Voters who didn't like either candidate

[100% pro-life no matter what]

Obviously, both candidates dominated with people who liked them but not their opponent, and virtually no one liked both.  But, a significant number of people in the exit polls had unfavorable opinions of both candidates, and that group (representing one-in-six voters) gave Trump a commanding (and likely decisive) victory, 47-30.  Why did Trump win people who hated them both?  Was it the Supreme Court?  Could he replicate this in 2020?

[Mr. Smith]

Obviously, both candidates dominated with people who liked them but not their opponent, and virtually no one liked both.  But, a significant number of people in the exit polls had unfavorable opinions of both candidates, and that group (representing one-in-six voters) gave Trump a commanding (and likely decisive) victory, 47-30.  Why did Trump win people who hated them both? Was it the Supreme Court?  Could he replicate this in 2020?

Because only in America do we choose the devil we don't know instead of the one we do.

That and Trump's capacity to win by simply trolling and letting others destroy themselves over his trolling.

[MarkD]

I didn't like either Trump or Clinton and that's because of the Supreme Court. I voted for McMullin. I don't think Trump is going to win again. I predict that he'll lose by a landslide, because many of those who didn't like either one but voted for Trump will find the Democrat nominee in 2020 far less objectionable.

[TML]

Remember what Michael Moore said in July 2016:

"...millions are going to vote for Trump not because they agree with him, not because they like his bigotry or ego, but just because they can."

In other words, these people voted for Trump because they were fed up with the political establishment, and viewed Trump as someone who could shake it up, even if they disagreed with some or all of his political viewpoints.

[TML]

As for whether or not Trump can replicate his 2016 success in 2020, I can say this: Trump has done enough things in office that many people who voted for him in 2016 now dislike him. However, this does not necessarily mean he is doomed: if the Democrats put up another uninspiring candidate who is pro-corporate, pro-establishment, and would likely return to Clinton/Obama-style neoliberalism, then Trump could very well win again.

[Kleine Scheiße]

It -- completely seriously -- was by-and-large about owning the libs.

[SingingAnalyst]

The ironic thing is that those few voters who liked both major candidates (5-6% thought both were qualified and/or had the right temperament)--also voted Trump (about 77-19 per CNN).

[Pericles]

These voters have been given far too little attention, they decided the election. Part of it was that Trump represented change while Clinton represented the establishment. Another part may have been the news cycle in the last week was bad for Clinton with the Comey letter, the polling was quite volatile and that probably was these voters swinging between candidates, and they may have decided differently if Trump's character issues had taken slightly greater prominence. Also 2016 was largely an anomaly in how unpopular both candidates were, so it shouldn't be taken as a given that the same dynamic will repeat itself in 2020-Trump seems to have done very little to make those who disliked him then like him now so that makes him much more vulnerable than he 'should' be based on the economic conditions.

[Grassroots]

In the end it comes to the rebels vs estab battle. This usually decides close elections. Rebellious candidates have slim advantage over establishment candidates, because people sympathize with the underdog more. In this case, Trump fit the title and made it very clear he was going against the machine.

[brucejoel99]

Something something change the status quo. Something something skeptical of the establishment.

[Orser67]

A lot of it was simply because Trump was a little more unpopular overall, so voters who disliked both candidates were more likely to be Republican.

[TheElectoralBoobyPrize]

The ironic thing is that those few voters who liked both major candidates (5-6% thought both were qualified and/or had the right temperament)--also voted Trump (about 77-19 per CNN).

That is interesting. The only person I know who liked both voted for Hillary actually.