Donald Trump Debate
Donald Trump Debate
Be it Resolved, Donald Trump is a weak general election candidate.
If recent polls are to be believed, Donald Trump is poised to become the President, for the second time, of the United States of America. Yet some observers think most swing voters who end up deciding American elections will ultimately turn away from Trump 2.0. For proof, they point to the difficulty Trump has had winning over many voters in his own party during the Republican primaries.
But other analysts insist the former president remains a formidable political force: He has a large and loyal base, he motivates people who don’t typically don’t vote, and he’s consistently beating Democrat Joe Biden in polls of key battleground states. 2016 should serve as an important lesson, they argue: don’t underestimate Donald Trump.
Arguing in favour of the resolution is Sarah Longwell. She is the publisher of the political analysis and opinion website The Bulwark, and host of The Focus Group Podcast.
Arguing against the resolution is Patrick Ruffini. He is a pollster and founding partner of the firm Echelon Insights. He is also the author of the book Party of the People: Inside the Multiracial Populist Coalition Remaking the GOP.
“Donald Trump is an incredibly strong Republican primary candidate, but he’s an incredibly weak general election candidate.”
-Sarah Longwell
“Donald Trump has been leading a general election survey since at least last September … that’s pretty extraordinary.”
-Patrick Ruffini
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