Countdown to Extinction: The 2016 Presidential Election

[(poco) Sforzando]

Rational people knew long before the Daily News interview.

Despite the obvious personal insult in that comment, I was well aware of that myself and said so when I commented last month.

[Florestan]

Sometimes I wonder who is more dangerous, a clueless outsider or a business-as-usual insider? 

[Karl Henning]

Sometimes I wonder who is more dangerous, a clueless outsider or a business-as-usual insider? 

That's sort of the dynamic this year . . . .

[Todd]

Sometimes I wonder who is more dangerous, a clueless outsider or a business-as-usual insider? 

Clueless outsider is worst.  (Trump.)  Clueless insider is next worst.  (Sanders, unless you think a senator is an outsider.)  Conniving insider is next worst.  (Cruz.)  Business-as-usual insiders are least worst.  (Clinton, Kasich.)

[Florestan]

Clueless outsider is worst.  (Trump.)  Clueless insider is next worst.  (Sanders, unless you think a senator is an outsider.)  Conniving insider is next worst.  (Cruz.)  Business-as-usual insiders are least worst.  (Clinton, Kasich.)

Nice line up. 

So the final race will be between the worst and the least worst. IOW, bad anyway. 

[Todd]

So the final race will be between the worst and the least worst. IOW, bad anyway. 

There is still a chance that an open convention on the Republican side could result in two least-worst candidates duking it out.  Dream little dreams

[Karl Henning]

Clueless outsider is worst.  (Trump.)  Clueless insider is next worst.  (Sanders, unless you think a senator is an outsider.)  Conniving insider is next worst.  (Cruz.)  Business-as-usual insiders are least worst.  (Clinton, Kasich.)

An honest difference of opinion, but I think the conniving insider is worse than the clueless insider. Then again, I'd probably classify both Clinton and Cruz as conniving insiders.

[Karl Henning]

Turd Blossom's Day

http://theweek.com/articles/616179/why-karl-rove-rooting-brokered-convention

[Todd]

An honest difference of opinion, but I think the conniving insider is worse than the clueless insider.

Cruz does make it hard to offer a vigorous argument against your ranking.

[drogulus]

     

Clueless outsider is worst.  (Trump.)  Clueless insider is next worst.  (Sanders, unless you think a senator is an outsider.)  Conniving insider is next worst.  (Cruz.)  Business-as-usual insiders are least worst.  (Clinton, Kasich.)

     We'll never know since we'll only get one of them. I don't assume a Trump Presidency would be as bad as Trump. It would change the way the rest of the government reacts to his attempted use of his powers, should they depart from the norms. Sanders might surprise us, since he'd have a party behind him for much of what he wants to do. Liberal Presidents do manage to get Dems to go a little father than centrists, partly because centrism is mostly positioning for both parties. Then there's the question of where the House goes in terms of party representation. I don't expect the Dems to take the House, but significant Repub erosion might give party leaders reason to conduct Autopsy II, and this time take it a little more seriously than they did in after 2012.

     In actual practice Cruz would face the same difficulties that Ryan faces now. He'll either be eaten alive by his own Freedom Caucus or......but he's not Ryan, he's more rigid. He can't govern with the crazies, and so far he doesn't appear to be inclined to govern without them. The other thing to consider is that a Cruz Presidency might mean validation of the far right and an increase in their power. This strikes me as an implausible course of events. A far right shift would mean Americans want more conflict to no good end, not what the rise of Trump/Sanders indicates voters want, the resolution of big issues important to their respective camps.

     Hillary is the safest choice. She'll do what's expected almost all the time, probably communicate more effectively with the legislators than the Kenyan Introvert did, see the sense of moving to enact what she and Sanders share in the way of ideas of economic progress, and provide about as much warmongering as Americans can tolerate.

[Todd]

We'll never know since we'll only get one of them.

It's theoretically possible that two of them could serve.  Trump/Cruz could segue to a Cruz/? administration in the future.  I could also come into enough money to retain Mossack Fonseca.

[Brian]

I'm still hoping the convention results in Trump and Cruz getting in a literal fistfight...speaking of dreaming...

[Florestan]

I'm still hoping the convention results in Trump and Cruz getting in a literal fistfight...speaking of dreaming...

Dream big: why fistfight when they could use guns...

[Gurn Blanston]

Dream big: why fistfight when they could use guns...

There you go, that's what I'm talkin' about!! I'm all over that!     

[Brian]

Donald Trump Performs Shakespeare's Soliloquies

This made me indescribably happy.

[Karl Henning]

Donald Trump Performs Shakespeare's Soliloquies

This made me indescribably happy.

Goldarn it, there's some gems in there.

[(poco) Sforzando]

Don't mess with New Yorkers, Ted:



"New York Values" Ted was told to "get out of the Bronx," and had to cancel a school visit after students complained. Earlier:



Gotta love this city.

[Florestan]

I fear that Boinie is the Democratic counterpart to Trump, offering lots of big talk and pie-in-the-sky revolutionary changes without the slightest idea how or even if they can be implemented.

Given the massive support this Sanders gets from people 19 to 35 years old, does anyone have any doubt that eventually a Sanders will win the US Presidency? 

[Gurn Blanston]

Why I won't vote for Boinie:
http://tinyurl.com/zotx2lv

I fear that Boinie is the Democratic counterpart to Trump, offering lots of big talk and pie-in-the-sky revolutionary changes without the slightest idea how or even if they can be implemented.

Poco, have you seen the ads Bernie is running now on TV? He runs down a list of what he considers issues; banks have too much power, top 1% making all the money, workers taking the hit, yada yada; then this "And that's my plan to help out the working class". Hell, that's not a plan, it's a list of goals to correct perceived offenses.

Here in Texas Bernie hasn't done any advertising so this is the first time I've seen his ads. I didn't know they were just a whine list. I don't think I would order off that list!



(PS - all my "local" news comes from NYC because of satellite, I have no true locals. Thank god for that, too!)

[(poco) Sforzando]

Given the massive support this Sanders gets from people 19 to 35 years old, does anyone have any doubt that eventually a Sanders will win the US Presidency? 

You're assuming these 19-35 year olds will never grow up. Actually, probably a safe assumption.