and I mean no one, will mess with us. If I win, we will not have to listen to the politicans who are losing the war on terrorism, we will make America safe, and we will make America great again.”

@Greg: Gee Greg, you really admire Trump, don’t you?

All Hail Buffoonus Maximus, future Emperor of the land of Fear and Stupidity! I can hardly wait to see him sworn in in his toga, a wreath of golden laurel leaves upon his noble head.

America will get what it pays for. Or, more probably, pay for what it gets.