I must admit that I remain completely and totally stunned at the behavior of Donald Trump and Trump supporters. No, it's not his outrageous comments or his nasty rhetoric. I understand how that's worked for him. Donald Trump wants to be the Republican nominee and he wants to be President. I'm assuming these things are true since he's gone though a lot if they aren't. To win the Presidency he almost definitely needs to win more than half the votes. And his strategy for that is mystifying.
Trump yesterday called for everyone in the Republican party to support him because he'll be the nominee. That's not unusual. Every politician calls for everyone to line up behind them and he'll be the only Republican nominee. I think that a candidate should ask for people's support not tell them they have no choice to support him. While many politicians have done that, it's not Trump's style. He's a "I'm me. Vote for me." I prefer a candidate to win my vote, but Trump isn't interested in appealing to me. It's my problem, not his.
That's not the mystifying part. Trump again bashed the system the Republican party has, the party itself, and members of the party. This was in a speech at an official Republican convention. Many people say they don't have loyalty to a political party but these people do. Trump was insulting everyone in the room at the same time he was telling them to vote for him. He then told them to change what they believe about government to conform to him. Most politicians find out what you believe and appeal to your beliefs. If you've had conversations with any Trump supporters, you've probably been insulted and berated. Some are really really nasty. And then they expect you to vote for Trump.
While that's mystifying, that's not the part that has me stunned. The part that has me stunned is when Trump says, “I think I will win even if we’re not together.” Trump believes he doesn't need the support of Republicans who don't currently support him. This despite general election polls that show him losing in a landslide and despite the fact that hasn't even gotten 40% of the Republican vote in the primaries. He doesn't feel he needs the majority of Republicans supporting him, even though he's historically unpopular with people who aren't Republicans.
Trump and his supporters believe that despite not getting half the Republican vote most Republicans support him and that he'll win because he has won in the primaries. And they accept no counter argument to that.
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