# Clinton v. Trump: Who would make the better POTUS? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 10, 2016, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-v-trump-who-would-make-the-better-potus/757031 "2016-06-10T16:53:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-v-trump-who-would-make-the-better-potus/757031/101 "2016-06-14T15:48:25Z")
Well, we still have no idea WHY 5% of the folks here think Trump would make a better POTUS. They have yet to articulate one single reason why they voted that way. Perhaps it’s just 5% of the folks making some kind of joke. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-v-trump-who-would-make-the-better-potus/757031/102 "2016-06-14T16:58:30Z")
> [@](#): > > …the smartest, hippest people on the planet, plus a few total dipsticks… Well, now we know! Roughly, five percent TD. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-v-trump-who-would-make-the-better-potus/757031/103 "2016-06-14T17:21:33Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > 2020 will be interesting, that’s for sure. I worry though that even without Trump in the race things might get pretty chaotic. What’s to stop people from just going for Ted Cruz? Ted Cruz is obviously “next”, plus he’s the most conservative candidate in the party. It’s hard for me to see how he gets stopped, and I think his odds of running in 2020 are 99%. What’s to stop people? Probably Ted Cruz himself. Not a likable guy. Went head to head with Trump and people chose Trump. Think about that. A US Senator with a Ivy league pedigree and impeccable rightwing pandering credentials and he still got crushed in the primaries. ---
**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:** [June 14, 2016, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-v-trump-who-would-make-the-better-potus/757031/104 "2016-06-14T17:36:34Z")
> [@](#): > > Seriously. Name ONE THING that Trump would excel at as president. ONE. THING. I think he would make a great president of The Hair Club for Men. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-v-trump-who-would-make-the-better-potus/757031/105 "2016-06-14T17:58:55Z")
Hmm. Would _you_ buy and wear that… thing atop The Donald’s head? ---
**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:** [June 14, 2016, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-v-trump-who-would-make-the-better-potus/757031/106 "2016-06-14T18:01:34Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I think he would make a great president of The Hair Club for Men. No, but I have a full head of hair. Besides, he could breathe new life into the squirrel breeding industry. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2016, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-v-trump-who-would-make-the-better-potus/757031/107 "2016-06-18T04:07:18Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Besides, he could breathe new life into the squirrel breeding industry. You mean, in the form of genetic contribution? ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2016, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-v-trump-who-would-make-the-better-potus/757031/108 "2016-06-19T02:57:35Z")
Wow, Trump actually has ten votes. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2016, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-v-trump-who-would-make-the-better-potus/757031/109 "2016-06-19T03:01:37Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Well, we still have no idea WHY 5% of the folks here think Trump would make a better POTUS. They have yet to articulate one single reason why they voted that way. > > Perhaps it’s just 5% of the folks making some kind of joke. I considered voting for Trump just to be contrary, but I looked at the current totals first and decided not to. I think Hillary would do some good things and some bad things long-term. I think Trump would be a disaster of incompetence, but if you _want_ a disaster of incompetence for some reason, then I suppose he’s your guy. For example, if you think the USA is too dominant in global affairs, well, maybe Trump makes us non-credible enough our international influence diminishes. You know, if we’re lucky. ---
**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:** [June 19, 2016, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-v-trump-who-would-make-the-better-potus/757031/110 "2016-06-19T03:19:00Z")
\*\*PSXer \*\*had [a poll on taking popcorn tubs out of the trash](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=571552) to get free refills. Poll results were 3.26% in favor. Currently Trump is only slightly more popular that taking popcorn tubs out of the trash at 4.81% ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2016, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-v-trump-who-would-make-the-better-potus/757031/111 "2016-06-19T12:36:02Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > And the Democratic Party. The pardons were universally condemned. Reaching to find possible justifications long after the fact is what people do when they realize, “Oh shit! Hillary’s going to run for President! Quick, forget we condemned the pardons!” Ya know what’s odd? Despite having voted for Bill and being fairly politically cognizant during his term, I didn’t know a thing about these “universally condemned” pardons. They were apparently completely forgettable (at least, to me). You know what do I remember most from his term? The whole Lewinsky thing. And you know what I hear about far more than anything else about Bill these days? The whole Lewinsky thing. That’s what people are still talking about. Odd that hardly anybody ever mentions these pardons, considering they were apparently such a big deal that we should allow them to taint his wife decades later. Anyway. I can think of one good reason to vote for Trump, personally, and it’s this: These past eight years we’ve had to listen to the Republicans attempt to destroy Obama’s legacy, despite him being a pretty darn good President, and a damn good man. By every measure, he’s been good for the country. But despite that, we’ve been told over and over how his every action is going to destroy America as we know it. We’ve been forced to listen, repeatedly, to breathless accounting of his many “scandals”- none of which have actually been quite as bad as we’ve been lead to believe. It’s _exhausting_. So here’s why I’m tempted to vote for Trump- I want Republicans to have to deal with having to defend their guy for a few years. I want them to look back on Obama’s term and realize that he was, at least in their hindsight, actually a pretty darn good President. I want them to have to defend their President’s scandals (of which we know there will be many, and they will actually \*be \*scandals). It’s not worth the damage he could do to the country, of course. Just through his SC nominations, he could do lasting harm. But _goddamn_, it’d be nice to have the Republicans have to deal with their own shit for once. ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2016, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-v-trump-who-would-make-the-better-potus/757031/112 "2016-06-19T12:41:08Z")
Except if course, it wouldn’t be Trump’s fault. It would be because of the horrible shape the country was in when he took over. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2016, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-v-trump-who-would-make-the-better-potus/757031/113 "2016-06-19T12:53:54Z")
> [@Lightnin](#): > > Ya know what’s odd? Despite having voted for Bill and being fairly politically cognizant during his term, I didn’t know a thing about these “universally condemned” pardons. They were apparently completely forgettable (at least, to me). You know what do I remember most from his term? The whole Lewinsky thing. > > And you know what I hear about far more than anything else about Bill these days? The whole Lewinsky thing. That’s what people are still talking about. Odd that hardly anybody ever mentions these pardons, considering they were apparently such a big deal that we should allow them to taint his wife decades later. > > Anyway. I can think of one good reason to vote for Trump, personally, and it’s this: These past eight years we’ve had to listen to the Republicans attempt to destroy Obama’s legacy, despite him being a pretty darn good President, and a damn good man. By every measure, he’s been good for the country. But despite that, we’ve been told over and over how his every action is going to destroy America as we know it. We’ve been forced to listen, repeatedly, to breathless accounting of his many “scandals”- none of which have actually been quite as bad as we’ve been lead to believe. It’s _exhausting_. > > So here’s why I’m tempted to vote for Trump- I want Republicans to have to deal with having to defend their guy for a few years. I want them to look back on Obama’s term and realize that he was, at least in their hindsight, actually a pretty darn good President. I want them to have to defend their President’s scandals (of which we know there will be many, and they will actually \*be \*scandals). > > It’s not worth the damage he could do to the country, of course. Just through his SC nominations, he could do lasting harm. But _goddamn_, it’d be nice to have the Republicans have to deal with their own shit for once. A blogger back in 2004 called it the “Let the Wookie win” strategy. I’m actually a proponent of it in many cases. We share power in our system, and so both sides should get to feel like they have a chance to govern. Donald Trump isn’t the guy for that. Plus we already got our asses handed to us because of George Bush. We lost credibility on the deficit and even national security! So I’ll just wait for a good candidate to come along who has a chance to prove Republicans can govern. So unless Gary Johnson pulls off a miracle, or Trump actually is defeated at the convention, you get a third Democratic term in the White House. And a fourth, and a fifth, if necessary, until the Republican Party produces a candidate who will actually be successful. I’d rather have Democrats than failed Republicans. Failed Republicans are bad for business. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2016, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-v-trump-who-would-make-the-better-potus/757031/114 "2016-06-19T13:39:16Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > \*\*PSXer \*\*had [a poll on taking popcorn tubs out of the trash](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=571552) to get free refills. > > Poll results were 3.26% in favor. > Currently Trump is only slightly more popular that taking popcorn tubs out of the trash at 4.81% Maybe Trump can pull a popcorn tub out of the trash for his running mate. It’s kinda gross but hey, free running mate. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2016, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-v-trump-who-would-make-the-better-potus/757031/115 "2016-06-19T14:58:53Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Plus we already got our asses handed to us because of George Bush. We lost credibility on the deficit and even national security! So why are they still “we” to you? > [@](#): > > So I’ll just wait for a good candidate to come along who has a chance to prove Republicans can govern. How long can you hold your breath? The evidence is that Republicans cannot govern. What would convince you that it isn’t a failure of individuals but of basic ideology and attitudes? > [@Lightnin](#): > > You know what do I remember most from his term? The whole Lewinsky thing. I remember all that peace and prosperity too. How about some more surpluses and some more “irrational exuberance”? > [@](#): > > So here’s why I’m tempted to vote for Trump- I want Republicans to have to deal with having to defend their guy for a few years. They were never held accountable for the Bush disasters, so why would it be different for Trump? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2016, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-v-trump-who-would-make-the-better-potus/757031/116 "2016-06-20T17:31:20Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > The evidence is that Republicans cannot govern. More importantly, that they don’t want to. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2016, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-v-trump-who-would-make-the-better-potus/757031/117 "2016-06-20T20:54:25Z")
Has there ever been another major party, anywhere, that was organized around the premise that government cannot work? The bomb-throwing anarchists of a century ago at least had an ethos. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2016, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-v-trump-who-would-make-the-better-potus/757031/118 "2016-06-20T21:03:56Z")
A random person pulled off the street would have a very high probability of making a better POTUS than Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2016, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-v-trump-who-would-make-the-better-potus/757031/119 "2016-06-20T21:27:12Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Plus we already got our asses handed to us because of George Bush. We lost credibility on the deficit and even national security! What makes you think there was any credibility to lose? Since I’ve been old enough to vote the Republicans have been running up the debt, and I’m eligible for AARP now. They are the embodiment of the idea that the less you plan to do about something, the more you must talk about it. > [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Has there ever been another major party, anywhere, that was organized around the premise that government cannot work? I think you misspelled “promise” there, but I can’t be sure. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-v-trump-who-would-make-the-better-potus/757031/120 "2016-06-22T04:34:21Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Maybe Trump can pull a popcorn tub out of the trash for his running mate. It’s kinda gross but hey, free running mate. Well, sure, if it’s an eligible citizen. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-v-trump-who-would-make-the-better-potus/757031.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-v-trump-who-would-make-the-better-potus/757031.md?page=7)