2016 American Presidential Thread

[tuckeye]

He could in theory but if he did, he'd get Trump elected. He'd pull from Hillary but not from Trump, and wouldnt get a majority. Trump would. Hello President Trump. Bernie would forever be known for getting Trump elected and nothing else.

Bernie is annoying but he's not Ralph Nader arrogant/stupid. Thank god.

ah yes, i never thought of that but that is totally what would happen.

[Ai Papi Si.]

Bernie's been giving Nader the cold shoulder ever since that election

"Bernie Sanders does not answer my calls. Fifteen years, he’s never answered a telephone call, never replied to a letter, never replied to a meeting that I wanted to go down and see him. I even had to write an article on this, called 'Bernie, We Thought We Knew Ye!'"

Because Sanders agrees with the majority of people (except for maybe Susan Fucking Sarandon) that Nader's role in the 2000 election was catastrophic in retrospect. He wants none of Nader's stink on him. Good for him.

[Jaz]

can't bernie run as an independent? or is that not how it works? it's only these two choices - hillary vs. trump - the end?

He could, but he SHOULDN'T.

I think (but don't know) that he would hurt Clinton more than Trump.

[Guest]

Is Bernie related to the KFC guy?

[GOD]

Is GuGu related to Boy George?

[drunkbysix]

Have the worst fear Donald trump may win

[dollhouse]

Could it be like in Brexit frustration to the system and immigrants get people to vote Trump?

[Guest Pud Whacker]

Because Sanders agrees with the majority of people (except for maybe Susan Fucking Sarandon) that Nader's role in the 2000 election was catastrophic in retrospect. He wants none of Nader's stink on him. Good for him.

why you hating on my libra sister susan?

[Moka]

I wouldn't be surprised if he chose that crazy bitch from the Westboro Baptist Church as his VP

[Ciccone's Cheeks]

Eeew Pence is dreadful in every possible way lmao. Total loser, right wing extreme bigoted 0 who will add nada to the ticket! Ain't no way he's gonna help Trump in many purple/swing states. This clown was the actually the *first governor to sign the 'religious freedom' bill! The Dems can dissect that 24/7 alone!

Wow, it's almost like Trump and/ or the RNC would rather just lose, chalk up this epic disastrous election (something they truly did NOT see coming w/ Trump), hope he loses so they get another opportunity w/ Ryan/Haley or Rubio Haley in 2020.

At least say they can say they lost by adding a 'legitimate' super right wing asshole to maintain party 'unity', made an effort to their redneck, 1850s backwards base and continue getting all the $$ from those homophobic, anti everything NON straight white male lol. Probably was intimidated to pick him or just has NO clue who he even is or gives a shit! lol whatever. The guy is a hideous governor from an insignificant state with low approval ratings! Loathe the beast and also think he was a loser but Christie actually would've been better. At least he's a talented bully lol who can def. speak very well and BS almost better than em all. Same for Gingrich. Very smart man, great debater, charismatic, and seemed more like a 'possible' winner than Pence (which isn't saying much). lol Pence is simply younger but equally as pasty white and right wing. Has 0 star power and is as useless and loony tune as Palin.

[Guest Mauro]

RNC chairman braces for unruly convention

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus is bracing for a chaotic convention.

Thousands of party leaders, delegates, reporters and activists are descending on Cleveland for a week of platform and rules committee hearings as Republicans prepare to nominate a candidate that has divided the GOP and been a flashpoint for controversy.

Those meetings will take place under the shadow of a traumatic week marked by the fatal shooting of five police officers in Dallas and the deaths of two black men killed at the hands of law enforcement and subsequent protests.

In an interview with The Hill at RNC headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, just hours before he was scheduled to board a plane for Cleveland, Priebus opened up about how the convention would play out amid a backdrop of roiling anger and unease.

“It’s understandable that people everywhere across the country are a little nervous about what’s been going on around the country,” Preibus said. “It’s making us all a little uptight and concerned, there’s no question.”

Convention planners have been preparing to deal with massive protests in Cleveland for months. The city took out a $50 million insurance policy and law enforcement has plans in place for a potentially rowdy crowd outside.

But the violent episodes that have played out in the streets across the country will add an additional layer of tension to the event. Some delegates and elected officials have expressed concern about their safety.

Priebus said he’s been in touch with convention CEO Jeff Larson in recent days to ensure they’re taking every precaution to protect convention goers and protesters alike.

“We’ve done everything we can and beyond,” Priebus said.

“We will have the best of America there protecting the participants at the convention and they’re going to be protecting the protesters, too,” he added. “People are prepared in Cleveland. The Secret Service are prepared and the state of Ohio is prepared. I think this is going to be a great week.”

Priebus is also dealing with political uncertainty surrounding the nomination of Donald Trump and the potential for chaos on the convention floor.

There is a contingent of “Never Trump” Republicans who have been organizing a last-ditch effort to wrest the nomination from the billionaire businessman at the convention.

RNC officials and the Trump campaign have long dismissed the movement as a small but vocal minority that has been given outsized attention by the media.

But Priebus said Saturday he won’t be caught off guard if the rebels manage to mount an unexpectedly strong challenge.

“I sweat everything,” he said.

Still, Priebus said he doesn’t believe the insurgents have the numbers to pass a rule that would unbind delegates from the primary and caucus results by allowing them to “vote their conscience.”

“I don’t see that happening,” he said. “I don’t see it happening in the Rules Committee and I don’t see it happening on the floor.”

“A lot of people aren’t happy that their person didn’t win, that’s obvious,” Preibus continued. “But even those people — a vast majority of those people don’t believe it’s fair to strip someone who won fair and square of being the nominee … I just don’t see enough people willing to throw out the 14 million people who voted for Donald Trump. I just don’t see it. It’s not there.”

But Trump's actions and remarks over the past few weeks have likely done little to quiet any discontent.

On a visit to Capitol Hill this week, Trump clashed with his critics in the Senate. He singled out Sen. Mark Kirk (Ill.), who is among the most vulnerable Republicans up for reelection, for criticism.

Priebus declined to comment on what was said at a closed-door meeting he didn’t attend but suggested Trump focus his energy away from fellow Republicans going forward.

“The best M.O. here is to promote your vision for America and how you will make this country great and rebuild the military and make this country a secure and sovereign country, which is what people are really worried about, security and sovereignty, and the economy and then talk about how horrible [Hillary] Clinton’s record has been,” Priebus said. “Personally, I’d leave Republicans out of the equation.”

But Priebus said he does believe Trump has turned a corner to becoming a more disciplined candidate in recent weeks and said he’s happy to see him getting comfortable using a teleprompter instead of relying wholly on off-the-cuff speeches.

“The prepared comments I’m a big fan of, and I like the dropping of talking about the other candidates in the primary,” Priebus said. “So I think things are in a much better place in terms of that focus and the presidential trajectory, in my view.”

Still, many Republicans remain concerned about Trump’s rhetoric.

At the same closed door meeting with senators, Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) told Trump he risked losing Arizona because his insults and incendiary rhetoric would chase away independent and Hispanic voters.

Some Republicans are alarmed by polls that show a tighter-than-expected race in Republican strongholds like Utah, Arizona and Georgia.

“Those will straighten out,” Priebus said.

Meanwhile, Trump says he’s focused on expanding the map.

Trump boasted to lawmakers this week that he intends to compete in states like Washington, Oregon and Connecticut, where the GOP presidential candidate hasn’t won in 30 years or more.

Priebus signaled that the RNC wouldn’t join that effort.

“Our money is going into the battleground states,” he said. “The ground game I can assure you, the full-time bodies are where they need to be.”

Still, he noted that it’s “a curious election” and that “there are some odd things popping up that we need to pay attention to,” in terms of identifying new opportunities.

In the interim, the pressure is on Priebus to pull off a smooth convention that will allow Republicans to leave Cleveland with a united front.

One aspect of the event still to be ironed out is who will speak on behalf of Trump and what they'll say.

Trump’s former rival, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), has agreed to take the stage. The last time Cruz spoke at length about Trump in public was the day of the Indiana primary, when he eviscerated the billionaire businessman as “utterly amoral,” a "bully" and a “pathological liar.”

Priebus, who keeps “the Eastwood chair” from the 2012 convention in his office, said the RNC isn’t involved in vetting speeches.

But he said that he’s been led to believe that the Trump campaign will review prepared text from everyone who plans to speak.

It’s all part of managing the risk at an unpredictable convention, Priebus said, even if some things are out of his hands.

“The truth is that you can have a speech written and vet it but once someone walks up to the mic and the camera is rolling, you have to believe and trust that the person is going to stay on message,” he said.

http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/287123-priebus-braces-for-unruly-convention

[Ai Papi Si.]

Ryan/Rubio aren't even a sure bet in 2020. Both are so deeply conservative and backwards on social issues (I dont know much about Haley). We've seen how toxic that is in general elections.

Look, Trump is a twisted deformity of the GOP that has spent decades creating him unintentionally. He's like an outbreak of painful symptoms during the onset of a disease. But the more serious, fatal stuff is internal. Paul Ryan or Marco Rubio seem like the answer - and they stand a good chance against Clinton, but after the trauma of 2000-2008 under the neocons, democrats have gotten incredibly precise in their surgical destruction of conservatives. The records of these people are poison. The GOP is going to continue to be a national embarrassment until they finally just die and come back as something else. And Trump may just be the guy to finally kill them.

What a fall from grace it has been. I'll never forget the first election I voted in - 2004, Bush VS Kerry. I was so devastated. The GOP back then seemed like they'd rule the planet forever. Now look at them.

[Ai Papi Si.]

why you hating on my libra sister susan?

I don't really hate her, she's just a typical Hollywood creature weighing in on political issues and sounding like a moron in the process. Her ex Tim Robbins even worse. Everytime she opened her mouth the past year it was 1 idiotic thing after another. It was excruciating to listen to her.

Madonna is included in this category too, but her silence during this election is fascinating to say the least.

[Skin]

My only fear (and yes I am going to be a paranoid nervous mess until election day like I was the last two elections) is that Hillary doesn't have an enthusiastic base under her that cant wait to vote for her. Where Trump, though it might be a minority still has a massive enthusiastic base of people ready to go to the polls in their Klan outfits and vote for him like crazy. My fear is that many people that loathe Trump but really don't care for Hillary will sit it out and not give much of a shit.

I HOPE I am wrong. In 2012 I was scared of this because the new car smell rubbed off Obama and I was afraid he wouldn't come close to the enthusiasm that people had for him in 2008 and that the people wanting him out of office were fired up and ready to vote. Even polls showed a big enthusiasm gap between republicans and dems at the time so this scared the shit out of me. Alas I was wrong and Obama once again won in a landslide. Not as big of a victory against McCain, but he still gave Romney a lashing.

Bottom line. Republicans only win when dems and center left leaning people don't vote. I have no doubt we are officially the majority in this country but it means shit if you don't vote. The mid term elections prove this which is something dems REALLY need to work on.

[Skin]

Ai Papi Si., on 11 Jul 2016 - 5:04 PM, said:

What a fall from grace it has been. I'll never forget the first election I voted in - 2004, Bush VS Kerry. I was so devastated. The GOP back then seemed like they'd rule the planet forever. Now look at them.

Ugh that was my first voting experience also. How depressing was that. But looking back even then you could see the tides turning as Bush won twice by only one state. Florida the first time and Ohio the second. (Though we all know his Florida win remains questionable as hell.) The last time a republican had a huge electoral college win was way back in 1988!

[Ai Papi Si.]

Ugh that was my first voting experience also. How depressing was that. But looking back even then you could see the tides turning as Bush won twice by only one state. Florida the first time and Ohio the second. (Though we all know his Florida win remains questionable as hell.) The last time a republican had a huge electoral college win was way back in 1988!

You're absolutely right - the Reagan renaissance was long gone by then. The GOP victories of the 2000s were kind of an apex; we can see now that they had nowhere to go but downward. But the manipulative stranglehold they had on the public back then was something else. Looking at the Iraq war and everything that led up to it, it's just hard to believe what we went through with them.

Of course the dream came crashing down in 2005 with Katrina and again in 2006 with the midterms, but for those very pivotal years in the early 2000s, America felt like an evil place. I always say that despite the horrors of 2007 and 2008 - the ongoing hideousness in Iraq and the economy basically on the verge of deleting itself... I was so hopeful and happy back then. I knew we were about to have a historic election. And for a long time it was great. It's only been in the last 2 years that I've started to feel like I felt in the early 2000s - that America feels dark. The reasons for that aren't much different than they were back then. I think once this election (FINALLY) ends, I'll have a better sense of how things will be going forward.

[Skin]

I have that dark feeling also but like I have said I fully believe the election of Obama brought out the dark underbelly of this country in full force. And yes a SEGMENT of the white population (for those that think I am so racist) DID totally lose their shit.

Their minds just couldn't grasp how "their America" elected a black man named Barack Hussein Obama not once but TWICE in landslide victories so instead of trying to have their minds grasp that America is changing, they decided to lose their minds instead.

[Guest Mauro]

Democrats Surging As Hillary Clinton Is Destroying Donald Trump 74%-16% With Latinos

The Democratic surge against Trump is growing even bigger as a new poll shows Hillary Clinton leading Donald Trump 74%-16% with Latinos.

The Democratic surge against Trump is growing even bigger as a new poll shows Hillary Clinton leading Donald Trump 74%-16% with Latinos.

A new poll conducted by Latino Decisions and commissioned by America’s Voice found:

In Head-to-Head Matchup, Hillary Clinton Favored By 74%-16% Margin Over Donald Trump: When asked about the head-to-head matchup between the parties’ two presumptive presidential nominees, Latino voters nationwide prefer Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump by a 74%-16% margin. This puts Trump on track to underperform Mitt Romney’s historically poor performance among Latino voters in 2012, when Latinos supported President Obama by a 75%-23% margin over Romney, according to Latino Decisions 2012 Election Eve polling (71%-27% in media-sponsored exit polls). Of note, 33% of self-identified Latino Republican respondents said they were likely to back Hillary Clinton instead of Donald Trump. When asked about candidate favorability, 78% of Latino voters have an unfavorable opinion of Donald Trump, including 69% who have a “very unfavorable” opinion. This compares to just 17% who view Trump as “very” (8%) or “somewhat” (9%) favorable – meaning that his net favorability is underwater by 61 percentage points. Comparatively, Hillary Clinton has a positive favorability rating among Latino voters in the new poll at a 63%-32% margin.

The Republican Brand with Latino Voters is Deeply Damaged and Democratic Candidates are Favored by 4:1 Margins: More than 3-of-4 Latino voters (77%) say the Republican Party “doesn’t care too much about Latinos” (41%) or that the GOP is “sometimes hostile towards Latinos” (36%), while just 13% say the Republican Party “truly cares about the Latino community.” Of note, 43% of self-identified Latino Republican respondents say their own party is indifferent or hostile to Latinos. When Latino voters are asked if the GOP has, in recent years, become more welcoming to Latinos, more hostile to Latinos, or has not really changed, 46% say the Republican Party has become more hostile, 11% say the Republican Party has become more welcoming; and 36% say no change. Perhaps unsurprisingly in light of the overall tarnished Republican brand, Latino voters prefer generic Democratic candidates over generic Republican candidates by approximately 4:1 margins in both House and Senate contests (72%-16% in House contests nationwide and 71%-19% in Senate contests nationwide).

The polling is revealing that Republicans don’t just have a Donald Trump problem. The GOP also has a brand problem. When Latino voters are expressing the beliefs that the Republican Party doesn’t care about them, and that Republicans are hostile towards them, it suggests an issue that goes much deeper than one presidential nominee.

Donald Trump is a symptom of a much larger disease. One-third of self-identified Latino Republicans said that they would support Hillary Clinton over Trump. There aren’t enough while male voters in the electorate to make up for the overwhelming numbers of other voters who are fleeing Trump.

The structural elements of this election are not moving in Trump’s direction. Latino voters have been alienated by the Republican Party and Trump. Hillary Clinton and Democrats have done an outstanding job of making it clear that Latinos are welcome, and their voices are heard in the Democratic Party.

Contrary to Trump’s claims, Latinos don’t love him. In fact, they are close to hating the presumptive GOP nominee. Republicans are fighting a demographic war that they can’t win. With each poll, it is clear that Donald Trump may be swept into the dustbin of history as Latino voters reject his bigoted politics of yesteryear.

http://www.politicususa.com/2016/07/11/democrats-surging-hillary-clinton-destroying-donald-trump-74-16-latinos.html

[Skin]

Go Latinos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest Mauro]

Clinton leading Trump in Nevada

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/11/politics/poll-clinton-leads-trump-nevada/index.html

Mon July 11, 2016

(CNN)

Monmouth Poll

*NEVADA* - [Clinton +4]

Clinton - 45%

Trump - 41%

Johnson - 5%

[Guest Mauro]

GOP Passes Amendment Claiming Children Raised in 'Traditional' Homes Are 'Healthier'

Platform Committee Claims Children Raised by Different-Sex Couples Are Better Off Than Children Raised by Gay Couples

The Republican National Committee haas been waging war against LGBT people today as they draft their 2016 national platform. Minutes ago they passed yet another anti-LGBT plank, one that effectively says children raised in a traditional family are better off than children raised by same-sex parents or single parents.

"Children raised in a traditional two-parent household tend to be physically and emotionally healthier, less likely to use drugs and alcohol, engage in crime, or become pregnant outside of marriage."

Ed O'KeefeVerified account‏@edatpost

Here's the language that was proposed and just adopted by RNC Platform Committee. #RNC2016

Of course, actual facts prove the GOP delegates wrong. So-called "traditional" families are not prerequisites or barometers of childhood success.

Igor Bobic

✔@igorbobic

Full GOP platform committee follows subcommittee in adopting “traditional two-parent household” as best place for children to be raised

After the "traditional," aka, not same-sex, parents amendment passed, delegates moved on to another anti-LGBT amendment.

Lauren McGaughyVerified account‏@lmcgaughy

This is the language now being debated by GOP delegates. #lgbt #RNCinCLE

Ben Jacobs

✔@Bencjacobs

RNC platform committee now hearing an amendment that asserts "children have a natural right to be raised in an intact biological family"

7:07 PM - 11 Jul 2016

Earlier Monday subcommittees voted for amendments that call for to the Bible being taught in schools and voted for transgender people to use the restroom of the gender they were assigned at birth. The full platform committee voted to keep a call for a ban on same-sex marriage in their 2016 national platform, and voted to support anti-LGBT conversion therapy. They also voted to define marriage the union of one man and one woman, only.

http://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/davidbadash/now_gop_passes_amendment_claiming_children_raised_in_traditional_homes_are_emotionally_healthier

[Skin]

Also read they passed fighting our "addiction" to porn as part of their platform.

[spazz]

she needs to hire some gay fashion designers to dress her , she is absolutely dreadful.

[Ciccone's Cheeks]

In a way the 'timing' of the awful week Hillary just had w/ the scathing Comey shade may have worked to her benefit. With 4 full months (which is like a year in politics) she and her team hopefully (at least strongly assume) were WELL aware and prepared for what was gonna go down last week to a tee and already have a master plan for some major re-branding. If that 'report' happened a month or two before the election would def. be jittery as hell now. Most Americans have an attention span of a few seconds or don't even know what the e-mail drama was all about lol so 4 months is *plenty of time for the freshness of what happened last week to be old, stale news in a month or two.

Fortunately we're dealing an unpredictable, 24/7 lunatic orange ticking time bomb. If it was a Rubio or some of the other skunks who ran no doubt she'd prob. be DOWN by like 20 points now! lol ALL gonna be about turnout, staying on message, what's at stake w/ the *Supreme Court, etc etc...I like Tim Kaine but in this kind of train wreck year really feel she needs an energetic,cool, super smart and tough charismatic star for VP.

[Guest Pud Whacker]

I don't really hate her, she's just a typical Hollywood creature weighing in on political issues and sounding like a moron in the process. Her ex Tim Robbins even worse. Everytime she opened her mouth the past year it was 1 idiotic thing after another. It was excruciating to listen to her.

Madonna is included in this category too, but her silence during this election is fascinating to say the least.

Thank god she has shut her hole.

I love Susan but I understand how she can get annoying

[Ciccone's Cheeks]

Susan is serriously stoned and/or acid tripping out 2/3 of the f'king time..at least! lol Prob. doesn't remember 7/8 of the shit she's even spouting out. lol Still think she's smoking sexy and looks fab. and do like her. She really, really needed to just shut it! lol. She clearly did..abruptly if you notice. Glad the Spielberg's, Reiners etc...all prob. threatened to black list her or D list overnight if she didn't! lmao.

[Skin]

I think Susan is nuts with what she is spewing. Being all wishy washy on if she will vote for Hillary, write in Bernie's name, or some other person that stands no chance of winning. Way to help Trump Susan. It boggles my mind that people who think like this can not see how much damage they are doing. Yes. Lets throw away the Supreme Court for a generation and help elect Trump because I had too much pride and ego to see the bigger picture at stake.

Fuck you. Fuck you just like I say fuck you to the Nader voters in 2000 that pretty much handed the election to Bush giving us 8 years of hell that we are still paying for. I doubt the middle east right now would be a complete disaster had Gore been elected. I doubt his admin would have been dumb enough to attack Iraq which had nothing to do with 9/11. HELL maybe even his admin would have been able to thwart 9/11! Maybe they would have paid closer attention and been on high alert when they received the memo "BIN LADEN DETERMINED TO ATTACK THE US!" unlike the Bush admin that swept it aside and gave two shits. Stupid ass mother fuckers that cant see that their dumbass decisions can have a negative ever lasting ripple effect. Waste of a fucking vote. Might as well vote for Hemorrhoid Cream for President since you bitches are so butt hurt that your perfect candidate didn't win the primary so now you would rather see this entire nation burn because your brain is unable to see the obvious choice in front of you. Damn ass basic bitches!!!!!!!!!

That being said I love Susan. Great actress and she is sexy as hell for her age. Wonderful woman.

And today Bernie officially endorses Hillary!!!!!!!!!!! YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

His hardcore supporters with their dumb BernieorBust movement are going to find themselves in a pickle. Either Bernie is the man that walks on water that has perfect policies on every issue and is always honest and full of integrity.....Or he is going to be bullshitting out of his ass today, lying to American and his base proving that he is just like every other politician.

Personally I believe Bernie is obviously no dummy. He knows what is at stake this election and isn't stupid enough to throw it to Trump simply because his ass hurts.

[Guest Pud Whacker]

Susan is serriously stoned and/or acid tripping out 2/3 of the f'king time..at least! lol Prob. doesn't remember 7/8 of the shit she's even spouting out. lol Still think she's smoking sexy and looks fab. and do like her. She really, really needed to just shut it! lol. She clearly did..abruptly if you notice. Glad the Spielberg's, Reiners etc...all prob. threatened to black list her or D list overnight if she didn't! lmao.

acid flashbacks!!!

[Guest Pud Whacker]

A poll of WWHL viewers showed them overwhelmingly supporting Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton

even the gheys...

This should send Skin for a lobotomy

[Guest Rachelle of London]

WWHL polls

All the gays and young women would vote Trump?