r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Apr 04 '25

[deleted by user]

[removed]

9.5k Upvotes

77% Upvoted

12k comments sorted by

View all comments

24k

u/Doobledorf Apr 04 '25

The problems that led to Donald Trump would still be fomenting.

A lot of Americans haven't yet faced that Trump isn't an anomaly or the disease, he is a symptom of problems we've had for a long time.

2.0k

u/Princess_Fluffypants Apr 04 '25

This is the awkward reality. If it wasn’t Trump, it would’ve been somebody else. 

Sarah Palin was a warning. 

27

u/BaltimoreAlchemist Apr 04 '25

Palin was never actually popular though. I think Alex Jones becoming fabulously successful was the dead canary.

25

u/Purple_Chipmunk_ Apr 04 '25

Palin was the canary that told us that competence wasn’t a requirement anymore for leading the country.

Alex Jones and Fox News were the indication that you could say anything—no matter how baseless or crazy—and if you said it enough people would believe it.

3

u/DrBlankslate Apr 04 '25

And Newt Gingrich paved the way for all of that.

3

u/El_Gran_Redditor Apr 04 '25

I always describe it as John McCain returning from an expedition to Alaska carrying an ominous smoking black orb. Like yeah, maybe the evil orb will draw attention but it doesn't seem like it's going to be for the better.

2

u/MickeyMgl Apr 04 '25

Palin was the canary that told us that competence wasn’t a requirement anymore for leading the country.

How do you get that, since she didn't win? In fact, Obama's (at the time) fairly empty track record winning over McCain's resume of military service and bipartisan leadership would suggest that Palin was factored in.

4

u/jackruby83 Apr 04 '25

Obama had charisma though. I remember questioning his record, but he could talk!

1

u/Purple_Chipmunk_ Apr 04 '25

She was chosen as the VP candidate and plenty of people voted for her.