The 2016 Presidential Candidates Thread

[cybrguy]

I have never had any love for her. I don't mind arrogance much among folks who have some claim to it. I really dislike it when it is nothing but a personality flaw, as it seems to be with her. I don't think she serves the party, and that is her job. And working to help payday lenders is inexcusable...

Honestly, I think she may think that Hillary works for her...

 

[His_Highness]

Let's take a look at some of the previous sound bites that didn't sink Trump's battleship:
- Disparaging a US POW/War Hero (From his own party no less)
- Attacking Pres. George W. (Again from his own party)
- Racist Muslim remarks
- Racist Mexican remarks
- Remarks denigrating women (Carly F., Heidi K., etc.)
- General immature outbursts (Credit given for entertainment?)

The above didn't slow his roll even a little but the recent KKK/Duke question response has? Really?

I don't know how many Trump supporters you folks have had the opportunity to talk to. I've only had that pleasure twice. If they were representative of his average supporter.... that latest debacle didn't make a dent any more than the statements above did. In fact...I'm giving credit to him for how he handled it....

He was smart enough to know some of his supporters are racist and didn't alienate them. Those of his supporters who aren't racist will be placated by his 'I don't know anything about it/Duke and I can't comment'. He left the door open to rebuttal if he needs to. A simple 'Now that I've had a chance to look into Mr. Duke...blah, blah, blah...'

The republicans who were aghast when he didn't denounce the KKK/Duke and have said so...they were against him to begin with.

Let's see how super Tuesday treats him........I hope I'm wrong.....but I don't think he hurt himself badly at all.

 

[Farid]

My friend's family is voting for Trump, and when he brings up Trump being a racist they say: "You're only saying that because of Farid." These are not old people. They are in their 40s. And this is not in the Bible Belt, it is Massachusetts. I almost want Trump to win so that they can be punished, as all of these people consider themselves conservative. It would be nice watching them destroy their own party, but I can't wish for that to happen to my country.

To be fair, I've heard the same shit from Clinton supporters, but they are better at veiling their prejudice. They'll say something along the lines of "You only judge Clinton on her Iraq vote because you're Muslim" but they'll veil it in a more politically correct wording.

 

[howie105]

As long as Trump sells the brand he has developed over the years he will probably be OK, because its what people expect. On the other hand if he changes his presentation to something like a policy wonk or moderate statesman script it will jar his support base even if he can pull off the show. If you look at some of his remaining in party opposition the change from their initially presentation to an aggressive attack guys rings a bit hollow to some. To a smaller scale Clinton moving her presentation to the left to counter Sanders initial success did not go unnoticed either to many. Sometimes staying on track will work smoother/better then changing up the narrative.

 

[macbill]

There is still time to get behind this guy.

He kind of looks like he brought back the broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the East, and the Wizard decked him out.

 

[CarolKing]

I don't like Debbie Wasserman Shultz either. It's not right how the DNC doesn't take a neutral position between Hillary and Bernie. She needs to step down. She is from Florida and is very anti cannabis. Wasserman Shultz is probably one of the reasons med cannabis failed there last year.

 

[howie105]

I don't like Debbie Wasserman Shultz either. It's not right how the DNC doesn't take a neutral position between Hillary and Bernie. She needs to step down. She is from Florida and is very anti cannabis. Wasserman Shultz is probably one of the reasons med cannabis failed.

The Clinton's and the DNC are in lockstep and it has been so even before Bill got into the office. I really wish it were otherwise or that important national and international policy will change under her administration but I don't expect much.

 

[grokit]

Rep. Alan Grayson (and super-delegate) is pledging his support for Sanders.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-alan-grayson/rep-alan-grayson-i-feel-the-bern_b_9351160.html
To quote Elizabeth Warren:
"Anyone who shrugs and claims that change is just too hard has crawled into bed with the billionaires who want to run this country like some private club."

Three of the rare good ones (imo), all in one post

I don't like Debbie Wasserman Shultz either.

Like their chosen candidate, the dnc is not really progressive,
and not really a friend to people of color:

DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz joins hands with GOP in assault on Elizabeth Warren’s consumer protection agency

 

[macbill]

And don't get me started on Debbie taking money from the alcohol industry and DENIGRATING marijuana. She puts the "duh" in Florida.

 

[cybrguy]

She probably has teenagers. I think that is Obama's problem with cannabis too.

If there was a way to really keep it out of teenagers hands I think a lot more people would favor it, or at least not try to interfere with it. But like alcohol, if it is available at all, teens will get it. Education is the only thing to help with that. And attentive parenting.

I think Bernie is the only remaining candidate who has acknowledged being for it. Rand was, but I think he was the only other.

 

[Gunky]

I suspect there is a divide between privileged parents who can afford lawyers and so on and people with low incomes who can't: the low income group is more afraid of the harm prohibition will do to their child than they are of harm cannabis will do to their child. Well heeled people like the Obamas, Debbie Wasserman Shultz, columnist Ruth Marcus, etc. are worried about their kids smoking pot.

 

[cybrguy]

My parents pulled my ass out of the fire twice when I was a kid. If they hadn't had the resources things may have gone very differently. My skin color and my parents economic well being shouldn't have had anything to do with it. One shouldn't have to be born in the right family to get justice.

I think Bernie and Hillary both believe that and would try to improve the fairness quotient on issues like that. The republicans would have certainly preferred I got jail time, and if they could take away my vote as punishment they would have gladly done so...

 

[hashmasta kut]

She probably has teenagers. I think that is Obama's problem with cannabis too.

If there was a way to really keep it out of teenagers hands I think a lot more people would favor it, or at least not try to interfere with it. But like alcohol, if it is available at all, teens will get it. Education is the only thing to help with that. And attentive parenting.

I think Bernie is the only remaining candidate who has acknowledged being for it. Rand was, but I think he was the only other.

with all the terrible drugs out there teens can get, I think most parents have a sigh of relief if they find out their kid is just using pot..

 

[CuckFumbustion]

Chris Christie Speaks Out About His New Job for Donald Trump

Newspapers Demand Christie Resign, Lament Endorsement for Supporting Trump

Chris Christie just endorsed Donald Trump. He’s said a lot of bad things about him. A lot.

EDITORIAL: Step down, Gov. Christie

Seven New Jersey Newspapers Call on Chris Christie to Resign: ‘We’re Fed Up'
Watch the energy and expression diminish from Christie further into the speech.

 

[grokit]

Hillary took the day again but bernie took four states. I'm disappointed in massachusetts, they went big-time for trump. Bernie looks good going west; even if hillary did squeak by in nevada he's still viable. I wonder if california will decide things this time. Also how will florida go with all the new puerto rican democrats.

 

[macbill]

I believe everybody should vote, even if the candidates are the Devil vs the Devil in Prada. There is a difference, you just have to look for it.

 

[CuckFumbustion]

There is still time to get behind this guy. Derrick Michael Reid
http://2016.presidential-candidates.org/Reid/
If you are curiuos
If http://www.totalitariandemocracy.com/

He kind of looks like he brought back the broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the East, and the Wizard decked him out.

That cropped image didn't help with the crumpled hat. Maybe the image below will help. "Libereen'? is that a word? Say, Is that an actual military cavalry uniform? Well sorry @macbill, still looks like he got hit with a broom of some sort. Well on to the main sideshow....

'Libereens?' ------->,, &

Christie’s excruciatingly bad interview on Donald Trump

 

[CarolKing]

I thought Chris Christy looked ridiculous standing behind Donald Trump during his speech. He might be burning his bridges with the Republican Party. He's has some controversy surrounding him. He's hoping for a VP position - I agree with the above made statements.

Chris Christy did have an odd look on his face.What was going on with Chris Christy? Indigestion or second thoughts?

Edit
Interesting we haven't heard much about Sarah Palin. I did hear a little yesterday on the news while she voted. She said some rattled brained statement.

 

[His_Highness]

Barney Frank was on CNBC yesterday debating Larry Kudlow when the moderator asked Barney what he thought about Trump or Cruz winning the primary.....Barney responded 'I would consider it a gift'.

Best line I've heard in awhile. The delivery was flawless. Kudlow was not happy.

 

[cybrguy]

OK, folks. Now it begins. For 2016 we have a new kind of Presidential election, where downticket republicans are using their leading Presidential candidate to trash their republican competitors. The republicans will do much of the democrats work for them. And we really appreciate it...


This ad is a great start.

Being a "loyal republican" is gonna be pretty tough this election...

 

[grokit]

If I ever gave trump any consideration (I wouldn't anyway), it would vanish the moment he picked christie as his running mate. It's interesting that while Republicans are enjoying record turnouts this primary season, they seem to be running a doomed campaign. Gop voters have no idea who they are at this point, but they know who they are not, and that's democrats. It seems like they will have to either unite or split up at some point. For example even the gop latin vote is not just split between cruz and rubio but also trump, big-time. Trump is really gaining steam and has cross-appeal, which is the scary part. The democrats are not enjoying the kind of turnout the gop is, much to the chagrin of the sanders campaign. I think that the turnout dynamics on both sides are due to disappointment with the obama era; republicans think he went to far and want a different agenda, while the more progressive democrats don't think he went far enough.

 

[His_Highness]

The democrats are not enjoying the kind of turnout the gop is, much to the chagrin of the sanders campaign. I think that the turnout dynamics on both sides are due to disappointment with the obama era; republicans think he went to far and want a different agenda, while the more progressive democrats don't think he went far enough.

Good observations...one of my pet peeves is the ACA didn't take things nearly far enough and I think Sanders is right....not something to build on. Try again. Higher premiums and sky high deductibles aren't working. Sure...more people are covered but for many it costs way more than before and the deductibles are so high that those with ACA coverage still can't pay for the care received. Did the ACA slow down the rising cost of health care.....sure did .... but forcing people to pay for healthcare and then getting stuck to five figure deductibles isn't workable. If Sanders doesn't eke out a win I can't wait to see Hillary's tweaks come to market.

EDIT: I probably shouldn't have read the article about how hospitals and emergency care are still getting stuck with the unpaid bill even when people have coverage because the astronomical deductibles aren't covering them any better than when they had no coverage at all.

 

[cybrguy]

Mass. Gov to Trump and Supporters: Drop Dead

​

Yesterday, in Massachusetts, a lot of people went to the polls to vote in the Republican primary. There were 310,847 folks who voted for Donald Trump. That gave him a very healthy 49.3% of the vote in what was basically a five-man race. John Kasich came in second place with 113,471 votes, which comes to a mere 18.0% of the vote. Rubio got 17.8%, Cruz got 9.6%, and Carson got 2.6%.

That’s an overwhelming endorsement of Trump by Massachusetts right-leaning voters.
So, naturally, the first thing the Republican governor of The Bay State did this morning was endorse Trump, right?

Massachusetts Republican Governor Charlie Baker, under pressure from Democrats and the news media to take a position on whether he would publicly support Donald J. Trump, should he be the GOP presidential nominee, said Wednesday he did not vote for Trump on Tuesday and “I’m not going to vote for him in November.”
​

Now, most of these Massachusetts Trump voters are the same folks who gave Charlie Barker the surprise upset victory that made him the governor in the first place. If 49.3% of them (or thereabouts) are morally rudderless simpletons, how does that reflect on their decision to back Baker?

Seriously, it’s a demonstration of the incredible chasm that has opened up between the Republican base and the thinnest shred of human decency and intellect, that a guy can come into a state and win half the vote in a five-way race and basically sew up the nomination, and the governor of the same party’s reaction is to tell that guy and his supporters to drop dead.

 

[Farid]

Charlie Baker is a very reasonable man. I don't agree with most of his politics, but when the issue of medical cannabis came up he was at least receptive to hear input. He's no crusader for cannabis rights, and has shown he is very ignorant about cannabis, but he was still willing to respond to me when I wrote to him about access to medical cannabis. I think people like him represent the future of the conservative party in this country.

 

[grokit]

Charlie Baker is a very reasonable man...
I think people like him represent the future of the conservative party in this country.

All I can say in response is... I hope you're right.