What can individuals do to stop Donald Trump?

Just make sure you get everyone you know that can vote, to do just that GET OUT AND VOTE!

Being a Brit, i’m neutral but why do anything to attempt to stop him?
Let democracy take its course in the supposed “land of the free”

@ucme Because I don’t want to be judged by history as a complacent “good German” if it goes that far.

It’s late in the day to propose remedies against Trump himself. But if there is one lesson to be garnered from the decades long slide from sanity on the right, it is that crazy and
and preposterous is no longer a fluke. Palin should have been the wake up summons to that bit of wisdom, and Trump is the ready answer to “what could be worse?” President Trump! I say that if those words acquire legitimacy, and particularly if they don’t we should brace ourselves for the post Trump era.

Make sure you vote for somebody else.

@josie You did see the phrase “other than voting” in my details, didn’t you? Of course, I don’t plan to vote for him.

I plan to do some volunteer time for whoever his opposition ends up being.

^^Yes.

Stay on record that you are anti-Trump and be prepared to defend that stance. Be nice about it. Stay calm when discussing this with Trumpeters. Don’t use the term Trumpeters, for example. Honey (i.e. ideas nicely put) takes a little longer to attract flies than shit, but they stick longer. Your behaviour reflects on all the other anti-Trumpers and will get the attention of good people who are simply desperate for answers to this American dilemma we are living in and, out of frustration and desperation, view Trump as the answer. Vote your conscience. That’s about all you can do, I think.

@janbb
Guess I missed it. Sorry.
Contribute to somebody else.

@josie thanks.

Vote for someone else. Duh.

Quietly, keeping your choice to yourself. (This reinforces the fact that you made your choice based on your convictions not on some idea of meaningless public identity).

This includes non participation in exit polls. This is because you’re smart enough to know that other smart people aren’t going to base their choice on a candidate’s current popularity.

You’re also secure in your identity and convictions so there is no need to trumpet to the world about how Intelligent, “progressive”, enlightened and generally superior to everyone around you are by revealing your preferred stumper.

Also:

“Not everyone here is anti-Trump” LOL.

This means the following. Clearly Trump isn’t a poplar choice. Therefore no one should vote for him.

“His Bigotry.” LOL.

Well, I really wouldn’t want anyone to think I’m a bigot. I mean, that’s bad right? But I’ll be okay. I’ll just vote for someone else. That way no one can make me feel like I’m a terrible person. I’ll do myself one better by making everyone in the range of my voice know I didn’t vote for that evil bigot Trump. My preferred way of being seen by others is secure.

Hire an assassin. lol

I’m trying to imagine the feeling when the Trumptrain finally derails, a nation breathes a huge sigh of relief because guess what? Hellary Clinton, come on dow…oh shit!

A little outdated (about 10 days ago), here’s a Gallup poll suggesting Trump is one of the least popular presidential candidates. I don’t see any information about how the questions were framed. I’m assuming people were asked about each candidate separately, so we don’t see how voters decide between candidates.

The Huffington Post has combined various poll data together which suggest Clinton and Sanders would both beat Trump, at least if the politics on election day are as they are today. So votes should have it by ~10%. But the shape of the graphs—the two lines drawing closer together at several points—has me nervous. Hopefully the pull-away that seems to be happening now is one to stay!

I don’t think most people base their votes off polls, but I do appreciate getting what is supposed to be general public opinion in the face of all the media craze… some context in the midst of the hype.

I guess just make sure that as the candidates face the general election, Trump’s hate-mongering isn’t forgotten or pushed aside as mere “political rhetoric.”

I thought democracy and the land of the free encouraged people to get involved beyond the ballot box…

The most important thing is to sway people away from the “If (insert least favourite Dem candidate’s name) wins I’m going to vote Trump just to watch the world burn” mentality.

I know what you mean, Jan. My Facebook newsfeed is so overrun with political stuff that I have just bowed out:stopped posting.

But I feel that we must speak out against his hate and fear mongering: his racism, etc. I took heart from the letter posted by the photographer of Humans of New York and also by Elizabeth Warren’s stand.

One thing we could do is boycott any news media that is covering Trump. A grassroots boycott of them and their advertiser’s products.

I know some people who always vote the party, and I try to have conversations (not preachy, really, just conversations) about some of the things. My rather conservative sister married (and long ago divorced) a Hispanic man, and her two sons carry his common Hispanic name. I talk to her about how she feels that they might be targeted because of that.
That and throwing all my support away from him.

A new conversation game has cropped up sort-of like “What would you do if you won the lottery?” But along the lines of “Where would you move to if Trump gets elected?”
As a friend pointed out, it may not matter as much if he gets elected or not, the scariest thing is that the angry, bigoted, misogynistic masses he has rallied are still out there.

Do you really want to stop him? Have you looked close enough at his replacement? Cruz is pretty scary on many levels – and would likely have better chances of winning in November, especially when he gets painted as the moderate, sane alternative to Trump.

It’s not enough to “stop Trump”. It is never enough.

In fact, it’s counter-productive to even try to do that directly. This should have been evident when various Republicans (McCain and Romney, to name two) spoke out against him that apparently caused his popularity to surge. Now that “activists” of various types in Chicago and elsewhere have attempted to actively shut him down, his popularity has increased again.

I’ve said it before, and it bears repeating: When Trump is perceived – by whomever is making the perception, and for whatever reason – that he is “the lesser of two (or however many) evils”, then he’ll gain additional support – and that balance of middle-of-the-road, uncommitted-until-the-last-minute voters could spell the difference between defeat and victory for him.

The only way to attack him directly is to be in the race against him. Clearly, that’s no guarantee of victory, which is why he leads in Republican polling.

Trump is a symptom of many larger problems in American politics:
– Any idiot can vote, and too many do.
– Public education ain’t what it used to was.
– The electoral process itself repels many qualified and decent people from even entering politics in the first place. (I may have strong disagreement with 90% of the people in this forum on how a government should be run and what its purpose should be, but I would choose to vote for roughly 75% of those people over anyone who is now in the race, on either side. So why aren’t any of y’all running?)
– Too many still believe that it’s only a binary choice: R or D. Third parties never get enough traction to be meaningful in American politics, and that’s a shame.

I believe that in the democratic republic that our Constitution established, and which most of us, I think, still believe in, the only realistic – and legal – way to defeat “bad speech” of the kind that Trump uses is with “better speech”. Unfortunately, that also calls for an electorate that can tell the difference, that will mind the difference, and is intelligent and experienced enough to know that we can’t create Utopia by voting for someone else to provide it.

So I do what I can to attempt to educate those in my sphere of influence and to engage in thoughtful debate with those close to me, explicitly expressing hope that they will do the same.

@DoNotKnowMuch I have looked at Cruz and he is frightening of course. But my feeling, and I may be wrong, is that Trump’s appeal is more visceral and that more of the “know-nothings” will vote for him whereas Cruz, while smarter and more dangerous, would be easier to defeat. I don’t see him stirring up the violence and racism at this point that Trump does.

Also, doing my part: this week I began teaching social studies to my son, beginning with the three branches of the American Government.

In eleven years you can add one informed voter to the roster.

Sounds like you all have the playbook down pat. Unfortunately it’s the same playbook you’ve used for every Republican candidate that has ever run. Call them a bigot or racist, call themn hitler or a fascist. Scream and yell, send protestors to incite violence. I like the boycott idea, that’s always an oldie but goodie.

Unfortunately all these tactics are what has gained him the popularity he enjoys. Good luck with all that. People are sick and tired of the Obama economy and Hilary promising to continue in his legacy, isn’t helping.

When in trouble or in doubt.
Run in circles, scream and shout.
Fire a cannon, shoot a gun.
Send the signal, Well Done.

I guess word of mouth. I talk to strangers everyday transporting and whenever the subject comes up I have a ready list of statistics and anecdotal bits of evidence that I explain to people who feel like they should be leaning towards Trump just because he’s something different. I feel like if I can educate one person or change one person’s mind everyday I’ve done as much as I can short of becoming a radical militant anti Trump person. I don’t want to take a page out of his book and act like his supporters. that and ignoring the people who want to be negative just for the sake of negativity. can’t let people like that stop you from trying just because some people would rather complain than take an active role in trying to make a positive change.

@Jaxk: “Unfortunately all these tactics are what has gained him the popularity he enjoys. Good luck with all that. People are sick and tired of the Obama economy and Hilary promising to continue in his legacy, isn’t helping.”

@Jaxk is correct. The media built Trump, and they continue to feed him.

Imagine if the media had given as much airtime to Bernie? Maybe some of those (rightfully) disillusioned poor and working class people would have seen Bernie as an alternative rather than Trump. They are right to be angry. They just don’t know who they should be angry at. Trump exploits this by picking the wrong targets.

I would recommend that you become politically active. Get involved with the local headquarters of party of your choice, or the candidate you can live with. Volunteer for campaign opportunities, phone banks, canvassing neighborhoods.

Even if you think the thought of a Trump presidency is scary, don’t act from fear. Act from the conviction that your candidate would be better, even if better in this case means not as bad.

@Seek If (insert least favourite Dem candidate’s name) wins I’m going to vote Trump just to watch the world burn

Good point. I went to my local caucus and county assembly. When we weren’t talking about our local candidates, we we all talking about the need for unity in November when it’s only H or B.

I did a little volunteer work on the first Obama campaign shortly before the election. I was paired with another person and we were given a list of the addresses of registered Democrats. We visited the people on the list to remind them to vote. I have no idea if we got anybody to vote who have otherwise not voted, but every little bit counts. My gut feeling is that we have the numbers in terms of potential voters, even if Clinton runs. Getting out the vote could make the difference.

I’m a bit off topic as I don’t have an answer to your question but this brief video highlights how Trump’s style contrasts with that of the current President.

If Trump gets the nomination, organize a small group to knock on doors for the Democrats, and, VERY important, you MUST travel to a swing state.

It’s pointless in states like Alabama or Illinois.

The party is extremely organized. They will set you up with names and addresses, they will coach you, they will help you find people to carpool with.

Indiana and North Carolina are good choices, they went for Obama in 2008 and Romney in 2012.

These states had close results, within 10% (Democrat vs Republican) in 2008 or 2012.
Georgia
Montana
North Carolina
Missouri
North Carolina
Florida
Indiana
Florida
Ohio
Virginia
Ohio

Go get ‘em!

The only good thing about Trump running is that he has the other side and the more rational of his own so riled that people who normally don’t vote will. I expect the national percentage will skyrocket if he gets the nomination—and I expect some very level-headed but very depressed Rs to vote Democrat just to stave off the election of a president who looks to our allies like a freaking fuhrer.

Bang on @Jaxk

You know the liberal um, mind.

GA.

I think the most powerful thing anyone can do, if they are not already volunteering for the Democratic candidate, is to convince as many people as you can to vote. Getting out the vote is the most effective way to elect a Democratic candidate. If Clinton wins the nomination, this will be essential, because Sanders is the one who actually knows how to do this (and that’s the main reason that I desperately hope he will win).

I think the only thing to be done is to continue to show and say facts about why he is not a good candidate for president and try to sway votes.

When people who hate him say he has no plan and that he’s a Hitler, that doesn’t work in my opinion. They do believe details have been given. They think showing photos of a Trump crowd raising their hand and comparing it to Hitler is stupid. Comparing him to Hitler in other ways, some are valid, but I don’t think it changes any minds.

We have to let the vote happen in my opinion. If he becomes president then if he does horrible impeachable things, then we impeach.

If he becomes the candidate against Hillary (if Hillary wins the primary) I’m interested to see how often Trump and Hillary agree. It will drive the right crazy.

@dappled_ leaves that is the big question in my mind. Bernie’s status as an independent has provided us a lot of activity by many who might otherwise be disillusioned with the process. I think it will be important to convince his supporters to be as supportive to Hillary if she should win the nomination.

Form a protest group on Fluther, that’ll be sure to scare the shit outta him ~

@Yetanotheruser: “Bernie’s status as an independent has provided us a lot of activity by many who might otherwise be disillusioned with the process. I think it will be important to convince his supporters to be as supportive to Hillary if she should win the nomination.”

Probably for another thread, but I’m one of these people, as are many people I know.

Donate time and money to those who are running against him.

A good thing to keep in mind if/when you decide you want to to work against Trump will be the ability to speak in favor of your chosen candidate. Many Americans are tired of the obstructionism in Congress, and campaigning against someone might look like more of the same, only from the other side.