POTUS 2016

[abelard]

There is literally no difference between Bloomberg and Hillary.

policy-wise, certainly... more transfer of wealth from poor to rich, even more overseas killing, but a slightly less racism-based immigration policy, and none of the republicans' religious tackiness.

the agenda-setting media has decided that Bloomberg would be a normal, sane (if unlikely) choice, despite a policy agenda that is basically just implied. but the idea of him getting anything through congress is just as unrealistic as anything Bernie has in mind. and only people who read even know who he is, and you can't win an election in the US with the practicing literate alone.

if there's any desire for a third party in the US, it's the opposite of Bloomberg - fiscally to the left, but socially conservative. a european-style far right... in other words, Trump. this is the real reason why he horrifies republicans - he's a wild card not because of the flamboyant racism (both Cruz and Rubio actually go much further on immigration, for example), but because he's spurned the republican donor class, acknowledges the consequences of trade deals, and is "not willing to let people die in the streets "(as it was framed during the last debate).

at least since Nixon, the republicans have palliated poor whites with increasingly less coded racism while delivering financial rewards at their expense to the "rich people who didn't go to college" class. the formula became so entrenched that the latter started to assume the former shared their support for things like trade deals, tax subsidies for the rich, and deregulation. the US is not really a modern country - historically and economically, it has much more in common with Latin America, or, say, South Africa (south of Mason Dixon, certainly), which means that the benefits of trade aren't distributed. instead, trade 'losers' like southern textile workers are offered racist nationalism as a sort of placebo, and then more or less just discarded with the trash.

Trump has let the cat out of the bag by revealing that this premise of a republican economic consensus is false, and it's difficult to see how the party can restore the balance between these contradictory interests. the party is essentially a failed brand, in that poor uneducated whites no longer trust it to represent them, emotionally if not in policy terms. hence the fervour for years now of "anti-establishment" candidates.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I guess he could be talking about his time as NY Mayor.

He seems to value free trade, supports gun control and isn't religiously driven socially, so seems infinitely better than any other Republican candidate imo. There has to be a place for a candidate that's economically right-wing and socially left-wing, especially given those were essentially the liberal values on which the country was founded and were immortalized by the likes of de Tocqueville.

 

[rascal]

 

[Rook]

Could you elaborate a bit more?

His main policy platforms are to protect the banking and real estate interests at all costs with a side of social liberalism (he's pro-gun control in fact way more pro-gun control than almost every democrat today). Granted this social liberalism doesn't extend to minorities who face the full wrath and harrassment of the NYC police dept on a daily basis. And to his "credit" he's been largely successful in making NYC safe for white people.

He pretty much represents most of the democrats in power today. "we hate you filthy disgusting poors but what are you going to do vote for GWB or Romney LOLOLOLOL"

 

[mezzrow]

With the Trump endorsement by Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, it appears right now that the GOP nomination will be sewn up for Trump in March. Sessions has tremendous credibility with conservative Republican voters who oppose any move toward amnesty for illegal immigrants, and this will make a much bigger difference than any endorsement from Christie. I am surprised at the degree to which the opposition to immigration, both of unskilled labor and skilled labor, is driving this election cycle. Using the racism word to describe this will have the opposite effect of that intended at this point. Using it will make sure that those you label will go vote and win by any means necessary.

Rubio will not make it because he got pantsed by Schumer on this issue, pure and simple. His association with the 'Gang of Eight' is something he can't shake.

Today I'd have to say that Trump will win Super Tuesday big if you make me make a call, and I'm following this pretty closely. I'm not ITK, but I'm one step removed from it.

The establishment Republican money is scrambling to put together some sort of effort to run another candidate, but this will fail like everything else they've tried. I blame Jeb Bush for running - I don't know how he ever got the idea that we would accept another Bush...

My thoughts?

 

[mezzrow]

His main policy platforms are to protect the banking and real estate interests at all costs with a side of social liberalism (he's pro-gun control in fact way more pro-gun control than almost every democrat today). Granted this social liberalism doesn't extend to minorities who face the full wrath and harrassment of the NYC police dept on a daily basis. And to his "credit" he's been largely successful in making NYC safe for white people.

He pretty much represents most of the democrats in power today. "we hate you filthy disgusting poors but what are you going to do vote for GWB or Romney LOLOLOLOL"

(nods)

 

[rascal]

#makedonalddrumpfagain lol

 

[abelard]

I am surprised at the degree to which the opposition to immigration, both of unskilled labor and skilled labor, is driving this election cycle.

Immigration is how generally under-educated people understand (and are encouraged to understand) their economic deprivation. I think this is the real reason why it's so emotional in the US - it's a shorthand for decades of deteriorating living standards (and, as they understand it, the indignity of suffering while so much attention is focused on the plight of blacks and hispanic immigrants, even as elite members of these communities demonstrably prosper). It's a simple way of comprehensively explaining to deprived white voters why they are suffering, and reassuring them that nothing is actually their fault.

But I think there's more to Trump's appeal than just this (Rubio and Cruz have also called for a wall, and will refuse to let deported immigrants re-enter, unlike Trump. And even Jon McCain had that ridiculous "lets build the damn wall" ad years ago - remember when he used to be a voice of sober second thought?)

"Anti-establishment" is how anger over America's institutionalized and effectively legalized corruption is expressed. This is why the idea that Trump is rich and therefore cannot be bought resonates so much. Thus, party elites getting together to choose a consensus "anti-Trump" candidate is the best thing that could happen to him.

But, especially significantly, Trump has established an emotional connection with poor, white, under-educated Americans. they connect with him on a visceral level, and as such, there is little than anyone can say to dissuade them. They personally identify with everyone ganging up on him and conspiring to bring him down, as it reflects the way they understand their own lives. Having lived in Toronto, I know this phenomenon well:

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_..._rob_ford_s_mayoral_candidacy_and_donald.html

Trump encourages this by shrewdly demonizing the media. He even makes them stand in literal cages at rallies! This way, voters are conditioned not to take note when his lies are exposed in detail, both on television and by Rubio et al.

 

[SerenityNigh]

Do you know karate?

 

[SerenityNigh]

Immigration is how generally under-educated people understand (and are encouraged to understand) their economic deprivation. I think this is the real reason why it's so emotional in the US - it's a shorthand for decades of deteriorating living standards (and, as they understand it, the indignity of suffering while so much attention is focused on the plight of blacks and hispanic immigrants, even as elite members of these communities demonstrably prosper). It's a simple way of comprehensively explaining to deprived white voters why they are suffering, and reassuring them that nothing is actually their fault.

But I think there's more to Trump's appeal than just this (Rubio and Cruz have also called for a wall, and will refuse to let deported immigrants re-enter, unlike Trump. And even Jon McCain had that ridiculous "lets build the damn wall" ad years ago - remember when he used to be a voice of sober second thought?)

"Anti-establishment" is how anger over America's institutionalized and effectively legalized corruption is expressed. This is why the idea that Trump is rich and therefore cannot be bought resonates so much. Thus, party elites getting together to choose a consensus "anti-Trump" candidate is the best thing that could happen to him.

But, especially significantly, Trump has established an emotional connection with poor, white, under-educated Americans. they connect with him on a visceral level, and as such, there is little than anyone can say to dissuade them. They identify with everyone ganging up on him and conspiring to bring him down, as it reflects the way they understand their own lives. Having lived in Toronto, I know this phenomenon well:

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_..._rob_ford_s_mayoral_candidacy_and_donald.html

Trump encourages this by shrewdly demonizing the media. He even makes them stand in literal cages at rallies! This way, voters are conditioned not to take note when his lies are exposed in detail, both on television and by Rubio et al.

America fell years ago, maybe after its Golden Generation could not be matched by their children, but Trump's election would haste both this reality and realization.

 

[mezzrow]

Immigration is how generally under-educated people understand (and are encouraged to understand) their economic deprivation. I think this is the real reason why it's so emotional in the US - it's a shorthand for decades of deteriorating living standards (and, as they understand it, the indignity of suffering while so much attention is focused on the plight of blacks and hispanic immigrants, even as elite members of these communities demonstrably prosper). It's a simple way of comprehensively explaining to deprived white voters why they are suffering, and reassuring them that nothing is actually their fault.

But I think there's more to Trump's appeal than just this (Rubio and Cruz have also called for a wall, and will refuse to let deported immigrants re-enter, unlike Trump. And even Jon McCain had that ridiculous "lets build the damn wall" ad years ago - remember when he used to be a voice of sober second thought?)

"Anti-establishment" is how anger over America's institutionalized and effectively legalized corruption is expressed. This is why the idea that Trump is rich and therefore cannot be bought resonates so much. Thus, party elites getting together to choose a consensus "anti-Trump" candidate is the best thing that could happen to him.

But, especially significantly, Trump has established an emotional connection with poor, white, under-educated Americans. they connect with him on a visceral level, and as such, there is little than anyone can say to dissuade them. They identify with everyone ganging up on him and conspiring to bring him down, as it reflects the way they understand their own lives. Having lived in Toronto, I know this phenomenon well:

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_..._rob_ford_s_mayoral_candidacy_and_donald.html

Trump encourages this by shrewdly demonizing the media. He even makes them stand in literal cages at rallies! This way, voters are conditioned not to take note when his lies are exposed in detail, both on television and by Rubio et al.

Good call on the Rob Ford parallel. Now Karl Rove will be trying to find someone to catch the Donald on the lemo...

He'll be amazed when it makes no difference if they do.

 

[mezzrow]

Do you know karate?

It doesn't smell like teen spirit, that's for sure.

 

[Rook]

He seems to value free trade, supports gun control and isn't religiously driven socially, so seems infinitely better than any other Republican candidate imo. There has to be a place for a candidate that's economically right-wing and socially left-wing, especially given those were essentially the liberal values on which the country was founded and were immortalized by the likes of de Tocqueville.

Plus if you look at what NYC has become today its a pretty depressing place. You can't walk 500 ft without a new condo skyscraper going up (wait that's good NYC has a serious housing crisis!). Only these are apt. going for anywhere from $1.5M to around $100M (wait that's good too these rich $%^holes will spend a lot of money it will all tickle down and make things better for us phelbs). Only these apts are empty and bought mostly in cash by forgien investors to launder money/have a place to flee when the pitchforked masses come for their head in thier home countries.

Well OK that's fine, even despite the fact that the DEA/FBI/IRS would be at my door in 15 minutes if I would try to pay for a 2012 Ford Fiesta with a wad of 100 dollar bills. I'm for forgien investment. WE ARE GOING TO WIN THE LEAGUE!!!! Because at least they'll help out the city with their property taxes and stuff. You know that's if they even paid property taxes.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/30/b...t-private-tax-system-saves-them-billions.html

 

[Tubey]

Wish Americans would watch this and try and switch on their brains for a bit.

 

[TX Bill]

Interesting times.