U.S. Politics megathread (merged)

[SwindonJambo]

3 minutes ago, kingsknowe_jambo said:

Agh yeh, love South Street! My favorite cheesesteak place is down there (Jim’s) but steaks are an argument for another time (I like Whiz much to many people’s disgust!). Philly is great so glad you enjoyed it. I’ve not done any of the long haul trains yet, just back and forth the NE corridor but it’s on my bucket list. I think you can get private rooms on those long trains and would probably opt for one of those.

 

Ive only been here coming up 3 years and not yet a citizen so no voting for me. It’s a weird feeling living somewhere but not having a say, although understandable.👍

I had a pepper steak in Jim's. You get plenty. There's an excellent German bar along the street, called the Brauhaus I believe. 

 

The NE Corridor line from Boston to Washington (The BosWash line) is the only regular service Inter City line in the whole US I think!  There are private rooms on long trains but way over my budget. But the open seating is good - huge wide seats with adjustable footrests and lots of legroom. I came back East on the Greyhound btw, all the way from Chicago to New York.

 

Rail Travel and Public Infrastructure in the US conform to the Private Wealth Public Squalor Social model so beloved of Trump. The New York Subway, for example is an absolute disgrace and falling to bits. Sorely needing investment. I can't see him addressing it. He's a New Yorker but it wouldn't shock me if he'd never caught the subway in his life.

[JackLadd]

1 hour ago, SwindonJambo said:

 

It is very telling that they are now neck and neck at the bookies with some making Trumpet Man favourite. The Dems were recently odds on favourites but they've recently fallen away.

https://www.oddschecker.com/politics/us-politics/us-presidential-election-2020/winning-party

 

 

Drumpf could scare enough people or suppress enough votes, who knows. He's well under water in Florida and level in Texas which are must wins. Drumpf needs to be at least 48% on the night to pull another electoral college scam as Biden will get over 50%. He'll get the same vote Obama did and probably more.  

Edited September 2, 2020 by JackLadd

[SwindonJambo]

Just now, JackLadd said:

 

Drumpf could scare enough people or suppress enough votes, who knows. He's well under water in Florida and level in Texas which are must wins. Drumpf needs to be at least 48% on the night to do pull another electoral college scam as Biden will get over 50%. He'll get the same vote Obama did and probably more.  

 

Biden is a weak candidate but his one big selling point is that he isn't Trump. I hate to think what Trumpet might do with a 2nd term. He would be dangerously emboldened.

[JackLadd]

2 minutes ago, SwindonJambo said:

 

Biden is a weak candidate but his one big selling point is that he isn't Trump. I hate to think what Trumpet might do with a 2nd term. He would be dangerously emboldened.

 

I don't think Biden is weak myself, you'll see that when he annihilates Drumpf in the debates. A second term of Drumpf would be terrifying.

[Maple Leaf]

50 minutes ago, Justin Z said:

 

If Texas goes blue Trump has a 0% chance imo

 

Yes, and surely Florida will go blue after the COVID mess there.

 

But nothing would surprise me anymore.

[SwindonJambo]

14 minutes ago, JackLadd said:

 

I don't think Biden is weak myself, you'll see that when he annihilates Drumpf in the debates. A second term of Drumpf would be terrifying.

America would cease to be a democracy 😳 If he loses, he'll throw his toys out the pram and scream blue murder like a spoilt child. Hope he gets the clink.

[JackLadd]

1 minute ago, SwindonJambo said:

America would cease to be a democracy 😳 If he loses, he'll throw his toys out the pram and scream blue murder like a spoilt child. Hope he gets the clink.

 

For sure, definitely a massive crook with a lot to hide. Guaranteed he will try to self pardon but it won't wash and some crimes are at state level so he's going to be tried at some point.  

[redjambo]

I don't know if this has already been posted.

 

[SwindonJambo]

6 minutes ago, JackLadd said:

 

For sure, definitely a massive crook with a lot to hide. Guaranteed he will try to self pardon but it won't wash and some crimes are at state level so he's going to be tried at some point.  

 

Good! Hope he gets his come uppance. It would be well deserved. The Russians pretty much own him. When He leaves office, it's a good bet that Melania will be offski before long. 

Edited September 2, 2020 by SwindonJambo

[JFK-1]

59 minutes ago, JackLadd said:

 

I don't think Biden is weak myself, you'll see that when he annihilates Drumpf in the debates. A second term of Drumpf would be terrifying.

 

I'm wondering if the orange buffoons team will try to find some way out of any debates. Trumps handlers know he's a disaster waiting to happen every single time he opens his stupid mouth to say anything not word for word  scripted.

For example he was initially talking about appearing to speak at his impeachment hearings. The handlers ran him through some trial questioning sessions and despite having being given basic lines for specific questions he simply couldn't do it.

He would within a minute or so at most veer off into an outrageous implausible lie. Exactly what got a number of his cronies jailed. Lying to congress. They decided he would most definitely talk himself and perhaps others straight into jail and talked him out of appearing at all.

Now consider a debate scenario. They can't give him a word for word script. While on the other side Biden and his handlers know exactly what a thin skinned idiot this clown is. And would come prepared to press all his buttons, stand back, and watch the meltdown.

[JFK-1]

Trump silent as world leaders call for answers from Putin on Navalny poisoning

The Trump administration remained largely silent Wednesday as leaders around the world expressed concern and demanded answers from Russian President Vladimir Putin's government over the revelation that a leading opposition figure had been poisoned by a Soviet-era chemical nerve agent.

The German government announced Wednesday that Alexey Navalny had been poisoned with a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group -- the same agent the Kremlin used to poison ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the United Kingdom in March 2018.

Leaders around the world, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, offered strong condemnation and called for answers from the Russian government.

But US President Donald Trump -- who has faced sharp criticism for his soft-handed approach to Russia -- has been virtually silent on Navalny's poisoning and the US response on Wednesday came from a National Security Council spokesperson.

It is the latest instance of Trump failing to speak out and call for answers from the Kremlin on issues ranging from election interference to possible bounties on US troops in Afghanistan.

At a news conference Wednesday, Merkel called Navalny "the victim of a crime," saying, "They wanted to silence him, and I condemn this in the strongest possible terms, also on behalf of the entire federal government."

"There are very serious questions now which only the Russian government can and must answer," Merkel said. "The fate of Alexey Navalny has received a lot of attention worldwide. The world will wait for an answer."

Boris Johnson said that "the Russian government must now explain what happened" to Navalny.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that the Kremlin had not received any information from Germany that Navalny had been poisoned with Novichok, according to Russian state news agency Tass.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who delivered a news conference at the State Department after Germany's announcement, did not mention the news and the administration's response was limited to a series of tweets from the National Security Council spokesperson, John Ullyot.

"The United States is deeply troubled by the results released today. Alexei Navalny's poisoning is completely reprehensible. Russia has used the chemical nerve agent Novichok in the past," Ullyot said.

We will work with allies and the international community to hold those in Russia accountable, wherever the evidence leads, and restrict funds for their malign activities."

"The Russian people have a right to express their views peacefully without fear of retribution of any kind, and certainly not with chemical agents," he said in the tweets.

Trump's only public comments on the topic came shortly after Navalny was taken to hospital.

"We haven't seen it yet. We're looking at it. And Mike is going to be reporting to me soon," Trump said when asked about the matter on August 20

On Wednesday, former national security adviser John Bolton urged the President to speak out.

"It's confirmed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with Novichok - the same family of nerve agent used in the 2018 attack on the Skripals in UK," Bolton wrote on Twitter. "We need an urgent statement from Pres. Trump demanding a full explanation from the Russians."

Although he has not addressed the latest findings, Pompeo broke his silence on the case last week, saying in a statement that if reports of Navalny's poisoning "prove accurate, the United States supports the EU's call for a comprehensive investigation and stands ready to assist in that effort."

The Trump administration did act after the international community determined that the Kremlin was responsible for the Skripal poisoning. The US expelled 60 Russian diplomats and closed a Russian consulate, and in August 2018 the State Department imposed a first round of sanctions on certain technology under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991.

However, in his book, Bolton claimed that Trump had held off on those sanctions until after his summit with Putin in Helsinki, Finland, in July 2018.

After they were announced, Bolton said, Trump wanted to rescind them and thought they "were being too tough on Putin."

It wasn't until August 2019 that the administration imposed the legally required second round of sanctions on Russia for the poisoning -- more than six months after they had been due. The Trump administration was also slow to enact sanctions punishing Russia for election interference.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/02/politics/trump-admin-silence-navalny-poisoning-novichok/index.html

[JackLadd]

2 hours ago, JFK-1 said:

 

I'm wondering if the orange buffoons team will try to find some way out of any debates. Trumps handlers know he's a disaster waiting to happen every single time he opens his stupid mouth to say anything not word for word  scripted.

For example he was initially talking about appearing to speak at his impeachment hearings. The handlers ran him through some trial questioning sessions and despite having being given basic lines for specific questions he simply couldn't do it.

He would within a minute or so at most veer off into an outrageous implausible lie. Exactly what got a number of his cronies jailed. Lying to congress. They decided he would most definitely talk himself and perhaps others straight into jail and talked him out of appearing at all.

Now consider a debate scenario. They can't give him a word for word script. While on the other side Biden and his handlers know exactly what a thin skinned idiot this clown is. And would come prepared to press all his buttons, stand back, and watch the meltdown.

 

 

Exactly.  He couldn't wait to speak to Mueller until they worked out he'd perjure himself in the first sentence, then he weaselled out and submitted written answers that were either lies or went unanswered per Mueller himself.  

 

Trump is an obvious moron, but blustered through the 2016 debates because Hillary was too passive and unwilling to get in the trenches (or gutter with him). Biden is a seasoned political street fighter and will tear him a new one on his lousy record. Trump is already complaining about the hosts and wants Biden drug tested. Which is ironic as I recall Trump was sniffing a lot in all three 2016 Hillary encounters, the Charlie going up his nostrils. 

 

[Des Lynam]

7 hours ago, JackLadd said:

 

I don't think Biden is weak myself, you'll see that when he annihilates Drumpf in the debates. A second term of Drumpf would be terrifying.

Trump will be actively pushing for the debates. He’ll lay bare to the world Joe’s failing mental capabilities and it will be awful to watch. 

[ri Alban]

38 minutes ago, Des Lynam said:

Trump will be actively pushing for the debates. He’ll lay bare to the world Joe’s failing mental capabilities and it will be awful to watch. 

2 minutes ago, Smithee said:

Mate, it'll be like a fight on the special bus

 

 With no audience, Trump is fecked. Hopefully the mediator isn't scared of The orange Meanie. 

[ri Alban]

So Trump wants people to commit electoral fraud trying to vote twice. Seriously! There's no way the JFK or 9/11 were government conspiracy. Otherwise this balloon would be dead. 

[Cade]

Trump telling his supporters in North Carolina to send in a mail vote AND to show up in person on the day to vote again.

 

Edited September 3, 2020 by Cade

[Mysterion]

12 hours ago, SwindonJambo said:

 

It is very telling that they are now neck and neck at the bookies with some making Trumpet Man favourite. The Dems were recently odds on favourites but they've recently fallen away.

https://www.oddschecker.com/politics/us-politics/us-presidential-election-2020/winning-party

 

 

I'd suggest that this is a reflection of betting statistics as bookies balance out the market and change odds to offset losses for bets for/against each candidate. 

[Jambo-Jimbo]

4 hours ago, ri Alban said:

So Trump wants people to commit electoral fraud trying to vote twice. Seriously! There's no way the JFK or 9/11 were government conspiracy. Otherwise this balloon would be dead. 

 

Moans and groans that the election will be rigged and then he comes out with this. 

[Maple Leaf]

3 hours ago, Cade said:

Trump telling his supporters in North Carolina to send in a mail vote AND to show up in person on the day to vote again.

 

 

A president encouraging people to break the law, and he gets away with it.  

 

The Republicans in Congress are as bad as he is.

 

[trotter]

16 hours ago, kingsknowe_jambo said:

I’ve not done any of the long haul trains yet, just back and forth the NE corridor but it’s on my bucket list. I think you can get private rooms on those long trains and would probably opt for one of those.

 

16 hours ago, SwindonJambo said:

 

The NE Corridor line from Boston to Washington (The BosWash line) is the only regular service Inter City line in the whole US I think!  There are private rooms on long trains but way over my budget. But the open seating is good - huge wide seats with adjustable footrests and lots of legroom. I came back East on the Greyhound btw, all the way from Chicago to New York.

Did the California Zephyr from Chicago to San Fransisco last year - 53 hours!! One of the best things I've ever done. Tickets weren't outrageous to be honest, if you just want a seat then it was $170ish, if you wanted a cabin (and you do) it was another $350 if memory serves, but that also includes food and drink.

[SwindonJambo]

1 hour ago, trotter said:

 

Did the California Zephyr from Chicago to San Fransisco last year - 53 hours!! One of the best things I've ever done. Tickets weren't outrageous to be honest, if you just want a seat then it was $170ish, if you wanted a cabin (and you do) it was another $350 if memory serves, but that also includes food and drink.

 

I'm aware of the Californian Zephyr. It's possible to do coast to coast by 2 trains : Lake Shores Ltd from Boston or New York to Chicago, a good place to spend a few days, then the Zephyr from there to San Francisco. It's on my to do list for retirement, a few short years away (I'm 53).  Hopefully Trumpet will be gone by then, and behind bars.

Edited September 3, 2020 by SwindonJambo

[maroonlegions]

Trumps America, vermin racist   twats coming out of the woodwork.

 

 

It is ****ing ludicrous that in the US  someone can carry an AR15 out in the open, finger on the trigger at a peaceful protest, all with the explicit purpose of terrorizing other people. Should jail the pair of these hard men for "intent" if nothing else. Pair of utter fecking morons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[The Real Maroonblood]

25 minutes ago, maroonlegions said:

Trumps America, vermin racist   twats coming out of the woodwork.

 

 

It is ****ing ludicrous that in the US  someone can carry an AR15 out in the open, finger on the trigger at a peaceful protest, all with the explicit purpose of terrorizing other people. Should jail the pair of these hard men for "intent" if nothing else. Pair of utter fecking morons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The clowns watch too many war movies or they’re just utter muppets.

[EH11_2NL]

18 hours ago, SwindonJambo said:

 

Biden is a weak candidate but his one big selling point is that he isn't Trump. I hate to think what Trumpet might do with a 2nd term. He would be dangerously emboldened.

IF Trumpet wins, then I can genuinely envisage serious civil disorder. His red-neck, inbred, God bothering, banjo loving supportrers will have a major hardon and be feeling invincible as he NEVER berates them. As an aside, and apologies to USA Jambos, there are a hell of a lot of serious thick people there that vote for him. What are they thinking?????????

[Maple Leaf]

31 minutes ago, EH11_2NL said:

IF Trumpet wins, then I can genuinely envisage serious civil disorder. His red-neck, inbred, God bothering, banjo loving supportrers will have a major hardon and be feeling invincible as he NEVER berates them. As an aside, and apologies to USA Jambos, there are a hell of a lot of serious thick people there that vote for him. What are they thinking?????????

 

imo, there is much more likely to be civil disorder if he loses.

[EH11_2NL]

Six and two threes I suppose. The country is a shitshow no matter what.

[NANOJAMBO]

I've just seen this crop up on Twitter. It's not exactly earth shattering but interesting nonetheless : 

[Sharpie]

8 hours ago, Cade said:

Trump telling his supporters in North Carolina to send in a mail vote AND to show up in person on the day to vote again.

 

 

I heard what he said right at the start, I didn't ake it he wa advising to vote twice. What I understood he was suggesting was that if you had voted by mail when you went to a booth you would be advised that your vote had already been tabulated. Equally if you went to a booth and voted if your mail arrived later you would be advised the same thing. I felt he was suggesting gthat there would be deliberate delays of vote in mails, and this as a protective action to ensure your vote counted. My understanding is that it is not possible to use two systems to vote twice in the same election.

 I cannot believe I have written a post that could be seen in support of Trump.

 

[JFK-1]

31 minutes ago, Sharpie said:

 

I heard what he said right at the start, I didn't ake it he wa advising to vote twice. What I understood he was suggesting was that if you had voted by mail when you went to a booth you would be advised that your vote had already been tabulated. Equally if you went to a booth and voted if your mail arrived later you would be advised the same thing. I felt he was suggesting gthat there would be deliberate delays of vote in mails, and this as a protective action to ensure your vote counted. My understanding is that it is not possible to use two systems to vote twice in the same election.

 I cannot believe I have written a post that could be seen in support of Trump.

 

 

Let's be realistic. It's been obvious for months that he has been actively trying to hinder people from voting. And if Joe Biden had said this he and his entire tribe would instantly claim Biden was suggesting people should vote twice.

Even attempting to vote twice is a felony 1 crime with sentences starting at 5 years. In addition there are frequently long lines at these polling stations where people can wait for hours.

This idiot is at a minimum now telling people who have already voted to make that whole process even more chaotic by turning up at these polling stations when they don't need to be there. Increasing waiting times and causing confusion.

[Beni]

Always worth a reminder of just how big an imbecile Trump is. My personal favourites are the people behind him at the 56 second mark, who's expression is something like 

 

 

[Sharpie]

I don't as a rule deal in fantasy and I was not trying to at this time.  He clearly stated as I recall that the status of your first vote would be indicated. If it was not then yes he could have been suggesting you should vote twice, but his suggestion would not be criminal if he did, it was simply stupid because it is stated that the voting equipment can detect that. I agree that his suggestion that people go to a second method of parleying a vote is unnecessary if the claim that two votes cannot be registered under the same identification is correct. I. cannot be accused of being a Trump follower, but even Trump deserves to be shown as just extremely stupid and reckless with his statements, rather for once considering his past not on this occasion being criminal.

[NANOJAMBO]

7 minutes ago, fancy a brew said:

Always worth a reminder of just how big an imbecile Trump is. My personal favourites are the people behind him at the 56 second mark, who's expression is something like 

 

 

"KAREN !". 

 

This never disappoints. 

[JFK-1]

1 hour ago, Sharpie said:

but even Trump deserves to be shown as just extremely stupid and reckless with his statements, rather for once considering his past not on this occasion being criminal.

 

I don't agree that he has earned the right to any assumption of nothing but stupidity when he suggests such things. On the contrary, his entire history suggests that anything he says be suspect first.

And especially so concerning this election which for months he has been attempting to hinder including suggestions of outright cancelling it while machinating to prevent mail in voting.

Consider this. He's the one who claims voter fraud is real therefore in his frequently stated view can be done. Right?

He claimed millions voted illegally in 2016. So let's say it was possible which it isn't but let's say it was, which he claims to believe.

Thus if he claims to believe it he's telling people to vote twice.

[Sharpie]

18 minutes ago, JFK-1 said:

 

I don't agree that he has earned the right to any assumption of nothing but stupidity when he suggests such things. On the contrary, his entire history suggests that anything he says be suspect first.

And especially so concerning this election which for months he has been attempting to hinder including suggestions of outright cancelling it while machinating to prevent mail in voting.

Consider this. He's the one who claims voter fraud is real therefore in his frequently stated view can be done. Right?

He claimed millions voted illegally in 2016. So let's say it was possible which it isn't but let's say it was, which he claims to believe.

Thus if he claims to believe it he's telling people to vote twice.

 

I thought that the majority of the illegal votes in 2016 were mail in votes that were from illegally obtained ballots, and those that when examined had a wrong signature. His constant outcry in this election from my viewing  again was the availability of mail in ballots by theft from mail boxes, millions issued some to family dogs. He has also suggested in the past that you should check that your vote has not been used as a mail in by someone who has used your identity. He has made basically a four year hoorah about this despite being shown on a regular basis that his allegations about volume  of misuse are wrong. I am as I have said no enabler of Donald Trump, but as my old mother, again, would say, "he just opens his mouth and lets his belly rumble." That was as condemnatory as an old Hielan' woman could get.

[JFK-1]

1 hour ago, Sharpie said:

 

I thought that the majority of the illegal votes in 2016 were mail in votes that were from illegally obtained ballots, and those that when examined had a wrong signature. His constant outcry in this election from my viewing  again was the availability of mail in ballots by theft from mail boxes, millions issued some to family dogs. He has also suggested in the past that you should check that your vote has not been used as a mail in by someone who has used your identity. He has made basically a four year hoorah about this despite being shown on a regular basis that his allegations about volume  of misuse are wrong. I am as I have said no enabler of Donald Trump, but as my old mother, again, would say, "he just opens his mouth and lets his belly rumble." That was as condemnatory as an old Hielan' woman could get.

 

I don't think you're trying to support Trump in any way. But neither do I think it's just sheer stupidity on his part. I see it as yet another attempt of many to hobble this election.

Something you never expect to see in a major Western democracy. This alone should ban him from ever holding any office far less the presidential office.

[JFK-1]

So it would appear that simply attempting to vote twice, and turning up at a polling station when you had already voted would qualify as that, is illegal. And in addition to that soliciting anyone to do so is also illegal. Which Trump is effectively doing.

And now has Facebook and Twitter cracking down on him for suggesting illegal election activity.

The absolute reality is that at best he is attempting to create chaos at polling stations on election day. It's insane and in itself should be deemed criminal.
 

Quote

President Donald Trump’s suggestion that North Carolina residents attempt to illegally vote twice has injected more confusion into a chaotic election season, with the White House attempting to clarify his comments and a top election official in the state rebuking the president.

In a message to voters that did not explicitly mention the president, state Board of Elections Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell emphasized that voting twice in an election, in addition to attempting to do so or soliciting someone else to do so, is considered a Class I felony in the state. Voting more than once is also illegal under federal law.

The reprimand from Brinson Bell came after Trump, in an interview with a local news outlet during a visit to what is expected to be a highly contested battleground state, appeared to endorse voter fraud as a test of mail-in voting systems.

“They are going to have to check their vote by going to the poll and voting that way because if it tabulates, then they won’t be able to do that,” he told Wilmington-based WECT. “So let them send it in, and let them go vote.

And if their system is as good as they say it is, then obviously they won’t be able to vote. If it isn’t tabulated, they will be able to vote. So that’s the way it is, and that’s what they should do.”

Facebook has said it will remove video of Trump’s comments “unless it is shared to correct the record,” citing its policies prohibiting voter fraud.

Trump’s latest proposal comes as the president attempts to straddle a fine line between warning that mail-in voting is ripe with fraud, despite a lack of evidence supporting that accusation, and encouraging the practice in select situations.

States have rushed to expand mail-in voting in recent months to prevent massive lines and crowds at polling places amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump, meanwhile, has railed against sending ballots to voters whether they’ve requested one or not, while signaling approval of processes that allow voters to request a ballot in certain states, which thus far have been Republican-led swing states.

As Trump has attacked mail-in voting despite doing so himself, he has repeatedly sown doubt in the results of November’s election, declaring that the only way he could lose would be in a rigged election and at one point floating a delay in the national vote until it is safe to do so in person.

The majority of states will not be mailing unsolicited ballots to voters. Five states, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah and Washington, routinely hold all-mail elections. Four more states — California, Nevada, New Jersey and Vermont — along with the District of Columbia, plan on mailing voters ballots in response to the pandemic. Montana has left that decision up to individual counties for November.

Trump doubled down on his suggestion Thursday, urging his nearly 87 million Twitter followers to head to their polling place on Election Day even after they have already mailed in a ballot “to see whether or not your Mail In Vote has been Tabulated (Counted).

”“If it has you will not be able to Vote & the Mail In System worked properly. If it has not been Counted, VOTE (which is a citizen’s right to do). If your Mail In Ballot arrives after you Vote, which it should not, that Ballot will not be used or counted in that your vote has already been cast & tabulated,” he continued.

“YOU ARE NOW ASSURED THAT YOUR PRECIOUS VOTE HAS BEEN COUNTED, it hasn’t been ‘lost, thrown out, or in any way destroyed’. GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!”

Twitter slapped a "public interest notice" on two of the tweets, saying it would limit engagement with them but not remove them from the site.
"To protect people on Twitter, we err on the side of limiting the circulation of Tweets which advise people to take actions which could be illegal in the context of voting or result in the invalidation of their votes," the social media platform wrote.

But Trump “is not suggesting anyone do anything unlawful,” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told “Fox & Friends” Thursday morning, arguing that the president was merely encouraging voters to “‘make sure your vote is tabulated, and if it is not, then vote.'”

“He wants verification,” McEnany added, alleging that Democrats, in turn, “want a whole new fraudulent system of mail-in voting.”

During a press briefing at the White House, McEnany accused the press of taking the president’s comments out of context, stressing that Trump was only suggesting a person cast a second, in-person vote if a polling place does not indicate that they have already voted.

“What Democrats want you to do is say, ‘Trust us, but don't verify.’ Don't verify that your vote’s been counted,” she told reporters. “This president is trying to enfranchise Americans which is exactly what he's been saying — he wants every American to have a vote.”

In an interview with CNN on Wednesday night, Attorney General William Barr also sought to rationalize Trump’s comments.

“It seems to me what he's saying is he's trying to make the point that the ability to monitor this system is not good and if it was so good if you tried to vote a second time, you would be caught if you voted in-person,” Barr told Wolf Blitzer, calling the controversy over Trump’s comments “cheap talk to get around” his fundamental concerns about mail-in voting.

He demurred on a legal analysis of Trump’s suggestion, saying that “I don’t know what the law is” in North Carolina.

In her message to North Carolina residents, Brinson Bell sought to assure voters that the state has “numerous” safeguards in place “that prevent people from double voting,” noting that the state uses electronic pollbooks to determine who has already voted at all early voting sites, and that if a voter attempts to check in at a polling site after already having voted, they will not be allowed a regular ballot.

“A voter will be offered a provisional ballot if they insist on voting,” she said, which “will be researched after Election Day to determine whether it should be counted.”

She explained that voters who have cast ballots by mail are removed from the pollbook, “which is updated before voting starts at 6:30 a.m. Absentee ballots that are received on Election Day are not counted until after the election, and this prevents double voting.”

At the White House on Thursday, McEnany also pointed to the use of electronic pollbooks to verify whether a person’s mail-in ballot has been accepted, although not every state uses the devices, which can provide a more updated voter roll, and some states do not begin to tally mail-in ballots until after Election Day.

McEnany suggested that voters fill out a provisional ballot in this case, though polling places often do not stock enough and sometimes run out on Election Day.

Electronic pollbooks are not totally foolproof themselves, however, and election security advocates have raised alarms about the lack of federal oversight and regulation for the devices, citing their propensity for crashing and potential vulnerability to tampering.

Brinson Bell also insisted that the board of election conducts audits after each election that would detect attempts to double vote, and has a dedicated investigatory team to probe such allegations.

She added that the state system allows absentee and early voting ballots to be retrieved “if someone tries to get around the system” so that such attempts “will not affect the outcome of the election.”

The director also enumerated several ways for voters to check the status of their mail-in ballot, including a new tool that allows voters to track absentee ballots through the system and confirm that their local board of elections has received it, “much like they can track their online order or pizza delivery.”

Finally, Brinson Bell wrote that the board of election “strongly discourages people from showing up at the polls on Election Day to check whether their absentee ballot was counted. That is not necessary, and it would lead to longer lines and the possibility of spreading COVID-19.”

The best way to ensure that a voter’s absentee vote will be counted, she said, is for them to request and return their ballots as soon as possible.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/03/nc-election-official-rebukes-trump-408365

 

[Sharpie]

I guess my past is catching up with me but I have a problem with the suggestion of Trump counselling a person to commit a crime which they say cannot happen, because of safeguards you cannot vote twice.  Now should a person have obtained  second identity then there is now motive and opportunity to commit a crime. In the case of Trumps statement, I still present that he made no suggestion of that type. He counselled a voter who stated he had previously sent in a mailed ballot, to go to a station and try to vote with a machine. If he was told his vote had already been tabulated, and was now unable to vote manually ,no crime. If he in some way attempted to repeat his vote by manual means being aware that he had a counted vote this could be seen as an attempt to commit voter fraud. In my opinion without evidence that he attempted fraud because of the safeguards and although with motive there was no opportunity to commit a crime, regardless of intent. 

I hope my learned friend from Arizona does not come on and tell me I am practising very bad legal comments without a licence or a brain.

[JFK-1]

20 minutes ago, Sharpie said:

I guess my past is catching up with me but I have a problem with the suggestion of Trump counselling a person to commit a crime which they say cannot happen, because of safeguards you cannot vote twice.

 

And yet it's being suggested by someone who not only insists that it can happen but that it did happen millions of times in 2016.

Would it be fine if I advised someone or even tens of millions of people to try committing say some sort of bank fraud if the banks insisted it was impossible? Just to check their claim? 

Which often isn't even as serious an offence as voter fraud. Voter fraud is a felony 1 crime while bank fraud may be only a misdemeanor.
 

Quote

Depending on the type of fraud you’ve been charged with and who the victim was, bank fraud can be either a felony or misdemeanor.

For example, if you’re accused of forgery in Texas, and the incident involved a will, mortgage, contract, check, deed or credit/debit card, you’re facing a state jail felony.

It becomes a third-degree felony if the incident involved cash, stocks, bonds or anything that the state or federal government issued.

If your forgery charge doesn’t include the items listed in the descriptions of these two felonies, it may be a Class A misdemeanor.

 

[J.T.F.Robertson]

3 hours ago, JFK-1 said:

 

I don't agree that he has earned the right to any assumption of nothing but stupidity when he suggests such things. On the contrary, his entire history suggests that anything he says be suspect first.

And especially so concerning this election which for months he has been attempting to hinder including suggestions of outright cancelling it while machinating to prevent mail in voting.

Consider this. He's the one who claims voter fraud is real therefore in his frequently stated view can be done. Right?

He claimed millions voted illegally in 2016. So let's say it was possible which it isn't but let's say it was, which he claims to believe.

Thus if he claims to believe it he's telling people to vote twice.

 

He's not out and out stupid, you don't get to where he is by being so. Fact is he's well aware of just how stupid/bigoted his electorate is.

That comes nowhere near "excusing" the arseholes in the Republican party who have done the epitome of the three "wise" monkeys for years now and will hopefully be shown up for it down the road. They know what he is but have chucked any morals/principles the may have had to keep themselves in power.

Let's hope, if he is defeated, to see every last one of them squirm.

 

 

[JFK-1]

30 minutes ago, J.T.F.Robertson said:

 

He's not out and out stupid, you don't get to where he is by being so. Fact is he's well aware of just how stupid/bigoted his electorate is.

That comes nowhere near "excusing" the arseholes in the Republican party who have done the epitome of the three "wise" monkeys for years now and will hopefully be shown up for it down the road. They know what he is but have chucked any morals/principles the may have had to keep themselves in power.

Let's hope, if he is defeated, to see every last one of them squirm.

 

 

 

Each and every one of these two faced enablers will immediately claim they only played along in an effort to contain the insanity. And I think we're all well aware if he's removed from that office a flood of shit will come to light. A flood of shit many of them are swimming in right now.

Edited September 4, 2020 by JFK-1

[Lovecraft]

1 hour ago, J.T.F.Robertson said:

 

He's not out and out stupid, you don't get to where he is by being so. Fact is he's well aware of just how stupid/bigoted his electorate is.

That comes nowhere near "excusing" the arseholes in the Republican party who have done the epitome of the three "wise" monkeys for years now and will hopefully be shown up for it down the road. They know what he is but have chucked any morals/principles the may have had to keep themselves in power.

Let's hope, if he is defeated, to see every last one of them squirm.

 

 

Yes he is.

 

He is where he is through privilege, and even then he still managed to bankrupt a casino.  A ****ing casino.  If he never had his fathers money and name behind him, he would be in jail.

 

Everyone goes on about how great a business man he is, but he has constantly failed spectacularly.  Lets see what his tax returns show.  IF we ever see them.

 

His recent money/fame came through media, not business.  He would just turn round and refuse to pay debts to banks.  That's why nobody but Deutsche Bank would touch him.... And even then, it was only because they had ties to his father.

 

Edit just to add James ****ing Corden in now probably worth about £100 Million in the US.  James ****ing Corden.  That's how ****ed America is.  They reward *****

 

He is thick as pig shit, but he can sell himself to ****ing morons like himself.  Basically a huge chunk of America.  He's a snake oil salesman.  If anyone buys into his shit, you deserve all that is coming to you....

 

**** America.

 

**** them.

 

 

 

 

 

[Lovecraft]

He just asked Russia to tamper with votes again in his latest speech.

 

 

[JFK-1]

11 minutes ago, Lovecraft said:

Lets see what his tax returns show.  IF we ever see them.

 

I read his nieces book. His sister was spitting mad when he pulled this election stunt. Aside from the fact she too knows he is an idiot she was more than pissed off that he would attract the detailed attention of investigative journalists and tax inspectors. They scammed hundred of millions of taxes due on inheritance tax when his father died.

[J.T.F.Robertson]

6 minutes ago, Lovecraft said:

Yes he is.

 

He is where he is through privilege, and even then he still managed to bankrupt a casino.  A ****ing casino.  If he never had his fathers money and name behind him, he would be in jail.

 

Everyone goes on about how great a business man he is, but he has constantly failed spectacularly.  Lets see what his tax returns show.  IF we ever see them.

 

His recent money/fame came through media, not business.  He would just turn round and refuse to pay debts to banks.  That's why nobody but Deutsche Bank would touch him.... And even then, it was only because they had ties to his father.

 

 

He is thick as pig shit, but he can sell himself to ****ing morons like himself.  Basically a huge chunk of America.  He's a snake oil salesman.  If anyone buys into his shit, you deserve all that is coming to you....

 

**** America.

 

**** them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wasn't inferring he was Isaac Newton, just that he's well aware of how to cater to the lowest common denominator.

I know of the spoiled brat's background.

 

[JFK-1]

6 minutes ago, J.T.F.Robertson said:

 

Wasn't inferring he was Isaac Newton, just that he's well aware of how to cater to the lowest common denominator.

I know of the spoiled brat's background.

 

 

Indeed, doesn't take genius to know how to whistle to a dog.

[J.T.F.Robertson]

2 minutes ago, JFK-1 said:

 

Indeed, doesn't take genius to know how to whistle to a dog.

 

Problem being, how many "prominent" individuals were not brought up in that environment. (rhetorical) He's just a blatant example of it, yet his base adores it.

I'm actually fed up with myself for allowing the bampot to get to me.   It's not as if, as he's walloping his cheeseburgers, my opinion will bring on the heartburn.

 

 

[Lovecraft]

41 minutes ago, J.T.F.Robertson said:

 

Wasn't inferring he was Isaac Newton, just that he's well aware of how to cater to the lowest common denominator.

I know of the spoiled brat's background.

 

 You were implying that he isn't stupid, whereas all the visually recorded evidence proves otherwise to anyone but **** ing idiots.

 

I'm not implying you are one of them.

 

The man is quite clearly a ****ing moron, and apart from America, the rest of the world quite clearly see him for what he is:  A ****ing moron.

 

America is a land based on status.  This whole American dream is nothing but a sham.

 

 

 

  

Edited September 4, 2020 by Lovecraft

[JFK-1]

1 minute ago, Lovecraft said:

This whole American dream is nothing but a sham.

 

"The reason they call it the American Dream is because you have to be asleep to believe it."  George Carlin 

[Lovecraft]

Just now, JFK-1 said:

 

"The reason they call it the American Dream is because you have to be asleep to believe it."  George Carlin 

 Apt

 

 

[Maple Leaf]

1 hour ago, Lovecraft said:

Yes he is.

 

He is where he is through privilege, and even then he still managed to bankrupt a casino.  A ****ing casino.  If he never had his fathers money and name behind him, he would be in jail.

 

Everyone goes on about how great a business man he is, but he has constantly failed spectacularly.  Lets see what his tax returns show.  IF we ever see them.

 

His recent money/fame came through media, not business.  He would just turn round and refuse to pay debts to banks.  That's why nobody but Deutsche Bank would touch him.... And even then, it was only because they had ties to his father.

 

Edit just to add James ****ing Corden in now probably worth about £100 Million in the US.  James ****ing Corden.  That's how ****ed America is.  They reward *****

 

He is thick as pig shit, but he can sell himself to ****ing morons like himself.  Basically a huge chunk of America.  He's a snake oil salesman.  If anyone buys into his shit, you deserve all that is coming to you....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I agree with everything you write, especially about him being as thick as pig shit.

 

The notion that Trump is an astute businessman is a fantasy.  He's had several bankruptcies.

 

Even in the Real Estate business he inherited from his father, he lost almost ONE BILLION dollars between 1985 and 1994.  He has accumulated much of is wealth through tax deductions due to depreciation of his buildings and other tax breaks.

 

Many suspect that he went for a decade or more and never paid a dime in tax, which is one of the reasons he doesn't want his tax returns made public.  He is on the record as having bragged about his skill at avoiding tax ... it's not his skill, it's his accountants.