The 2016 US American Election Thread

[driveway]

Breitbart is going with Trump's ca. 1998 line of attack. Their headline today reads like a timecapsule:

Linda Tripp reopens Vince Foster, Filegate, Travelgate, Whitewater Scandals.

The second headline is "Candle in the Wind '97" by Elton John holds top chart position for 13th week"

Weird.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by ernie

I realize they are scheduled events and what not but I find it interesting how visible George W has been palling around with the Obama's. He was an awful president or rather a very malleable puppet for Rove and Cheney but it looks like he has developed a friendship with the his successors and in particular Michelle.

Coupled to some family friends a couple of weeks saying the first George Bush will vote Clinton, Jeb continuing to not get in line with the no backbone GOP who have all bowed to Trump, W spending this time in physical contact with the Obamas, Laura Bush insinuating she's voting for Clinton.......if I didn't know better I'd say the former president Bushes are making about as public a stand as they feel former GOP presidents can take.

The ex-presidents always seem pretty chummy with each other and with the incumbent, so it could be just a case of intense media coverage bringing it out more.

Of course Bush has not endorsed Trump, which is pretty telling in itself. (Correct me if that's changed at some point.)

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Itse

The ex-presidents always seem pretty chummy with each other and with the incumbent, so it could be just a case of intense media coverage bringing it out more.

Of course Bush has not endorsed Trump, which is pretty telling in itself. (Correct me if that's changed at some point.)

Bush family is old money that hates Trump.

Bush senior is voting for Hillary

[Senator Clay Davis]

Lol oh Trump.



https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...9a9b5#comments

[Itse]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

True but the tone of the Khan speech still bothers me. Not sure how to explain it.

To me the whole "military service as a measure of patriotism" is more than a little militaristic. In the Starship Troopers vibe.

(Oh wait my bad, that link was not Starship Troopers. So hard to tell sometimes.)

[ernie]

Originally Posted by Itse

The ex-presidents always seem pretty chummy with each other and with the incumbent, so it could be just a case of intense media coverage bringing it out more.

Of course Bush has not endorsed Trump, which is pretty telling in itself. (Correct me if that's changed at some point.)

This seems to be more to me. And think it is more. IT seems George W and Michelle have developed a pretty good friendship that started when W took time to talk to the Obama daughters at the inauguration. There's chummy and then there is obvious displays of affection two months before an election.

Laura Bush and Hillary are also pretty close.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

True but the tone of the Khan speech still bothers me. Not sure how to explain it.

Few people outside of the Khan family and whoever phoned them and asked them to speak would even remember who they are today if Trump hadn't done his thing, which is be a big baby.

There are dozens of speakers at those things. Who was before them? Who was after? Bueller?

Bothersome tone or note, they wouldn't have stood out if he didn't stand them out.

It's all on him, as usual.

[GirlySports]

to all ex-presidents it's not personal, it's just politics. In fact they respect each other because they're in the same profession.

With Trump it's personal.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

Few people outside of the Khan family and whoever phoned them and asked them to speak would even remember who they are today if Trump hadn't done his thing, which is be a big baby.

There are dozens of speakers at those things. Who was before them? Who was after? Bueller?

Bothersome tone or note, they wouldn't have stood out if he didn't stand them out.

It's all on him, as usual.

i don't know. Even before Trump responded the media loved it. The image of Khan holding the constitution was all over the interwebs.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

i don't know. Even before Trump responded the media loved it. The image of Khan holding the constitution was all over the interwebs.

Because Trump supporters view all Muslims as wanting to replace the Constitution with Sharia Law. So yeah having a Muslim holding up the Constitution is a pretty powerful retort.

[Izzle]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

i don't know. Even before Trump responded the media loved it. The image of Khan holding the constitution was all over the interwebs.

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Because Trump supporters view all Muslims as wanting to replace the Constitution with Sharia Law. So yeah having a Muslim holding up the Constitution is a pretty powerful retort.

The Khan speech definitely had a certain theatricality to it. In the context of what the DNC was trying to achieve, it really helped drive home the point that Trump doesnt really care about anyone other than himself. The fact that Trump just couldnt let go sunk him.

Its playing out again with the whole Ms Universe fiasco. Just. Can't. Let. It. Go. Polling prior to the debate suggested that Trump was closing the gap on Clinton on the backs of suburbanites (especially stay at home moms). Him going after a Ms. Universe for her weight gain will further alienate women.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Izzle

The Khan speech definitely had a certain theatricality to it. In the context of what the DNC was trying to achieve, it really helped drive home the point that Trump doesnt really care about anyone other than himself. The fact that Trump just couldnt let go sunk him.

Its playing out again with the whole Ms Universe fiasco. Just. Can't. Let. It. Go. Polling prior to the debate suggested that Trump was closing the gap on Clinton on the backs of suburbanites (especially stay at home moms). Him going after a Ms. Universe for her weight gain will further alienate women.

I don't know. I do wish Khan stuck around a bit longer and uttered a few 4-letter worded retorts. The fact he went away quickly makes his speech a bit hollow to me.

i'm a bit torn on the Miss Universe thing too. It's a business and when the reigning Miss Universe gains 60 pounds, she can be fired can't she? Yes I know Trump is cruel but Hillary is reaching a bit here, pandering to women and Latinos.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by Izzle

Him going after a Ms. Universe for her weight gain will further alienate women.

I think stuff like this could alienate "manly men" too. It's such a petty fight, and kind of a girlie topic.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

The weight gain comment isn't the worst part for Trump about Machado, it's the 'Miss Piggy' line that is killing him.

How women in that country that are a little big or obese see a guy like Trump insult a Miss Universe after she gains a few pounds is the problem. He shows, yet again, he has the maturity level of a 3rd grader and he really can't help himself when it comes to insulting or degrading women unless he thinks they're perfect.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Well here's a much more detailed article showing Trump pretty much views woman as sex objects and not much more. These are just from depositions from former employees, more in the article




http://www.latimes.com/projects/la-na-pol-trump-women/

[GGG]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

i don't know. Even before Trump responded the media loved it. The image of Khan holding the constitution was all over the interwebs.

Any parents of dead soldiers speech is always misdirected anger. It's why it's ackward at political things and doesn't feel right. It also can be exploitive if it's the party pushing the person to do the speech rather than the individual pushing to do it. Or if the party lets a person humiliate themselves a la the republicans. In the case of the Khans I don't think it was exploitive but the anger is still misplaced when directed at Trump.

The correct response to that situation though is The sacrifice the Khans made is greater then anything I have earned the right to say what they want to. However, The interventionist policies of Hillary Clinton and her failures I. Diplomacy will lead to us creating more Good Star families. As COC I will ensure that we make prudent decisions and value the lives of our soldiers instead of using them for political gain.

Any criticism from a military person in the US has to be acknowledge the sacrifice, respect their opinion, pivot to why your oponant is worse.

[GirlySports]

the hostess/employee accusations should be more damning.

Miss Universe is a 'women as objects' business.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by GGG

Any parents of dead soldiers speech is always misdirected anger. It's why it's ackward at political things and doesn't feel right. It also can be exploitive if it's the party pushing the person to do the speech rather than the individual pushing to do it. Or if the party lets a person humiliate themselves a la the republicans. In the case of the Khans I don't think it was exploitive but the anger is still misplaced when directed at Trump.

I think it was exploitive and the media ran with it. Like I think bringing up Machado in a debate is exploitive too. Would she have brought it up if Miss Universe was blonde from Kansas? The Democrats do this a lot and it pisses people off, which makes this race as tight as it is.

[photon]

2600 (hacker publication) is offering a $10,000k bounty for Trump's tax returns.

http://motherboard.vice.com/read/hac...ps-tax-returns

On Twitter, 2600 said, "We are offering $10K for 1st access to [Donald Trump's] tax return." The tweet suggests potential submitters can use PGP encryption to send the files and that the source's identity will be protected.

...

The zine said it would also allow others to add to the Trump bounty pool.

"This could easily become $100k or more. We can pay in dollars, bitcoin... or rubles."

[MissTeeks]

I read an article yesterday about the Miss Universe thing. She said she gained 18 pounds, not 50. And afterwards, battled bulimia and anorexia.