US Presidential Election 2016 Discussion

[Muslim-Bigfoot]

[cestuneblague]

Yeah besides that glorified Oppo-research folder that was Charicature's post (some of it true, most of it negative speculation, especially in the case of Benghazi), I can understand why this election can be particularly disheartening to a lot of people. Yes, Clinton has her share of corruption (though so do about 99 percent of politicians, if not more), she certainly does have her own mountain of molehill that needs some answers. I can more than understand why people don't really trust her and the Clinton's own vast sense of political paranoia whether tenenously understanble or grossly exaggerated is often their downfall. And hopefully what comes out of the email scandal and the Benghazi witch-hunt actually works to make all politicans more accountanble and the goverment more transparent in it's actions and that it's not just used as political blackmail specifically for a Clinton takedown. I'd also like a pony.


... however what was scary about that post is how dismissive of Trump's ahem "shortcomings" it really was. There's a big difference between petulant bullying and repeatedly stoking racist flames including calls for muslim ban, insinuating all mexican immigrants are rapists, that someone is disqualified to hear his case re-tweeting (at best carelessly at worst suspiciously) posts that originate from white supremacist websites, applauding violent sucker-punches of protesters while now pretending to be the "law-and-order" candidate (whatever the fuck he means there) not to mention his complete hypocripsy when attacking many officials and his own alternatively vague and incredibly misguided stances on something actually resembling substantial policy (we're going to erase the deficit by partially defaulting on our debt ???????!!!!!!!). And as Meccalecca alluded to, it's beyond rich to constantly attack one person's legal troubles and completely ignore the other's, not to mention praising his wealth as something to be proud of besides the fact that many of the projects that he claimed as a success has frequently met with lawsuits and bankraptucy. And of course no tax returns need to be shown so you know there's nothing fishy in his finances (or that he may not be as successful as he claims, which is also the closest thing he has to argument for his qualification for presidency, which in reality is non-existent). Im not even going to bother replying to that Watergate-belittling defense of Richard Nixon, who not so ironically is someone Trump is now trying to model himself after . I thought Ted Cruz had that market cornered.


It's one thing when a primary campaign seems incompetent, reactionary, blatantly feeding off bigoted fears, little interest to actual policy ideas and even less to the actual rule of law, at times violently two-faced and constantly full of narcissistic ego-flaming, all of that needs to be taken dead seriously ESPECIALLY now since this actual presidential run is the best preview possible of how an actual Trump administration would function.


Now you don't want to vote for Clinton, that's fine, I can more than understand that, but anybody who actually takes the notion seriously that Trump would be a good alternative candidate to ANYBODY and someone who's backwards-looking, fire-and-brimstone-without-any-real-coals campaign is worth voting for... that is what's truly frightening about this election. Trust me, actually elect Trump as well as all the consequences that come with it and then all of a sudden he's no longer just some rich-eccentric playground-bully who only makes for a good news soundbite at the end of the day. Or you know maybe he won't let anybody of his supporters down at all!, or expose his lack of legitimate governing plans and dishonesty about his proposed ideas (cough Brexit cough).




Now I have to admit watching this convention (and really this whole election since Trump became a candidate) is about as much fun as the time I got pantsed on the jungle gym in Kindergarten and then the person who did it almost got me in trouble for it.

[RockyRaccoon]

[Allabaster]

[meccalecca]

[cestuneblague]

I think this does speak to the problem with a two-party system and the giant money pit that is politics in that many reasonable third-party candidates don't have a shot at all because they can't compete with the billions being pumped into the campaigns of the two major parties. So all we really have is the minority party basically doing what it can to stop the major party from passing anything (which has become especially toxic these past few years), basically setting up a "complain-ocracy" where the party in power is just voted out every couple of years.


So I mean it's completely understandable not wanting to vote for a candidate who may not be exactly the person you want to be president and where you have legitimate issue with her character, policies, transgessressions etc- but if you don't want to vote for Clinton unfortunately at this stage it basically means you would be okay with contributing to the chance of Trump getting elected- the same with 2000 and those who we're upset with the Gore nomination. That's not to say a vote for a third-party candidate is a vote for Trump or that somehow one supports Trump if they vote for say Stein, but at this point it still is basically a two candidate race and anything that takes support away from stopping Trump I have to admit is incredibly scary, even if it's more than understanble to not want to vote for somebody you don't really want to be your president either. I think it does make a compelling argument that we really need more than two voices, two options every time when we actually vote to elect candidates and that's essential to holding the two major parties accountable.

[Allabaster]

[Allabaster]

The waves of history are high. It is spectacular theater, if you can suppress your fear.

[craola]

[Allabaster]

To me it sounds like a mechanism to help cynical white people further gum up the wheels of a system which barely limps along as it is due to the stubborn idealistic fantasies of wingnuts who aren't even going to be affected by most of the policies that they self-righteously protest.