# How is trump still a viable candidate for president? Really, how? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [May 12, 2023, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949 "2023-05-12T14:28:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 33
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2023, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/644 "2023-10-01T21:40:36Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Lots of Americans know who Tuberville is for example; he’s not just famous in AL. Etc. > > The Ds so far have no corresponding system to ensure their own up and comers have similar favorable name recognition. Tuberville does not have favorable name recognition: [In Alabama and at the national level, Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s radical holds on U.S. military promotions are not at all popular.](https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/polls-show-tubervilles-blockade-faring-poorly-public-rcna99746) What kind of name recognition did small population state governor Bill Clinton have before he ran? ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2023, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/645 "2023-10-01T21:44:07Z")
I am pretty positive that we could match video for video of both Trump and President Biden looking a bit doddering and others where they look more vigorous. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2023, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/646 "2023-10-01T21:46:25Z")
IIRC, Bill’s most famous moment was giving a long (36 minute), boring speech at the 1988 DNC. The crowd’s reaction when he said “finally” was the stuff of legends. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/g0TdQwyd08A/hqdefault.jpg "Gov. Clinton at 1988 Democratic National Convention") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0TdQwyd08A) ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2023, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/647 "2023-10-01T22:05:02Z")
“In closing”, actually. 34:06 of the video. A little later, he also used the line “build a bridge to the future” which I think was reprised in his 1996 presidential campaign. It’s the sort of thing that makes me wonder whether politicians go in and out of favor more due to them changing or due to the public changing. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2023, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/648 "2023-10-02T02:41:50Z")
In this case because of Johnny Carson. > **[Bill Clinton's first major appearance at a convention almost destroyed his...](https://www.vox.com/2016/7/26/12285312/bill-clinton-dnc-1988-speaker-late-night)** > > He utterly bombed. > [@](#): > > Clinton sat down with Carson, and with the first question Carson put an hourglass on the table. > > The press loved the stunt. A [1988 Associated Press](http://www.today.com/id/6858728/ns/today-today_entertainment/t/carson-helped-clinton-turn-it-around/#.V5fCgmOYflI)[report](http://www.today.com/id/6858728/ns/today-today_entertainment/t/carson-helped-clinton-turn-it-around/#.V5fCgmOYflI) described Clinton as having “gone from the media doghouse to media darling in one short week”: > > > And all it took was a smile, a few self-deprecating jokes and a song…Cable News Network on Friday cited the governor for the “fastest turnaround ever” on its weekly “Winners and Losers.” > > Clinton plotted his next moves carefully. All of his subsequent policy speeches were shorter and more focused, written with an eye toward erasing the public’s memory of that 1988 disaster. … To some degree the horrible convention speech opened a door to even more seeing him on Carson, and seeing a man able to make fun of himself and who there showed off his chops. So point taken that negative publicity _can_ bring recognition and that recognition can drive positive brand that more than offsets the negative. Not sure many other than Clinton could have pulled that victory from the jaws of defeat though. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2023, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/649 "2023-10-02T12:33:55Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > To some degree the horrible convention speech opened a door to even more seeing him on Carson, and seeing a man able to make fun of himself and who there showed off his chops. > > So point taken that negative publicity _can_ bring recognition and that recognition can drive positive brand that more than offsets the negative. Not sure many other than Clinton could have pulled that victory from the jaws of defeat though. I’m a bit too young to remember those occurrences in 1988. It was his appearance on Arsenio Hall’s show in 1992, when he played _Heartbreak Hotel_ on the saxophone while wearing sunglasses, that I remember as his big moment. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2023, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/650 "2023-10-03T18:43:45Z")
There’s nothing really new in this article, other than the fact that John Kelly is going on the record saying these things, but this article really encapsulates the many things trump has said or done that reflect an utter contempt and disregard for the military. Respect for, and support of, our military has always been a pretty bedrock conservative principle. Reading these things anew just makes me wonder anew, how does trump continue to have support among conservatives? How is he still a viable candidate for president? Strictly a rhetorical question, of course. I’ve been following my thread. I just read articles like these and I can’t help myself, despite all I know…really, how? [https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/02/politics/john-kelly-donald-trump-us-service-members-veterans/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/02/politics/john-kelly-donald-trump-us-service-members-veterans/index.html) Here are Kelly’s comments from the article: > “What can I add that has not already been said?” Kelly said, when asked if he wanted to weigh in on his former boss in light of recent comments made by other former Trump officials. “A person that thinks those who defend their country in uniform, or are shot down or seriously wounded in combat, or spend years being tortured as POWs are all ‘suckers’ because ‘there is nothing in it for them.’ A person that did not want to be seen in the presence of military amputees because ‘it doesn’t look good for me.’ A person who demonstrated open contempt for a Gold Star family – for all Gold Star families – on TV during the 2016 campaign, and rants that our most precious heroes who gave their lives in America’s defense are ‘losers’ and wouldn’t visit their graves in France. > > “A person who is not truthful regarding his position on the protection of unborn life, on women, on minorities, on evangelical Christians, on Jews, on working men and women,” Kelly continued. “A person that has no idea what America stands for and has no idea what America is all about. A person who cavalierly suggests that a selfless warrior who has served his country for 40 years in peacetime and war should lose his life for treason – in expectation that someone will take action. A person who admires autocrats and murderous dictators. A person that has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution, and the rule of law. > > “There is nothing more that can be said,” Kelly concluded. “God help us.” ---
**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:** [October 3, 2023, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/651 "2023-10-03T19:07:09Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Respect for, and support of, our military has always been a pretty bedrock conservative principle. In politics, the less you plan to do about something, the more you must talk about it. Republicans talk a lot about supporting the military. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2023, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/652 "2023-10-03T19:45:56Z")
Don’t forget loudly professing love for veterans while defunding the VA. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2023, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/653 "2023-10-03T19:55:17Z")
And calling the KIA’s losers. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2023, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/654 "2023-10-04T02:10:21Z")
**Rick: If it’s December 1941 in Casablanca, what time is it in New York?** **Sam: What? My watch stopped.** **Rick: I’d bet they’re asleep in New York. I’d bet they’re asleep all over America.** And too many are. A bunch of neo-nazis showed up in Franklin, Tennessee, as a “security force” for a blonde, White woman running for Mayor, who hates Gays. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2023, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/655 "2023-10-04T02:17:04Z")
Well, there are certain sections of New York that I wouldn’t advise them to try to invade. ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2023, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/656 "2023-10-04T04:21:57Z")
Here’s something I was thinking about earlier. Where’s Melania? Her husband is under intense scrutiny and she is nowhere to be found. She doesn’t attend campaign events, she isn’t supporting him in court, she’s made no public statements defending him or encouraging people to vote for him. I would think that would give the pro-family conservatives at least a little pause. Now those of us who live in the real world know that she doesn’t give a shit about Trump. But his fans who believe that she was the classiest, be bestest First Lady ever should be wondering why she is not supporting her totally innocent husband or boosting his campaign like a good conservative wife should. Normally, someone trying to run for President with an uncaring and uninterested spouse wouldn’t have a chance. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2023, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/657 "2023-10-04T04:48:31Z")
> [@aurora\_maire](#): > > Where’s Melania? She’s looking out for herself and her son, to heck with Donald. > **[Melania Trump ‘quietly’ renegotiated prenup with Donald ahead of potential...](https://pagesix.com/2023/09/28/melania-trump-quietly-renegotiated-donald-trump-prenup/amp/)** > > A source told Page Six, “Melania is most concerned about maintaining and increasing a substantial trust for their son, Barron,” but that she isn’t going anywhere. That was reportedly stirred not just by Trump’s legal problems, but also the potential that he might serve a second term (so relevant to this topic). She last renegotiated in 2017 prior to moving to moving to the White House. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2023, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/658 "2023-10-04T12:22:39Z")
> [@aurora\_maire](#): > > Here’s something I was thinking about earlier. Where’s Melania? Her husband is under intense scrutiny and she is nowhere to be found. She doesn’t attend campaign events, she isn’t supporting him in court, she’s made no public statements defending him or encouraging people to vote for him. She should be careful, or just her silence could get her lumped together (trumped together?) in the trumptards’ eyes with the ever-growing group of former loyal trump allies who became brainwashed by the Deep State and are now traitorous anti-trumpers. She could find her status change from ‘classiest, be bestest First Lady ever’ to ‘enemy of the state’ at the drop of a red hat. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2023, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/659 "2023-10-04T12:44:23Z")
That’s already something the entire family knows is hanging over their heads and she’s surely been aware from Day One that any “popularity” thrown her way is just a function of her husband’s. Though the MAGAs would not go for “enemy of the state” in her case. They’d dust off their old pinup shots and call her something else more in line with their customary level of manners. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2023, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/660 "2023-10-04T14:07:30Z")
At least they can probably afford the necessary security protection after the Reactionary Wacko Traitors put her on their “harass & perhaps kill” list. That’s not nearly so true of many other people trump has thrown ~~under the bus~~ to the ravening horde of violent unstable gun-besotted morons. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2023, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/661 "2023-10-04T18:32:43Z")
This should be called the “Grumpy Old Men” election. For reasons that only made sense in the Grumpy Old Man universe, Ann-Margret was obliged to pick either old Jack Lemmon, or old Walter Matteau. Those two old guys are Biden and trump, and they’re the only guys available to be picked in our universe. Damn it. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2023, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/662 "2023-10-04T20:59:43Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Those two old guys are Biden and trump, and they’re the only guys available to be picked in our universe. Damn it. I can accept being Ann-Margret though. Rawr. ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2023, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/663 "2023-10-04T21:00:16Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > That was reportedly stirred not just by Trump’s legal problems, but also the potential that he might serve a second term I imagine that the pre-nup was renegotiated because Trump thought he would need her to be a viable candidate, as a veneer of normalcy. He’s probably figured out by now that nobody cares if she is by his side and is kicking himself for it. It could, of course, require that if he wins, she has to play First Lady again. Which would lead to more pictures of them being miserable together, apt images for a dying democracy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949.md?page=32) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949.md?page=34)