Breaking the normal rules of campaigning helped Donald Trump win the Republican nomination. But since the general election kicked off last week, Trump’s rule-breaking has only hurt him. Here are 8 simple campaign rules he has broken, and links to how he broke them.
2. Keep your wife’s nude photos out of the press
This one seems like one of those rules you shouldn’t even have to say.
3. Don’t fight with the parents of a dead war hero
But if you do, don’t double down. Or triple down. Too late? Uh-oh.
4. If you’re going to let your spokeswoman accuse the current president of getting a soldier killed, get the dates right.
5. Don’t suggest women who are sexually harassed should find other jobs.
Come on, man. What if it were your daughter? Wait — you were talking about your daughter? Ivanka Trump, please talk to your dad.
6. Don’t insult swing states.
Don’t, for example, say the capitol of a crucial swing state looks like a “war zone.” (Especially if you’ve never been to a war zone yourself.)
7. Don’t speak ill of other people in your party
Ronald Reagan used to call this the 11th commandment: “Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican,” because the last thing you want is people in your party turning on you. Oops, too late.
8. Don’t eat fried chicken with a knife and fork
But you might want to think about eating crow.
