# Can a Republican explain this to me? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 20, 2016, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-republican-explain-this-to-me/760381 "2016-07-20T01:49:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-republican-explain-this-to-me/760381/21 "2016-07-20T14:17:47Z")
It didn’t hurt Joe Biden. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-republican-explain-this-to-me/760381/22 "2016-07-20T14:25:26Z")
It didn’t hurt Joe Biden. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-republican-explain-this-to-me/760381/23 "2016-07-20T14:28:36Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > It didn’t hurt Joe Biden. Oh, I don’t know. I can’t hear his name without thinking “Oh, Biden the plagiarizer.”\* And I do think we’d be seeing it hammered on like the emails if he were The Candidate. \*Aside: a coworker responded with an aggressive “Reply All” to a corporate-wide email of mine (about a plagiarism scandal in my department), chastising me for mis-spelling “plagiarizing”. So I just replied all: “Well, I obviously wasn’t plagiarizing Merriam-Webster…” ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-republican-explain-this-to-me/760381/24 "2016-07-20T14:40:59Z")
I can’t understand why anyone is amazed or appalled by anything that is being said in this shitstorm of an election. It’s pretty obvious that the election will be decided by those who vote AGAINST a candidate, not those who vote FOR one. So the winner will be the candidate who’s team can spin the most half-truths, lies, misrepresentations, bullshit and maybe, just maybe about .01% truth. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-republican-explain-this-to-me/760381/25 "2016-07-20T16:13:09Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > I’d love to see how Steven Colbert’s character from The Colbert Report would cover this mishap. [Done. Now wish for me to get a million dollars.](http://theweek.com/speedreads/637172/stephen-colbert-brilliantly-fake-melania-trump-explain-plagiarism-flap) ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-republican-explain-this-to-me/760381/26 "2016-07-20T16:18:56Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > It’s pretty obvious that the election will be decided by those who vote AGAINST a candidate, not those who vote FOR one. Sad but true. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-republican-explain-this-to-me/760381/27 "2016-07-20T16:28:28Z")
What the fuck … what sort of moron would _listen_ to Melania’s speech … you bet I watched but listening too … that’s just sick. Just which part of your anatomy are you thinking with? Bill Clinton prancing around in knickers … sick sick sick sick ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-republican-explain-this-to-me/760381/28 "2016-07-20T16:33:06Z")
Depends on how hot she is. Janet Reno, pure reason. Daenerys Targaryen, not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-republican-explain-this-to-me/760381/29 "2016-07-20T16:37:31Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > \ > Don’t you get it? It was all planned, he dominated the media cycle! Trump is playing 5D korean starcraft, you can’t even comprehend his master plan! Loser! low energy! Build the wall 10 feet higher! > \ This would be funnier if the result of all this wasn’t that people are taking about the plagiarism thing and not, for instance, a Republican saying live on CNN that no non-whites or non-Christians had ever contributed anything positive to Western Civilization. ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-republican-explain-this-to-me/760381/30 "2016-07-20T16:46:45Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Sad but true. plus one. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-republican-explain-this-to-me/760381/31 "2016-07-20T16:49:24Z")
This is the same as most of the ridiculous explanations that Trump offers. He and his campaign manager don’t expect anyone to believe them, and his core doesn’t - they know it’s bullshit. For people in his camp, it’s a wink that says “look at the bullshit we can pull on these guys.” And to people not in his camp, it’s a big middle finger that says “haha, we don’t even have to make sense to pull in votes.” ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-republican-explain-this-to-me/760381/32 "2016-07-20T17:23:57Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > This would be funnier if the result of all this wasn’t that people are taking about the plagiarism thing and not, for instance, a Republican saying live on CNN that no non-whites or non-Christians had ever contributed anything positive to Western Civilization. It’s almost like the media picks and chooses which stories to report on. Almost like they want the public to focus on a certain thing. Almost like they want us to think a certain way. Almost like they want us to think “Trump=Hitler Satan you can’t possibly vote for him” and not think about “some dumb GOPer said some dumb thing again.” ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-republican-explain-this-to-me/760381/33 "2016-07-20T17:27:04Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Well, what do you expect them to do? Vote for a Democrat? I believe that is the crux of the matter. A bad President of my party is better than a President of the other party. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-republican-explain-this-to-me/760381/34 "2016-07-20T17:31:36Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > What’s crazy is that all Trump has to do is pay a staffer nobody knows to take the fall and have his Mrs admit that maybe she had a little help. [As you wish.](http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2016/images/07/20/meredithstatement.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-republican-explain-this-to-me/760381/35 "2016-07-20T17:41:43Z")
> [@Chihuahua](#): > > … And the first thing they do is blame Hillary Clinton. … That’s Hilary’s doing too. She has the power to cloud men’s minds. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-republican-explain-this-to-me/760381/36 "2016-07-20T17:52:34Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > [As you wish.](http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2016/images/07/20/meredithstatement.pdf) So Transylvania Barbie is off the hook? And speaking of which, anybody know why Caribou Barbie wasn’t invited to speak? ---
**Author:** ![Barrett\_Bonden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5e9695/32.png) [@Barrett\_Bonden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barrett_Bonden)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-republican-explain-this-to-me/760381/37 "2016-07-20T17:58:58Z")
> [@Chihuahua](#): > > And the first thing they do is blame Hillary Clinton. > [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > That’s Hilary’s doing too. She has the power to cloud men’s minds. Manafort unconsciously believes that Hillary is going to win. Even before election day, we’ve transitioned from, “Thanks, Obama!” to “Thanks, Hillary!” ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-republican-explain-this-to-me/760381/38 "2016-07-20T18:01:22Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > So Transylvania Barbie is off the hook? > > And speaking of which, anybody know why Caribou Barbie wasn’t invited to speak? She was. Alaska was too far to travel from. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-republican-explain-this-to-me/760381/39 "2016-07-20T18:45:53Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > It didn’t hurt Joe Biden. The hell? It destroyed Biden’s 1988 Presidential run during the Democratic primary. I concede that he ascended to the Vice Presidency _20 years later_. Wives of Presidents are held to lower standards of course, which is appropriate. Frankly, I don’t blame her too much. I do think that this shows an amateurish and incompetent staff. As well as a disinterested guy at the top. Donald Trump is not a detail guy and it shows. He’s a sales guy. ---
**Author:** ![Me\_Billy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-republican-explain-this-to-me/760381/40 "2016-07-20T19:10:07Z")
Birds of a feather flock together. If this is the sort of people the Trumps want working for them, then they will not have my vote for the White House! Shame on them! I have no respect for cheaters. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-republican-explain-this-to-me/760381.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-republican-explain-this-to-me/760381.md?page=3)