# 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:** 52
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1024 "2024-02-20T13:48:16Z")
I wasn’t sure where to put this, so I hope this thread is OK. Apparently there’s an ad running that literally says God sent Trump to save the US. > **[Trump shares bizarre Biblical video saying God made him to be America’s...](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-iowa-caucuses-video-god-b2478729.html)** > > Republican gives full vent to messiah complex on eve of Iowa caucuses I’m just flabbergasted. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1025 "2024-02-20T13:49:16Z")
They’ve tried it with Ronnie D, why not with Donnie T? ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1026 "2024-02-20T13:56:10Z")
That was a month ago. I’m looking at the angelic face of that little baby Donald and picturing myself sent back in time to stop the evil before it spread… ---
**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:** [February 20, 2024, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1027 "2024-02-20T14:12:34Z")
He’s not the Messiah, he’s a very naughty boy. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1028 "2024-02-20T14:34:21Z")
That video is hilarious! Gets up early and works late? Delivers a grandchild? Waits for Melania to get done before he does something and politely tells her friends to come back real soon? This video was obviously written while smoking crack. ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1029 "2024-02-20T14:41:20Z")
I also thought the part about Melania and her lady friends was weird. I suspect it’s some messaging around traditional gender roles. ---
**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:** [February 20, 2024, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1030 "2024-02-20T14:54:47Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > That video is hilarious! Gets up early and works late? Delivers a grandchild? Waits for Melania to get done before he does something and politely tells her friends to come back real soon? It certainly is hilarious. At first I thought for sure that was a parody video-- so ridiculuously over the top, in the voice of the late Paul Harvey, talking about what a tireless, hardworking leader he is…it reeks of irony. But apparently it was created by a pro-trump group. Clearly trumpers are immune to irony and parody. > **[A video making the rounds online depicts Trump as a Messiah-like figure](https://www.npr.org/2024/01/26/1227070827/a-video-making-the-rounds-online-depicts-trump-as-a-messiah-like-figure)** > > A new video casts Donald Trump as a Messiah-like figure. NPR's Steve Inkseep unpacks its meaning with Robert P. Jones, president and founder of Public Religion Research Institution (PRRI). ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1031 "2024-02-20T15:29:29Z")
The Lincoln Project has already broadcast their version… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/xOi2cYz5nXE/maxresdefault.jpg "God Made a Dictator") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOi2cYz5nXE) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1032 "2024-02-20T16:15:14Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > He’s not the Messiah, he’s a very naughty boy. Thread-winner! ---
**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:** [February 20, 2024, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1033 "2024-02-20T16:24:23Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > He’s not the Messiah, he’s a very naughty boy. Naughtius Maximus, even. ---
**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:** [February 20, 2024, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1034 "2024-02-20T16:36:19Z")
> [@OldOlds](#): > > Apparently there’s an ad running that literally says God sent Trump to save the US. Does it end with “I’m God, and I approve this message.” ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1035 "2024-02-20T18:08:41Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Naughtius Maximus. or maybe Biggus Handus ? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1036 "2024-02-20T18:36:11Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > or maybe Biggus Handus ? I think we’ve heard enough from you, Sillius Sodus. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2024, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1037 "2024-02-21T18:05:56Z")
If the best an omniscient, omnipotent, omni-benevolent god can come up with is Trump, what does that say about the god? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2024, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1038 "2024-02-21T18:14:42Z")
I think I speak for most of the nation when I say…what? > **[Trump goes on odd tangent about golf while talking about NATO](https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/trump-goes-on-odd-tangent-about-golf-while-talking-about-nato-204267589649)** > > During a South Carolina rally while talking about NATO, former President Trump veered off on a tangent about pictures of him playing golf and that he has a better swing than President Biden. “But the ball does go faaaaaaar…” ---
**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:** [February 21, 2024, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1039 "2024-02-21T18:32:15Z")
He’s just following in Dubya’s footsteps: > I call upon all nations to do everything they can to stop these terrorist killers. Thank you. Now watch this drive. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1040 "2024-02-22T17:53:05Z")
I used to hear this story about Gene Roddenberry. For the original Star Trek series, Gene hired Alexander Courage to write the theme song we all came to know and love. Courage didn’t write any lyrics for it, so Roddenberry went ahead and wrote some lyrics for it. Roddenberry didn’t intend for anyone to ever sing the lyrics, but doing so meant he got to split the residuals with Courage whenever the song was used. Fans of Roddenberry speak of this in terms of his business acumen, but it always came off as a dick move to me. Roddenberry deliberately screwed over Courage leaving him royally pissed off. I very much see that attitude among Trump supporters. A Fox broadcaster talked about how saavy Trump was at merchandising referring to his new shoes. To a lot of us, Trump comes off looking cheap and desperate hocking ugly shoes to the public while his followers see it as an example of his brilliance. He’s a viable candidate because he’s got millions of followers for whom he can do no wrong. ---
**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:** [February 22, 2024, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1041 "2024-02-22T18:08:39Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > I very much see that attitude among Trump supporters. A Fox broadcaster talked about how saavy Trump was at merchandising referring to his new shoes. To a lot of us, Trump comes off looking cheap and desperate hocking ugly shoes to the public while his followers see it as an example of his brilliance. He’s a viable candidate because he’s got millions of followers for whom he can do no wrong. I’ve heard of a similar theory with trump and his followers. Back in the 2016 debates with Hillary Clinton, she accused him of avoiding full payment of his taxes, and instead of denying it, he said 'that’s because I’m smart". His followers were not enraged or disappointed that their hero was an admitted tax-dodger while they dutifully had to pay their full share. Rather, their take was that he was a smart businessman, and also, that he was ‘testing the system’ and proving it was broken so he could fix it. “The system is broken, and I should know, because I regularly break it! So I alone can fix it!” 🙄 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1042 "2024-02-22T18:14:54Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > Roddenberry didn’t intend for anyone to ever sing the lyrics, but doing so meant he got to split the residuals with Courage whenever the song was used. Fans of Roddenberry speak of this in terms of his business acumen, but it always came off as a dick move to me. Roddenberry deliberately screwed over Courage leaving him royally pissed off. I’ve heard many such stories about the Great Bird of the Galaxy. He started up Lincoln Enterprises right after the series ended so that he could sell trinkets and mementos to the rubes, er, fans, including that stupid IDIC thing he introduced into the show just that he’d have something else to sell. ---
**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:** [February 22, 2024, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1043 "2024-02-22T18:50:51Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > Roddenberry deliberately screwed over Courage leaving him royally pissed off. They’re called “royalties” for a reason.., [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949.md?page=51) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949.md?page=53)