U.S. Politics megathread (merged)

[JFK-1]

2 minutes ago, redjambo said:

 

The polls in Texas have been more favourable to Trump though. I did half-joke earlier on that I thought Biden would take Texas, but it's probably a bridge too far for him. Taking Florida should be enough.

 

Who knows, these are not normal times in more ways than one.

[redjambo]

Just now, JFK-1 said:

 

Who knows, these are not normal times in more ways than one.

 

Indeed. It would almost be the ultimate snub to Trump - the tears and snotters would be glorious.

[JFK-1]

4 minutes ago, redjambo said:

 

Indeed. It would almost be the ultimate snub to Trump - the tears and snotters would be glorious.

 

He would never accept it. Fake news. Fake vote counts. Even in a state totally controlled by them. We all know what's coming even if Biden wins by a landslide. And what's coming will create mayhem as he fires up the crazies.

This man has to be totally removed from public life. Ideally in jail.

[ri Alban]

3 minutes ago, JFK-1 said:

 

He would never accept it. Fake news. Fake vote counts. Even in a state totally controlled by them. We all know what's coming even if Biden wins by a landslide. And what's coming will create mayhem as he fires up the crazies.

This man has to be totally removed from public life. Ideally in jail.

The mainstream/social media should blank him. Give this lunatic no oxygen to fuel his madness. 

[Lone Striker]

Anyone care to comment on the conspiracy theory that Trump didn't have Covid at all .......? 

[JFK-1]

3 minutes ago, Lone Striker said:

Anyone care to comment on the conspiracy theory that Trump didn't have Covid at all .......? 

 

Impossible. The hospital doctors played along with his bullshit to some extent but they're not going to go that far for the loony.

[JFK-1]

5 minutes ago, ri Alban said:

The mainstream/social media should blank him. Give this lunatic no oxygen to fuel his madness. 

 

I too was thinking along those lines. Out of office Twitter should ban him for being a malevolent influence.

[Justin Z]

8 minutes ago, Barack said:

I'm more curious as to how many bot accounts followers are going to drop off, once he's out & in potential shit.

 

His account back when he was touting Obama shite in 2011-12, is a fairer reflection.

 

Shite.

 

We Analyzed Every Twitter Account Following Donald Trump: 61% Are Bots, Spam, Inactive, or Propaganda

 

 

[frankblack]

Don't know if this made another thread on Borat, but Trump made a fatal mistake of calling Sacha Baron Cohen "a creep" and "phoney guy".

 

A golden rule when dealing with comics is never heckle them as they will return it back on you 100 fold.  This response is priceless

 

 

[JFK-1]

12 minutes ago, Justin Z said:

 

We Analyzed Every Twitter Account Following Donald Trump: 61% Are Bots, Spam, Inactive, or Propaganda

 

 

 

That analysis was from 2018 when the result was 61% fake followers. I just ran another analysis using the tool.

 

@realDonaldTrump
87,331,623 Followers

70.2% (61,306,799) Fake

[JFK-1]

5 minutes ago, frankblack said:

A golden rule when dealing with comics is never heckle them as they will return it back on you 100 fold.  This response is priceless

 

A rule most everybody knows, heckling a comedian especially so online when you're giving him time to think is like turning up at a gunfight with a pen knife. Trump as we know isn't that smart.

[Lone Striker]

2 hours ago, JFK-1 said:

 

He would never accept it. Fake news. Fake vote counts. Even in a state totally controlled by them. We all know what's coming even if Biden wins by a landslide. And what's coming will create mayhem as he fires up the crazies.

This man has to be totally removed from public life. Ideally in jail.

I find it weirdly ironic at a time when most western governments have been adopted policies within  a fairly narrow bandwidth  of  "marginally left of centre" or "marginally  right of centre"  for several decades that even these descriptions are inadequate to describe disrupters like Trump. He's not even measurable using the traditional way of describing presidents/PM's.     

 

It's no co-incidence that Trump, Putin and Kim Yong-Un seem to get on well together.  Dictators love dictators

 

 

[Lovecraft]

 

[JFK-1]

10 minutes ago, Lone Striker said:

I find it weirdly ironic at a time when most western governments have been adopted policies within  a fairly narrow bandwidth  of  "marginally left of centre" or "marginally  right of centre"  for several decades that even these descriptions are inadequate to describe disrupters like Trump. He's not even measurable using the traditional way of describing presidents/PM's.     

 

It's no co-incidence that Trump, Putin and Kim Yong-Un seem to get on well together.  Dictators love dictators

 

 

 

I don't doubt for a  moment that if he could he would ride rough shod over American democracy. He actually is but not to the full extent he would if he could. If he could he would establish a dictatorship for life.

What's even more troubling is that it would appear at least 40% of the population would consensually give up their democracy to willingly enter into dictatorship.

That's a greater percentage than voted for Hitler in the last free German elections before he established dictatorship.

[steve123]

I have to admit my knowledge of the American system is very limited, I think I read somewhere that if the Presidency is changing Biden does not take over until the New Year if that is the case can Trump do what he likes until then ?

Edited October 25, 2020 by steve123

[JFK-1]

Just now, steve123 said:

I have to admit my knowledge of the American system is very limited, I think I read somewhere that the new President if it is changing does not take over until the New Year if that is the case and trump loses can he do what he likes until then ?

 

If Biden wins he wont be in place till January 20th 2021. Until then Trump will still run the show. And will indisputably operate a scorched earth policy. How far he will go in that trail of destruction is up for debate.

[steve123]

1 minute ago, JFK-1 said:

 

If Biden wins he wont be in place till January 20th 2021. Until then Trump will still run the show. And will indisputably operate a scorched earth policy. How far he will go in that trail of destruction is up for debate.

Cheers for that, is there nothing Biden can do to emmm stop him lol

[JackLadd]

1 minute ago, JFK-1 said:

 

Just now, steve123 said:

Cheers for that, is there nothing Biden can do to emmm stop him lol

 

 

Probably not. Trump will be unfettered for eleven weeks. Biggest eye opener is going to be when he tries to pardon himself, his crime.family,.and all the cronies around him and God knows who else. 

[steve123]

2 minutes ago, JackLadd said:

 

Probably not. Trump will be unfettered for eleven weeks. Biggest eye opener is going to be when he tries to pardon himself, his crime.family,.and all the cronies around him and God knows who else. 

Cheers that is crazy !!

[JFK-1]

3 minutes ago, JackLadd said:

Biggest eye opener is going to be when he tries to pardon himself, his crime.family,.and all the cronies around him and God knows who else. 

 

Don't think that would be an eye opener. That's something many reputable commentators have been predicting for a long time.

[Boof]

I daresay I could easily find out for myself but laziness prompts me to ask some of our transatlantic friends...is this just an election for el Presidente or are there Senate and HoR seats up for grabs too?

[Cade]

1 minute ago, Boof said:

I daresay I could easily find out for myself but laziness prompts me to ask some of our transatlantic friends...is this just an election for el Presidente or are there Senate and HoR seats up for grabs too?

 

Hundreds of Senate and Congress seats are up too.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_elections#Congressional_elections

[JackLadd]

Just now, JFK-1 said:

 

Don't think that would be an eye opener. That's something many reputable commentators have been predicting for a long time.

 

I know but it doesn't dilute how shocking it will be. The fact he has loaded the scotus with his clowns will likely see a new precedent set and every potus from now on will be free to commit crimes and self pardon - if they control the Senate house. 

[PnG]

Trump will win by a bigger margin than he did in 2016.

[redjambo]

13 minutes ago, JackLadd said:

 

Probably not. Trump will be unfettered for eleven weeks. Biggest eye opener is going to be when he tries to pardon himself, his crime.family,.and all the cronies around him and God knows who else. 

 

He'll only be unfettered as far as his powers actually let him be though, I imagine. Hopefully Congress will act as a brake, as will the courts. One of the things I've been pleased to see over the last four years is that the courts haven't been slow to react to some of Trump's attempted actions. If the courts can delay any actions for those few weeks then that might prevent any serious damage.

 

Or am I being too optimistic, @Justin Z?

[JFK-1]

4 minutes ago, JackLadd said:

 

I know but it doesn't dilute how shocking it will be. The fact he has loaded the scotus with his clowns will likely see a new precedent set and every potus from now on will be free to commit crimes and self pardon - if they control the Senate house. 

 

In a way I hope he does. He has claimed he has done nothing wrong. Pardoning himself, his family and capos would further demonstrate otherwise.

I think there may be moves to shake things up once he is out to make sure this can never happen again. Up till now they were operating on what you might call a trust system. They trusted that anybody elected to the office would a rational above board character. They have now discovered the hard way they can't rely on that.

[JFK-1]

1 minute ago, redjambo said:

 

He'll only be unfettered as far as his powers actually let him be though, I imagine. Hopefully Congress will act as a brake, as will the courts. One of the things I've been pleased to see over the last four years is that the courts haven't been slow to react to some of Trump's attempted actions. If the courts can delay any actions for those few weeks then that might prevent any serious damage.

 

Or am I being too optimistic, @Justin Z?

 

Well allow me to scare the shit out of you. There's one thing that comes down to him alone. And that's use of nuclear weapons.

[JackLadd]

1 minute ago, JFK-1 said:

 

In a way I hope he does. He has claimed he has done nothing wrong. Pardoning himself, his family and capos would further demonstrate otherwise.

I think there may be moves to shake things up once he is out to make sure this can never happen again. Up till now they were operating on what you might call a trust system. They trusted that anybody elected to the office would a rational above board character. They have now discovered the hard way they can't rely on that.

 

 

Drumpf has driven a coach and horses through their whole system and exposed that executive abuse of power is unaccountable under the Constitution. 

[redjambo]

Just now, JFK-1 said:

 

Well allow me to scare the shit out of you. There's one thing that comes down to him alone. And that's use of nuclear weapons.

 

Technically, yes. I would hope though that if he came anywhere near to using them, he would be usurped on the spot under the 25th amendment, and/or that the armed forces would refuse the command.

[Kalamazoo Jambo]

14 minutes ago, Boof said:

I daresay I could easily find out for myself but laziness prompts me to ask some of our transatlantic friends...is this just an election for el Presidente or are there Senate and HoR seats up for grabs too?

Every House seat is up for grabs (reps have 2 year terms), plus a third of the Senate (they have 6 year terms but terms are phased so a third are elected every 2 years). The most important question after the Presidential vote is whether Dems can flip control of the Senate (the House should be relatively safe for Democrats this time).

There are also a ton of state/local elections in many places, all included on the same ballot. 

 

[JFK-1]

2 minutes ago, Kalamazoo Jambo said:

Every House seat is up for grabs (reps have 2 year terms), plus a third of the Senate (they have 6 year terms but terms are phased so a third are elected every 2 years). The most important question after the Presidential vote is whether Dems can flip control of the Senate (the House should be relatively safe for Democrats this time).

There are also a ton of state/local elections in many places, all included on the same ballot. 

 

 

To my knowledge the Lincoln Project, run by Republicans, is actively campaigning nit just for a Biden win but an ousting of Republicans in the senate too.

Peculiar in some respects given their actual allegiance but it would appear they feel the party has to be entirely 'deTrumpified' and rebuilt from scratch.

[Kalamazoo Jambo]

9 minutes ago, JFK-1 said:

 

To my knowledge the Lincoln Project, run by Republicans, is actively campaigning nit just for a Biden win but an ousting of Republicans in the senate too.

Peculiar in some respects given their actual allegiance but it would appear they feel the party has to be entirely 'deTrumpified' and rebuilt from scratch.

 

Yes, they are campaigning not only against Trump but also his enablers (without enablers, Trump would just be another angry old white man screaming at his TV). I believe at least some of them would consider themselves 'ex-Republicans' at this point. These guys are most definitely conservative types but they just believe in little things like the rule of law, science and stuff like that. BUT - they probably represent only about 5% of people who currently identify as Republican.

[Kalamazoo Jambo]

 

48 minutes ago, Kalamazoo Jambo said:

There are also a ton of state/local elections in many places, all included on the same ballot. 

 

 

To give an idea of the complexity of the ballot in some places, here's everything I had to vote on. The good news is that Michigan allows 'straight party voting' so you can choose to select, for example, all the Democrats. But even then that only covers about half of the ballot. I spent about an hour and a half researching my choices in the 'non-partisan' section before voting.

 

 

 

 

[Maple Leaf]

53 minutes ago, JFK-1 said:

 

If Biden wins he wont be in place till January 20th 2021. Until then Trump will still run the show. And will indisputably operate a scorched earth policy. How far he will go in that trail of destruction is up for debate.

 

One of the things he could do is to mess around with the Electoral College.  For example, if he loses Florida, he could replace the existing 29 Electors in Florida with Trump supporters who would then vote for him instead of Biden when it's time for the Electoral College vote.

 

Also, in many states the Electors are not legally required to vote according to the popular vote in that state.  Electors who are also members of the Trump cult could simply vote for Trump instead of Biden.  They are referred to as Faithless Electors.  There were 10 Faithless Electors in 2016.

 

In some states, voting according to the popular vote is a legal requirement for Electors.  Florida might well be one of those states, so I only used Florida as an example of the chicanery that Trump could resort to.

[Justin Z]

1 hour ago, Boof said:

I daresay I could easily find out for myself but laziness prompts me to ask some of our transatlantic friends...is this just an election for el Presidente or are there Senate and HoR seats up for grabs too?

 

Representatives are elected to two-year terms so they're always up for election at the same time as the presidential race.

 

Senators' terms are six years, but they're staggered, so there's always roughly a third of them up for grabs in presidential election years.

[Lovecraft]

16 minutes ago, Kalamazoo Jambo said:

 

To give an idea of the complexity of the ballot in some places, here's everything I had to vote on. The good news is that Michigan allows 'straight party voting' so you can choose to select, for example, all the Democrats. But even then that only covers about half of the ballot. I spent about an hour and a half researching my choices in the 'non-partisan' section before voting.

 

FFS

[Justin Z]

54 minutes ago, redjambo said:

 

He'll only be unfettered as far as his powers actually let him be though, I imagine. Hopefully Congress will act as a brake, as will the courts. One of the things I've been pleased to see over the last four years is that the courts haven't been slow to react to some of Trump's attempted actions. If the courts can delay any actions for those few weeks then that might prevent any serious damage.

 

Or am I being too optimistic, @Justin Z?

 

Your optimism reminded me of this tweet I just read

 

 

Maybe I'm just pessimistic.

[Kalamazoo Jambo]

4 minutes ago, Lovecraft said:

FFS

 

I did accidentally post the same image twice (now fixed in my original post), but even so...

 

[JFK-1]

6 minutes ago, Kalamazoo Jambo said:

 

I did accidentally post the same image twice (now fixed in my original post), but even so...

 

 

It's ridiculous and obviously doesn't help the situation of people waiting for hours to vote when they have to examine all that shit. British election in, X marks the spot, out.

[JFK-1]

2 hours ago, Barack said:

 

That sounds about shite.

 

Washington Post article from October 13th.

Fake Twitter accounts posing as Black Trump supporters appear, reach thousands, then vanish

[Eldar Hadzimehmedovic]

28 minutes ago, Kalamazoo Jambo said:

 

 

To give an idea of the complexity of the ballot in some places, here's everything I had to vote on. The good news is that Michigan allows 'straight party voting' so you can choose to select, for example, all the Democrats. But even then that only covers about half of the ballot. I spent about an hour and a half researching my choices in the 'non-partisan' section before voting.

 

 

 

 

 

Voting for President and a board member at the library on the same ballot. 

[Kalamazoo Jambo]

1 hour ago, redjambo said:

 

He'll only be unfettered as far as his powers actually let him be though, I imagine. Hopefully Congress will act as a brake, as will the courts. One of the things I've been pleased to see over the last four years is that the courts haven't been slow to react to some of Trump's attempted actions. If the courts can delay any actions for those few weeks then that might prevent any serious damage.

 

Or am I being too optimistic, @Justin Z?

 

I think you're overly optimistic about the courts. For years, Republicans have focused on getting their judicial nominees appointed at all levels (not just Supreme Court). This is probably their greatest strategic political victory of recent years. If Amy Coney Barrett is (as is now quite likely) appointed to the Supreme Court, there will be a 6-3 right wing majority and I fear for what that means for the country.

 

 

[JFK-1]

9 minutes ago, Kalamazoo Jambo said:

 

I think you're overly optimistic about the courts. For years, Republicans have focused on getting their judicial nominees appointed at all levels (not just Supreme Court). This is probably their greatest strategic political victory of recent years. If Amy Coney Barrett is (as is now quite likely) appointed to the Supreme Court, there will be a 6-3 right wing majority and I fear for what that means for the country.

 

 

 

This method of appointing judges is deeply flawed for obvious reasons.

[Boof]

7 minutes ago, JFK-1 said:

 

This method of appointing judges is deeply flawed for obvious reasons.

 

And isn't it a lifetime appointment?

[Kalamazoo Jambo]

5 minutes ago, Boof said:

 

And isn't it a lifetime appointment?

 

Many senior Federal judges are lifetime appointments, but at State level that's not necessarily the case (states generally have their own court systems separate to the Federal system). So, for example, judges on Michigan's Supreme Court serve eight-year terms.

[Boof]

3 minutes ago, Kalamazoo Jambo said:

 

Many senior Federal judges are lifetime appointments, but at State level that's not necessarily the case (states generally have their own court systems separate to the Federal system). So, for example, judges on Michigan's Supreme Court serve eight-year terms.

 

Errrpppp!!

 

I meant the SCOTUS...I didn't realise each state had a SC.

 

I think I'll need to have a look at the US legal system...all those episodes of the Dukes of Hazzard being in extra trouble for crossing the County line...not to mention the state line... 

[Kalamazoo Jambo]

3 minutes ago, Boof said:

 

Errrpppp!!

 

I meant the SCOTUS...I didn't realise each state had a SC.

 

I think I'll need to have a look at the US legal system...all those episodes of the Dukes of Hazzard being in extra trouble for crossing the County line...not to mention the state line... 

 

Yeah, SCOTUS are indeed lifetime appointments.

 

Good luck with understanding this all!

[JFK-1]

19 minutes ago, Barack said:

Sair wan for Rudi & Donald.

 

 

 

https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN27A0TA?__twitter_impression=true

 

Maybe even Putin is deciding it's time to abandon this sinking ship. If he actually does have serious dirt on Trump which many believe he does he can still tug on the puppet strings even with Trump out of office.

 

And if he thinks the ship is going down it's also in his interest to start being more friendly with the incoming administration.

[JFK-1]

48 minutes ago, Barack said:

He's not daft. Early voting %'s will also be getting noticed in the Kremlin. 

 

The numbers are already starting to look too obvious to try & spin.

 

Netanyahu bodyswerved the Biden jibe the other day on that conference call. Trump's face wasn't one of pleasure. 😎

 

The nerve, or perhaps the sheer stupidity of Trump, appears boundless. He has consistently denied any 'collusion' with foreign entities to win the 2016 election.

He was impeached for exerting pressure on Ukraine to assist his own personal domestics political objectives. Namely slandering the Biden family. Which he also bizarrely denied.

In that final debate Biden on Thursday Biden commented on foreign interference in US elections. Said anybody doing so would be punished no matter who they were batting for.

Then the very next day agent orange right in front of journalists again tries to get a foreign politician to take part in his attacks on US politicial opponents during an election campaign. It would be unbelievable if it were anybody else but this dimwitted loony tune. 

Netanyahu dodges Trump’s invitation to slam Biden on conference call
 

[JFK-1]

Trump Calls Reporter "Criminal" for Asking a Question