Trump - Clown Genius

[enigmaT120]

It probably doesn't bother them (Koch) that they're tarring Clinton by saying what they did.

[GandK]

The fall-out is going to be interesting to watch.

Not sure I agree. This has ceased to be an election and is now just entertainment. Bad entertainment. I'd rather watch Springer.

[Chad]

The new Trump ad is hilarious:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/24/us/po ... -down.html

The only thing he didn't promise was a pony.

[Dragline]

You never know who's got a pony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXy0tZ5eCG4

[Riggerjack]

I've stayed out of this, so far. But WTH...

My wife and I went to the Democratic caucus in WA. If Clinton got 10%, it wasn't in island county. They said she got 27%... Well, the machine says so, so it must be true. Strangely, all our superdelegates are lined up behind Clinton or undecided.

We've seen this in the past. A party will have a candidate, not endorsed by the party elite, torpedoed in the primary. It never works out for the torpedoing party, but it does for the party elite. To whom it is more important to control the party than win the election.

So, unless something changes, I call a Clinton Trump race, going to Trump, just because so many can't stomach Clinton. Or, if there's some shenanigans, and it became a Clinton Cruz race, I predict record low turnout, with Clinton winning 51/49%, or 20% of the population voting for her with a record low approval rating for inaugural president.

[Dragline]

My SWAG ("Scientific Wild-Ass Guess") at this point is that the electoral results will be almost exactly the same as in 2012, regardless of which candidates are nominated by the major parties. I am assuming for the purposes of this that there are no new major events (new wars or 9/11s, indictments, candidate deaths or significant third-party candidacies) between now and November.

[leeholsen]

My SWAG ("Scientific Wild-Ass Guess") at this point is that the electoral results will be almost exactly the same as in 2012, regardless of which candidates are nominated by the major parties. I am assuming for the purposes of this that there are no new major events (new wars or 9/11s, indictments, candidate deaths or significant third-party candidacies) between now and November.

imo, the republicans will lose by more than they did in 2012. good or bad for the republican party long term(meaning 2020); trump - win or lose the nomination; will have more sitting at home in the general that have just been turned off of the republicans and the country continues to trend to more democrat votes yearly.

the only factor that could keep it closer than 2012 is if democrats sit home rather than vote for hillary. i do not think democrats are known to do that like republicans are known to; so i doubt that is an issue.

the independents/middle will only benefit democrats because although there will be a good number for trump if he is the nominee, the turn offs to sit home or vote against him will be much higher.

i expect this election to be studied and written about greatly as it may turn out to be the best one the republicans had to swing the country back the other way of the smaller govt, etc. that republicans preach about since reagan and maybe its last chance as Texas is projected to go purple by 2024 and it's possible it could go earlier; but they gave the chance up for reasons that will be debated, written and studied about for years to come.

[GandK]

Tell us how you really feel about Ted Cruz, JB...

John Boehner's interview at Stanford

“Lucifer in the flesh,” the former Speaker said. “I have Democrat friends and Republican friends. I get along with almost everyone, but I have never worked with a more miserable son of a bitch in my life.”

[Riggerjack]

Presidential elections are always about the center, the few percent that swing, in swing States. I live in Washington, whoever is nominated by the Democratic party, will get our electoral votes. There is no question, and no campaign here after the primary, we're lock up.

So alienating independents is the throwing of the race by the party. Republicans did this with Ron Paul supporters, Dems with Nader supporters.

This cycle, the Dems did it with Bernie supporters. The question is will the Republican party wonks think they can ditch Trump, without losing the race, since this will have both parties pissing on independents, or will they take a back seat on the bus to the white house.

If the past is any indication, they will dump Trump, and if they lose the race, they still keep the party. Better to rule in hell than kneel in heaven, so to speak.

[Dragline]

Tell us how you really feel about Ted Cruz, JB...

John Boehner's interview at Stanford

“Lucifer in the flesh,” the former Speaker said. “I have Democrat friends and Republican friends. I get along with almost everyone, but I have never worked with a more miserable son of a bitch in my life.”

Meanwhile, his successor, speaking at another University, is trying to be a little more diplomatic: http://americamagazine.org/issue/george ... ng-us-poor

This is all about as weird as it gets -- whatever happened to Reagan's Eleventh Commandment?

I just get the feeling they are already looking past this election. I wonder if Boehner is going to go think tank, lobbyist or just golfing next.

[JamesR]

So we knew that Trump was gonna win the nomination.

I guess Bernie's loss is a bit of a disappointment since he seemed to be popular among the more informed folks.

So the final matchup is Trump vs Clinton right? Somehow I doubt Clinton is gonna win though.

There's a lot of fear about what'll happen if Trump gets elected. Are you scared?

[Dragline]

As a (somewhat) reformed but inveterate gambler, I'd be happy to take that wager. I'll even lay odds. Give you two of anything against one. How about a six-pack or a bottle of something?

[Spartan_Warrior]

So we knew that Trump was gonna win the nomination.

I guess Bernie's loss is a bit of a disappointment since he seemed to be popular among the more informed folks.

So the final matchup is Trump vs Clinton right? Somehow I doubt Clinton is gonna win though.

There's a lot of fear about what'll happen if Trump gets elected. Are you scared?

Despite what the media has been saying since essentially the beginning of the race, no, Clinton has not clinched the nomination and Bernie has not lost. Rather, the race is so close that it is likely neither candidate will have enough delegates to win the nomination outright, so the nominee will not be decided until the Democratic national convention. Bernie will have the opportunity to speak to the delegates before they cast their final votes to decide the nominee. There will be a large gathering of supporters marching on the convention in Philly, of which I intend to be part, to help make the case that Bernie is the better candidate for the country and the party. He has in his favor the arguments that he has vastly more support among Independents and that he beats Trump and other Republicans by, in some cases, twice the margin as Clinton in all recent national polls. So, it's a very long shot, but not impossible--FDR, who mirrors Bernie and his platform in many ways, won in a contested convention in 1932.

To say his loss would be a bit of a disappointment would be the understatement of the next few decades, even if the other two alternatives weren't a racist fascist millionaire or a racist fascist billionaire. There will not be another candidate like Bernie who will challenge the corporatocratic establishment elite in their quest to destroy Democracy and deplete the planet of its lives and natural resources.

Suffice it to say I am terrified of either outcome in the case of Trump or Clinton, to the point I literally cannot choose the lesser of two evils... but I am inclined to lean toward Trump. Clinton is too obviously dishonest, hawkish, imperial, and amoral. Trump may be all of that as well, but he may also just be a loud-mouthed buffoon with no filter. This is one case where the devil I know is just too devilish.

I've given up hope for Bernie (and so likewise for America, Earth, etc), but I'm still fighting for him, because I have no choice and it's that important. Aragorn son of Arathorn said it best:

"Farewell, Gandalf! What hope have we without you? ...We must do without hope."

[cmonkey]

One of John Michael Greer's latest podcast appearances touched on the Trump phenomena as it has appeared in history and the possible ramifications. From about 43:00-48:00. Most of the interview is pretty good. Starts at 30:00.

[JamesR]

Here's hoping Bernie makes a comeback on that nomination. I hope the democrats realize that it has to be Bernie if they want to have a chance against Trump.

[Spartan_Warrior]

@JamesR: You said it. The latest poll from Rasmussen, about 3 hours ago, actually has Trump beating Clinton: http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_ ... clinton_39 I think that's a first.

And again, I can't say how I feel about that either way. Part of me wants Clinton to lose simply as retribution for the naked corruption her campaign showed in rigging the primary, and to send a message to the DNC that change is desperately needed.

There is definitely a growing liberal case for Donald Trump: http://www.salon.com/2016/04/29/a_liber ... r_in_2016/

And yes, I sighed deeply after typing that. But the article is well-written, and I mostly agree.

[Riggerjack]

I still say party Establishment's interest trumps candidates' or party's interest. If it is possible to exclude Trump or Sanders, they will.

Spartan warrior, that Solon article was about spot on. I don't agree with progressives but Trump, or Sanders, wouldn't get anything done, so I have no fear of their agenda.

Hillary will get things done. Nothing anyone would be proud of, but it will be done. She's been hip deep in Washington since 1992. If you can look at the last 24 years, and agree that it's been a good path, then vote for more.

I look at the last 24 years, and wonder what happened to that peace dividend?

[Dragline]

I didn't know Ted Cruz was making General Election campaign speeches for the Democrats: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5NEfsfjf8s

And I thought these guys supposedly liked each other. Talk about politics making strange bedfellows, both a few months ago and now.

[jennypenny]

While the anti-Trump hype tries to paint his supporters as fear-mongering bigots, here's what those 'bigots' in Indiana actually said was important to them ...

[jennypenny]

The reporter I work with said the press pool is rooting for Sanders LOL. Was he supposed to do this well tonight?