The Politics Thread

[quartermainefan]

I don't think they think that at all.   I assume they would much rather face Cruz or Rubio.   They see what Trump is doing, what Bernie did, they know there is blood in the water for the same old same old.  The only thing Hillary has to hope is that people outside of the republicans don't dislike her as much as they fear him. 

[Vee]

Forget Hillary, Trump's polling outside the right wing bubble is disastrous. Everyone in the GOP knows it. Everyone knows it but him and his base. You put him in a general election and they know he stands a very good chance of being slaughtered and taking a lot of the party down with him - that's why the Republican establishment has been trying so hard to stop him. He's their doom.

[DramatistDreamer]

Honestly, I often take polling with a grain of salt.  I watched the Democratic debate on Sunday and came away convinced that it would be very close between Hillary and Bernie, with Sanders having a slight edge.  If you think about what was happening in Michigan, people are consumed with the water crisis and Bernie's message is perceived to speak to their issue (dissatisfaction with government) at this time, while Clinton's somewhat more optimistic view (how the economy has come along since BHO came into office) may not have been in the front of many voters' minds.

 

I don't know what to take from this tweet but maybe this may have factored into things?

 

Edited March 9, 2016 by DramatistDreamer

[marceline]

I don't put much stock in conspiracy theories of people defensively voting for others. I have no doubt some people do it but not enough to be concerned about. Only a handful of people care enough to play that kind of chess game.

 

I think the issue is that polling is tougher in the post landline age.

[Vee]

There are about a million and one pieces now out on every major site calling Rubio an embarrassment and demanding he wrap it up. Looks like the GOP establishment and most of the media has finally thrown in the towel on the Last Clear Chance. Maybe they're banking on Cruz or a hilarious convention slugfest.

 

Meanwhile, Trump is comparing Marco's recent barrage of insults (which Marco is hastily walking back, saying they shamed his children and family) to a failed impersonation of Don Rickles.

[DRW50]

It looks like some of the establishment are now backing Cruz to stop Trump, which is truly pathetic. Cruz will actually be more dangerous to them long term than Trump, as even though Trump is dangerous and deranged, he will probably get more voters and help downticket. 

 

Media darling Marco's slow downfall - I haven't enjoyed hubris this much on the far right since T-Paw the "blue-collar" "Sam's Club Republican" punked out after one debate. And yes, clearly someone realized way too late that someone who was supposed to be respectable getting onstage and gossiping about Trump having tiny meat was a very, very bad idea.

 

This is especially satisfying:

 

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/cnn-rubio-florida-empty-stadium

[Vee]

In other news, this is the first Democratic debate I've bothered watching and these Univision moderators are terrible and hacky.

 

I deeply admire Bernie Sanders as a public servant and have for many years, but I am startled to discover at how canned his answers are - easy crowdpleasing talking points he pivots to and can't really deviate from, like an Air America Radio interview. There are no specifics, it's just lecturing. Hillary may not be the prom queen and she may not always come off well, but she digs into the nuts and bolts and specifics of governing - and it makes me feel like Bernie is never going to be ready for primetime. He's just doing the same lectures he used to do when he would run in past cycles just to stand on principle, when nothing more was expected of him.

[Soapsuds]

Bernie reminds me of that old college professor you hate to get because all he does is yell and shout his lectures and you learn nothing from him but somehow pass the tests….LOL

[DramatistDreamer]

...and like those professors who use the same lesson plan for twenty years running?

 

Does anyone know how many of these debates are left?  I feel like everything's been said several times by now.

[Soapsuds]

And you are so bored you'd rather be anywhere else…LOL

[DramatistDreamer]

Yes!  

Well, I was watching the tennis online during the debate breaks wondering when the debate would be over.

[Soapsuds]

I am watching the tennis as well. It is still on tv. Tomorrow should be even better with the men playing as well.

[DRW50]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-rubios-collapse-a-fateful-decision-that-helped-unravel-his-campaign/2016/03/09/2581e17e-e617-11e5-bc08-3e03a5b41910_story.html?tid=pm_politics_pop_b

[DRW50]

Terrifying and yet completely unsurprising.

 

http://www.salon.com/2016/03/08/texas_war_on_reality_states_next_likely_school_board_member_believes_obama_was_a_drug_addicted_gay_prostitute/

[Gray Bunny]

Poor Hillary, her voice is so scratchy and strained from all this endless talk, day in and day out. 

 

Random question: Do the Republican candidates take Sundays off for a day of rest? Just curious....