# Is an apology enough? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 8, 2016, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-an-apology-enough/756838 "2016-06-08T16:29:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-an-apology-enough/756838/21 "2016-06-08T18:19:02Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > This is the guy, who in speaking to Evangelistics, stated that he has never asked God for forgiveness because he’s never done anything that requires forgiveness… Whoa, wait. He said _what_? Not casting any asparagus, but that would be a cite for sour eyes. Bring, please? ---
**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 8, 2016, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-an-apology-enough/756838/22 "2016-06-08T18:25:11Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Whoa, wait. He said _what_? Not casting any asparagus, but that would be a cite for sour eyes. Bring, please? [Business Insider](http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-on-god-i-dont-like-to-have-to-ask-for-forgiveness-2016-1) > [@](#): > > “I like to be good. I don’t like to have to ask for forgiveness. And I am good. I don’t do a lot of things that are bad. I try to do nothing that is bad.” > > “I am not sure I have,” Trump said when asked if he’d ever asked God for forgiveness. “I just go on and try to do a better job from there. I don’t think so,” he said. “I think if I do something wrong, I think, I just try and make it right. I don’t bring God into that picture. I don’t.” ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-an-apology-enough/756838/23 "2016-06-08T18:25:15Z")
[Cite](http://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2015/07/23/donald-trump-interview-part-2-cooper-intv-ac.cnn/video/playlists/ac360-donald-trump/). I believe that’s it. The relevant quote: > [@](#): > > I like to do the right thing where I don’t actually have to ask for forgiveness. Does that make sense to you? You know, where you don’t make such bad things that you don’t have to ask for forgiveness. I mean, I’m trying to lead a life where I don’t have to ask God for forgiveness….Why do I have to repent? Why do I have to ask for forgiveness if you’re not making mistakes? If you Google the last sentence of the quote you’ll find buckets of cites. edit: Figures that a guy named **running coach** would get there first. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-an-apology-enough/756838/24 "2016-06-08T18:27:57Z")
Well, he’s got a whistle. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-an-apology-enough/756838/25 "2016-06-08T18:31:01Z")
Not enough. It will fool some people, but not enough ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-an-apology-enough/756838/26 "2016-06-08T18:31:24Z")
TX, guys. I have this hyper-Christian relative…well, you know how this goes. I’m seeing something strange here, and not for the first time. I peruse a lot of news feeds to get the same news from different slants, but this is kinda odd, wondering if anybody else sees it… Which is, I see banners “Trump modifying public statements, cooling his shit jets”. And also “No apparent change in volume of flaming bullshit from Trump”. Anybody else seeing this? ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-an-apology-enough/756838/27 "2016-06-08T18:53:13Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > Down ticket races. The more toxic Trump’s campaign is, the more vulnerable all the other races become. And long term party viability. The smart people in the GOP know that overt racism and misogyny is a demographic nightmare for them that only gets worse every four years. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-an-apology-enough/756838/28 "2016-06-08T18:56:12Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > And long term party viability. The smart people in the GOP know that overt racism and misogyny is a demographic nightmare for them that only gets worse every four years. And the decent, reasonable people in the GOP would reject that even if it were an electoral bonanza! Unanimous, they both would! ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-an-apology-enough/756838/29 "2016-06-08T19:30:57Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > This. > They already know that they are screwed. If Trump wins, they are stuck with a buffoon who is bent on destroying the Republican Party by pandering to its worst elements who will drive off everyone else. If Trump loses, he is liable to drag down any number of Republican candidates for Senate and House seats, possibly giving Clinton a shot at doing more of the things the RNC opposes. > > What they hope is that some number of voters will look on their efforts to tone down Trump as evidence that it is still worthwhile to vote for Republicans in Congress. The majority of party members are going to vote Republican, anyway; they are hoping to persuade enough anti-Clinton swing voters to continue to support Republican candidates rather than staying home and letting Democrats take more seats. As you say, they’ve already screwed the pooch. Best thing they can do now is minimize damage and find their spines. Instead of trying to rein Trump in and risk further embarrassment - which will almost certainly happen - why not deploy the 10 foot pole now. Give every down-ballot candidate the freedom to disavow Trump (something they’ve already started doing) and leave him out to dry. He cannot lead a party that is unwilling to follow, can he? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-an-apology-enough/756838/30 "2016-06-08T19:39:17Z")
They can’t do it before the convention. Trump is popular enough that if they cut him loose now, he might take his ball and go home, except in this case “the ball” is his legion of very enthusiastic supporters. The elite may not like him much, but vast swaths of the **party** are in love with him. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-an-apology-enough/756838/31 "2016-06-08T19:39:55Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > A > > He cannot lead a party that is unwilling to follow, can he? The party is following him, their leaders are only doing so reluctantly if at all. His party wants him, he’s the guy their leaders told them they were but did walk the walk after they were elected, and they believe Trump will do that for them, and even if he doesn’t that’s no different than what they have already. Trump has gone directly to the base of the Republican party and they have responded. Until he walks out of the convention as the official nominee of the Republican Party he is not going change course. I don’t know if he’ll do anything different then, but he’s not about to provide doubt to the people who got him this far and let the GOP establishment find a way to take the nomination from him. As long as the Republican Party members keep backing Trump poobahs will be afraid to pull anything. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-an-apology-enough/756838/32 "2016-06-08T20:34:45Z")
It’s too late. It’s not just the things Trump has said since announcing his candidacy, it’s his whole life on public record. There is not time between now and November for him to walk all that back, not even if he claimed to have finally found Jesus this year or otherwise undergone a fundamental moral conversion. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-an-apology-enough/756838/33 "2016-06-08T20:37:09Z")
Apologize for basically his entire campaign to this point? What a terrible idea. Nobody would take it seriously. If they did, he’d disconnect those supporters who were drawn to him in the first place. Trump has not been about placating Mitch McConnell to this point. Why start now? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-an-apology-enough/756838/34 "2016-06-08T20:46:57Z")
Apologies are just dances in politics. I don’t want them nor do I expect them. If it’s something you said, then I’ll judge you based on whether you misspoke or accidentally told the truth. If it’s something you did, fix it. If it’s something you didn’t do that you were supposed to do, do it. Trump is irredeemable at this point. Just let him be Trump and we can all enjoy the show. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-an-apology-enough/756838/35 "2016-06-08T20:49:52Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > …He doesn’t seem to care or bother to remember, what he’s said about anything. His modus operandi seems to be not speaking in complete sentences as some sort of free pass to say anything at all and then claim it means A,B and C or D at any given moment. … Trump’s entire life has been a free pass. Some wealthy people _do_ raise their children to become responsible adults (Warren Buffett, for example). But some do not. Perhaps they just can’t be bothered. Perhaps they don’t see any reason to make the effort. Whatever the cause, Trump has never managed to grow out of the Terrible Twos. He’s still there, emotionally. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-an-apology-enough/756838/36 "2016-06-08T20:50:12Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > It’s too late. It’s not just the things Trump has said since announcing his candidacy, it’s his whole life on public record. There is not time between now and November for him to walk all that back, not even if he claimed to have finally found Jesus this year or otherwise undergone a fundamental moral conversion. I think some people are making the argument that the apology isn’t meant to put Trump in better standing - it can’t be done. The apology is to help insulate party leaders (Ryan, McConnell, Preibus, Congressmen et al), who have endorsed him, from the worst of the criticism that (I think) fairly paints them as unprincipled cowards. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-an-apology-enough/756838/37 "2016-06-08T21:11:17Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > I think some people are making the argument that the apology isn’t meant to put Trump in better standing - it can’t be done. The apology is to help insulate party leaders (Ryan, McConnell, Preibus, Congressmen et al), who have endorsed him, from the worst of the criticism that (I think) fairly paints them as unprincipled cowards. That’s absolutely true. But it’s also true that Trump has no interest whatsoever in making things easier for Ryan, McConnell, et al. He won’t apologize; apologizing violates his brand. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-an-apology-enough/756838/38 "2016-06-08T23:13:20Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > . . . He won’t apologize; apologizing violates his brand. This. The best the Republicans can hope for (and the worst that Democrats can fear) is that from this point forward Trump starts acting “Presidential.” If he makes the “swing to the center” that normally occurs after the conventions and before November, and if he stops making overtly racist comments, then the failure of the typical voter’s long-term-memory will work for him. “Oh, that was during the primaries. It doesn’t count. Listen to what he’s saying now.” Does he have the wisdom? He might. He might actually listen to his strategists and handlers and advisers. (Anybody wanna give me odds? I figure he won’t go two months without putting his brogans in his pie-hole.) ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-an-apology-enough/756838/39 "2016-06-08T23:15:49Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > I think some people are making the argument that the apology isn’t meant to put Trump in better standing - it can’t be done. The apology is to help insulate party leaders (Ryan, McConnell, Preibus, Congressmen et al), who have endorsed him, from the worst of the criticism that (I think) fairly paints them as unprincipled cowards. Meh. They have a perfectly straightforward way of refuting charges of being unprincipled cowards. They just are brave or principled enough to take it. ---
**Author:** ![Pearl\_Clutching\_Provocateur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pearl\_Clutching\_Provocateur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pearl_Clutching_Provocateur)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-an-apology-enough/756838/40 "2016-06-09T02:30:56Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Who cares? When he said Mexican were rapists, turns out that’s not exactly what he meant. When he slammed the judge for being unfair because he’s Mexican ( he’s not, he’s American), he says his words are being misconstrued. So an elderly Black woman said I spoke English well. What should have my response have been? “Of course I can you dumb bitch?” Perhaps, I should have screamed her in her face that she was a racist? People need to stop being so sensitive. Trump never said all Mexicans were rapists. The open border allows many criminals to enter the USA, and that’s a fact. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-an-apology-enough/756838.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-an-apology-enough/756838.md?page=3)