# Things that are political suicide **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 5, 2016, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-political-suicide/753953 "2016-05-05T00:35:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-political-suicide/753953/61 "2016-05-06T05:46:04Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > But those were “artistic” naked pics, which many people feel is not porn. If she’s pouting or scowling, it’s porn. (IIRC, in that pic of Mrs. Trump put out by the Cruz campaign, she was scowling. That makes it porn.) ---
**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:** [May 6, 2016, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-political-suicide/753953/62 "2016-05-06T14:03:30Z")
Nah, a hostile or bored sneer is the standard facial expression of a fashion model these days. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-political-suicide/753953/63 "2016-05-06T16:58:45Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Come to think of it, despite that whore-doctor’s letter, Trump is no healthy-looking dude, and I can’t believe he got this far screaming that much without suffering a stroke or a heart attack. It’s only a matter of some little time. I think Hillary’s more likely to suffer some debilitating medical issue during the campaign than Trump. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C12ZvOJNfs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C12ZvOJNfs) ETA: and I agree that with the whore-doctor part, but when you’re rich / famous, you get your own whore-doctor. It’s somewhere in the fine print. Just like Michael Jackson and Prince. I’m sure Clinton has her own whore-doctor that says everything is fine too. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-political-suicide/753953/64 "2016-05-06T18:14:49Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > And yet, in 1989, [Louisiana elected a Grand Wizard to the House of Representatives](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Duke#1989:_Successful_run_in_special_election_for_Louisiana_House_seat). A _Former_ Grand Wizard, since Duke had left the Klan 9 years before. (But was still a racist asshole, of course) ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-political-suicide/753953/65 "2016-05-06T18:31:05Z")
A savvy politician can probably survive almost anything, but it depends on which constituency he represents. Someone brought up being photographed at a KKK rally? There are still some political districts in which that would not be much of an issue – hell, it could even be a badge of honor with some voters. Sex scandals? 'Tis better if there aren’t pictures of one’s nude self a la Anthony Weiner, but it was probably just the fact that he already looks like a freak show and his behavior just reinforced that image. The right candidate, a young guy who already has a reputation for getting some sex, could have survived it. And sex is hardly a scandal these days. Ronald Reagan got away with sending arms and taking money to terrorists – the people who stormed our embassy, took hostages, and still shout Death to America. He left office the most popular president in modern history. He found ways to have other people clean up his carpet poop, even though most of us probably not nearly so naive to believe he didn’t know about the transfer. Politicians can get away with damn near anything if they put their minds to it. The smart ones figure out who’s voting for them, know their limits, and have an escape plan if they get busted. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Terrific](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tom_terrific/32/342_2.png) [@Tom\_Terrific](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Terrific)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-political-suicide/753953/66 "2016-05-06T23:42:47Z")
Talk about cutting social security, that should do it. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-political-suicide/753953/67 "2016-05-07T01:13:17Z")
Being openingly critical of Israel, its policies, or wanting to cut funding to Israel usually results in a quick, coordinated effort to remove the incumbant who says such things, or stopping a challenger from ever getting elected. If there is an exception to this rule, the list is small. Is there anyone currently in the house or senate who is openly critical of Israel? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-political-suicide/753953/68 "2016-05-07T04:09:53Z")
> [@crypto](#): > > Is there anyone currently in the house or senate who is openly critical of Israel? [Yes, there is – the Jew Bernie Sanders.](http://feelthebern.org/bernie-sanders-on-israel-and-the-palestinians/) No others I know of, apparently that is a luxury that American gentile pols of either party cannot afford. ---
**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 7, 2016, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-political-suicide/753953/69 "2016-05-07T04:16:00Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > **Moriarty** , I take it that you’ve never paid attention to all the teachers getting fired or resigning for precisely that. > [teacher gettting fired for porn past - Google Search](https://www.google.com/search?q=teacher+gettting+fired+for+porn+past&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8#q=teacher+getting+fired+for+porn+past) Yeah, but we’re talking politics here…that standards are an order of magnitude lower. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-political-suicide/753953/70 "2016-05-07T05:03:38Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > Surprisingly, you can commit suicide by screaming. > Ask [Howard Dean.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6i-gYRAwM0) > > (I never was able to understand what all the fuss was about; All I saw was a politician leading a rally who shouted an enthusiastic cheer-- sort of like a sports fan. He was perhaps a bit over-enthusiastic, though I didn’t see anything grossly inappropriate. ) > But it destroyed his campaign. My dad was at that rally. It was one of those “You Had To Be There” moments. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-political-suicide/753953/71 "2016-05-07T05:06:20Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Didn’t Schwarzenegger appear in a porno once? It didn’t kill his political career. Then again, though, maybe California is just different. > > There are also some that depend on party. Being openly gay, for instance, will prevent you from winning any election as a Republican, but not necessarily as a Democrat. An openly gay Republican was elected to the legislature in Iowa in the early 1980s. As for Schwarzenegger doing porno, IDK if he went that far, but he was photographed nude back in his bodybuilding days (yes, I’ve seen the picture) and made no effort to hide puffing on a big fat J in “Pumping Iron”. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-political-suicide/753953/72 "2016-05-07T17:41:24Z")
The thing is, this list has become smaller. Many things that used to be political suicide, for better or worse, aren’t any more. And Trump has single-handedly cut the list in half. ---
**Author:** ![DerekMichaels00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@DerekMichaels00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DerekMichaels00)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-political-suicide/753953/73 "2016-05-07T17:44:40Z")
admitting tax raises without exceptions for middle class voters is poli suicide here’s a good example of political suicide [Walter Mondale - YouTube](https://youtu.be/AJClXb8vQpY) and an imitator [Sen Bernie Sanders: We Will Raise Taxes, Yes We Will - YouTube](https://youtu.be/o2anmBDM-m0) ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-political-suicide/753953/74 "2016-05-08T02:14:49Z")
I’m sure that there have been local female candidates for public office who have admitted that they’ve had an elective abortion. It’s only a matter of time before a national candidate does. And we will eventually have candidates with full-sleeve tattoos and other comparable body modifications. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-political-suicide/753953/75 "2016-05-08T17:25:14Z")
> [@crypto](#): > > Being openingly critical of Israel, its policies, or wanting to cut funding to Israel usually results in a quick, coordinated effort to remove the incumbant who says such things, or stopping a challenger from ever getting elected. > > If there is an exception to this rule, the list is small. > > Is there anyone currently in the house or senate who is openly critical of Israel? Obama has probably most closely represented the mainstream position from the Left, and Donald Trump made it a lot easier to criticize Israel from the center and right, and that will only be easier with the passage of time. The Millennials and voters are just turned 18 are probably the most hostile of any generation in a half century toward Israel. They support Israel’s right to exist as a state but the days of our unflinching support for Israel are over. That’s why not everyone in Israel supported Netanyahu’s stunt last year when he tried to upstage Obama. He’s not getting the bigger picture, which is that the next generation of voters no longer support his cause. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-political-suicide/753953/76 "2016-05-09T00:36:19Z")
I’ll go with having your chances at being vice-president with electro-convulsive shock therapy for depression in your background as poor. Note that Eagleton was re-elected to the Senate and had a distinguished career. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-political-suicide/753953/77 "2016-05-09T04:53:37Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > I’ll go with having your chances at being vice-president with electro-convulsive shock therapy for depression in your background as poor. Note that Eagleton was re-elected to the Senate and had a distinguished career. Back then, ECT was done much more frequently than it is now, and it was a brutal procedure on top of the whole stigma against mental illness. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-political-suicide/753953.md?page=3)