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A Fucking Thread About the 2016 Elections, Seriously, What the Hell, I Don't Even

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Posts

  • spool32spool32 Contrary Library Registered User regular
    Just so folks know where I stand right now:

    There isn't a single Republican politician I'm excited to support or motivated to see get into the white house. I wouldn't vote for Hillary, but probably any other credible Democrat could win me over right now.

    I'm very unimpressed with regard to the GOP field as it stands. The closest I come to being curious is Christie and he strikes me as the sort of guy I'd be forced into making excuses for throughout his term. The GOP's Bill Clinton, basically. Probably corrupt, definitely sketchy, but moderate and effective enough for me to handwave away most of the problems and pretend I don't understand what integrity means. What is that word? I don't grasp... can you explain it again? Hmm, interesting.

    Sigh.

  • yossarian_livesyossarian_lives Registered User regular
    Hasn't Christie been running his state into the ground? Last I heard their credit rating took a nose dive because the state budget is a shambles.

    More interesting for me would be a Paul primary win. You better believe his family's ties to hate groups will be put under the microscope, not to mention his association with neo-confederates and the embarrassing sound bites of him opposing the Civil Rights Act. To be fair he was only against certain portions of it, for very libertarian reasons, but that won't matter once a carefully constructed narrative effectively paints his sorry ass as a white supremacist, or at least a dude who hangs out with them. We'd be looking at a seriously ugly general, hell that shit might even come up in the primaries if he starts pulling ahead.

    "I see everything twice!"


  • JragghenJragghen Registered User regular
    There hasn't been the slightest bit of buzz about him potentially running, and I've not paid any attention to him for a good 8 years or so, so I have no idea how his voting record has evolved, but I'm pretty sure Mark Warner's kids are out of the age range where he would have the concerns which was his excuse in 2008.

    He'd probably be to the right of Clinton and be super-duper pro large corporations for technology/Internet issues due to his corporate ties, though. That being said, he would hand Virginia to the Dems in a bright pink bow. VA would be more reliably blue than PA or OH in that election.

  • QuidQuid Definitely not a banana Registered User regular
    edited September 2014
    spool32 wrote: »
    Christie
    Paul Ryan
    Rand Paul
    Marco Rubio maybe?
    Jeb Bush will sit this one out.

    Hillary running will be bullshit accusations of sexism for 2 years. Things will get more partisan, more vicious, more hateful, and more intolerable to listen to from the left.

    I have a stomach ache thinking about it. Some of you guys are going to be truly unreadable. :(

    For me personally the blatant sexism that'll be spouted by the GOP and their supporters crying foul every time they're called out on it will be worse.

    But different priorities I guess.

    Quid on
  • override367override367 ALL minions Registered User regular
    edited September 2014
    Paul Ryan couldn't handle the VP debates

    he's got no chance for the big chair

    Mitt Romney was the best shot the GOP had, and he blew it. There is nobody who is sane enough to win the general who will get past the primary

    God I want reality to be altered so Warren could be president though, although I'm sure the GOP would paint her as Mega-Ultron-Stalin or something. They've painted Obama, who is a centrist on at least 50% of issues, as a libby lib lib. Warren's an honest to goodness liberal who thinks we need stronger consumer and labor protections for long term economic success, Obama is afraid to be seen in the same room as a union member

    I'm not looking forward to 2016, Obama's cowardice on a few key issues that matter is my biggest disappointment in the man, and Hillary is even more cowardly and politically calculating

    override367 on
  • ViskodViskod Registered User regular
    There is nobody who is sane enough to win the general who will get past the primary.

    Why do you think the GOP wants fewer people in the primary, a shorter primary, and very few televised debates?

    Less time for people to say things like "Moonbases" and for audiences to boo at a gay solder and applaud letting someone die in an emergency room because they lack insurance.

    Because they realized that more exposure of their candidates in a primary setting just makes them look like complete idiots, because that is what their base is made up of.

  • TheSmackerTheSmacker Registered User regular
    I'll be super sad if Paul Ryan runs, just because I don't want the word "wonk" to make it's way back into the general discourse again

  • DoodmannDoodmann Registered User regular
    I heard a recent NPR interview with Ryan and he was advocating for welfare programs...either he is shifting to the center for a run or he's said fuck it and is just doing his own thing.

    Whippy wrote: »
    nope nope nope nope abort abort talk about anime
    Sometimes I sell my stuff on Ebay
  • DevoutlyApatheticDevoutlyApathetic Registered User regular
    Doodmann wrote: »
    I heard a recent NPR interview with Ryan and he was advocating for welfare programs...either he is shifting to the center for a run or he's said fuck it and is just doing his own thing.

    Last time he talked about these it was really just a duplicitous way of restricting them and effectively cutting them. He talks a lot about the 90's reforms that just so happened to coincide with massive economic prosperity and ignores that the numbers that improved tanked again when the recession hit.

    Nod. Get treat. PSN: Quippish
  • SyphonBlueSyphonBlue The studying beaver That beaver sure loves studying!Registered User regular
    Doodmann wrote: »
    I heard a recent NPR interview with Ryan and he was advocating for welfare programs...either he is shifting to the center for a run or he's said fuck it and is just doing his own thing.

    Last time he talked about these it was really just a duplicitous way of restricting them and effectively cutting them. He talks a lot about the 90's reforms that just so happened to coincide with massive economic prosperity and ignores that the numbers that improved tanked again when the recession hit.

    He's not ignoring it! They only went down again because we voted in a Welfare President! The Welfareiest President in history, in fact!

    LxX6eco.jpg
    PSN/Steam/NNID: SyphonBlue | BNet: SyphonBlue#1126
  • Irond WillIrond Will WARNING: NO HURTFUL COMMENTS, PLEASE!!!!! Cambridge. MAModerator mod
    i'm not real excited about hillary, but her stint as secretary of state redeemed her a lot in my eyes. when she wins the primary i'll vote for her without grumbling. i don't expect her to threaten any friendly power bases - she'll be much better received by wall street than obama is and for better or worse will probably shore up the dems' relationship with the banking sector. she'll probably back israel a lot more resolutely than obama. she'll probably embrace organized labor in a way that obama hasn't.

    i don't know of any particular thing she's willing to fight for. i don't know of any issue that she particularly cares about. as president, she'll be all the things that the angry left says about obama - her understanding of the political world is based around 1960s & 1970s democratic alliances and, like her husband, she will not betray the power bases that got her there. bad news for people who want a strong progressive voice in politics.

    i don't know that establishment republicans are capable of resisting the base again and ending up with a safe, inevitable candidate like mccain or romney. i think we're going to see a rand paul.

    Wqdwp8l.png
  • Dark_SideDark_Side Registered User regular
    i don't know that establishment republicans are capable of resisting the base again and ending up with a safe, inevitable candidate like mccain or romney. i think we're going to see a rand paul.

    Rand is too cocky, he doesn't know how to play politics and clearly thinks he's better than everyone else. He also has a massive plagiarism problem lurking about. The primary voters will look at him and Ted Cruz and pick Ted Cruz.

  • JarsJars Registered User regular
    what sort of logic loopholes are we going to see that will allow ted cruz to run? he's canadian

  • SyphonBlueSyphonBlue The studying beaver That beaver sure loves studying!Registered User regular
    Jars wrote: »
    what sort of logic loopholes are we going to see that will allow ted cruz to run? he's canadian

    So?

    LxX6eco.jpg
    PSN/Steam/NNID: SyphonBlue | BNet: SyphonBlue#1126
  • MagicPrimeMagicPrime FiresideWizard Registered User regular
    edited September 2014
    We have no public heroes anymore.

    MagicPrime on
    BNet • magicprime#1430 | PSN/Steam • MagicPrime | Origin • FireSideWizard
    Critical Failures - Havenhold CampaignAugust St. Cloud (Human Ranger)
  • AManFromEarthAManFromEarth Let's get to twerk! The King in the SwampRegistered User regular
    MagicPrime wrote: »
    We have no public heroes anymore.

    fBw5Zqpl.jpg

    Lh96QHG.png
  • spool32spool32 Contrary Library Registered User regular
    Jars wrote: »
    what sort of logic loopholes are we going to see that will allow ted cruz to run? he's canadian

    He's hispanic! But his mother was American and will probably qualify as a natural born citizen as a result.

    Cue the hypocrisy music!

  • JarsJars Registered User regular
    SyphonBlue wrote: »
    Jars wrote: »
    what sort of logic loopholes are we going to see that will allow ted cruz to run? he's canadian

    So?

    so... you have to be born in the US to run for president

  • DoodmannDoodmann Registered User regular
    spool32 wrote: »
    Jars wrote: »
    what sort of logic loopholes are we going to see that will allow ted cruz to run? he's canadian

    He's hispanic! But his mother was American and will probably qualify as a natural born citizen as a result.

    Cue the hypocrisy music!

    Alexander Hamilton would rise from his grave to reap vengeance upon the land.

    Whippy wrote: »
    nope nope nope nope abort abort talk about anime
    Sometimes I sell my stuff on Ebay
  • AistanAistan Tiny Bat Registered User regular
    edited September 2014
    Jars wrote: »
    SyphonBlue wrote: »
    Jars wrote: »
    what sort of logic loopholes are we going to see that will allow ted cruz to run? he's canadian

    So?

    so... you have to be born in the US to run for president

    The requirement is "natural born citizen". So either born in the US or born to a parent who is a US citizen.

    Also why the stupid Kenya argument about President Obama is even more stupid than it is on its face. Even if he was born in Kenya (he wasn't) his mother was a US citizen so he'd be natural born anyway.

    Aistan on
  • AManFromEarthAManFromEarth Let's get to twerk! The King in the SwampRegistered User regular
    Yeah, Cruz absolutely qualified for the office. Even before his big dumb stunt about "renouncing" his Canadianism.

    Bet he still sneaks maple syrup in Olive Garden parking lots.

    Lh96QHG.png
  • yossarian_livesyossarian_lives Registered User regular
    Reverse birtherism?

    "I see everything twice!"


  • SyphonBlueSyphonBlue The studying beaver That beaver sure loves studying!Registered User regular
    I was making a joke about them suddenly not caring about birthplace when it's one of theirs, but sure let's go with the "real" answer

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    PSN/Steam/NNID: SyphonBlue | BNet: SyphonBlue#1126
  • Irond WillIrond Will WARNING: NO HURTFUL COMMENTS, PLEASE!!!!! Cambridge. MAModerator mod
    i'd be surprised if ted cruz goes anywhere. whereas rand paul is kind of a loon, he also has played ball with the party. cruz has specifically gone out of his way to publically tweak the noses of the GOP establishment and has alienated a lot of potential political allies. he doesn't have any real support outside of the angriest tea party faithfuls and is even considered kind of a dick by his texas electorate.

    Wqdwp8l.png
  • Irond WillIrond Will WARNING: NO HURTFUL COMMENTS, PLEASE!!!!! Cambridge. MAModerator mod
    also i'm surprised that rubio isn't being put forward as the candidate to beat. he's got a lot going for him and not much against, outside of a lack of experience and i guess an embarrassing water-bottle episode.

    Wqdwp8l.png
  • AManFromEarthAManFromEarth Let's get to twerk! The King in the SwampRegistered User regular
    rubio is an idiot and has loads going against him

    he's incompetent, the people in his state don't like him, he only takes a stand after an issue is resolved.

    and the petty is kind of important

    that water bottle moment killed any hope that man has of getting the oval outside of being VP

    Lh96QHG.png
  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    He steps on more rakes than Sideshow Bob, to borrow a metaphor from Charlie Pierce.

    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • Harry DresdenHarry Dresden Registered User regular
    He steps on more rakes than Sideshow Bob, to borrow a metaphor from Charlie Pierce.

    Sideshow Bob '16

  • OptimusZedOptimusZed Registered User regular
    I'm really hoping for a Jeb Bush nomination. That would make me so happy.

    But if we can't have him, I'll settle for one of the multitude of nutbar options. Cruz, Santorum, Perry, Bachmann (I doubt she has any chance at all), Palin, hell throw in Buchanan or or Keyes for some flavor.

    It's a smart move for them to limit the debate season with the crowd they have running. This bunch of yahoos will spend every second they're on stage making the movement look like they wear their pants on their head.

    We're reading Rifts. You should too. You know you want to. Now With Ninjas!

    They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
  • SyphonBlueSyphonBlue The studying beaver That beaver sure loves studying!Registered User regular
    I fear for a Jeb Bush nomination because he is not out-and-out crazy, and this country is stupid enough to vote for another Bush.

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  • OptimusZedOptimusZed Registered User regular
    There's no way. The name Bush is too politically charged, even now. They've had 6 years to soften his image and he's still deeply unpopular. And Jeb lacks the charisma of his brother.

    Jeb Bush is general election easy mode for Democrats.

    We're reading Rifts. You should too. You know you want to. Now With Ninjas!

    They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
  • V1mV1m Registered User regular
    OptimusZed wrote: »
    There's no way. The name Bush is too politically charged, even now. They've had 6 years to soften his image and he's still deeply unpopular. And Jeb lacks the charisma of his brother.

    Jeb Bush is general election easy mode for Democrats.

    Who would not be "easy mode"?

  • OptimusZedOptimusZed Registered User regular
    V1m wrote: »
    OptimusZed wrote: »
    There's no way. The name Bush is too politically charged, even now. They've had 6 years to soften his image and he's still deeply unpopular. And Jeb lacks the charisma of his brother.

    Jeb Bush is general election easy mode for Democrats.

    Who would not be "easy mode"?
    Honestly? Probably Christie. He's got a (completely unearned) reputation for reasonable bipartisanship that has only been slightly tarnished by the bridge fiasco in the national eye, and there are a lot of otherwise-democrats with stockholm syndrome that really want a strong authoritarian republican to come save them. There's no conceivable way that the Republican candidate will lose the south or the rural west, so peeling back a state or two in the northeast via racist/sexist overtones and shouting could be a winning game plan.

    Otherwise, Rick Perry feels an awful lot like Bush the Lesser without actually being named Bush. That's kind of a scary combination.

    We're reading Rifts. You should too. You know you want to. Now With Ninjas!

    They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
  • DehumanizedDehumanized Registered User regular
    I don't see Rick Perry being viable unless his campaign team can somehow erase his performance in the last primaries from the electorate.

  • Harry DresdenHarry Dresden Registered User regular
    edited September 2014
    OptimusZed wrote: »
    There's no way. The name Bush is too politically charged, even now. They've had 6 years to soften his image and he's still deeply unpopular. And Jeb lacks the charisma of his brother.

    Jeb Bush is general election easy mode for Democrats.

    Bachmann's easy mode, the Bush family aren't.

    Harry Dresden on
  • GaddezGaddez Registered User regular
    I don't see Rick Perry being viable unless his campaign team can somehow erase his performance in the last primaries from the electorate.

    There's also the whole flirt with secessionists thing.

  • OptimusZedOptimusZed Registered User regular
    OptimusZed wrote: »
    There's no way. The name Bush is too politically charged, even now. They've had 6 years to soften his image and he's still deeply unpopular. And Jeb lacks the charisma of his brother.

    Jeb Bush is general election easy mode for Democrats.

    Bachmann's easy mode, the Bush family aren't.
    The Bush name is easy mode.

    We're reading Rifts. You should too. You know you want to. Now With Ninjas!

    They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
  • Harry DresdenHarry Dresden Registered User regular
    OptimusZed wrote: »
    OptimusZed wrote: »
    There's no way. The name Bush is too politically charged, even now. They've had 6 years to soften his image and he's still deeply unpopular. And Jeb lacks the charisma of his brother.

    Jeb Bush is general election easy mode for Democrats.

    Bachmann's easy mode, the Bush family aren't.
    The Bush name is easy mode.

    He'd be against the Democrats. They already lost once and the Bushes with a proper organization are a force to be reckoned with and they're moderates to the Tea Party.

  • OptimusZedOptimusZed Registered User regular
    OptimusZed wrote: »
    OptimusZed wrote: »
    There's no way. The name Bush is too politically charged, even now. They've had 6 years to soften his image and he's still deeply unpopular. And Jeb lacks the charisma of his brother.

    Jeb Bush is general election easy mode for Democrats.

    Bachmann's easy mode, the Bush family aren't.
    The Bush name is easy mode.

    He'd be against the Democrats. They already lost once and the Bushes with a proper organization are a force to be reckoned with and they're moderates to the Tea Party.
    W won on a technicality in a period where a lot of Democrats were crossing over for some reason. Then he had 8 of the worst years in living memory.

    The Bushes only swing the pipe they can squeeze out of the party. And you can't have W stumping for him without drawing the direct comparison that no one in their right mind would want.

    Jeb Bush brings a ton of negative to the table with no real upside.

    I have to say, though, that if we had a Clinton - Bush general, future historians would probably point back to it when explaining our transition away from representative democracy.

    We're reading Rifts. You should too. You know you want to. Now With Ninjas!

    They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
  • Harry DresdenHarry Dresden Registered User regular
    OptimusZed wrote: »
    OptimusZed wrote: »
    OptimusZed wrote: »
    There's no way. The name Bush is too politically charged, even now. They've had 6 years to soften his image and he's still deeply unpopular. And Jeb lacks the charisma of his brother.

    Jeb Bush is general election easy mode for Democrats.

    Bachmann's easy mode, the Bush family aren't.
    The Bush name is easy mode.

    He'd be against the Democrats. They already lost once and the Bushes with a proper organization are a force to be reckoned with and they're moderates to the Tea Party.
    W won on a technicality in a period where a lot of Democrats were crossing over for some reason. Then he had 8 of the worst years in living memory.

    He won when it counted. The Democrats had a war hero that was tuned into an unfeeling robot, his campaign wasn't good and were outsmarted legally.
    The Bushes only swing the pipe they can squeeze out of the party. And you can't have W stumping for him without drawing the direct comparison that no one in their right mind would want.

    They don't need W stumping for them, the GOP and Democratic parties both want to forget he existed. His appearance makes them both look bad. They can bring HW for stumping.
    Jeb Bush brings a ton of negative to the table with no real upside.

    That's W, Jeb isn't as tainted aside from being related and the loathing has faded.
    I have to say, though, that if we had a Clinton - Bush general, future historians would probably point back to it when explaining our transition away from representative democracy.

    Agreed.

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