Not being sufficiently patriotic (must have flag lapel pin, must stand with hand over heart during anthem).
Being neither Christian nor Jew.
Proposing tax increases (remember Mondale?)
Having a facial tattoo.
Denying American Exceptionalism.
Turning 75.
Appearing in porn.
Republican Saxby Chambliss (a slaveholder name if I ever saw one) attacked disabled US vet Max Cleland, who lost both legs and an arm, for not contributing sufficiently to the country. I seem to recall the Republican opponent of Tammy Duckworth, who lost both legs in Iraq to an IED, attacked her with something similar, saying she talks about her veteran experience too much. So maybe its not political suicide if you attack specific servicemen and women
For the rest of your list, I seem to recall the Republicans making at least one of each of those mistakes and still being viable. That just shows how far that party has fallen
Horsefeathers … Trump’s VP wins the 2020 election running as the incumbent president … [wolfish grin]
Obviously not political suicide. Being very anti-religion, on the other hand, probably qualifies.
I think that’s kind of a contradiction. Calling something “political suicide” implies that it will definitely end a political career, which then means that it’s obvious.
BTW–didn’t Trump attack a veteran–John McCain–without committing political suicide?
Casting any vote that can be construed, however unfairly, as being soft on child pornography. There has been internet legislation with serious implications that has been pushed under the “get tough on kiddie porn” mantra and sailed through.
The race isn’t over yet.
The mental image of President Tyson at a press conference made me do a spit-take!
Honestly, in this day and age, a) as long as you looked hot and b) didn’t do anything too freaky, I think you’d be ok. There’d be lots of jokes at your expense (along with more than a few secret admirers), but if it was long ago, and you were a good sport about the kidding, you could survive the scandal.
My contribution…
Any sentence that contains the phrase “peace be upon him”.
And yet, in 1989, Louisiana elected a Grand Wizard to the House of Representatives.
Oh I misread the OP, I assumed it meant presidential politics, not generic politics.
Being R. Budd Dwyer?
What? Too soon?
Get accused of consorting with a young hot sexy babe. Deny everything, and dare the press to “put a tail on me”. Then, when some reporter actually tails you, get caught and photographed consorting with young hot sexy babe.
Gary Hart, 1987.
The day after getting defeated running for governor, appear in public, grubby and unshaven, and declare to the press “You won’t have Nixon to kick around any more.” Then fly off into the sunset, never to be seen nor heard from again.
Oh, wait a minute . . .
Or from our previous governor, Edwin Edwards, “The only way I can lose this race is to be caught in bed with a live boy or dead girl.”
To be sure, everything Trump has said and done should, by all sensibilities, have been political suicide, yet he shambles on, zombie-like and vampire-like, sucking the blood out of his rivals and devouring the brains of all pundits. Will his behavior prove to be suicidal after all, come November? Or will the deathless suicidal political zombie apocalypse come to pass? The world waits and trembles . . .
I don’t know him, but it reminded me of Marion Berry. How many times did he get elected after being caught on camera in a hotel room smoking crack and getting ready to have sex with someone that wasn’t his wife? <checks wiki> 4, if I’m reading it right.
Plus he’s got a wax statue at Madame Tussauds in DC and somewhere along all of this he’s been arrested more for drugs and he’s a democrat that didn’t pay his taxes and voted against an LGBT bill.
He must have had a lot of charisma, I’m surprised he never ran for president.
Voting against any “get tough on crime” bill no matter how ridiculous it is.
For example I think the whole thing where sex offenders have to be registered and not live in certain areas is a joke. But no politician would ever vote against it.
Gore Vidal once said the only sin the American Voter could never forgive was:
Not Being Telegenic.
Michael Dukakis may have been an unfortunate case in point, at times resembling a bobblehead figurine. In the “tank commander” fiasco mentioned upthread I think he reminded people of Snoopy.
Clearly you’ve never seen “Trump’s Tower - Oral Address on the 69th Floor”.
Dick Pics!
I’m hoping, at least. I never wanna hear about that scum-bag Anthony Weiner again. I hope he ends up Night Manager at an Arby’s.