The 2016 Presidential Candidates Thread

Gunky

Well-Known Member
I don't know what some of you guys are talking about:"going into Syria with the goal of taking out Assad". This is not on the table. The security council is trying to negotiate conditions for Assad to step down.

People keep comparing this to going into Iraq. This is very different from Iraq, which prior to invasion was shitty but stable. The situation in Syria would not be that easy to make worse. Large portions of the population are refugees. More than a million have fled to Europe. Hundreds of thousands are sitting around in neighboring countries. Outside of one or two places under Assad's control the remaining population lives in shivering misery and constant danger.
 
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Farid

Well-Known Member
Kasich, the man opposed to gay rights and medical cannabis, is the last person I'd listen to on the topic of tyranny. I very much dislike Trump and Putin, but I don't trust anything that comes out of Kashich's mouth either.
 
Farid,

howie105

Well-Known Member
The guys on the right say the political operatives on the left are fucked.
The guys on the left say the political operatives on the right are fucked.
Not being able to vote for anything but a political operative I tend to agree with both camps.
 

Farid

Well-Known Member
I think what's going on between the DNC and Sanders is very indicative of the problems the party faces. It's as if Hilary has already been decided on by the powers that be within the party. I wouldn't be surprised if Sanders' ambitious goals threaten a lot of powerful people in the party.
 

cybrguy

Putin is a War Criminal
Ha ha ho ho hee hee. An apology. Really? GMAFB Ha ha ho ho hee hee...


Will Clinton apologize to Trump? ‘Hell, no’

12/21/15 04:36 PM—Updated 12/21/15 04:40 PM

By Steve Benen
During Saturday night’s debate, Hillary Clinton raised a familiar concern that has a lot of merit: Donald Trump’s bigoted rhetoric has the effect of helping America’s enemies. We need to make sure, Clinton said at the debate, that Trump’s more hateful rhetoric doesn’t “fall in receptive ears” abroad.

“He is becoming ISIS’s best recruiter,” the Democratic frontrunner added. “They are going to people showing videos of Donald Trump insulting Islam and Muslims in order to recruit more radical jihadists.”

The syntax got a little garbled, but it sounded as if Clinton was saying there are already ISIS videos in circulation featuring Trump’s rhetoric. Since that does not appear to be the case, Trump is demanding an apology.

That’s not going to happen.

A spokesman for Hillary Clinton says “hell, no,” the candidate won’t apologize to Donald Trump for calling him “ISIS’ best recruiter.”

“Hillary Clinton will not be apologizing to Donald Trump for correctly pointing out how his hateful rhetoric only helps ISIS recruit more terrorists,” said spokesman Brian Fallon in a statement.

It’s worth unpacking this a bit, because the entire story helps capture just how odd this year’s presidential race really is.

First, let’s focus on the substance. Trump’s whining notwithstanding, the truth of the matter is Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric is noticed abroad and has been utilized by radicals. Rita Katz, executive director of the SITE Intelligence Group, recently explained to NBC News that Middle Eastern radicals “love” Trump “from the sense that he is supporting their rhetoric. They follow everything Donald Trump says. When he says, ‘No Muslims should be allowed in America,’ they tell people, ‘We told you America hates Muslims and here is proof.’”

Clinton could have worded this better, but her underlying point is sound: Trump is providing rhetorical ammunition to America’s enemies. There’s ample evidence to bolster the argument.

Second, the lack of self-awareness surrounding Trump’s complaints is astounding, even for him. Without a hint of irony, the Republican frontrunner said this afternoon, in reference to Clinton’s debate comments, “There is no video.” Seriously? Wasn’t the reality-based community using the same four words when Trump claimed he saw imaginary video of thousands of American Muslims celebrating 9/11 in New Jersey?

Third, Trump may not realize this, but for a guy who’s preoccupied with “strength” and “toughness,” watching him whine about Hillary Clinton hurting his feelings isn’t exactly consistent with the image he works so hard to project.

Finally, note that the fight itself is exactly the kind of showdown Clinton and her team want to have. It’s to their benefit to treat Trump like the Republican nominee, and offer a preview of the kind of general-election fight they’d love to have – with the Democrat on the offensive, and the Republican waiting for an apology that will never arrive.
 

cybrguy

Putin is a War Criminal
Besides, what should she apologize for? Anyone who thinks the jihadists aren't using his hate speech to recruit is an idiot. What a whiny bitch he is. And his thin skin is hilarious...
 

Chill Dude

Well-Known Member
Besides, what should she apologize for? Anyone who thinks the jihadists aren't using his hate speech to recruit is an idiot. What a whiny bitch he is. And his thin skin is hilarious...

Agreed, the problem is she did say there was a video showing ISIS using Trump in their propaganda campaign.. It's certainly possible that such a video exists, but fact checkers have not been able to find said video. That said, her main point that Trump is infuriating the Arab world is defiantly true..
 
Chill Dude,

cybrguy

Putin is a War Criminal
Donald Trump is a serial liar. He appears incapable of telling the truth about virtually anything. When he is caught lying ON VIDEO he denies it. Projection is one of his favorite ploys. Politifact, instead of doing their usual "biggest lie of the year" couldn't choose just one and instead made him the "Biggest Liar of the year", and they are certainly not particularly dem friendly.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-m...lie-year-donald-trump-campaign-misstatements/
 

howie105

Well-Known Member
Trump as a recruitment tool pales in comparison to the decade and a half long military action we have been carrying out in the region. Sadly both the Reps and Dems have failed in resolving it and all I hear now from both sides is way too familiar.
 

cybrguy

Putin is a War Criminal
Right, because its up to us to solve the problems of the middle east.
 
cybrguy,

CuckFumbustion

Lo and Behold! The transformative power of Vapor.
Donald Trump is a serial liar. He appears incapable of telling the truth about virtually anything. When he is caught lying ON VIDEO he denies it. Projection is one of his favorite ploys. Politifact, instead of doing their usual "biggest lie of the year" couldn't choose just one and instead made him the "Biggest Liar of the year", and they are certainly not particularly dem friendly.
Sorry, But Liar is giving him too much credit. :lol: You actually have to present something to be disputed. Then be called out for the lie. Not into the name calling but lout, bully and attention seeking histrionic behavior seem to fit. But maybe I'm missing something? :hmm:..... Nah.
 
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grokit

well-worn member
Clinton donors say Sanders is raising more than the front-runner


Bernie Sanders nearly matched Hillary Clinton's fundraising in the last quarter – raising an eye-popping $26 million to Clinton’s $28 million – and multiple sources on Clinton’s team told POLITICO they expect him to beat her when the next financial disclosures are filed next week.


Hillary Clinton’s donors say they think Bernie Sanders will raise more money in the fourth quarter than their candidate for the first time ever — a testament to the underdog’s online cash juggernaut and a harbinger of donor fatigue among the front-runner’s backers.

Her team lowers expectations with one cash-dash week to go in 2015.

Clinton campaign officials said she remains on track to reach her goal of $100 million for the primary by the end of the year; she had already collected $77 million by the end of the third quarter.

But Sanders nearly matched Clinton in the most recent quarter — raising an eye-popping $26 million to Clinton’s $28 million — and multiple fundraising sources on Clinton’s team told POLITICO they expect the Vermont senator to beat her when the next financial disclosures are filed on Jan. 30, just before the Iowa caucuses.

more...

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/12/bernie-sanders-fundraising-hillary-clinton-217063
 

CarolKing

Singer of songs and a vapor connoisseur
It was only a matter of time before The Donald was going to tread down this road.

Washington (CNN)Donald Trump on Saturday night slammed Hillary Clinton by citing her husband's history of marital infidelity and alleged sexual misconduct, escalating the increasingly personal feud between the GOP front-runner and the leading Democratic presidential candidate.

"Hillary Clinton has announced that she is letting her husband out to campaign but HE'S DEMONSTRATED A PENCHANT FOR SEXISM, so inappropriate!" Trump tweeted.

Edit
If I remember right Trump dumped his first wife and had an affair with the young Marla Maples before he was divorced. He's on his 3rd marriage. Interesting we haven't seen much of Trumps current wife. He will dump her when she gets a bit of miles on the odometer.
 
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His_Highness

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
I think this quote comes from a Sandra Bullock movie 'Our brand is crises'. When I read the quote it made so much political sense to me that its stuck in my head......

I'm paraphrasing....it starts with someone saying 'You know that this is a lie' the person responding says 'I know it's not true...I just want to hear him deny it'.

The point being...Defending yourself in response to a lie, just widens the demographics being exposed to the lie. Gives the liar and the lie more press and can add validity to the lie itself. In some cases it's best to ignore Trump. Problem is Trump isn't going to take the high road (I don't think he even knows there is a high road) so he'll just keep-em-coming because as long as its a sensational quote he gets the press whether Hillary responds or not. Someone like Hillary who has too much respect for herself to respond or does respond with the facts is just adding fuel to the lie. Lose-Lose.

The best way to beat Trump is not breathing oxygen into his BS. Wait till the debate...that's where the ass kicking will occur. His true nature shows visually and verbally when he is confronted immediately.
 
His_Highness,

cybrguy

Putin is a War Criminal
So, from a purely Political Science perspective this is all very interesting and exciting. Nobody has ever behaved in this way. Iowa and New Hampshire will answer some critical questions, and may end his candidacy. But if it doesn't, then I don't see how he gets stopped...

Can a campaign that breaks every rule still win?
12/28/15 11:22 AM

By Steve Benen

About four months ago, the University of Virginia’s Larry Sabato, a prominent political scientist, co-authored a piece on Donald Trump’s electoral prospects. “If Trump is nominated,” the analysis said, “then everything we think we know about presidential nominations is wrong. History has shown that presidential nominations tend to follow a certain set of ‘rules.’”

And in Trump’s case, those rules are being challenged in ways without modern precedent. Sabato focused on some key structural and institutional constraints, but one of the “rules” appears especially important now: “[A] likely nominee needs a layered, professional organization that has been carefully constructed at the national level and in each of the early critical states.”

It’s important at this stage to appreciate how far short Team Trump is falling on this front. The New York Times ran a piece the other day that surprised me – because while I knew Trump was blazing his own trail, I didn’t fully understand the degree to which he’s breaking with Campaign 101 orthodoxy.

His advisers have not revealed the existence of any pollsters on their staff or any advertising team. He has no real research operation to examine his own vulnerabilities or those of his opponents and, based on Federal Election Commission filings, little in the way of a voter contact operation to identify and turn out his supporters. […]

[He] has conspicuously opted against spending in conventional ways that could fortify his lead or harm weak rivals, discarding the playbook that winning candidates have used for many decades.

A Washington Post article added over the weekend, “[J]ust as Trump doesn’t spend money on pollsters or focus groups, the campaign has yet to purchase databases of potential voters, a key organizing tool used by most campaigns. Instead of buying such a tool from a private contractor, the campaign has compiled its own database using contact information from every rally attendee, either when they registered online or showed up at the door.”
Not to put too fine a point on this, but as national campaign strategies go, this appears to be bonkers.

We’re not talking about exotic, outside-the-box expenditures. Bakers understand that to make a good loaf of bread, they’re going to need some flour. Guitarists understand that to perform a good song, they’ll need a set of strings. And modern, competitive presidential campaigns – in both parties – understand that to compete nationally and in early nominating contests, candidate invest in some basic elements.

Team Trump simply isn’t making these investments, evidently because the candidate and his aides believe they don’t have to.

At a certain level, Trump and his backers may not see any real value in traditional campaign “rules.” Indeed, breaking those rules may serve as a point of pride. It’s a “movement” in which the Old Way is being replaced with the Trump Way. And if the polls are correct, why mess with success?

The answer, or at least one possible answer, is that the race is entering a more difficult phase, and if Trump lacks necessary infrastructure, he won’t be able to capitalize on his dominant position in the polls.

Over the weekend, the Washington Post highlighted a middle-aged Iowa couple, Bonnie and Randy Reynolds, who’ve bought “Make America Great Again” hats, put on the Trump T-shirts, and who are ready to support the GOP candidate “100 percent.”

So, obviously, the couple plan to caucus for Trump on Feb. 1?

“We’re going to see,” Reynolds said. “With kids and grandkids and all this, it’s kind of hectic…. We’ll look into it. If our time is available, then yeah, maybe we’ll do it. Maybe. We’ll have to see.”

A meaningful campaign infrastructure takes shape in order to make sure folks like Bonnie and Randy Reynolds show up at the campaign rally and at the caucuses.

Trump’s rivals have tried and failed to find ways to slow the frontrunner’s momentum, but perhaps the more pertinent question at this point is whether Trump has found ways to undermine his own chances by choosing such a deliberately nontraditional path.
 

howie105

Well-Known Member
Trump is a brand among other things, with a consumer base built up after decades of marketing. Unless he missteps and damages his brand he will probably continue to hold this consumer base. One of the big questions is can they market Trump to a wider audience fast enough to get him elected?
Now not being a republican or democratic fan I also see a similar marketing component in the Clinton campaign but it is the more traditional presentation that party approved candidates usually present. I think this will make her an easier choice with a wider range of consumers/voters.
What I see as disappointing is that too many folks seem to react to the marketing more then they do the history, connections or the reality surrounding the candidates.
 

CarolKing

Singer of songs and a vapor connoisseur
When you vote for a brand it doesn't take any thinking. People need to actually put some thought into who they are voting into office as president.

Edit
Wow, CNN just commented that the Trump campaign had like 25 million to spend on advertising and didn't need to use any of it so far. Go figure CNN you've given Trump all kinds of free time this last year.
 
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rayski

Well-Known Member
When you vote for a brand it doesn't take any thinking. People need to actually put some thought into who they are voting into office as president.

Edit
Wow, CNN just commented that the Trump campaign had like 25 million to spend on advertising and didn't need to use any of it so far. Go figure CNN you've given Trump all kinds of free time this last year.
Here comes the ad money: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/donald-trump-tv-ad-buy-blitz. 2 million a week.
 
rayski,
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