I'd MUCH rather have a genius sociopath as president.

Before the GOP primary, it was noted that it was designed so that this year they would avoid 2012's hand-off of winners in each early state, and instead rapidly consolidate behind an establishment-approved frontrunner. Which is a powerful argument not to put them in charge of planning anything else.

He's a lot better at sincerity.

This year I have really lost patience with third parties who can't point to a base of people elected to state and local office on their ticket. "We figure we'll start with the presidency, it's good publicity" is not a demonstration of your ability to govern.

That's why Trump keeps sending fundraising letters to foreign government officials. He's planning for 2020.

Finding someone to blame for all the problems that oddly persist after they take office—a minority that needs to be Dealt With in order for the glorious future to come about—is Fascism 101.

Where else do you find things deep-fried on sticks?

He is literally a fascist demagogue. I regret how much those words have been tossed around, so that presented with an actual fascist demagogue they slide right off.

I wouldn't vote for McCain and Romney because they had to renounce all that moderate, across-the-aisle stuff to appease the base. (McCain had to renounce his opposition to torture.) Trump is the base's id. It's genuinely scary.

I think a theme of the entire primary was "Trump says something, one tenth of which would get poor Jeb eviscerated for weeks, no one cares."

Back in March or so I thought it was possible he'd have the self-control to pivot to less-crazy for the general. My fears appear to have been unfounded.

I hope we're past "he'll drop out any minute now."

I say they let his side consist of a monitor playing tape of him saying ridiculous things.

What should give people pause, but doesn't seem to: Trump skipping the debate to fundraise "for veterans" and only cough up money when WaPo eventually held his feet to the fire about how no veterans groups whatsoever reported seeing a dime.

I'm sincerely puzzled on that one too—if I had a child in the military (Pence, Kaine) I sure as hell wouldn't be sanguine about what would happen to them if captured with Trump in charge. (In polls of the military, Trump leads among men and Clinton among women.)

I watched the Khan interview on YouTube. (And stayed the hell out of the comments, my fast rule on YouTube.) The next video it cued up appeared to be from a group who believe Trump just sent them a secret message about how he intends to take on all the big banks.

I agree with Scanlon upthread—demonstrate that he isn't worth anywhere near his claimed wealth, that it's a scam kept afloat with massive piles of debt (remember the housing collapse, guys?) and he will start to look a lot less like the economic saviour, a lot more like someone who owes a lot of money to foreign…

I'm pretty sure I can get my parents (moderate Republicans, vote in every election) to cast votes for Clinton on the Sullivan-like grounds that they think Trump is at odds with all conservative values. And they live in a swing state.

At the start of the election, he had $300 million in debt and US banks wouldn't touch him. That has turned into $600 million. From, you know, not-US-banks. Not that he is any way beholden to foreign interests for all that money they've been putting on him, nor is there anything interesting in the taxes behind his…

I think anyone abandoning the Trump train needs to be welcomed with open arms—something I believe the DNC did well to lay the groundwork on with their convention.