Republican Election 2016 - Donald Trump Megathread [OFFICIAL]

[Cyberowl]

The fact Kaisich saying evolution may be true, and climate change may not be a hoax was "huge" tells us something about the GOP

the GOP needs J.J abrams

Yeah, it signals an early sign of implosion.

[Lenonis]

This suggest that each individual has two votes. That's cool, I guess.

Sorry for the nitpick, this framing has just been driving me nuts.

Well, I mean if you really think about it they have one positive vote but two negative votes. You can cast a positive vote for your candidate "I like Hillary thus I will vote for Hillary" or you can cast 1 or two negative votes. "I am a conservative but I hate Trump thus I will vote for a candidate who won't win (third party) or stay home" = 1 negative vote. Or "I am a conservative but I hate Trump so much I will vote for Hillary" = 2 negative votes.

It's actually more complicated than most people realize -- you have more power to hurt your party than you do to help it at the ballot box.

[GennGreymane]

Oh my god, a government official having a mistress, THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE.

whats the male equivalent to mistress? Is it gentleman on the side?

[Endus]

*sigh* going from 1 to 0 is a single vote for Clinton. Going from 1 to -1 is effectively two votes for Clinton.

Who needs to check math?

A better way to look at it may be to consider that democratic votes effectively "cancel" each other out. A vote for Trump and a vote for Clinton effectively neutralize each other. This continues until either side runs out of votes, and the one remaining that still has votes wins.

Voting for Trump cancels out a Clinton vote, but NOT voting for Trump doesn't. In the end, it doesn't functionally matter how much more than 50% of the votes the candidates get; winning by one vote is effectively the same as winning by 10 million.

Another simpler way to look at it is to think about voting on what you want for the office lunch. If a couple people say "tacos", and you hate tacos, refusing to push for something else is essentially saying you're fine with tacos if that's what everyone wants.

[Elegiac]

whats the male equivalent to mistress? Is it gentleman on the side?

There isn't because patriarchy.

I suppose 'lover' is probably the most gender-neutral term, or 'paramour'. Sometimes I describe men as 'mistresses' simply because it shits them.

[alexw]

Honestly that's not a bad strategy to save the down ballot races.

Very much doubt it'll work. It's mainly women voters that Trump has lost with this, and their disgust at him will equally be aimed at the party that nominated him and that has for months supported him. Those moderate and slightly leaning republican women will now be voting democrat full ticket to teach republicans a lesson.

[Breccia]

This suggest that each individual has two votes. That's cool, I guess.

Sorry for the nitpick, this framing has just been driving me nuts.

Let me see if I can bridge the gap here.

Trump and Clinton each have 100 votes. There are more votes out there.

If a new vote goes to Clinton, now she has 101 and Trump has 100. Trump needs 1 new vote to catch up.

If a vote swaps from Trump to Clinton, she has 101 and Trump has 99. Trump needs 2 new votes to catch up.

EDIT: NOT THIS TIME @Endus NOT THIS TIME

[DeadmanWalking]

Rep joe heck is having an outdoor event to shit down Trumps throat, some applause and some viscious booing.

[Endus]

and word is around DC that so is Hillary, but she never got caught. Nor does it really matter.

Right. If they've got an open marriage, that's nobody's business but theirs, even if it's just Hillary's acceptance that Bill will stray now and then. If she can deal with it and not want a divorce, I don't see why anyone else should care.

Hell, I don't even really care about Trump saying he pursued a married woman, in the same video. Whether she'd sleep with Trump or not is up to her. The real issue is the advocation of outright violent sexual assault and that he can get away with it because he's famous.

[Lenonis]

EDIT: NOT THIS TIME @Endus NOT THIS TIME

I beat both of you to the explanation this time. So there.

[GennGreymane]

Right. If they've got an open marriage, that's nobody's business but theirs, even if it's just Hillary's acceptance that Bill will stray now and then. If she can deal with it and not want a divorce, I don't see why anyone else should care.

Hell, I don't even really care about Trump saying he pursued a married woman, in the same video. Whether she'd sleep with Trump or not is up to her. The real issue is the advocation of outright violent sexual assault and that he can get away with it because he's famous.

Thats the nuts and bolts of it.

[Endus]

Let me see if I can bridge the gap here.

Trump and Clinton each have 100 votes. There are more votes out there.

If a new vote goes to Clinton, now she has 101 and Trump has 100. Trump needs 1 new vote to catch up.

If a vote swaps from Trump to Clinton, she has 101 and Trump has 99. Trump needs 2 new votes to catch up.

EDIT: NOT THIS TIME @Endus NOT THIS TIME

And if Clinton has 101 and Trump has 99, voting for Trump brings her lead down to 101-100, tightening the race. Not voting at all lets her keep whatever lead she's got.

Not voting is tacitly saying "I'm okay with whatever everyone else decides". If you give any kind of a shit, vote.

[Spectral]

Right. If they've got an open marriage, that's nobody's business but theirs, even if it's just Hillary's acceptance that Bill will stray now and then. If she can deal with it and not want a divorce, I don't see why anyone else should care.

Hell, I don't even really care about Trump saying he pursued a married woman, in the same video. Whether she'd sleep with Trump or not is up to her. The real issue is the advocation of outright violent sexual assault and that he can get away with it because he's famous.

In the context of potential blackmail material, personal ethics do matter. Having a President with a million skeletons in their closet isn't great.

[Breccia]

NBC has had fun dissecting the hostage video apology.

In courting more traditional Republicans, Trump has long argued that he will become more calm and dignified over time and this statement seems to be of a piece with that. "I will be so presidential," he told NBC's Today Show in April shortly before he locked up the GOP nomination. "You will be so bored. You'll say, 'Can't he have a little more energy?'" No one has been bored since.

[Endus]

In the context of potential blackmail material, personal ethics do matter. Having a President with a million skeletons in their closet isn't great.

It's only "potential blackmail material" if they don't want the story getting out. At this point, so many accusations have been laid and failed to get any traction that we're entering Chicken Little territory.

We've found a few adulterous skeletons in Bill Clinton's closet, at best. And that doesn't speak to Hillary Clinton's character, who's the actual candidate. Meanwhile, Trump's skeletons aren't in his closet, he's got them bursting out of the rafters and dumped in a pile on his front lawn.

[Felya]

Just 1 or 2 years ago it was the rhetoric that the GOP had many good, "young" politicians in their ranks with the potential to run for state and federal office. Too bad 90% of them are batshit insane/crazy/stupid and they threw away like 6 this cycle. :P

Cruz, Rubio, Rand Paul, Christie...

Rand Paul is facing a big problem with Trump. He needs to realize that for his message to get the voice he needs to get the nomination, needs some sort of anti-establishment tinge. Rand Paul is what Trump claims he is when it comes to politics. Not the extreme crap that Trump is peddling, but the anti-establishment swing towards libertarian. Rand is too calm, collected and even headed, while also having a name that is attached to the establishment, if even a part that sits in the corner with a dunce cap.

This election should prove the Paul's message can work, but they have a very long road to be so bombastic that it's actually heard.

[GennGreymane]

Rand Paul is facing a big problem with Trump. He needs to realize that for his message to get the voice he needs to get the nomination, needs some sort of anti-establishment tinge. Rand Paul is what Trump claims he is when it comes to politics. Not the extreme crap that Trump is peddling, but the anti-establishment swing towards libertarian. Rand is too calm, collected and even headed, while also having a name that is attached to the establishment, if even a part that sits in the corner with a dunce cap.

This election should prove the Paul's message can work, but they have a very long road to be so bombastic that it's actually heard.

Rand's nothing compared to his dad.

[Breccia]

Dammit, I'm stupid. I should have thought of this a while ago.

"I bet Trump wishes the mic wasn't working this time!"

[Felya]

In the context of potential blackmail material, personal ethics do matter. Having a President with a million skeletons in their closet isn't great.

The problem with Hillary ethics, is what they are tied to. Clinton Foundation has already been under increased scrutiny and is not directly ran by Hillary. The remaining ethics issues surround personal gain in advancing her career, which would be irrelevant when she reaches her goal. Meaning, she isn't really facing any variation in ethical conflicts than pretty much all, but 1, presidential candidate from either party in at least modern history.

The thing about seeing skeletons in people's closets, they depend on a subjective perspective. That's why they are just skeletons. Trump faces ethical issues that are objective, due to his business dealings and current property ownership. The differance between Trump and Hillary ethics is actually pretty simple...

What did Trump want from Hillary, by having his family and business donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to Clinton Foundation? You see the ethics issue with Trump, even if you assert one on the side of Clinton Foundation? He has the same problems not just with other world leaders, but active business all over the world.

[GennGreymane]

Guys, for real... Trump was just quoting the "fuck her right in the pussy" guy we all know and love.