# Cenk Uygur running for Pres
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-running-for-pres/991927
**Category:** Politics & Elections
**Created:** [October 22, 2023, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-running-for-pres/991927 "2023-10-22T17:08:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 17
### Author:  [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2023, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-running-for-pres/991927/321 "2023-10-28T19:41:52Z")
> [@Hatchie](#):
>
> Dean Phillips
You mean the guy whose campaign is literally being run by the same people that gave us Sarah Palin?
> **[The Man Who Brought You Sarah Palin Has a New Candidate: Dean Phillips](https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/steve-schmidt-advising-dean-phillips-1234864257/)**
>
> Steve Schmidt, who floated Sarah Palin as a potential vice president to John McCain, is now behind Joe Biden’s challenger Dean Phillips.
---
### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2023, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-running-for-pres/991927/322 "2023-10-28T19:55:07Z")
> [@Mijin](#):
>
> This kind of nonsense annoys me because after trump won last time there was something of a meme on MSM that it was because the “Bernie bros” had refused to vote for Clinton. To my knowledge, no evidence was ever presented to support this claim.
>
> If you actually watch progressive media: Sam Seder, Pakman, Meidas touch etc they go to tremendous effort to encourage their viewers to vote, and of course for the democrat candidate.
>
> And Cenk is the same. He sees trump as an existential threat to democracy so wants a real primary to happen on the democrat side.
How about swing voters in the middle? They’re the ones who really decide elections.
The point of going into the primaries as an underdog is to convince people that the front runner isn’t good enough. And you can’t just switch off the message the day after the convention. Saunders spent the primary season telling everyone that Clinton shouldn’t be President. People heard that message and Trump won the election. Now Uygur wants to spend the primary season telling everyone that Biden shouldn’t be President.
If Cenk Uygur really believed that Trump is an existential threat to democracy, he would be rallying support to Biden not challenging him. I feel Uygur’s main goal is feeding his own ego.
---
### Author:  [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2023, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-running-for-pres/991927/323 "2023-10-28T20:08:20Z")
> [@Smapti](#):
>
> You mean the guy whose campaign is literally being run by the same people that gave us Sarah Palin?
You see? I got you to do due diligence for me. I’m too lazy. You next assignment is to look into this Palin connection and tell me why it matters. Maybe “the same people” are good at their job and don’t care where the money comes from.
---
### Author:  [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2023, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-running-for-pres/991927/324 "2023-10-28T20:10:35Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> The point of going into the primaries as an underdog is to convince people that the front runner isn’t good enough.
Well it’s to persuade people that you’re the best candidate. Just as with a job interview, it’s not about trying to claim that others would be incapable of doing the job. And underdogs have won the nomination, and the presidency.
But OK, I’ll concede that with the current format of US politics and primaries in particular, it’s a distinction without much difference. And of course Cenk has made it clear that his motivation is to provoke a genuine primary, not to have any illusions of winning the presidency.
> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> Saunders [sic] spent the primary season telling everyone that Clinton shouldn’t be President. People heard that message and Trump won the election.
That isn’t the interpretation I’d go with.
I’d say it is more like the Democrats tried to play it safe; to go with the person who’d “earned” the nomination the most, the person that the donors liked more, and not who seemed to be garnering the most popular support.
Just waving Biden through with no actual competition is repeating the error.
(also, personally I’d put factors like the last-minute FBI investigation announcement into Clinton higher in importance than any of this, but that’s a different topic).
---
### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2023, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-running-for-pres/991927/325 "2023-10-28T20:12:48Z")
Splitting the vote and giving Trump the White House again would be a much graver error.
---
### Author:  [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2023, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-running-for-pres/991927/326 "2023-10-28T20:13:14Z")
A primary contest is not splitting the vote.
---
### Author:  [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2023, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-running-for-pres/991927/327 "2023-10-28T20:19:13Z")
No matter what happens, Bernie bros are to blame. Smiley face.
---
### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2023, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-running-for-pres/991927/328 "2023-10-28T20:25:03Z")
But splitting loyalties can do nothing but help Trump…unless you honestly believe that a challenger could gather even more support then Biden currently has.
---
### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2023, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-running-for-pres/991927/329 "2023-10-28T20:32:32Z")
> [@Smapti](#):
>
> You mean the guy whose campaign is literally being run by the same people that gave us Sarah Palin?
Based on what I know about Steve Schmidt, and what I read on [his Wikipedia page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Schmidt):
- He’s been a political campaign consultant for decades.
- He worked with Republican candidates up through 2016; he ran Schwarzenegger’s successful re-election campaign for California governor in 2006.
- He was a leader of John McCain’s 2008 campaign, though he was apparently not behind the selection of Palin as the VP candidate (a choice made by Rick Davis); Schmidt and Palin did not get along at all.
- Despite his work with GOP candidates, he’s a supporter of gay rights and same-sex marriage.
- He left the GOP in 2018, due to Trump, and was a founder of The Lincoln Project, the PAC which aired anti-Trump ads during the 2020 election cycle.
- In 2020, he announced that he was joining the Democratic Party.
---
### Author:  [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2023, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-running-for-pres/991927/330 "2023-10-28T20:35:24Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> But splitting loyalties can do nothing but help Trump…unless you honestly believe that a challenger could gather even more support then Biden currently has.
I do think a challenger could gather more support. More to the point, if a challenger even gets up to 20, 30 percent, the writing would already be on the wall and it would a signal to Biden to drop out.
Look, I don’t doubt there is risk. But every option at this point has risk. Right now with polling neck and neck we’re sitting on a whole _pile_ of risk, with even a minor gaffe or Comey-like announcement handing the white house back to Trump. Despite everything Trump’s done.
It’s not Biden’s fault, it’s just the result of various political realities in the US today.
---
### Author:  [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2023, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-running-for-pres/991927/331 "2023-10-28T20:41:42Z")
Not to hijack here, but the problem with convincing 37 states that it’s in their interest to abolish the EC is that there are (probably at least) 14 where it isn’t.
Convincing people to give up an advantage, even one that is arguably unfair, is a steep hill to climb.
---
### Author:  [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2023, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-running-for-pres/991927/332 "2023-10-28T20:51:02Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#):
>
> Based on what I know about Steve Schmidt, and what I read on [his Wikipedia page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Schmidt):
Thanks. I like that. Nothing like someone who’s spent time in Hell to point out where we might locate the fire hydrant (forgive me, tortured metaphor. I’ll stop now).
---
### Author:  [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2023, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-running-for-pres/991927/333 "2023-10-28T20:52:32Z")
> [@E-DUB](#):
>
> Not to hijack here, but the problem with convincing 37 states that it’s in their interest to abolish the EC is that there are (probably at least) 14 where it isn’t.
Oh, it’s fine but we kind of wrung that discussion to a stalemate.
---
### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2023, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-running-for-pres/991927/334 "2023-10-28T20:58:30Z")
> [@Mijin](#):
>
> I do think a challenger could gather more support. More to the point, if a challenger even gets up to 20, 30 percent, the writing would already be on the wall and it would a signal to Biden to drop out.
But if Biden gets 70, 80 percent, it’s not a signal to the challenger to drop out?
---
### Author:  [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2023, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-running-for-pres/991927/335 "2023-10-28T21:08:32Z")
Biden needs to be made aware of where his weaknesses are. I feel he doesn’t want to face that. Whether a robust challenge would do that depends on whether he can shore up his strengths. I hope he can, but only Joe knows if he wants to or can do that. Would he decide it might be better if he step aside? Well, it’s way too early to go there, but I could see it happening.
---
### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2023, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-running-for-pres/991927/336 "2023-10-28T21:12:02Z")
What weaknesses are those? Are you thinking of his age and his slowing speech? Don’t you think he’s aware of that already?
---
### Author:  [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2023, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-running-for-pres/991927/337 "2023-10-28T21:19:23Z")
I don’t know. How is it that the President whose policies created a record number of jobs polls worse today than the one who created far fewer? Yes, it’s early days but damn that’s dispiriting. How would Joe answer that question, in a way that could push the needle?
---
### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2023, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-running-for-pres/991927/338 "2023-10-28T21:24:17Z")
If you don’t know what weaknesses Joe Biden has, what exactly do you think he should be aware of?
---
### Author:  [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2023, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-running-for-pres/991927/339 "2023-10-28T21:25:13Z")
> [@Hatchie](#):
>
> How is it that the President whose policies created a record number of jobs polls worse today than the one who created far fewer? Yes, it’s early days
Sounds like you answered your own question.
---
### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2023, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-running-for-pres/991927/340 "2023-10-28T21:25:25Z")
> [@Hatchie](#):
>
> How is it that the President whose policies created a record number of jobs polls worse today than the one who created far fewer?
How about:
- Relentless negative messaging by the GOP and MAGAts, including, yes, harping on the idea that “Biden is old and senile”
- Despite a strong job market, and strong consumer spending, increases in interest rates and inflation (especially on energy and food) have led to many Americans feeling pessimistic about the economy
[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-running-for-pres/991927.md?page=16)
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-running-for-pres/991927.md?page=18)