2016 Presidential Race

[Steve of phpBB]

Sure, he should not have used the word "strong" in that context, but still, wasn't he acknowledging that vets with PTSD need help?

Remember that semi-defense when President Trump is pledging $750K nationally to fund his "Help the Pussy Vets Be Less Sad and Scared" bill.

At least you know that if Trump pledges money for the cause, he'll be good for it.

[sancarlos]

[howard]

And we find out today that he probably creams his pants to this scene in Patton

Well, so did Nixon. So, presidential, right?

[Steve of phpBB]

Interesting argument here from the New Republic on why it would not be good to vote for Johnson or Stein even in non-swing states:

One downside of the Tribune’s pox-on-both-houses argument is that if Johnson has a strong showing in November—say, 17 percent to Clinton’s 41 and Trump’s 40—that would send a message that a coin-toss between a fit and unfit candidate is an acceptable risk for the country. But the most important downside would be the opportunity cost of denying Trump the ass-kicking he deserves.

The Republican Party nominated an ignorant, bigoted, authoritarian candidate to be president of the United States. The best message that the country can send with the popular vote is that if you try to win the presidency by stoking race hatred and promising to degrade the Constitution, you will lose and lose badly—that a fascist does not have an even-odds chance of becoming the most powerful person in the world.

I’d argue this is a more critical and more responsive message than one that scolds Democrats for nominating a dynastic, uncharismatic standard-bearer. And it would be unmistakable, too. Just as nobody would really believe 17 percent of the country wants to elect a candidate who doesn’t know what Aleppo is, and can’t name a single foreign leader on the fly, nobody will treat a repudiation of Trumpism as a sudden groundswell of approval for Clinton. She will be given four years to dispel public doubts about her. Assuming Republicans don’t nominate Trump or one of his acolytes again in 2020, the cost of third-party voting will fall back down to where it was in 2012—still high in swing states, but very low elsewhere.

If you believe this election is basically a lock, or you happen not to live in a battleground, and are thus flirting with the idea of abstaining or of voting for a third party, ask yourself if you want to live in a country that has established proof of concept for a more polished racist demagogue. Do you want children growing up in a country where white supremacy has been re-normalized? Where misogyny doesn’t disqualify men for high office? Where erratic ignorance is placed in the running for the world’s highest award? Or would you rather send a message that if a major party nominates a fascist to be president of the United States—someone whose very character threatens national and global stability—the overwhelming majority of the country will flock to the candidate standing between him and the White House, and he will be left with the deplorables.

[The Sybian]

So we've learned in the last few days:

- Trump proudly doesn't pay taxes
- Trump's foundation appears to be a fraud
- Trump shits on veterans

And the meter barely quivers.

(30,000 emails!)

So Trump avoids paying taxes, and he is smart, doing what he is supposed to do, a great business man... People who work full time but still live below the poverty line pay no taxes and they are moochers, drains on society, scum of the earth and should die without healthcare. The only answer, we need to provide more tax breaks for the wealthy. The mental gymnastics it take to support Trump and Conservatism keeps getting more and more astounding.

I don't begrudge Trump for taking advantage of tax breaks, but the hypocrisy in his numerous comments throughout the years is aggravating. Not to mention the whining about how we need to lower taxes on the wealthy because they are "job creators," and if we don't tax the rich less, they won't be able to afford to create jobs. I am astounded how Trump is able to offset his losses from 18 years ago to continue paying no taxes (not confirmed, just considered possible). I thought I was limited to deducting $3000/year. It seems like there are no consequences for a guy like Trump making bad decisions. He racks up debt in his businesses, declares bankruptcy to avoid paying debts, but walks away with his purported $10 billion. He takes yuuuuge losses, and is able to make that back in future tax offsets. He is able to strongarm small businessmen into accepting payments well below the contracted amounts because if they don't accept, he will fuck them and delay until they go out of business. Fucking scum of the highest order.

[Nonlinear FC]

The other thing that isn't really being brought into this is all his talk about repatriating jobs from oversees and how those corporations that send jobs to Mexico and Ginga are implicitly evil and all that shit. It's not just those jobs, it's the tax revenue, and he knows just how to fix all that.

And, yet... This fucker has been doing his best not to pay into that very same corporate tax base for a minimum of 18 years.

[The Sybian]

The other thing that isn't really being brought into this is all his talk about repatriating jobs from oversees and how those corporations that send jobs to Mexico and Ginga are implicitly evil and all that shit. It's not just those jobs, it's the tax revenue, and he knows just how to fix all that.

And, yet... This fucker has been doing his best not to pay into that very same corporate tax base for a minimum of 18 years.

I heard him respond to this once, saying it is the laws that are the problem, not the business owners. Business owners have a responsibility to make the business as successful as possible, the government has to make it more profitable for businesses to keep the jobs and money here. Yet, he has the support of people who think they want small government, free market, and less regulations on corporations, because they will do the "right thing" without the government regulating them. Fuck, my head hurts.

Guliani made the rounds defending Trump not paying any income tax by saying he is obligated to pay the lowest taxes possible as a fiduciary duty to his shareholders. Guliani kept saying if Trump paid income tax, his shareholders could sue him for not maximizing profits. Not one interviewer I saw pointed out that shareholders aren't investedin Trump's personal finances. It drives me nuts, none of these TV pundits ask the critical questions. I usually end up screaming my monitor for them to ask the next question that would destroy the premise of the argument, but they never do. I don't know if they aren't intelligent or knowledgeable enough, or if they don't ask the tough question because they want the guest to come back. They always let the surrogate ramble on endlessly on a tangent that avoids the issue.

Speaking of surrogates, what is the deal with all of the 24 hour news networks bringing on "Trump Supporter" or "Hillary Voter" every day. The same people every day making the case for the candidates, but supposedly not affiliated with the candidates. These people are cited as if they work for the campaign, but the networks clearly point out that they are not affiliated with the campaign. Except Lewendowski, who CNN now prefaces by saying he is still receiving severance payments (read:hush money) by the Trump campaign.

[Steve of phpBB]

Guliani made the rounds defending Trump not paying any income tax by saying he is obligated to pay the lowest taxes possible as a fiduciary duty to his shareholders. Guliani kept saying if Trump paid income tax, his shareholders could sue him for not maximizing profits. Not one interviewer I saw pointed out that shareholders aren't investedin Trump's personal finances.

Yeah. The irony is that when Trump did have a fiduciary duty - when he was an officer and director of a public corporation - he breached the shit out of his fiduciary duty. He used the corporation to pay off his personal debts and to pay him millions in salaries and bonuses and perks. And ran the stock price from $35 to $0.17. Fuck him and Giuliani and all the rest.

[tennbengal]

The fucking completely INSANE idea that the media is allowing Trumpkins to circulate in light of the tax thing is that somehow Trump is in favor of seriously changing those rules OR asking the Trumpkins just what their plan is to convince Paul Ryan et al to allow those rules to be changed. Whole thing is a huge bullshit joke.

[howard]

Bengal, that is all well and good, but what do you think about Hurricane Matthew? Meet you over at the weather thread.

[The Sybian]

Guliani made the rounds defending Trump not paying any income tax by saying he is obligated to pay the lowest taxes possible as a fiduciary duty to his shareholders. Guliani kept saying if Trump paid income tax, his shareholders could sue him for not maximizing profits. Not one interviewer I saw pointed out that shareholders aren't investedin Trump's personal finances.

Yeah. The irony is that when Trump did have a fiduciary duty - when he was an officer and director of a public corporation - he breached the shit out of his fiduciary duty. He used the corporation to pay off his personal debts and to pay him millions in salaries and bonuses and perks. And ran the stock price from $35 to $0.17. Fuck him and Giuliani and all the rest.

Or using his campaign funds to pay himself for use of his own house?

Is it me, or is the media blowing the PTSD speech out of proportion? In context, I don't think he was implying people with PTSD are weak. He actually came across as empathetic for once, not that I think he actually is, talking about the horrors vets went through in war and how we need to do more to address the suffering so many vets are going through. Yes, he said "you people are strong and can handle it," but I don't think he implied people with PTSD symptoms aren't strong. The media is treating the statement as though he actually called them weak. OTOH, I really wish Uncle Joe was running instead of Crooked Hillary. 4 years of washing his Camaro on the WH lawn would have been great.

[P.D.X.]

Is it me, or is the media blowing the PTSD speech out of proportion?

Probably. But...


30,000 EMAILS!!!!

[degenerasian]

So we've learned in the last few days:

- Trump proudly doesn't pay taxes
- Trump's foundation appears to be a fraud
- Trump shits on veterans

And the meter barely quivers.

(30,000 emails!)

Clinton now has a 4 point lead instead of a 1 point lead. If you consider 80% of the electorate isn't up for grabs it means 10-15 percent of available votes changed as a result of the above.

[Giff]

Is it me, or is the media blowing the PTSD speech out of proportion?

Probably. But...


30,000 EMAILS!!!!

Exactly. This hand-wringing about this from my liberal friends really astounds me and is just another reason why Republicans are better at winning office. I mean, this happened after a weekend of the media incorrectly portraying Hillary's remarks about Bernie Sanders voters.

[P.D.X.]

So we've learned in the last few days:

- Trump proudly doesn't pay taxes
- Trump's foundation appears to be a fraud
- Trump shits on veterans

And the meter barely quivers.

(30,000 emails!)

Clinton now has a 4 point lead instead of a 1 point lead. If you consider 80% of the electorate isn't up for grabs it means 10-15 percent of available votes changed as a result of the above.

Yeah, some of the above, but probably mostly from the debate.

[P.D.X.]

Also, the story about Trump's foundation in light of all the attacks he made on the Clinton Foundation should be a much bigger thing. His is exactly what he was accusing the Clinton's of being, like, at levels that are comical.

[Giff]

Also, the story about Trump's foundation in light of all the attacks he made on the Clinton Foundation should be a much bigger thing. His is exactly what he was accusing the Clinton's of being, like, at levels that are comical.

Or you know, the whole child rape thing.

[Johnnie]

Joe Biden is awesome. He would be trouncing Trump right now.

Also, another thing that I don't think we even talked about and has been overlooked because of everything else is Trump's reporter violation of the Cuban embargo.

That may just keep Florida firmly blue after all is said and done. Hillary is running radio ads there now.

[Rex]

I have to say, he's found a very strange way to remind people that the Bill Clinton years were fairly prosperous for the markets.

[Johnnie]

Haaaaaa. This is awesome.

Trump backers realize they’ve been played as WikiLeaks fails to deliver October surprise





DJ Khaled, please explain what just happened...

[govmentchedda]

Joe Biden is awesome. He would be trouncing Trump right now.

Also, another thing that I don't think we even talked about and has been overlooked because of everything else is Trump's reporter violation of the Cuban embargo.

That may just keep Florida firmly blue after all is said and done. Hillary is running radio ads there now.

Cuba is a BFD in south Florida, especially among Republicans. I've said this elsewhere on this board, but Cubans in Miami lean heavily R, while Cubans in Tampa lean heavily D. I'd love to know more why.

[degenerasian]

This will end well...

[The Sybian]

This will end well...

And cue every Trump surrogate tomorrow: "Why is the media focusing on [insert bizarre, idiotic, insane Trump tweet] instead of what an amazing job Pence did at the debate?" Yep, the media's fault for repeating shockingly insane tweets from a Presidential candidate.

[sancarlos]

[brian]

Burn, baby, burn. I'm hoping for some kind of incredible spectacular flameout from Trump that helps deliver the Senate (and maybe though definitely not likely) the House as well.

[Moreta]

[Johnnie]

Long pause on police officer question..."At the risk of agreeing with you..."

[Ryan]

This is like when I forget that the Sox have an off day and NESN's showing a Pawtucket-Toledo game.

[Johnnie]

[EnochRoot]

I'm wondering if Simon and Garfunkel ever got into a debate while smoking a joint as to who ripped off who:

Did they themselves rip off the chorus' harmonies of Eddie Floyd's "Knock On Wood", in their song "Keep the Customer Satisfied", or were they in fact sly enough to get away with it...Later in the conversation, as they congratulate each other, they'd turn their collective ire towards Amii Stewart, who managed to rip off their cadence and timing in "Keep the Customer Satisfied" and apply it back to Floyd's song.

Not so much an argument, but then again..

[Moreta]

He missed a prime opportunity to take advantage of the topography of that prominent ankle bone and integrating it into that classy artwork.

[sancarlos]

.
Not so much an argument, but then again..

Still, an entertaining post!

[howard]

He missed a prime opportunity to take advantage of the topography of that prominent ankle bone and integrating it into that classy artwork.

Add Lance Armstrong?

[Johnnie]

How will each candidate unify the nation?

Kaine will wear a red tie. Pence will wear a blue tie.

Boom. Unity.

[brian]

Kaine is probably losing but on the bright side no one gives a shit about the VP debate unless one of the candidates shits themselves on stage.

[howard]

[Johnnie]

[EnochRoot]

.
Not so much an argument, but then again..

Still, an entertaining post!

Thank you! Tip your waitresses!

[Giff]

Feel like this is a good place to tout brian's post on Facebook.

[Johnnie]

This is outstanding. Veruca Trump always has to be the best at everything and be the center of attention always:

Many People Are Saying That Donald Trump Is Mad About Mike Pence’s Good Reviews