Learn English – What does Donald Trump’s “go-to argument” mean

meaning

There was the following passage in the New York Times’ (January 16) article that came under the headline, “Donald Trump’s Existential Pickle.”

The ranks of talk show hosts, journalists, pundits and political
consultants are especially robust with losers, including Ana Navarro,
Bill Maher, Howard Stern and Karl Rove, who’s not just a “loser” but
“dopey” and a “total fool,” as Trump tweeted. — And his go-to
arguments
for why someone is a loser, a dope or a dummy is that he or
she has made erroneous predictions or been repudiated by the ratings,
the marketplace, the audience. A television personality is a loser if
not all that many viewers tune in.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/17/opinion/sunday/donald-trumps-existential-pickle.html?action=click&pgtype=

I took his "go-to arguments” as vitriolic or aggressive argument to disparage other candidates at first, but when I checked both Cambridge and Merriam-Webster English Dictionary, my interpretation didn’t fit to any of the following definitions – trustworthy or helpful person / sources /service – they gave:

Cambridge Online Dictionary:
Used to describe the best person to deal with a particular problem or do a particular thing or the best place to get a particular thing or service.

Examples:

He was the company's go-to guy for new ideas.

He is the go-to politician for all federal matters in the state.For 20 years,

Wild Mountain was the go-to store for outdoor enthusiasts.

Merriam-Webster English Dictionary:
Always helpful: producing desired results or information when needed.

Is "go to argument" to sell himself as a go-to guy to whom all Americans entrust their country as their leader? What does “go-to argument” mean? Do any other politicians have the "go-to argument" pattern as Mr. Trump has?

Best Answer

According to Wiktionary (I think it has the best definition), the adjective go-to means:

  1. Desired; desirable; of choice: 'Cheesecake is my go-to food whenever I feel down.'

  2. Reliable; likely to perform in difficult circumstances: 'Smith is your go-to person if you want lasting results'.

Your example sentence could be rephrased to:

... his typical arguments on which he always relies or that we could always expect him to make whenever he find someone (talk show hosts, journalist, pundits and political consultants) to attack for why someone is a loser, a dope or a dummy is that he or she has made erroneous predictions...

Those arguments are typical of Donald Trump and he uses them so frequently that they are arguments of choice or preferred above others by Donald Trump.

[Wiktionary]

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