Mega-Thread: 2020 United States General Election

[Rasulis]

Well, if this was March you'd be a bit closer to this appearing to be true - https://fivethirtyeight.com/features...20-not-so-far/

Not "historic", but their chart still shows upticks compared to primary elections last time (with exceptions for the states switching from caucuses to primaries).

https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/...gh/5608297002/
https://vtdigger.org/2020/08/12/unof...rnout-records/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...voter-turnout/

However almost all the more recent data, even accounting for the pandemic, is pointing towards turnout that will be as high, if not higher, than the last election.

The 2016 election had a pretty low turnout. Only 55.4% of the registered voters showed up. The last time it was that low was Clinton vs. Dole in 1996. Obama vs. McCain was 63.7% and Obama Vs. Romney was 60%. Kerry vs. Bush was 62.1% and Bush vs. Gore was 56.6%. The 2016 election turnout barely beat the 2018 election (53.4%) which was a mid-term election. 2018 turnout was the highest in forty years by far. The normal turnouts for midterm elections were in the 40s.

[Ghostpanther]

Honestly, no polls matter other than how people feel about the Pandemic, the Economy and basically the future. If the Democrats botch this one, basically that is a party that functionally shouldn't exist.

Plus Trump has lost a compelling vision of the future, where as Dems have simply adapted to a kind of Blue MAGA, with Return to Normalcy, basically envisioning a return to 2005-2008 in Joe Biden.

Of-course I am unsure how compelling any of that is. All in all this will be a brutally low turnout election, so it might still just be whose dedicated base is motivated and whose base is geographically in the right spots.

Bold part I think is true for sure.

I did find this article, which illustrates how hypocritical some are, interesting........

.....https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/cu...e-silent-biden

Ninety-five Hollywood supporters of the #MeToo movement smeared now-SCOTUS Justice Brett Kavanaugh over flimsy sexual assault allegations in 2018 in an attempt to block his Supreme Court appointment. But now that Democrat presidential hopeful Joe Biden has sexual assault allegations of his own -- allegations with more corroborating evidence than the claims against Kavanugh at least -- these celebs’ appeals to believing victims no matter what have seemed to dry up. Some of them are even defending Biden and calling his accuser a liar.

[CastletonSnob]

Why isn't Biden running ads about Trump's botched response to a pandemic, his mishandling of Hurricane Maria, and how all of his 2016 campaign managers have faced criminal charges?

[Felya]

.....https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/cu...e-silent-biden

Ninety-five Hollywood supporters of the #MeToo movement smeared now-SCOTUS Justice Brett Kavanaugh over flimsy sexual assault allegations in 2018 in an attempt to block his Supreme Court appointment. But now that Democrat presidential hopeful Joe Biden has sexual assault allegations of his own -- allegations with more corroborating evidence than the claims against Kavanugh at least -- these celebs’ appeals to believing victims no matter what have seemed to dry up. Some of them are even defending Biden and calling his accuser a liar.

The bold... what? Biden said to release congressional records... Trump is suing to keep his DNA, in a rape case, involving a sample... hidden...

Trump lawyers ask for halt in suit from woman alleging rape
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/...-rape-69391310

Carroll is seeking a DNA sample from Trump to see whether it matches as-yet-unidentified male genetic material found on a dress that she says she was wearing during the alleged attack. Carroll says she hasn't laundered the dress and donned it only once since, for a photo shoot last year.

The reason you don’t hear much, is because Biden isn’t fighting the accusation, but simply saying it’s not true and is releasing all requested documents.

[Daelak]

Why isn't Biden running ads about Trump's botched response to a pandemic, his mishandling of Hurricane Maria, and how all of his 2016 campaign managers have faced criminal charges?

Project Lincoln has been.

[Benggaul]

Why isn't Biden running ads about Trump's botched response to a pandemic, his mishandling of Hurricane Maria, and how all of his 2016 campaign managers have faced criminal charges?

Why would he feel the need to spend that money when Lincoln Project, MeidasTouch and Trump himself are already doing all of that work for him?

[Felya]

Why isn't Biden running ads about Trump's botched response to a pandemic, his mishandling of Hurricane Maria, and how all of his 2016 campaign managers have faced criminal charges?

Do you live in WA, Oregon, NY or California? That might be why you don’t see many ads for Biden at all...

[PhaelixWW]

I have no idea what four more years of Trump is like. I do recall how Obama-Biden dealt with the 2008 crash, and seeing the Biden people's talk so far, I expect nothing out of Biden presidency except a taken care of stock market and a depression that will consume the next decade for everyone else.

This is a fairly myopic view of the 2008 recession and recovery.

[Rasulis]

The bold... what? Biden said to release congressional records... Trump is suing to keep his DNA, in a rape case, involving a sample... hidden...

Trump lawyers ask for halt in suit from woman alleging rape
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/...-rape-69391310


The reason you don’t hear much, is because Biden isn’t fighting the accusation, but simply saying it’s not true and is releasing all requested documents.

Lack of substance never stopped the GOP before. The problem is that a good smear requires time to stick. However, the way Trump kept monopolizing the news cycles do not leave any Biden's accusations enough time on people's consciousness to make them stick.

[Elegiac]

Why are y’all arguing with it about whether or not Joe Biden is sufficiently exciting when you can just point out they’ve been pushing the “Trump won because people hated Hillary” angle for the past four years, like lol.

They’re just so deep in the kool aid spritzer they cant imagine the same applying in reverse. Clownery.

[Theodarzna]

This is a fairly myopic view of the 2008 recession and recovery.

Not really, a vast majority of the country never fully recovered from 2008, and my entire generation sure as heck never recovered from it. Blackrock was secured, nobody was prosecuted and despite revealing vast fraud and corruption, it all was let go. Heck, we even learned via the Panama Papers that most corporations are straight defrauding the government and thus the public and cheating on taxes, all that came of it was the car bomb explosion that killed the reporter of that information.

The recovery was limited, superficial and largely just PR.

[PhaelixWW]

Not really, a vast majority of the country never fully recovered from 2008, and my entire generation sure as heck never recovered from it. Blackrock was secured, nobody was prosecuted and despite revealing vast fraud and corruption, it all was let go. Heck, we even learned via the Panama Papers that most corporations are straight defrauding the government and thus the public and cheating on taxes, all that came of it was the car bomb explosion that killed the reporter of that information.

The recovery was limited, superficial and largely just PR.

Yeah, that's still a very myopic view of the 2008 recession and recovery. Not entirely wrong, mind you, but it comes nowhere near encompassing the entirety of the reality of the situation.

[Edge-]

Oh boy, linking syndicated Breitbart articles. I'm almost curious, but like fuck am I gonna give Breitbart a link.

And the Republicans aren't there to talk to "the left", they're there to bring in disaffected Trump voters and conservative leaning independents who voted for Trump and helped him win in 2016. Just like Sanders and others were/re there to speak to "the left". This is a play for this election, as stated. This election ain't gonna be won by running far to the left, even though many of us (myself included!) would be happy to see that. The Democratic base already signaled that's not where they are by voting for Biden in the primary.

[Elegiac]

Because both statements can be true? Sure people don't hate Biden, but is that enough?

By the polling conducted thus far? Likely yes.

Y'all repeatedly aren't getting the message that just because you hate the Democrats more than you fear Trump, that does not mean that viewpoint is generalisable without evidence.

Also "lie and pretend that Joe Biden isn't the next FDR"? Are you seriously gonna call yourself a hard leftist and defend FDR, member of one of the closest families the US has ever had to royalty barring the Kennedys? Jfc, lol.

[Theodarzna]

Yeah, that's still a very myopic view of the 2008 recession and recovery. Not entirely wrong, mind you, but it comes nowhere near encompassing the entirety of the reality of the situation.

Obviously I don't really care that Larry Summers friends came out alright.

[PhaelixWW]

Obviously I don't really care that Larry Summers friends came out alright.

Attempting to reduce the recession to a soundbite is just a further indication of said myopia. You're not doing yourself any favors.

[Theodarzna]

Attempting to reduce the recession to a soundbite is just a further indication of said myopia. You're not doing yourself any favors.

Not really, you claim Myopia but have yet to justify yourself, even agreeing that my take encompasses millions of people but then just constantly call it "Narrow visioned". Sorry, you can't both agree with me and then say its short sighted without justification.

So for example 2018 article:
Half of America hasn't recovered from the recession

Also from 2018:
5 groups still recovering from the financial crisis

So, if you are going to keeping claiming Myopia, please actually justify it or I'll just have to counter and say you are just being a water carrier.

Because a recession for whom a vast number never even recovered from a full decade after it happened and even if you did you've had maybe a couple of years to build anything up in time for something that surpasses the Great Depression, yeah I wouldn't say I'm myopic, I'd say you are drumbeater for the administration that oversaw that.

[AntiFascistVoter]

Attempting to reduce the recession to a soundbite is just a further indication of said myopia. You're not doing yourself any favors.

It's a peculiar vision of the recession, that exculpates Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell by omission. These two said outloud they were going to ratfuck the recovery.


But Larry Summers people...


It's a framing that reeks of antisemitism... Blame Larry Summers, even though Ryan and McConnell had way more agency.
I guess it's all about covering for their Celtic Herrenvolk.

[Bodakane]

Not really, you claim Myopia but have yet to justify yourself, even agreeing that my take encompasses millions of people but then just constantly call it "Narrow visioned". Sorry, you can't both agree with me and then say its short sighted without justification.

So for example 2018 article:
Half of America hasn't recovered from the recession

Also from 2018:
5 groups still recovering from the financial crisis

So, if you are going to keeping claiming Myopia, please actually justify it or I'll just have to counter and say you are just being a water carrier.

Because a recession for whom a vast number never even recovered from a full decade after it happened and even if you did you've had maybe a couple of years to build anything up in time for something that surpasses the Great Depression, yeah I wouldn't say I'm myopic, I'd say you are drumbeater for the administration that oversaw that.

I ask again, what are you arguing?????

No one here is touting Biden as a savior for anything other than, he's not Trump. Phaelix isn't even actually arguing with you just saying you're original gripe about the recovery was myopic. All you're doing is creating a strawmen, then trying to argue them down to a semantic level all while acting like there's this vast Biden cult. This is a prime example of why people levy the claims they do against you. If you really are being misunderstood here, then this is a chance for some self reflection and learning.

[Theodarzna]

No one here is touting Biden as a savior for anything...

Right....

I cannot stress this enough. As a chilean i have no choice in the matter. But nevertheless, i'm begging you americans, The future of our planet, our species and our chance to forge our destiny amongst the stars is at stake. That's how fucking important is to throw Dotard Tang out

I ask again, what are you arguing?

I'm arguing that I'm likely going to live my entire adult life, as are most people of my generation, and for all others for twenty some odd years in a state of economic depression. I'm being told and constantly gaslighted about how important this election is (You know like every other election we are told the stakes are apocalyptic) and its so nakedly farcical now. A man who plans to do nothing, versus another man who will do nothing. All the old Bush era neo-cons and republicans are now uber-democrats on Biden's side, Bush being a president whom any rational person would know was way worse than Trump is but maybe I have that insight because I can remember a time before 2016 and I've not been steadily watching cable news 24/7.

The only thing that seems certain to change in a Biden presidency is a news media culture that won't report on problems as much, and late night comedy shows will need new material but maybe Stephen Colbert's blood pressure can go down. In short, Nothing Will Fundamentally Change.

My point is all the outrage, all the cheerleading, is all fake, but accepted and played along with because its normalized. Two things come to mind, first that its very depressing to see people play along, people on the media watch what was a cringy Tim and Eric show skit / Marriott Hotel Commercial of a political convention that is entirely vapid and empty of anything and act as if it was a transcendental religious experience for them. What is perhaps more troubling is the reaction of people when you point this out, they either acknowledge what you say is a fair description, but call you a PoS for pointing it out, as if its wrong to out loud state the obvious OR people are accusing you of being the devil trying to shake their faith because they really want to believe this is some transcendent moment and that Biden's presidency heralds mankinds ascension into a new age.

You could distill then entire DNC to one image: