2016 US Presidential Election Thread XIV: May This Entertainment Never End

[BigMacPhisto]

Really going to suck for the media and prognosticators a few cycles from now when a Democratic candidate with far less baggage and an even larger demographic advantage routinely starts the general election campaign ten points ahead nationally. That's literally a 99.99999999999999% chance of winning although the models will probably make it about 90% given that there would still be a few months for things to go wrong, I guess.

But, truth be told, 2012 felt like the last time Republicans could have had a prayer at winning this thing had some events and national situations leaned in their favor. Of course, then we had the unpleasant surprise of 2016. But, barring Clinton being an extremely disliked President and losing in 2020, there is absolutely no chance Republicans can ever win this thing again once 2024 rolls around. How can you win with an electorate that requires extremely high turnout just for you to reach 40% of the vote? There's no chance.

Clinton's current seven point advantage over Trump is about where you should have expected the race to end among your average Democrat and Republican candidate, so I guess the baggage of the two ultimately just ended up canceling each other out. The sad part is that she gained about a two point advantage just from demographic shifts alone over the last four years, so, all things considered, Trump is managing to run nearly as strong against her as Romney did with Obama.

[deep]

Originally Posted by gump

I'm not entirely sure Trumpists understand the damage that his refusal to accept the results does to the country and perceptions abroad.

really?

Trump conceded that he would accept the results — but without waiving his rights to challenge “a questionable result.”
“America is a constitutional republic with a system of laws. These laws are triggered in the case of fraud or in the event of a recount, where it’s needed,” Trump said. “Of course, I would accept a clear election result, but I would also reserve my right to contest or file a legal challenge in the case of a questionable result, right? And always, I will follow and abide by all of the rules and traditions of all of the many candidates who have come before me. Always.”


Read more: Trump: I’ll accept election results — ‘if I win’ - POLITICO
Follow us: @politico on Twitter | Politico on Facebook

The Democrats have a history of claiming rigged elections by the GOP

Obama's Sec of State, Kerry is at the top of the list

John Kerry Thinks Bush Rigged The 2004 Election | The Daily Caller

“For a long period, after 2004, every time he even half fell asleep all he saw was voting machines in the state of Ohio,” Mike Barnicle, a close friend of Kerry’s and a former columnist for the Boston Globe, told me. This summer, Barnicle spent time with Kerry on Nantucket, where Kerry and his wife, Teresa Heinz, have a house on the water and a seventy-six-foot, seven-million-dollar sailboat called Isabel. “We were sitting in the bow,” Barnicle recalled, “and we were talking about a bunch of different things—about Iran, about what the President of Iran was like—and I said, ‘Other than not being President, this is pretty good.’ There was a security boat sailing off to the side of us. Then he said, ‘Yeah, yeah, I realize how badly Shrum screwed me.’ ”

A few weeks ago, between Kerry’s trips to Europe and the Middle East, I had dinner with Kerry and Heinz at their house in Georgetown, a twenty-three-room mansion decorated with Early American portraits, Dutch still-lifes, and an amiable yellow Labrador retriever named Ben. (The Lab has the Twitter handle @DiploMutt.) I asked Kerry how long he carried around a sense of anger and resentment.

“I didn’t carry it,” he insisted. “I didn’t. I didn’t. My wife was mad at me that I didn’t carry it longer.”

From across the table, Teresa Heinz said, “I’m still carrying it.”

The Secretary of State looked up from his halibut. An ill wind of panic swept the oblong plain of his face. From the thick thatch of gray hair to the improbably long and thrusting chin, Kerry’s visage is immense and, in its implacable resting expression, resembles one of the monolithic heads that rise from the loam of Easter Island.

“Well, I’m not,” Kerry said.

His gaze turned to his wife, wordlessly imploring her to keep quiet. Heinz is seventy-seven, five years older than her husband, and, in 2013, she suffered a seizure that she has attributed to an earlier concussion “that was not properly treated at all.” It’s not easy for her to get around, and she appears infrequently at public events, but she spoke clearly and ardently throughout the evening, much as she had during the 2004 campaign.

She was not quite done. “I knew from looking at the . . .”

Kerry uses many terms of endearment for his wife; now he called her by the telegraphic “T.”

“T, let’s not go . . .” he said gently.

As she tried to speak again, he shut it down.

“T, T, we’re not . . . I didn’t want to spend time there,” he said. “I just consciously did not spend time there, and I moved on, and I moved on as rapidly as . . . It’s over. It’s behind me. . . . I could have done some things a little bit differently. We didn’t. But I’m not going to feel regret the rest of my life.”

[LemonMelon]

There has been an unfortunate habit lately of justifying terrible actions solely by pointing to the terrible actions of others and the actions of those associated with them.

While that's hardly novel, it's bound to happen in such an overwhelmingly negative election cycle.

[namkcuR]

So if Trump is saying that today - that 'of course, I would accept a clear election result' - then why couldn't he say that on the debate stage last night?

[BEAL]

That doesn't make for good reality tv


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[gump]

Trump today: "I am the least racist person you've ever met".

[martha]

Originally Posted by BEAL

That doesn't make for good reality tv


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Maybe he's planning to concede on a very special episode on Trump TV.


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[Aleister]

Originally Posted by Axver

Yeah, everybody I talk to in Australia and New Zealand, even those who vote for our right-wing parties, is basically crossing their fingers and hoping Hillary wins. A victory by the orange fascist is unthinkable.

A recent poll on the Irish Times site showed 25% support for Trump. A distinct minority, granted, but bear in mind almost all of the European mainstream media are against Trump.

[Aleister]

Originally Posted by Headache in a Suitcase

Oh, and how I do. So so much.

That idea is ruined for the foreseeable future.

I don't see it that way.

Your candidate struggled to beat an actual socialist, or if not that a left leaning social democrat. Trump is as you say officially disapproved of by the mainstream GOP.

This suggests things augur well for an 'outsider' candidate in 2020, if anything.

[cobl04]

Originally Posted by Aleister

This suggests things augur well for an 'outsider' candidate in 2020, if anything.

The same people who've tried to black-ball him ... forgot about two things, his black balls.

[BVS]

Originally Posted by Aleister

A recent poll on the Irish Times site showed 25% support for Trump. A distinct minority, granted mind where almost all of the European mainstream media against Trump.

if no one likes him, if he doesn't win, if the debate doesn't go his way... then it's all rigged, it's all biased. Facts and personal responsibility are dead in 2016, right?


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[Aleister]

Originally Posted by Headache in a Suitcase

When doing job interviews, you often come across the "yea, but" candidates. They have all the necessary job experience, knowledge and background; but there's a few red flags that give you pause. They're fine, but you'd really hope that a better candidate comes along. This is Hillary Clinton.

You also come across candidates where you read their resume, and you toss it out because the person is woefully unqualified for the specific position at hand. This is Donald Trump.

This is our choice.

I see it more like HRC is the one that you really don't want to give the job to but feel you have to as you fear she'd do something to you in the future due to her connections .

Trump is the guy that goes for a sales job interview, is asked by the interviewer, ok see that bowl of bananas on my table, I want you to sell them to me, Trump proceeds to jump up and down, howl like a howler monkey, eat all the bananas and then goes "well, now you have to buy some new bananas, don't you."

[Aleister]

Originally Posted by BVS

if no one likes him, if he doesn't win, if the debate doesn't go his way... then it's all rigged, it's all biased. Facts and personal responsibility are dead in 2016, right?


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I said nothing of the sort, don't miscontrue. Surely you are not so simplistic as to think that just because I don't favour HRC, automatically implies that I am in favour of Trump?

This is the kind of binary, Manichean thinking that is going on right now. South Park did a good episode a few years back about this, something about a Giant Douche and a Big Turd.

[Aleister]

Some of you may enjoy this interview Peter Hitchens did with Laura Perrins of the UK site 'Conservative Woman'. Some of you may not.

The Laura Perrins Interview: Don’t vote for Clinton or Trump, argues Peter Hitchens - The Conservative Woman

[BVS]

Originally Posted by Aleister

I said nothing of the sort, don't miscontrue. Surely you are not so simplistic as to think that just because I don't favour HRC, automatically implies that I am in favour of Trump?

This is the kind of binary, Manichean thinking that is going on right now. South Park did a good episode a few years back about this, something about a Giant Douche and a Big Turd.

I just said you're falling for the victim route. Don't go binary while preaching the dangers of binary thinking, it makes you look like you're trying too hard.

In fact I thought your monkey analogy was pretty spot on.


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[Aleister]

Originally Posted by BVS

I just said you're falling for the victim route. Don't go binary while preaching the dangers of binary thinking, it makes you look like you're trying too hard.

In fact I thought your monkey analogy was pretty spot on.


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Fair enough.

[DaveC]

Originally Posted by Aleister

Trump is the guy that goes for a sales job interview, is asked by the interviewer, ok see that bowl of bananas on my table, I want you to sell them to me, Trump proceeds to jump up and down, howl like a howler monkey, eat all the bananas and then goes "well, now you have to buy some new bananas, don't you."

heh. i like this. i'm stealing it to use at work.

i also like this:



100 bucks says this guy has made fun of some "libtard" being "triggered" recently.

[prbiker15]

Probably thinks it was rigged.

[akann]

I am against Clinton's pro abortion stance. This women's right to choose is the biggest crock that has somehow become acceptable by all the lefties out there. I am therefore doing a Bono in reverse and am urging all Americans on this forum to vote Trump and stop murder.

[LemonMelon]

Originally Posted by prbiker15

Probably thinks it was rigged.

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