# 2020 US Presidential election **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [July 10, 2017, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-us-presidential-election/790946 "2017-07-10T19:35:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-us-presidential-election/790946/21 "2017-07-13T03:09:59Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > > [@Quartz](#): > > > > Johnson is following in a long line of actors who became American politicians: Eastwood, Arnie, Reagan, Ventura, Bono, Franken… > > Only one of whom reached the lofty height of the Presidency, and he’d been President of SAG and Governor of CA before that. You, uh, can’t think of _one other guy_ who reached the lofty height of the Presidency? Never held elected office before, but did crowd-pleasing stuff with the pro wrestling types, and delivered some lines in movies, and hosted SNL, that sort of thing? ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-us-presidential-election/790946/22 "2017-07-13T03:37:25Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > …(I still have hopes for Franken, but I’m not confident.) I understand your hopes but it isn’t going to happen. He told [People](http://www.salon.com/2017/05/24/al-franken-president-running-for-2020/), “Yeah, I’m not going to do that.” In his recent interview on the Marc Maron WTF podcast he gave as emphatic NO as I’ve ever heard anyone give. Plus, his discussion of his drug use during the SNL years was pretty explict. “On those Tuesday night/Wedneday morning things, I only snorted enough cocaine so that I could stay awake to make sure no one did too much cocaine. I was being responsible.” As hilarious as we might find that I doubt it would work well in a race for POTUS. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8797f3/32.png) [@The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Universe_Lashes_Out)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-us-presidential-election/790946/23 "2017-07-13T06:17:04Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > I do still hold out hope that some feasible third party option will happen for the 2020 election. That’s basically Trump’s best path to re-election. The Dems run John Jackson. Third party runs Jack Johnson. The hardcore 40% of the country that loves Trump re-elects him an electoral college landslide. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-us-presidential-election/790946/24 "2017-07-13T06:38:34Z")
If The Rock and Kid Rock are both running for office, it’s gonna get really confusing. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-us-presidential-election/790946/25 "2017-07-13T10:04:18Z")
> [@The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](#): > > That’s basically Trump’s best path to re-election. The Dems run John Jackson. Third party runs Jack Johnson. The hardcore 40% of the country that loves Trump re-elects him an electoral college landslide. Except there aren’t 40% who love Trump. There are 25% who love Trump and 15% who loathe Hillary/Dems. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-us-presidential-election/790946/26 "2017-07-13T10:22:08Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > As hilarious as we might find that I doubt it would work well in a race for POTUS. After 2016, I think we have to abandon the idea that a candidate can say anything so bad it knocks him out of the race. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-us-presidential-election/790946/27 "2017-07-13T13:19:09Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > After 2016, I think we have to abandon the idea that a candidate can say anything so bad it knocks him out of the race. Oh, I don’t know about that. Clinton’s “deplorable” comment was a pretty significant factor in her defeat. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-us-presidential-election/790946/28 "2017-07-13T14:42:57Z")
I’ll say about this the exact same thing I said about trump or Carson. Let’s see how you would do as a Governor or Senator first. The presidency is NOT an entry-level position. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-us-presidential-election/790946/29 "2017-07-13T15:21:23Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Oh, I don’t know about that. Clinton’s “deplorable” comment was a pretty significant factor in her defeat. The only people that gave a shit about that were the deplorables themselves. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-us-presidential-election/790946/30 "2017-07-13T15:25:59Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > The only people that gave a shit about that were the deplorables themselves. The next day, she expressed regret for saying it. Why was that, do you think? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-us-presidential-election/790946/31 "2017-07-13T15:29:03Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > The next day, she expressed regret for saying it. Why was that, do you think? Hedging her bets in case there were any who were offended who would otherwise have voted for her, which I don’t believe existed. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-us-presidential-election/790946/32 "2017-07-13T15:31:29Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > The next day, she expressed regret for saying it. Why was that, do you think? Simple decency? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-us-presidential-election/790946/33 "2017-07-13T15:34:44Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > > [@The Other Waldo Pepper](#): > > > > The next day, she expressed regret for saying it. Why was that, do you think? > > Simple decency? Does anyone have a serious answer? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-us-presidential-election/790946/34 "2017-07-13T15:37:06Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Simple decency? How do you figure? “Oh, make no mistake: they are, in fact, deplorable – indeed, they’re _entirely irredeemable_ – but decency requires me to regret actually mentioning that. All apologies for telling the truth; it shouldn’t happen again.” ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-us-presidential-election/790946/35 "2017-07-13T15:48:32Z")
Even if someone’s a complete and utter horse’s ass, it isn’t always a good idea to point that fact out. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-us-presidential-election/790946/36 "2017-07-13T15:56:20Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > The next day, she expressed regret for saying it. Why was that, do you think? > [@Shodan](#): > > Does anyone have a serious answer? She apologized because she was running for office. And that means you shouldn’t tell deplorable people that they’re deplorable. Instead you tell deplorable people that they’re great and none of their problems are their fault and that other people are deplorable and they’re to blame for everything that’s wrong. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-us-presidential-election/790946/37 "2017-07-13T15:58:28Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > Even if someone’s a complete and utter horse’s ass, it isn’t always a good idea to point that fact out. There’s always the option of the “I’m sorry you were offended by my telling the truth” non-apology that always works with your own people. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-us-presidential-election/790946/38 "2017-07-13T16:05:57Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > The only people that gave a shit about that were the deplorables themselves. That’s like saying the only people who cared about Romney’s 47% comment were the 47% themselves. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-us-presidential-election/790946/39 "2017-07-13T16:25:40Z")
The 47% Romney referred to were not the same as the 47% that voted for him. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-us-presidential-election/790946/40 "2017-07-13T17:17:59Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > You, uh, can’t think of _one other guy_ who reached the lofty height of the Presidency? Never held elected office before, but did crowd-pleasing stuff with the pro wrestling types, and delivered some lines in movies, and hosted SNL, that sort of thing? Calling Trump an actor is a stretch of gargantuan proportions. I thought of that very thing and dismissed it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-us-presidential-election/790946.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-us-presidential-election/790946.md?page=3)