2016 Presidential Race

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 11:03 am

Jesus, J-Lo, he's just messing around. Smile.

Keg · Post by **Keg** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 11:11 am

Who does Trump pick for VP?

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 11:14 am

Keg wrote:Who does Trump pick for VP?

Yeah, he's pissed off all the other candidates. Does he have any friends out there?

I'm going with Tom Brady.

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 11:22 am

Maybe one of the ones that dropped out early?

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 11:23 am

Schwarzenegger

Jerloma · Post by **Jerloma** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 11:27 am

Please be Palin.

DaveInSeattle · Post by **DaveInSeattle** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 11:28 am

Keg wrote:Who does Trump pick for VP?

Palin. She already knows the drill.

P.D.X. · Post by **P.D.X.** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 11:30 am

It would be funny, but the look on Trump's face when she was doing her free-from poetry slam at his endorsement tells me he knows she's a clown.

Besides, being a "good businessman", he's not going to bring someone on who already tanked someone else's run.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 11:31 am

Keg wrote:Who does Trump pick for VP?

Why does he need a VP? He is Trump, he'll be so fahntastic he can do it all by himself.

Keg · Post by **Keg** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 11:34 am

tennbengal wrote:Maybe one of the ones that dropped out early?

Good point - Huckabee and Santorum joined him on stage at his wounded warrior rally. Christie might also be a good fit. VP selection might be the reason why Kasich and Dr. Carson are still in, though I can't see Kasich teaming up with him.

DaveInSeattle · Post by **DaveInSeattle** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 11:39 am

Keg wrote:
tennbengal wrote:Maybe one of the ones that dropped out early?
Good point - Huckabee and Santorum joined him on stage at his wounded warrior rally. Christie might also be a good fit. VP selection might be the reason why Kasich and Dr. Carson are still in, though I can't see Kasich teaming up with him.

Can't be Carson. I'm guessing it will be someone who has been in Gov't/Washington for a long time, who would do the heavy-lifting/actual work of a Trump Administration, with The Donald being the ceremonial figurehead.

(Excuse while I go pound my head on the wall for just typing that).

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 11:42 am

My wife commented that someone mentioned our horrendous governor for Trump's VP. Get ready for this asshole.

vandwagon · Post by **vandwagon** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 11:44 am

Keg wrote:
tennbengal wrote:Maybe one of the ones that dropped out early?
Good point - Huckabee and Santorum joined him on stage at his wounded warrior rally. Christie might also be a good fit. VP selection might be the reason why Kasich and Dr. Carson are still in, though I can't see Kasich teaming up with him.

A Trump and Huckabee or Santorum ticket would be so good for the Democrats. Pretty please make it happen.

Why not Rick Scott? (That's who that is, right?) Put the 4 time bankruptcy filer with the guy who's company pled guilty to defrauding the government.

DaveInSeattle · Post by **DaveInSeattle** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 11:44 am

This is just too delicious....Republicans accusing Republicans of voter fraud...

Nevada GOP Caucus Looks Like A Voter Fraud Bonanza

Anyway, there were hopes that tonight might be a good night for Ted Cruz, as his famously effective grassroots organizing effort took flight in a caucus that featured the highest number of “very conservative” voters in the 2008 and 2012 primaries; or that it could be a good night for Marco Rubio, a onetime Nevada resident and youthful member for a few years of the influential Mormon church. But before we get any vote totals, those hopes are already dashed by reports of a chaotic caucus process apparently run by one of Las Vegas’ largest employers, Donald Trump.

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 11:59 am

Trump/Walker?

Post by **brian** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 12:04 pm

It would be a ridiculous overstatement to call Donald Trump one of "Las Vegas' largest employers".

He owns one condo-hotel that doesn't even have a casino on the Strip. I doubt he's among the top 250 employers in Las Vegas.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 12:08 pm

Maybe they mean largest ego amiright hahahahahahaha!!!

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 1:01 pm

Rick Scott is the worst. I don't care about the union busting, cut everything stuff - people knew he'd do that and voted for it. It's the fact that he's implemented mandatory drug testing for welfare through HIS OWN FUCKING COMPANY, which is insane. Why is nobody investigating that shit?

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 1:42 pm

Gunpowder wrote:Rick Scott is the worst. I don't care about the union busting, cut everything stuff - people knew he'd do that and voted for it. It's the fact that he's implemented mandatory drug testing for welfare through HIS OWN FUCKING COMPANY, which is insane. Why is nobody investigating that shit?

Nothing to see there, it's HIS WIFE'S COMPANY. He transferred his interest in the company just before pushing for mandatory drug testing. Move along.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 1:44 pm

brian wrote:It would be a ridiculous overstatement to call Donald Trump one of "Las Vegas' largest employers".

He owns one condo-hotel that doesn't even have a casino on the Strip. I doubt he's among the top 250 employers in Las Vegas.

Hookers. He buys a lot of hookers.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 1:47 pm

govmentchedda wrote:
Gunpowder wrote:Rick Scott is the worst. I don't care about the union busting, cut everything stuff - people knew he'd do that and voted for it. It's the fact that he's implemented mandatory drug testing for welfare through HIS OWN FUCKING COMPANY, which is insane. Why is nobody investigating that shit?
Nothing to see there, it's HIS WIFE'S COMPANY. He transferred his interest in the company just before pushing for mandatory drug testing. Move along.

Florida's very own Bell Helicopter and no one gives half a damn.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 3:09 pm

DaveInSeattle wrote:This is just too delicious....Republicans accusing Republicans of voter fraud...

Nevada GOP Caucus Looks Like A Voter Fraud Bonanza

Anyway, there were hopes that tonight might be a good night for Ted Cruz, as his famously effective grassroots organizing effort took flight in a caucus that featured the highest number of “very conservative” voters in the 2008 and 2012 primaries; or that it could be a good night for Marco Rubio, a onetime Nevada resident and youthful member for a few years of the influential Mormon church. But before we get any vote totals, those hopes are already dashed by reports of a chaotic caucus process apparently run by one of Las Vegas’ largest employers, Donald Trump.

John Oliver did a piece on voter fraud. Watch the part where state congressmen race to place votes for congressmen who aren't present. One state even has voting sticks to reach other congressmen's voting device.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 3:27 pm

brian wrote:Felt this was a good (if long) piece about the dysfunction of the GOP using the example of Nevada's very popular centrist Republican governor.

The reporter certainly did his homework. Unlike a lot of stories I've seen about this state leading up to the caucuses I can't find much if anything to quibble with here.

Interesting timing.

Post by **brian** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 3:46 pm

Shit, just saw the story. Interesting. Even as a Democrat, I'd be OK with Sandoval on the Court. First and foremost I think he'd really be the kind of jurist who really considers the law as opposed to just grinding an ideological axe. I can admit that the court could use a solid centrist voice to go with Kennedy.

Post by **brian** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 3:47 pm

If nothing else it would be an awesome way to troll the Senate Republicans and if for that alone would totally be worth it.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 3:48 pm

The Sybian wrote:
DaveInSeattle wrote:This is just too delicious....Republicans accusing Republicans of voter fraud...

Nevada GOP Caucus Looks Like A Voter Fraud Bonanza

Anyway, there were hopes that tonight might be a good night for Ted Cruz, as his famously effective grassroots organizing effort took flight in a caucus that featured the highest number of “very conservative” voters in the 2008 and 2012 primaries; or that it could be a good night for Marco Rubio, a onetime Nevada resident and youthful member for a few years of the influential Mormon church. But before we get any vote totals, those hopes are already dashed by reports of a chaotic caucus process apparently run by one of Las Vegas’ largest employers, Donald Trump.
John Oliver did a piece on voter fraud. Watch the part where state congressmen race to place votes for congressmen who aren't present. One state even has voting sticks to reach other congressmen's voting device.

ETA video

howard · Post by **howard** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 7:41 pm

Taibbi followed up his essay with this:

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 7:52 pm

Rex · Post by **Rex** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 7:55 pm

I'm calling bullshit on that. They knew full well that that movie belonged in the non-fiction section from Day 1.

howard · Post by **howard** » Wed Feb 24, 2016 7:59 pm

sancarlos wrote:

If Trump responds with 'whaddya gonna do, bleed all over me', he might get my vote.

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Thu Feb 25, 2016 7:59 am

Rex wrote:
I'm calling bullshit on that. They knew full well that that movie belonged in the non-fiction section from Day 1.

True dat. Mike Judge knew where we were headed a while ago.

But this feels like Idiocracy mixed with the book It Can't Happen Here, but it's written by Vince Gilligan and directed by Stanley Kubrick.

Pruitt · Post by **Pruitt** » Thu Feb 25, 2016 8:18 am

Johnnie wrote:
Rex wrote:
I'm calling bullshit on that. They knew full well that that movie belonged in the non-fiction section from Day 1.
True dat. Mike Judge knew where we were headed a while ago.

But this feels like Idiocracy mixed with the book It Can't Happen Here, but it's written by Vince Gilligan and directed by Stanley Kubrick.

Strong echoes of Robert Altman's Nashville - the Hal Phillip Walker 3rd party plot. Never saw the actual candidate, but heard his quotes blaring out of a sound truck at various points in the movie. Pithy, empty sound bites.

Audio is very low.

But this election could only be directed by the Coen Brothers.

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Thu Feb 25, 2016 10:17 am

Yes, better direction choice.

Also, want a trip into Crazytown? Blogs are cute and comments on them cuter, but this has the real potential to create something: https://www.reddit.com/r/The_Donald" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Not a satire subreddit, and one of the fastest growing over the past few days.

Gems like this are posted there:

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Thu Feb 25, 2016 12:12 pm

I thought this article was interesting. The title states the author's thesis pretty directly: "Unless the Democrats nominate Sanders, a Trump nomination means a Trump presidency"

Basically, he's saying that Hillary has enough baggage for Trump to avoid the issues and spend all his time ripping her up, probably to great success. But, because he hasn't the ammunition to do that with Sanders, Trump couldn't use that strategy against him.

DaveInSeattle · Post by **DaveInSeattle** » Thu Feb 25, 2016 12:15 pm

sancarlos wrote: Basically, he's saying that Hillary has enough baggage for Trump to avoid the issues and spend all his time ripping her up, probably to great success. But, because he hasn't the ammunition to do that with Sanders, Trump couldn't use that strategy.

Didn't read the article, but the thing with Hillary is that there is nothing about her that hasn't been said, loudly and repeatedly, for the last 20 years. She comes "pre-ripped", so to speak.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Thu Feb 25, 2016 12:17 pm

DaveInSeattle wrote:
sancarlos wrote: Basically, he's saying that Hillary has enough baggage for Trump to avoid the issues and spend all his time ripping her up, probably to great success. But, because he hasn't the ammunition to do that with Sanders, Trump couldn't use that strategy.
Didn't read the article, but the thing with Hillary is that there is nothing about her that hasn't been said, loudly and repeatedly, for the last 20 years. She comes "pre-ripped", so to speak.

Not necessarily disagreeing with you, Dave. But, the author does address that line of thinking and provides his rebuttal.

eta:

...Her supporters insist that she has already been “tried and tested” against all the attacks that can be thrown at her. But this is not the case; she has never been subjected to the full brunt of attacks that come in a general presidential election. Bernie Sanders has ignored most tabloid dirt, treating it as a sensationalist distraction from real issues (“Enough with the damned emails!”) But for Donald Trump, sensationalist distractions are the whole game. He will attempt to crucify her. And it is very, very likely that he will succeed.

Trump’s political dominance is highly dependent on his idiosyncratic, audacious method of campaigning. He deals almost entirely in amusing, outrageous, below-the-belt personal attacks, and is skilled at turning public discussions away from the issues and toward personalities (He/she’s a “loser,” “phony,” “nervous,” “hypocrite,” “incompetent.”) If Trump does have to speak about the issues, he makes himself sound foolish, because he doesn’t know very much. Thus he requires the media not to ask him difficult questions, and depends on his opponents’ having personal weaknesses and scandals that he can merrily, mercilessly exploit.

This campaigning style makes Hillary Clinton Donald Trump’s dream opponent...

Pruitt · Post by **Pruitt** » Thu Feb 25, 2016 12:52 pm

Future first lady?

She can balance my budget if you know what I mean.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Thu Feb 25, 2016 12:59 pm

If Trump is up against Bernie, I see him responding to every issue with a shrug, and saying "look at this guy, he is a Socialist" and dismissing everything because Bernie looks like a schlub, or an egg head Ivy League professor. Against Hillary, I see her pushing the fact that Trump has no substance or understanding of any of the issues. During the Republican nomination process, he is able to get away with it, but when it gets serious and we are down to two candidates I think enough people will start to get past the entertainment value and realize Trump has nothing but empty superlatives and name calling.

Post by **brian** » Thu Feb 25, 2016 1:07 pm

It's easy to forget and dismiss the single best thing Hillary has in a general election campaign.

Her husband.

Seriously, he might be the most loved politician in the country. Once she lets the Big Dog out, it'll be all over for Trump.

howard · Post by **howard** » Thu Feb 25, 2016 1:10 pm

brian wrote:Seriously, he might be the most loved politician in the country.

Talk about your damning with faint praise. But when it comes to the Clintons, I'll support any damning.

I actually think Hillary beats Trump in a landslide, despite a hilariously brutal and absurd campaign that leaves us all wanting to stab our eyeballs and eardrums. But, as Taibbi points out (this discussion is currently spread across three threads), Trumps' support is ~30 to 40% of the GOP primary voters. That is a long ass way from 270 electoral votes in November. (and I'm the cynical one.) He is still a long-ass way from the nomination, and folks are crowning him a bit early.