Do protests of Trump hurt Clinton electorally?

[Reginald]

Obviously the people who are most outraged over stuff like this will be voting for Trump anyway, but the line of thinking that I've seen most often is that moderates and independents will punish Clinton because... some scary, loud brown people who are probably voting for her are protesting Trump? Can't say I really understand this logic at all. If anything, it makes more sense that the swing voters will be turned off by all the chaos that four years of Trump would create. But that's biased old me, anyway.

[Virginiá]

Honestly I doubt it will have much of an effect. I feel like it'll just make existing Trump supporters harden their support. We're not exactly talking about protests of a relatively tolerable candidate here. This is Trump, and while I don't think people will excuse the protests entirely, they are not going to go rushing into Trump's embrace en masse just because people Trump is threatening are upset. I like to think that a lot of voters out there at least understand where this anger comes from.

Simply put, statistically significant amounts of people who are disgusted with Trump right now aren't likely to stop being disgusted with him just because the ethnic groups Trump is attacking protested and got out of control.

[Ronnie]

No.  If anything, they energize and embolden the majority coalition that is against him.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

I speculated on aad that flag burnings from the protesters would be more damaging to her campaign than general violence. If squabbles and riots follow trump around he will be seen by Middle America as a 'scary' candidate. However if antitrumpism begins to pick up antiamerica associations then that could potentially be a threat to hillary's campaign.

[Virginiá]

I speculated on aad that flag burnings from the protesters would be more damaging to her campaign than general violence. If squabbles and riots follow trump around he will be seen by Middle America as a 'scary' candidate. However if antitrumpism begins to pick up antiamerica associations then that could potentially be a threat to hillary's campaign.

I wonder if Democratic groups could hire "minders" to mingle in these protests and put a stop to flag burning using creative methods (throwing water on them, snatching flags away before it can happen, I dunno)

Anyway, I think you have a point though. I just wonder if the Clinton campaign is thinking about how they can stop this stuff from happening. It's in their best interests that these protests don't continue down that path.

[tallguy23]

Eh not really. She's continually spoken out against violence at rallies (something Trump refuses to do).

[SillyAmerican]

I speculated on aad that flag burnings from the protesters would be more damaging to her campaign than general violence. If squabbles and riots follow trump around he will be seen by Middle America as a 'scary' candidate. However if antitrumpism begins to pick up antiamerica associations then that could potentially be a threat to hillary's campaign.

I wonder if Democratic groups could hire "minders" to mingle in these protests and put a stop to flag burning using creative methods (throwing water on them, snatching flags away before it can happen, I dunno)

Anyway, I think you have a point though. I just wonder if the Clinton campaign is thinking about how they can stop this stuff from happening. It's in their best interests that these protests don't continue down that path.

Yes. The images of folks burning American flags and waving Mexico flags gives a terrible visual, and does nothing to help the Clinton campaign. Her people should try to get things under control, because it's tough to make a case against some of Trump's rhetoric when your supporters are throwing eggs and screaming obscenities and causing problems. Protests are fine, but there's a proper way to protest, and what's been going on in California is not it.

[IceSpear]

Obviously the people who are most outraged over stuff like this will be voting for Trump anyway, but the line of thinking that I've seen most often is that moderates and independents will punish Clinton because... some scary, loud brown people who are probably voting for her are protesting Trump? Can't say I really understand this logic at all. If anything, it makes more sense that the swing voters will be turned off by all the chaos that four years of Trump would create. But that's biased old me, anyway.

The logic is simple: preying on the latent racism of "moderate" white people. It could work.

[IceSpear]

I speculated on aad that flag burnings from the protesters would be more damaging to her campaign than general violence. If squabbles and riots follow trump around he will be seen by Middle America as a 'scary' candidate. However if antitrumpism begins to pick up antiamerica associations then that could potentially be a threat to hillary's campaign.

I wonder if Democratic groups could hire "minders" to mingle in these protests and put a stop to flag burning using creative methods (throwing water on them, snatching flags away before it can happen, I dunno)

Anyway, I think you have a point though. I just wonder if the Clinton campaign is thinking about how they can stop this stuff from happening. It's in their best interests that these protests don't continue down that path.

Yes. The images of folks burning American flags and waving Mexico flags gives a terrible visual, and does nothing to help the Clinton campaign. Her people should try to get things under control, because it's tough to make a case against some of Trump's rhetoric when your supporters are throwing eggs and screaming obscenities and causing problems. Protests are fine, but there's a proper way to protest, and what's been going on in California is not it.

Uh, those aren't her supporters.

[ProudModerate2]

Lean No.  Unless there is military style activity (think Ft. Sumter or John Brown), this should all be baked into the awful cake on both sides.  I mean even Newtown, in which an elementary school was shot up, had no lasting effect on public opinion.  But bozos will probably keep hitting people at rallies, sadly.

Agree.

[publicunofficial]

Not at this point. The protesters aren't wearing "I'm With Her" buttons or chanting pro-Hillary rhetoric. There's not a lot to tie her to them.

[MK]

Hardin his supporters and completely take southern states(ex FL) off the table for Hillary.   The media spins this as "violence at trump rallies" and not "trump supporters being attacked" so I dont think it benefits either side.    The flag burning should resonate ,but the GOP and Trump are too stupid to take advantage of it.

[Sumner 1868]

Literally nobody cares except the most fanatical of his disciples. We have several threads on this forum that prove it.