No. Not yet. He remains in the fight, a loose cannon firing off in all directions, none of which is a traditional aiming point. He is certainly bloodied, but he is not broken. The polls have slipped, but they have not crashed. Many of his supporters are young women who should be running miles from The Groper, yet they flock cheering to his rallies, where wild enthusiasm reigns. Much depends on the opinion polls over the next ten days. If there is an unambiguous opening up of the Clinton lead, the answer is probably yes. Failing that Trump will fight to the last and an upset on election day is well on the cards. But if not, there could be even bigger drama ahead to mesmerize an already spell bound world.
The Trump campaign was badly damaged as he appeared to fall into the Clinton laid trap, perhaps her campaign’s best ever move, of taking the bait on challenges to his fitness for the highest office. He has hit back with ugly stuff about putting her in jail, recalling Bill’s spectacular White house sex life and making her take a drugs test. He is now claiming the election is rigged. This last item may hold they key.
Trump does not do losing. He will not hang around to be humiliated like Goldwater. If he is sure he is losing big, he will cause a world sensation by withdrawing on the grounds of a rigged election. The Republicans will breathe a sigh of relief. Pence will step forward to take the nomination, Christie or some such will become the Veep, the Republicans will be defeated, but they will feel clean and will rise to fight another day. But so far that escape hatch will likely remain closed.
Trump is very much in there and fighting and we will not know until the morning after the poll what, in the end has happened. Prepare for the kind of end which is the beginning of some new convulsion. One thing we can bet on. Hilary’s campaign lacks passion, Trump’s has unbounded enthusiasm. Whilst Trump is Mr Teflon, Hilary is vulnerable, although she believes she is winning. But any further blow to her credibility could see him snatch the keys to the White House out of her her very hands.