Trump

[Elle]

Now it comes out that Trump's boasts about having influenced govt officials with money were probably not exaggerated. The FL attorney general asked him for a campaign contribution and got one, after she announced a possible investigation into Trump university and right before she decided to drop that investigation. It may have happened in another state. And Ivanka gave her own donation in FL too. Between this and the Mexican judge thing, he has actual problems now. And he still qualifies for the NYC tax credit for those who earn under 500k so either he isn't the multibillionaire he claims, or he's manipulating his income for tax reasons.

And he finally pissed off one Latino congressman enough over this judge thing to raise another big sticky issue in a formal letter: Trump probably has employed So Many illegal immigrants and probably still does.

[Elle]

[TheMaster]

I thought more about my Titanic analogy I made earlier in the thread, and this is what it boils down to for me. This country is like the Titanic. Seemingly unsinkable, but headed toward a glacier. If Hillary wins and becomes the POTUS, we are headed in the same direction and are sure to sink. If Trump wins the election, he will grab the wheel and spin it as hard as he can (one way or the other). Now, he could swing us right towards a cliff or a hurricane, but at least there is a change he will direct us into calm open waters. I am betting on the slim chance he takes us where we need to go; instead of doubling down on the sure bet that Hillary is going to keep us heading towards the glacier.

[Tahlvin]

Here's the thing: Had they kept the Titanic headed straight at the iceberg, everything probably would have been okay. The first couple water-tight chambers may have flooded, but not enough of them to cause the iceberg to sink. Instead, the fact that they tried to turn around the iceberg, while simultaneously reversing the engines (which reduced the effectiveness of the rudder), meant they side-swiped the iceberg, causing too many of the chambers to flood, resulting in the sinking.

So following your analogy, Hillary steers us right into the iceberg, yet the Titanic stays afloat. Trump gives conflicting orders, sideswipes the iceberg, and we still end up fucked and sinking in the freezing cold water.

[Elle]

It's ok now I think. Many prominent Republicans are publicly calling him or his remarks "racist" now, he may have actually paid off an AG or two, and I think he's done dealing. A few are leaving the party. They're desperate now; a third candidate will run or something will happen pre convention. Win or lose, if he runs now without full Republican mutiny, it will destroy their party at least for the immediate future. Libertarians should rise up and seize their moment to become a legit option.

[Elle]

Oh LOL Lindsay Graham wants Republicans to unendorse Trump! Alas, too late - you knew exactly who he was. Paul Ryan calls it racism but still endorses him. The party "intellectual"! Lol, that tells you all you need to know right there.

Some other intellectual GOP congressman from NY defends Trump's admittedly racist statement by saying it wasn't motivated by an internal feeling that Trump is superior due to race. And also... Obama is a big racist too! Lol. It's like the laughter of a person trapped in an asylum who thinks they might've accidentally left the door unlocked....

[TheMaster]

Can we all just agree that this election is as big a cluster **** as the First! Thread?

[Mike]

Bigger. Our rules are transparent and easy to understand.

[Kyle]

[Elle]

I kind of think climate change as we are on track for now is legit doomsday scenario. We might be able to alter course? Dunno but I'm scared for my kids and grandkids.

Trump knows he came very close to the cliff edge this week and toned down his entire speaking style as if to reassure party he's capable of it. I cannot believe media gives him a pass on content while reporting only on his style shift. Meanwhile Hillary finally seizing the nomination was SO blandly presented, first woman, isn't that special, blah blah blah. Ugh, if Trump wins media can thank themselves.

[Elle]

And he's back in fighting form! Trump insists he is the "least racist person you've ever seen!" Right after repeatedly calling Elizabeth Warren Pocahontas. (The crowd of his supporters erupted into "Indian war whoops", since none of them are racists either.)

But the good news is that he used to favor that measures be taken to combat climate change, even signing a full page NYT ad demanding this, so maybe his kids can talk him out of his current climate -denial-for-show. It's exciting - you have no idea what he really believes or might do if handed the power!

He is going to solve the "59% unemployment rate" among black men. (Maybe he meant 9.5? Or ...? But he's the Least Racist, so no foul!) Not sure HOW, but he says he's going to provide jobs for "everyone". So obviously, he's going to!

[Elle]

James Fallows is now doing this so I don't have to anymore. See his Notes at The Atlantic #20-21. WaPo press cred revoked, latest in long list. Based on fact-based report on treason implications. My pro-Trump close relatives come soon to stay. Trying to find better words for "you seem otherwise like moral people", since you can't lead with that.

[akiva]

[El Jefe]

I nominate "Fuck you, get out my house, or the gascan and matches come out."

I hear it also works well for a Tinder or Grindr greeting.

[poorpete]

[Elle]

The tides seem to have shifted. His response to a terrorist attack was so off kilter that the usual fear mongering play did not seem to benefit him. Andcto win he has to get plenty of people who voted Hope&Change in 2008 and were disillusioned, but those people will be turned off when you accuse the President of treason and then lie about it and then do it again, multiple times!

However, it's easy for the tides to shift again. to explain why he got it so wrong: in a nutshell, he was going off his own subjective take on why Trump couldn't win, and not trusting his statistical model or privileging poll data. But if he lived where I do, that subjective take might be different. In my neighborhood of Trumpistas, my husband is a big Hillary fan and always has been since day 1, as has my mom, so it is nice that they might see their wish realized.

[akiva]

[Elle]

Akiva, where are you? I doubt I agree on much with Theresa May but I find her a really impressive figure and I find myself wishing that Hillary Clinton's story was at all similar, in terms of how she gained the position of prominence that allowed her to be a Presidential candidate. As far as I know, May's parents both died when she was a young adult (not that I wish this happened to Hillary! the point is only that May had a difficult road and didn't just coast on family connections or something), and she pulled herself up through the political ranks with steady determination. She's not PM because she was married to a former one, know what I mean? I feel like I should be elated that we finallllllly have a female major party candidate, but the fact that she was married to Bill and that's what launched her into national politics... it just sits uneasy with me. I really don't like Bill Clinton. My husband likes him. It's one of those political things we disagree about. I don't like the idea of Bill Clinton being back in the White House in even this capacity. On the other hand, I acknowledge Hillary is a complete badass and I trust her to get certain things done, or at least handle them as well as anyone would. I don't think she'd be where she is today if she had Sanders' positions, and maybe he's given her cover for adopting some of them now. That's the upside. There's strong support for that at least among her base. Ginsburg's comments really brought home how much this election could mean a reshaping of the Supreme Court if any Republican wins. It's just... hold your breath until November, I guess. I can't believe this is the direction things have moved since I first voted in an election.

[Mike]

THAT, by the way, was the 5000th post on these new forums.

[Elle]