Trumpled (Alternative Leading)

[Lods]

In terms of actual votes, Hilary Clinton got more than Trump in 2016, and Biden got more than Trump in 2020. He seems to have the loudest, most devoted, most attention getting voters, and I think frankly they tend to inflate how popular he really is. Losing the vote count in two consecutive elections appears to back that up.

Yet despite all the turbulence, and in the midst of a pandemic he appears to have handled poorly, he actually increased his vote... from 2016 (63 million) to 2020. (74 million)
You heard many folks in lead up documentaries and interviews say they voted for Trump in 2016 and weren't voting for him in 2020.
I don't recall any saying they voted for Clinton but would this time vote for Trump.
So if they were to be believed, Trump lost a lot of support but still managed to counteract and surpass that with support he picked up.

I suspect much of the real damage to Trump's support has actually occurred from his actions after the election, especially with the events  surrounding the  Capitol incident.
He wasn't a politicians bootlace (clueless) and the 'politicians' are back in charge of the asylum

But there must be some concerns surrounding that initial level of support.
If someone with a bit of 'political nous' can harness that support it may present the Democrats with a few problems a couple of years down the track.

But for now Trump's gone.
He wont be back
Much of his Republican support since the election was there with one eye on the Georgia Senate race and an attempt to present a bit of a united front . With Trump's antics post election that was always going to be a problem and it failed dramatically. That eroded Trump support amongst the Republican lawmakers and it was given another big whack with his Capitol capers. There's every chance an angry senate will do him over at the impeachment trial.

But it's time to move on.
Probably time to start the 'Biden alternative' thread.
"We wont have Nixon Trump to kick around anymore." (ironically Nixon did come back from that comment...but I doubt Trump will. )
The challenge for Biden won't be an easy one.
He'll have the competing factors of trying to mend a bridge to the 'not so radical' Trump voters and Republican lawmakers (that's actually one of his strengths)... and a Democratic party with House, Senate and White House control hell bent on pursuing a progressive agenda.

[LP]

So if they were to be believed, Trump lost a lot of support but still managed to counteract and surpass that with support he picked up.

But is convincing people to cast a vote in a voluntary voting system the same as garnishing fresh support?

[PaulP]

Lods, the greater number of votes for Trump has to be seen, at least in part, as resulting from greater turnout of voters. Biden is the first presidential candidate to receive more than 80 million votes, precisely for this reason. The vote differential between Trump and his opponent increased from approx minus 2.6 million votes in 2016 to approx minus 8 million votes in 2020.

[Lods]

But is convincing people to cast a vote in a voluntary voting system the same as garnishing fresh support?

I don't see how it isn't.
Biden's improved Clinton's vote by a lot more.
Getting people who didn't vote for you (or your party) four years ago to turn out and vote for you means that there must be some appeal there.

[Lods]

Lods, the greater number of votes for Trump has to be seen, at least in part, as resulting from greater turnout of voters. Biden is the first presidential candidate to receive more than 80 million votes, precisely for this reason. The vote differential between Trump and his opponent increased from approx minus 2.6 million votes in 2016 to approx minus 8 million votes in 2020.

I'm not quite following your reasoning...
I'm a Republican voter circa 2016....Trump's the candidate. For whatever reasoning I'm not going to vote for him.
Fast forward to 2020. I'm out and I'm voting. Why?
Either something about Trump's message has resonated...or I'm more worried about the alternative.
The fact that the other side has inspired a greater turnout is neither here nor there.
Voting 'population increase' is a factor but not to the extent of improvement in both candidates numbers.

[DJC]

Transactional you suggest?

The flaw with your argument is Trump has the people. Outside a dozen leftie centric major cities, in their hoardes.

And if any of you have any interest in the evidence of this massive fraud (most of you won't obviously)

hereistheevidence.com

You slay me FB!

Answer me one question, why wasn’t any evidence presented at scores of court cases in many jurisdictions?

The soon to be ex-POTUS has nothing ... and nothing to look forward to other than his impeachment trial and many other prosecutions over the next few years. ?

[Thryleon]

I'll make a call.

If George Floyd hadn't been killed sparking the BLM riots, Trump would have retained office.

His biggest issue was more about perception and this was deemed to be his fault publicly.

[DJC]

By the way, the ongoing analysis of the POTUS's approval rating is currently sitting at 39.2% approval and 57.4% disapproval.  The most significant change was immediately after the failed insurrection. 

The POTUS's approval rating actually went up immediately after Floyd's death and the start of this round of BLM protests.  It declined during the Presidential debates and COVID spiralling out of control.

[Mav]

  8)

More people attend your average Italian wedding than turned up to see off the worst President in history. Fortunately, he was able to turn out his family and he dragged in some hapless troops from Andrews Air Base to give him a fig leaf. How humiliating for him. I guess he can ask Sean Spicer to boast that there were 70 million patriots there in the biggest ever farewell to a President.

[PaulP]

I'm not quite following your reasoning...
I'm a Republican voter circa 2016....Trump's the candidate. For whatever reasoning I'm not going to vote for him.
Fast forward to 2020. I'm out and I'm voting. Why?
Either something about Trump's message has resonated...or I'm more worried about the alternative.
The fact that the other side has inspired a greater turnout is neither here nor there.
Voting 'population increase' is a factor but not to the extent of improvement in both candidates numbers.

My point was that no matter how many of the "hordes" love Trump and voted for him in 2 elections, his opponent in both of those elections received more popular votes. This led me to ponder just how popular he really is. Also remember that one of those, Hilary Clinton, is not only a woman, but is viewed as untrustworthy and openly disliked by sections of the American population. And she got more votes than the bloke who is, according to some on here, universally adored.