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BlueNinja0 The Mod with the Migraine from Taking a left at Albuquerque Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
The Mod with the Migraine
#98476: Aug 12th 2015 at 9:12:09 AM

More to the point, is there anyone that the forum will actually be sad to see drop out of the Republican race?

... Anyone?

That’s the epitome of privilege right there, not considering armed nazis a threat to your life. - Silasw
kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#98477: Aug 12th 2015 at 9:13:58 AM

[up][up]

...unless you're running a troll campaign?

I think that speaks for itself.

edited 12th Aug '15 9:14:10 AM by kkhohoho

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#98478: Aug 12th 2015 at 9:15:53 AM

Well, that's the thing... if Trump is running a troll campaign, it's the most fantastically successful one ever. But Krugman believes otherwise; he sees it as the ultimate comeback attempt of the angry, affluent whites. If Trump fails, we can resume business as usual, but if he succeeds... God help us.

[up][up] Obviously not, in the sense that most of us here want a Democratic win in 2016, so there is no Republican candidate that we actively support. That said, every relatively sane candidate who remains in the race is a win for politics in general. Fiorina seems like a decent sort, for example.

[down] I'm not sure we should be amused by Trump. Regardless of the fact that he is a farcical figure, he actively represents the sentiment of a really dedicated set of voters. Even if he loses the general election, a primary win for him would be a huge loss for our political system. It might be necessary so that his political bloc can be decisively defeated, but it's still a sad day.

edited 12th Aug '15 9:24:00 AM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Aszur A nice butterfly from Pagliacci's Since: Apr, 2014 Relationship Status: Don't hug me; I'm scared
A nice butterfly
#98479: Aug 12th 2015 at 9:18:19 AM

More to the point, is there anyone that the forum will actually be sad to see drop out of the Republican race?

I would! Trump amuses me. He is a beautiful toupéed trainwreck to behold.

edited 12th Aug '15 9:18:28 AM by Aszur

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes
FFShinra Since: Jan, 2001
#98480: Aug 12th 2015 at 9:31:49 AM

As an independant and moderate, I rather like Kasich, if only for his pragmatism versus the more ideological among the lot. Fiorina is interesting too and I'm happy she got out of the undercard.

I'd like Pataki, if he had a chance in hell and if he weren't the first to specify how against my interests he is vis a vis employment.

Everson is already done, Gilmore is done, Perry is on fumes and will soon be done (Oops...), Will be happy to see the backs of Santorum and Huckabee eventually, Cruz and Trump need to get out of my sights, I absolutely despise Jindal and find he represents everything thats wrong with the GOP's method of taking on minorities, Carson may be pleasant, but I dunno his policies and more importantly, I don't need him learning on the job. Had enough of that. Paul bores as usual, Graham is angling for Sec Def, I want Walker's arrogant ass to fall and fall hard, I don't even know what to think about Christie and Jeb is a bump on the log.

Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#98481: Aug 12th 2015 at 9:34:41 AM

Kasich is as pragmatic as he needs to be, which is to say he's in a state that isn't deep red. What makes the more extremist Republicans are that they have safe control over their legislatures and electorate. Kasich doesn't have that, so it's hard to say what he could do. Or how dangerous he would be if he were given full power.

Aszur A nice butterfly from Pagliacci's Since: Apr, 2014 Relationship Status: Don't hug me; I'm scared
A nice butterfly
#98482: Aug 12th 2015 at 9:35:43 AM

I'm not sure we should be amused by Trump.

I do not live in the U.S. Yes. If he DID get to be President he would fuck up the entire world, not just the U.S, but I do not believe it is possible for him to get the Oval Office.

So in the very cynical way, he is just entertainment for me.

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes
BlueNinja0 The Mod with the Migraine from Taking a left at Albuquerque Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
The Mod with the Migraine
#98483: Aug 12th 2015 at 9:35:44 AM

every relatively sane candidate who remains in the race is a win for politics in general. Fiorina seems like a decent sort, for example.
So ... one candidate.

That’s the epitome of privilege right there, not considering armed nazis a threat to your life. - Silasw
Aquaconda (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#98484: Aug 12th 2015 at 9:37:58 AM

[up]x4 From what I've been seeing, Carson been getting more popular. I don't know why. He's a lunatic.

edited 12th Aug '15 9:40:35 AM by Aquaconda

DrDougsh Since: Jan, 2001
#98485: Aug 12th 2015 at 9:44:17 AM

I kinda do want Trump to continue for a bit longer, since if his campaign implodes too early or too dramatically, he's less likely to run as a third candidate and destroy any chance of the Republican candidate winning.

[up] And an exceptionally poor public speaker. I watched him in the debates. Dude has nothing to say, nor any apparent reason for being there.

edited 12th Aug '15 9:45:18 AM by DrDougsh

DrunkenNordmann from Exile Since: May, 2015
#98486: Aug 12th 2015 at 9:45:05 AM

[up][up][up][up]

Now I'm imagining him meeting our chancellor. Thanks. :/

edited 12th Aug '15 9:45:15 AM by DrunkenNordmann

We learn from history that we do not learn from history
kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#98487: Aug 12th 2015 at 9:46:25 AM

[up][up][up]Well, if it worked for Trump...

edited 12th Aug '15 9:46:42 AM by kkhohoho

DrDougsh Since: Jan, 2001
#98488: Aug 12th 2015 at 9:46:59 AM

But Trump is at least a funny lunatic. Carson is just boring and bland.

SciFiSlasher from Absolutely none of your business. Since: Dec, 2011 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
#98489: Aug 12th 2015 at 9:48:14 AM

I'm okay with Kasich for the sheer fact that he doesn't seem like a dick (though I could be wrong, as I am ignorant). What's this, a Republican who doesn't utterly shun gays? A guy who knows that Jesus actually helped people instead of converting them like an evangelical? A conservative who wouldn't disown his daughters if they happened to be lesbian?

I kind of feel sorry for Gilmore just because he came so late and we don't even know anything of his message; that, and the fact that he's not even gonna be at the next debate. but then, he came into a very crowded field, so I kind of don't feel sorry for him.

As has been said before, Carson is anti-gay, but he seems to be the only Republican candidate who wouldn't yell at somebody for spilling some water. When it comes to race, he seems like one of those affluent African Americans who just can't help but look down on all of the African Americans who aren't affluent (both normal and criminal).

Does Trump running for President remind anyone of President Rumsfeld from Fear and Loathing in the Decade of Tears? Also, if he and Cruz hate their own party so much, why don't they just start their own fucking party?

Fiorina was once on Fox and said that taking down the Confederate flag was a "sign of weakness", and that it was wiping away America's history. You know what a museum is, bitch?

Other than that, I couldn't give less of a shit about any of the other candidates from both parties.

"Somehow the hated have to walk a tightrope, while those who hate do not."
speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#98490: Aug 12th 2015 at 9:50:44 AM

"Why would you drop out in that situation"

Yeah yeah I know. It was a facetious way of saying I just want Trump out of the race.

edited 12th Aug '15 9:56:14 AM by speedyboris

Aquaconda (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#98491: Aug 12th 2015 at 10:13:22 AM

[up][up]I get that vibe from Ben Carson too. Especially since he said the black democrats don't think for themselves. Which as an African American I find rather insulting.

The only Republican candidates I would be okay with as president would be Pataki and maybe Kasich, but they don't have a chance.

3of4 Just a harmless giant from a foreign land. from Five Seconds in the Future. Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: GAR for Archer
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
#98492: Aug 12th 2015 at 10:20:23 AM

@Nordmann, Merkel has survived Silvio Berlusconi already. She has prep-work.

Now Trump meeting some of the Bavarian Yahoo's like Seehofer, that would be hilarious

edited 12th Aug '15 10:24:04 AM by 3of4

"You can reply to this Message!"
SciFiSlasher from Absolutely none of your business. Since: Dec, 2011 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
#98493: Aug 12th 2015 at 10:22:58 AM

[up][up] It's pretty damn hard for anybody else to break through when Trump has effectively turned it into the "ME SHOW!" Seriously, he eventually has to say something to shove his foot so down his throat that people actually see him for what he is.

And as for Ted Cruz-you do not criticize your own majority leader when you run for President. I don't care how fed up you may be with them (even through you are also a career politician, buddy) you just don't do that.

edited 12th Aug '15 10:23:09 AM by SciFiSlasher

"Somehow the hated have to walk a tightrope, while those who hate do not."
Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#98494: Aug 12th 2015 at 10:27:02 AM

You do it you want to score brownie points with your base and assume the moderate/establishment faction will (grudgingly) line up behind you because they'd rather have a Tea Partier than a Democrat.

Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#98495: Aug 12th 2015 at 10:37:02 AM

[up][up][up] Or someone like Jeremy Corbyn.

Keep Rolling On
FFShinra Since: Jan, 2001
#98496: Aug 12th 2015 at 11:03:40 AM

Moderates won't want someone so utterly beholden to the extreme to be President. He'd never win a general. I also don't think Cruz is stupid enough to think otherwise. Indeed, I think he's is running to be somebody's Veep (he can give them uuuber conservative credentials), just as Graham is trying to get the Pentagon or some similar position.

As for Kasich, Ohio is purple and so is the US on the whole. I don't see him acting all too different, even with majorities in congress (if only because even with majorities, the two institutions will have different priorities).

Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#98497: Aug 12th 2015 at 11:07:20 AM

But, say, Wisconsin is blue on the balance and Walker is running it like the Koch Brothers' fantasy land. Or to take a topic we've discussed recently, the habits of elected leaders after the Arab Spring. Republicans tend to get like that: we have the mandate, now we can do whatever the fuck we want and damn the consequences.

Part of that comes from the fact that Kasich started out by trying to bust unions, but he included firefighters and nurses in that, got burned, and has been moderate since.

BAFFU Since: Dec, 2012
#98498: Aug 12th 2015 at 11:18:00 AM

Trump actually has the best policy positions of the Republican field

HE IS THEIR BEST CANDIDATE.

He just doesn't sugar coat things.

FFShinra Since: Jan, 2001
#98499: Aug 12th 2015 at 11:54:15 AM

[up]Enough with your Trump obsession already. There are other candidates to discuss.

[up][up]And Kasich would get burned at the national level if he tried doing anything like that as well.

As for mandate = we do whatever we want, thats not just a republican thing. Thats simple majoritarian thinking. Democrats have done it too. Walker may keep winning in Wisconsin because of big money, but I honestly think thats a case of big fish in a little pond. He won't do nearly so well nationally.

edited 12th Aug '15 11:56:13 AM by FFShinra

Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#98500: Aug 12th 2015 at 12:09:24 PM

It's not an issue of doing well, it's an issue of mentality. Good governments think "yes, we have the votes for this, but is it the best idea?" While other people figure you should do anything you have the votes for. It's a question of long-term thinking which is disastrously absent on one side of the aisle.

Not to say Democrats don't do it sometimes as well, but they are much more cognizant of the public mood.


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