What is the absolute best that Trump could do in the general election?

[Maxwell]

Let's say Trump gets the Republican nomination. How does he do in the general? Pick your Vice President.

[Orthogonian Society Treasurer]

538 electoral votes.

[Wrong about 2024 Ghost]

Absolute best has already been covered so I'll go with "realistically possible best" - Trump runs a good campaign with no major foul-ups and picks a decent VP (for giggles, lets say he convinces Nikki Haley to take the VP nomination and she works out well), against a troubled Democratic campaign, where the candidate makes several large public gaffes and can never really unite the party, and the VP choice of Julian Castro fails to not-quite Sarah Palin levels, coupled with a major national disaster (economic, military, or natural) that President Obama is blamed for.

Dem: 233
Rep: 305

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Hillary just barely manages to win the nomination despite the email scandal blowing up. She has felony indictments going into election day. Trump wins 57-40.

[Statilius the Epicurean]

I don't think the email scandal would be enough. People will vote for a potential felon over a reprehensible human being. And Trump is pretty reprehensible.

Even if Clinton is indicted, women and minorities aren't going to stay at home when Trump's racism and misogyny is drilled into their brains with 3 months of Democrat attack ads. When you have half the board (inc. Republicans and Independents) saying/joking they would move to Canada if Trump won, Clinton's candidacy would have to completely implode for him to be the lesser of two evils.

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

Trump loses in a Dole-style defeat.

[/]

538 electoral votes.

Technically, yes. Practically, he couldn't do better than this: