The 2016 US American Election Thread

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

What is the point of these things. Just ridiculous.

Sad!

[rubecube]

Lol, so apparently a bunch of the online polls saying Trump won were spammed by bots with IP addresses originating in Russia. Well played, Putin.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Lol, so apparently a bunch of the online polls saying Trump won were spammed by bots with IP addresses originating in Russia. Well played, Putin.

Interesting (and hilarious), but why didn't this happen with the CNN poll?

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Interesting (and hilarious), but why didn't this happen with the CNN poll?

Because that was a live-interview telephone poll.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Huh. Were any other post debate polls live? Because if that's the only one that can't be immediately dismissed then... Hoo boy. That's really bad for Trump. I mean, it makes sense, he was terrible.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Huh. Were any other post debate polls live? Because if that's the only one that can't be immediately dismissed then... Hoo boy. That's really bad for Trump. I mean, it makes sense, he was terrible.

There was one other poll by PPP, that was a robo-poll. Results were slightly less strong for Clinton, but similar if you adjust for how democratic the CNN sample was. You have to be a bit careful about what you can conclude from those, but they do clearly show a consensus that Trump lost.

[wittynickname]

Originally Posted by Drak

Clinton can't win can she? You just laid it out though stating your heavy bias towards her. You simply cannot stand her. She's either smug or shrill, even when she's making an effort to be composed. The times she was "smug" was justified IMO when Donald was spewing his typical lies and BS. If she just stood there, she'd be labelled a robot, or criticized for letting Trump walk all over her, and would take heat for that. If she just smiled without any animation, she'd be still be labeled "smug." For the most part, she made a solid effort to remain composed with the camera on her.

If she didn't lay out talking points what else does she have? Isn't that what a debate is supposed to be about? Laying out your plans and countering your opponent? Slapping around in the mud with Donald wouldn't help her at all. She'd just be criticized for that. Only Donald is allowed to act like an ass.

This is the issue in this election:
Hillary has to walk an extremely fine line. She essentially had to do her best to make zero faux pas last night (and really through much of this campaign). Trump basically had to show up wearing pants, not take a crap on himself, and not drop the n-word on TV.

She's held to a dramatically higher standard than is Trump, and it's exhausting. Having finally had a chance to actually watch clips of the debate tonight (I'm out of town on a work trip at the moment), his constant interruptions were absolutely infuriating. Every woman I know was irate at him refusing to let her actually finish a sentence. This is a woman who clearly knows far more about politics than he knows, she speaks in reality and facts, and yet he's up there blustering and interrupting and literally making crap up and yet they're treated as equals?

I don't know how any self-respecting woman can even think of voting for Trump.

Originally Posted by peter12

Both parties are dying a slow death as the Boomer culture that formed them is also passing away.

The Republicans just got there first.

One side still deals in science and fact and reality. It needs changes, but there are certainly good signs from some of its younger members.

The other side needs to be burned to the ground and rebuilt from the foundation.

Originally Posted by Ducay

As an accountant and business person, Hillary annoyed the hell out of me with a lot of her attacks. Playing them up because they sound bad, but are pretty darn typical for anyone with half a brain and any business acument.

- Ya, that sounds about right. I would expect a multi-billion dollar company to hold at least that much debt. You'd be a terrible business person not to.

Again, good on him if so. Why would he volunteer to pay taxes based on the current system? He owned up to this one quite well, explaining he is in the business to make money for his company, but the average Joe doesn't understand how taxes work.

For a multi-billion dollar real estate, property management company, and tourism company who is probably paying upwards of a thousand contracting companies a day, if all they can dig up is 4-5 unpaid contractors, that's amazing of them. Look at any public corporation regardless of industry and you'll find triple that at any point litigating them over unpaid work. There are a host of reasons, and to blame it on the CEO directly is a joke. You think he personally inspects all the work & services performed and cuts each and every cheque?

So basically he's a good business person?
Great.
There's still no indication that he knows anything about how to run a country, and his questionable business acumen does not mean that he is even remotely qualified to handle diplomacy or have any control over the US military, nor many of the other jobs that are essential to being POTUS.

Originally Posted by PsYcNeT

I'm going to be extremely disappointed now if we don't.

EDIT:

http://www.calgarysun.com/2016/09/27...om-county-fair



I'm pretty sure this guy gives you Trump Supporter Bingo.

Ahh, welcome to rural Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh in the west, Philly in the east, and Kentucky down the middle.

My state is humiliating sometimes.

[Frequitude]

The debate last night finally made me realize what he thinks of his base.

He feels that he can openly lie despite the ease with which can those lies are exposed, that he can spew whatever he wants, and that he can make absolutely no sense. What does that say about his supporters. He's basically calling them idiots or of the lowest common denominator.

I have no idea how any person can support him. I have no respect for anyone who supports him. If you do you're a lowest common denominator idiot. I've decided I'm just going to have to walk away from any live conversations with people who support him because I just don't see how I can debate them without simply calling them exactly that.

[getbak]

In 126 years, The Arizona Republic has never endorsed the Democrat candidate for President... Until now: http://www.azcentral.com/story/opini...ment/91198668/

[GirlySports]

watching a republican candidate bash trade is really something.

[dino7c]

Joe Biden or Bernie would have had this thing wrapped up months ago

south park's big ###### vs. turd sandwich is so spot on

[dino7c]

Trump won't even admit he had the sniffles for #### sake, blamed the mic

"no sniffles"

sir we have video/audio of your sniffles

"no sniffles"

[activeStick]

NC ml qp

[Kavvy]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

That words spoken one is amazing. 1,700 more words in only 3 more minutes of speaking time? Hot air indeed.

Spoiler!

hmmm Hilary dodged questions about trade policy.

[blender]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

The debate last night finally made me realize what he thinks of his base.

He feels that he can openly lie despite the ease with which can those lies are exposed, that he can spew whatever he wants, and that he can make absolutely no sense. What does that say about his supporters. He's basically calling them idiots or of the lowest common denominator.

I have no idea how any person can support him. I have no respect for anyone who supports him. If you do you're a lowest common denominator idiot. I've decided I'm just going to have to walk away from any live conversations with people who support him because I just don't see how I can debate them without simply calling them exactly that.

Honest question: have you ever met anyone who actually supports him? I certainly haven't.

[Ducay]

See this is where so much of the MSM and his detractors are getting it wrong. They're looking at what he says, how he acts, and comparing him to a "typical" republican candidate.

As we've all seen, any one outrageous thing that would have brought down a "typical" candidate, has only made him more popular. His supporters love him for that. He is anti-establishment, anti-PC, anti-a lot of things that average Americans hate. Remember, we're looking at things from liberal, progressive Canada.

That said, the people who are ardently against him probably have only based the majority of their hatred on what the media keeps pushing (racist, bigot, etc). Look for specific examples of racism and you'll probably come up short. (protip: islam isn't a race). People don't hate him for things like his cutting comments against women, for example, because he is just being Donald. They are tired of everyone being too scared to say what they think.

I'm okay with either candidate, Hillary will be much better for my portfolio here in Canada with her insane take on O&G. While Trump will get pipelines built, Clinton nuking US O&G exploration will be great for us here. As much fun as Trump would be, I'd prefer real dollars in my pocket over that.

[PsYcNeT]

Originally Posted by blender

Honest question: have you ever met anyone who actually supports him? I certainly haven't.

A good friend of mine that has kind of gone "off the rails" in the last 2-3 years does, however he's a hippy of the "anarcho-libertarian" stripe, so it's not surprising he just wants to see established political structure burn.

Originally Posted by Ducay

See this is where so much of the MSM and his detractors are getting it wrong. They're looking at what he says, how he acts, and comparing him to a "typical" republican candidate.

As we've all seen, any one outrageous thing that would have brought down a "typical" candidate, has only made him more popular. His supporters love him for that. He is anti-establishment, anti-PC, anti-a lot of things that average Americans hate. Remember, we're looking at things from liberal, progressive Canada.

That said, the people who are ardently against him probably have only based the majority of their hatred on what the media keeps pushing (racist, bigot, etc). Look for specific examples of racism and you'll probably come up short. (protip: islam isn't a race). People don't hate him for things like his cutting comments against women, for example, because he is just being Donald. They are tired of everyone being too scared to say what they think.

I'm okay with either candidate, Hillary will be much better for my portfolio here in Canada with her insane take on O&G. While Trump will get pipelines built, Clinton nuking US O&G exploration will be great for us here. As much fun as Trump would be, I'd prefer real dollars in my pocket over that.

Found Buster's parachute account.

[Senator Clay Davis]

His narcissism drives him to rallies, and his arrogance lets him think he can half ass it and still win. Seems like a losing strategy for debates, but I guess stories from Roger Ailes are what's important to him.

Even as Mr. Trump’s advisers publicly backed him on Tuesday and praised his debate performance, they were privately awash in second-guessing about why he stopped attacking Mrs. Clinton on trade and character issues and instead grew erratic, impatient and subdued as the night went on. In interviews, seven campaign aides and advisers, most of whom sought anonymity to speak candidly, expressed frustration and discouragement over their candidate’s performance Monday night.

They blamed his overstuffed schedule, including a last-minute rally in Virginia that was added days before the debate. They blamed the large number of voluble people on his prep team, including two retired military figures with no political background. And they blamed the lack of time spent on preparing a game plan in the first place.

The shape and schedule for Mr. Trump’s next round of debate preparations are still under discussion, his advisers said.

Some of the advisers want to practice getting under his skin, as Mrs. Clinton did, to gauge his response, but they offered no details about doing so. Others wanted practice sessions built around the next debate’s format, a town-hall-style meeting, where Mr. Trump is likely to engage with undecided voters asking him questions and, at times, move from his chair to walk the stage. Mr. Trump has little experience with the format, which can be challenging for people who do not practice managing their body language and movements.

Several advisers also want to impress upon him the need to stick to a strategy and a plan of battle against a female candidate — the kind of opponent he has less experience facing — rather than spend time polishing a string of disparate zingers that Mrs. Clinton, a skilled debater, was able to easily parry Monday night.

Mrs. Clinton succeeded several times in baiting Mr. Trump, making him become defensive, lose his cool or dig himself into a political hole, particularly late in the debate as he struggled to defend himself against charges that he had made sexist and racist remarks. He also repeatedly interrupted or talked over Mrs. Clinton, which some female voters found alienating. Some allies of Mr. Trump say he is not preparing enough to do battle with a woman in mind; he has only one senior adviser who is a woman, his campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway.

Mr. Trump’s debate preparation was unconventional. Aides have introduced a podium and encouraged him to participate in mock debates, but he has not embraced them, focusing mostly on conversations and discussions with advisers.

During the primaries, the group briefing him for debates was small and closely held. By the weekend before the debate on Monday at Hofstra University, there were nearly a dozen people preparing Mr. Trump, including the retired Army generals Michael Flynn and Keith Kellogg, neither of whom has experience in presidential debates.

There were early efforts to run a more standard form of general election debate-prep camp, led by Roger Ailes, the ousted Fox News chief, at Mr. Trump’s golf course in Bedminster, N.J. But Mr. Trump found it hard to focus during those meetings, according to multiple people briefed on the process who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. That left Mr. Ailes, who at the time was deeply distracted by his removal from Fox and the news media reports surrounding it, discussing his own problems as well as recounting political war stories, according to two people present for the sessions.

Rudolph W. Giuliani, the former New York City mayor and a friend of Mr. Trump’s who has been traveling with him extensively, took over much of the preparation efforts by the end. But with Mr. Trump receiving so much conflicting advice in those sessions, he absorbed little of it.

The team had primed Mr. Trump to look for roughly a dozen key phrases and expressions Mrs. Clinton uses when she is uncertain or uncomfortable, but he did not seem to pay attention during the practice sessions, one aide said, and failed to home in on her vulnerabilities during the debate.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/29/us...smtyp=cur&_r=0

[FlamesAddiction]

If he can't even hire the best people to prepare him for a debate, then how can anyone think he would hire the best people to make America better?

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by getbak

In 126 years, The Arizona Republic has never endorsed the Democrat candidate for President... Until now: http://www.azcentral.com/story/opini...ment/91198668/

Everyone should read that entire editorial, especially anyone even remotely defending Trump or considering him an equal candidate. It's an excellent summary.