# Are all the Trump threads diminishing the Straight Dope Brand? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [February 17, 2017, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-the-trump-threads-diminishing-the-straight-dope-brand/780018 "2017-02-17T00:50:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-the-trump-threads-diminishing-the-straight-dope-brand/780018/81 "2017-02-18T08:55:57Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Seriously. That was some impressive cherry picking. [Gallup’s daily tracker](http://www.gallup.com/poll/201617/gallup-daily-trump-job-approval.aspx) is the usual go-to standard for presidential approval. He’s running 54% disapprove to only 40% approve. Rasmussen called itself the most accurate pollster of 2016 and the record backs it up. ( [The Hill](http://thehill.com/media/306721-rasmussen-calls-itself-most-accurate-pollster-of-2016)). I think I’ll take their results rather than Gallup’s if you don’t mind. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-the-trump-threads-diminishing-the-straight-dope-brand/780018/82 "2017-02-18T10:54:11Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > It’s relevant in determining whether the OP is sincere with his claim that it’s about making the board better, or if he’s just using that as an excuse to try and get the mods to control what people talk about. I can assure you I have no ulterior motive. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-the-trump-threads-diminishing-the-straight-dope-brand/780018/83 "2017-02-18T11:15:52Z")
> [@Ale](#): > > What I find most worrying is that the board is becoming an ingroup, down that path reasonable and factual discussion is unwelcome. most message boards are condensing down to “ingroups.” it’s just the way things are. > [@aldiboronti](#): > > Rasmussen called itself the most accurate pollster of 2016 and the record backs it up. ( [The Hill](http://thehill.com/media/306721-rasmussen-calls-itself-most-accurate-pollster-of-2016)). I think I’ll take their results rather than Gallup’s if you don’t mind. “We’re the best, just ask us about it!” isn’t a very convincing argument. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-the-trump-threads-diminishing-the-straight-dope-brand/780018/84 "2017-02-18T13:31:55Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Rasmussen called itself the most accurate pollster of 2016 and the record backs it up. ( [The Hill](http://thehill.com/media/306721-rasmussen-calls-itself-most-accurate-pollster-of-2016)). I think I’ll take their results rather than Gallup’s if you don’t mind. This post is misleading as hell. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-the-trump-threads-diminishing-the-straight-dope-brand/780018/85 "2017-02-18T14:05:11Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > This post is misleading as hell. What is worst is that Gallup decided not to poll about the last presidential race. In 2015 they decided to put their time into understanding the issues and priorities among Americans. And not bother with the horse race that they estimated was going to be more chaotic. They were right on that. But the point here is why that post from **aldiboronti** misses the mark, if [del]Assmussen[/del] Rasmussen is doing that with the job approval ratings they are omitting the fact that Gallup was not part of the pollsters in the past election and that the job approval rating was not a poll applicable to the candidates in the past election. ---
**Author:** ![Ibanez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a4c791/32.png) [@Ibanez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibanez)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-the-trump-threads-diminishing-the-straight-dope-brand/780018/86 "2017-02-18T15:16:43Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > The OP is complaining that the “bile and ignorance” is diminishing the Straight Dope brand. He was unconcerned about bile and ignorance when Obama and Clinton were the targets, suggesting that his complaint is due to partisan reasons rather than a dispassionate concern for the board. If bile and ignorance were his primary concerns, he should have complained before this. I’d wager it wasn’t as voluminous as what’s happening now. I thought they were both bad candidates but if Liberals want to act like dogs barking at every car that goes by go ahead. The danger in that is people get tired of the barking and stop paying attention. When he does something actually worth complaining about no one will care. Just another car your barking at. I’d say yes, create a Trump is the Devil section and knock yourself out. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-the-trump-threads-diminishing-the-straight-dope-brand/780018/87 "2017-02-18T15:48:19Z")
> [@Ibanez](#): > > I’d wager it wasn’t as voluminous as what’s happening now. I thought they were both bad candidates but if Liberals want to act like dogs barking at every car that goes by go ahead. The danger in that is people get tired of the barking and stop paying attention. When he does something actually worth complaining about no one will care. > > Just another car your barking at. > > I’d say yes, create a Trump is the Devil section and knock yourself out. Sigh. And yet the right barked at every thing Obama did for eight years - and then made huge numbers of things up about Clinton when she was the candidate so they could continue barking. The right set up a huge apparatus of talk shows, websites, newsletters, and a national television “news” channel and then turned to social media to drive the frenzied barking endlessly. That constituted sound and fury orders of magnitude above what the left did. And note that it was effective in electing candidates. What conceivable motive could there be for the left not to want to emulate this, especially since Trump’s real-life provocations and dangers are orders of magnitude larger than under Obama? And are you really saying that what Trump has done so far is meaningless but that you’re anticipating the real outrages to be coming down the pike? How horrifying is that? ---
**Author:** ![Ibanez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a4c791/32.png) [@Ibanez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibanez)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-the-trump-threads-diminishing-the-straight-dope-brand/780018/88 "2017-02-18T16:05:11Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > And are you really saying that what Trump has done so far is meaningless but that you’re anticipating the real outrages to be coming down the pike? How horrifying is that? I’m not American so that’s a factor but some time ago anytime I’d see the media start talking Trump, I change the channel. I mean for chrissakes the media is down to covering and analyzing how aggressively he shakes peoples hands. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-the-trump-threads-diminishing-the-straight-dope-brand/780018/89 "2017-02-18T16:05:48Z")
What does it matter what “the right” or “the left” did? I thought we were talking about what we, here on this MB, do. None of us here can control what “the right” does. We can only control what we do. And by “control”, I am NOT talking about having the mods quash discussion. I certainly hope that posters here don’t plan to make this MB some sort of pay-back mechanism for what “the right” did to Obama on venues such as FoxNews or Breitbart or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-the-trump-threads-diminishing-the-straight-dope-brand/780018/90 "2017-02-18T16:11:44Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > What does it matter what “the right” or “the left” did? I thought we were talking about what we, here on this MB, do. None of us here can control what “the right” does. We can only control what we do. And by “control”, I am NOT talking about having the mods quash discussion. I certainly hope that posters here don’t plan to make this MB some sort of pay-back mechanism for what “the right” did to Obama on venues such as FoxNews or Breitbart or whatever. I don’t see anyone suggesting that. Just the opposite. Calling out real outrages rather than imaginary ones and providing facts to counter fantasy is what the board has been doing. It’s the suggestion that posters somehow be stopped from the basics of posting that’s being mocked and dismissed. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-the-trump-threads-diminishing-the-straight-dope-brand/780018/91 "2017-02-18T16:11:57Z")
NM ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-the-trump-threads-diminishing-the-straight-dope-brand/780018/92 "2017-02-18T16:52:48Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > This post is misleading as hell. I didn’t know that Gallup hadn’t polled pre-election and thus the post is indeed misleading. For that I apologize. My point about Rasmussen’s record still stands although I do know some don’t like it as it often shows figures which displease them, a clear case of blaming the messenger. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-the-trump-threads-diminishing-the-straight-dope-brand/780018/93 "2017-02-18T17:35:28Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Calling out real outrages rather than imaginary ones and providing facts to counter fantasy is what the board has been doing. Sadly, this has proven to not be the case recently: the hatred and desperation of Dopers to pin fault - any fault - on Trump has trumped (ahem) common sense. And this concerns me. As for my own bias, Dopers might care to look at the threads below: > **[Democrats 2012 absent Obama?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=622289)** > > Imagine that for whatever reason, Obama does not stand for re-election in 2012. He’ll serve out his term, but that’s it. He’s leaving with integrity, too: there are no shenanigans. (Scenarios as to why this should happen belong in another thread.) ... [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=810117](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=810117) ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-the-trump-threads-diminishing-the-straight-dope-brand/780018/94 "2017-02-18T17:44:00Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Sadly, this has proven to not be the case recently: the hatred and desperation of Dopers to pin fault - any fault - on Trump has trumped (ahem) common sense. And this concerns me. > > As for my own bias, Dopers might care to look at the threads below: > > [Democrats 2012 absent Obama? - Politics & Elections - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=622289) > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=810117](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=810117) My god, have your heard the man “speak?” I would hate that asshole as a neighbor, school principal, or Major League Baseball player. I’m sure as hell going to hate him as president of my country. He has no values, and the ones he pretends to have are repugnant. I’m sorry of people are tired of hearing about it, but we simply cannot go one day while he’s in office without recoiling in horror. This is not something we should just “accept” and ride out the 1 to 4 years. It is not acceptable. I want my country back ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-the-trump-threads-diminishing-the-straight-dope-brand/780018/95 "2017-02-18T18:19:47Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Sadly, this has proven to not be the case recently: the hatred and desperation of Dopers to pin fault - any fault - on Trump has trumped (ahem) common sense. And this concerns me. Please provide some examples. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-the-trump-threads-diminishing-the-straight-dope-brand/780018/96 "2017-02-18T18:38:21Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > I don’t see anyone suggesting that. Really? Then why even bring it up? And by “it” I mean what happens outside this MB. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-the-trump-threads-diminishing-the-straight-dope-brand/780018/97 "2017-02-18T18:59:35Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Really? Then why even bring it up? And by “it” I mean what happens outside this MB. I was replying to Ibanez’s “it.” That’s what happens here, John. Somebody says something and others reply to that. It’s weird that you need that explained. And it’s delusional to say that we can or should ignore what happens outside the Dope, even if you have the bizarrely restrictive meaning of what others say on other social media. If we do our posts live in a bubble without context. That’s another thing we must constantly fight. Just as Quartz should reply to posters whose criticisms of Trump aren’t based on “common sense,” whatever that means, rather than try to suppress them. But all factual and reasonable criticism of Trump’s words and actions - and by extension, anyone who aids and abets them - is fair game, and should be posted, loud and often. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-the-trump-threads-diminishing-the-straight-dope-brand/780018/98 "2017-02-18T19:05:14Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Please provide some examples. If you’d bothered to check the links I provided, you would have seen that I have already done so. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-the-trump-threads-diminishing-the-straight-dope-brand/780018/99 "2017-02-18T19:06:40Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > But all factual and reasonable criticism of Trump’s words and actions - and by extension, anyone who aids and abets them - is fair game, and should be posted, loud and often. Absolutely. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-the-trump-threads-diminishing-the-straight-dope-brand/780018/100 "2017-02-18T21:40:57Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Here is what I hope turns out to be an ATMB-appropriate post: > > Where on this Message Board will I find a thread about Chex cereal that brings up Donald Trump? Just _start_ a thread about Chex cereal and someone will bring up Trump sooner or later. I’m okay with the quantity of Trump commentary, myself, as long as it’s relatively clever. If anything, _boring_ commentary about Trump would diminish the SD brand. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-the-trump-threads-diminishing-the-straight-dope-brand/780018.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-the-trump-threads-diminishing-the-straight-dope-brand/780018.md?page=6)