US Presidential Contenders

[Buster's Uncle]

It becomes invisible to your brain in a hurry.

[Buster's Uncle]

(It's a broken Front Page promotion mechanism.  I think sisko broke it making it work for the BE folder, which also takes admin access and a couple extra hoops jumped, irritatingly enough.  Just post something in Chiron News Network if you want to make the Front Page.)

Sanders: GOP debates make Democrats want to ‘invest in mental health’
Yahoo!
Caitlin Dickson  Breaking News Reporter  March 06, 2016




FLINT, Mich.— More than halfway through the CNN-MLive.com Democratic presidential primary debate on Sunday, Hillary Clinton remarked on the content of the ongoing discourse, contrasting it with the chaos of recent Republican debates.

“You know, we have our differences. And we get into vigorous debate about issues, but compare the substance of this debate with what you saw on the Republican stage last week,” Clinton said.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, drawing laughs from the audience, added: “You know, we are, if elected president, going to invest a lot of money into mental health. And when you watch these Republican debates, you know why we need to invest in that.”

The Clinton camp was apparently not entirely amused by his remark. Moments after Sanders made the comment, Clinton’s deputy digital director, Jenna Lowenstein, tweeted, “Mental health is a serious issue. Cheap shots like this are a bad look.” 

Later on in the debate, Clinton insisted that if chosen as the Democratic nominee, she does not “intend to get into the gutter” with whomever the GOP nominates for president.

(Cover tile photo: Jim Young/Reuters)

https://www.yahoo.com/politics/sanders-gop-debates-make-democrats-want-to-035256908.html

[Buster's Uncle]

Sanders: “I am very proud to be Jewish”
Yahoo!
Jerry Adler  Writer  March 06, 2016



It isn’t exactly a secret that Bernie Sanders, if nominated and elected, would be America’s first Jewish president, a milestone that once would have loomed large in American politics. But that factlet hasn’t attracted much comment on the campaign trail — until Sunday night’s Democratic debate, when, in response to a question from CNN moderator Anderson Cooper, Sanders opened up about his religion and his childhood in Brooklyn, at a time when it was not unusual to see neighbors with concentration-camp numbers tattooed on their forearms.

The exchange was prompted by a question from a Flint resident, Denise Ghattas, who asked Sanders if he thought “God is relevant.” Sanders, who probably mentions God less often than any candidate in recent American history, responded that “The answer is yes,” but managed to define “God” in a way that comports with his own secular, socialist views: “I think when we talk about God, whether it is Christianity, or Judaism or Islam or Buddhism, what we are talking about is what all religions hold dear. And that is to do unto others as you would like them to do unto you.”

Cooper followed up by citing a recent newspaper article that he said claimed of Sanders that “you keep your Judaism in the background,” to the disappointment of some Jewish leaders.

“I am very proud to be Jewish, and being Jewish is so much of what I am,” Sanders replied. “Look, my father’s family was wiped out by Hitler in the Holocaust. I know about what crazy and radical and extremist politics mean. I learned that lesson as a tiny, tiny child, when my mother would take me shopping, and we would see people working in stores who had numbers on their arms because they were in Hitler’s concentration camp.

“I am very proud of being Jewish, and that is an essential part of who I am as a human being.”

https://www.yahoo.com/politics/sanders-i-am-very-proud-of-being-jewish-042728000.html

[Buster's Uncle]

Kasich talks [Sleezebag], Hillary and the 2016 race
Yahoo!
Dylan Stableford  Senior editor  March 07, 2016



Forget what the polls might say. Ohio Gov. John Kasich believes his Republican presidential campaign has enough momentum now that voters are starting to get a taste of his brand of political soft drink.

“It’s sorta like, ‘Coke, Pepsi, Kasich,’” he told Yahoo News’ Katie Couric from Monroe, Mich., on Monday. “‘I don’t think I like Coke or Pepsi all that much, and this Kasich, kinda interesting, but I don’t know much about him … so maybe I ought to go with the standard brands.’”

According to a Monmouth University poll released Monday, Kasich is gaining ground in Michigan, which holds its primary on Tuesday.

“I never thought I would really win here,” Kasich said. “I think finally people are starting to hear my message. And there isn’t any doubt that the last debate helped me because I was finally able to speak more. You know, we were sitting in the debate hall and the first 12 or 13 minutes they didn’t call on me, and people in the crowd were yelling my name, like, ‘Call on the guy, already.’”

But the Ohio governor dismissed a recent Quinnipiac University poll that showed him trailing Republican frontrunner Donald [Sleezebag] by five points in his home state.

“He’s not ahead of me. These polls are goofy,” Kasich said. “It’s not legitimate.”


Kasich admitted, however, that [Sleezebag] has tapped into “legitimate anxiety” among the GOP electorate.

“The key is to explain to these people who have this legitimate anxiety about the path forward, about who can actually diagnose the problem, treat it and fix it,” he said. “And that’s what I’ve been doing.”

And according to the governor, there’s still a long way to go in the race for the Republican nomination.

“We’re probably at halftime,” Kasich said. “If you’re an NBA fan, you kinda watch the fourth quarter, you know? I mean, we know what happens in the fourth quarter.”

“Many people never thought I’d be the last governor standing,” he noted. “And we’re having momentum. So we’ll see how it goes, day after day, one foot in front of the other. Like climbing Mount Everest.”


Kasich also blasted Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton’s call for Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder to resign over the water crisis in Flint.

“I think he has been held accountable. I think this is a guy who has had many sleepless nights,” Kasich said. “When Hillary starts talking ‘He should resign,’ what about the server in her house and the possibility she had classified information on that server?”

“That is demagoguery out of her,” he added. “I know her, and I don’t like that. I’m really agitated with the fact that here she is calling on someone else to resign, with her history and the history of her family? Give me a break.”

https://www.yahoo.com/politics/kasich-katie-couric-2016-gop-race-ohio-live-144309250.html

[Rusty Edge]

I saw some of the Democratic debate, but I could only take so much of the Clinton question dodging demagoguery, and her hand jive.

Sanders is much more tolerable to watch and listen to. Sure, he's a cranky, old complainer, but it's usually a sincere sort of righteous indignation. Sure, he's delusional about economics, but it's kinda cute to see a guy that old who's still naïve. He's giving a voice to people who feel they haven't had one, much the same as The Leader. I get that.


I could say what Sanders should have said to Clinton, but really, the longer I talk about her the harder it is to maintain my serenity.

*******************************************************

So I was checking into Kasich polls and articles in my free time.  Thought I'd link the negative one for a change. I edited the introduction, here's the meat of it-

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2016/03/03/why-is-kasich-still-in-the-race/

Why is Kasich still in the race?
 by Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post, March 3rd.

Kasich’s ostensible excuse for staying in is that he will win Ohio. The most recent poll, taken before Donald [Sleezebag] racked up big wins on Super Tuesday, has Kasich down by 5 points behind [Sleezebag]. Even if he were to win there, where else is he supposed to win? In Pennsylvania, he may not even make it onto the ballot. News reports tell us “many of the signatures of Kasich’s electors do not match the signatures of their voter registration cards.” Others “are either not registered to vote, are not registered in the specified district or are not registered as Republicans. In several instances, the petition challenges illegible signatures or handwriting that appears to belong to third parties other than the stated elector.”

If all he is doing is accumulating a few delegates to use as chits at the convention, he should say so; otherwise he’s playing donors and supporters for suckers.

Another rationale for Kasich remaining in the race would be that he stakes out some unique position. In that regard, his only signature issue would be expansion of Obamacare/Medicaid, something that has very little sell in the GOP. Even his stance in favor of keeping the Iran deal in place (just “policing” it) is shared by [Sleezebag]. Kasich is a budget maven yet has refused to put out a balanced-budget deal. Maybe he does not have one that could pass the laugh test.

One might understand Kasich remaining in the race if he were there to link arms with Republicans of good conscience against [Sleezebag]. However, he rarely talks about [Sleezebag] and, when given an opening, refuses to criticize him. While not yet exhibiting the trance-like look of adoration for [Sleezebag] that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) once displayed (and that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie now affixes whenever in the presence of “Mr. [Sleezebag]”), Kasich could well be simply angling for a VP spot with [Sleezebag], although he denies it. If so, he is delusional; no one can imagine Christie would have been so dense as to have agreed to be a courtier for [Sleezebag] without locking down a VP spot first.

The only reasonable explanation for Kasich sticking around then is that Kasich, always prickly and self-righteous, is enjoying the stage too much to get off. He has now found a forum (the presidential race) in which he can act out his own self-image, the most decent man in any room. To the rest of the political world this comes across as sanctimonious and self-indulgent.

We have no idea whether it is “better” for #NeverTrump forces if Kasich stays in or preferable if he leaves. Right now, however, he is conning voters into thinking he is a legitimate candidate. By his silence he is helping to bestow legitimacy on [Sleezebag]. If Kasich insists on sticking around for the attention, the least he can do is use some of that holier-than-thou energy to denounce the proto-fascist who will be on the stage with him tonight. Do not get your hopes up, however. This is all about Kasich’s personal vindication. And boy, it is not a pretty sight.

************************************************************************

Well, this is the first I've heard of a sloppy application in Pennsylvania. He and I were both born there. He lives in  a neighboring state now, it shouldn't have been that hard for him.

I'll bet my AC2 bank balance that Kasich will win in Ohio. He and [Sleezebag] are polling close, but that's one recent poll. If you go by just one recent poll, Kasich will win in Michigan. Kasich will be campaigning hard at home now. I guarantee you that he has a better organization on the ground than [Sleezebag] does. Since OH is a winner take all, essentially it's like a national general election. It's a two person race, and people can vote for one of those two if they want their vote to decide something, or they can vote for somebody else if they want to make a statement. When Perot ran for President, half of the people who favored him voted for a party man instead, for fear of throwing away their vote. Thing is, people who's first preference isn't The Leader are as much as 5 times more likely to choose Kasich over [Sleezebag].

I don't know what Kassich is thinking. Maybe it's that he's the best general election candidate, OR that he's the best swing/purple state candidate, OR has the best executive branch experience, and he's the last governor running, OR that he's the only guy in this race actually observing Reagan's 11th Commandment "Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican", and needs to stay in as a good influence in the debate, OR maybe he sees himself as a potential broker. The GOP convention is in Ohio this year. Lot's of guys would rather be a king-maker than a king.

I would agree that Christie probably handshook on [Sleezebag]'s VP spot. As a former prosecutor, he's quite the pit bull on the campaign trail and debate stage. Arguably, he took out Rubio. Or, Rubio took himself out by stepping in the gutter. Probably some of both.

Maybe it is personal, much about ego, but you know what? Everybody who wants that job is driven, all of their life. They have to have that focus to get that far.  They have to want it really bad, or they wouldn't subject themselves and their family to all of that abuse. They aren't quitters. They only quit when they run out of money or support. Kasich's support and money are still growing.

Kasich's best states are just ahead. There is no reason for him to quit, any more than The Leader.

[Buster's Uncle]

And good luck to him - I'm not just being polite.

[Rusty Edge]

In other gleanings forms todays various articles-
Republican support fro the KKK is low to mid single digits 3-5%?
Support fro Mussolini is even less, at 1%.

So, in theory there may still be time to draw parallels between fascists and  The Leader's autocracy, or contrasts with The Constitution ( to which The President takes his oath of office ),

Also late deciders tend to be anti-[Sleezebag]. Rubio and Kasich are working their home states, and Rubio is closing the gap to single digits. [Sleezebag] is putting his ego on the line in Florida, to discredit Rubio, and put him away, but that kind of keeps The Leader in  Florida most of the time. If a guy can't win his home state in a four-way race, he doesn't have adequate support,  it's time to bow out. Rubio, Kasich, and Cruz have all said as much.

If both Rubio and Kasich win, [Sleezebag] has to get 70% of the delegates in the remaining contests in order to secure the nomination. That seems unlikely.

I've said for years that the political conventions are no longer newsworthy because they have become orchestrated infomercials and coronations. They are mostly of interest to journalists and people who have participated in the political process as  candidates and campaign workers. The party should pay for the coverage on the major networks.

This year the conventions  might be newsworthy and of interest to more than the usual suspects.
Who will the Republicans present as the winning team? Will Bernie and his supporters pull Hillary to the left ( in order to keep them involved and motivated) , just when she wants to move to the center to appeal to independents?

[Buster's Uncle]

You know?  I think in her heart, she doesn't want to be in the center anyway, despite all she's come to stand for - and against The Leader, I doubt it would matter if she pulled left.  He doesn't leave people with a tough call, unless they hate her THAT much.  -ohmygod-

Christie, if the VP thing is true, is gone all-in; he's through if it doesn't pay off, but he's actually a great pitbull for the second spot, suited better than most to what-his-name...  -He's still done at the end of the year if he's not VP elect of the United States of 150 million moved to Canada...

[Buster's Uncle]

And I wonder - does the Mass Media Group Mind have a plan to stop the Clown?  They made him, covering his sideshow without laughing, and they do this every time they need to to pretend there's a horse race and sell papers - but stupid as group minds are, there's incredible power not stupid enough to tolerate him, getting desperate about it.  I would love to pick Rupert Murdock's brain right now.  The mass media can make or destroy ANYONE if they want to enough to pull together and pound a spike into their monster...

And half of everyone -COUGHdemocratsCOUGH- is making their peace with voting for HRC late this year like nothing else could have forced them to, and gonna turn out, I promise you.

[Rusty Edge]

What appalls me the most is the potential choice between voting for either the Heir to the Oligarchy, or the Fascist Dictator....then having them say that my vote was part of a mandate.

That's not the country I was born in. That's a Ghostbusters style "Choose the form of The Destructor" false choice. Or maybe Wargames' - "Global Thermonuclear War. The only way to win is not to play." Over the top? Sure. Whatever war they start will likely be limited. The point is that the  choice remains unacceptable.

There's something about George H.W. Bush, and his son Jeb that I really like, and something about Barbara and W. that I can't stand. But as much as I like Jeb, I couldn't  vote for him for Federal office because Oligarchy.
So there's more here than I hate Hillary on my part.

This might be a year when I vote Libertarian again. Sure my vote won't matter, but at least it will express my philosophy. The analysts will decide if they want to make the effort to earn my vote next cycle.

On the bright side, I might get to cast a vote that matters in the Presidential Primary this year.

[Buster's Uncle]

Your passion is powering eloquence, sir.

I have always felt like what you describe in the second paragraph.  But so be it - if I am to only cast protest votes, I will put my shoes on and set foot out of the house and cast protest votes.  As long as I'm stuck in this moronic existence, might as well.

(And agreed about the real George Bush - a much better man than his own side gave him credit for.)

[Rusty Edge]

Thanks.
I guess I know more about political science than the real thing. It's a good distraction from the stuff I'm dealing with now. As an added complication, there was a torn aorta on my side of the family last Thursday, and today is the first day that there were signs of consciousness and recognition of family members.

Maybe I'll have time now to get back to that role of the USA in the world topic.

**************************************
New topic, cross thread- tying into that Religion and science thread.

Remember that bit Niven wrote called "Limits"?

I think that the trouble with Libertarian government is the relatively small practical limit. It's a Golden Rule / "do the right thing, even when nobody's watching" sort of system.  Works well enough in a small town,  where everybody knows you or your family or where you live or work, where your reputation stands for something. Manners are a good idea.

I think that wears thin above a thousand people. As you stop thinking of people as individuals/families/groups, and start thinking of "them". You feel responsible and accountable to each other, but not to "them". They can be cheated or taken advantage of, you simply take as much as you can, and move on if they find out.

We have the same issue on the internet. It's mostly about dealing with them. It's not all about people and peers and communities. We're usually half disguised, and we can easily disappear if we need to.
We don't really need their respect to get along and do business. We can alienate somebody and look elsewhere. We can be as selfish as we want to be. We can be banished, wait a while, and return as somebody else.

[Buster's Uncle]

Yes, Draco Bar story.

Pure Libertarianism, much as pure Libertarians hate the comparison, is like communism in being workable only on paper - you'd need a different kind of people to make it work in practice on any great scale...

[Buster's Uncle]

I just saw when the conventions are scheduled.  The Republican one is July 18-21 - the Democratic gathering is July 25-28.

Pretty surprising to see the Democrats going last - they usually blow that kind of tactical thinking.  And scheduling only a week apart enables them to step on the opposition publicity window pretty promptly.  Seriously; the Democrats never had a Lee Atwater, and have been consistently pathetic at this sort of thing in my political lifetime, so I'm a bit shocked to see them do something right at playing the game...

[Rusty Edge]

I was going to say "What about James Carvell?", but really he was more of one race at a time tactician than a grand strategist, even if he was capable of being just as nasty.