It's the Presidential Election for the US of A! Frequently called "the most powerful person on the planet", a title which may be inflated American ego or an example of how much power is concentrated in one individual. Either way, it's still an
important position that wields a lot of influence on both a domestic and international level. With our friend Barack Obama unable to run for a third term, we have a host of fresh new faces eager to earn your vote. So play nice and enjoy the show.
In the Blue Corner...
The democratic primary is still on! Here are the remaining candidates...
Hillary "Hilldawg" Clinton68 Years Old
Former Secretary of State and SenatorPros: Clinton is a name that is tied to two popular presidencies, and in this circus of an election she comes off as a very serious politician. She's also got more money than God and Satan put together, a war chest that will crush all opposition. She has fairly large pull with women and minorities, particularly black Americans if the primary is anything to go by. One also cannot discount that the possibility of our first woman president could spur supporters to go vote.
Cons: Her politics are center-left if we're being very generous, and she has some baggage that is a turn-off for the base. Among these issues include a very cozy relationship with Wall Street and corporate donors. While she has repented regarding her views on Iraq and gay marriage, she still has a fairly hawkish attitude (although she does seem to be leaning towards support of rights for transgender people). The main problem with Clinton is that she has none of the charisma of her husband, and even attempts at warmth come off as pandering. It seems like Clinton's biggest strength is the very weak competition.
"Feel the" Bernie Sanders74 Years Old
Senator, Former Representative and MayorPros: An arguably more enthused alternative to Clinton, Sanders provides the lefty candidate that younger democrats really want. His independent status in the Senate gives him "outsider" bonafides, and seems committed to fixing the gross wealth disparity in this country.
Cons: No name recognition, as in the public eye he was basically a nobody until this primary. His method for campaign funding has been successful but is likely to hurt him in the long run. Youth vote is great, but they've proven to be a demographic with a spotty track record for voting. While incredibly passionate, his opponents have had some success as spinning this into an old communist yelling at clouds. Socialism in general is still something of a bad word in America, and wearing the badge with pride will likely turn off a lot of the boomers. Tends to have issues with racial minorities due to his campaign being laser-focused on class issues over all else.
In the Red Corner...
The GOP primary has been decided! While the party leadership is reluctant to fully back his candidacy, it's highly unlikely they'll deny him the nod or else risk alienating a ton of voters.
Donald "Baby Hands" Trump69 Years Old
Meets the Constitutional RequirementsPros: Extremely charismatic to many people, Trump's utter lack of filter has gotten him attention for nearly a year now. He's tapped into conservative anger, at long last giving them the True Conservative they've constantly had to shelve in favor of milquetoast candidates such Romney and McCain. Primary voting drew in massive numbers of voters, and debates got high enough ratings that Trump felt his presence at them could be used as a bargaining chip. Another thing is that Trump can be something of a while wildcard, saying things palatable to the left like recognizing Planned Parenthood does more than abortions or that we need universal healthcare (but one that isn't socialism...somehow). Who knows what Trump will pull in the general to attract moderates
Cons: If you're not a white man, then chances are you don't like Trump. He is dead in the water when it comes to minority polling, and we've long passed the era when you can just rely on angry white men to win you elections. Particularly damning is the growing Hispanic population, an increasingly vital voting bloc that Trump has been continually pissing off since he announced his candidacy. This doesn't even get into the laundry list of his other issues, like pissing off old-school republicans in large numbers (when the Nation Review dedicates an issue against you, you know something is up), or the fact that he's mostly a bullshitter who has repeatedly been unable to give specifics on any of his proposals.
FAQWhen are the conventions?Republican: July 18th-21st
Democratic: July 25th-28th
Expect running mates to be announced or leaked a week or two prior.
Isn't Clinton in trouble with the FBI?
Her server woes have been a source of scandal and fodder for Republicans. While an indictment would effectively kill her campaign, it seems highly unlikely considering that the DNC hasn't been that good at hiding their support for Clinton over Sanders. There's no way the DNC would risk backing a criminal if they felt any chance of something sticking.
What's a superdelegate?
A number of prominent democrats that get to vote in the primary. They have been controversial, as they make it that much harder for outsider or "dark horse" candidates to win...and raise the question of how democratic this is if the party can decide. However, superdelegates have never decided a race, as they are fickle fair-weather creatures that can change their vote at any point up until the convention. Many superdelegates switched their vote to Obama once it became clear he was the frontrunner. However, it's still a hotly debated issue, as even the illusion that one candidate has an overwhelming advantage over another can hurt things like voter turnout.
When is Election Day?
November 8th
How long do I have to register to vote?It varies by state
Posts
Nay, gigafucked
We're all fucked
I've been in a pretty dry spell myself.
Bout time we fucked ourselves
Twitch (I stream most days of the week)
Twitter (mean leftist discourse)
not to be confused with fucking which is gross and dumb and no one should do it
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Twitter (mean leftist discourse)
yes
D3 Steam #TeamTangent STO
Well, jokes on them, Frosted Flakes are too sugary and Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds is a damn perfect cereal.
Yes.
I've watched Yes, Prime Minister a few times so I think I have a vague understanding of how the UK system works, but maybe I don't so let me run it by you.
My understanding is that the prime minister is not elected separately from the parliament in the way that the US president is elected separately from congress, but is chosen by the party or coalition of parties that hold the majority in parliament. People only vote directly for their representatives in parliament. And while prime minister has similar powers and responsibilities to the US president of being in charge of the military, the government bureaucracy, diplomacy, and enacting the legislation the parliament/congress passes, the PM doesn't have any veto power over legislation and the parliament can replace them whenever it wants to.
Does that sound right?
Twitch (I stream most days of the week)
Twitter (mean leftist discourse)
They're basically on the same point
It's a definitely a thing that benefits the media.
she's been pushed leftward by public opinion, and that's reflected in her stated policies--stuff like a 12$ minimum wage, putting a stop to shadow banking, all that is left of Obama
and it has been found that politicians usually do put a lot of effort into following through on their promises
she's definitely more hawkish though, and that matters more to some
I'm not going to try and argue whether that's right or wrong
Thing is here evil is dumb too.
Honestly the depressing thing is that the reason Hillary will win here is because powerful people both stand to lose if Trump wins and gain if Hillary wins.
A crazy man as president support by a Congress that will fall in step behind him because it's what their constituents want could make shockwaves felt economically and politically all over the world
It's a fascinating, terrifying thing to think about
It seems like something folk would get sick of
I know I can't handle too many more election cycles like this
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Nah, it's more simple than that. The PM is just the leader of the party that forms the government by winning a majority of seats in the general election. As they are backed by a majority in the main law-making house (The House of Lords is primarily a light check rather than a hard one as the Commons can force stuff through if they want.), the PM actually has considerably more power than the US President. I think the closest analogue would be if the President was the Speaker of the House of Representatives?
D3 Steam #TeamTangent STO
a Trump win would be extraordinarily bad for the status quo
It's kind of funny to see the difference with our media, where early campaigning is generally treated with a resounding feeling of "Really? But it's not for ages? OK, well, you do you and we'll report some stuff that is a bit more pressing." Even our coverage of the US Primaries is more along the lines of a gossip column than anything else. I can see why it gets a lot of play, it's the greatest soap opera you guys have, but yeah...it's just weird to see.
D3 Steam #TeamTangent STO
Yes, apart from where the PM doesn't have veto powers and can be replaced whenever. Technically this is true, the PM is primus inter pares, first amongst equals, with no more power than anyone else. In practical terms, a PM with support of the party (bearing in mind that support from the party doesn't mean support from MPs in the party, one of our two main parties is currently led by someone who is there because of the base rather than other MPs) has a vast amount of power within the government, because the whole basis for who gets to be in charge is who can (assuming the party whips keep everyone in line) get a vote through the Commons without needing the support of any other party.
Mass media technology, however, is pretty dang new (relatively speaking)
So we probably ain't done making America weird
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This is the way It's always been, It's just that it didn't receive as much viewership. They didn't have a bajillion debates because it helped voters decide, they did it for the same reason the Jerry Springer show had a life span. It generated numbers even though it was basically the same thing. How many did we have, 11?
Of course, when McCain, Romney, Bush, Obama, and Kerry ran it just didn't have the same oomph of a reality television star who uses a motorcycle gang as his personal security force, screams bloody murder about women on their periods, starts a fight every chance he gets, subverts an entire party orthodoxy, promises to build a wall to keep out migrants from a country that doesn't send us most of our migrants, receives tacit support from Vladimir Putin while simultaneously proposes boots on the ground in an as yet undetermined location where democracy may or may not be at risk, might not actually know what an abortion is, waxes poetic about defaulting on the national debt, casually jokes about wanting to having sex with his daughter, makes vague threats to leaders of his current party, spent the last eight years claiming Obama was a muslim born outside the United States with a forged birth certificate, and on top of that
has a bad comb-over
did I miss anything that added to the entertainment value?
However, the ring will never leave your finger, and you will be unable to ever describe to another living person what you see.
he coulda given out free handjobs and nobody would have given a shit
assuming trump goes through with anything he talks about.
It's weird that we all sort of assume a man like trump is going to actually legitimately follow through with anything.
Does anyone seriously expect him to manage to get a wall built if he does become president? He's going to stop buying oil, and I give it until that shit hits $3 a gallon before the impeachment train comes along. ETC.
so the PM can't be replaced whenever? or are you saying that in practice they are only replaced when their faction loses control of the parliament? I had the impression they could also be changed when their party was unhappy with them or their performance. Also does the PM have some kind of actual veto powers or are you saying they wouldn't want to veto anything because their faction is necessarily the one in control of the legislature?