US Election 2016 Poll and Disscusion

[Annoying Twit]

Also has anoyone noticed that If Hillary is elected this country would have had 27 years of Bus/Clinton's in the white house?

We need new people.

Like the UK, politics in the US appear to have been taken over by a political class who only allows the choice of their left or right hand.

What would the polls be like if Bernie Saunders had won the Democratic nomination? How would the media have reported on a Saunders/Trump election and its run-up?

These are no rhetoric questions.

[NightMistBlue]

I would say that politics in the U.S. has gotten more polarised and extreme: the Dems have been pushed very far left IMO. There's no center anymore. For example, during Bill Clinton's presidency he passed welfare reform (requiring people to work for their benefits) and restrictions on not only illegal immigration but also legal immigration. His wife will be burned in effigy as a racist if she attempts to do anything like this.

The Republicans seem to have a deeper crisis on their hands in terms of what the elected leaders and politicians in the party want (pro-business, largely globalist agenda) with what their constituents want. Trump has succeeded with a populist agenda: whether he actually intends to/will be able to implement any of it is anyone's guess.

To answer AT's question, which I may well have misunderstood, "would the media have reported on a Sanders/Trump election and its run-up?" Yes, certainly: Bernie is a likeable figure and popular among the media, young folks and lots of other people. I don't agree with a number of his positions, but I like him as a person and believe he has integrity. He's a very good speaker too.

[scottside]

[QUOTE=NightMistBlue;345081]

The Republicans seem to have a deeper crisis on their hands in terms of what the elected leaders and politicians in the party want (pro-business, largely globalist agenda) with what their constituents want. Trump has succeeded with a populist agenda: whether he actually intends to/will be able to implement any of it is anyone's guess.

I am a lifelong Republican and will make no apologies to anyone for it. Trump wasn't one of my choices in the primary, certainly not as a candidate, although I did find many of his policies refreshing from the usual establishment Republican platform. If another candidate among the 16 losers had come up with some of these ideas, Trump would never have gotten the nomination, but alas, no one learns that the country is just plain sick of the status quo. He picked up and ran with it. Now, we are left between choosing him or Hillary who I could never go for. I haven't decided if I'll vote or not this time, but if I do, it'll only be because I can't fathom having her as commander in chief. However, it would be difficult for me to pull the lever for him too.

[travlnman2]

[quote=scottside;345092]

The Republicans seem to have a deeper crisis on their hands in terms of what the elected leaders and politicians in the party want (pro-business, largely globalist agenda) with what their constituents want. Trump has succeeded with a populist agenda: whether he actually intends to/will be able to implement any of it is anyone's guess.

I am a lifelong Republican and will make no apologies to anyone for it. Trump wasn't one of my choices in the primary, certainly not as a candidate, although I did find many of his policies refreshing from the usual establishment Republican platform. If another candidate among the 16 losers had come up with some of these ideas, Trump would never have gotten the nomination, but alas, no one learns that the country is just plain sick of the status quo. He picked up and ran with it. Now, we are left between choosing him or Hillary who I could never go for. I haven't decided if I'll vote or not this time, but if I do, it'll only be because I can't fathom having her as commander in chief. However, it would be difficult for me to pull the lever for him too.

Preach it .

[UndertheWire]

Michelle Obama:

“In our hearts, we all know that if we let Hillary’s opponent win this election, then we are sending a clear message to our kids that everything they’re seeing and hearing is perfectly O.K. We are validating it. We are endorsing it,” Mrs. Obama said. “We’re telling our sons that it’s O.K. to humiliate women. We’re telling our daughters that this is how they deserve to be treated. We’re telling all our kids that bigotry and bullying are perfectly acceptable in the leader of their country.”

[sodascouts]

When I watched the debate, I realized to my consternation that it wasn't about who had the best answers to questions. It wasn't about staying on point or addressing the issues. For most people, it was about who had the best one-liners. In that regard, Trump won. However, it's a sad statement.

I've been the recipient of men grabbing me when I didn't want it. One case it was a stranger at a bar who was drunk and was trying to hit on me, apparently thinking putting his hand up my skirt would "turn me on." I was able to smack him away and he left me alone after that, thankfully. Another time, on a date, I actually said no to the guy and told him I didn't want to have sex, and he STILL stuck his hand up my dress. I had to shove him off of me. Needless to say there were no more dates. These guys tell themselves that if they push hard enough, the girl will give in. They tell themselves that we secretly want it and are just playing hard to get. That's Trump's attitude as well. He doesn't believe it's sexual assault to grab a woman because surely the woman secretly wants him - he's a star. This is an attitude nurtured by our society, unfortunately, and one I have seen up close.

My own father and mother, however, are still voting for Trump, for the simple reason he is not Hillary. Regardless of his character, they believe he will enact policies that are better for America. I asked my dad if there were ANYTHING Trump could do or say that would lose him dad's vote and he said "No." As long as Trump keeps his promises to nominate conservative Supreme Court justices and enact conservative policies in other areas, they are on Team Trump.

I see their logic, but although I don't respect Hillary, at least she wouldn't be a worldwide embarrassment. At least she understands how to behave in public. It's a real issue, folks. This person is representing our country!

I understand the conservative fear of Hillary. I used to be a gung-ho conservative (member of the College Republicans and everything). I still am conservative on most issues. I recognize that she has a lot of problems, has behaved unethically in the past, and flip-flops a lot, but flip-flopping can be a good thing in a way. It means she changes her views to please the public, so at least for the first four years, she'll be adjusting her viewpoints as needed to gain popular support. She won't do anything so extreme that it would alienate enough moderates to jeopardize a second term.

Also, with the Republicans in control of Congress, she can be checked. If she does damage through executive orders, the country can vote her out and a new person can come in and fix things up. Everything can be reversed. It's not Doomsday if Hillary Clinton gets elected. Even the Supreme Court everyone keeps harping about... they only get to decide on cases brought before them, and even those decisions can be superseded by a future Supreme Court if need be. So, I say even if you don't like Hillary, enduring her for four years is better than Trump humiliating us.

[travlnman2]

Honestly I am giving up at this point.

Doesn't anyone find it coincidental that Trump was never called a racist etc accused of groping untill he started running for office? Everytime Hillary has a wikileaks dump they fake a Trump problem . I don't think any of those ladies are telling the truth. The timing is just to coincidental. Also why would Trump fly commercial when he has a private jet? and wouldn't any Flight Attendants have seen it and reported it at the time? Finally I have never flown First Class but I researched and seat rests never move up.

My stance is I hate Trump but I despise Hillary and I might destroy all my electronic devices and hide in the woods for the next 24 days,

[Ive always been a dreamer]

This latest Trump debacle literally turns my stomach, although I can’t say I’m at all surprised by these revelations. I would also expect there could be more to come. Lots of information can come out when you are a candidate for POTUS. However, I have seen him weather so many controversies that no one else could survive, so I don’t take anything for granted as far as the outcome of this election.

As I said earlier in this thread, I believe the ideological differences between the left and the right make us a stronger nation when we are able to come together and do what’s best for America. However, in recent years our country has become too polarized for us to accomplish much of anything, which makes me really sad. It seems like there is no longer any respect for our differences and there are some who will support a candidate on either side no matter what happens. But, I wonder at what point does love of country become more important than party loyalty? IMO, Donald Trump is the epitome of the extreme divisiveness that permeates our nation today and I do not believe he has the character, temperament, or judgment to be President of the United States. I sincerely feel very bad for the huge number of staunch conservatives who feel they have no choice but to stay away from the voting booth in November, and I empathize with their decision. I cherish my right to vote very much and I would hate to be in their position. Even though I don’t think Hillary Clinton is a flawless candidate, I feel she is moderate, qualified, and trustworthy enough to effectively lead our nation at home and abroad. So I feel very lucky that I can cast my vote for her in good conscience. I also totally respect that others may disagree with me.

I know it is hard for a lot of us, including myself, to understand what is going on here, especially in this election. But, I truly hope that on November 8th that our nation will demonstrate that the most of us are moderate and reasonable people, not extremist. I believe most of our posts in this thread show that we are capable of disagreeing over philosophy without making personal attacks on each other.

[WalshFan88]

I agree Soda and Dreamer.

[Glennsallnighter]

I will be honest and say that as far as I can see the majority of Irish people (and this is represented across much of Europe, particularly European heads of State)would prefer to see a Hillary Clinton led government. The General consensus is that she may not be perfect but at least she can hold herself. They fear Trump