Can Trump win back the educated voters?

[Ljube]

Can he come off as intelligent and not a grade school bully?  Can he actually stand on one side of an issue?

Will doing it in the debates be enough? He has lowered the bar so much, the expectations are so low, that an average performance might be interpreted as stellar.

[ProudModerate2]

I seriously doubt it. His temperament and overall behavior is big problem for a lot of people. That cannot be ignored and it's irrefutable that Trump is very offensive, erratic and has a very shady and offensive history. He pretty much never talks about policy specifics, either. I'm not entirely sure he can.

Between himself and his campaign, it doesn't seem possible. This is really a structural issue, and he'd be no more likely to get them back than Hillary would in terms of working class whites. Well, barring a major catastrophe like Skill and Chance said.

OK, they may dislike Trump's style. But they know, it is far more likely their taxes will be lower with Trump, than with Clinton. In fact, they can be pretty much certain she will increase their taxes.
I have never met a person who likes paying bigger taxes. Have you?
But can that be enough?

Ljube,
Are you listening to yourself ?
The problem trump has with "educated" voters, is the mere fact that they are educated, smart, able to see the bigger picture, see long-term consequences with choices, etc.

Your trump "lower taxes" dog biscuit approach, wont work.
It's like Hitler making and preparing plans to execute millions of Jews, and then also proposing to "lower taxes" on the "educated" to lure them in for their vote/support.
Are you kidding ? !

[Rules for me, but not for thee]

Can he come off as intelligent and not a grade school bully?  Can he actually stand on one side of an issue?

Will doing it in the debates be enough? He has lowered the bar so much, the expectations are so low, that an average performance might be interpreted as stellar.

Maybe. I'll believe that when I see it.  It'll be entertaining regardless.

[Ljube]

I seriously doubt it. His temperament and overall behavior is big problem for a lot of people. That cannot be ignored and it's irrefutable that Trump is very offensive, erratic and has a very shady and offensive history. He pretty much never talks about policy specifics, either. I'm not entirely sure he can.

Between himself and his campaign, it doesn't seem possible. This is really a structural issue, and he'd be no more likely to get them back than Hillary would in terms of working class whites. Well, barring a major catastrophe like Skill and Chance said.

OK, they may dislike Trump's style. But they know, it is far more likely their taxes will be lower with Trump, than with Clinton. In fact, they can be pretty much certain she will increase their taxes.
I have never met a person who likes paying bigger taxes. Have you?
But can that be enough?

Ljube,
Are you listening to yourself ?
The problem trump has with "educated" voters, is the mere fact that they are educated, smart, able to see the bigger picture, see long-term consequences with choices, etc.

Your trump "lower taxes" dog biscuit approach, wont work.
It's like Hitler making and preparing plans to execute millions of Jews, and then also proposing to "lower taxes" on the "educated" to lure them in for their vote/support.
Are you kidding ? !

The educated mostly supported Hitler. They disliked his style, but considered him the lesser evil. I am talking about the right wing and centrist intelligentsia, not the left wing intellectuals.

Trump only needs to get back those that used to vote Pub and suffer some 20% attrition there at most (Torie, Erc). Otherwise he won't win.

[Wells]

Trump is never going to stop being offensive, ridiculous, and vague on policy until Clinton is in the White House. As for taxes, it isn't enough, because Trump acts offensive, ridiculous, and vague on policy. As for the debates, Trump is going to bomb in the debates. And if somebody is #NeverTrump now, it would take a disaster to push them to Trump's side - if his response isn't "called it" and "told you so" like Orlando (though it probably would be).

[ProudModerate2]

I seriously doubt it. His temperament and overall behavior is big problem for a lot of people. That cannot be ignored and it's irrefutable that Trump is very offensive, erratic and has a very shady and offensive history. He pretty much never talks about policy specifics, either. I'm not entirely sure he can.

Between himself and his campaign, it doesn't seem possible. This is really a structural issue, and he'd be no more likely to get them back than Hillary would in terms of working class whites. Well, barring a major catastrophe like Skill and Chance said.

OK, they may dislike Trump's style. But they know, it is far more likely their taxes will be lower with Trump, than with Clinton. In fact, they can be pretty much certain she will increase their taxes.
I have never met a person who likes paying bigger taxes. Have you?
But can that be enough?

Ljube,
Are you listening to yourself ?
The problem trump has with "educated" voters, is the mere fact that they are educated, smart, able to see the bigger picture, see long-term consequences with choices, etc.

Your trump "lower taxes" dog biscuit approach, wont work.
It's like Hitler making and preparing plans to execute millions of Jews, and then also proposing to "lower taxes" on the "educated" to lure them in for their vote/support.
Are you kidding ? !

The educated mostly supported Hitler. They disliked his style, but considered him the lesser evil. I am talking about the right wing and centrist intelligentsia, not the left wing intellectuals.
Trump only needs to get back those that used to vote Pub and suffer some 20% attrition there at most (Torie, Erc). Otherwise he won't win.

The educated mostly supported Hitler, because they had guns to their head and threats of confiscation of their assets. Luckily, here in the US in our time, we don't have to worry about these types of threats (as long as we keep trump out, otherwise who knows).

It should also be obvious to you that the "right wing and centrist intelligentsia" also see the destruction that trump would bring to their community, nation and world.

[Virginiá]

OK, they may dislike Trump's style. But they know, it is far more likely their taxes will be lower with Trump, than with Clinton. In fact, they can be pretty much certain she will increase their taxes.

I have never met a person who likes paying bigger taxes. Have you?

But can that be enough?

Even if cutting taxes blows up the deficit/debt? Trump's plan is insane even by some right-wing standards. I don't think this is lost on everyone. Not everything is about taxes.

As for Trump's "style" - His behavior is a huge liability on the international stage. It's hard to overstate just how damaging Trump's erratic and offensive behavior could be to this country. This isn't a game show and these behavioral attributes matter a lot. They are not insignificant. On top of that, Trump is a pathological liar, which again, is irrefutable. He's been caught brazenly lying so many times now it is unbelievable. All politicians lie to a degree, but Trump has everyone beat by a mile. The sad thing is, no matter how many times the press points out (and substantiates) a Trump lie, his base doesn't seem to care. Who knew how beneficial demonizing the media from the start would be. Now they only listen to Trump.

[BundouYMB]

He can go back in time and be a different person with a different career and different political positions.

[SillyAmerican]

If Kaine was at the top of the ticket, I would say no chance at all. But since it is Hillary I guess he could maybe get the educated Republicans but then again they are smart enough to realize the level of stupidity that frequently comes out of Trump's mouth.

Agreed. Many of Trump's positions line up with the thinking of many Americans, but his tone and temperament (and the fact that he seems to have never met an incendiary, news-cycle-capturing statement he doesn't like) are problematic. I believe the thing preventing Donald Trump's numbers from collapsing completely is Hillary Clinton, and vice versa.

Were Trump to go a couple of days without issuing some inflammatory/outrageous statement, he might very well be able to win back educated voters to his side. That said, I'm not gonna hold my breath...

[Young Conservative]

By having his demeanor more similar to his convention speech. it's really that simple.

[Ogre Mage]

At this point the cake is baked.  College educated voters are unlikely to be attracted to such a willfully ignorant candidate.

[Gustaf]

Trump's candidacy is about rejecting the value of education. He is proud of his ignorance and promotes stupidity. I doubt that can appeal to educated swing voters.

[Lincoln Republican]

Trump has said

We love the poorly educated

Now he has to say

We love the well educated