The 2016 Presidential Election Trainwreck

[Maximus]

If Cruz is smart he'll go all out anti-Rubio in Florida, get Rubio to drop out. Rubio's potential voters might actually listen to and be influenced by negative ads. Then once Rubio drops out and it's just Cruz or Trump then Cruz has a chance everywhere else.

Rubio is the short stack at the poker table -- makes sense to go after him I think and try to make it a head-to-head contest.

I can't believe Cruz as the next President is best-case scenario now. Sheesh.

Cruz should want rubio to win Florida. If trump wins the chances he is the nominee go up considerably

[USUC]

So Mitt posted some thoughts on Nancy Reagan on his FB account. Read the comments.

https://m.facebook.com/mittromney/po...53339520811121

[Northwestcoug]

So Mitt posted some thoughts on Nancy Reagan on his FB account. Read the comments.

https://m.facebook.com/mittromney/po...53339520811121

Trump supporters are nothing if not classy...

[Northwestcoug]

A very ardent Mitt supporter continues the good fight. For the last year she's been waiting for Mitt to run, while bashing every other republican candidate because she was sure he'd enter the race. Now she's reduced to waiting for Mitt to save everything in a brokered convention. But now that he's taking some mild heat for accepting Trump's endorsement in 2012, she has had to concoct a very elaborate scheme to keep her vision of Mitt as the only guileless man who can save the country (2016 is totally different that 2012!):

Mitt was horribly embarrassed with the Trump endorsement. Trump had been begging to endorse him and Mitt said he didn't want it so Trump did it on his own. Mitt being the gracious man he is, decided to accept it. Then Trump didn't even vote in the primaries. Some endorsement. I believe Trump knew there was going to be election fraud, Mitt would lose and his endorsement would set him up further as looking like the fake conservative he's bamboozled millions of people to believe.

[YOhio]

A very ardent Mitt supporter continues the good fight. For the last year she's been waiting for Mitt to run, while bashing every other republican candidate because she was sure he'd enter the race. Now she's reduced to waiting for Mitt to save everything in a brokered convention. But now that he's taking some mild heat for accepting Trump's endorsement in 2012, she has had to concoct a very elaborate scheme to keep her vision of Mitt as the only guileless man who can save the country (2016 is totally different that 2012!):

She does seem odd, but your antipathy of late toward Mitt seems oddly personal.

[Northwestcoug]

She does seem odd, but your antipathy of late toward Mitt seems oddly personal.

I'll play my hand. I would vote for Romney in a heartbeat over everyone else running. But that is a pretty low bar. I get so frustrated with his political instincts, such as they are. It seems like he perseverates over every, single, decision. If he was serious about stopping Trump, why didn't he endorse anyone but him a month ago, when it could have potentially changed things? And now with his splash with his latest speech; he still hasn't endorsed anyone. He says he's going to wait until the 15th to decide. Why? Is he still considering the possibility of being in a brokered convention? Or is he just waiting to see if Rubio can pull out a Florida win? Whatever it is, it ain't leadership.

It's all just frustrating. He could be a serious nominee. But he's a terrible politician.

[myboynoah]

I'll play my hand. I would vote for Romney in a heartbeat over everyone else running. But that is a pretty low bar. I get so frustrated with his political instincts, such as they are. It seems like he perseverates over every, single, decision. If he was serious about stopping Trump, why didn't he endorse anyone but him a month ago, when it could have potentially changed things? And now with his splash with his latest speech; he still hasn't endorsed anyone. He says he's going to wait until the 15th to decide. Why? Is he still considering the possibility of being in a brokered convention? Or is he just waiting to see if Rubio can pull out a Florida win? Whatever it is, it ain't leadership.

It's all just frustrating. He could be a serious nominee. But he's a terrible politician.

That sounds like it comes right out of the Trump supporter talking points. Conspiracy theories abound.

Maybe people should take Mitt at his word when he talks about his motivations.

[Northwestcoug]

That sounds like it comes right out of the Trump supporter talking points. Conspiracy theories abound.

Maybe people should take Mitt at his word when he talks about his motivations.

If I'm going to spout conspiracy theories, I'm gonna swing for the fences. None of this 'Romney is carefully weighing his options for his political future' minor league crap.

C'mon. Romney has always carefully deliberated political decisions. That isn't necessarily a bad thing. But it doesn't help the perception that he's still testing the waters for a run.

[Uncle Ted]

[Uncle Ted]

[Jeff Lebowski]

Oh... That's a good one.

[myboynoah]

If I'm going to spout conspiracy theories, I'm gonna swing for the fences. None of this 'Romney is carefully weighing his options for his political future' minor league crap.

C'mon. Romney has always carefully deliberated political decisions. That isn't necessarily a bad thing. But it doesn't help the perception that he's still testing the waters for a run.

You're an all-in type of guy!

What politician doesn't carefully deliberate political decisions? Mitt stepped way outside the norm on this one. Almost unheard of for the previous nominee to take such a position. I find it quite courageous, especially given the outrageous bullying tactics Trump and his followers use. Mitt stands firm about his reasons for speaking out and emphasizes that he has no plans to run. I don't see why people shouldn't believe him. Particularly when compared to the crass, bigoted, uninformed con job Trump is pulling.

[Commando]

I got this email this weekend from Louis CK about an update for one of his shows he's been putting up online. Here's the epic P.S.:

Thanks again.
Louis CK
P.S. Please stop it with voting for Trump. It was funny for a little while. But the guy is Hitler. And by that I mean that we are being Germany in the 30s. Do you think they saw the shit coming? Hitler was just some hilarious and refreshing dude with a weird comb over who would say anything at all.
And I'm not advocating for Hillary or Bernie. I like them both but frankly I wish the next president was a conservative only because we had Obama for eight years and we need balance. And not because I particularly enjoy the conservative agenda. I just think the government should reflect the people. And we are about 40 percent conservative and 40 percent liberal. When I was growing up and when I was a younger man, liberals and conservatives were friends with differences. They weren’t enemies. And it always made sense that everyone gets a president they like for a while and then hates the president for a while. But it only works if the conservatives put up a good candidate. A good smart conservative to face the liberal candidate so they can have a good argument and the country can decide which way to go this time.
Trump is not that. He's an insane bigot. He is dangerous.
He already said he would expand libel laws to sue anyone who "writes a negative hit piece" about him. He says "I would open up the libel laws so we can sue them and win lots of money. Not like now. These guys are totally protected." He said that. He has promised to decimate the first amendment. (If you think he’s going to keep the second amendment intact you’re delusional.) And he said that Paul Ryan, speaker of the house will "pay" for criticizing him. So I'm saying this now because if he gets in there we won't be able to criticize him anymore.
Please pick someone else. Like John Kasich. I mean that guy seems okay. I don't like any of them myself but if you're that kind of voter please go for a guy like that. It feels like between him and either democrat we'd have a decent choice. It feels like a healthier choice. We shouldn't have to vote for someone because they're not a shocking cunt billionaire liar.
We should choose based on what direction the country should go.
I get that all these people sound like bullshit soft criminal opportunists. The whole game feels rigged and it's not going anywhere but down anymore. I feel that way sometimes.
And that voting for Trump is a way of saying "fuck it. Fuck them all". I really get it. It's a version of national Suicide. Or it's like a big hit off of a crack pipe. Somehow we can't help it. Or we know that if we vote for Trump our phones will be a reliable source of dopamine for the next four years. I mean I can't wait to read about Trump every day. It's a rush. But you have to know this is not healthy.
If you are a true conservative. Don't vote for Trump. He is not one of you. He is one of him. Everything you have heard him say that you liked, if you look hard enough you will see that he one day said the exact opposite. He is playing you.
In fact, if you do vote for Trump, at least look at him very carefully first. You owe that to the rest of us. Know and understand who he is. Spend one hour on google and just read it all. I don’t mean listen to me or listen to liberals who put him down. Listen to your own people. Listen to John Mccain. Go look at what he just said about Trump. "At a time when our world has never been more complex or more in danger... I want Republican voters to pay close attention to what our party's most respected and knowledgeable leaders and national security experts are saying about Mr. Trump, and to think long and hard about who they want to be our next Commander-in-Chief and leader of the free world.”
When Trump was told what he said, Trump said "Oh, he did? Well, that's not nice," he told CBS News' chief White House correspondent Major Garrett. "He has to be very careful."
When pressed on why, Trump tacked on: "He'll find out.”
(I cut and pasted that from CBS news)
Do you really want a guy to be president who threatens John McCain? Because John McCain cautiously and intelligently asked for people to be thoughtful before voting for him? He didn’t even insult Trump. He just asked you to take a good look. And Trump told him to look out.
Remember that Trump entered this race by saying that McCain is not a war hero. A guy who was shot down, body broken and kept in a POW camp for years. Trump said “I prefer the guys who don’t get caught.” Why did he say that? Not because he meant it or because it was important to say. He said it because he’s a bully and every bully knows that when you enter a new school yard, you go to the toughest most respected guy on the yard and you punch him in the nose. If you are still standing after, you’re the new boss. If Trump is president, he’s not going to change. He’s not going to do anything for you. He’s going to do everything for himself and leave you in the dust.
So please listen to fellow conservatives. But more importantly, listen to Trump. Listen to all of it. Everything he says. If you liked when he said that “torture works” then go look at where he took it back the next day. He’s a fucking liar.
A vote for Trump is so clearly a gut-vote, and again I get it. But add a little brain to it and look the guy up. Because if you vote for him because of how you feel right now, the minute he's president, you're going to regret it. You're going to regret it even more when he gives the job to his son. Because American democracy is broken enough that a guy like that could really fuck things up. That's how Hitler got there. He was voted into power by a fatigued nation and when he got inside, he did all his Hitler things and no one could stop him.
Again, I’m not saying vote democrat or vote for anyone else. If Hilary ends up president it should be because she faced the best person you have and you and I both chose her or him or whoever. Trump is not your best. He’s the worst of all of us. He’s a symptom to a problem that is very real. But don’t vote for your own cancer. You’re better than that.
That's just my view. At least right now. I know I’m not qualified or particularly educated and I'm not right instead of you. I’m an idiot and I'm sure a bunch of you are very annoyed by this. Fucking celebrity with an opinion. I swear this isn’t really a political opinion. You don’t want to know my political opinions. (And I know that I’m only bringing myself trouble with this shit.) Trump has nothing to do with politics or ideology. He has to do with himself. And really I don't mean to insult anyone. Except Trump. I mean to insult him very much. And really I’m not saying he’s evil or a monster. In fact I don’t think Hitler was. The problem with saying that guys like that are monsters is that we don’t see them coming when they turn out to be human, which they all are. Everyone is. Trump is a messed up guy with a hole in his heart that he tries to fill with money and attention. He can never ever have enough of either and he’ll never stop trying. He’s sick. Which makes him really really interesting. And he pulls you towards him which somehow feels good or fascinatingly bad. He’s not a monster. He’s a sad man. But all this makes him horribly dangerous if he becomes president. Give him another TV show. Let him pay to put his name on buildings. But please stop voting for him.

[Northwestcoug]

You're an all-in type of guy!

What politician doesn't carefully deliberate political decisions? Mitt stepped way outside the norm on this one. Almost unheard of for the previous nominee to take such a position. I find it quite courageous, especially given the outrageous bullying tactics Trump and his followers use. Mitt stands firm about his reasons for speaking out and emphasizes that he has no plans to run. I don't see why people shouldn't believe him. Particularly when compared to the crass, bigoted, uninformed con job Trump is pulling.

Because he still leaves the impression that he's open to accepting the nomination:

“I don’t think anyone in our party should say, ‘Oh no, even if the people of the party wanted me to be president, I would say no to it.’ No one is going to say that,” Mr. Romney said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Not sure what else there is to say here. You think Romney is a courageous politician, and I think he's pretty much average, though I'd still vote for him.

[BlueK]

I got this email this weekend from Louis CK about an update for one of his shows he's been putting up online. Here's the epic P.S.:

He may not say it in the most eloquent or smooth way, but whoever wrote this is right to be concerned about Trump and the insanely ridiculous crap he has been saying.