The 2016 Presidential Candidates Thread

utekai

Well-Known Member
Are you implying that blacks are supporting Trump? You mean all 2% of them?

2% is probably a stretch at this point. But we'll see what happens next. Blacks are FREEDOM LOVING AND SMART. They've just been repressed by Democratic Party policies for years.

Remember Alinsky's Tenants. Remember, Hillarity wrote her thesis on Saul Alinsky. He's her ultimate guide for success in politics. Always was, always will be.

My Sharia!

TRUMP IS ALREADY CAUSING MUCH SUCCESS


1. The trade agreement is dying http://www.infowars.com/ttip-negoti...have-de-facto-failed-german-economy-minister/ . Yes the same trade agreement Hillarity supported ... well, until Trump pointed out the major flaws and suddenly Hillarity changed her mind (yet once again, the 82nd time this month).


2. Open discussion on the Muslim/Islamic threats to WESTERN FREEDOMS


3. Brexit


4. More Brexits to come ... next up, the Netherlands.


5. Blacks given hope for a better future.


6. Legal hispanics given hope for a better future.


7. Power for the people, given back to the people. Yes, we shall see who has the power ... big money and globalists, or people who are able to wake up and break free from the mass media sedatives.


While I do understand what Trump stands for (jobs for ALL Americans, regardless of race, color or religion), service to the people, make America Great Again. I don’t understand ANYTHING Hillarity supports except planned parenthood and more muslim immigration. She changes too often and so suddenly, it’s as if she has no platform to stand on, perhaps that’s why she falls over so much, expecting something to be there when in fact THERE’S NOTHING THERE, so Hillarity falls over yet again.

Wait, I do understand Hillarity's platform.

It's all about who's offering the most money right now. That's the way she'll bend. Over towards the money.

Trump is about security and greatness for America.

Hillarity is about whoever is holding out the most money now. Is it the Russians? Cha-ching, there goes our Uranium. Is it the Saudis? Cha-ching, in with Shariah Law. Is it a terrorist or criminal or someone with a measly $42,000 to offer. Cha-ching, there goes US security.


----------------------

I believe Hillarity can accomplish much. It's just that the only time she chooses to accomplish anything, ANYTHING, is only after payment has been received.

So much for sudden accomplishment. Just $42,000 and up, as per known records of her corruption. Too bad Chris Stevens called the State Dept for help saving American Lives. Yep, should have called Huma!


Diamond and Silk

Black Democrats on Trump


http://www.breitbart.com/big-govern...llary-clintons-race-baiting-not-slave-master/


“She don’t own black people,” stated Diamond. “Black people are coming off of that Democratic plantation. She don’t get to calm the waters and tell black people not to listen to Donald J Trump. Donald J. Trump is telling the truth.

And [Trump] needs to keep speaking it. Keep speaking it. Because black people are listening. And what’s happening is the left is scared. Hillary Clinton is scared. But she is not our slave master. She don’t own black people and we can vote for whoever we want to vote for.”

As I said above, Blacks are FREEDOM LOVING AND SMART. They've just been repressed by Democratic Party policies for years. And then I find proof in that article. Blacks are too smart for Hillarity, and that's why more and more are moving to Trump's truth, away from Hillarity's lies. 2% today. 20% soon. More after that.

May truth and freedom ring the Bell of Liberty yet once again. Vote TRUMP!

More from the wise and well known Black phenoms known as Diamond and Silk:


“Well, you know, they only smear who they fear. And the mere fact that she had a lot of things that come out on her about her emails about these pay-for-play schemes and the mere fact that Donald Trump opened up a can of worms on Hill whenever he started talkin’ about the African-American community. And he didn’t sugarcoat it. He called it exactly the way he should have called it. And the left started runnin’ scared. She started getting scared. And that’s why she came out with that speech.

See, it’s timeout for sugar coating because up under all of that sugar is mess. And he’s callin’ it like he see it. And Hillary Clinton, she has no solutions to what’s going on in the African-American or minority community or in urban cities. She has no clue. She don’t have a solution. So the best next thing let me do is bash Donald Trump.

But you all have to understand us here and she’s going to have to understand it. She do not own black people. She is not our slave master. We can vote for whoever we want to vote for. Donald Trump cannot help who embrace his campaign. But Hillary Clinton can help who she embrace. When she embraced Senator Robert Byrd. He was a KKK member. That’s what she should have been on TV talking about.

And she said that was her mentor.

That’s right. And her friend. That’s what she should have been talking about. Look at all this stuff that she has backed. And then she had the nerve to use paid actors. Paid actors in a commercial to try to smear Donald Trump. Oh, what a sad day. She don’t own black people. Black people are coming off of that Democratic plantation. She don’t get to calm the waters and tell black people not to listen to Donald J Trump. Donald J. Trump is telling the truth…

…He is not ignoring the problem. He is callin’ the problem like he see it. And he said it the way it needed to be said. When I see these black pundits on television actin’ like this don’t exist, this lets me know that they are livin’ in denial. That’s because they already live behind their picket fences. When I look out in Milwaukee and see them burnin’ down their community. They are not bring down their communities because someone got shot. They’re burnin’ down their communities because they are tired of being in poverty and not being given opportunities. That’s why they are burnin’ down their communities.

And so some of these people are in denial. Donald Trump is not in denial. And let me tell you another thing. The left, they don’t have a solution. Nobody has a solution but Donald Trump. Let’s go in and let’s fix these inner cities because this has got to stop. All of this crime has got to stop. All of this drugging has got to stop. And guess what. These people got to come up because they are part of America, too. So what he is doin’ is speaking for the voiceless. The words that don’t have a voice. He’s speaking for those people. And what do the hell do they have to lose? Let me tell you something. Poverty. Being in impoverished areas and coming up. And comin’ up. You will gain comin’ up and having opportunities.

When people have opportunities where they are thriving they are not gonna wanna burn down their communities. They are not gonna want to kill and gun down their brothers and sisters. But when nobody have opportunities there’s no hope. They feel hopeless. Life is not worth livin’. And you got to get people to coming up again. So I appreciate the way Donald Trump say it. And he needs to keep speaking it. Keep speaking it. Because black people are listening. And what’s happening is the left is scared. Hillary Clinton is scared. But she is not our slave master. She don’t own black people and we can vote for whoever we want to vote for.”

To hear more from these wise Black Democrats (well, from the sounds of it, former Democrats, or just people who woke up), visit their website http://www.diamondandsilkinc.com/ and check out their videos http://www.diamondandsilkinc.com/videos/ .

--------------------------------

So in summary, maybe only 2% of blacks are awake and watchful thus far in the campaign, but more are waking up everyday. It may well be the Blacks of the US who rise up and lead the way to make America Great again starting with their votes for Trump. The same ones who will stand up to the slavemasters called the Democratic Patry of Racists. The same ones who know Hillarity should be serving more prison time than a marijuana dealer.

And why is it marijuana dealers spend some much time in prison? Well, remember that crime bill signed by Rapist Bill and supported, STRONGLY, OH SO STRONGLY supported by Hillarity, the same bill she said was to put away SUPER PREDATORS (aka Black offenders) for life!

Racist Hillarity and Rapist Bill. The ultimate WHITE POWER COUPLE!


"She don’t own black people and we can vote for whoever we want to vote for."

Actually, I'd offer Hillarity does think she owns black people. It's the Democratic Party's way. It's the KKK way. It's the racist way. It's Hillarity's way.

Vote Trump. VOTE FOR AMERICA TO BE GREAT AGAIN!

Or vote for improved Chinese infrastructure built with US dollars, and Sharia Law here at home.

My Sharia!
 
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utekai,

utekai

Well-Known Member
Macbill was right. Just click on the user handle and then Ignore. There is no point trying to wade through all that wingnut stuff.

You mean wingnut like from the General who delivered Intelligence to Obama and Hillarity, which they chose to ignore as they let ISIS grow into a formidable terrorism force, planting thousands of Islamists into Western socieities in order to bring WAR to the West?

http://www.breitbart.com/2016-presi...gence-not-like-middle-east-wanted-happy-talk/

Or wingnut like sending Iran $1.6 billion so they can finance more terrorism?

Yep, lots of wingnuts. Best to ignore them! That's Hillarity's message from this past week. Ignore everything that's happening, life is great. After all Hillarity and Rapist Bill have reaped $240 million personally, with another $1.4 billion in the foundation. Yeah, life is great for the criminals.

Or seek truth. Seek out and listen to Trump's message right from the horse's mouth, the Donald's mouth.

Seek out a Great America, not more poverty and globalism and war. Vote Trump and leave the wingnuts for the Democrats to assimilate.

Or vote for more Chinese infrastructure projects financed with your and your neighbor's jobs moving to China. Vote for corruption and laws served up to the highest bidder. Vote for graft, for racketeering and more inner city poverty.

Yeah, I can see how the two choices must be confusing for Democrats that support Hillarity. Very confusing indeed. Best to ignore wingnuts and vote for Hillarity. That's the fun thing to do.

My Sharia! I mean according to Obama and Hillarity, Sharia Law can be nothing but fun! I mean why would Rapist Bill promote Sharia education if it wasn't fun? Oh yeah, he got paid $15 million to promote Sharia Law, and Hillarity got the US to fund that education (and pay for Rapist Bill's payoff).

My Shariah!

Oh, what about guns?

It's a fact, that most murders and shootings occur where repressive and restrictive gun laws are most pervasive.

In opposition, there where gun carry is pervasive among the population, crime literally disappears. It's the truth Hillarity doesn't want to let out. Criminals don't want to get shot, they want to do the shooting. So they seek out 'Gun Free' zones, where they can carry out their devious deeds. But where FREE LAW ABIDING AMERICANS are free to carry self defense weapons, crime disappears. Crime disappearing is NOT what Obama and Hillarity seek, they seek total and complete enslavement to the masters, their mega billionaire donors who control their every word, their every move.

if guns are outlawed, ONLY OUTLAWS will have guns. SO VERY TRUE. That is why you should go buy a gun and carry it on your person, loaded and ready. It's one of the few ways to quickly protect American Freedoms and American Liberty. Arm up and be ready to protect the US Constitution right from home! Unfortunately, you may need to do just that! To protect against tyranny or from repressive Sharia Laws forced upon you by the soon to come million Islamists Hillarity vows to import just in the first two years of her Dictatorship.

But there's hope ... http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/surprise-gun-ownership-rises-to-44-of-all-homes/article/2600319
 
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utekai,

lwien

Well-Known Member
So basically, we've only got one Trump supporter here and this is what we get? Damn, and here I thought we may be able to carry on a serious, educational debate but instead we get this "My Shariah" crap.

Listen guys, we've had a great thread going on here. While we didn't really get any serious Trump supporters here, we did get some serious Hillary supporters as well as some who were kinda in the middle camp that didn't really like either Hillary or Trump and so they brought up valid negatives and positives about both candidates and I want to personally thank you guys 'cause I've learned quite a bit that was outside of my preconceived ideas about all of this. It's been a welcomed education and I have no doubt that most of you feel the same.

In regards to this "My Shariah" guy, I'm not gonna call him what he is 'cause that would be breaking forum rules but it's obvious from his posts that he is doing nothing more than taunting us into replying. To me, as I am sure to others, it is obvious what he is doing here and what he is doing is totally counter to the spirit of this thread so my suggestion is the following:

Either put him on ignore, or just don't respond at all. I have responded but I will no longer. Eventually, he will just disappear like they all do. If you feel the need to respond, know that you are encouraging him to stay so ask yourselves, is that really what you want?

I wasn't going to post this as it is really treading on thin ice as far as the be nice rule so instead, I reported him for what he is but apparently, the powers that be feel that his presence here is acceptable. Personally, I don't, hence, this post.

I may get a warning on this, but I sincerely hope that my efforts here don't encourage the closing of this thread but if this kinda diatribe that this "My Sharia" guy is allowed to continue, than in my opinion, this thread is not serving it's intended purpose and it SHOULD be shut down.

Hopefully, he will either just go away or be forced out the door.

Over..........and out.

Edit: Oh, one more thing. I need to clarify that I, as I am sure everyone else here WELCOMES dissenting opinions so much so that those that felt that they were in the minority being that didn't totally support Hillary and therefore felt that they had to leave, I, as well as others, encouraged them to stay because of their contribution to this thread but that is not what is going on here. What is going on here is tantamount to yelling "Fire" in a movie theater.

Ok, now.... over and out....
 
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t-dub

Vapor Sloth
Listen guys, we've had a great thread going on here. While we didn't really get any serious Trump supporters here, we did get some serious Hillary supporters as well as some who were kinda in the middle camp that didn't really like either Hillary or Trump and so they brought up valid negatives and positives about both candidates and I want to personally thank you guys 'cause I've learned quite a bit that was outside of my preconceived ideas about all of this.
Thanks. Coming in here and speaking negatives about H has been daunting to say the least. But I try to be critical of both sides with hope that the dialogue will be fruitful.
I may get a warning on this
You just may if you continue to discuss Mod decisions in public . . . ;)
Oh, one more thing. I need to clarify that I, as I am sure everyone else here WELCOMES dissenting opinions so much so that those that felt that they were in the minority being that didn't totally support Hillary and therefore felt that they had to leave, I, as well as others, encouraged them to stay because of their contribution to this thread
Again, many thanks. I still dislike both candidates and I try to balance my remarks, positive or negative, on both. Not only have I learned a lot in this thread about the topic, but also how to contribute in a meaningful way on a very sensitive issue without burning the house down. I know I don't get much love for the things I write, but at least no one PM'd me with threats yet . . . :lol:

Best thread ever . . . :popcorn:
 

Silat

When the Facts Change, I Change My Mind.
Oh, but abortions are always on zygots, not babies. Remember friend, and sleep soundly tonight.

Who does that sound like? Oh yeah, I remember now.
That sounds just like your kissin cousins the Islamic extremists.
Christian Talibanistas and Islamic extremists are hard to tell apart.
Both love:
1/ Theocracy
2/ Sharia (christian or islamic)

Now I will do my best to not respond to the extremist.
 

CarolKing

Singer of songs and a vapor connoisseur
I also have learned a great deal on this thread. I have done some research to broaden some of my knowledge base. I've really enjoyed this thread and will try to be somewhat open minded. Most of us have respected each other's opinions even though we haven't always agreed.

We will try to keep this thread open so everyone remember to be nice. I have chosen to ignore some, never have had to do that.
 

lwien

Well-Known Member
Coming in here and speaking negatives about H has been daunting to say the least.

No doubt. Takes some balls to do that. Much respect....

...I try to be critical of both sides with hope that the dialogue will be fruitful.

It has been fruitful.

I know I don't get much love for the things I write....

Ok, here's some love comin' your way.........:luv::luv: and no, I'm NOT that kinda guy.
 

TeeJay1952

Well-Known Member
Macbill was right. Just click on the user handle and then Ignore. There is no point trying to wade through all that wingnut stuff.

You hate to make it an echo chamber but two messages in I blocked and I have been watching your guys reaction to "stick in the eye" posting. A real shame as I do want to understand where the other side is coming from but life's too short to educate the unwilling.

On a positive note : the block works very well. (As the Who said "Let's forget you better still.")

It doesn't have to be rational but it must be civil.
 

Farid

Well-Known Member
You're all over the place my friend. Your hatred of Muslims has blinded your ability to reason. You can't even take a position on key issues because of your hated.

Lets look at how you view Syria for instance. You condemn ISIS, but then you attack all Muslims including Iran. So what do you propose? We kill all Muslims? Cause right now the people fighting ISIS are Muslims from Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Iran. You can't support a government victory if you are against Iran so vehemently, and you can't support a rebel victory if you are against Al Qaeda and Saudi Arabia. What do you propose then, we kill them all?

As for your obsession with rape, I'm not sure where you got that (I can only imagine). All I can say is that when I go to a conservative Muslim family, I am not even allowed to shake hands with the women. If that is frowned on, I'm sure anything else is as well. I know for a fact rape is punishable by death under Sharia law.
 
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utekai

Well-Known Member
Posting your opinion is one thing, but when you cross the line and start calling other members stupid you've gone too far. Warning point issued.
Ahhh, so interesting to see what happens when Hillarity Supporters get some truth instead of the lies in their diet. They hide from it.

Truth will set you free.

1. It's the economy stupid. The 1% are doing FANTASTIC, the 80% are moving towards or already in poverty, the US cannot pay it's debts. Politicians are not capable of running an economy.

2. Islam is at war with Christianity. It is the basis of the religion. Hillarity took funding, massive funding, and is promoting the Islamization of the West, and the war has spread to to Western countries, that up to now have been free.

3. Hillarity is the 'Entitlement' candidate. Starting with her own expectation that she is 'Entitled' to be president. There is the Establishment machine she represents. But except for throwing out the oldest Democratic play in the book ... call your opponenent a Racist, Hillarity has NOTHING. Because it's the economy stupid, and it resulted from carrying out the acts Obama and Hillarity were hired by their big money backers to carry out. Those backers being the Chinese, the Russians and Islamic promoters.

4. Mass media, the mouthpiece of big money, is losing it's grip on control. Thank God the US still has a chance, and Trump has the bullhorn.

What is going on here is tantamount to yelling "Fire" in a movie theater.

True. The US is on fire, literally, and it's time that someone started yelling to wake up all the slumbering Hillarity supporters so they are able to see some truth and pull away the mass media lies from their stunted and tightly limited field of vision.

If he's at 2% then drumpf's support from blacks has more than doubled.
Hillary's at 84% so it's no time to panic :tup:

Hmmm, 2, 4, 6, 8 ... who do we appreciate? Trump! Trump! Trump!

You'll want to tune into to Trump's speech in Detroit this week. 2%, then 4%, then 85%. That's how it happens. Slowly but surely the repressed and enslaved blacks are waking up to the lies of the Racist Democratic Party and will flee en masse.

Legal hispanics are already backing trump.

Interesting article that shows what happens when tax payers vote ... the Democratic Party, the entitlement party, the party of slavery that convinced the slaves for the last 54 years to vote for their slave master ... gets decimated. It's the entitlement party, where the entitled are the 1% and everyone else is a slave.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-08-28/what-if-only-taxpayers-voted
 
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Farid

Well-Known Member
I have never supported Hillary. I just have to correct misinformation when people post lies.

Islam is not at war with Christianity, the only people protecting the Christians of Syria have been Muslims working with the Syrian government. Christians and Muslims are fighting side by side as members of the Syrian NDF, the SSNP, the Syrian Arab Army, the Syrian Republican Guard, the Syrian Arab Air Foces, the Iraqi PMUs, etc. They are fighting radical Islamists, but there are Muslims like me all over the world who support the Syrian government in their fight against Al Qaeda. I agree Hillary has been on the wrong side of this issue.

If Islam is a war with Christianity why would Ba'athism still have strong support among Arab Muslims? Ba'athism was founded by Michel Aflaq, a Christian, and incorporates many Christian values into its governing system. If you read Aflaq's Battle For One Destiny the Christian roots in the Middle East are highlighted and emphasized.

Likewise if Islam was at war with Christianity why would the Lebanese Christians have peace with Hezbollah? Why wouldn't they continue to support the Kataeb Party, which emphasizes Christian hegemony in Lebanon?

But I do not agree with your hateful rhetoric. Otherwise I'd have to hate myself and my family.

As a good rule of thumb replace the word Muslim with Jew and the word Islam with Judaism, and if it sounds bigoted it probably is.
 
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lwien

Well-Known Member
I have never supported Hillary. I just have to correct misinformation when people post lies.

Islam is not at war with Christianity, the only people protecting the Christians of Syria have been Muslims working with the Syrian government. Christians and Muslims are fighting side by side as members of the Syrian NDF, the SSNP, the Syrian Arab Army, the Syrian Republican Guard, the Syrian Arab Air Foces, the Iraqi PMUs, etc. They are fighting radical Islamists, but there are Muslims like me all over the world who support the Syrian government in their fight against Al Qaeda. I agree Hillary has been on the wrong side of this issue.

If Islam is a war with Christianity why would Ba'athism still have strong support among Arab Muslims? Ba'athism was founded by Michel Aflaq, a Christian, and incorporates many Christian values into its governing system. If you read Aflaq's Battle For One Destiny the Christian roots in the Middle East are highlighted and emphasized.

Likewise if Islam was at war with Christianity why would the Lebanese Christians have peace with Hezbollah? Why wouldn't they continue to support the Kataeb Party, which emphasizes Christian hegemony in Lebanon?

But I do not agree with your hateful rhetoric. Otherwise I'd have to hate myself and my family.

As a good rule of thumb replace the word Muslim with Jew and the word Islam with Judaism, and if it sounds bigoted it probably is.

If I remember correctly, Farid, you were one of those who stated that they had to leave because you felt pressure for your contrarian views but you were encouraged to stay by me and others. Thank God you stayed, for your posts such as the one above has been super educational and enlightening for many of us. You post up info that I either never thought about or never knew or both and I thank you for that.

In my opinion, this has been one of the, if not, the best threads that I have ever read here or anyplace else on a sensitive subject such as this and I really hope that it can continue.

Again Farid, thank you for taking the time in giving us a glimpse into a portion of our world that many of us rarely if ever see. :tup:
 
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Joel W.

Deplorable Basement Dweller
Accessory Maker
It's true, I don't post much negative trump stuff because I was holding out hope he was trying to bring down the Gop.

With his recent flip flops though, I see now, he may actually be trying to win this and he is bringing out the extremist with him. So not worth it.

I pick on H more because I believe she is guilty on the email issues and pay to play with the foundation and state Dept. favors. Still not over... More to come...

Now, It was good to see her adapt some of Bernie's ideas. It makes it easier to get past the dishonestly for me. Hope she keeps to it.

Everything else seems like just baseless smear and it is unfair.
 
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Farid

Well-Known Member
Thanks lwein, that means a lot to me. I guess what made me want to leave this thread was the same thing that makes a lot of Americans not want to vote. This feeling like everybody had made their point, people were not going to agree, and that compromise was futile.

I felt especially disenfranchised because my vote for Bernie was a compromise. I do not support his idealism, and I wish he was more pragmatic, but I compromised and voted for him. When he dropped out I was hoping his liberal supporters who refuse to vote for Clinton would compromise and vote for Johnson instead of Stein, since I see Stein as a throw away. I say that because Johnson at least can appeal to Liberals and Conservatives who are disenfranchised by the two parties, whereas Stein will only ever appeal to the far left.

When I see ex Bernie supporters slander Johnson for being a "Republican" I have to scratch my head, because policy wise, Johnson is far to the left of Clinton on so many social issues (going to war, drugs, funding of countries like Saudia Arabia). It's also funny because that was the same argument that was used against Sanders: that he wasn't a real democrat, and that he was really a socialist. When those same ex Bernie supporters go and start supporting Clinton I have to wonder what their priorities are. For me I supported Sanders because he was anti war. Johnson is also anti war. Clinto is pro war. Was it really the economic stuff that made Bernie appealing? Because I think his economic policies were where he was weakest.
 
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His_Highness

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Looks like a good time was had by all yesterday.....not.

Once I saw the new participant's posts yesterday it took me all of about 5 minutes to see where the discussions were headed.

The new participant would pose questions as a means to throw something incendiary out there but when the questions were responded to and someone replied with their own question.....not only were the questions not answered but the question resulted in a deflection to something else incendiary or an outright ignore of the question.

This was nothing more than someone getting enjoyment out of antagonizing those who were hoping for an intelligent, adult debate/conversation. That's why the only response I offered was .... 'and I'm out'.

I was surprised that so many of us took the bait. Just because the prepared responses were somewhat eloquent didn't hide their true intention.
 

cybrguy

Putin is a War Criminal
It is a little sad that I find joy in the failures on the right. We ARE all in this together, after all, and there SHOULD be a way for us to work together on this stuff. But in their foolish scorched earth kind of way the Republicans have made that all but impossible, so the only way to win is to absolutely destroy them. And fortunately The Donald continues to do everything in his power to help us.
So, I will sit quietly and watch as their FRANKENSTEIN MONSTERs (Donald AND Fox) rise up and destroy them from within... (Well, maybe not quietly...)
http://washingtonmonthly.com/2016/08/29/gop-leadership-has-been-ejected-from-the-epistemic-bubble/
GOP Leadership Has Been Ejected From the Epistemic Bubble
by Nancy LeTourneau
August 29, 2016 8:58 AM

Back in 2010, David Frum (former George W. Bush speechwriter) issued a warning to Republicans.

I’ve been on a soapbox for months now about the harm that our overheated talk is doing to us. Yes it mobilizes supporters – but by mobilizing them with hysterical accusations and pseudo-information, overheated talk has made it impossible for representatives to represent and elected leaders to lead. The real leaders are on TV and radio, and they have very different imperatives from people in government. Talk radio thrives on confrontation and recrimination…If Republicans succeed – if they govern successfully in office and negotiate attractive compromises out of office – Rush’s listeners get less angry. And if they are less angry, they listen to the radio less, and hear fewer ads for Sleepnumber beds.​

Of course, the GOP didn’t listen. Instead, they literally threw Frum out of the party and continued to tap into right wing media to fuel the anger that drove their strategy of total obstruction. As Oliver Darcy wrote:

For the most part, Republicans and the conservative media existed symbiotically. Republicans used their newfound apparatus as a vehicle to drive home their message to supporters. Simultaneously, the conservative news media sought to lock in its audience by characterizing the mainstream press as an industry comprising dishonest liberals — something with which the GOP was more than happy to go along.

“What it became, essentially, was they were preaching this is the only place you can get news. This is the only place you can trust. All other media outlets are lying to you. So you need to come to us,” said Ted Newton, president of Gravity Strategic Communications and former communications adviser to 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

“And so in an attempt to capture an audience, they almost made them slaves to those news outlets. So there is a whole group of people who will only watch Fox, who will only read Breitbart. And they are living in a bubble,” he added.​

But along the way, things went awry. Darcy points to this recent diatribe from Sean Hannity.

The Fox News host and conservative personality was fed up with Republican leaders in Washington — and he wasn’t hiding it from the millions of listeners tuned into his radio program.

“If in 96 days Trump loses this election, I am pointing the finger directly at people like [House Speaker] Paul Ryan and [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham and John McCain and John Kasich and Ted Cruz — if he won’t endorse — and Jeb Bush and everybody else that made promises they’re not keeping,” Hannity exclaimed, later threatening to endorse Ryan’s far-right primary challenger.​

That was followed pretty quickly by Trump’s hire of Stephen Bannon from Breitbart News – which regularly echoes Hannity’s rant – as his campaign CEO.

The fact that Republican leadership has now become the target of right wing news presents them with two big problems. First of all, where do they go to tell their story?

That has left conservatives who oppose Trump in a tricky position when trying to get their message to supporters. No longer can Ryan or Cruz turn to Hannity for a softball interview. They can’t work with Breitbart or rely on Drudge to help with their legislative agenda.

These Republicans have effectively been exiled from the conservative news media, leaving them with a problem.

“They don’t have any place to go. How else do you get your message out? You can’t do it in the mainstream. This is the way you reach conservatives,” Ziegler said. “We have taught conservatives for many years to trust nothing other than what they hear in conservative media. Yet the conservative media has now proven to be untrustworthy.”​

Secondly, where do the #NeverTrump people go to combat his attacks and lies?

One of the chief problems, Sykes said, was that it had become impossible to prove to listeners that Trump was telling falsehoods because over the past several decades, the conservative news media had “basically eliminated any of the referees, the gatekeepers.”

“There’s nobody,” he lamented. “Let’s say that Donald Trump basically makes whatever you want to say, whatever claim he wants to make. And everybody knows it’s a falsehood. The big question of my audience, it is impossible for me to say that, ‘By the way, you know it’s false.’ And they’ll say, ‘Why? I saw it on Allen B. West.’ Or they’ll say, ‘I saw it on a Facebook page.’ And I’ll say, ‘The New York Times did a fact check.’ And they’ll say, ‘Oh, that’s The New York Times. That’s bulls—.’ There’s nobody — you can’t go to anybody and say, ‘Look, here are the facts.'”

“And I have to say that’s one of the disorienting realities of this political year. You can be in this alternative media reality and there’s no way to break through it,” Sykes continued.​

Julian Sanchez defined this as “epistemic closure” back in 2010.

One of the more striking features of the contemporary conservative movement is the extent to which it has been moving toward epistemic closure. Reality is defined by a multimedia array of interconnected and cross promoting conservative blogs, radio programs, magazines, and of course, Fox News. Whatever conflicts with that reality can be dismissed out of hand because it comes from the liberal media, and is therefore ipso facto not to be trusted. (How do you know they’re liberal? Well, they disagree with the conservative media!)​

When we talk about how/why the #NeverTrump movement failed and why nothing Trump says/does breaks through to give his supporters pause…there you have it. The right wing media readers/listeners/watchers are living in the epistemic bubble created by the likes of Hannity, Drudge and Limbaugh.

I would suggest that this is a much bigger and long-term problem for the GOP than is presented by their current presidential nominee. Their leadership has effectively been kicked out of the epistemic bubble and are under attack from the base of their party’s support. As Frum predicted and we’ve witnessed over the years, there is not much the Republican Congressional leadership can do to satisfy these folks in the right wing media because their ratings rely on fomenting anger and threats to “blow shit up!” I suspect this is precisely why Paul Ryan resisted taking on the role of House Speaker after John Boehner was ejected from his leadership position. He knows that he is now the target and this won’t end well.
 

His_Highness

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Over the weekend I watched democrat and republican leaning pundits. I was looking for responses to the recent HRC speech that many felt was well done in delivering a sober, damaging review of Trump's run and statements. I watched both democratic and republican leaning channels.

I could not find one republican pundit or republican politician willing to comment on a HRC quote from that speech or the speech itself. Even when directly asked about the speech or parts of it, the republican supporters would not comment. I guess they couldn't rebut when the HRC speech included so many 'factual' sound bites from high ranking republicans that denounced what Trump did or said.

What I did see/hear was comments on Trump's attempt to convince African Americans and Hispanics that the republicans/Trump were a better choice for their demographic. When the debate was allowed to flow equitably the democrat would state it was a ploy and the republican would say 'At least Trump is trying and he's doubled his acceptance rate'. Naturally the democrat would clarify the acceptance rate did double .... from 1% to 2%.

The hot topic this weekend was 'pay for play' contributions to the Clinton Foundation and the tie to DoS. This one had me shaking my head at both parties. The republican would mention foreign contributions to the foundation and foreign speeches paid for in the hundred's of thousands. The democrat would mention 'access to politicians in this manner is nothing new for either party' and 'there is no proof that any policy decisions were affected by this access'. The most damaging republican quip was 'Hillary and Bill have said that if Hillary wins the presidency they will not remain affiliated with the foundation to remove any concerns. Shouldn't this stance have been just as important when she was SoS'?

The statement that 'access to politicians in this manner is nothing new for either party' bugs me regardless of which party it is....either your in it to make the world a better place or you're looking for a revolving line of credit. Please excuse my naivte.....
 

CarolKing

Singer of songs and a vapor connoisseur
@Farid thank you for your words of wisdom. I don't think many of us know enough about the Muslim faith to come back with an intelligent statement. I guess I shouldnt speak for everyone else, mostly talking about myself. I enjoy your posts. I would have given you 5 likes if I could have.

That's what America is built on. Our foundation is the different ethnicities and religions all brought together in a country that is suppose to honor everyone. I think that's what most people do.

Trumps prejudice talk is signaling all the racists and haters to come out from the dark corners of their closets and out from under their beds where they have been hiding.

I'm not happy with my presidential choices but sometimes we need to make the best of a bad situation. Everyone just needs to get out and vote.
 
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grokit

well-worn member
22272e00380a01349606005056a9545d

:doh:
 
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