Countdown to Extinction: The 2016 Presidential Election

[Pat B]

Unlike most of my liberal friends, I thought Trump won that debate, despite how incoherent and hideous his speech was from start to finish. He won because Hillary gleefully jumped down in the mud with him - after she quoted Michelle Obama and vowed to take the high road, she spent the whole rest of the debate non-answering questions by saying, "Well, TRUMP this and that." Moreover, he won by turning the entire debate into a Trumpian spectacle. Everyone else agreed to play by his rules, with his interruptions, his name-calling, and his bitter contempt for the moderators, which they returned. In the first debate, Trump looked like a foreigner out of place; in this one, he made everyone else complicit, by making them partake in his language and demeanor. The audience seemed traumatized.

I watched bits and pieces -- I can't take more than that -- and I thought both were terrible. Clinton was as you described (as was Kaine in the VP debate). But I thought Trump seemed sullen, maybe even resigned.

[Pat B]

Instead of polling Americans about Washington again, a pair of academics at Johns Hopkins tried something new — polling Washington about Americans. What they found was a combination of ignorance, contempt and disdain.

Survey data from the polled group — staffers from the White House and Capitol Hill plus career civil servants and the policy community of lobbyists and others who work closely with government from outside it — indicate that the functionary class thinks of itself as our betters. Our bosses, not our representatives. They see their own judgment as being far superior to that of the rest of us — the people whose wishes they are supposed to be carrying out.

Which is why Trump still might just win.

And Trump doesn't think of himself as our better?

[PerfectWagnerite]

I watched bits and pieces -- I can't take more than that -- and I thought both were terrible. Clinton was as you described (as was Kaine in the VP debate). But I thought Trump seemed sullen, maybe even resigned.

He just comes across as a crazy loon. Who walks around with a permanent scowl on his face and arms behind his back like Harrison Ford's character from K19 The Widowmaker ?

And when do you hear someone refer to Lincoln as "the late Abe Lincoln"? I am no expert but there must be a rule that when you have been dead for over 160 yrs you don't use "late" anymore. He also can't stop the nickname thing. Do we have to hear "Honest" Abe from him? Come on !

[Brian]

Apologies if this violates GMG terms.

[kishnevi]

Fact check moment
The Trump Taj Mahal is currently owned by Carl Icahn.  Not DJT.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/trump-taj-mahal-close-26-years-trump-opened-42693677
The article does not discuss why Icahn is the owner, but IIRC he took it over when Trump lost it through bankruptcy.

[PerfectWagnerite]

Apologies if this violates GMG terms.

That's not a nice way to talk about Trump's wife...

[Brian]

Donald Trump, speaking at rally, quotes from bogus story reported - and then retracted - by Kremlin propaganda agents.

http://www.newsweek.com/vladimir-putin-sidney-blumenthal-hillary-clinton-donald-trump-benghazi-sputnik-508635

"The Russians engage in a sloppy disinformation effort and, before the day is out, the Republican nominee for president is standing on a stage reciting the manufactured story as truth. How did this happen? Who in the Trump campaign was feeding him falsehoods straight from the Kremlin?"

[Zeus]

Trump's new campaign manager:



Trump is such an easy target.

[The new erato]

Apologies if this violates GMG terms.

A campaign motivated by hate instead of politics.

[zamyrabyrd]

A campaign motivated by hate instead of politics.

When you live in glass houses...

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2016/10/09/trump-holds-press-conference-with-bill-clinton-rape-accusers/

Juanita Broddrick, Paula Jones, Kathy Shelton and Kathleen Willey expressed their support for Trump as they levied heavy accusations against the Clintons from how the pair handled sexual assault cases to their own involvement in alleged sexual misdeeds.

"Mr. Trump may have said some bad words, but Bill Clinton raped me, and Hillary Clinton threatened me," Broddrick said. "I don't think there's any comparison."

Shelton, who was allegedly raped in 1975 at the age of 12, accused Hillary Clinton of "laughing" and knowing that the man she represented was guilty of rape.

PS Glenn Beck does not support Trump.

[zamyrabyrd]

As Donald Trump detailed the consequences of former President Bill Clinton's sexual scandals, a television camera caught Bill Clinton's facial expression from the audience during Sunday night's debate.

You might say the former commander in chief wasn't too happy:



http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2016/10/10/camera-catches-bill-clintons-face-as-trump-details-fallout-over-former-presidents-sexual-scandals/

"So don't tell me about words. Absolutely I apologize for those words," Trump said before noting that Bill Clinton was impeached, lost his law license and paid an $850,000 settlement to Paula Jones over her accusations of sexual harassment. Trump added that Hillary Clinton attacked women who accused her husband of sexual abuse, and therefore chiding him for the leaked audio is "disgraceful and I think she should be ashamed of herself, if you want to know the truth."

[Zeus]

While Trump is wallowing in the filth....

For the first time in its nearly 50-year history, Foreign Policy has endorsed a presidential candidate, adding its voice to the growing chorus of publications breaking with tradition to support Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

"In the nearly half century history of Foreign Policy, the editors of this publication have never endorsed a candidate for political office," the editorial board explained in an article published late Sunday. "We cherish and fiercely protect this publication's independence and its reputation for objectivity, and we deeply value our relationship with all of our readers, regardless of political orientation. It is for all these reasons that FP's editors are now breaking with tradition to endorse Hillary Clinton for the next president of the United States."

FP's editorial board believes Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump ― whom it labels "the worst major-party candidate for the job in U.S. history" ― presents such a threat to global stability that the publication had an obligation to weigh in.

To support its argument, FP lays out a damning, comprehensive list of Trump's questionable policy proposals, arguing that he's already hurt America's international standing without even setting foot in office.

The list includes Trump's praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin's leadership and his encouragement of Russian interference in the U.S. election, his support for torture in violation of international law, his wavering support for treaties with U.S. allies, and his jaw-dropping statements about the proliferation and use of nuclear weapons. 

"In the areas in which we at FP specialize," the editorial board writes, "he has repeatedly demonstrated his ignorance of the most basic facts of international affairs, let alone the nuances so crucial to the responsibilities of diplomacy inherent in the U.S. president's daily responsibilities."

"The dangers Trump presents as president stretch beyond the United States to the international economy, to global security, to America's allies, as well as to countless innocents everywhere who would be the victims of his inexperience, his perverse policy views, and the profound unsuitability of his temperament for the office he seeks."

[Trump] has repeatedly demonstrated his ignorance of the most basic facts of international affairs, let alone the nuances so crucial to the responsibilities of diplomacy inherent in the U.S. president's daily responsibilities.
Foreign Policy editorial board

[Herman]

He won't do that if he wins. If he wins then Grandma is no longer important nor someone in his way and is thus not a political enemy. There would be no point in going after her, from a purely business point of view.

Hillary will be hounded by Republican initiated lawsuits no matter what; it's been like this for 25 years.

[Florestan]

18 U.S. Code § 793(f) - Whoever, being entrusted with or having lawful possession or control of any document, writing, code book, signal book, sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, instrument, appliance, note, or information, relating to the national defense, (1) through gross negligence permits the same to be removed from its proper place of custody or delivered to anyone in violation of his trust, or to be lost, stolen, abstracted, or destroyed, or (2) having knowledge that the same has been illegally removed from its proper place of custody or delivered to anyone in violation of its trust, or lost, or stolen, abstracted, or destroyed, and fails to make prompt report of such loss, theft, abstraction, or destruction to his superior officer—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.

What´s the difference between "gross negligence" and "extreme carelessness"? Just asking.

"The dangers Trump presents as president stretch beyond the United States to the international economy, to global security, to America's allies, as well as to countless innocents everywhere who would be the victims of his inexperience, his perverse policy views, and the profound unsuitability of his temperament for the office he seeks."

Without in any way trying to minimize the potential dangers of a Trump presidency --- as a Romanian I am quite worried about his views on Russia and NATO --- I think, though, that when it comes to "countless innocent victims everywhere" Hillary Clinton´s record is far worse than Trump´s

[Karl Henning]

In the most charitable interpretation, this state of affairs ties GOP officials' hands because they don't want to defy the will of their party's voters, as expressed in a democratic process. They are, after all, supposed to represent the people. Attempting to crush the Trump insurgency from the top down could just end up inflaming the anti-establishment mood even further.

The less charitable interpretation is that GOP elites are cravenly trying to protect their own careers. They fear losing in future primaries if they abandon Trump in his moment of need. They fear losing in the general election if Trump's prospects are so poor that they significantly depress GOP base turnout. And they fear being attacked by Trump himself.

("The sorry state of the Republican Party right now, in one tweet")

[71 dB]

Trump added that Hillary Clinton attacked women who accused her husband of sexual abuse,

I thought wifes and husbands are supposed to defend each other...

[Karl Henning]

I thought wifes and husbands are supposed to defend each other...

Much more reprehensible behavior than the sexual assault El Tupé brags about (he denied actually doing it in the debate, but of course, (a) he would have to and (b) he lies as quick as blinking).

[Herman]

when it comes to "countless innocent victims everywhere" Hillary Clinton´s record is far worse than Trump´s

I had to think real hard, but maybe it's because Trump was never involved in Foreign Policy (other than Miss Universe)?

Just rest assured that a Trump president would start foreign conflicts without batting an eye....

[San Antone]

The only thing more frustrating to root for other than a Donald Trump presidential win is a Cubs World Series victory.

Go Cubs!

[Gurn Blanston]

The only thing more frustrating to root for other than a Donald Trump presidential win is a Cubs World Series victory.

Go Cubs!

Well, that's one I can go along with. Go Cubs!