a Trump vs Clinton United States Presidential Election in 2016

Who do you vote into the office of USA President?


  • Total voters
    48

GasBandit

Staff member
The funny thing about all these tired old things people keep bringing up like whitewater is this idea that "if only there had been a *real* investigation then the truth would have come out"

The Republican Party took everything they possibly could, pulled every trick they could, to nail this family, and failed every single time.

So yeah, her repeated acquittals in the face of overwhelming political firepower actually does make me think there may be some truth in their innocence. It's either that or the Republican Party is more incompetent than Barnie Fife.

With some of you it's not "innocent until proven guilty". It's not even "guilty when proven innocent".

It's "guilty because I think it's guilty".

And you expect us to engage in a discussion when that's your argument?

But hey. Fuck it. I'll play along. Let's just say they were actually able to pull off all these clever heists without ever getting caught while under immense scrutiny.

Compare that to the competition. Even under the most simple investigation blatant crimes start falling out of his pockets like spaghetti. In the absolute worst case scenario you have team "Tomas Crown Affair" vs "World Star Hip Hop: Teen tries smash and grab but then falls down".
I said she was better at hiding it.

And it's common knowledge justice takes a back seat when money and power are involved. OJ got all the justice money could buy, remember. And do you think the only thing Al Capone was guilty of was tax evasion?
 
I said she was better at hiding it.

And it's common knowledge justice takes a back seat when money and power are involved. OJ got all the justice money could buy, remember. And do you think the only thing Al Capone was guilty of was tax evasion?
OJ was helped out by a fucking incompetent job done by the LAPD too.
 

Necronic

Staff member
So what's the alternative? Gary Johnson? A man so politically savvy that he picked a VP who then endorsed a different candidate for president?

Sorry I'll still take team Thomas Crown over King Tommen.

Of course I've forgotten to mention Jill Stein. A lot of people tend to do that.
 
So what's the alternative? Gary Johnson? A man so politically savvy that he picked a VP who then endorsed a different candidate for president?

Sorry I'll still take team Thomas Crown over King Tommen.

Of course I've forgotten to mention Jill Stein. A lot of people tend to do that.
I voted independent.
 

GasBandit

Staff member
So what's the alternative? Gary Johnson? A man so politically savvy that he picked a VP who then endorsed a different candidate for president?

Sorry I'll still take team Thomas Crown over King Tommen.

Of course I've forgotten to mention Jill Stein. A lot of people tend to do that.
Voting for Gary Johnson isn't just a vote for the least awful candidate, it also sends a message to the two big parties that they need to get their shit together or their voters WILL go another way. It erodes the "nobody votes 3rd party because they can't win because nobody votes 3rd party" circular logic, and adds more competition to the race, forcing the two "main" parties to either shape up or lose more votes. More competition is always good. A vote for Johnson this time might actually enable a voting option more suited to what you want down the road, be it third party or R/D.

Gary Johnson is the only candidate with actual executive branch experience. And, given that there aren't any Libertarians in congress, it's doubtful that, even in the astronomically unlikely event of his election, that any of the truly deep-cutting libertarian policies will get enacted (no matter how desperately the country needs them).
 
Voting for Gary Johnson isn't just a vote for the least awful candidate, it also sends a message to the two big parties that they need to get their shit together or their voters WILL go another way. It erodes the "nobody votes 3rd party because they can't win because nobody votes 3rd party" circular logic, and adds more competition to the race, forcing the two "main" parties to either shape up or lose more votes. More competition is always good. A vote for Johnson this time might actually enable a voting option more suited to what you want down the road, be it third party or R/D.

Gary Johnson is the only candidate with actual executive branch experience. And, given that there aren't any Libertarians in congress, it's doubtful that, even in the astronomically unlikely event of his election, that any of the truly deep-cutting libertarian policies will get enacted (no matter how desperately the country needs them).
I decided against him because 1.) I don't vote based on the team they represent and 2.) he is kind of a silly person.
 
So what's the alternative? Gary Johnson? A man so politically savvy that he picked a VP who then endorsed a different candidate for president?
Yes, but Weld has come through this election looking the sanest, most respectable statesman your country has.

Which is insane, since Libertarians are looney.
 

Necronic

Staff member
Voting for Gary Johnson isn't just a vote for the least awful candidate, it also sends a message to the two big parties that they need to get their shit together or their voters WILL go another way. It erodes the "nobody votes 3rd party because they can't win because nobody votes 3rd party" circular logic, and adds more competition to the race, forcing the two "main" parties to either shape up or lose more votes. More competition is always good. A vote for Johnson this time might actually enable a voting option more suited to what you want down the road, be it third party or R/D.
So the libertarian party has pushed the Republican Party to be more about free trade and open markets? Is that why they are now presenting a candidate that wholeheartedly opposes free trade?

The libertarian party has had about as much effect on the Republican Party as wet sneeze.
 
So the libertarian party has pushed the Republican Party to be more about free trade and open markets? Is that why they are now presenting a candidate that wholeheartedly opposes free trade?

The libertarian party has had about as much effect on the Republican Party as wet sneeze.
Gas isn't saying they've had an effect. He's saying that once people start voting third party in greater numbers - enough to actually sway close votes - then the Big 2 will be forced to adjust, to address the issues the third parties raise.
 

GasBandit

Staff member
So the libertarian party has pushed the Republican Party to be more about free trade and open markets? Is that why they are now presenting a candidate that wholeheartedly opposes free trade?
That's not what I said at all. I said that voting Johnson (or Stein for that matter) shows the two parties that voters are willing to break their two party system if they continue in this matter. The actual platform of the third party candidate is irrelevant. All that matters is showing that they have started getting so bad that the "nobody votes for 3rd parties because nobody votes for 3rd parties" tautology is now threatened. This will both motivate the major parties to be less awful, and encourage MORE independent candidates to run - one of which you might like better.

Nothing will fix this election or the next 4 years. But we can start repairing our options for future elections now.
 
I've voted 3rd party for President on at least half of the elections that I could vote for... This time it just seems too dangerous to go the way I normally do. That and I don't like the Green Party candidate this year.
 
That's not what I said at all. I said that voting Johnson (or Stein for that matter) shows the two parties that voters are willing to break their two party system if they continue in this matter. The actual platform of the third party candidate is irrelevant. All that matters is showing that they have started getting so bad that the "nobody votes for 3rd parties because nobody votes for 3rd parties" tautology is now threatened. This will both motivate the major parties to be less awful, and encourage MORE independent candidates to run - one of which you might like better.

Nothing will fix this election or the next 4 years. But we can start repairing our options for future elections now.
I'll be happy to do this once the two options are both so run of the mill it won't really matter. I just don't see that this time. Trump really will cause irreparable damage. Anyone who makes the Bush years look good isn't something I'm willing to risk.
 

GasBandit

Staff member
I've voted 3rd party for President on at least half of the elections that I could vote for... This time it just seems too dangerous to go the way I normally do.
So you only vote 3rd party when you know it doesn't matter because Texas is going red regardless, yes? So much for conviction.

That and I don't like the Green Party candidate this year.
Gary Johnson isn't my ideal candidate, either. He doesn't take the office or his candidacy seriously, and underinformed on foreign policy as well as other problems. But this year is the best chance to crack the 2 party system we've had since Perot, and as far as I'm concerned, anyone who doesn't go third party THIS year might as well stop pretending their 3rd party votes in other years were anything other than political vegan crossfit - just something done to enabling the vocal looking-down-one's-nose at others with no actual principal behind it.[DOUBLEPOST=1478632517,1478632374][/DOUBLEPOST]
I'll be happy to do this once the two options are both so run of the mill it won't really matter.
That's kind of putting the cart before the horse... or rather, "I'll be happy to pay my insurance premium if a fire breaks out, but not until then."
 
So you only vote 3rd party when you know it doesn't matter because Texas is going red regardless, yes? So much for conviction.

Gary Johnson isn't my ideal candidate, either. He doesn't take the office or his candidacy seriously, and underinformed on foreign policy as well as other problems. But this year is the best chance to crack the 2 party system we've had since Perot, and as far as I'm concerned, anyone who doesn't go third party THIS year might as well stop pretending their 3rd party votes in other years were anything other than political vegan crossfit - just something done to enabling the vocal looking-down-one's-nose at others with no actual principal behind it.[DOUBLEPOST=1478632517,1478632374][/DOUBLEPOST]
That's kind of putting the cart before the horse... or rather, "I'll be happy to pay my insurance premium if a fire breaks out, but not until then."
From what I hear, if you were really serious about that you'd vote for McMullin, he's the only candidate that even worried Trump.
 
It begins.

For those interested, here is a scan of the lawsuit. Essentially they want 4 precincts to not be counted yet (or at all? confusing legalese), pending any litigation, because as many as "150-300 or more" voters might have joined the queue after closing time (which would seem to go against the statute in the tweet above):



This might only matter if the stars align and this state becomes the deciding one.
 
So you only vote 3rd party when you know it doesn't matter because Texas is going red regardless, yes? So much for conviction.

Gary Johnson isn't my ideal candidate, either. He doesn't take the office or his candidacy seriously, and underinformed on foreign policy as well as other problems. But this year is the best chance to crack the 2 party system we've had since Perot, and as far as I'm concerned, anyone who doesn't go third party THIS year might as well stop pretending their 3rd party votes in other years were anything other than political vegan crossfit - just something done to enabling the vocal looking-down-one's-nose at others with no actual principal behind it.[DOUBLEPOST=1478632517,1478632374][/DOUBLEPOST]
That's kind of putting the cart before the horse... or rather, "I'll be happy to pay my insurance premium if a fire breaks out, but not until then."
That's nothing like what I said. Right now I have 3 options, and I've chosen the one which I feel causes less harm. If I see an instance where taking the protest vote does the most good, I'll take it.
 
No, Gas.

They're saying they're voting against Trump.

They really don't want Trump winning, and so they're using their vote for that purpose this year.
 
This might only matter if the stars align and this state becomes the deciding one.

I fear they'll be launching similar-yet-different lawsuits in all states where Trump doesn't win. Recounts, voting irregularities, voting fraud, intimidation, whatever. If they can launch semi-credible crap in 20 states, it'll drag on for months, with people getting ever more sick of it all, and all the Trumpists'll be convinced that "where there's smoke there's fire" - something will be off somewhere, right, 'cause we all know HRC is corrupt and willing to do everything and has everyone in her pocket etc etc. Could get very ugly for a long time to come and leave everyone exhausted and hateful and unwilling to cooperate/compromise.
 
That's nothing like what I said. Right now I have 3 options, and I've chosen the one which I feel causes less harm. If I see an instance where taking the protest vote does the most good, I'll take it.
I think part of what Gas is saying is that until one party sees its losing significantly due to a 3rd party, they won't wise up and put out a better candidate, and if they did put out a better candidate, you wouldn't need to vote 3rd party.

That said, this election is on another level. I'm pretty sure the Republican 2020 candidate will be better than Trump.
 
If they can launch semi-credible crap in 20 states, it'll drag on for months, with people getting ever more sick of it all
3 USC 5 and Bush v. Gore mean that, unless they can make their way to the Supreme Court, it's less than two months. Not much consolation but...
 
I think part of what Gas is saying is that until one party sees its losing significantly due to a 3rd party, they won't wise up and put out a better candidate, and if they did put out a better candidate, you wouldn't need to vote 3rd party.
That's bullshit though. Voting for more extreme (only in different ways) candidates aren't going to cause the other two parties to 'wise up', any more than Trump being a candidate will do the same for Republicans. Until the safe gerrymandered districts are disbanded and redrawn to represent the neighborhoods, this will never end.
 
That said, this election is on another level. I'm pretty sure the Republican 2020 candidate will be better than Trump.
Even Sarah Palin would arguably be "better" than Trump. This is a very low bar.

The GOP has to decide - do they want to keep appealing to the very lowest denominator and the most extreme? Or do they want to appeal to conservative moderates tired of the Democrats? A moderate right wing Republican might've destroyed Clinton. A second Trump-like candidate will only further cement the idea that the Republican Party is the Tea Party, and that anyone who isn't that extreme should look elsewhere. Making it effectively a one party system.
 
Cool :) I really want the lawyer to call it a kangaroo court and tell the judge to suck his balls.
Sadly Trump knows better than to employ people like him.

Just ended--judge denied both motions because they did not first exhaust all administrative remedies. I.e. they opened with a lawsuit instead of first asking.
 

Necronic

Staff member
That's not what I said at all. I said that voting Johnson (or Stein for that matter) shows the two parties that voters are willing to break their two party system if they continue in this matter. The actual platform of the third party candidate is irrelevant. All that matters is showing that they have started getting so bad that the "nobody votes for 3rd parties because nobody votes for 3rd parties" tautology is now threatened. This will both motivate the major parties to be less awful, and encourage MORE independent candidates to run - one of which you might like better.

Nothing will fix this election or the next 4 years. But we can start repairing our options for future elections now.
My point was though that this year more than any others was the best possible years for a third party to have a real effect. And it didn't. Which says a lot.

I actually like the idea of third parties and their ability to moderaate politics, but the third parties we have now are pretty terrible. Even with people champing at the bit for a better option they can't provide one. And the R/D parties know that so they get to safely ignore them.

If you really cared about third parties you wouldn't reward them with a vote for the terrible crap they've been putting forward. It's like electoral welfare and they will not mature if they always get 2-8% of the "rebel" vote regardless of what they do.

The reality is that your 3rd party vote does less to moderate R/D or even support the 3rd party concept than my D vote as a moderate republican/centrist.
 

GasBandit

Staff member
From what I hear, if you were really serious about that you'd vote for McMullin, he's the only candidate that even worried Trump.
He's not on the ballot in Texas. Johnson is the only 3rd party candidate on the ballot in all 50 states.

That's nothing like what I said. Right now I have 3 options, and I've chosen the one which I feel causes less harm. If I see an instance where taking the protest vote does the most good, I'll take it.
You'll pull the bullet out of the wound when it won't hurt to do so.

Got bad news for you on that front.[DOUBLEPOST=1478637587,1478637492][/DOUBLEPOST]
No, Gas.

They're saying they're voting against Trump.

They really don't want Trump winning, and so they're using their vote for that purpose this year.
The only reason to vote for Clinton is because you don't like Trump, and the only reason to vote for Trump is because you don't like Clinton. And the only reason not to vote for a 3rd party candidate is to continue to prop up the two party system so that things continue to get steadily worse every election.[DOUBLEPOST=1478637631][/DOUBLEPOST]
That said, this election is on another level. I'm pretty sure the Republican 2020 candidate will be better than Trump.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha...[DOUBLEPOST=1478637754][/DOUBLEPOST]
My point was though that this year more than any others was the best possible years for a third party to have a real effect. And it didn't. Which says a lot.

I actually like the idea of third parties and their ability to moderaate politics, but the third parties we have now are pretty terrible. Even with people champing at the bit for a better option they can't provide one. And the R/D parties know that so they get to safely ignore them.

If you really cared about third parties you wouldn't reward them with a vote for the terrible crap they've been putting forward. It's like electoral welfare and they will not mature if they always get 2-8% of the "rebel" vote regardless of what they do.

The reality is that your 3rd party vote does less to moderate R/D or even support the 3rd party concept than my D vote as a moderate republican/centrist.
This is a chicken/egg debate. You say they didn't have an effect so you won't vote for them, I say they won't start having an effect until people demonstrate their viability by voting for them.
 
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