“Just as Trump was repeatedly underestimated during the Republican primaries, his aides say he is again being underestimated heading into the general election.”
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Being “misunderestimated” put you in the catbird seat. Let the Dems pick out drapes with Kitty Dukakis.
You know, that is one answer, that Trump has “recovered.”
There is another just as likely answer: that many of Trump’s “gaffes” including the fight with Khan in fact just took a while to percolate and did NOT hurt him long term.
Scott Adams (@ScottAdamsSays) said that in fact the IMAGERY of a Muslim woman standing silent while Khan lashed out was more powerful than the words that were exchanged, and THAT is what people will remember. Or, put another way, were these really “mistakes” that Trump made, or just part of how he does things that are now paying off big?
Another thing to consider is the change in campaign leadership. This was crucial. Manafort was very good, but a) he was old school and b) he had his own Russian corruption issues coming. The new team of Bannon/Bossie/Conway are go-for-the-throat, take no prisoners, Ulysses S. Grant types. On offense, all the time. Conway is light years better than Katrina Pierson on TV-—Pierson was a fighter, but too often simply screwed up facts. Conway never does. She will be Trump’s press secretary-—if one of the kids isn’t!
Regardless of which theory is right, clearly Trump changed his approach to the teleprompter and very policy oriented speeches; to heavy black outreach; and to staying away from the one-line zingers. This has had a massive effect to get those who previously were unsure to move to him.
Yes, you are right that he is, and was, vastly underestimated, but I don’t think any of us know yet what the overall strategy was, if they changed course or merely followed the course they laid out.
Regardless, I don’t think the pollsters can pull off fraud too much longer, and pretty soon all the polls will show him leading comfortably.