The Vladimir Putin link looks set to dog the Trump campaign right through to November

The Vladimir Putin link looks set to dog the Trump campaign right through to November

His lack of response make it easy for it to be portrayed in the most negative fashion

Above is a new ad from the Clinton campaign seeking to raise doubts over Trump’s linkages with the Russian President Vladimir Putin. It seems to have been aimed at the Republican party establishment and I think it is very effective.

The Putin element has increasingly become a huge campaign issue and one in which the Republican nominee has failed to address. This is all being exacerbated by Trump’s total refusal to release his tax returns – something that every main party nominee has done for nearly half a century.

This leaves him open to attack in so many ways and allows his opponents to frame issues like Putin in terms that suit them.

What’s been remarkable about the campaign since the conventions ended has been the lack of support he’s getting from the big figures in his party. No one wants to be associated with his campaign and their are big fears about the Republicans standing in other elections on November 8th being hit because of the man at the top of the ticket.

There’s been much talk of him pulling out of the race and even that the Republican party would try to find a way of getting him off the ticket. The legal and organisational obstacles to this seem enormous and the time is fast running out.

I can’t see Trump backing out of his on accord. The man has simply got too much pride. What is becoming so clear that it is a totally different kettle of fish going for the nomination compared with being the actual nominee.

As I write Trump is a 23% chance on Betfair.

Mike Smithson


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