san francisco silicon valley investor peter thiel big-name supporter donald trump country technology hub speak thursday republican national convention urge country discard petty cultural battle turn attention solve unite state economic decline thiel offer full-throated endorsement trump echo republican candidate theme economic decline lambast economic foreign policies allow country get embroil stupid war nuclear base still use floppy disk new fighter jet even fly rain thiel say final even four-day convention cleveland instead go mar invade middle east co-founder paypal early investor facebook inc sit company board directors thiel well-known contrarian even eccentric view libertarian support gay right legalize marijuana propose float cities beyond government reach encourage students drop college start company support trump source curiosity butt joke silicon valley trump anti-immigrant anti-trade position regard horror many tech executives lean democratic prominent republican tech executives hewlett packard enterprise co chief executive officer meg whitman also reject trump thiel gay expect address gay right front political party whose platform reject gay marriage gay right general stop short appeal however address sexuality say proud gay proud republican proud american second openly gay man address republican national convention cnn report kid great debate defeat soviet union thiel say tell great debate get use bathroom distraction real problems care thiel say support trump base belief candidate could address country economic decline cite space program government technology achievements examples lose thiel draw parallel trump builder family emigrate germany thiel one year old arrive cleveland city host week convention thiel point get loud applause back thiel say opportunity everywhere 1968 world high-tech capital one city america high-tech peter thiel tell republican convention 'proud gay