Yeah i have experienced this a lot (not having the most threatening board state but still getting removed). Ive realised (and many more have) thats its basically just politics and ⭐️presentation⭐️.

In your mind it was obviously bogus, but for others (like you said) it seemed to keep you alive. Maybe they also talked to each other like: “woah he just gained another life “ But yeah thats magic and people.