[The Urban Sombrero]

It seems clear that when Donald Trump stays on message, trade deals, immigration, domestic security, he rises in the polls, but when he talks about HRC's marriage to Bill, her health, etc. he dips a little.

[Granny Bear]

He did get a surge when he offered to release his tax returns when she released those thousands of "deleted" emails.

[TheRealThing]

It seems clear that when Donald Trump stays on message, trade deals, immigration, domestic security, he rises in the polls, but when he talks about HRC's marriage to Bill, her health, etc. he dips a little.

I don't think the things you've mentioned here have hurt him. I do think some of the National Inquirer grade gossip has though. In fact, there are only two things that have had a measurable impact on the Trump campaign. The Khizr Khan deal was a hurter, and so was the Miss Universe argument. Both were self inflicted wounds and though both stories hurt, I believe the Khan story was far more severe.

The video of Hillary's collapse is out there and what people can see with their own eyes makes all the difference. Video is a two edged sword though. As we have seen, the camera cleared Trump and campaign manager Lewandowsky in the Michelle Fields case, and was beneficial to Trump on at least one other occasion that I know of.

The most recent Trump assault involving illegally obtained tax documents will not fare much better IMO. I mean let's face it. Since damaging Trump is the goal with such an injustice, it is safe to conclude the most damning of the documents was the subject of this latest slur from the New York Times. There's nothing which remains with which to incriminate Trump, and if that's all they got it's simply not enough. Anybody who's in business that does not take advantage of legal deductions under the tax code, needs to fire their accountant. But it's like I have been saying. If there were any there, there... Trump would have been stepped on years ago. He is governed by law, and it is the government which must enforce the law. Anything else is innuendo as audits have proven Mr Trump to be an honest man.

[The Urban Sombrero]

I don't think the things you've mentioned here have hurt him. I do think some of the National Inquirer grade gossip has though. In fact, there are only two things that have had a measurable impact on the Trump campaign. The Khizr Khan deal was a hurter, and so was the Miss Universe argument. Both were self inflicted wounds and though both stories hurt, I believe the Khan story was far more severe.

The video of Hillary's collapse is out there and what people can see with their own eyes makes all the difference. Video is a two edged sword though. As we have seen, the camera cleared Trump and campaign manager Lewandowsky in the Michelle Fields case, and was beneficial to Trump on at least one other occasion that I know of.

The most recent Trump assault involving illegally obtained tax documents will not fare much better IMO. I mean let's face it. Since damaging Trump is the goal with such an injustice, it is safe to conclude the most damning of the documents was the subject of this latest slur from the New York Times. There's nothing which remains with which to incriminate Trump, and if that's all they got it's simply not enough. Anybody who's in business that does not take advantage of legal deductions under the tax code, needs to fire their accountant. But it's like I have been saying. If there were any there, there... Trump would have been stepped on years ago. He is governed by law, and it is the government which must enforce the law. Anything else is innuendo as audits have proven Mr Trump to be an honest man.

What is at stake now are the small % of voters not yet decided, and voter turnout in the traditionally Democratic base.

If Trump used tax law to have no federal taxes, the fault isn't his in my view.

However, it appears to me when Trump dredges up Bill's infidelity and implicates Hillary, that it reinforces the image of an ogre. If Hillary holds steady in likeability, and Trump slips but just a bit, I think it means trouble on November 8th.