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USA Presidential Election 2016: A Ring of Liar
Sterica
YesRegistered User, Moderator mod
YesRegistered User, Moderator mod
The country that brought you seven Star Wars movies is having an election! For president! This only happens once every four years, so you gotta enjoy it while it lasts! Let's have a good time and talk about all the hilarious ups and downs of this election season. Warning: sometimes it may be less hilarious, and more soul-crushing!
Things to Consider Before Posting
Previously in the POTUS Thread...
In the Blue Corner...
Hillary "Leaky" Clinton
68 Years Old
Former Secretary of State and Senator
Strengths: Clinton is The Politician when it comes to this election. She's got enough money to get away with murder, and she has plenty of endorsements from all over the country. She was a key part of two very popular presidencies, being the First Lady for Bill Clinton and part of Obama's cabinet for his first term. Combined with her stint as a New York senator, and she easily wins in terms of experience. She is quite popular with persons of color, if the primary is anything to go by, and as a Democrat and woman she'll going to tie up the woman's vote handily. She also has an incredibly strong campaign, with many staffers having formally worked on the Obama campaign. Just compare her Twitter to Trump's and you'll get an idea of what I'm talking about. It helps that her reputation as a cutthroat politician will be an asset given the likelihood of the GOP maintaining both houses of Congress.
Weaknesses: She has a serious reputation problem. While some see her a pragmatic person doing the most she can within a broken system, others see her as a corrupt continuation of the status quo and working within a broken system just perpetuates the broken system. While her primary opponent, Bernie Sanders, has pushed her campaign leftwards, it remains to be seen how much of that is sincere attempts to please the base and how much is just lip service to placate disgruntled democrats. It doesn't help that Clinton has a history of legally grey doings, such as a large donor to her foundation getting a seat on a committee in spite of having zero experience with that committee's dealings. And, you know, that he stepped down once news organizations picked up on it. Basically, Clinton has something of a likability problem, coming off as a cold, calculating Washington insider.
Tim "Notorious D.N.C." Kaine
58 Years Old
Senator, Former Governor of Virginia and DNC Chair
Strengths: Kaine really just builds on Clinton's solid foundation of experience and name recognition. Okay, you may not know who the fuck he is, but as DNC Chair years back Kaine is a fairly big name in the party. Being Chair during the election of Obama certainly doesn't hurt one's reputation as well. He is also a fairly well-regarded former governor of Virginia, a state that has been transitioning from red stronghold to battleground and now to Democratic mainstay. He is also a fairly moderate liberal, with his pro-life views being the most notable break from the Democrats. This may help attract conservatives disillusioned with Trump. Finally, he's shown a willingness to compromise on issues, which is always appealing to moderates.
Weaknesses: Basically, Kaine will turn off any Democrats who find Clinton too center-right for their tastes. He's a safe pick, but he's highly unlikely to sway any Sanders holdouts that held on to some hope that Clinton would pick a more liberal running mate as a gesture of good faith. And while it's largely ancient history for most, there was some grumbling about Kaine's decision to accept the job of Chair while still in office as a governor. Accusations of Kaine being a career-focused politician were tossed about, and when paired with Clinton that could come back to haunt him. I'm already seeing attacks about Kaine having a history as being soft on terror groups, attacks that may stick given the number of attacks this summer.
In the Red Corner...
Donald Trump, the Dark Speaker
70 Years Old
he's allowed to run
Strengths: After two elections being forced to compromise for more moderate candidates, Trump is giving the base what they want: an unapologetic avatar for the tea party movement. His utter lack of shame and refusal to back down even in the face of mere "facts" and "truth", coupled with his bombastic, populist sermons, led him to quickly rise to the top of the crowded primary heap. It served him well in energizing the base, which is important to have before you can even think of courting moderates. Also, this has been a depressingly violent summer, and Trump's Judge Dredd attitude will definitely appeal to a good chunk of fearful citizenry. And really, that's what Trump excels at: appealing to to your baser instincts, and giving you exactly what your scared ape brain wants. It may even work, as the Republicans reluctantly begin to surrender on old battles and reluctantly embrace the LGB community (no T for this party, however) and even flirt with the increasingly noisy alt right as ending that perpetual bummer, political correctness.
Weaknesses: The problem is that Trump promises things regardless of whether or not he can realistically deliver on them. The wall is an excellent example, with most saying it's way too expensive and that it's physically impossible to build since Mother Nature cares little about our borders being made of tidy terrain. Then there's Trump's racially-charged speeches that appeal to baser fears and hey, this would be fine for Republicans in most cases. But then Republicans realized that they kinda-sorta need Hispanics to win elections these days, and Trump is doing an excellent job of burning whatever fertile soil they had there and salting the earth for good measure. This means they need to appeal to white voters, but that can scare off moderates as he sounds increasingly like a Klan member (and he's endorsed by David Duke!). This doesn't even get into his myriad of other problems, like his spotty political history making older Republicans reluctant to fully embrace him, or his increasingly bizarre history of shit like pretending to be his own PR guy.
Mike "Piece of Cake" Pence
57 Years Old
Governor of Indiana
Strengths: Pence is a very safe pick to appeal to grumpy old Republicans that aren't too keen on this Trump guy. He's got a pretty solid record as an old-school conservative and all-around Serious Politician to Trump's weird circus. He's got the executive experience Trump desperately needs, he's a devout Christian unlike Trump's flaky "born again" nonsense, and he has name recognition as standing for those beliefs. Also important: Pence isn't a huge personality that threatens to compete with Trump throughout the campaign. He comes off as a fairly quiet, dignified man that will appeal to NeverTrump holdouts that need more evidence that Trump is taking his campaign seriously.
Weaknesses: He's not going to do much to energize the base. This isn't a Palin, where the campaign made a high-risk pick in order to excite a base that was feeling dejected by the candidate. Trump has already done that, and his whole campaign is running off his carnival-barker personality. He doesn't need another loudmouth on his ticket and, quiet frankly, his ego was never going to allow for such a thing. Pence will also fail to appeal to moderates, as the GOP lost the gay rights issue, and people aren't going find his antics as appealing as they might have 15-20 years ago. Basically, Pence is a guy who will spend the election in the shadow of Trump.
FAQ
When are the conventions?
Republican: July 18th-21st
Democratic: July 25th-28th
Isn't Clinton/Trump in legal trouble?
Clinton will not be facing indictment, although the FBI comments of her careless behavior has already been used against her. Trump's "college" is unlikely to cause him trouble, as the Clinton campaign seems to have so much ammo to use against him that it'll be too low priority.
Who are our tragic third-party candidates?
Jill Stein is running on the Green Party ticket, and Gary Johnson (with running mate Bill Weld) is the Libertarian candidate. There's other perennial candidates, such as Vermin Supreme, but I'd be here all day rattling off those.
What's a battleground?
A state that is polling more or less in the middle is considered a battleground. Because solidly Republican or Democratic states would require too much time and money to make even a dent in polls, candidates focus on the handful of states that are feasible to turn. Now, this doesn't mean that voting in a "stronghold" state is pointless. After all, many battleground states were at one point or another considered reliable votes for one party or the other, and people do pay attention to shifts in polls even if the overall outcome hasn't quite changed yet.
States in play this election include Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
When are the debates?
September 26, 2016
October 4, 2016 (VP)
October 9, 2016
October 19, 2016
When is Election Day?
November 8th, 2016
How long do I have to register to vote?
It varies by state
November 8th is kinda busy for me. Can I vote early?
It varies by state, although some states don't allow for early voting at all.
I want to vote from a safe distance. What are my options for citizens abroad?
This should help you out.
Note that this should also be useful for people who are still in the States but will be in another state/city/etc from wherever they're registered come election day.
Things to Consider Before Posting
- Resist the urge to dogpile unpopular sentiments. If it's really inflammatory then report it.
- Just because somebody is/isn't voting doesn't mean they are personally responsible for the downfall of democracy.
- This is SE++ so don't get hung up on derails.
Previously in the POTUS Thread...
In the Blue Corner...
Hillary "Leaky" Clinton
68 Years Old
Former Secretary of State and Senator
Strengths: Clinton is The Politician when it comes to this election. She's got enough money to get away with murder, and she has plenty of endorsements from all over the country. She was a key part of two very popular presidencies, being the First Lady for Bill Clinton and part of Obama's cabinet for his first term. Combined with her stint as a New York senator, and she easily wins in terms of experience. She is quite popular with persons of color, if the primary is anything to go by, and as a Democrat and woman she'll going to tie up the woman's vote handily. She also has an incredibly strong campaign, with many staffers having formally worked on the Obama campaign. Just compare her Twitter to Trump's and you'll get an idea of what I'm talking about. It helps that her reputation as a cutthroat politician will be an asset given the likelihood of the GOP maintaining both houses of Congress.
Weaknesses: She has a serious reputation problem. While some see her a pragmatic person doing the most she can within a broken system, others see her as a corrupt continuation of the status quo and working within a broken system just perpetuates the broken system. While her primary opponent, Bernie Sanders, has pushed her campaign leftwards, it remains to be seen how much of that is sincere attempts to please the base and how much is just lip service to placate disgruntled democrats. It doesn't help that Clinton has a history of legally grey doings, such as a large donor to her foundation getting a seat on a committee in spite of having zero experience with that committee's dealings. And, you know, that he stepped down once news organizations picked up on it. Basically, Clinton has something of a likability problem, coming off as a cold, calculating Washington insider.
Tim "Notorious D.N.C." Kaine
58 Years Old
Senator, Former Governor of Virginia and DNC Chair
Strengths: Kaine really just builds on Clinton's solid foundation of experience and name recognition. Okay, you may not know who the fuck he is, but as DNC Chair years back Kaine is a fairly big name in the party. Being Chair during the election of Obama certainly doesn't hurt one's reputation as well. He is also a fairly well-regarded former governor of Virginia, a state that has been transitioning from red stronghold to battleground and now to Democratic mainstay. He is also a fairly moderate liberal, with his pro-life views being the most notable break from the Democrats. This may help attract conservatives disillusioned with Trump. Finally, he's shown a willingness to compromise on issues, which is always appealing to moderates.
Weaknesses: Basically, Kaine will turn off any Democrats who find Clinton too center-right for their tastes. He's a safe pick, but he's highly unlikely to sway any Sanders holdouts that held on to some hope that Clinton would pick a more liberal running mate as a gesture of good faith. And while it's largely ancient history for most, there was some grumbling about Kaine's decision to accept the job of Chair while still in office as a governor. Accusations of Kaine being a career-focused politician were tossed about, and when paired with Clinton that could come back to haunt him. I'm already seeing attacks about Kaine having a history as being soft on terror groups, attacks that may stick given the number of attacks this summer.
In the Red Corner...
Donald Trump, the Dark Speaker
70 Years Old
he's allowed to run
Strengths: After two elections being forced to compromise for more moderate candidates, Trump is giving the base what they want: an unapologetic avatar for the tea party movement. His utter lack of shame and refusal to back down even in the face of mere "facts" and "truth", coupled with his bombastic, populist sermons, led him to quickly rise to the top of the crowded primary heap. It served him well in energizing the base, which is important to have before you can even think of courting moderates. Also, this has been a depressingly violent summer, and Trump's Judge Dredd attitude will definitely appeal to a good chunk of fearful citizenry. And really, that's what Trump excels at: appealing to to your baser instincts, and giving you exactly what your scared ape brain wants. It may even work, as the Republicans reluctantly begin to surrender on old battles and reluctantly embrace the LGB community (no T for this party, however) and even flirt with the increasingly noisy alt right as ending that perpetual bummer, political correctness.
Weaknesses: The problem is that Trump promises things regardless of whether or not he can realistically deliver on them. The wall is an excellent example, with most saying it's way too expensive and that it's physically impossible to build since Mother Nature cares little about our borders being made of tidy terrain. Then there's Trump's racially-charged speeches that appeal to baser fears and hey, this would be fine for Republicans in most cases. But then Republicans realized that they kinda-sorta need Hispanics to win elections these days, and Trump is doing an excellent job of burning whatever fertile soil they had there and salting the earth for good measure. This means they need to appeal to white voters, but that can scare off moderates as he sounds increasingly like a Klan member (and he's endorsed by David Duke!). This doesn't even get into his myriad of other problems, like his spotty political history making older Republicans reluctant to fully embrace him, or his increasingly bizarre history of shit like pretending to be his own PR guy.
Mike "Piece of Cake" Pence
57 Years Old
Governor of Indiana
Strengths: Pence is a very safe pick to appeal to grumpy old Republicans that aren't too keen on this Trump guy. He's got a pretty solid record as an old-school conservative and all-around Serious Politician to Trump's weird circus. He's got the executive experience Trump desperately needs, he's a devout Christian unlike Trump's flaky "born again" nonsense, and he has name recognition as standing for those beliefs. Also important: Pence isn't a huge personality that threatens to compete with Trump throughout the campaign. He comes off as a fairly quiet, dignified man that will appeal to NeverTrump holdouts that need more evidence that Trump is taking his campaign seriously.
Weaknesses: He's not going to do much to energize the base. This isn't a Palin, where the campaign made a high-risk pick in order to excite a base that was feeling dejected by the candidate. Trump has already done that, and his whole campaign is running off his carnival-barker personality. He doesn't need another loudmouth on his ticket and, quiet frankly, his ego was never going to allow for such a thing. Pence will also fail to appeal to moderates, as the GOP lost the gay rights issue, and people aren't going find his antics as appealing as they might have 15-20 years ago. Basically, Pence is a guy who will spend the election in the shadow of Trump.
FAQ
When are the conventions?
Republican: July 18th-21st
Democratic: July 25th-28th
Isn't Clinton/Trump in legal trouble?
Clinton will not be facing indictment, although the FBI comments of her careless behavior has already been used against her. Trump's "college" is unlikely to cause him trouble, as the Clinton campaign seems to have so much ammo to use against him that it'll be too low priority.
Who are our tragic third-party candidates?
Jill Stein is running on the Green Party ticket, and Gary Johnson (with running mate Bill Weld) is the Libertarian candidate. There's other perennial candidates, such as Vermin Supreme, but I'd be here all day rattling off those.
What's a battleground?
A state that is polling more or less in the middle is considered a battleground. Because solidly Republican or Democratic states would require too much time and money to make even a dent in polls, candidates focus on the handful of states that are feasible to turn. Now, this doesn't mean that voting in a "stronghold" state is pointless. After all, many battleground states were at one point or another considered reliable votes for one party or the other, and people do pay attention to shifts in polls even if the overall outcome hasn't quite changed yet.
States in play this election include Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
When are the debates?
September 26, 2016
October 4, 2016 (VP)
October 9, 2016
October 19, 2016
When is Election Day?
November 8th, 2016
How long do I have to register to vote?
It varies by state
November 8th is kinda busy for me. Can I vote early?
It varies by state, although some states don't allow for early voting at all.
I want to vote from a safe distance. What are my options for citizens abroad?
This should help you out.
Note that this should also be useful for people who are still in the States but will be in another state/city/etc from wherever they're registered come election day.
Sterica on
+7
This discussion has been closed.
Posts
https://np.reddit.com/r/Indiana/comments/4u6qfr/why_is_mike_pence_disliked_in_indiana/
However, the ring will never leave your finger, and you will be unable to ever describe to another living person what you see.
and he said that Clinton is low-energy and then literally said that she takes naps
and he doesn't take naps
and America needs someone is who is tough
and doesn't take naps
two dozen juggalos wandering down the national mall and then forgetting why they're there
okay
i'd vote for Larlar for president. and not the joke option this time.
steam | Dokkan: 868846562
Low energy
Oh hey another MRA buzzword
motherfucking gangs, how do they work?
miracles!
but holy shit, can we not call people getting murdered overseas by drone warfare a "pet issue"
also, @fightinfilipino, <3s for everything you do
Twitch (I stream most days of the week)
Twitter (mean leftist discourse)
Is Dr.Who an MRA?
The newest doctor is because he's an old man. Whereas the previous 2 doctors have just been teenage girl bait.
At least, according to a number of people ive spoken to who may have not actually ever fucking watched dr who because god dammit tennant was fantastic.
"low energy"?
is that like... no, I don't get it
why
we can't be friends
You heard me
I'm pretty sure Eccleston was the fantastic one.
But I really liked Tennant too.
Tennant's best television performance was in Broadchurch.
However, the ring will never leave your finger, and you will be unable to ever describe to another living person what you see.
This is what I was referring to
I'm sorry if I don't find an overly exciteable man running around shouting at the top of his head and gurning all over the place to be anything but hugely irritating
For god's sake Doctor control yourself, you're British
Well, he's more of an immigrant. Since he's from another planet and all.
Battle.net:Ritalynn#1974
XBL: Tranewrek
An alien in both senses of the word.
Dr Who had some moments
Solidly mediocre
Solar's lucky there's someone in this thread with a worse Doctor Who opinion than him to take some of the heat off.
And I'll always love it despite that.
Which admittedly is Dr. Who and that one Harry Potter movie that sucked even more than the rest of them.
I liked Nine more than any other Doctor. Just wish there were more episodes with him in it.
Battle.net:Ritalynn#1974
XBL: Tranewrek
I'm guessing your favorite Doctor is either One or Three.
Yeah that's, uh, a fucking understatement.
Which is also weird because Sanders has been on record as being pro-droning.
Well boy howdy do I have a surprise for you
However, the ring will never leave your finger, and you will be unable to ever describe to another living person what you see.
But there's always someone in the modern Who stories who is actively irritating to me, and also it ends up being some daft looking bugger in a suit running around which is like ehhhhh. I mean the Daleks are thematically cool and all but they just look stupid.
The creepy Who stories where you never see the alien or they are genuinely a good, scary design set on some abandoned or half inhabited space- station in the middle of nowhere are the best ones
Like, the one with the Devil! That's good stuff. High concept, scary, cosmic in impact and lacking in stupid over-excited moments
You should see him in Jessica Jones, that shit is haunting.
Tenet does creepy so fucking well.
Man I watched several seasons of it waiting for it to get better.
It had a few good one-off episodes and some of the continuity was alright but the filler crap episodes were sooooo bad that they offset the good ones.