US Election 2016, part III

[Leferd]

There is a big hubbub this morning in the California Senate race to replace Barbra Boxer. There are two candidates, one is an black woman, the other is a Hispanic woman. If you look at their careers and voting positions they are practically interchangeable. Either would be a Barbra Boxer clone in the Senate. Obama endorsed the black one and now everyone is calling it racism. 

 

I don't pretend to know what is in Obama's mind so I can't say of it was or wasn't. But you'd think after this much time in politics he'd have learned when to keep his mouth shut to avoid a controversy.

 

Kamala Harris is the better candidate and more likely to win.

 

PS

 

Though her father is Jamaican, Her mother is Indian. Hence the name, Kamala.

[Guard Dog]

Well I read it in USA Today, all the news in 100 words or less. I didn't know the details other than it was a controversy. 

 

And Obama really should know better by now. Don't pick sides in inter-party fights. 

 

PS

 

I hate you right now: http://m.mlb.com/gameday/rays-vs-athletics/2016/07/23/448327#game=448327,game_state=final,game_tab=

Edited July 24, 2016 by Guard Dog

[Leferd]

W

 

Well I read it in USA Today, all the news in 100 words or less. I didn't know the details other than it was a controversy. 

 

And Obama really should know better by now. Don't pick sides in inter-party fights. 

 

PS

 

I hate you right now: http://m.mlb.com/gameday/rays-vs-athletics/2016/07/23/448327#game=448327,game_state=final,game_tab=

 

Wait, what? 

 

POTUS isn't allowed to endorse or campaign for precious Senate seats when one candidate received a whopping 22% more votes than the other? Is this like them unwritten baseball rules?

[Guard Dog]

W

 

Well I read it in USA Today, all the news in 100 words or less. I didn't know the details other than it was a controversy. 

 

And Obama really should know better by now. Don't pick sides in inter-party fights. 

 

PS

 

I hate you right now: http://m.mlb.com/gameday/rays-vs-athletics/2016/07/23/448327#game=448327,game_state=final,game_tab=

 

Wait, what? 

 

POTUS isn't allowed to endorse or campaign for precious Senate seats when one candidate received a whopping 22% more votes than the other? Is this like them unwritten baseball rules?

No it's exercising discretion to avoid furthering the notion that the outcome of democrat primaries are pre-ordained. That is kind of a thing right now thanks to Wiki-Leaks, CNN, & Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. Right now the democrat party is going out of it's way to piss off a third of it's constituency when it needs every last one of them engaged. Had I been one of the President's advisers I'd have suggested he stay out of it and let things take their course.  

[Guard Dog]

Wow this is a little intrusive. Hillary Clinton demanded that her VP candidates turn over every password to every social media account owned by the candidates and their families. Very Orwellian from a woman who seems like a cast member from a tyrannical Orwellian dystopia movie. http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/tim-kaine-vp-ticktock-226069

[Hastur]

Like either Democrat will lose on a presidential election year to a Republican. If the question is who has a polling advantage in California, It's going to be a rocky year. I don't care whom the big O endorses, but he needn't have done it to cement the election in this state.

[Wrath of Dagon]

Wow this is a little intrusive. Hillary Clinton demanded that her VP candidates turn over every password to every social media account owned by the candidates and their families. Very Orwellian from a woman who seems like a cast member from a tyrannical Orwellian dystopia movie. http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/tim-kaine-vp-ticktock-226069

You will learn to love the Dear Leader, or else!

[Volourn]

Nazi WILL Nazi.

[Hastur]

Last night I threw back a few beers with some friends and we ended up in yet another hot tub steamy debate about politics.  I intimated that I was going to vote for Trump and my buddies were aghast.  Literally speechless for a few seconds.  Not in a mean way.  They simply couldn't fathom why I would vote for Trump knowing my temperament and feelings about our orange skinned friend with the bad toupee.  It was actually pretty funny.

 

I think the electoral college has some good points, but it has the net result of putting some very large states out of play.  People might fundraise in California, but no one cares about campaigning here that much.  The state is going to the Democrats.  If California goes for a Republican in our current climate, the Democrats lost before they got here.  Kind of the same with Texas in reverse.  It's always fun to debate presidential politics with people in a state where you truly get the feeling that it doesn't matter anyway.  Might just look into the Guard Dog candidate just for the hell of it.  ...Or maybe even write in Hurlshot.  My vote won't make or break anything.  Hurlshot as a protest vote could work.  As long as the dude doesn't keep government secrets on his home server, isn't being audited by the IRS (conveniently), and has an authentic birth certificate.

Edited July 24, 2016 by Hastur

[Wrath of Dagon]

tax returns.

 

...

 

tax returns. tax returns. tax returns.

 

any question from or regarding trump should get a two word response: tax returns.

 

HA! Good Fun!

Trump should release his tax returns when Hilzilla releases her speeches to Goldman Sachs.

[Zoraptor]

Pretty much. Did Trump even say he would release his tax returns at all- which isn't required, it's just convention- or has he just refused to? I know that Hillary said she'd release her speech transcripts once everyone else did.

 

No it's exercising discretion to avoid furthering the notion that the outcome of democrat primaries are pre-ordained. That is kind of a thing right now thanks to Wiki-Leaks, CNN, & Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. Right now the democrat party is going out of it's way to piss off a third of it's constituency when it needs every last one of them engaged. Had I been one of the President's advisers I'd have suggested he stay out of it and let things take their course.

 
That seems a bit unreasonable- I presume that Trump will endorse Republican candidates as well, some of whom will be white running against minorities; and despite his well documented 'problems' with minorities. That wouldn't be racism either and he shouldn't refrain from doing it.
 
Seems pretty obvious how they'll deal with wikileaks and Wasserman-Schultz, by dropping her and saying that everything is now fine and would all you Sandernistas kindly vote for Hillary now (or are you still all misogynists?). In particular CNN (etc) shouldn't really be an issue for the Democratic Party- though the anti Bernie bias part of it is- as it's more an issue for the media involved. Influencing the media is an essential part of both parties' job since it is essentially just marketing; it's the media who are supposed to refuse to be influenced. I'd put it in the same boat as 'bought' reviews of games. It's not EA or Bethesda's fault if journalists are influenced by them, it's their job to get good reviews and sell their product. It is, however, the journalists' job to be impartial despite attempts to influence them.

[Longknife]

I'm sure Debbie Wasserman-Schultz will feel really remorseful about what she did while floating down onto the roof of her new mansion with the aid of her golden parachute.

[HoonDing]

I casually looked over the Putinleaks, seemed like Marketing 101 to me tbh.

Edited July 24, 2016 by HoonDing

[Longknife]

Apparently Bernie has expressed no desire to fight Hillary over this crap.

 

I'm sad now.

[Gromnir]

every Presidential candidate that runs for the office releases tax returns.  it is part o' the public's vetting process of candidates. it is not a Constitutional requirement.  it is singular useful. for a candidate with no record o' political held office who bases his fitness for the Presidency on his business success, one can argue that tax returns would be essential. 

 

every Presidential candidate provides.  providing is done bipartisan.  trump's excuse for not providing is a non-sequitur.  he is being audited? so what? what difference does that make? equal relevant response would be, "i like pie."  is not as if providing the returns to the public that he has already turned over to the irs will have any impact on his audit. similarly, pointing out that you want clinton to release speech transcripts should not in anyway diminish the burden 'pon trump to release transcripts.  are you people five-year-olds? bobby didn't clean his room so, that means jimmy ain't gonna brush his teeth? asinine reasoning for jimmy and those in this thread. 

 

Presidential candidates provide tax returns.  the information from tax returns is useful-- nobody denies that point.  trump has no relevant excuse as to why he won't provide. so, two words: tax returns.

 

but why won't hillary ______?

 

*snort*

 

be a good boy and brush your freaking teeth. 

 

ridiculous.

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

ps  "people have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. well, I am not a crook." that quote from nixon were not related to watergate.  were instead the rationale for nixon providing the irs with a small mountain o' information to convince 'em that he weren't playing fast and loose with charitable donations.  is also one reason why every candidate running for the office o' President provides tax returns.

Edited July 24, 2016 by Gromnir

[HoonDing]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-3705792/Trump-says-US-pull-World-Trade-Organization.html

 

Trump doesn't know countries like Germany, Japan, etc. pay billions for the upkeep of American bases? Gonna be fun times for US army when they're all closed.

[Oerwinde]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-3705792/Trump-says-US-pull-World-Trade-Organization.html

 

Trump doesn't know countries like Germany, Japan, etc. pay billions for the upkeep of American bases? Gonna be fun times for US army when they're all closed.

His comments on Japan are odd. Japan can't have a proper military due to the constitution imposed by the US, and as a result the US is obligated to defend Japan. Japan is the US' responsibility until Japan ammends their constitution and builds a proper military. Which I hear is likely due to China.

 

South Korea on the other hand needs to up their game. Though I remember reading somewhere that they have trouble recruiting due to the belief the US will handle their defense.

[HoonDing]

Japan does have a proper military, article 9 in their constitution just assures they can only use their military in self defense.

 

There's a political movement now to amend article 9 which might or might not eventually pass referendum (hard to say when so much of current Japanese youth are clueless about their nation's history).

 

In any case amending article 9 because of a perceived China threat is highly ironic. Only tangible threat is North Korea but China keeps them in check.

Edited July 24, 2016 by HoonDing

[Zoraptor]

ROK has conscription, can't really expect much more than that. Their main problem is what it is and cannot be changed; they will never be able to match DPRK's sheer numbers because DPRK is pretty much a military with attached country rather than the reverse.

 

Seems Wasserman-Schultz is officially gone as of the end of the convention. No surprises there.

[Raithe]

So what is going on with that whole lawsuit filed against Debbie Wasserman Schultz?

 

Beyond the whole resignation thing I mean.

Edited July 24, 2016 by Raithe

[HoonDing]

Does US president have the authority to leave WTO and/or NAFTA? Sounds like something that would take years to renegotiate.

Edited July 24, 2016 by HoonDing

[Wrath of Dagon]

This is what I thought, but had to look it up to be sure: "Presently, there is no official Supreme Court ruling on whether the President has the power to break a treaty without the approval of Congress, and the courts also declined to interfere when President George W. Bush unilaterally withdrew the United States from the ABM Treaty in 2002, six months after giving the required notice of intent.[11]"

 

No matter what Trump is threatening now, he will come under a huge amount of pressure not to carry most of this out, if he gets elected.

[Raithe]

[HoonDing]

[Guard Dog]

Last night I threw back a few beers with some friends and we ended up in yet another hot tub steamy debate about politics.  I intimated that I was going to vote for Trump and my buddies were aghast.  Literally speechless for a few seconds.  Not in a mean way.  They simply couldn't fathom why I would vote for Trump knowing my temperament and feelings about our orange skinned friend with the bad toupee.  It was actually pretty funny.

 

I think the electoral college has some good points, but it has the net result of putting some very large states out of play.  People might fundraise in California, but no one cares about campaigning here that much.  The state is going to the Democrats.  If California goes for a Republican in our current climate, the Democrats lost before they got here.  Kind of the same with Texas in reverse.  It's always fun to debate presidential politics with people in a state where you truly get the feeling that it doesn't matter anyway.  Might just look into the Guard Dog candidate just for the hell of it.  ...Or maybe even write in Hurlshot.  My vote won't make or break anything.  Hurlshot as a protest vote could work.  As long as the dude doesn't keep government secrets on his home server, isn't being audited by the IRS (conveniently), and has an authentic birth certificate.

Like I said, a vote for Johnson is not wasted if it gains the LP 5% of the popular vote. Getting ballot access in all 50 states is difficult. It requires money and manpower. Not having to to that in 2020 will save both with the additional benefits of federal election assistance.

 

Here is the truth of it and there is no getting around it. Unless you live in Florida, Ohio, Colorado, Missouri, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, or Arizona this election is already over for you. It would take a near miracle for something to turn one of the other 42 states. I live in Tennessee and I can tell you for a fact Hillary will win in just five counties. She has no shot in hell anywhere else. So if you live in one of the other 42 and dislike both candidates please feel free to vote for Gary Johnson, or Jill Stein, or even Hurlshot. If you live in one of the "swing" states that might go either way then the whole "throwing your vote away" thing is something to consider. For me it wouldn't make a difference because I don't want either of these dirtbags going to the White house with my name behind them. But that's me.

 

If you live in California vote how you wish. It's already over. Really a vote for Trump there is a wasted vote as is a vote for Hillary in Utah. But a vote for Johnson might change the dynamic of 2020.