The 2016 Presidential Candidates Thread

[lwien]

I wonder if it's something he saw in his one of his security briefings;

Good point. Didn't think about that. But if that's the case and he brought up classified material to use for his benefit in a rally makes it worse than just making shit up. Either way, the guy is a fucking idiot simply because it will now be THIS story that will dominate the news tomorrow. Everyone in the GOP says he needs to stay on point, but they don't realize that Donald's compass points in a totally different direction than theirs.

 

[grokit]

I know that's not where you're coming from, Grokit, but there's just no 'there' on most of the anti-HRC stuff: the Benghazi fiasco found nothing, and we should drop the innuendo; Whitewater turned up nothing but...innuendo. If there's ever proof, like we now have about Nixon, I hope we know it eventually, but it only helps us NOW if we're in a clear-and-present-danger situation that pertains to HILLARY AND THE INNUENDO - but NOT to the lack of evidence of any wrong-doing.

I agree that most of the anti-hillary stuff has no merit. But the clinton foundation is another story.

What concerns me is how fucked we made the middle east, with no end in sight. That is the policy that hillary has signed us up for more of, and I think america (and the world) is quite tired of these adventures. And when this comes to bite her on the ass, we could get saddled with something worse (herr drumpf).

 

[lwien]

These new polls that just came out shows a 15% lead for Clinton nationally and double digit leads in battle-ground states (other than Florida). Pendants are saying that the spread will narrow over the next weeks because all that we are seeing is a DNC bounce. I think that being that Trump is incapable of being anything other than Trump, what will happen is that these spreads will actually widen.

He just can't help but jump in shit. He's like a little kid seeing a mud puddle.

 

[Silat]

The Football and Drumpf..

 

[CarolKing]

That huge lead for Clinton is because Trump made a complete idiot out of himself after the DNC convention with all his stupid responses not feeling empathy towards the Khans.

He doesn't always have appropriate reactions to things and then doesn't understand why people are so perplexed.

 

[gangababa]

www.thepoliticalinsider.com
... for the lunatic...

Thanks @CarolKing, I went to the politicalinsider home page and got a good laugh.
Certainly not a home for those who honor truth and decency and the American way.

I know I was shocked to learn that a young lady is getting a summer job; "you won't believe what Sasha Obama just did! Shocking."

"We have confirmed that First Daughter Sasha Obama has taken a job in the luxury vacation destination of Martha’s Vineyard at Nancy’s restaurant."

And did you know that the media is totally ignoring the five Democrats at the Rolling Thunder (description of life under) Trump supporters bikers' rally.
(Is that like athletic supporters?)

 

[Stevenski]

Drumpf seems to be gaining strength from dissing the "establishment" republicans.

This is something the establishment needs to be concerned about. He is the Stone Cold Steve Austin of politics flipping the finger at everyone & not giving a fuck. There are millions of disenfranchised Americans who are desperate & live in hope for something better. Democracy has failed these average Americans & sold out to the corporations who took away their jobs & gave them cheap consumer goods to placate them.

These people are waking up now & they are pissed enough at both sides of the establishment they will vote for a renegade as a fuck you. These people may not have ever voted but they see someone "worth" voting for in Trump.

It's all beer & skittles in November

Til you wake up with a shocking hangover in January wondering how the fuck it all happened

 

[Gunky]

Good point. Didn't think about that. But if that's the case and he brought up classified material to use for his benefit in a rally makes it worse than just making shit up. Either way, the guy is a fucking idiot simply because it will now be THIS story that will dominate the news tomorrow. Everyone in the GOP says he needs to stay on point, but they don't realize that Donald's compass points in a totally different direction than theirs.

Wait, Donald has a compass?

 

[ClearBlueLou]

I agree that most of the anti-hillary stuff has no merit. But the clinton foundation is another story.

What concerns me is how fucked we made the middle east, with no end in sight. That is the policy that hillary has signed us up for more of, and I think america (and the world) is quite tired of these adventures. And when this comes to bite her on the ass, we could get saddled with something worse (herr drumpf).

Can't really talk sensibly about "how fucked we made the Middle East" without talking about World War One, the Versailles Treaty, the League of Nations and...the death and butchering of the Ottoman Empire.

Bear with, please - it's really important, but short: one of the big world-changers out of WW1 was the dissolution of the Ottomans: they spent themselves into the war...until they no longer had the money to either stay in the war, or keep things running at home...it's how we got Kemal Ataturk & modern secular Turkey. The League of Nations carved up the empire and its holding , which is how Italy got Ethiopia, France got Algeria & Tunisia, and how Britain got Arabia & Palestine - mostly, it was Britain and France and the US (in a 'minor' (sneaky) role) introducing the novel concept of the "international mandate".

They (tLoN) also created Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon - and left Kurds scattered everywhere with no home, cut Sunni and Shia into "manageable chunks", and settled in to owning all the oil...(USA ended up swindling the others out of almost all the oil, too, but that's a story of its own).

Arguably, NOTHING the US has done (except overthrowing the Mossadegh government in Iran & re-imposing the Shah) has created as much persistent disruption since - INCLUDING invading Iraq. The real bite seems to be that we're incapable of actually helping anything improve in the region....

Anyway, NOTHING we do is going to make much of a difference until those basic screw-ups are addressed - but we could do a much better job of not making things worse...which would be nice

====

Wait, Donald has a compass?

Yeah - it's clipped to his handlebars....

 

[BD9]

He doesn't always have appropriate reactions to things and then doesn't understand why people are so perplexed.

This is true of his supporters as well. Hannity is now saying that the GOP will be to blame if trump loses the election. These far right wingers are always talking about people taking 'personal responsibility'. Seems far too often they themselves are exempt from this notion.
They are always scapegoating. Fucking hypocrites................

 

[yogoshio]

They are always scapegoating.

Yeah, Dems never do that, just ask Debbie...

 

[His_Highness]

I don't have to agree or even like someone to respect them and there are some republicans I respect.

They are the type of religious folk who actually practice what they preach.
They aren't against the LGBT community but are seriously anti-abortion.
They are fiscally conservative but believe that people and the government are responsible for providing support to those in need.
They are embarrassed and anti-tea party but believe in a republican party that supports the views they were brought up to believe in.
They would never demean themselves by name calling or resorting to violence.
They teach their children to respect others even when they don't agree with them.

The reason I bring up the above is because on more than one occasion I have heard and seen these type of folks pledge to support Trump on behalf of their party......and they looked sadly apologetic when doing so.

I never thought I'd say this .... but I feel sorry for these folks.

 

[lwien]

The reason I bring up the above is because on more than one occasion I have heard and seen these type of folks pledge to support Trump on behalf of their party.

Is there not a point where you say that your country is more important than your party?

 

[His_Highness]

@lwien - The folks I refer to are actually trying to work within the party and with their nominee to 'make Trump better'. They will be part of his economic team, etc.

In their mind they are working to save both the country and their party by working 'on Trump'. They feel as strongly about the good their party is capable of as we dems do. As I said...I don't have to agree with them to respect them.

These people have good hearts. I'm not talking about birthers and the like.

 

[yogoshio]

Is there not a point where you say that your country is more important than your party?

To be fair, is that not a question Hillary supporters could also rightfully ask? I know you can throw all the anti-Trump stuff at me, but at what point does Hillary's sordid deals and past not become something that makes one uncomfortable enough to say, "enough is enough?"

 

[cybrguy]

These people have good hearts. I'm not talking about birthers and the like.

I completely disagree with folks like that, but I can still have respect for them if they are internally consistent. Those Anti Abortion folks who also support capital punishment completely lose me, as their argument becomes meaningless and arbitrary.

 

[lwien]

In their mind they are working to save both the country and their party by working 'on Trump'.

While I admire their desire to make him better, the fact is that Trump is Trump. You're not gonna change his stripes.

These people have good hearts. I'm not talking about birthers and the like.

Understood. I have one of those good hearted Republicans living next door to me. Great guy. Would give the shirt off his back if you needed it. Unfortunately, those good hearted Republicans are either in the minority or they are being drowned out by those that are not good hearted.

I also totally understand why you feel sorry for them. It's like they're caught between a rock and hard spot with nowhere to turn.

 

[His_Highness]

Understood. I have one of those good hearted Republicans living next door to me. Great guy. Would give the shirt off his back if you needed it. Unfortunately, those good hearted Republicans are either in the minority or they are being drowned out by those that are not good hearted.

I also totally understand why you feel sorry for them. It's like they're caught between a rock and hard spot with nowhere to turn.

@lwien - You nailed it.

EDIT: @cybrguy - They are internally consistent. They are also the folks who rally the neighborhood to help someone who has fallen on hard times without knowing that person/family and without being asked. In some ways we have a lot in common and maybe that's why I feel bad for them. They aren't the only ones who find themselves having to support a candidate they don't really want.

I'm not arguing who is more right here. Just pointing out that there is room for empathy.

 

[ReggieB]

To be fair, is that not a question Hillary supporters could also rightfully ask? I know you can throw all the anti-Trump stuff at me, but at what point does Hillary's sordid deals and past not become something that makes one uncomfortable enough to say, "enough is enough?"

Of course it's difficult to put that kind of thing about libertarians as they've never had to be in office and never have to fulfil any of their manifesto claims, then again, they don't seem to stand for too much, I'm pretty sure I saw at the libertarian convention that quite a few in the party want to get rid of the notion of a license to drive...

 

[yogoshio]

But lets take Libs out of the equation (as most claim its not even relevant anyway), doesn't that question still hold weight?

She's lied, cheated, manipulated, made racist comments, rigged a primary, deleted thousands of emails illegally (whether charges are brought, the FBI director still admitted it was illegal), and that's just the recent stuff. At what point does that tip the needle?

 

[lwien]

At what point does that tip the needle?

Tip the needle towards Trump? I don't think she's capable of that.

 

[BD9]

Yeah, Dems never do that, just ask Debbie...

Of course Dems do it, I was talking about Hannity and his blatant hypocrisy. I would ask nothing of DWS.

I re read my post and I guess I was generalizing. It seems to be more prevalent among far right politicians.
I'm not a Democrat, I am a far, far, far left liberal. That doesn't mean I'm not susceptible to hypocrisy , in case you wondering.....................

 

[mestizo]

Those Anti Abortion folks who also support capital punishment completely lose me, as their argument becomes meaningless and arbitrary.

Simple,
Save the innocent, kill the criminal.

Just wanted to answer your question, don't want to derail the thread talking about it anymore, PM me if you want to continue with this subject matter.

 

[ReggieB]

But lets take Libs out of the equation (as most claim its not even relevant anyway), doesn't that question still hold weight?

She's lied, cheated, manipulated, made racist comments, rigged a primary, deleted thousands of emails illegally (whether charges are brought, the FBI director still admitted it was illegal), and that's just the recent stuff. At what point does that tip the needle?

Interesting that you want to talk about the repubs and dems all the time but never about the policies of the libertarians, I can only assume that you're trying to constantly deflect rather than actually debate.

 

[CarolKing]

Unfortunately for the Republicans, Trump and the Tea Party have hijacked the Republican Party. The mainstream republicans need to work to get their party back if it's possible. They will need to make sure that they don't appear to be the party of the xenophobes and the racists. It's probably too late this time around. They need to show America they are the party of everyone.

The Harvard Republicans have decided not to endorse Trump. The representative said it was because of all the crazy stuff about Mr and Mrs Khan last week.

I've read the platform for the Liberatarians and it doesn't fit into my personal politics. You can't vote for a person without voting for what the party stands for.