WASHINGTON: Many gauges measure the rapid drop in Donald Trump’s support this summer: Polls show the Republican nominee losing nationally and in most battleground states, prominent Republicans have publicly defected, and GOP elected officials rarely rush to his defense.
Twenty women, mostly swing voters, sitting at conference tables Tuesday night in Columbus and Phoenix provide another.
‘‘He’s crazy,’’ said one.
‘‘He kind of acts like a 2-year-old,’’ said another. ‘‘I have a 2-year-old. I see the similarities.’’
Asked to imagine a President Trump, the women in Phoenix call out in a cascade: ‘‘doomed,’’ ‘‘scary,’’ ‘‘hang on’’ and ‘‘are you joking?’’
The women, participants in focus groups convened by pollsters Neil Newhouse, a Republican, and Margie Omero, a Democrat, talked about the major party candidates as reporters watched from an office in Washington.
The sessions were part of a project sponsored by Wal-Mart that for eight years has examined the attitudes of what the company calls Wal-Mart moms, women who shop at one of the giant retailer’s stores.
It’s a group that includes about one in seven American voters and is replete with the swing voters and soft partisans who candidates normally seek to persuade or mobilize precisely because they can decide elections.
These were not voters who had much praise for Hillary Clinton, noted Newhouse. Even Democrats in the two groups used words like ‘‘deceptive’’ ‘‘lies’’ and ‘‘dishonest’’ when they were asked to describe the Democratic nominee, although others referred positively to her toughness and experience.
To many of these women, Clinton appeared distant, emotionless and closed off. Few had a clear view of what she stands for, Omero noted.
Trump’s image appeared far more clearly etched in their minds, Newhouse said. Unfortunately for the GOP and its nominee, that image has become fixed in two tracks: foolish or frightening.
To some, Trump appeared as a buffoonish character. To others, he seemed dangerous — a hothead, authoritarian and inexperienced.
Those perceptions of the candidates’ character weigh heavily for these voters.
In Ohio, Ivania L., a radiation-safety officer who listed her age as between 35 and 44, said choosing Trump would be ‘‘like sending a painter to do a doctor’s job.’’
She listed herself as undecided, but seemed more accurately described as resigned to what she considered a poor choice.
‘‘I’d pick Minnie Mouse right now,’’ she said, but, in the end, Clinton’s ‘‘experience wins me more.’’
That quality and strength ranked high on the minds of most of the Clinton backers.
Clinton won’t take ownership of her mistakes, complained Linda C., a 56-year-old African-American business owner in Phoenix. The Democratic nominee tries to sweep scandals under the rug, she said.
‘‘There’s so much stuffed under there they can’t even lay the carpet down flat now,’’ she said. And yet Clinton had the knowledge to do the job, she added, while Trump was both inexperienced and ‘‘disrespectful.’’
In Ohio, Mary H., a retired cable television service rep, referred to Clinton as a ‘‘cold-hearted…’’ And yet, she said, she too would probably vote for her because of her experience.
In the end, the women had little doubt about how the contest would turn out or why.
Asked to predict who will win, 18 of the 20 participants made the same call: Hillary Clinton.