US Election 2016, part III

[Gorth]

UK/US relations are going to be interesting regardless who wins... some funny quotes from CNN attributed to the new UK foreign secretary:

 

On Hillary Clinton - “She’s got dyed blonde hair and pouty lips, and a steely blue stare, like a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital”

 

Regarding Trump: "'The only reason I wouldn't visit some parts of New York is the real risk of meeting Donald Trump"

 

Oh, and a quip about current incumbent Barak Obama: "Some said it was a snub to Britain. Some said it was a symbol of the part-Kenyan president’s ancestral dislike of the British empire – of which Churchill had been such a fervent defender"

 

 

Yeah, with friends like these

 

I don't envy the diplomats who have to gloss over some of those things being said.

[Guard Dog]

  You don't understand how it is with us and our British cousins. Yeah we talk trash about each other and it might seem we don't like each other much. But make no mistake, anyone who messes with them is messing with US!

[Pidesco]

I must admit... a Trump victory would make this forum a very interesting place for a few weeks!

 

 

A Trump victory could make everywhere a very interesting place. As in "may you live in interesting times" special kind of interesting.

[Guard Dog]

 

I must admit... a Trump victory would make this forum a very interesting place for a few weeks!

 

 

A Trump victory could make everywhere a very interesting place. As in "may you live in interesting times" special kind of interesting.

 

To quote one of my all-time favorite Americans Thomas Paine "These are the times that try men's souls" kind of interesting.

 

But I must admit, we make a lot more out of this that it deserves. Suppose Trump wins and becomes the worst President in our history. The President is not all powerful. Not even close. he is just one leg of the US tripod. He can do nothing without getting Congress to go along. And there is a better than average chance the Senate will go back to the Dems. They will neuter him the same way the Republicans in the House of Representatives have neutered Obama the last five years.

 

For everyone who is truly worried about this election... don't be. I'll give the same advice I gave when Obama won. In four years you will barely notice any "real" change in how the US is doing business. She is a big ship and does not turn on a dime.

 

Speaking of Obama did anyone see him on the televised Townhall last night? He looks exhausted compared to seven years ago. He looks used up. It's amazing anyone would even want that job.

Edited July 15, 2016 by Guard Dog

[Gromnir]

 

I must admit... a Trump victory would make this forum a very interesting place for a few weeks!

 

 

A Trump victory could make everywhere a very interesting place. As in "may you live in interesting times" special kind of interesting.

 

am thinking that the most interesting place to be following a trump election would be the trump household.  no doubt the new President would be shocked to learn that there is simple no executive power existing to do many things he wants to do.  

 

imaginary address to joint session of Congress:

 

P. Trump: "i don't pay you to tell me what can't be done. any idiot can tell me that he can't do what i want.  the next time i talk with you, i expect to hear that i can now sue the Washington Post when they pi$$ me off.  if you can't do that, i will find somebody who can."

 

*stunned silence*

 

the first week or so following an election will no doubt be uncomfortable for those people needing explain to President trump that almost everything he wants to do as President would be requiring an Amendment to the Constitution.  am foreseeing the awkward necessity o' a professor o' political science from Georgetown being brought in to give the President a middle-school level primer on the fundamentals o' the American system o' government.  perhaps start with a few o' those schoolhouse rock videos.  

 

 

(edit: another video)

 

 

HA! Good Fun!

Edited July 15, 2016 by Gromnir

[Wrath of Dagon]

Too bad no one ever gave a primer to Obola. I guess they don't teach about the Magna Carta in Indonesia.

[licketysplit]

Who are you guys voting for? Idiot or Criminal?

 

Easily the worst pick we've had in my lifetime. But I don't like legacies. Hillary is more crooked than Trump, so the choice is simple. 

[Gromnir]

Too bad no one ever gave a primer to Obola. I guess they don't teach about the Magna Carta in Indonesia.

you are, as is so frequent the case, confused.  obama did frequent exceed his authority, but that were only 'cause he understood very well what were possible to accomplish with executive orders. obama knew that Congress were unlikely to do anything to stop him. 

 

trump... just doesn't get it.  continuing with the press stuff, libel is not a fed crime. trump could author executive orders 'til they literal filled the oval office and such stuff would have 0 chance o' getting the Washington Post of his back.  

 

obama understood, and that made him dangerous.  trump doesn't understand, and that makes him comical... and potential dangerous.  am suspecting that when trump discovers how little he can do to alter anything domestically as he wishes, he will turn his attention to foreign affairs.  dangerous.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Wrath of Dagon]

It's hard to argue with you because you take any hyperbole literally. Of course Obola knew exactly what he's doing, it's just that he's a Marxist at heart and could care less about the rule of law. Trump on the other hand is mostly blustering and blowing off steam, once in a position of responsibility I don't believe he'd try to actually carry out some of his more ridiculous suggestions. Unlike Obola, Trump does take other people's advice.

[Gromnir]

Of course Obola knew exactly what he's doing, it's just that he's a Marxist at heart and could care less about the rule of law. 

 

 

are you trying to be ironic?

 

...

 

you say such ridiculous stuff all the time.  who can tell the difference 'tween your wingnut rants and your hyperbole?  am often baffled as to whether or not you could possible be serious, so when respond and find that lo and behold you were being genuine, we do feel a deep sadness. 

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Wrath of Dagon]

So don't respond, no one's forcing you.

 

It's official, Pence is the VP. Meh, very disappointing. If he went with the old white guy, Jeff Sessions would've been infinitely better.

[Gromnir]

So don't respond, no one's forcing you.

 

nobody is stopping us either.  point?  if you don't like our responses, then do better.  

 

vp choice for trump is inconsequential.  am thinking he needs another well-timed clinton scandal to make it a real race. 

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Bartimaeus]

So don't respond, no one's forcing you.

...

 

are you trying to be ironic?

 

...

[Bartimaeus]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/07/15/bernie-sanders-progressive-message/87073052/

 

Key takeaways (according to reddit):

But Sanders said he'll remain a candidate until Clinton’s official nomination so his nearly 1,900 delegates can cast their ballots for him at the convention. "I want the country and the world and our people to appreciate the kind of success we’ve had,” he said.

As part of his goal to transform the Democratic Party, Sanders said, he'll continue to push for electoral reforms when the party’s rules committee meets before the convention. "If we’re not successful there, we will take those issues to the floor,” he said.

 

Sanders said he wants to make sure candidates receiving such help are, in fact, progressive. But they don’t have to be Democrats. “If you have some strong independents who would like to run, it would be my inclination to support them,” he said.

He plans to maintain control of his email list, as opposed to giving it to Hillary/the DNC as is the usual for conceding candidates, I guess.

Edited July 15, 2016 by Bartimaeus

[Guard Dog]

The Dems running for Senate are not happy with the Clinton BS: http://thehill.com/homenews/house/287845-democrats-freaked-out-about-polls-in-meeting-with-clinton

 

I LOVE this quote:

 

 

A senior Senate Democratic aide, who was not in the meeting, acknowledged that senators have raised concerns about the closeness of the polls at other times.

 

“We wouldn't be Democrats if there weren't a few bed-wetters,” the aide said.

[redneckdevil]

The Dems running for Senate are not happy with the Clinton BS: http://thehill.com/homenews/house/287845-democrats-freaked-out-about-polls-in-meeting-with-clinton

 

I LOVE this quote:

 

 

A senior Senate Democratic aide, who was not in the meeting, acknowledged that senators have raised concerns about the closeness of the polls at other times.

 

“We wouldn't be Democrats if there weren't a few bed-wetters,” the aide said.

I'm dying lmfao!

I am surprise at the amount of money spent. Not on Hillarys side of course, but trumps.

Edited July 15, 2016 by redneckdevil

[Pidesco]

Was Trump/Pence's logo commissioned by Cornholio?

[Valsuelm]

 

The Dems running for Senate are not happy with the Clinton BS: http://thehill.com/homenews/house/287845-democrats-freaked-out-about-polls-in-meeting-with-clinton

 

I LOVE this quote:

A senior Senate Democratic aide, who was not in the meeting, acknowledged that senators have raised concerns about the closeness of the polls at other times.

 

“We wouldn't be Democrats if there weren't a few bed-wetters,” the aide said.

I'm dying lmfao!

I am surprise at the amount of money spent. Not on Hillarys side of course, but trumps.

 

 

Trump is far more intelligent than many here are realizing. He's easily the smartest front runner we've had in more than half a century (and I am not one who is dumb enough to think that any frontrunner was less than well above average intelligence).

 

If you do realize it, as well as how elections fundamentally work, how the media game is played, and how people are really swayed, you'll realize that Trump has been playing it about as perfectly as one can. His campaign against Hillary has barely begun, and look where he is....

[Pidesco]

Trump seems to me like someone who has demonstrated the power of winging it when you have billions of dollars behind you. I don't know if he is intelligent or not but his success in business doesn't seem to corroborate his intelligence.

 

I also don't think the way he behaves is an act he has been performing for the past 30 years.

[Rosbjerg]

He's not a moron, as some would undoubtedly claim, so in that sense sure more intelligent than many think.. But I gotta say that his actions does not point to great or even above average intelligence as Pidesco point out, most of what he touches fails him, but he's a great liar/bull****ter though and a very charismatic speaker. I'd rather say that he's a natural socializer and very instinctively adept at steering a conversation.. In a different life I'm sure he would've made an excellent interviewer.

 

Reminiscent of the Kennedy/Nixon debate, where anyone who saw it said Kennedy won (due to on screen charisma) and anyone who only heard it said Nixon won (due to stronger verbal argumentation).

[Guard Dog]

I think he woke up one day and "What the hell, I think I'll run for President". I don't think anyone is more surprised than he is about where he us today. 

[Guard Dog]

In other news it looks like Rubio getting back in the Senate race was a good move. He's all but goth that locked up. Of course it helps when your opponent has been discredited as a liar. http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/senate/fl/florida_senate_rubio_vs_murphy-5222.html

 

I know the Democrats were counting on that one as a pick up. Looks like that won't happen. I am pleased about that. Unlike Presidential races there are few surprises in the House & Senate races. The candidate polling ahead wins 99% of the time. 

[Wrath of Dagon]

He's not a moron, as some would undoubtedly claim, so in that sense sure more intelligent than many think.. But I gotta say that his actions does not point to great or even above average intelligence as Pidesco point out, most of what he touches fails him, but he's a great liar/bull****ter though and a very charismatic speaker. I'd rather say that he's a natural socializer and very instinctively adept at steering a conversation.. In a different life I'm sure he would've made an excellent interviewer.

 

Reminiscent of the Kennedy/Nixon debate, where anyone who saw it said Kennedy won (due to on screen charisma) and anyone who only heard it said Nixon won (due to stronger verbal argumentation).

You mostly hear about his failures, but he's had a great deal of success as well. He wouldn't be where he is today if he hadn't. Truly successful people aren't afraid to fail.

[Pidesco]

Trump isn't particularly successful. He was just born really rich.

[Bartimaeus]

lovin' all these unsubstantiated claims about Trump's level of success or lack thereof from you guys

 

Trump hasn't been very successful. Yes, he has. No, he hasn't. Yes, he has. No, he hasn't. Great stuff.

 

As an aside, Trump has spent comparatively very little money on this election vs. Clinton so far. I think the last numbers I saw put Clinton at about 14-15 times as much as Trump (and she had spent somewhere around 50 million).

 

(e): But on the other hand, I'm not sure what criteria those numbers were considering - looking here, where the numbers are completely different, it seems like Hillary has still vastly outspent Trump, but not quite to the effect of 15x as much.

Edited July 16, 2016 by Bartimaeus