2016 US Presidential Election Pt. IV

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Originally Posted by BVS

And now he's called Cruz a 'pussy' at a televised speech.

Keep it classy Trump


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This is actually the first time I've agreed with Trump

[Oregoropa]

Check out Jebs tweet at Trump. 'Over and Out' LOL.



Politics is blood sport. It's only a matter of time before it gets a PG-13 rating.




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[BVS]

Originally Posted by Oregoropa

Check out Jebs tweet at Trump. 'Over and Out' LOL.

Attachment 10570

Politics is blood sport.


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There's such thing as decorum. And you're running for the highest office in the country; no foreign leader or lawmaker is going to respect him. No one but the assholes will respect someone that uses "pussy", "stupid", "ugly", or "schlonged" to describe anyone that doesn't kiss his ass.


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[DaveC]

http://www.theonion.com/article/demo...e-heroin-52327

[Oregoropa]

Originally Posted by BVS

There's such thing as decorum. And you're running for the highest office in the country; no foreign leader or lawmaker is going to respect him. No one but the assholes will respect someone that uses "pussy", "stupid", "ugly", or "schlonged" to describe anyone that doesn't kiss his ass.


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So you're telling me Trump has a chance




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[BVS]

Originally Posted by Oregoropa

So you're telling me Trump has a chance
Attachment 10571



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yes, if the asshole turnout is high, then absolutely.

But ^ that is exactly how the rest of the world will view us.


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[Irvine511]

yes.

As this primary season has gone along, a strange sensation has come over me: I miss Barack Obama. Now, obviously I disagree with a lot of Obama’s policy decisions. I’ve been disappointed by aspects of his presidency. I hope the next presidency is a philosophic departure.

But over the course of this campaign it feels as if there’s been a decline in behavioral standards across the board. Many of the traits of character and leadership that Obama possesses, and that maybe we have taken too much for granted, have suddenly gone missing or are in short supply.

The first and most important of these is basic integrity. The Obama administration has been remarkably scandal-free. Think of the way Iran-contra or the Lewinsky scandals swallowed years from Reagan and Clinton.

We’ve had very little of that from Obama. He and his staff have generally behaved with basic rectitude. Hillary Clinton is constantly having to hold these defensive press conferences when she’s trying to explain away some vaguely shady shortcut she’s taken, or decision she has made, but Obama has not had to do that.

He and his wife have not only displayed superior integrity themselves, they have mostly attracted and hired people with high personal standards. There are all sorts of unsightly characters floating around politics, including in the Clinton camp and in Gov. Chris Christie’s administration. This sort has been blocked from team Obama.

Second, a sense of basic humanity. Donald Trump has spent much of this campaign vowing to block Muslim immigration. You can only say that if you treat Muslim Americans as an abstraction. President Obama, meanwhile, went to a mosque, looked into people’s eyes and gave a wonderful speech reasserting their place as Americans.

He’s exuded this basic care and respect for the dignity of others time and time again. Let’s put it this way: Imagine if Barack and Michelle Obama joined the board of a charity you’re involved in. You’d be happy to have such people in your community. Could you say that comfortably about Ted Cruz? The quality of a president’s humanity flows out in the unexpected but important moments.

Third, a soundness in his decision-making process. Over the years I have spoken to many members of this administration who were disappointed that the president didn’t take their advice. But those disappointed staffers almost always felt that their views had been considered in depth.

Obama’s basic approach is to promote his values as much as he can within the limits of the situation. Bernie Sanders, by contrast, has been so blinded by his values that the reality of the situation does not seem to penetrate his mind.

Take health care. Passing Obamacare was a mighty lift that led to two gigantic midterm election defeats. As Megan McArdle pointed out in her Bloomberg View column, Obamacare took coverage away from only a small minority of Americans. Sanderscare would take employer coverage away from tens of millions of satisfied customers, destroy the health insurance business and levy massive new tax hikes. This is epic social disruption.

To think you could pass Sanderscare through a polarized Washington and in a country deeply suspicious of government is to live in intellectual fairyland. President Obama may have been too cautious, especially in the Middle East, but at least he’s able to grasp the reality of the situation.

Fourth, grace under pressure. I happen to find it charming that Marco Rubio gets nervous on the big occasions — that he grabs for the bottle of water, breaks out in a sweat and went robotic in the last debate. It shows Rubio is a normal person. And I happen to think overconfidence is one of Obama’s great flaws. But a president has to maintain equipoise under enormous pressure. Obama has done that, especially amid the financial crisis. After Saturday night, this is now an open question about Rubio.


Fifth, a resilient sense of optimism. To hear Sanders or Trump, Cruz and Ben Carson campaign is to wallow in the pornography of pessimism, to conclude that this country is on the verge of complete collapse. That’s simply not true. We have problems, but they are less serious than those faced by just about any other nation on earth.

People are motivated to make wise choices more by hope and opportunity than by fear, cynicism, hatred and despair. Unlike many current candidates, Obama has not appealed to those passions.

No, Obama has not been temperamentally perfect. Too often he’s been disdainful, aloof, resentful and insular. But there is a tone of ugliness creeping across the world, as democracies retreat, as tribalism mounts, as suspiciousness and authoritarianism take center stage.

Obama radiates an ethos of integrity, humanity, good manners and elegance that I’m beginning to miss, and that I suspect we will all miss a bit, regardless of who replaces him.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/09/op...ack-obama.html

[Moonlit_Angel]

Can't say I disagree with that article's sentiments. Indeed, saying everyone in this election is acting like children would be an insult to children.

[Kieran McConville]

I disagree that America's problems are less serious than those faced by just about every country on earth. They're mostly not unique to America - in terms of economic and social inequality and the trends toward a kind of oligarchy - but they're plenty serious. That's partly why the demagogues are gaining traction.

[BigMacPhisto]

Ugh. Early results have Kasich and Bush performing alright in second and third place with Cruz, Rubio and Christie not far behind...this is going to do nothing to winnow down the field.

The big news from it will involve Rubio's descent as he'll finish with around 10% or whatever which was a lot lower than expected going into the last debate. Going to have a hard time saying he's the clear establishment choice if Kasich, Bush and maybe even Christie defeat him tonight.

Anybody that finishes under 10% receives no delegates with all of their delegates going to the winner, so Trump is going to want as many of them as possible to end up under that bar as he reaps some freebies.

[Oregoropa]

I guess Christie will be done. I generally like him. Would make a good AG if the GOP wins in November.

Uggghhh. We may have to be subjected to a 'Jeb! Exceeds expectations celebration'


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[BigMacPhisto]

Christie is within three percentage points of Rubio and Bush at the moment, I doubt he's going to bow out if they aren't.

Kasich looks like he's clearly going to finish ahead of that middle group by about five percentage points, if not more, so it's going to be a very good night for him. I doubt he'll receive much of a boost from it anywhere though.

Trump will be looking real good if he can win South Carolina after this as it's a winner take all primary. Having a lead of about sixty delegates over his next closest challenger will make him very formidable heading into the later races.




They just called it for Trump with only 6% of precincts reporting...rather obvious given his total is about double that of Kasich.

[bobsaget77]

Hate Christie. Hope he comes in last.


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[Oregoropa]

Mazel Tov. Bernie first Jew to win a Presidential state primary.


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[Axver]

Originally Posted by BigMacPhisto

Anybody that finishes under 10% receives no delegates with all of their delegates going to the winner, so Trump is going to want as many of them as possible to end up under that bar as he reaps some freebies.

Wow, suddenly I'm barracking for as many of these dolts as possible to scrape their way to 10%.

[bono_212]

I'm happy to see Kasich up there, as I've been repeating pretty much ad nauseum at this point.

[Axver]

Also, why the hell is this Jim Gilmore guy even wasting his time?

[bono_212]

Originally Posted by Axver

Also, why the hell is this Jim Gilmore guy even wasting his time?

I looked him up cause I wasn't even sure who you were talking about and lo, and behold, one of the first search results:

Why Is Jim Gilmore Even Running for President? - The Atlantic

[BVS]

Well, the amount of assholes and racists in NH not hyperbole. Who knew?!


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[Axver]

Originally Posted by bono_212

I looked him up cause I wasn't even sure who you were talking about and lo, and behold, one of the first search results:

Why Is Jim Gilmore Even Running for President? - The Atlantic

I've been mystified he didn't drop out ever since I saw him pick up just twelve votes in Iowa. Twelve! In the entire state!

And imagine if he went anywhere near Vlad. He'd get totally schooled on the definition of "socialism".