Politics 2016 (election edition)

[jff]

^^^ Phillipe Reines

 

Is that a real person or are you clowning on Reince Priebus?

[John Smith]

I think Donald did better than I thought he would. He was rude, frequently incoherent, factually challenged (even about things he has said in the past), but those are things we might judge other candidates on. He did better than I thought because he stayed true to himself and performed about how people expected. This is exactly what his core supporters wanted. Many of them feel he won handily. They are not concerned with the facts (in fact I know several who claimed the fact checkers were biased in advance) so that didn't matter to them. What they wanted was an aggressive in your face performance and they think they got it. His performance may not convert many, but it also will not cost him.

 

Edit: when Donald made his comment about not paying taxes means he's smart, I immediately thought he's one of the 47% people Romney was talking about.

[Doug C]

I agree with John Smith. Trump was clearly and utterly out of his depth, but that is meaningless to his supporters. In truth, the fact that he has the backing of maybe 40% or more of the citizenry is a sad comment on the state of the nation.

 

I'm hoping that the debate will cause other prominent Republicans to follow George H. W. Bush's lead and say that they are voting for Hillary Clinton.

[lost highway]

 

Also, Trump has to be out of his head. Nothing else explains this: http://www.npr.org/2016/09/27/495611105/in-post-debate-interview-trump-again-criticizes-pageant-winners-weight

 

Why is he trying so hard to alienate female voters?

[Winston Legthigh]

This comment, from a story that I clicked on from the drudge report, has 179 thumbs ups:

 

 

 

I have a message for you, Hillary Clinton would not know how or even be able to tell the truth if her life depended on it. I do not trust nor like her. She has lied since the Watergate incident and she continues to lie. She is pure greed and evil. I don't care how much she talks, it's all babble to me. Her failed policies, deals, plans, scams, lies, cheating, allowing our soldiers and citizens to die in Benghazi, her hateful, distasteful rhetoric calling someone a racist, homophobic, Zenophobic and much, much more; She has lied about the email server, lied about the deleted emails, threatened her staff with their very lives if they ever speak of or tell the truth, that I believe with every fiber of my being, otherwise why wouldn't they tell everything they know after being given immunity from prosecution......THINK ABOUT IT? I mean really, if you have one shred of common sense or even an ounce of Patriotism, morals and faith you have to know that for people to hide, lie, cover-up, delete, swindle, threaten and disrespect our legal system to the extent that the Clinton’s have gone.......that is out and out right CORRUPTION and them slapping the American people in the face while they laugh and smugly say on the inside, "These people are so gullible, we could do anything illegal we want, including murder and the American people will just say oh poor Hillary, they are attacking her because she is a woman." But it is to the contrary, she is being attacked because she is a CRIMINAL!!!

They are truly laughing at how gullible the American people are.
I for one do not intend to be one of the gullible people. I see Hillary Clinton for the corrupt, greedy, lying, cheating, treasonous, backstabbing criminal that she is and I will not be voting for her.

 

What puzzles me - and I'm fine with people saying they don't trust Hillary. There's plenty of reasons to back up someone's distrust of her. But what puzzles me is when someone can't apply that same due diligence to Trump. 

[Doug C]

Re the above: "She has lied since the Watergate incident". Damn. First she was fighting ISIS 40 years or more before it existed and now she was one of the Plumbers. She is amazing!

[Winston Legthigh]

Re the above: "She has lied since the Watergate incident". Damn. First she was fighting ISIS 40 years or more before it existed and now she was one of the Plumbers. She is amazing!

Look, I know the commenter is an easy target, and doesn't come off as too intelligent, but what scares me is that there's an army of them that agree with the commenter

[Doug C]

Look, I know the commenter is an easy target, and doesn't come off as too intelligent, but what scares me is that there's an army of them that agree with the commenter

Oh hell yes, I agree. As I said a few posts previous, it's a sad comment on the state of the nation.

[lost highway]

Look, I know the commenter is an easy target, and doesn't come off as too intelligent, but what scares me is that there's an army of them that agree with the commenter

 

It shows how the internet has multiplied the number of people who dwell in a conspiracy-theorist news mindset. Since we can all find whatever info we want to support our worldview, the lackadaisical "connect the dots" style info-rage has become mainstream. 

[John Smith]

This guys post is typical and it wraps so many conspiracy things all into one bundle. They have a hard time believing a fact checker who has actual recorded evidence of things Donald has said and denied saying now, but they have no problem believing that Hill and Bill have gotten away with all these things.

 

Another way to look at this is.,,if she can consistently get away with all this stuff (including multiple murders acvording to some) and not get caught or convicted then don't you want a president like that who runs such a tight ship? Of course the answer is "only if it's our guy"

[NoJ]

Regarding the intense hatred of HRC, I just don't understand it. I've been voting since 1988, have read newspapers (sometimes up to 3, including the WSJ) daily since I was 12 years old. I consider myself an informed voter. Yes, Hillary isn't perfect but the level of hatred spewed at her for over 20 years defies my comprehension. What has she really done to deserve that spite? When she's elected, emergency rooms across the nation better be overstaffed because conniption fits and heart attacks are going to spike.

[Doug C]

I missed another gem in that blog post. "Her failed policies, deals, plans, scams, lies, cheating, allowing our soldiers and citizens to die in Benghazi, her hateful, distasteful rhetoric calling someone a racist, homophobic, Zenophobic and much, much more;" 

 

I'd bet that Trump is Zenophobic. I'd wager from his reaction to being questioned last night that he'd be no fan of the dialectic, but on the other hand, the Lying Hillary hate/Lying Donald love is a paradox.

 

edit: It's possible that the blogger wasn't referring to Zeno of Elea, but Zeno of Citium. If so, Zenophobic still applies, as I can't imagine Trump abiding pain and disappointment without comment or negative reaction.

[Chez]

You'd be crazy not to fear Zenos.  All of them are scary.

[Atticus]

For all the idiocy and incompetence Trump displayed last night, I couldn't escape the feeling that he was "winning" with lots of groups of Americans, simply by beating up on someone from the "establishment." The veracity of the claims is irrelevant. People just want to see and support the abuse.

[tinnitus photography]

yep.

 

i have some guy i knew from high school recently become a facebook friend and it's Killary this and Acts of Treason that. 

 

 

ugh. 

[Doug C]

For all the idiocy and incompetence Trump displayed last night, I couldn't escape the feeling that he was "winning" with lots of groups of Americans, simply by beating up on someone from the "establishment." The veracity of the claims is irrelevant. People just want to see and support the abuse.

Spot on. When I walked into Adult School tonight, I overheard the resource officer saying to a teacher "She just disgusts me". I immediately knew that they were talking about the debate. She disgusts you but he doesn't? Earlier today, in day school, the NJROTC commander was telling me how Trump won the debate "big time". 

 

Whether Trump wins or loses, the divide between the thinkers living in the reality of facts and the reactors living in the fantasy of information is so stark, that, as Charlie Brown so eloquently stated, "We're doomed".

[John Smith]

I think that gets to the point that he played well with those who support him. But she played well to her supporters and to the undecideds.

 

Today trump denied sniffling at all last night.

Last night HR brined saying that paying no taxes makes him smart. He does know that it's all being recorded...right? I don't think his supporters care about the inconsistencies though.

[Mr. Heartbreak]

I went to bed feeling pretty good last night - relieved, because he had become so unhinged, she remained so calm and...well, presidential...and she even had a little fun.

 

Then, this morning, I find this alternate reality, where people think Trump actually won. It's just unfathomable. There are some "sane" people out there who were very critical of Trump's performance - even Shepard Smith on Fox News said Trump blew it ("I just can't see 'Miss Piggy' and 'Miss Housekeeper' flying"), and so did Bill Kristol ("Trump lost it. He choked.") - but still, there are literally millions of idiots out there who think he won. I suppose these were the same people who had to Google the word temperament during the debate. How have they managed to learn to use the Internet?

 

Best reason I've seen in my lifetime for a monarchy. Up to half of my fellow countrymen are too fucking stupid to vote. I'm serious.

[lost highway]

I suppose these were the same people who had to Google the word temperament during the debate. How have they managed to learn to use the Internet?

 

"Cyber is hard. Maybe even undoable." Donald J Trump

[jff]

I think what Trump support boils down to is that many people are envious of how much of an asshole he gets to be.  And worse, many of them use it as a license to be assholes themselves (we've all seen the videos of this exact phenomenon). We all have people in our lives we'd love to tell to fuck off, and that is pretty much the essence of Trump's personality.  So it makes sense that people would find satisfaction in that. Unfortunately, they don't realize that that is exactly the opposite trait that is needed from any world leader.

[Chez]

I really, really REALLY look forward to Trump's concession speech on election night.

[uncool2pillow]

I really, really REALLY look forward to Trump's concession speech on election night.

I wish I shared your optimism.

[Winston Legthigh]

I think what Trump support boils down to is that many people are envious of how much of an asshole he gets to be.  And worse, many of them use it as a license to be assholes themselves (we've all seen the videos of this exact phenomenon). We all have people in our lives we'd love to tell to fuck off, and that is pretty much the essence of Trump's personality.  So it makes sense that people would find satisfaction in that. Unfortunately, they don't realize that that is exactly the opposite trait that is needed from any world leader.

Along these lines - over the last year or so - I've heard from Trump and his followers that they're sick of the whole Political Correctness thing. But what does that exactly mean? They want to call brazil nuts "nigger toes" again without someone finding offense? They want to be able to say "he jewed me" when they get ripped off?

 

All political correctness is - is having respect for fellow human beings, and being aware that certain language would probably be offensive. So, by all means, if you don't want to be politically correct, then go for it. But what you don't get to decide is what offends people. That's what it really comes down to. 

[John Smith]

I really, really REALLY look forward to Trump's concession speech on election night.

The tone of his campaign indicates that he will probably never formally concede, that would be acknowledging losing and his campaign is all about winning. No, I expect him to cry foul and drag everything out if he loses. And if he wins, god help us, he will be an ugly winner.

[NoJ]

Omarosa (sp??) said that when Trump wins, all those who opposed him will bow before him (or something like that).

 

That sounds vaguely threatening.