2020 General Presidential Election Thread

[wapiti]

If we are going to play that game, why not Garland, Gorsuch, and an empty seat to be appointed by the incoming president.

That would make no sense. Consistency would have Garland, Gorsuch, and Barrett or Gorsuch, Kavenaugh, and Biden filled seat. But what you describe would have required that Trump lose in 2016. Trump's win in 2016 is what cemented the conservative majority, not the games by the GOP.

[UVACoug]

I'm still shocked at how outraged people are that there is political gamesmanship that goes on in Washington.

[Donuthole]

Really interesting take on Trump's post-election antics. I think we can all sense this is what's happening, but this really sums it up nicely, IMO:

Trump is not making a narrow, surgical, legally feasible case to enhance his chances to still be living in the White House come January 21. (That’s … improbable.) He’s not doing this, either, to win the argument. (It’s almost mathematically impossible.) He’s doing it, say political strategists, longtime Trump watchers and experts on authoritarian tactics, to sow doubt, save face and strengthen even in defeat his lifeblood of a bond with his political base.And it’s … working. Seven in 10 Republicans, according to a POLITICO/Morning Consult poll earlier this week, believe the election was stolen from their candidate.

It is overall for Trump both a culmination and a continuation: a grand finale of sorts of the past five-plus years, in which he’s relied so much on so much unreality—and also a runway, a kind of topspin toward what’s to come once he leaves Washington, D.C., and presumably decamps to Mar-a-Lago to initiate a post-presidency that is all but assured to be unlike any other. The stakes are sky-high, and the collateral damage to America’s democracy could be lasting and profound, but Trump is doing what Trump has always done. He’s spinning a myth to serve his own interest. He’s doing what he believes he needs to do to put at least himself in the best possible position for the future after yet another failure.

“This isn’t about winning the presidency,” former Trump publicist Alan Marcus told me this week. “It’s his exit strategy.”

“It’s not about the vote-counting,” said Rory Cooper, a Republican strategist and a former adviser to Eric Cantor when he was the House Majority Leader. “His entire persona is built on the idea of winning despite his decades of not winning. He’s constantly creating a legend, frankly, about himself rather than a truthful narrative, so I’m not surprised that he’s going to use this to convince his supporters that the election was unfair and that he remains the leader of the Republican opposition.”

https://www.politico.com/news/magazi...-theory-436404

[Applejack]

Really interesting take on Trump's post-election antics. I think we can all sense this is what's happening, but this really sums it up nicely, IMO:



https://www.politico.com/news/magazi...-theory-436404

Loved that quote:

His entire persona is built on the idea of winning despite his decades of not winning.

Also, it is scary that 7 in 10 republicans believe the election was "stolen."

[tooblue]

Really interesting take on Trump's post-election antics. I think we can all sense this is what's happening, but this really sums it up nicely, IMO:



https://www.politico.com/news/magazi...-theory-436404

I understand all of the hand wringing about his post election antics, but the hand wringing is all about clicks. Drama is good business for online news organizations, and Trump has been good business. And for Trump, it has always been about the money, but one thing that I have not seen addressed in all of this is the fact that in four years he will be 78 years old, and Guiliani will be 80, which is a reflection to a large degree of the age of Trumps base. How many will be around in fours years, or at the rate infections are spreading over the next year?

Trumpism will not have the staying power of Reaganism, and the only way he becomes a legend is if he meets the same fate as a Kennedy. There is a lot of unknown drama that will ultimately fill the void over the next four years. His primetime drama had it's run and has now been cancelled ... it kinda reminds me of Lost.

[BigPiney]

[tooblue]

What is the over under on Melania filling for divorce ... she is only 50!

https://www.sportsbettingdime.com/ne...2020-election/

"Odds Melania Divorces Donald Trump If He Loses Set at +300"

[SCcoug]

Loved that quote:

Also, it is scary that 7 in 10 republicans believe the election was "stolen."

In 2018 an Economist/YouGov poll found that 2/3 of democrats believed Russia tampered with vote totals in the 2016 election.

https://today.yougov.com/topics/poli...-partisan-eyes

[Sullyute]

That would make no sense. Consistency would have Garland, Gorsuch, and Barrett or Gorsuch, Kavenaugh, and Biden filled seat. But what you describe would have required that Trump lose in 2016. Trump's win in 2016 is what cemented the conservative majority, not the games by the GOP.

Sure it does, PAC just said “in a better political world....”. So why not a political world where 10 months before an election is fine for a sitting president to appoint but two months before an election is not. In that scenario, Obama appoints Garland, Trump appoints Gorsuch, and Biden appoints whomever.

Plus under the original scenario, we are assuming that Trump picks Barrett over Kavenaugh. However, Trump had that option with his second pick and went with Kavenaugh.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Really interesting take on Trump's post-election antics. I think we can all sense this is what's happening, but this really sums it up nicely, IMO:

https://www.politico.com/news/magazi...-theory-436404

Bingo. Nailed it.

And damn, people are just stupid enough to not recognize the con.

[Jeff Lebowski]

What is the over under on Melania filling for divorce ... she is only 50!

https://www.sportsbettingdime.com/ne...2020-election/

"Odds Melania Divorces Donald Trump If He Loses Set at +300"

It has been funny to watch her body language around trump the last few years. She seems to despise him. Can't blame her.

[USUC]

Meh, it'll be fine. These Trump fans delved into their fandom at breakneck spread and they will leave it quickly enough. Trump is a loser now and he won't be able to get rid of that stink no matter how hard he tries. The people who are truly enamored with Trump will find something else to cling to post Trump because they are crazy and that's what led them to Trump so quickly. Bunch of pessimists around here.

[tooblue]

It has been funny to watch her body language around trump the last few years. She seems to despise him. Can't blame her.

I think a deal has already been struck going back to the Stormy Daniels episode. I wouldn't be surprised to find out there is already a timeline set for their "uncoupling."

[fusnik]

Meh, it'll be fine. These Trump fans delved into their fandom at breakneck spread and they will leave it quickly enough. Trump is a loser now and he won't be able to get rid of that stink no matter how hard he tries. The people who are truly enamored with Trump will find something else to cling to post Trump because they are crazy and that's what led them to Trump so quickly. Bunch of pessimists around here.

Utah probably just elected a dude that believes democrat elites eat kids.

[fusnik]

In 2018 an Economist/YouGov poll found that 2/3 of democrats believed Russia tampered with vote totals in the 2016 election.

https://today.yougov.com/topics/poli...-partisan-eyes

Yeah I don’t think those polls make any sense.

You think that 66% of Democrats and 20% of Republicans believed Russia tampered with votes? He had a 90% approval rating with the GOP virtually his entire presidency.

Sloppy question.