Serious US Election Thread (read post #2014)

[Ranger Mike]

I don't really feel like trump is going to lose by a landslide, like republicans would probably vote for an extremist as opposed to someone who goes basically completely against their political values. Like a few more conservative conservatives might go to hillary/bernie/probably hillary ( ) but it seems like they would just reluctantly go to Trump/not vote at all.

 

[Ununhexium]

I don't really feel like trump is going to lose by a landslide, like republicans would probably vote for an extremist as opposed to someone who goes basically completely against their political values. Like a few more conservative conservatives might go to hillary/bernie/probably hillary ( ) but it seems like they would just reluctantly go to Trump/not vote at all.

the thing is, trump is attracting a lot of unhappy democrats and a lot more bernie supporters would support trump than a lot of people would think because hes really anti-establishment and basically all bernie and hillary do is tear each other apart so i dont think too many would just jump ship to her because shes the other democratic candidate

 

[vonFiedler]

so i dont think too many would just jump ship to her because shes the other democratic candidate

She's the not Trump candidate.

I'd have voted for anyone over Hillary but Trump.

 

[colours]

the thing is, trump is attracting a lot of unhappy democrats and a lot more bernie supporters would support trump than a lot of people would think because hes really anti-establishment and basically all bernie and hillary do is tear each other apart so i dont think too many would just jump ship to her because shes the other democratic candidate

This stopped after the Acela primaries (for the most part). The negative rhetoric should (keyword: should) tone down, since Bernie realizes that it isn't working. It'd be better off for him if he were to focus on what he was doing originally and focus more on getting voters excited and keep the revolution alive (and maybe attacking Trump) than going for Hillary, as that'll just provide ammunition to the GOP in the general.

Also: I can very well foresee Trump losing in a landslide again Clinton, especially with any state that has a sizable number of hispanic/minority/non-white population, which is the same demographic that's the backbone of Hillary's successes so far.

 

[shaian]

a lot more bernie supporters would support trump than a lot of people would think because hes really anti-establishment

tbh idrc about who actually wins but like, if people are so easily persuaded to support two fundamentally different platforms because of some tired ass platitude like "anti-establishment" or w/e then i am so fucking happy their candidate of choice didnt win shit

 

[Ranger Mike]

Also to quote someone I don't remember who from the dinner last night, "I don't like trump at all but it's great that he is in the race because it makes people actually care about politics." Or something along those lines and I couldn't agree more. Like you'd think that electing such a huge leader would be considered huge but without turmp in the race a lot of people probably just wouldn't care. I also hope this can show people how interesting politics actually are, and psychology I suppose.

 

[Kevin Garrett]

Third party candidates historically have 0 effect on the election. When they do however, its usualy causes another party to lose because it splits the the group of voters that both candidates are trying to reach. Ross Perot is an example of this. If trump doesn't reach 1237 delegates and is denied the nomination I predict he will run third party and beat the republican. Hillary will win in a landslide if that happens though. At this point Trump is very likely to reach the 1237.

Perot had a chance of winning the 1992 election if he didn't suspend his campaign until October. He was the frontrunner in polls throughout the months of May and June with as much as 39% of the vote, but suspended his campaign from right-wing attacks.

I agree with your premise about a hypothetical Trump third-party run functioning as a spoiler for the Democrats. I don't think this would make a third-party run victory altogether impossible, though. Michael Bloomberg, who has declined to run once again, would be in the best possible position to flank both parties on various positions and possess the resources to go the distance. In a year like this where both candidates have record-high negatives in polling, he missed his best opportunity to run. Any third-party candidate needs to be established early in the process and manufacture the attention required to be an initiator on the campaign trail. Granted, that would only supply a chance to compete with both parties candidates. Someone like Perot was just ill-equipped to handle the slugfest of a presidential campaign, whereas experience politicians often cannot commit to a third-party run due to political affiliations or lack of resources.

 

[Phione]

She's the not Trump candidate.

I'd have voted for anyone over Hillary but Trump.

Really now? Even Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio? Trump may have stolen the spotlight this election season and made every other Republican seem reasonable, but if it weren't for Cruz and his friends, Marco Rubio would be HISTORICALLY conservative. Then think about what that means for Cruz. Trump's hardly the only nonsense candidate this election cycle, and while I'm not the world's biggest Hillary fan, I'd vote for her any day over most of these Republicans.

 

[Bughouse]

Michael Bloomberg, who has declined to run once again, would be in the best possible position to flank both parties on various positions and possess the resources to go the distance.

If Bernie were the nominee, sure... Not with Hillary. They're very close together on positions.

Admittedly, he comes without her perceived baggage, but he has his own set of baggage too. The soda ban is seen as really idiotic and also an overreach of government power in most circles.

Whose voters was he actually going to win? He's certainly not the third party guy for Bernie bros. Like, say what you will about Hillary and Wall Street, but Bloomberg actively said Wall Street execs still deserved bonuses amid the crisis. And he's massively pro free trade. Bernie supporters, assuming they did even 5 minutes of research, would realize Hillary is actually closer to their ideals than Bloomberg is.

He'd win some republican votes who can't bear to vote for Trump. That's about it. Because he's not actually significantly different from Hillary, he'd have a pretty hard cap of 15-20% of the vote. And while it probably hurts Trump at least as much as Clinton, he wouldn't want to risk handing the election to Trump. There's a reason he didn't run...

 

[Kevin Garrett]

Bughouse

National security is a huge deficiency in both of the frontrunners. Trump's only credentials are his overstated "prophecies" such as the Iraq war and Libya being a big mistake. Hillary had a very weak record as Secretary of State and collectively continuing the Obama foreign policy does not offer the general public assurances of safety, not just for us at home, but for all the folks abroad that could be potential refugees from ongoing war. Bloomberg was responsible for the the greatest advancements in anti-terrorism law enforcement (New York has the capacity to intercept and retaliate against a small army). Between that and his wall street policies, would reduce the size of Trump's base to the blue-collar Republicans. As for Clinton, they do share views on a number of issues, though she keeps moving further left the longer Sanders' support remains committed to his candidacy. Given the outlook of her positions after the convention, it would be safe to assume Bloomberg would possess a more moderate set of core values.

The key thing here is that Bloomberg would not actually win the elections as events stand now. He would have needed to announce his candidacy around the time of the rumors of his interest in running (around December). If he announced his campaign then and maintained a national platform for his agenda with routine media plugs, new conferences, ground game, etc., he would have been in a position to solidify a base throughout the last 3 months while Sanders won 8 straight contents and Never Trump appeared that it had a chance. Not to mention, the GOP candidates were all referencing and praising Bloomberg's law enforcement policies (after he declared he would not enter) as part of their own agenda. The entire landscape would have been so much different in a way that no one could just immediately dismiss his viability come November.

 

[vonFiedler]

Really now? Even Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio? Trump may have stolen the spotlight this election season and made every other Republican seem reasonable, but if it weren't for Cruz and his friends, Marco Rubio would be HISTORICALLY conservative. Then think about what that means for Cruz. Trump's hardly the only nonsense candidate this election cycle, and while I'm not the world's biggest Hillary fan, I'd vote for her any day over most of these Republicans.

Classic vs. mentality in the American political system. Yes, Rubio is a tool, and the fact that Cruz can call himself anti-establishment when representing the party almost to a tee makes him probably just an asshole. But their 4-8 years would pass much like Clinton's would. She's not a good guy just because she's a democrat. She's going to support big money just the same, and maybe she'll throw us a muddled progressive policy that will in the long run get shot down by conservatives. It's just a show. The difference is I've detested Hillary Clinton almost all my life, and she's somehow only lost points lately. It fucking hurts to vote for her. But her opponent might be Hitler.

 

[Outlaw]

Classic vs. mentality in the American political system. Yes, Rubio is a tool, and the fact that Cruz can call himself anti-establishment when representing the party almost to a tee makes him probably just an asshole. But their 4-8 years would pass much like Clinton's would. She's not a good guy just because she's a democrat. She's going to support big money just the same, and maybe she'll throw us a muddled progressive policy that will in the long run get shot down by conservatives. It's just a show. The difference is I've detested Hillary Clinton almost all my life, and she's somehow only lost points lately. It fucking hurts to vote for her. But her opponent might be Hitler.

But what if Hillary is female Hitler?

 

[vonFiedler]

But what if Hillary is female Hitler?

She doesn't follow a pattern very consistent with Hitler's rise to power, hasn't explicitly promised to commit war crimes in the same vein as Hitler, and hasn't been called the next Hitler by many people who were alive before the Holocaust, including Anne Frank's sister. So we're probably okay.

 

[JES]

As my father says, is these two frontrunner candidates are the best that the two dominant parties can drum up? Is this the best we, the United States of America, can vote for? Because if that is so, that is just said, and it is no wonder our country is in the gutter!

The frontrunner courtesy of the Grand Old Party is a loudmouthed individual who likes to throw insults, and wants to build a wall. About the only really good thing about him that I really like is that he's entertaining, and that he tells it as it is. And he evidently hasn't looked into research regarding climate change, because he doesn't believe in it!

And the frontrunner of the Democrats is currently involved in a scandal, but the worst of it is that at best, she seems to have memory problems, and at worst, she lies to make herself seem all that! I'd think I'd remember if I brought my daughter to work while visiting Bosnia, and was given a warm welcome! Either is disturbing. And there have been a huge number of deaths and apparent suicides regarding people who have been her friends and partners. And that is as fat as I'm going to hint at conspiracy theories. About the only subjects that I'm knowledgeable about that I really care about is that she does believe in climate change, and that she'll probably at least appoint a judge or two to the Supreme Court, which should result in that accursed Citizens United overturned. Activists have been wanting it gone ever since that damned ruling!

You people still want to choose for between these two?

On another note, I feel that my fellow citizens should know it looks like the Kochs want even more money to get involved in politics:
https://twitter.com/actdottv/status/726142244198060032

Of course, get their foreign buddies involved! What's the worst that could happen? If you want to remain anonymous, then don't get involved in politics! If you support something unpopular enough that you fear mobs will come with you with pitchforks and 12 gauges, then maybe that is what you deserve! I cannot overstate how furious I am that these people are practically running the government from the shadows, and now they want saudi kings and foreign corporate owners to hoodwink us too!

I would vote for any candidate who says that they will do whatever they can as President to keep this from becoming law, be it vetoing or encouraging political activism against it.

But what if Hillary is female Hitler?

If the Illuminati and their plot to establish a police state/just wipe us out are real, I doubt that Hillary is the manchurian candidate they are gonna use. When there is talk about taking our right to bear arms upward of those used by our (increasingly) militant police forces, that is when you'll want to buy firearms and prepare for the worst!

 

[UncleSam]

In this video Carly Fiorina falls off a stage and Ted Cruz doesn't even pretend to give a shit

 

[JES]

Why am I not surprised? I mean, his roommate in college said that Cruz wanted to rule the world and shit. He's clearly a psychopath. Fortunately, there aren't enough idiots and psychopathic millionaires and billionaires to vote him into office.

 

[billymills]

TV networks win.

I honestly can't wait until the debates.

I think Hillary probably takes it, but it'll be back-and-forth (much closer than most seem to make it). Hillary will win back the demographics she's lost during the primary with a sensible VP pick. Trump will eventually say something that the general public doesn't like (probably something about Putin), Trump's VP will be another maverick, but without the charisma to pull it off.

 

[Outlaw]

Say it with me Smogon; make America great again!

 

[Phione]

Cruz is out.
http://www.vox.com/2016/5/3/11584234/ted-cruz-drops-out-of-presidential-race

 

[Ununhexium]

Say it with me Smogon; make America great again!

MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

 

[tennisace]

Look at this.

This face.

Even his own wife is fucking ecstatic he's dropping out, and I'm willing to bet it's not because he's going to spend more time at home.

 

[JES]

As long as he ignorantly insists that climate change isn't real, I'm still not voting for him. If he would just make it a campaign promise to help to get us off of fossil fuels! And we all know Hillary is just another tool for Corporate America, no matter what she says. Sigh

I can't vote for either of them in good faith or conscience. Why can't we have a candidate who both tells it as it is, is entertaining, and cares about the environment?

Still, I'm glad that Cruz has finally given up the ghost! Now he and Carly are the party's laughing stock.

Look at this.

This face.

Even his own wife is fucking ecstatic he's dropping out, and I'm willing to bet it's not because he's going to spend more time at home.

I doubt that his daughters will be so happy that he's dropping out. They'll probably be hiding in their rooms to avoid being spanked for little to no reason. Or so my dad's convinced of.

 

[Kalawishis]

Cruz is out? How ironic, just after he picked his VP. Well, a Trump nomination is inevitable now.

Unless, of course, John Kasich's dreams come true:

The guy is completely in denial.

Say it with me Smogon; make America great again!

Make America Great Again.

 

[Yoshi King]

Say it with me Smogon; make America great again!

As someone who now has a vested interest in American politics because my girlfriend is American, America is a shithole that is going to the dogs. Nothing will make it great. Any chance of redemption lays solely with Bernie Sanders and a system that doesn't fuck over millions of people. But whoops, the ignorant masses are fucking asleep and/or just right-wing racists who only give a flying fuck about themselves. I follow politics in quite a few countries and nothing has ever made me as infuriated or frustrated as American politics.

(I guess if you/others are saying this tongue in cheek I'll have egg on my face but at the same time I'm just at my limit and had to vent. At the same time I want to see if there's any possibility for actual change from the system you guys have.)

 

[Kalawishis]

As someone who now has a vested interest in American politics because my girlfriend is American, America is a shithole that is going to the dogs. Nothing will make it great. Any chance of redemption lays solely with Bernie Sanders and a system that doesn't fuck over millions of people. But whoops, the ignorant masses are fucking asleep and/or just right-wing racists who only give a flying fuck about themselves. I follow politics in quite a few countries and nothing has ever made me as infuriated or frustrated as American politics.

(I guess if you/others are saying this tongue in cheek I'll have egg on my face but at the same time I'm just at my limit and had to vent. At the same time I want to see if there's any possibility for actual change from the system you guys have.)

I knew the funnest part of this election would be the complete meltdown across all parts of the Internet when Bernie's campaign decays and dies. I didn't expect it to be this much fun, though.

He has won a victory in Indiana, though I'd say he's merely postponing his campaign's death. The more he edges closer to Clinton, the more people's hopes get up, and the higher the hopes, the more they'll be dashed, and that's all the more fun a meltdown.

Make America Great Again.