# 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:** 40
**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:** [November 16, 2023, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/784 "2023-11-16T03:26:54Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > But even if she could find an earlier dated birth certificate, his advisors would tell him she was another Palin, and, not actually being dumb, Trump would listen. Are you kidding? Trump probably thinks that picking Sarah Palin was the smartest thing John McCain ever did. Look at all the press attention it got him. In Trumpworld there is no such things as bad press. It does not matter what people say; it only matters that they are talking about you. ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/785 "2023-11-16T04:06:57Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > In Trumpworld there is no such things as bad press. It does not matter what people say; it only matters that they are talking about you. And that’s exactly what he’s doing, which is we read so much about Dangerous Donald and not Boring Biden. One of these guys makes the news, and we fall for it every time. Every time. The best way to treat Trump would for NOBODY to cover him for about a week and watch him squirm. Not even watch, actually. A narcissist can’t handle someone not paying attention to them. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/786 "2023-11-16T12:23:01Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > In Trumpworld there is no such things as bad press. It does not matter what people say; it only matters that they are talking about you. Agreed. But that is a reason for Donald to pick a VP who won’t steal the negative press limelight. I could be wrong. If Anna Luna, the off and on Hispanic, is Trump’s VP pick, I am definitely wrong. ---
**Author:** ![slicedalone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slicedalone/32/12515_2.png) [@slicedalone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slicedalone)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/787 "2023-11-16T14:33:47Z")
It doesn’t matter how old a vp candidate is. If she’s under 35 on inauguration day and the president dies then, the next one in line becomes president. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/788 "2023-11-16T15:01:32Z")
Don’t you have to be eligible to the office of President to be eligible to that of Vice President? I thought it wasn’t like a Cabinet Secretary who may or may not be eligible and could be skipped in the line of succession if need be; I thought the job came with its own built-in extra requirement… ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/789 "2023-11-16T15:05:54Z")
Amendment XII … But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States. > **[12th Amendment](https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/amendmentxii)** ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2023, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/790 "2023-12-01T23:09:39Z")
[Robert Kagan: A Trump dictatorship is increasingly inevitable. We should stop pretending.](https://wapo.st/46D8wKD) It’s hard to summarize this ultimate sky-is-falling never-Trumper WaPo panic piece, but: 1. Once he becomes the nominee, Trump’s electoral support will increase due to complete consolidation of support within his party, and courts being unable or unwilling to stop him. And Biden can do nothing substantial to improve his position. 2. “Think of the power of a man who gets himself elected president despite indictments, courtroom appearances and perhaps even conviction? Would he even obey a directive of the Supreme Court? Or would he instead ask how many armored divisions the chief justice has?” I think that “1” above is likely but admit Kagan is no expert on election prognostication. I’m hoping that “2” above is alarmist on grounds that Trump is too old for the hard work of consolidating dictatorial power and/or that countries as rich as the U.S. don’t go in the prophesized direction. On the other hand, here Kagan is an expert. It’s hard to see who Kagan is addressing this to. Perhaps John Roberts, although it’s hard to see five members of the Supreme Court agreeing to keep the insurrectionist off ballots. ---
**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:** [December 2, 2023, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/791 "2023-12-02T02:27:50Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > Perhaps John Roberts, although it’s hard to see five members of the Supreme Court agreeing to keep the insurrectionist off ballots. They don’t get paid to get themselves or their families murdered. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2023, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/792 "2023-12-02T02:58:19Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > They don’t get paid to get themselves or their families murdered. Every judge must think about it. [A Maryland judge was murdered by someone he ruled against](https://www.cnn.com/us/maryland-judge-shooting-suspect-dead/index.html) last month. As for family, the most recent American example seems to be the son of a U.S. federal judge murdered in 2020 by an [attorney angry with the judge](https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/judge-esther-salas-applauds-federal-law-to-help-protect-other-judges-and-their-families/). The U.S. Supreme Court already has security. The Colorado Supreme Court will probably need it if they keep Trump off the ballot. Judges who accept the risks sadly inherent to their job are essential for the rule of law. If Trump wins next November, their bravery will be tested. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2023, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/793 "2023-12-02T03:58:34Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > If Trump wins next November, their bravery will be tested. One of the points of Kagan’s article is that if Trump wins next November, _everybody’s_ bravery will be tested. Another of his points is that a lot of people who could have stood up against Trump before and knocked him down, though at a cost to their presidential chances, political careers, or threats to their lives, have already shown that they wouldn’t stand up to him. The stakes are going to be much higher the next time around, and the “muscles” to oppose him have atrophied or never been sufficiently exercised at all. It’s going to be even tougher the next time, if there is a next time. ---
**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:** [December 2, 2023, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/794 "2023-12-02T20:59:51Z")
> [@SunUp](#): > > It’s going to be even tougher the next time, if there is a next time. Trump’s third and fourth terms are really going to be nightmares. (Just kidding, he won’t live that long. He’s old and doesn’t take care of himself.) ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2023, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/795 "2023-12-02T21:14:26Z")
Clears throat. Emmm… We, at that point, If DJT pulls this off, should be worried about DJT Jr. etal. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2023, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/796 "2023-12-02T21:39:37Z")
I think we’re seeing massive evidence of just how much the media is controlling the message. Democrats have won the last three elections, the justice system is doing a bang up job of imprisoning the troops and working their way up the insurrection leadership chain, and while I’m not happy with the kid gloves they’re using to handle TFG. All of the ‘polls show Trump leading’ smell like very carefully curated polls. I found one particular poll that looks like they asked the wrong people the wrong way. The ‘No Labels’ account asked the general twitter population, and the results were telling. Sure, I could be just finding the one poll who’s results I like, but I hold onto it with recent elections as corroborating evidence. [[Album] imgur.com ![](https://i.imgur.com/qFbmqQ4.jpeg?fb "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/a/LBbBf1g) ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2023, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/797 "2023-12-02T21:44:34Z")
What is a “bipartisan 3rd party”? Doesn’t a party have to be partisan (unipartisan) to itself? ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2023, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/798 "2023-12-02T21:45:08Z")
Presumably a ‘No Labels’ candidate… ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2023, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/799 "2023-12-02T22:03:38Z")
Many have asked how Trump is still a viable candidate. I don’t know the full answer, but I don’t think it is due to inaccurate polls. > **[Latest Polls](https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/)** > > The latest political polls and polling averages from FiveThirtyEight. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2023, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/800 "2023-12-02T22:09:06Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > I don’t know the full answer, but I don’t think it is due to inaccurate polls. Could you elaborate? (No snark intended. Genuinely curious.) ETA: I think you mean that the folks at 538 are good at rating pollsters, based on methods and past performance (and sample size), and so it’s likely Biden’s troubles are real (in that, if the election were held today vs Trump, Biden would likely lose). Could be. At least, Biden’s numbers in head-to-head polls have stopped slipping. Baby steps. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2023, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/801 "2023-12-02T22:12:40Z")
The listed site shows many polls by different reputable groups over an extended period. They generally confirm that Trump is surprisingly popular among Republicans, Biden is not particularly well-liked by average Americans, and that Trump would be competitive if an election was held now. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2023, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/802 "2023-12-02T22:17:13Z")
Got it, thanks. Scary. At least polls like the Nov. 1 YouGov one (rated A by 538) shows Biden ahead a bit. But, yeah, as others have posted a thousand times in a dozen threads, it’s amazing that the loathsome fellow under multiple indictments is anywhere NEAR the decent fellow presiding over a strong economy. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2023, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/803 "2023-12-02T22:33:10Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > But, yeah, as others have posted a thousand times in a dozen threads, it’s amazing that the loathsome fellow under multiple indictments is anywhere NEAR the decent fellow presiding over a strong economy. Eh, I think it’s understandable. It doesn’t say good thinks about the state of the USA, but understandable. Most Democrats, and D-Leaning Others support Biden, but here and elsewhere IRL and the internet, few of us are _enthusiastic_ about him. We realize he’s (arguably) a good person, a decent politician, but like most of the ilk, he has flaws and doesn’t fully overlap with our individual POV. So there’s a lot of “probably best bet to _win_, but not what we _want_”. While those following Trump have a huge core of honest-to-god (snerk) cult-level worship. They buy his lies about himself and see him as (literally!) more important than that left-hugging, turn-the-other-cheek wussy Jesus. Or by single issue voters who care so much about guns, taxes (I got mine and I ain’t givin’ up any for anyone else), Christian Nationalism, or some other form of hate that they’ll vote for the Devil himself as long as it isn’t a ‘Democrat’. So by that contrast, the unspeakable support (and I picked unspeakable for a damn good reason!) makes sense. Again, not the sort of sense that says _anything_ good about the current USA. The only pathetic and worrisome compensation is that looking around the rest of the world, it seems that we’re far from alone. It’s a rough place, complicated, and it seems to me that a huge portion of the world population just wants someone to _blame_ and **punish**. And now I need several drinks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949.md?page=39) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949.md?page=41)