[robotkilla]

I really don't have a clue how Thiel can endorse a Trump / Pence ticket. Pence advocates "conversion therapy".

Edit: I realize Thiel does not "agree with every plank in [his] party’s platform" -- I'm guessing he loves the tax cuts he will gain of course (so I suppose I do have a clue how he can support the ticket after all). Unfortunately that's also going to throw our country deeper into debt.

[Turing_Machine]

Maybe he understands that neither the President nor the Vice President has any authority over "conversion therapy", and finds their positions (or their competencies, or whatever) on the things that they will have authority over as being preferable to Hillary Clinton?

Just a thought.

[robotkilla]

Thus far trump has paraded Mexicans on stage (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm6LGITkiz4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJVAaPPXdew) while talking about building a wall between our countries, pointed out black people in the audience ("look at my african american over here" http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/03/politics/donald-trump-african-...) but wouldn't condemn David Duke's endorsement (http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/trump-declines-to-cond...) and now gets Thiel on stage after choosing a running mate who thinks conversion therapy is science.

Trumps positions seem to be pro-xenophobia, pro-racism, pro-homophobia. That is the ticket Thiel is supporting -- it is the platform Trump rode to the top. But hey.. muh tax breaks!

[HillRat]

I doubt it's anything so pedestrian as tax cuts; Thiel has been quite vocal about his disdain for the democratic system and his desire to see the US run as a quasi-private fiefdom led by a strongman CEO. Since it's hard to find a national-level politician who would support an effort to effectively shred the Constitution, Trump might be his best bet to promulgate his thesis. Thiel is, if nothing else, the kind of guy who plays the long game with his obsessions.

[brian-armstrong]

You could argue that having a presence at the RNC as an openly gay, wealthy and successful person could make a strong counter against the prevailing GOP beliefs on sexuality

[archgoon]

That strategy did not work well for Ernst Röhm. Given that the entirety of Trump's campaign seems to be one of political expediency, I don't see Thiel being anymore than "Trump's best friend is gay, so of course we're not against gay people!".

[pjscott]

Here was a fun surprise: when he said "I'm proud to be gay," the crowd cheered. At the Republican National Convention.

[robotkilla]

> You could argue that having a presence at the RNC as an openly gay, wealthy and successful person could make a strong counter against the prevailing GOP beliefs on sexuality

You could also argue that he has a net worth of $2.8b and will gain massive tax cuts if trump is elected.

Thiel is endorsing the party which is well known for its racism, its xenophobic rhetoric, its hatred for gays (as evidenced by policies and actions). Trump built his platform on fear and hatred, and he chose a running mate that is known for advocating a dangerous, dehumanizing pseudo-science.

The only message I'm getting out of Thiel's endorsement is greed.