# 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:** 75
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1495 "2024-05-31T03:52:07Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > I don’t think they’ll even confine him to Trump Tower. Well, there is that whole “Cruel and Inhuman” thing… ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1496 "2024-05-31T12:12:11Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Well, there is that whole “Cruel and Inhuman” thing… Well, if Melania was also there, it probably would be. I think she’s the only person he’s afraid of. I bet she can be pretty tough. ---
**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:** [May 31, 2024, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1497 "2024-05-31T13:02:38Z")
I think it’s worthwhile to reiterate that this is a Presidential candidate who was _just found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through hush money payments to shut up a porn star he had sex with_. And is still, as of this morning, a viable candidate for President. Really, how? How can so many people live in such a bubble of unreality that they can believe that all this legal jeopardy trump is experiencing, on state _and_ federal levels, is all a rigged witch hunt? If someone is constantly yelling ‘fire’, doesn’t it eventually become clear to everybody that _they_ are starting the fires? Rhetorical questions. The next 5 months are going to be interesting. ---
**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:** [May 31, 2024, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1498 "2024-05-31T13:08:23Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > “I’d rather support Felon Trump than Pedo Biden.” – My Mother. “Felon _and Rapist_ Trump, Mom.” Yeah, I know it’s a waste of time. My mom’s MAGA too. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1499 "2024-05-31T13:45:58Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > “Felon _and Rapist_ Trump, Mom.” _And_ pedophile. ---
**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:** [May 31, 2024, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1500 "2024-05-31T13:59:45Z")
And fraudster. Really, Trump is all things to all people. And all of them bad. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1501 "2024-05-31T14:03:42Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > “Felon _and Rapist_ Trump, Mom.” > [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > _And_ pedophile. > [@Gyrate](#): > > And fraudster. This is starting to sound like the announcement of King Bruno the Questionable in _Jabberwocky_ (1977). ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1502 "2024-05-31T14:15:55Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Would have thought that the Right Wing Evangelists would back a serial adulterer, fornicator, and worse? Anyone who was alive in 1980. ---
**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:** [May 31, 2024, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1503 "2024-05-31T14:23:41Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > She made the usual MAGA complaints that Merchan instructed the jury to come to a guilty verdict, that he wasn’t requiring the jury to come to a unanimous verdict, that he was purposely not providing the jury with written instructions …and that’s why he’s still viable. None of those things are actually true, but far too many Americans have decided to believe them anyways. How can you convince someone to change their vote, when their choices are based entirely on lies that they choose to believe? Just speaking the truth isn’t enough, but I have no idea what else anyone could do about this. ---
**Author:** ![Fugazi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@Fugazi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fugazi)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1504 "2024-05-31T15:10:25Z")
> [@solost](#): > > The next 5 months are going to be interesting. Yeah, in the “may you live in interesting times” sense. ---
**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:** [May 31, 2024, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1505 "2024-05-31T15:33:18Z")
I get the feeling a lot of people who haven’t been listening to Trump for four years are tuning into hear him speak today and they’re not really going to understand or like what they hear. A continued decline from Trump is going to be the long tail of this verdict. ---
**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:** [May 31, 2024, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1506 "2024-05-31T15:49:56Z")
“Viable candidate” [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53760217734_b3f9014eda_b.jpg "Viable candidate") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/68782016@N08/53760217734/) ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1507 "2024-05-31T15:57:32Z")
I haven’t read past the paywall here, but I think this center-right headline explains a lot of how Trump is still viable: [A Choice Between Weakness and Evil – And its so important to choose weakness](https://phillipspobrien.substack.com/p/a-choice-between-weakness-and-evil) Unfortunately, a lot of voters, given what they perceive as a choice between evil and weak are going to choose evil. This goes beyond Trump’s MAGA base (a group that cannot re-elect him by themselves). ---
**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:** [May 31, 2024, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1508 "2024-05-31T16:00:58Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > Just speaking the truth isn’t enough, but I have no idea what else anyone could do about this. Somebody in one of these trump-related threads (may have even been this one) mentioned the effect whereby fighting falsehoods is essentially asymmetrical warfare-- it’s much easier to spread a falsehood than it is to refute a falsehood once it’s spread. > [@Fugazi](#): > > > [@solost](#): > > > > The next 5 months are going to be interesting. > > Yeah, in the “may you live in interesting times” sense. Yep, pretty much the meaning of ‘interesting’ I was going for. > [@JohnT](#): > > “Viable candidate” “Venal candidate”? “Vitriol Candidate”? “Virulent Candidate”? “Vocable Candidate”? > [@PhillyGuy](#): > > A Choice Between Weakness and Evil – And its so important to choose weakness Biden is not a weak candidate, though the right has been very successful at making him appear as such, I’ll admit. I hope the Biden campaign can finally make some strides in refuting this during these critical next 5 months. ---
**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:** [May 31, 2024, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1509 "2024-05-31T16:06:23Z")
> [@solost](#): > > > [@JohnT](#): > > > > “Viable candidate” > > “Venal candidate”? > “Vitriol Candidate”? > “Virulent Candidate”? > “Vocable Candidate”? Vile Candidate ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1510 "2024-05-31T16:28:23Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > > [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > > > “Felon _and Rapist_ Trump, Mom.” > > > [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > > > _And_ pedophile. > > > [@Gyrate](#): > > > > And fraudster. > > This is starting to sound like the announcement of King Bruno the Questionable in _Jabberwocky_ (1977). My thought was Trump is trying to give Tuco from _The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly_ a run for his money: > - [Tuco](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0908919/?ref_=ttqu_qu): I never hurt anybody! > - **Officer** : …wanted in 14 counties of this state, the condemned is found guilty of the crimes of murder, armed robbery of citizens, state banks and post offices, the theft of sacred objects, arson in a state prison, perjury, bigamy, deserting his wife and children, inciting prostitution, kidnapping, extortion, receiving stolen goods, selling stolen goods, passing counterfeit money, and, contrary to the laws of this state, the condemned is guilty of using marked cards… ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1511 "2024-05-31T16:32:02Z")
> [@solost](#): > > I hope the Biden campaign can finally make some strides in refuting this during these critical next 5 months. Exactly the purpose of the June debate. In addition, Biden’s campaign would do well to add some more public-facing tasks to Biden’s itinerary. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1512 "2024-05-31T16:37:18Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > I haven’t read past the paywall here, but I think this center-right headline explains a lot of how Trump is still viable: > > [A Choice Between Weakness and Evil – And its so important to choose weakness](https://phillipspobrien.substack.com/p/a-choice-between-weakness-and-evil) > > Unfortunately, a lot of voters, given what they perceive as a choice between evil and weak are going to choose evil. FWIW, in your link, **[Phillips O’Brien](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillips_O%27Brien)** is not calling Biden a weak _candidate_ – his characterization is much narrower: > For this week we have seen maybe the greatest contrast between **one foreign policy which is weak** (borderline pathetic) and another which is plotting for the victory of evil. Both are dreadful, but one would spell disaster. Its important to see the difference and understand that even though the weak/pathetic is foolish and terrible, it must be supported over the evil. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1513 "2024-05-31T16:37:55Z")
nevermind ---
**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:** [May 31, 2024, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949/1514 "2024-05-31T16:52:47Z")
Good album. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949.md?page=74) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-trump-still-a-viable-candidate-for-president-really-how/983949.md?page=76)