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FFShinra Since: Jan, 2001
#135926: Aug 22nd 2016 at 9:49:47 AM

I honestly think Trump would concede if he lost. He might not give a friendly call to Hil in doing so, but by then, if he lost, I think he'd just go home. His interview some months ago about him losing being a waste of time is telling.

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#135927: Aug 22nd 2016 at 9:52:30 AM

He may or may not concede and he may or may not make trouble over "fraud"; part of the problem is that his ego tugs him in different directions each time he talks, so you never know which particular Donald Trump you're getting at any given moment.

What's at issue here is less Trump himself and more the fact that his campaign is actively seeking to delegitimize basic mechanisms of our political system, which will have effects lasting far beyond his candidacy.

edited 22nd Aug '16 9:52:49 AM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Elle Since: Jan, 2001
#135928: Aug 22nd 2016 at 9:58:59 AM

I agree Puritanism and the Pilgrims get a bit of a whitewash over here, particularly at the elementary school level. Probably also important is that we don't really get much about Oliver Cromwell over here (British history high points pre-1900 are Elizabeth I, Henry VII, George III and Victoria) and learning about Cromwell is a big part of understanding just how nasty the Puritans were.

On the flip side though, I've seen the "we sent all the religious crazies over there" argument used as a blanket statement on America as a whole, largely by Brits who take a rather Douglas Adams view of the War for Independence, i.e. 'this is generally thought to have been a terrible idea') so I'm a bit wary of it.

TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#135929: Aug 22nd 2016 at 10:00:46 AM

[up][up] Which is why I was annoyed at Sanders basically egging his supporters on with implicit suggestions that the system was "rigged". That was thousands of willing volunteers who could've participated in the political system that could've helped Democrats and a pragmatic progressive realpolitik agenda. Even if only 1% of them had stayed in the political process after Nov. 8 that's still hundreds of people you didn't have before.

A ton of wasted potential

edited 22nd Aug '16 10:00:55 AM by TacticalFox88

New Survey coming this weekend!
ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#135930: Aug 22nd 2016 at 11:01:48 AM

RE: The Religious Right and racism, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee did a full segment about that topic in relation to the IRS revoking tax-exempt status for private schools that practiced racial discrimination, particularly Bob Jones University, which had a ''ban'' on interracial dating up until 2000, which they formally apologized for in 2008. Take it with a grain of salt as I've found some of her segments to be a bit biased for even my tastes, but the underpinning logic kind of holds up.

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#135931: Aug 22nd 2016 at 11:31:34 AM

A few days old but some news from my neck of the woods

Trump names Otters, Senate staffer Bangerter as Idaho campaigners

http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/politics-government/election/article96838797.html

Longtime Idaho Senate staffer Layne Bangerter has been named Trump for President’s state campaign director for Idaho, while Gov. Butch Otter and First Lady Lori Otter will serve as honorary chairs, according to a campaign release.

Bangerter served as a delegate for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention in July and has worked for U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo (who has, at times, openly criticized Trump) for over a decade.

“I'm really pleased that Donald Trump has had the wisdom to hire Layne to keep us all laser-focused on the task at hand; to defeat Hillary Clinton this November. Lori and I know and respect Governor and Mrs. Pence and you cannot find a better fit than the Trump-Pence ticket,” said Gov. Otter in the release.

The Idaho Trump for President campaign also hired Rod Beck, Idaho State Senator Majority Leader, as chairman; former U.S. Senate staffer and Boise lobbyist Patrick Sullivan as co-chairman; Rachel Kelley as finance chair; and Sandra Mitchell, executive director of the Idaho Recreation Council, as part of its communication team.

Though Gov. Otter originally supported Ohio Gov. John Kasich in the primary, he indicated early on that he would support “whoever gets the nomination,” adding that he would advise Trump to “soften up” his demeanor and be more definitive in his claims.

Bangerter also offered advice to Trump at the RNC, saying the businessman will have to learn about Western issues like federal land ownership

Trump polled second in Idaho’s March primary, though almost 20 percentage points behind frontrunner Ted Cruz, who later suspended his campaign. Still, Bangerter in the press release said he’s convinced Trump will trounce Democrat Hillary Clinton in Idaho.

“With county and regional coordinators we have an energized, tireless and effective team here in Idaho. Mr. Trump will win big here, very big on November 8th but we will have no days off until then,” Bangerter said in the release. “We have over 8,000 volunteers ready to work the phones in Idaho and throughout America. We will have fair booths and signs going up everywhere and we will also send volunteers from Idaho to anywhere needed to help Mr. Trump in key battleground states.”

Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#135932: Aug 22nd 2016 at 11:41:57 AM

We need Evan Bayh, whatever the case with him. Bayh gets us to 5 flipped seats (assuming that polling is wrong in Nevada, which it has a history of being wrong in Nevada, and that the seat Harry Reid is leaving won't be a GOP pickup): New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. We need 6 to get the Senate firmly back, though. Rob Portman (R) remains doggedly ahead of ex-Ohio governor Strickland (D) in polling, as does, defying all logic, Marco Rubio against Pat Murphy (D) in Florida. Chuck Grassley has a comfortable lead against the competition, but the Garland issue continues to haunt him since he helms the committee denying him a hearing. John McCain is the most vulnerable he's ever been, but Arizona's still a deep red state. North Carolina's also a possible flip. Nevada needs to hold and one of those five needs to flip too, or Clinton will never get anything done.

Yeah, Vice President breaks a tie in the Senate, but we need a majority to crush the filibuster so that Clinton's judicial nominees can roll through.

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#135933: Aug 22nd 2016 at 11:43:14 AM

He's just filling key positions. In late August. The Trump campaign is a logistical nightmare and I almost pity those who are doing the grunt work.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#135934: Aug 22nd 2016 at 12:13:15 PM

His kids are a lot more on the ball but I guess even their efforts can't get past his ego. Plus they're also politically inexperienced.

Eeesh, this guy thinks he can win without being organized? How does he even run his businesses?

Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#135935: Aug 22nd 2016 at 12:14:54 PM

He doesn't. He basically sets things up so that he's a figurehead and the actual work is handed off to someone else. I have a feeling though that he's one of those really annoying "hands off" people who constantly nitpicks the decisions anyone else makes.

Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#135936: Aug 22nd 2016 at 12:15:10 PM

[up][up] He doesn't.

[up] Or they just go bust.

edited 22nd Aug '16 12:15:41 PM by Greenmantle

Keep Rolling On
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#135937: Aug 22nd 2016 at 12:30:50 PM

So I just came across this.

"we will use our air power as needed" to protect US personnel and partner operations in Syria per @Pentagon Press Sec "it's a no-fly zone"

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#135938: Aug 22nd 2016 at 12:52:24 PM

Well, as long as retaliation is limited to Syrian assets.

But given that Russians are using Syrian facilities and there is some hardware overlap....oh boy.

edited 22nd Aug '16 12:53:17 PM by Rationalinsanity

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
AngelusNox Warder of the damned from The guard of the gates of oblivion Since: Dec, 2014 Relationship Status: Married to the job
Warder of the damned
#135939: Aug 22nd 2016 at 12:54:55 PM

I was nice knowing you guys.

Inter arma enim silent leges
kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#135940: Aug 22nd 2016 at 1:10:41 PM

So is this another Trump thing, or is this a Pentagon thing independent of Trump? (It had better be a Trump thing...)

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#135941: Aug 22nd 2016 at 1:13:11 PM

I'm seeing it as strait from the Pentagon but I've only got the one source right now, still if it's only an hour old it will take time to filter though.

As I said in the Arab Spring Thread, the US has said it will protect its own people before, so it comes down to if this expansion to include allies is real, if Assad will test it and if the Russians will back him if he does.

edited 22nd Aug '16 1:19:56 PM by Silasw

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#135942: Aug 22nd 2016 at 2:59:56 PM

@Tactical: The kind of rigging Sanders was implying is to start with, vastly different from what Trump was insinuating.

Trump was preemptively insinuating election fraud with no real basis. That's very different from the (very real) sort of effective collusion between media and powerful interests that occurs even with theoretically "free press."

edited 22nd Aug '16 3:03:49 PM by CaptainCapsase

Lennik (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#135943: Aug 22nd 2016 at 3:42:43 PM

The LA Times is currently polling Trump as being back above Clinton?

And Nate Silver gives the LA Times an A- in reliability. What gives?

That's right, boys. Mondo cool.
CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#135944: Aug 22nd 2016 at 3:45:51 PM

Trump has been making a comeback as of late, though that being said, as 538 says in a recent article, his state polls are still dismal. This may be a result of Trump's counter campaigning; if he comes extremely close in the popular vote, or even wins it, he'll convince a lot more people when he claims "the election was rigged" and refuses to acknowledge Clinton as the winner. Alternatively, state polls haven't caught up with the national polls, and we're about to go back to "oh shit oh shit oh shit" mode until he inevitably makes anther blunder that would end the campaign of any normal politician.

edited 22nd Aug '16 3:47:50 PM by CaptainCapsase

Lennik (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#135945: Aug 22nd 2016 at 3:50:41 PM

I don't understand how people have such abysmal attention spans. I'm starting to think he really could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and people would forget in two weeks.

That's right, boys. Mondo cool.
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
#135946: Aug 22nd 2016 at 3:52:59 PM

Trump names Otters
I'll be honest, I was hoping for actual otters here. They'd probably be better for the campaign.

That’s the epitome of privilege right there, not considering armed nazis a threat to your life. - Silasw
CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#135947: Aug 22nd 2016 at 3:55:39 PM

[up][up] If the public attention span wasn't abysmal, he wouldn't have made it past the primaries.

Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#135948: Aug 22nd 2016 at 3:59:38 PM

A tightening was inevitable. Now things should stabilize until the first debate which could very well set the tone for the remainder of the run.

tricksterson Never Trust from Behind you with an icepick Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
Never Trust
#135949: Aug 22nd 2016 at 4:01:43 PM

[up][up]Am I only person here incapable of seeing the name "Butch Otters" and not giggling?

Trump delenda est
smokeycut Since: Mar, 2013
#135950: Aug 22nd 2016 at 5:11:57 PM

Ugh. I keep seeing people I know gloss over all of Trump's terrifying policies and say they'll vote for Bernie Sanders. Fucking hell, have they never heard of splitting the vote? At this point only about 4 other members of my family are voting for Hillary.


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