US Presidential Contenders

[Kirov]

So what happens if there's still a third runner? Does he or she "take away" votes from one of the main contenders?

[Buster's Uncle]

Ross Perot made Bill Clinton president, the non-trivial percent of the vote he drew coming overwhelmingly from the right-fringe and being greater than the margin of victory.  There are people who blame Ralf Nader for 2000 and the Cheney Bund being appointed, with the very good reason of that one being closer, especially in Florida, than the handful of votes he syphoned off the left.

How many of the know-nothing louts who fell for Perot's noise would have bothered to even turn out for the real George Bush, who the righties roundly cursed for years as a moderate with some reason?  How many hippy freaks would have let go their trees to vote for Al. freakin'. Gore. had Nader not been an option?  Nobody knows.

[Buster's Uncle]

But what I sense you're actually ask:  Johnson's a right-Libertarian, as they usually are, and if the Pig had a real chance, the Libertarians would be a threat as spoilers - but when the right is stuck with a loathsome real estate hustler for whom their respect and regard makes Mitt Romney last time look like JesusReagan by comparison, right now is the time to chuck it and plan longer than November...

[Kirov]

Well, actually I was worried that when the time comes, Bernie doesn't endorse Hillary and this will cost her the election. I mean, I love the guy, I really do and he would be my first go-to option, but when the chips are down, I think he should know better than improve the pig's odds.

[Kirov]

But if Johnson stays in the race and throws a wrench in the pig's campaign, obviously that's some great news to hear on this fine Friday.

I don't know if you guys fully see it, but what is at stake in this election is partly the future of the entire Western block, and in the darkest scenario, Eastern European countries can say goodbye to the NATO protection and roll back to the Kremlin's shadow. The pig already said he's gonna be BFF with his Russian porcine counterpart. Which is why I was asking about the full extent of POTUS' impact on your foreign policy.

Of course, you'd be screwed as well, too. But it definitely won't stop at the water this time.

[ColdWizard]

I have (once again) registered to vote. My disdain for the main candidates has grown to a level greater than that of my feelings of disenfranchisement.

[E_T]

for a long time, My Ex and I were the only two Libertarians in the city of Winter Park.

If there is a SuperPAC that is supporting Johnson they need to pay for polls that include him in the question.  When you need that 15% poll figure to get into the debates, you first need to be able to possibly get that figure firstwise...

[Dale]

We have a Govt. After last weeks election we now how the following situation.

The next Australian Govt will be a Coalition minority supported by 3 Independents to get them across the line; or a Coalition majority of 76 seats.

As final postal and overseas votes are counted the majority looks likely.

[Rusty Edge]

for a long time, My Ex and I were the only two Libertarians in the city of Winter Park.

If there is a SuperPAC that is supporting Johnson they need to pay for polls that include him in the question.  When you need that 15% poll figure to get into the debates, you first need to be able to possibly get that figure firstwise...

Hi E_T , how have you been?

[Rusty Edge]

But if Johnson stays in the race and throws a wrench in the pig's campaign, obviously that's some great news to hear on this fine Friday.

I don't know if you guys fully see it, but what is at stake in this election is partly the future of the entire Western block, and in the darkest scenario, Eastern European countries can say goodbye to the NATO protection and roll back to the Kremlin's shadow. The pig already said he's gonna be BFF with his Russian porcine counterpart. Which is why I was asking about the full extent of POTUS' impact on your foreign policy.

Of course, you'd be screwed as well, too. But it definitely won't stop at the water this time.

American presidential elections are about peace and prosperity. When the subject of foreign policy comes up- it's about border security, trade, and terrorism. In terms hot spots, Mexico, China, North Korea, and the Middle East are on the public radar.

Johnson seems to take 1% more away from Hillary than [Sleezebag] in some polls. Other times he's neutral.  Jill Stein of the Green Party is the one who would eat into Hillary's supporters. She gets about half the % of Johnson in a 4 way poll.

But the most reliable, unbiased  and up to date information on the outcome of the US election is from data analyst Nate Silver. If you want to know the likelihood of a [Sleezebag] victory, bookmark this website.
I'm sure Buncle would agree.

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2016-election-forecast/?ex_cid=2016-election

[Buster's Uncle]

I think he's a lot more interested in predicting the true future than the one he might wish for.

[Rusty Edge]

-slashes-tv-appearances-as-advisers-clash-over-controlling-his-message.html]http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/07/08/[Sleezebag]-slashes-tv-appearances-as-advisers-clash-over-controlling-his-message.html

[Sleezebag] slashes TV appearances as advisers clash over controlling his message
By  Howard Kurtz 
 ·Published July 08, 2016

Donald [Sleezebag], in a sharp shift in strategy, is now refusing to appear on many television outlets, and top advisers who want to limit his exposure are no longer notifying him of every interview request.

According to sources familiar with the campaign, one faction is worried that the constant rounds of interviews entail too much risk of the candidate making mistakes or fanning minor controversies, even though his mastery at driving the media agenda helped power his Republican primary victory.

A series of clashes over these and other tactical questions has caused [Sleezebag] himself to openly question who is running his campaign, the sources say. And he has expressed anger when he believes his orders aren’t being followed.

On the media front, [Sleezebag] is no longer appearing on CNN or MSNBC. He is staying off the Sunday talk shows. Nearly all his national television interviews since June 1 have been with Fox News.

This more restrictive approach, combined with recent incidents in which some aides have acted contrary to [Sleezebag]’s wishes, suggests a power shift as his children and especially his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, play an increasingly influential role.

[Sleezebag], who has resumed his full-throated denunciations of the media—such as calling CNN the Clinton News Network—personally vetted every TV invitation for most of the campaign. Now the staff is weeding out many requests without consulting him, the sources say, which could either be viewed as a mark of professionalization or an attempt to restrain [Sleezebag] from being [Sleezebag].

Those in the caution camp want to avoid any repetition of [Sleezebag]’s March sitdown with MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, when he stumbled in suggesting that women should be punished for abortions. They do not share the candidate’s boundless confidence in taking on all media adversaries.

Several weeks ago, high-level staffers concluded at a meeting that the boss should be limited to no more than three interviews a week, print reporters included. He wound up meeting that quota in just half a day. But aides now vet whether certain reporters can ride on his plane, which used to be a snap decision by [Sleezebag].

Even CNN President Jeff Zucker, who worked with [Sleezebag] at “The Apprentice” when he ran NBC, is said to no longer have unfettered access to the billionaire.

[Sleezebag]’s last interview with CNN was a phone call to the morning show “New Day” on June 13.

[Sleezebag]’s last interview with MSNBC was on May 20, a phoner to “Morning Joe.” Once a regular on the show, [Sleezebag] has repeatedly slammed Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski for their harsh criticism of him, telling me that the former GOP congressman “went totally rogue” and “went essentially to the Democrats’ side.”

Since June 1, [Sleezebag] has appeared 18 times on Fox News Channel and twice on Fox Business Network, undoubtedly viewing them as friendlier terrain. These include multiple interviews with Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and “Fox & Friends.”

[Sleezebag] has ripped Fox in the past, famously boycotting an Iowa debate because Megyn Kelly was one of the moderators. At a rally Wednesday night, [Sleezebag] said, “Fox is tough on me but they are fair. And MSNBC, nobody watches it so I don’t care.”

[Sleezebag] hasn’t been on a network morning show since late June. He also did a June 23 sitdown with NBC anchor Lester Holt, and network reporters have occasionally pulled him aside for a few questions on the trail.

Yet even while effectively boycotting much of the television establishment, [Sleezebag] remains far more accessible to journalists than Hillary Clinton, who has not held a news conference this year.

When veteran Beltway strategist Paul Manafort took over as campaign chairman, he sought to limit [Sleezebag]’s Sunday morning exposure, which sometimes included appearances on three or four of the shows. [Sleezebag]’s last interview on “Fox News Sunday” was April 3, on ABC’s “This Week” May 8, and on CNN’s “State of the Union” June 5. [Sleezebag] hasn’t appeared since June 19 on “Face the Nation” or “Meet the Press.”

At the Wednesday rally in Ohio, [Sleezebag] ripped into the man he called “Sleepy Eyes Chuck Todd”—a moniker he had long put aside—and proclaimed that he had boosted the ratings of “Meet the Press,” only to be hit with unfair coverage. “These are disloyal people,” he said. Loyalty, of course, is not in the journalistic job description.

The Republican nominee also complained about CNN’s coverage of the so-called Star of David tweet, which critics said used an anti-Semitic image against Clinton, a view vehemently denied by [Sleezebag]. He called CNN “dishonest as hell” and added, “These people are sick.”

But the tweet controversy also underscored the sometimes chaotic nature of the campaign. [Sleezebag] had wanted the Twitter message to remain and is said to be furious when his staff deleted it without telling him. “You shouldn’t have taken it down,’” he said. “You know, they took the star down. I said, ‘Too bad, you should’ve left it up.’”

[Sleezebag]’s defense of the contested tweet breathed new life into a negative story that had been fading after several days, diverting attention from the public scolding that FBI Director James Comey gave Hillary Clinton for mishandling classified information, even as he declined to pursue criminal charges.

That is the obvious downside of [Sleezebag]’s scattershot approach. But he chafes at having to read scripted addresses and keeps liberating himself with stream-of-consciousness speeches, feeding off the energy of the crowds. Advisers who favor this approach say it’s more important for [Sleezebag] to enjoy himself on the trail, even at the cost of blurring his message.

Manafort is still firmly in charge of the campaign’s direction, relationship with party power brokers and the Cleveland convention. But Kushner, who is married to Ivanka [Sleezebag] and owns the New York Observer, is increasingly handling the day-to-day mechanics, constantly talking to the candidate, despite his lack of political experience.

While [Sleezebag] is avoiding numerous television outlets, he still works the phone lines, and one source said he recently had a private call with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, a frequent critic.

Some advisers believe the reduced media schedule is largely a function of greater general-election demands on [Sleezebag]’s time, from courting donors to meeting with possible running mates. Some in his inner circle have told him that he needs to reach beyond cable’s modest audiences and leave more of the televised combat to spokeswoman Katrina Pierson.

Others say it doesn’t matter if [Sleezebag] bypasses interviews on CNN and MSNBC as long as those networks, along with Fox, keep carrying extended portions of his evening rallies, with the added benefit that he doesn’t have to answer questions.

[Sleezebag] has been in constant skirmishes with the press since he launched his campaign, but his sharper rhetoric these days reflects a view that the media are trying to “assassinate his character,” as one member of his team put it. And that helps explain why the man who once blitzed the airwaves round the clock is now carefully picking his spots.

[Rusty Edge]

Gleanings-

There was an open letter from Wharton students and graduates saying [Sleezebag] doesn't represent us. There was a student group "Penn for [Sleezebag]", but they disbanded after his calls to block Muslims from entering the country.

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Hillary has adopted more of Bernie's language with regard to healthcare in a speech, and the platform committee has included "baseball, mom and apple pie" language in the platform with regard to trade deals, stopping short of embarrassing Obama with an anti TPP stance, but there is talk of never bringing it to a vote. So I guess this is the price of the Sanders endorsement worked out by their campaign managers.

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[Sleezebag] is actually considering a couple of retired general as VPs. Well, I wouldn't be too keen on choosing between Christie, Newt and what's-his-name, either.  I can see why the idea appeals to him. He's an authority kind of guy, he values loyalty, and people who say "Yes Mister [Sleezebag]!" Thing is, it plays into the hands of people who say The Leader is a fascist, and those who say The Leader isn't a real Republican, because Gen. Flynn is a Democrat.

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Hillary responded to the FBI pronouncements, talking about the others she interacted with, saying she believes that they believed they weren't sending or receiving classified documents. Maybe it's an attempt to shield them from losing their security clearances now that the State Department is resuming it's investigation in the wake of the FBI investigation, or maybe it's an attempt to spread the blame. She pointed out that the FBI agrees that most of the e-mails weren't classified at the time, and insisted that she hadn't been hacked.

I continue to wonder if Putin won't leak some hacked e-mails at some point, just to embarrass her.

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Johnson and Weld had an interview with the Washington Post editorial board when they were in town for the National Press Club Luncheon, and to visit The Cato Institute. The transcript, I thought was better than the article which resulted from it. Entitled " Johnson an honest but defective candidate" which  ( in my informed and biased opinion ) either misunderstood or misrepresented their answers to several questions. I think part of that is on Johnson for not being polished, and part of that is the local paper for the nation's largest mill town doesn't share his individualistic  as opposed to collectivist viewpoint. They are used to politicians proposing programs to solve all problems. Some of those things deserve their own posts and threads.

Well, I've said before that the Washington Post is one of the last bastions of actual journalism, and I stand by that. What will be interesting and revealing is how the editorial board handles Jill Stein. Will they ignore her? Will they applaud her for sharing some of Hillary's views? Will they ridicule her as a spoiler?

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Jill Stein is holding the door open for Bernie Sanders and made another attempt to lure him into the Green Party barn. I think it's too late. The Democrats made their concessions, and if Bernie pulled the football away before Hillary can kick it, he will be marginalized in the Senate, and he won't win the Oval office, because he won't win enough states to get to 270 as a Green, and he won't win any elections in the congress.

[Buster's Uncle]

You respect the Post, huh?  -I would have sorta expected you to find it too liberal...

[Rusty Edge]

You respect the Post, huh?  -I would have sorta expected you to find it too liberal...

I had a long post, but lost my connection to the site and couldn't reach it by new windows.

Let's see.... Well they aren't Liberal in the classical sense of the word, only in the Progressive sense of the term.

This reminds me of the time you asked if I was irritated or whatever about Bernie being honest and sincere. The answer is no, I prefer all politicians to be sincere, and  I prefer all news outlets to exercise journalism.

Chris Mathews at MSNBC, and the Editorial board at the Washington Post, both the people and the organizations have a leftie bias, but they, like The Atlantic Magazine and the PBS series Frontline, are among the last bastions of journalism in a post-journalism world.

I can respect a politician for being wrong when they are sincere, and a journalist for exposing the truth, although they are biased. In both cases it's about doing your duty regardless of limitations.

It's the reporters who haven't done their homework, who allow people to duck their questions, that don't deliver the truth that irritate me the most.

Likewise it's the politicians that don't sincerely have principles that can't be trusted with power. If you don't know where they stand, you don't know who they'll throw under the bus next. They have no moral authority to change the laws for everybody's lives if they don't believe in what they are doing. If you do know where they stand, then you know when you can work together with them.


I guess that explains my Hillary hatred. I've dealt with sincere politicians and some shifty-shady ones. Unqualified ones as well. { Insert the "It's the 95% that give the rest a bad name" joke here } Actually, most are sincere and working tirelessly for token pay or no pay at all in local government. The unqualified ones are concentrated in the state legislatures, and the ones in the governor's mansions and the federal government are the ones you've heard tell of for better or worse.

So while I'm on a general rant, I'm going to quote Gary Johnson's "7 Principles of Good Government"

#1) Become reality based.
#2) Always be honest and tell the truth.
#3) Always do what's right and fair.
#4) Determine the goal and set a plan for reaching it.
#5) Make sure everyone who should know your goal, does.
#6) Acknowledge mistakes immediately.
#7) Love what you're doing; if you don't, find something else to do.

My kind of politician.