2016 USA Presidential election thread I: The warm-up

[archibaldcrane]

Well

A) that link is wrong and or old because Comey confirmed recently that she is under criminal investigation.

Kind of a lot of semantics involved there.

Catherine: On the e-mails director Comey, are you doing a security inquiry?

Director Comey: I’m sorry?

Catherine: On the e-mails are you doing a security inquiry?

Director Comey: I don’t know what that means?

Catherine: So it’s a criminal investigation?

Director Comey: We’re conducting an investigation. That’s the bureau’s business. That’s what we do. That’s probably all I can say about it.

Catherine: The reason I ask is because Mrs. Clinton consistently refers to it as a security inquiry, but the FBI does criminal investigations. I just want to see if you can clear that up.

Director Comey: Right, it’s in our name.

Catherine: Okay.

Director Comey: I’m not familiar with the term security inquiry.

[Krandor]

Technically speaking the stuff related to the FOIA is for the State Department as a whole, not Hillary specifically. I don't think there is any kind of actual legal penalty or even fines that could come against her solely in regards to the FOIA. She 100% violated it, but in the grand scheme of things it doesn't mean jack shit

Kind of a lot of semantics involved there.

I'm not 100% understanding you, are you saying that in the quoted interview that he's not calling the FBI's involvement with Hillary's emails a criminal investigation?

[archibaldcrane]

He's calling it an investigation. "That's what we do, it's in our name" etc.

I think he is reluctant to use the "criminal investigation" verbiage because he doesn't want to lead people to believe that a crime has definitely been committed that he's investigating (even though obviously a "criminal investigation" could determine no crime was committed).

[Qeomash]

https://twitter.com/berniesanders/st...89625407131648

Game on. I look forward to debating Donald Trump in California before the June 7 primary.

Though, in all seriousness I wonder what the DNC will make of this; isn't this sort of thing technically against the rules?

[Minions]

I don't think Sanders cares about the DNC rules at this point. Its basically impossible for him to be the nominee at this point.

[Marootsoobutsu]

Yeah that's probably fair. The main thing from the IG report that bothers me is the whole "don't talk about Hillary's private server" bit when employees raised concerns about it. It might not rise to the level where the FBI feels it could win a case, especially given how politically charged an indictment would be, but it suggests that people knew they were breaking the rules. Speaking of, are there actually any penalties proscribed under the law for failing to comply with rules set up under the Federal Records Act? Her office did fail to comply with those rules, but I don't know if there are any real consequences under the law for doing so.

Amongst other things, those in violation are forbidden to hold public office, elected or appointed, if said position involves any handling of information.

[Krandor]

If it actually happens, that debate is a fucking genius move for both Bernie and Trump.

Amongst other things, those in violation are forbidden to hold public office, elected or appointed, if said position involves any handling of information.

I believe that this doesn't apply to the Presidency (which carries it's own specific set of standards), just every other elected position.

[Ragnus]

Wait, it might be a case of me not being awake enough at the moment, but how is this a brilliant move for Bernie? This seems like he's officially out of his mind at the moment.

[Byrthnoth]

It's going to be a fap session for their respective bases and otherwise unproductive.

I'm imagining that:
* Bernie will beat Trump on facts and Trump's plan's general insanity (which will make Bernie's base happy and won't affect Trump's base), because Trump is such an easy target that how could he not?
* Trump will shit talk Bernie and call him a socialist at least once or twice (which will make Trump's base happy and won't affect Bernie's), because Bernie is such an easy target that how could he not? If he is smart, he will keep all of his criticism insubstantial and won't point out that Bernie's platform is almost as untenable as his own.

Both sides will further solidify their bases, which neither of them really need. If there's going to be a winner of the two, it's Trump because Bernie's fanboys becoming even more hardcore won't make them more likely to vote for Hillary in November.

[Krandor]

If Bernie is primarily concerned with spreading his message/raising a dialogue, this debate is a good thing for him because of the attention it will draw. Same story if he is seriously aimed at convincing super delegates to switch, by showing how he would perform against Trump in a head to head battle.

As for Trump, it works a few ways. If he treats Bernie respectfully he can potentially draw in some of his voters. And he gets to marginalize Hillary for ducking out.

Both are benefiting from the potentially huge ratings and the charity angle.

[Lyall]

There's a difference between an unclassified email and an Unclassified email, though. Generally speaking even if you're talking work stuff you're still flagging it U/FOUO and not taking it outside of a closed system, regardless of the content. As far as I'm aware you don't use non-secure networks or systems to do your government work.

[Gredival]

This is how a revolution ends: its idealism tested, its optimism drained, its hope turned to bitterness.

I asked Howard Dean, Sanders’s fellow Vermonter and onetime insurgent Democratic presidential candidate, whether he approved of the way Sanders is conducting himself these days. “No,” said Dean, who has endorsed Clinton. But he said he understood.

Near the end of Dean’s 2004 campaign, he told me, just before the Wisconsin primary, he had started to realize he was going to lose, and he was bitterly angry about it—the unfairness of the process, the way he’d been treated. Late that night, the phone rang in his hotel room in Milwaukee. It was Al Gore, the former vice president, who had endorsed him.

“I ranted and raved for 10 or 15 minutes,” Dean recalled. “And when finally I stop for breath, he says, ‘This is about the country. It’s not about you.’ That stopped me in my tracks.”

Dean quit the race the next day. Accepting defeat, he said, was a process. “Having been there, it’s a gradual landing you have to bring yourself into,” he said. The question, he suggested, is whether there is someone close to Sanders who can say to him what Gore said to Dean.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/...linton/484439/

[Bregor]

Someone do a BAD DUDES shop

[archibaldcrane]

If Trump is smart he will praise Bernie as an outsider who isn't beholden to corporate interests just like him and try to make it into a buddy buddy jam session.

"Of course we need to expand access to medical care!"

[notorious bum]

Fuck Howard Dean, he's a slimy fuck and idk why he's even taken seriously anymore. I'm not surprised that you are unaware of this, though.

https://theintercept.com/2016/01/14/...dean-lobbyist/


The debate will probably be watched by more people than any of the DNC debates, that obviously counts for something.

[Gryffes]

Someone do a BAD DUDES shop

Why bother.
He's FEELIN THE BERN.

[Tyrath]

Rofl.

[Krandor]

That dudes haircut is a shining example of the douchebag style talked about in the random fail thread.

[Dotsudoku]

thick, good hair pushed back?

[Serra]

Not gonna lie.. as someone who shaves his head every week, I wish I had hair like that.

Hell, I'd vote for Trump if it got me hair like that because fuck the world, I miss having hair >.>;