TVTropes Now available in the app store!
Open

Follow TV Tropes

Following

The General US Politics Thread

Go To

Nov 2023 Mod notice:


There may be other, more specific, threads about some aspects of US politics, but this one tends to act as a hub for all sorts of related news and information, so it's usually one of the busiest OTC threads.

If you're new to OTC, it's worth reading the Introduction to On-Topic Conversations and the On-Topic Conversations debate guidelines before posting here.

Rumor-based, fear-mongering and/or inflammatory statements that damage the quality of the thread will be thumped. Off-topic posts will also be thumped. Repeat offenders may be suspended.

If time spent moderating this thread remains a distraction from moderation of the wiki itself, the thread will need to be locked. We want to avoid that, so please follow the forum rules when posting here.


In line with the general forum rules, 'gravedancing' is prohibited here. If you're celebrating someone's death or hoping that they die, your post will get thumped. This rule applies regardless of what the person you're discussing has said or done.

Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#141326: Oct 3rd 2016 at 6:12:13 AM

It is not wrong to observe that the Republican Party is the party that gathers together and celebrates assholishness.

edited 3rd Oct '16 6:12:24 AM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#141327: Oct 3rd 2016 at 6:23:37 AM

Does Trump have a likely path to the White House without taking Pennsylvania (ignoring any break out by Garry Johnson in New Mexico)?

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#141328: Oct 3rd 2016 at 6:31:41 AM

Trump would need an overwhelming upset in the swing states in order to win, and that would almost certainly have to include Pennsylvania.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#141329: Oct 3rd 2016 at 6:34:35 AM

[up][up] Didn't Gary Johnson do a terrible job as New Mexico's governor? I remember hearing something about him refusing to negotiate on anything and just vetoing anything that he personally didn't like.

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#141330: Oct 3rd 2016 at 6:35:29 AM

AP: How Trump's 'Apprentice' moved from capitalism to sexism: http://bigstory.ap.org/2778a6ab72ea49558445337865289508&utm_source=android_app&utm_medium=copy_to_clipboard&utm_campaign=share

    AP: How Trump's 'Apprentice' moved from capitalism to sexism 

BY GARANCE BURKE

OCT. 3, 2016 3:26 AM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — In his years as a reality TV boss on "The Apprentice," Donald Trump repeatedly demeaned women with sexist language, according to show insiders who said he rated female contestants by the size of their breasts and talked about which ones he'd like to have sex with.

The Associated Press interviewed more than 20 people — former crew members, editors and contestants — who described crass behavior by Trump behind the scenes of the long-running hit show, in which aspiring capitalists were given tasks to perform as they competed for jobs working for him.

The staffers and contestants agreed to recount their experiences as Trump's behavior toward women has become a core issue in the presidential campaign. Interviewed separately, they gave concurring accounts of inappropriate conduct on the set.

Eight former crew members recalled that he repeatedly made lewd comments about a camerawoman he said had a nice rear, comparing her beauty to that of his daughter, Ivanka.

During one season, Trump called for female contestants to wear shorter dresses that also showed more cleavage, according to contestant Gene Folkes. Several cast members said Trump had one female contestant twirl before him so he could ogle her figure.

Randal Pinkett, who won the program in December 2005 and who has recently criticized Trump during his run for president, said he remembered the real estate mogul talking about which female contestants he wanted to sleep with, even though Trump had married former model Melania Knauss earlier that year: "He was like 'Isn't she hot, check her out,' kind of gawking, something to the effect of 'I'd like to hit that.' "

The Trump campaign issued a general denial. "These outlandish, unsubstantiated, and totally false claims fabricated by publicity hungry, opportunistic, disgruntled former employees, have no merit whatsoever," said Hope Hicks, Trump's campaign spokeswoman. "The Apprentice was one of the most successful prime-time television shows of all time and employed hundreds of people over many years, many of whom support Mr. Trump's candidacy." She declined to answer specific questions that were emailed and declined an interview request.

Former producer Katherine Walker said Trump frequently talked about women's bodies during the five seasons she worked with him and said he speculated about which female contestant would be "a tiger in bed."

A former crew member who signed a non-disclosure agreement and asked not to be identified, recalled that Trump asked male contestants whether they would sleep with a particular female contestant, then expressed his own interest.

"We were in the boardroom one time figuring out who to blame for the task, and he just stopped in the middle and pointed to someone and said, 'You'd f... her, wouldn't you? I'd f... her. C'mon, wouldn't you?'"

The person continued: "Everyone is trying to make him stop talking, and the woman is shrinking in her seat."

Other cast and crew interviewed said they had positive, professional experiences with Trump, and added that they had never heard comments that made them uncomfortable.

"He was extremely supportive. You could tell there was so much respect there on all sides, especially with the female athletes," said contestant and U.S. softball star Jennie Finch, a two-time Olympian. "Obviously, he was complimentary, but never in an inappropriate way."

Contestant Poppy Carlig, who performed the twirl, said she considered Trump's request "playful banter." She added: "I don't immediately jump to the conclusion that people are having bad intentions with what they are saying. He said I reminded him of his daughter and I thought that was really touching because I know how much he values his family."

Twelve former contestants or members of the crew spoke on the record about what they described as Trump's inappropriate behavior. Another nine spoke to the AP about their concerns regarding Trump's treatment of female colleagues but said they did not want to be identified because they signed non-disclosure agreements, or were concerned about wrecking their careers or retaliation from Trump.

Most offered no opinion on the November election in the course of their interviews, but the majority of those who did said only that they were not supporting Trump.

Trump points to his record of hiring women, but he has often been accused of sexist behavior; at the first Republican debate, in August 2015, Fox anchor Megyn Kelly asked whether a man who has called women "fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals" has the temperament to be president. After that debate, Trump attacked Kelly and her questioning, "You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her wherever."

The remarks of former Miss Universe Alicia Machado, who said Trump called her "Miss Piggy" because she'd gained weight during her reign, became campaign fodder last week following the first presidential debate. Trump used to own the pageant.

NBC, which broadcast the hit series, referred questions to executive producer Mark Burnett, whose studio referred calls to a public relations firm. The public relations firm did not respond to multiple voicemails and emails seeking comment. AP previously asked Burnett to provide original footage for review, but those calls were not returned.

Debuting in 2004, "The Apprentice" and a spinoff, "Celebrity Apprentice," propelled Trump to national stardom following a string of bankruptcies and bad business deals in the 1990s that had splintered his New York-based real estate empire. The series, meant to showcase Trump's business acumen, became a major hit and Trump's name became a global brand that helped launch his political career.

But on the set, usually inside Trump Tower, the former cast and crew members say, the businessman's treatment of women was sometimes far from professional.

Walker, who said she was the only high-level female producer during the first season, said Trump turned to her during a break outside of the control room to ask who he should fire. Walker demurred, she said, but noted that team members had told her one contestant had caused her team to lose their business task. Trump raised his hands and cupped them to his chest to ask whether it was a contestant with large breasts, she said.

"He said, 'You mean the one with the' — and he puts his hands out in a gesture to signal the girl with the giant boobs. He didn't even know her name," Walker said, adding that the contestant, Kristi Frank, was fired at the end of the episode.

"I thought he noticed my hard work, but I guess he didn't," said Frank, a former restaurant owner who studied industrial engineering.

She said that after Trump delivered his punch line "You're fired!" he told her fiancé that "of all the girls," she was the contestant he would have chosen to marry.

"It makes me a little sick," Frank said. "It's kind of sweet, but it makes me feel like 'OK, he's checking me out again.'"

In portions of boardroom sessions never broadcast, Trump frequently would ask male contestants to rate the attractiveness of their female competitors, former crew members and contestants said.

"If there was a break in the conversation, he would then look at one of the female cast members, saying 'you're looking kind of hot today, I love that dress on you,' then he would turn to one of the male cast members and say 'wouldn't you sleep with her?' and then everyone would laugh," said a former crew member who spoke on condition of anonymity because of a non-disclosure agreement. "There would be about 10 or 12 cameras rolling and getting that footage, which is why everybody was like, this guy just doesn't care."

Trump would carry on with the questions even if all involved were married, said Gene Folkes, who appeared on the program in 2010.

"If you didn't answer, he would dig in and say, 'Do you think so and so is attractive? Would you sleep with her? Well, what about if you really had to, would you?'" Folkes said. "It was so bizarre, because he (otherwise) seemed so professional."

Folkes said he also remembered that Trump "asked one of the women their breast size at one point, or said, 'are those real or natural?'"

Jim Dowd, who did public relations for Trump, NBC and "The Apprentice" shows between 2003 and 2009, said Trump was a "lover of women" and a "guy's guy."

"Was he complimenting the women? Of course. Was he behind closed doors with just the guys rating the women, who were the hotter ones on the show? Yes, he certainly was prone to that," Dowd said.

"I never heard him say anything about women's bodies, but he was definitely unscripted," said former producer Michael Dietz.

Eight former crew members said Trump took a fancy to a particular female camera operator, and frequently gave her attention that made many on the set feel uncomfortable. Two former crew members said the woman made it clear to them privately that she did not like Trump's comments.

Walker, the former producer, said it was clear Trump was attracted to the camera operator as far back as 2003.

"He said something like she was cute and she had a nice ass, and it was brought to my attention by someone else that he had a crush on her," Walker said. "We all knew, so that's uncomfortable in and of itself. I remember it being too much, that he made it obvious."

Rebecca Arndt, a camera assistant who worked on the show following Trump's 2005 marriage, said Trump would stop production to make comments about the camera operator's looks in front of the crew.

"I remember being in the foyer once with eight or 10 cameras set up and he said something about her being so pretty," Arndt said. "He would make it about his line of sight, like 'There is a beautiful woman behind that camera, so I only want to look at that.' It was supposed to be considered a compliment, but of course it was inappropriate."

German Abarca, another former camera operator, said most of the camera crew knew that Trump was attracted to their colleague.

Abarca said the woman was the frequent subject of ribbing by others in the crew, almost all of whom were much younger than Trump. "I think she mostly tried to ignore it."

Arndt said that Trump would publicly discuss the woman's beauty and how her blue eyes and blonde hair compared to his daughter Ivanka's looks.

"He would just mention it all the time. I remember him comparing Ivanka to her and saying that only Ivanka was prettier," she said.

The woman did not respond to a voicemail seeking comment. The AP spoke in person twice with her husband, who said his wife did not wish to be interviewed, "doesn't have a problem with Donald Trump" and denied she had been subjected to repeated, unwanted attention from Trump.

One former contestant, Tyana Alvarado, said she wasn't offended when Trump told her she was attractive — but noted that he played by his own rules.

"Most men have to behave because they are in a workplace, but he could do what he wanted," Alvarado said. "In all jobs, people have to sign sexual harassment paperwork, but Mr. Trump was putting on a TV show so he got to do it."

In Clinton's path to the White House, Ohio isn't a must-win: http://bigstory.ap.org/44edb5f620c64f87bff650599573a81b&utm_source=android_app&utm_medium=copy_to_clipboard&utm_campaign=share

    In Clinton's path to the White House, Ohio isn't a must-win 
WASHINGTON (AP) — When Hillary Clinton arrives in Ohio on Monday, it will be her first appearance in the Midwestern battleground in a month.

While Clinton was away, Republican rival Donald Trump showed strength in Ohio public opinion polls, buoyed by his appeal with the state's white working-class voters. In another blow for Democrats, party groups have cut funding for their Senate candidate, Ted Strickland, the former Ohio governor who has struggled in a race that was once expected to be among the most competitive in the nation.

In previous election years, any sign of shakiness in Ohio — long a crown jewel of presidential politics — would have a campaign on edge. But Democrats' increasing reliance on minority voters to win presidential elections has opened new avenues to the White House for Clinton, and turned Ohio — where about 80 percent of the state's population is white — into a less essential state.

In a memo to supporters last month, Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook outlined several scenarios in which the Democratic nominee can win the election without carrying Ohio. "Hillary has a lot of paths," he said confidently.

Clinton could offset a loss in Ohio with victories in either North Carolina or Florida, states with more diverse populations. The former secretary of state made multiple stops in both states last month, and was back in North Carolina on Sunday.

The former secretary of state is also banking on having Colorado and Virginia, two more diverse states, in her win column, giving her a potentially insurmountable Electoral College edge, regardless of whether Trump wins Ohio.

That leaves the state in unfamiliar territory five weeks from Election Day.

With big cities and sprawling suburbs, booming college towns and Appalachian poverty, Ohio has long been viewed as a bellwether for the nation's political mood. It also has a storied place in presidential political lore: No Republican has ever won the White House without carrying the state.

In 2004, it was Ohio that tipped the election toward Republican George W. Bush in his close race against Democrat John Kerry. In 2012, the state was seen as a litmus test for whether economically frustrated voters were willing to give President Barack Obama another four years to bolster the post-recession recovery.

As a result, Obama was a constant presence in Ohio. He held five rallies there in September 2012 and another five in October. He also headlined six events in Ohio in the final four days of campaigning, going on to win the state by three points.

Curt Steiner, an Ohio Republican who worked for the state's former governor and senator George Voinovich, said that pattern seems unlikely to replicate itself in the final stretch of the 2016 race.

"I don't think we're going to see the candidates as often as we have in the past," said Steiner, though he believes the race between Clinton and Trump remains competitive in Ohio.

Indeed, Clinton's only stop in Ohio in September was a Labor Day weekend rally in Cleveland. Aides note that much of the rest of her month was gobbled up by preparations for the first debate and a bout of pneumonia that kept her off the campaign trail for a few days.

In her return to Ohio Monday, Clinton planned to condemn bad corporate actors and the practices of Trump's policies in an economic speech in Toledo and then urge supporters in Akron to register to vote before the state's Oct. 11 deadline. On the eve of her visit, she also secured the endorsement of Ohio native and Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James.

"Hillary is running on the message of hope and unity that we need," James wrote in an op-ed running in his hometown Akron Business Journal.

While Clinton aides concede Ohio's demographics are less favorable than other political battlegrounds, they dispute any suggestion that they're not treating the state as a top-tier target.

A flood of Clinton surrogates has spent time in Ohio during the candidate's September absence. Former President Bill Clinton will roll through on a two-day bus tour this week and Obama will headline the state's Democratic Party dinner later this month.

Clinton's campaign has spent more than $17 million on television and radio advertising in Ohio during the general election — nearly 6 times more than Trump, according to data from Kantar Media's political ad tracker. The Democrat also has about 400 paid staffers working in the state and 61 campaign offices, with a few more opening this week, according to her campaign.

"No one wins Ohio without hard work and we invested in Ohio early — and continue to do so," said Chris Wyant, Clinton's Ohio state director.

A wild card for Clinton is the state's Senate race. Republican Sen. Rob Portman, fueled by a well-funded, data-savvy campaign, has pulled ahead of Strickland significantly, prompting some Democratic groups to pull money from the race.

Jeff Rusnak, an Ohio Democrat who ran Bernie Sanders' campaign in the state, said it was a "mistake" for Democrats to curb support for a Senate candidate in a state where the presidential race will also be competitive. He said he worries about a "reverse coattail affect," where a flood of Portman voters also push Trump over the top.

edited 3rd Oct '16 6:45:28 AM by sgamer82

Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#141331: Oct 3rd 2016 at 6:38:29 AM

Virginia and Colorado are the tipping points from what i've read, in that without them, Trump needs to clean up 100% of the other swing states (not counting PA, perhaps?), meaning every one of Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, New Hampshire, and Nevada.

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#141332: Oct 3rd 2016 at 6:46:40 AM

[up][up] Why am I not surprised that Trump turned The Apprentice from a show about business success to a beauty pageant?

edited 3rd Oct '16 6:46:52 AM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#141333: Oct 3rd 2016 at 6:53:58 AM

So, is Trump making comments about how hot his daughter is a recurring thing?

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#141334: Oct 3rd 2016 at 6:57:43 AM

Seriously, does Trump just not GET how weird it is to call your own daughter sexy? Repeatedly?

Disgusted, but not surprised
Krieger22 Causing freakouts over sourcing since 2018 from Malaysia Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: I'm in love with my car
Causing freakouts over sourcing since 2018
#141335: Oct 3rd 2016 at 7:11:25 AM

If you subscribe to the Trump-as-narcissist theory, he simply interprets the apparent sexual desirability of his daughter to be something that can be credited to him - he knows genes, he has the best genes. How it appears to the rest of the world doesn't matter, just that it satisfies his desire to be seen as the leader as some field.

The Trump Organisation rented office space to Bank Melli, an Iranian state-owned bank alleged to have helped procure sensitive materials for the Iranian nuclear program and funneling money to an Iranian Revolutionary Guard unit believed to have sponsored terrorist attacks.

I have disagreed with her a lot, but comparing her to republicans and propagandists of dictatorships is really low. - An idiot
LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#141336: Oct 3rd 2016 at 7:12:23 AM

And yet one of his bigger talking points is how bad the Iran deal was and how their very existence is unacceptable.

Oh really when?
NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#141337: Oct 3rd 2016 at 7:28:30 AM

Re: Obama quote last page — you guys are talking about Chris Christie, governor of New Jersey and prominent Trump supporter, but the article mentions Charlie Crist, former governor of Florida who ran for Senate but was primaried out by Marco Rubio (a Tea Party darling at the time). He ran as an independent anyway (and lost to Rubio, because he split the vote with the Democratic candidate). He's since defected to the Democrats on an "I didn't leave the Republican Party, the Republican Party left me" line, and ran for governor again in 2014 (where he lost to incumbent Lex Luthor by a less than 1% margin).

tldr, Chris Christie is an asshole desperately trying to ride the alt-right wave into continued political success, while Charlie Crist is a legit guy with lots of moderate support whose political career got fucked because he refused to play ball with the extreme fringe right. Obama's talking about the latter, not the firmer.

edited 3rd Oct '16 7:29:07 AM by NativeJovian

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
IFwanderer use political terms to describe, not insult from Earth Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
use political terms to describe, not insult
#141338: Oct 3rd 2016 at 7:37:04 AM

He's talking about both, actually.

1 2 We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be. -KV
TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#141339: Oct 3rd 2016 at 7:43:19 AM

[up]Rubio isn't worth the sole under Lex Luthor's shoe.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#141340: Oct 3rd 2016 at 7:50:17 AM

[up][up]Whoops, so he was. I saw Charlie Crist first and then brain farted when he referenced Chris Christie later, though other people were doing the opposite (accidentally reading Charlie Crist as Chris Christie, as the latter is much better known nationaly).

[up]I was actually referring to Rick Scott, Florida's current governor, who seriously does look like Lex Luthor, though the more popular comparison seems to be Voldemort.

edited 3rd Oct '16 7:50:53 AM by NativeJovian

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
Julep Since: Jul, 2010
#141341: Oct 3rd 2016 at 8:08:02 AM

Who names his son "Chris Christie", anyway?

It's like "Mac Macdonald" or "Will Williams".

TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#141342: Oct 3rd 2016 at 8:13:43 AM

Maybe trying to invoke comic-book conventions?

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Medinoc from France (Before Recorded History)
#141343: Oct 3rd 2016 at 8:39:02 AM

[up][up]You think that's a bad name? Try puns. Somewhere in Versailles, there's an company whose (alleged) owner's name is Martial Lacour. Try living with that.

"And as long as a sack of shit is not a good thing to be, chivalry will never die."
TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#141344: Oct 3rd 2016 at 8:42:36 AM

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Julep Since: Jul, 2010
#141345: Oct 3rd 2016 at 9:52:03 AM

[up][up] Yeah, well one of my prépa classmates was Ms Mathey, first name Elma.

But in both cases, those are puns, not something that make your name sounds like a TV character like Señor Senior Senior.

CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#141346: Oct 3rd 2016 at 10:02:56 AM

So wikileaks is having a press conference tomorrow 4 am EST. I guess we'll see whether or not they actually have anything soon enough.

Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#141347: Oct 3rd 2016 at 10:05:13 AM

You mean pm right? Why have it in the middle of the night?

CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#141348: Oct 3rd 2016 at 10:06:38 AM

[up] it's in Berlin time; they're doing an e-conference there.

edited 3rd Oct '16 10:07:00 AM by CaptainCapsase

Elle Since: Jan, 2001
#141349: Oct 3rd 2016 at 10:11:06 AM

Why the heck would it be Berlin time? To try and catch the morning news cycle?

Elle Since: Jan, 2001
#141350: Oct 3rd 2016 at 10:14:43 AM

Trump Foundation ordered to cease fundraising in NY by the NY Atourney General (Washington Post)

Apparently they were operating without proper registration, which means they weren't being audited, a thing required by any NY charity bringing in more than $25k a year..

edited 3rd Oct '16 10:16:05 AM by Elle


Total posts: 417,856
Top