The 2016 Presidential Election Trainwreck

[Eddie]

Another weird thing I think we're going to see if Sanders starts to lose quickly is that a sizeable portion of his supporters are going to run straight to Trump. This is less of an issue if Sanders hangs on.

I think the ideology is only slightly different between the two. The important factor for both groups of supporters is anger at the rich and powerful, anti-China, anti-Wall Street, anti-trade, and a promise of a strong authoritarian president who will punish the institutions and big businesses that are perceived to be at fault for the problems of those who feel small and powerless.

That would be interesting.

How do they not see Trump as one of the 1%er's who just gets wealthier and wealthier in spite of any business failings?

Changing the subjects - I like to jump around on the radio on my drive into work each day. Sometimes I'll swing by Glen Beck just to see what he and his are saying. This morning was "the last few days we've taken time to talk to you about Trump's businesses - successes and failures. We've talked about his past politics over the years. Today were going to talk about his current politics."

Sounded interesting, so I stuck around long enough to hear some of what he had to say.

I guess this should all be taken with a grain of salt - it is still Glen Beck. But he had quotes from Trump, so it can't all be stuff he made up, right?

Beck's take is that sometime between 2011 and 2012, Obama must've kicked Trump's dog or something. Because he went from "I think he's doing a pretty good job" and giving him a "B+" grade, to "I used to say Jimmy Carter was the worst president ever. But now he's only the 2nd worst. Obama has taken over the top spot".

And somewhere in the middle Trump jumped on the birthers bandwagon, saying that he leaned towards Obama being born in Kenya - since that is what his grandmother said she remembered.

Trump is crazy, that's no surprised. But the wide swings of his political pendulum are interesting to behold. I know the democrats wouldn't want to use them in the general election - they don't need any of their potential voters believing Trump is more moderate that he's putting on. But I'm surprised we haven't heard more on this from the other republicans.

[BlueK]

No, I do not see any risk of Bernie supporters going over to Trump should he lose the election. Those candidates have very little in common.

The candidates aren't exactly the same in ideology but they do sound very similar in message. Bernie just says it with more class and Trump is more crass. And their supporters are a lot of the same kinds of people who have the same backgrounds and anger over more or less the same issues.

[BlueK]

That would be interesting.

How do they not see Trump as one of the 1%er's who just gets wealthier and wealthier in spite of any business failings?

Trump's supporters are just as angry at the 1%ers as Bernie's are. Trump just gets away with being one of them because he promises to solve the problems caused by the 1%ers making "unfair" deals with China or hiring those dirty immigrants for their cheap labor. He's tapping into the exact same anger Bernie is.

[Eddie]

I'm still trying to figure out why Romney is an out of touch white stiff who is too rich to understand the struggle of the common man...and Trump is the anti-establishment down to earth dude who tells it like it is and is going to fix things for average citizens.

I get that Trump is seen as a strong leader. And I get that people like someone who tells it like it is.

I just fail to understand how he can be seen as anything but a rich out of touch dude who also has no idea what it's like to struggle to get ahead or the problems faced by 95% of Americans.

[BlueK]

I'm still trying to figure out why Romney is an out of touch white stiff who is too rich to understand the struggle of the common man...and Trump is the anti-establishment down to earth dude who tells it like it is and is going to fix things for average citizens.

I get that Trump is seen as a strong leader. And I get that people like someone who tells it like it is.

I just fail to understand how he can be seen as anything but a rich out of touch dude who also has no idea what it's like to struggle to get ahead or the problems faced by 95% of Americans.

The problem is that Romney, didn't promise a fantasy land to whoever is discontent with their lot in life like Trump does. Trump finds enemies to blame for all our country's problems and then proclaims radical "solutions" that sound great to the uneducated who don't have the knowledge base to understand why his blame is misplaced and his "solutions" are ridiculous. His brashness comes across to those people as strong leadership, and that's all they need to know because they believe he's angry with them and powerful enough to change the world to their liking He's the American version of Hugo Chavez, and he'd be just as disastrous for this country as Chavez was for his.

[frank ryan]

The candidates aren't exactly the same in ideology but they do sound very similar in message. Bernie just says it with more class and Trump is more crass. And their supporters are a lot of the same kinds of people who have the same backgrounds and anger over more or less the same issues.

Don't really agree with you beyond a sense of populism. They are galvanizing people over different issues. Trump's campaign is running on xenophobia; Sanders is just very progressive and proposing universal health care and student debt relieve. There is not much crossover there. If Sanders starts to fade his supports will stay home or hold their noses and vote for Hillary.

[imanihonjin]

Don't really agree with you beyond a sense of populism. They are galvanizing people over different issues. Trump's campaign is running on xenophobia; Sanders is just very progressive and proposing universal health care and student debt relieve. There is not much crossover there. If Sanders starts to fade his supports will stay home or hold their noses and vote for Hillary.

They have a common thread in that they both think the whole system sucks as it is and both have radical views on how to change that perceived problem. However, their solutions are very very different and I, like you, don't think that the Sanders supporters are going to run to Trump. Trump's solutions are, in many instances, more repulsive to a progressive then the status quo.

[Applejack]

Another weird thing I think we're going to see if Sanders starts to lose quickly is that a sizeable portion of his supporters are going to run straight to Trump. This is less of an issue if Sanders hangs on.

I think the ideology is only slightly different between the two. The important factor for both groups of supporters is anger at the rich and powerful, anti-China, anti-Wall Street, anti-trade, and a promise of a strong authoritarian president who will punish the institutions and big businesses that are perceived to be at fault for the problems of those who feel small and powerless.

LOL. Do we have a Greatest Hits of Political Threads Thread? This is up there with some of IPU's, CMBF's, 71's top posts.

[Topper]

I'm still trying to figure out why Romney is an out of touch white stiff who is too rich to understand the struggle of the common man...and Trump is the anti-establishment down to earth dude who tells it like it is and is going to fix things for average citizens.

I get that Trump is seen as a strong leader. And I get that people like someone who tells it like it is.

I just fail to understand how he can be seen as anything but a rich out of touch dude who also has no idea what it's like to struggle to get ahead or the problems faced by 95% of Americans.

It's how he talks. Trump talks like white trash. Romney talks like a stiff shirt Wall Street guy.

The guy on the street wants to tell his boss, the government, the bank and everybody who has crossed him to shove it.

[Maximus]

could romney get 3rd in a 4 way race between trump, sanders/clinton, bloomberg, and romney?

[Sleeping in EQ]

Another weird thing I think we're going to see if Sanders starts to lose quickly is that a sizeable portion of his supporters are going to run straight to Trump. This is less of an issue if Sanders hangs on.

I think the ideology is only slightly different between the two. The important factor for both groups of supporters is anger at the rich and powerful, anti-China, anti-Wall Street, anti-trade, and a promise of a strong authoritarian president who will punish the institutions and big businesses that are perceived to be at fault for the problems of those who feel small and powerless.

Please don't take offense, but did you hit your head?

[snowcat]

bernie.jpg

[YOhio]

The most shocking thing to me about Trumps rise is how the real racists have come out of the woodwork. If you ever want to take a nasty trip down the rabbit hole just search #altright on Twitter. It's evil stuff.

[myboynoah]

The most shocking thing to me about Trumps rise is how the real racists have come out of the woodwork. If you ever want to take a nasty trip down the rabbit hole just search #altright on Twitter. It's evil stuff.

What does altright refer to?

[Moliere]

What does altright refer to?

http://www.adl.org/combating-hate/do...l#.Vr0HSpMrKqk