Countdown to Extinction: The 2016 Presidential Election

[Rinaldo]

Can't argue with that.

[Karl Henning]

In a cool, dispassionate way, I know that such people must exist.  Still, one cannot prepare for the shock.

[Pat B]

Our political process encapsulated in two short sentences.

[Ken B]

In a cool, dispassionate way, I know that such people must exist.  Still, one cannot prepare for the shock.

Is it really any stupider than "Hope and Change"? Both seem examples of what Brian observed: sounds good from a distance, but really meaningless.

[Karl Henning]

Is it really any stupider than "Hope and Change"? Both seem examples of what Brian observed: sounds good from a distance, but really meaningless.

I meant more the We know it's his goal—it's on his hat! angle.

[Ken B]

Since Trump has floated the idea of ending birthright citizenship for "anchor babies" by an act of congress, here are two interesting articles on either side of the constitutionality issues.

http://originalismblog.typepad.com/the-originalism-blog/2015/08/originalism-and-birthright-citizenship-againmichael-ramsey.html

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/422960/birthright-citizenship-reform-it-without-repealing-14th-amendment

One of the delights of this debate is that the THWACK of sacred cows colliding is very loud: the best case against Trump's position is an originalist one.

I do apologize for presenting serious articles on both sides.
But for those who prefer shortcuts, a link to DSM-IV codes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DSM-IV_codes

[Karl Henning]

Just gonna throw this Op-Ed title out there for entertainment purposes only:

Is Donald Trump rising, or is rest of Republican field sinking?

[Ken B]

Just gonna throw this Op-Ed title out there for entertainment purposes only:

Is Donald Trump rising, or is rest of Republican field sinking?

Exactly what I have been saying. Trump should scare the GOP establishment witless (more witless). I am far from endorsing all the claims here, but some of it is insightful. http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/donald-trumps-napoleon-moment/

[Karl Henning]

There's no way I'm watching Palin interview El Tupé.

[lisa needs braces]

By the way, I don't think Trump would be a good president, and him getting elected would be an embarrasment for the U.S. I just think that his popularity signals a fault line within the conservative movement which the Republican party has been suppressing through money.

[lisa needs braces]

Also, I know a fair number of working class Hispanic people and Trump is creating major anxiety and fear in that community.

[lisa needs braces]

Most humane solution: Secure border, then amnesty.

[Ken B]

Who knows how accurate but the polls in Iowa show Ben Carson tied with Trump now. Third place trails way back. I don't know what it means, if it means anything, but I can spin it as vindicating my belief that Trumpism is largely a "we hate you" message from GOP voters to GOP leaders. The two non-politician outsiders are way ahead of the rest. And Fiorina, who has run once before but was never elected, is in third.

[Karl Henning]

It's only an opinion, to be sure:

Alienating the largest and fastest growing minority in the country, creating ill feelings among key voter groups, and repeatedly making foolish and hateful comments on all manner of topics. That is the Trump candidacy in a nutshell.

[Pat B]

I don't trust any analysis of Trump that completely ignores his hat.

[Karl Henning]

I don't trust any analysis of Trump that completely ignores his hat.

That may fall under creating ill feelings among key voter groups 

[Ken B]

It's only an opinion, to be sure:

Alienating the largest and fastest growing minority in the country, creating ill feelings among key voter groups, and repeatedly making foolish and hateful comments on all manner of topics. That is the Trump candidacy in a nutshell.

Not an unreasonable or baseless one!

[Karl Henning]

Perry scales back Iowa team to one paid staffer

[San Antone]

I don't know, but the most interesting news to come out during this presidential cycle, for me, is the potential for a Kanye West presidency.

[ibanezmonster]

Kanye West was in my dream last night... *shudder*...

and then today I find this out.

I don't know, but the most interesting news to come out during this presidential cycle, for me, is the potential for a Kanye West presidency.

In my dream, I was walking around with a group of people who look up to me for some reason, and I noticed a face in the group that was familiar. Kanye? wtf?... he was super short, though just now I looked up his height and he's really only 2 inches shorter than me. And he was there because he aspired to be like me. I figured it was a good aspiration to want to be something better than yourself, so I was okay with it. But of course, there are thousands (millions?) of other musicians that he could have aspired to that are better than him.