Countdown to Extinction: The 2016 Presidential Election

[Karl Henning]

Best slogan: Love Trumps Hate.

It's really stunning that a first-world nation has a candidate for the presidency with pretty much his entire platform based on Crime and Punishment. Lock up the opponent, build a wall around the border and throw out millions of undocumented immigrants.

There's nothing else.

Indeed.  I stepped over to a taco place for lunch yesterday, and as I sat (entirely enjoying the meal) there was El Tupé doing his shtick in Florida.  I listened, why not?  It was just hot air, and did not affect the quality of my lunch    Vacuous assertions, lies ranging from weaselly half-truths to a practiced con-man's bald improvised rubbish, grammatically and rhetorically the worst public speaking from an apparent adult I have seen broadcast all my life, and a crowd that cheered, apparently not caring about any of these niceties.

Sad.

My fish taco, though, was delicious.  Company's own salsa verde.

[Karl Henning]

Quite the contrary: people vote after mass.
And for those who do not go to mass (me) vote after farmers market.
voting on tuesday has always looked to me as an excuse to get to work late or leave work early.

It is a day of the week which was set at a pietistic period in US culture.  There is still a vestige of that, in the shameless political machinations of the "Evangelical" right.  One benefit, at least, which I hope we enjoy from this dismal season, is the removal of any pretense of "moral high ground" from Franklin Graham and his ilk.

[Rinaldo]

Good luck, guys. I'm afraid you're gonna need it even if sanity prevails and Donald gets trumped.

[Madiel]

Is there still a prospect of Utah going rogue?

[Karl Henning]

Is there still a prospect of Utah going rogue?

Less expectation of Utah going to M^cMullin;  will likely be an El Tupé win.

[Karl Henning]

Nate Silver at fivethirtyeight.com (who has estimated El Tupé's overall chances slightly better than other poll aggregates) reckons that Clinton has an advantage beyond polling-error range in Florida, a state whose 29 electoral votes would likely be an irrecoverable loss for El Tupé.

[zamyrabyrd]

It is a day of the week which was set at a pietistic period in US culture.  There is still a vestige of that, in the shameless political machinations of the "Evangelical" right.  One benefit, at least, which I hope we enjoy from this dismal season, is the removal of any pretense of "moral high ground" from Franklin Graham and his ilk.

The main objection by Christians to Hillary is her abortion stance (haven't we had enough already?) and being the darling of Planned Parenthood, receiving from them the Margaret Sanger award, who herself was a notorious racist. This is evident in Christian and Catholic blogs and websites.

Beyond morals, there is the social engineering aspect that cannot be overlooked. The State is not neutral as long as PP for instance gets millions of tax dollars. Erosion of religious freedom is a direct consequence since objection must bow to the bigger guns. God bless Donald for not being afraid to speak up what late term abortion is really like, on the stage of an internationally televised event.

Death of children (21) didn't faze HRC back when the Branch Davidians in Waco were being gassed and burned. This was a Federal siege of a nutcase group under the direct orders of the Clintons. The excuse was their keeping of firearms. Janet Reno said they wanted to protect the "children". Well, how do you protect them by killing them in the most horrible manner? Ding dong, that witch just died.
Sic semper tyrannis, even if they are women.

[Karl Henning]

The Senate looks like a close thing, which is more of The Gift of El Tupé.

[drogulus]

     

Who among the political class has the moral high ground?

     I take them as individuals, sorted philosophically and by party affiliation. Among them are pragmatists who want the greatest good in a way that's not predefined. They will invariably be seen as lacking the high moral ground. That's OK, I lack the moral high ground myself. I want good things for people, not much the good for them.

[mc ukrneal]

The main objection by Christians to Hillary is her abortion stance (haven't we had enough already?) and being the darling of Planned Parenthood, receiving from them the Margaret Sanger award, who herself was a notorious racist. This is evident in Christian and Catholic blogs and websites.

Beyond morals, there is the social engineering aspect that cannot be overlooked. The State is not neutral as long as PP for instance gets millions of tax dollars. Erosion of religious freedom is a direct consequence since objection must bow to the bigger guns. God bless Donald for not being afraid to speak up what late term abortion is really like, on the stage of an internationally televised event.

Death of children (21) didn't faze HRC back when the Branch Davidians in Waco were being gassed and burned. This was a Federal siege of a nutcase group under the direct orders of the Clintons. The excuse was their keeping of firearms. Janet Reno said they wanted to protect the "children". Well, how do you protect them by killing them in the most horrible manner? Ding dong, that witch just died.
Sic semper tyrannis, even if they are women.

Are you just explaining this viewpoint? Or do you actually believe this viewpoint?

[Brian]

Can we all come?

Yup!

If/when Hillary starts winning, we will switch to Fox News for sheer schadenfreude. 

[Brian]

Who among the political class has the moral high ground?

Republicans who disavowed Trump and stuck to it - Kasich, Romney, the Bush clan elders.

Although, now that I think about it, they could have done more. A Romney endorsement and Utah campaign stop would have been really important for Egg McMuffin's independent bid there, for example.

[zamyrabyrd]

Are you just explaining this viewpoint? Or do you actually believe this viewpoint?

I already said I am against Hillary as a shill for Planned Parenthood.

[Karl Henning]

Who among the political class has the moral high ground?

You changed the question.  My point is that there are "career Evangelicals" who are not religious leaders, but who are pietistic political lobbyists.  They are, if anything, yet more contemptible than El Tupé.  "Look at me, I'm a narcissist!" is not so low as "Look at me, don't I look good next to this airbrush portrait of Jesus!"

[Karl Henning]

"Look at me, I'm a narcissist!" is not so low as "Look at me, don't I look good next to this airbrush portrait of Jesus!"

(In fairness, I guess an honest man can disagree on the relative depths, here.)

[(poco) Sforzando]

Activity pretty light at my polling place at 7:00 this morning. But already about 150 had voted. I held my nose and voted for Pete King as my congressman, because much as I despise him I had never even heard of his Democratic opponent - and if a candidate doesn't even mount a campaign he/she can't have much backbone. I voted for Chuck Schumer without holding my nose. I won't say whom I voted for in the top spot, but the person was a New Yorker.

[(poco) Sforzando]

I already said I am against Hillary as a shill for Planned Parenthood.

Yes, that is the most critical issue facing the country today. Forget the economy, ISIS, climate change, immigration, race relations, and jobs.

[Karl Henning]

I won't say whom I voted for in the top spot, but the person was a New Yorker.

There is a delicious ambiguity there.

[Gurn Blanston]

Compared to Hillary Clinton, everyone has the moral high ground.

If you repeat that often enough, you might even convince yourself of it. However, that still won't make it true.

I'll say one thing about this election; it was, at 99%, the most disgustingly ad hominem election in my lifetime. Which is really a shame, since there are real problems out there that need solving. I hope the winner will get up out of the mud and actually try to do something positive. Not that Congress would allow such a thing...

[zamyrabyrd]

Yes, that is the most critical issue facing the country today. Forget the economy, ISIS, climate change, immigration, race relations, and jobs.

Not forgetting the above at all. I happen to agree with Trump: 1) bring jobs back to the US, cut government waste, 2) vet Muslim immigration, 3) stop playing the race card and restore respect for the police and 4) repeat 1)