# What good does it to be a part of a protest on inauguration day? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 18, 2017, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-does-it-to-be-a-part-of-a-protest-on-inauguration-day/777463 "2017-01-18T12:46:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-does-it-to-be-a-part-of-a-protest-on-inauguration-day/777463/61 "2017-01-18T21:07:45Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > So if I can find one “racist” thing that CNN ever published and they didn’t rescind or repudiate it, it’s fair to label CNN “a racist website”? That’s absurd in my opinion. And the opinion of many others, fyi. So when Breitbart publishes odious articles, which you don’t seem to be disputing that there are multiples of, you just consider it an oopsie-daisy? Are you familiar with the stories about Ron Paul’s newsletters? Here are some of the things that were written in them: - Homosexuals were better off when they were forced to be in the closet - The LA riots only ended when people had to go get welfare checks - “nearly all” black men in DC are “criminal or semi-criminal,” and they get away with it because they are very “fleet-footed” - “Hip-hop youths” play whites “like pianos” to steal their cars - New York City ought to be renamed “Zooville” or “Welfaria” - Al Sharpton would get more attention if he held speeches at crackhouses - And of course that the “race war is coming” Are you able to render judgment on the bigotry of Paul’s newsletters? Or do you need some statistics of how many issues were produced to determine whether these statements were just “oopsies” and we shouldn’t draw any conclusions from them? ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-does-it-to-be-a-part-of-a-protest-on-inauguration-day/777463/62 "2017-01-18T21:14:32Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Let’s talk about just one of these for a moment Hokay, Defend: > [@](#): > > "Hoist it high and proud: The Confederate flag proclaims a glorious heritage’’ (Don’t bother trying to squirm out of it. You’ve committed yourself to the principle that cherry-picking is acceptable. _This_ is the cherry that’s been selected for your sundae, _bon appétit_!) ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-does-it-to-be-a-part-of-a-protest-on-inauguration-day/777463/63 "2017-01-18T21:17:39Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > All of them? What is horrifying about Governor Haley, Secretary Chao, or General Mattis, for example? So you concede that the rest are horrifying? As for these three: Chao - Wife of Mitch McConnell. So forget about the Senate being any kind of check on Trump’s power. Cabinet offices are real jobs, they should not be used to curry political favor like this. I thought we were supposed to be draining the swamp? Haley - Zero international experience. What qualifies her for her post? Mattis - Possibly not that bad, but there is a reason there is a law requiring the nominee be out of active service for at least 7 years prior to serving as SecDef, but they are working on a special exemption to this because Republican I guess. So I grant one or two nominees may not actually be horrifying but are definitely concerning. What about the rest of the picks that you didn’t disagree with me on? All good with you? ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-does-it-to-be-a-part-of-a-protest-on-inauguration-day/777463/64 "2017-01-18T21:33:16Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > Mattis - Possibly not that bad, but there is a reason there is a law requiring the nominee be out of active service for at least 7 years prior to serving as SecDef, but they are working on a special exemption to this because Republican I guess. Actually they aren’t “working on” Mattis’ waiver anymore. It passed the Senate 81-17 and the House 268-151. Kind of odd vote totals if the only reason was “because Republican” don’t you think? ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-does-it-to-be-a-part-of-a-protest-on-inauguration-day/777463/65 "2017-01-18T22:00:59Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > Chao - Wife of Mitch McConnell. So forget about the Senate being any kind of check on Trump’s power. Cabinet offices are real jobs, they should not be used to curry political favor like this. I thought we were supposed to be draining the swamp? Regardless of to whom she is married, Secretary Chao is well-qualified. She has been Secretary of Labor, Deputy Secretary of Transportation, and Director of the Peace Corps. > [@](#): > > Haley - Zero international experience. What qualifies her for her post? What international experience did President Obama have before taking office? > [@](#): > > Mattis - Possibly not that bad, but there is a reason there is a law requiring the nominee be out of active service for at least 7 years prior to serving as SecDef, but they are working on a special exemption to this because Republican I guess. Because Republican, really? The Senate approved the exemption 81-17. The House also approved it, although more narrowly, by 268-151. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-does-it-to-be-a-part-of-a-protest-on-inauguration-day/777463/66 "2017-01-18T22:13:34Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > What international experience did President Obama have before taking office? We were talking about Nikki Haley, so you should be comparing her to Obama’s pick for that position, [Susan Rice](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Rice). ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-does-it-to-be-a-part-of-a-protest-on-inauguration-day/777463/67 "2017-01-18T22:15:49Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > What international experience did President Obama have before taking office? Other than serving in the Senate, you mean? And being Kenya, of course. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-does-it-to-be-a-part-of-a-protest-on-inauguration-day/777463/68 "2017-01-18T22:22:22Z")
@D’Anconia So you do concede that aside from these three nominees, the rest of Trump’s picks are horrifying? I mean we can quibble about these three, and I know that’s what you want to do, but I’d rather discuss why you won’t acknowledge my questions about the rest. I concede that “all” was not the correct word, and that those couple are merely concerning, not horrifying. As far as I’m concerned that aside is settled now. But again, what about the rest? ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-does-it-to-be-a-part-of-a-protest-on-inauguration-day/777463/69 "2017-01-18T23:14:57Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > But again, what about the rest? I think most of the rest are qualified as well, and not “pretty horrifying”. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-does-it-to-be-a-part-of-a-protest-on-inauguration-day/777463/70 "2017-01-18T23:47:27Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > So you do concede that aside from these three nominees, the rest of Trump’s picks are horrifying? No. > [@](#): > > I concede that “all” was not the correct word, and that those couple are merely concerning, not horrifying. All was definitely incorrect. If you look at the link in post #36, a great many nominations haven’t even been made yet. Are those future nominations equally “horrifying”? You were wrong about Congress “working on” an exemption for General Mattis. You are also wrong about Secretary Chao’s qualifications to serve. > [@](#): > > But again, what about the rest? What about them? In general, I believe that any President should have the privilege to choose his own Cabinet and advisors. ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-does-it-to-be-a-part-of-a-protest-on-inauguration-day/777463/71 "2017-01-18T23:58:25Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > You were wrong about Congress “working on” an exemption for General Mattis. No I wasn’t. [http://heavy.com/news/2016/12/why-does-james-mad-dog-mattis-need-waiver-donald-trump-defense-secretary-pentagon-george-marshall-gillibrand/](http://heavy.com/news/2016/12/why-does-james-mad-dog-mattis-need-waiver-donald-trump-defense-secretary-pentagon-george-marshall-gillibrand/) > [@D\_Anconia](#): > > You are also wrong about Secretary Chao’s qualifications to serve. I didn’t question her qualifications, I said it was concerning that she’s the Senate Majority Leader’s wife, which is one of the institutions that is supposed to serve as a check against executive overreach. > [@D\_Anconia](#): > > What about them? In general, I believe that any President should have the privilege to choose his own Cabinet and advisors. That’s nice. I think they should choose responsibly. The new secretary of education knows nothing about education. Nothing aside from her experience in school. Horrifying. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-does-it-to-be-a-part-of-a-protest-on-inauguration-day/777463/72 "2017-01-19T00:03:40Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > No I wasn’t. > > [http://heavy.com/news/2016/12/why-does-james-mad-dog-mattis-need-waiver-donald-trump-defense-secretary-pentagon-george-marshall-gillibrand/](http://heavy.com/news/2016/12/why-does-james-mad-dog-mattis-need-waiver-donald-trump-defense-secretary-pentagon-george-marshall-gillibrand/) Yes, you were. They’re not “working on” anything. It passed both the Senate and the House by large margins. Please get your facts straight. ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-does-it-to-be-a-part-of-a-protest-on-inauguration-day/777463/73 "2017-01-19T00:09:22Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Yes, you were. They’re not “working on” anything. It passed both the Senate and the House by large margins. > > Please get your facts straight. Excellent nut pick :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-does-it-to-be-a-part-of-a-protest-on-inauguration-day/777463/74 "2017-01-19T00:18:54Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > You also missed: “Trump is a perfectly normal candidate and completely appropriate as a choice for president, and this is all just the same as us being upset about Obama as President, which by the way we had no problem with, you guys just all have faulty memories.” “You should all be very respectful towards President Trump, the same as we all were towards that foreign born muslim false prophet who single handedly destroyed the country we all love” ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-does-it-to-be-a-part-of-a-protest-on-inauguration-day/777463/75 "2017-01-19T00:32:44Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > Excellent nut pick :rolleyes: It’s not a nitpick. Probably most people don’t follow the news very closely, which is OK. But it’s impossible to have a political conversation with someone who doesn’t even know what’s happening. You were wrong. I gave you the vote totals, as did **HurricaneDitka** , and you doubled down, saying again that you weren’t wrong, even though you factually are. What’s the point of discussing this with you, then? ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-does-it-to-be-a-part-of-a-protest-on-inauguration-day/777463/76 "2017-01-19T01:19:31Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > 50% of the country did not vote for Trump. He didn’t even get the most votes among people who _did_ vote. And in a democratic election, the winner is the one with the most votes. Trump won an _undemocratic_ election. > > Which is not to say that I see any point in protesting, but since you obviously weren’t paying attention to the election, maybe there are others who also need to be educated. That’s dandy. But the popular vote was not the contest. ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-does-it-to-be-a-part-of-a-protest-on-inauguration-day/777463/77 "2017-01-19T01:36:07Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > It’s not a nitpick. Probably most people don’t follow the news very closely, which is OK. But it’s impossible to have a political conversation with someone who doesn’t even know what’s happening. > > You were wrong. I gave you the vote totals, as did **HurricaneDitka** , and you doubled down, saying again that you weren’t wrong, even though you factually are. > > What’s the point of discussing this with you, then? Ignoring the substance of a post and focusing on an unimportant detail so you can find something to be “right” about while completely ignoring the actual point being made is the very definition of nit picking. What is the point indeed ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-does-it-to-be-a-part-of-a-protest-on-inauguration-day/777463/78 "2017-01-19T02:21:00Z")
What’s next? Are you going to tell us that Mr. Trump didn’t win the election because Mrs. Clinton had more votes? ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-does-it-to-be-a-part-of-a-protest-on-inauguration-day/777463/79 "2017-01-19T03:50:27Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > I doubt Trump would be “haunted” or ‘hear them’. I’m also skeptical that he’s a “monster”… I agree with your first point here. I can’t imagine Trump to be “haunted” by anything beyond a critical comment by a movie actress, or the four Big Macs he wolfed down as a midnight snack. As for the second: I’ve lived in the NYC area (New Haven, Conn) since 1978, and in the city itself since 1982. I’ve lived with this shitbird my entire adult life. I’ve read the tabloid headlines as I passed newsstands on the way to work. TRUMP JACKHAMMERS BONWIT TELLER BUILDING SCULPTURES INSTEAD OF DONATING TO METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART. MARLA ON TRUMP: BEST SEX I’VE EVER HAD! Etc. Yeah, he’s a monster, all right. Wouldn’t piss on 'im if he was on fire. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-does-it-to-be-a-part-of-a-protest-on-inauguration-day/777463/80 "2017-01-19T03:55:36Z")
I think this thread is a pretty good argument for what the protests can achieve: a lot of Trump supporters are what’s known as “low information voters” and we need to puncture their bubble to get them to view this president with a more critical eye. Without massive resistance, they would labor under the delusion that Trump is popular and supported by the people. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-does-it-to-be-a-part-of-a-protest-on-inauguration-day/777463.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-good-does-it-to-be-a-part-of-a-protest-on-inauguration-day/777463.md?page=5)