2016 USA Presidential election thread I: The warm-up

[Sho]

Where are the moderate voices of the republican party? Do they come out of their dens when the conservative leadership sinks the ship?

Nah, they will fall in line behind Trump like the cowards they are. And likely not show up to the RNC convention for the Trump coronation.

[Minions]

The fact the GOP is even backing someone who caused a government shutdown, and hit to the countries credit rating still amazes me.

[Gryffes]

The fact the GOP is even backing someone who caused a government shutdown, and hit to the countries credit rating still amazes me.

It's fairly simple - he's a serving senator. Trump is an outsider. Even if cruz is a turd he has the correct corporate sponsors and at least he'd be workable with down the party line - Trump scares them because they have no idea wtf he's going to say/do next.

[6souls]

Which is Archie, which is Gred?

[Dotsudoku]

not sure what Bernie's game is at this point. He's still shitting on Hillary for votes in Indiana

has he ever gone on record saying he'd support her in the event of a loss?

[6souls]

Not him, his wife has.

[Minions]

not sure what Bernie's game is at this point. He's still shitting on Hillary for votes in Indiana

has he ever gone on record saying he'd support her in the event of a loss?

Pretty sure he is still at either the Anger and/or Bargaining stage of the Kubler-Ross model.

[6souls]

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/0...parties-222670
http://www.citypages.com/news/report...gn-dnc-8248719

Funds that are supposed to be saved for State Democratic campaigns are being transferred in large amounts to Hilldog's campaign.

less than 1 percent of the $61 million raised by that effort has stayed in the state parties’ coffers.

The venture, the Hillary Victory Fund, is a so-called joint fundraising committee comprised of Clinton’s presidential campaign, the Democratic National Committee and 32 state party committees. The setup allows Clinton to solicit checks of $350,000 or more from her super-rich supporters at extravagant fundraisers including a dinner at George Clooney’s house and a concert at Radio City Music Hall featuring Katy Perry and Elton John.

The victory fund has transferred $3.8 million to the state parties, but almost all of that cash ($3.3 million, or 88 percent) was quickly transferred to the DNC, usually within a day or two, by the Clinton staffer who controls the committee, POLITICO’s analysis of the FEC records found.

[Andalusian girls]

Where are the moderate voices of the republican party? Do they come out of their dens when the conservative leadership sinks the ship?

“This is not conservatism,” Ryan said in the RNC lobby on Capitol Hill. “What was proposed yesterday is not what this party stands for and more importantly it’s not what this country stands for. Not only are there many Muslims serving in our armed forces, dying for this country, there are Muslims serving right here in the House working every day to uphold and defend the constitution. Some of our best and biggest allies in this struggle and fight against radical Islamic terror are Muslims, the vast vast vast majority of whom are peaceful, who believe in pluralism and freedom, democracy and individual rights.”

http://time.com/4140558/paul-ryan-donald-trump-muslims/

House Speaker Paul Ryan Thursday sharply condemned Donald Trump's suggestion that there could be riots at the GOP convention if he's not the presidential nominee, saying "nobody should say such things in my opinion because to even address or hint at violence is unacceptable."

http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/17/politi...-donald-trump/

"If a person wants to be the nominee of the Republican Party, there can be no evasion and no games. They must reject any group or cause that is built on bigotry. This party does not prey on people's prejudices," House Speaker Paul Ryan told reporters on Capitol Hill.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/01/politi...ald-trump-kkk/

that said, even moderate types like Ryan are going to rally around the eventual nominee even if that nominee be Trump. though their support is likely to be detached and tepid it would be an unprecedented event for sitting party members to actively sabotage the electoral prospects of the nominee their party's voting base has chosen. as Sho mentioned the worst we are like to see are some self-interested congressional and gubernatorial candidates in purple areas, who are worried about Trump dragging them down, pulling a Delegate Watkins and sitting this one the hell out by neither endorsing nor rejecting their party's nominee. Nate Silver recently pointed out early signs of this phenomenon.

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/...shunned-trump/

[Andalusian girls]

The fact the GOP is even backing someone who caused a government shutdown, and hit to the countries credit rating still amazes me.

the majority of the GOP isn't backing anyone, but though they detest Cruz they do not view him as a threat to the party's future as they do Trump. Republicans can read demographics projections as well as the next guy and if Trump makes the Republican brand anathema to a generation of Hispanics (and to a lesser extent young voters) Republican prospects nationally are going to become increasingly far-fetched, and they've already lost 5 of the last 6 presidential campaigns in the popular vote. the adults in the room recognize they need to broaden their coalition beyond that which Reagan put together and Trump not only has the narrowest appeal of the remaining candidates he is also likely to alienate, for election cycles extending beyond this one, many of the voters Republicans are desperate to pull into their orbit.

[Blubbartron]

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/0...parties-222670
http://www.citypages.com/news/report...gn-dnc-8248719

Funds that are supposed to be saved for State Democratic campaigns are being transferred in large amounts to Hilldog's campaign.

Hillary and her cohorts doing shady shit to get her elected? This is my shocked face.

Honestly, I don't even know why people bother arguing with the Hillhoes in this thread. If people are going to throw out comments about someone's trustworthiness being irrelevant, they have decided that they no longer wish to engage in a rational discussion. This is exactly why I stopped bothering to engage with them. Between Archie's obvious "Ha! Got em!" baiting attempts and Gred's thesis-length Gish Gallops, I simply don't have the energy to deal with that shit.

[6souls]

It's good to have a paper trail.

[Minions]

You mean the whole DNC is corrupt? Just like the GOP? Next you are going to tell me the government and politicians are corrupt too!

I'm shocked, totally shocked I tell you.

[Quicklet]

It's fine. Hillary will get her landslide, everyone will congratulate themselves, and then when Dems get crushed in 2018 and/or 2020 they'll have no one to blame but themselves.

[Marootsoobutsu]

The fact the GOP is even backing someone who caused a government shutdown, and hit to the countries credit rating still amazes me.

Much of the GOP was opposed to Cruz from the outset. He is *NOT* the choice of the GOP. What he *is* is Not-Trump.

Unlike Berniebros who can't realize there's a difference between "Mediocre" and "Horrible", most of the Republicans realize that Cruz, however bad he is (and of the original 17, he's like #14 on my preference list, right above Trump, Carson, and Fiorina), he's still better than Trump. Not only for now, but, as Andalusian said, for elections to come. Cruz is also better for winning Congress than Trump will be, even if the Dems do get the Senate.

Right now, I honestly don't know which way I'd go between Hillary and Cruz, but I'm leaning toward Hillary. Congress may not be doing what I want, but we need it to be doing *something* together, so that when my preferred types at the national level are elected, they can expect to work toward something together, and we can get back to give-and-take. Also, Cruz's brand of government isn't the conservatism I support. And it's not even just his policies (not all of which I hate)-- it's the way he goes about it. The divide, the "us vs them", the attack attack attack. It's not healthy. I mean, Hillary's policies are some that I find extraordinarily foolish on a national scale, I think she's corrupt, and I think she's in it for her ego as much as anything else, but her personal flaws are things that can be effective in a politician.

If it's Hillary vs. Trump, I have absolutely no hesitation in pulling that D lever. I voted Bush twice, McCain, and Romney, and I will *NOT* vote for Trump. Period.

And there's something like 25% of the Republican base who share the same mindset. When you're losing 25% of your own party, there is no way in hell you are winning the Presidency.

[Rooney]

Unlike Berniebros who can't realize there's a difference between "Mediocre" and "Horrible"

I have seen a ridiculous amount of this today in articles covering the Indiana primary. Unfortunately, the bernieorbust people seem to be of a mindset of not voting at all if Bernie isn't the nominee, screwing a bunch of down ticket races as well. On the other hand, most of the republican stuff I've seen amounts to not voting for the presidential race, but filling in the rest of the ticket.

[Sho]

Lets just be honest with ourselves. Only one out of the five people left has his head on his shoulders and is being 90%+ honest with the electorate (Sanders) on what he believes in.

However, the likely person who will become president is Clinton.

[Krandor]

People still acting like Hillary isn't gonna be indicted.

[Minions]

People still acting like Hillary isn't gonna be indicted.

Ah... just wait. If Clinton was ever indicted, someone at the DOJ would admit they gave permission and take the heat instead. It is appealing that anyone thinks that no one was aware she was running a private server when 90% of her emails originated from it. If there is one thing about the Clinton's, it is nothing ever sticks.

[Zealot]

Lets just be honest with ourselves. Only one out of the five people left has his head on his shoulders and is being 90%+ honest with the electorate (Sanders) on what he believes in.

However, the likely person who will become president is Clinton.

Yeah, but honestly, the things that Sanders believes in are things that can't be done without a massive overhaul to Congress and the Supreme Court (something Sanders is aware of, pointing to at least some level of disingenuousness on his part). That's the rage-inducing part of all the people who aren't going to show up to the polls if Bernie's not on the ticket. Their guy isn't going to be the nominee, so they're going to actively harm the chances of any single part of his agenda passing without him or anyone like Sanders being able to accomplish anything in the Legislative branch. Give me a break, Berniebros.