The Politics Thread

[quartermainefan]

Bill is still the best speaker of all time.  Just look this past week what happened.   After 5 years of republicans being unable to articulate what was wrong with Obamacare, Bill just came along and summed it up in three sentences.   They had no one close who could articulate the downsides of it the way he could.    That is why Obama rightly called him the explainer in chief.   There is no issue he cannot conversationally explain the most complex of problems.    Yes, he is too thin, and the vegan thing has worn him down, and his voice is weak,  but look how effortlessly he dismissed Obamacare and he isn't even running for office trying to run against Obamacare.    He doesn't have the strength of voice to rile up a crowd of 20,000 but I cut him slack for being 70 and a recovering heart patient. 

[DRW50]

That's true, but in campaign terms, explaining it a month before a crucial election is a pretty questionable idea. I think most people know Obamacare has problems, and I doubt most of them will ever be fixed because the GOP just wants to slowly choke the life out of it, and I can understand why he wasn't going to lie and say it is all fine, but it just gave Trump and the media a shiny object. 

[quartermainefan]

Assuming she is elected, he would be a perfect Sec of State.  He knows every president and prime minister on earth, and he could probably solve some problems the way he helped in Northern Ireland and almost in Palestine.  Plus he has all those contacts from his foundation to schmooze into action.   Not sure where else he would be as effective, unless they plan on splitting the presidency between the two of them.   She has to be smart enough to not just squander him as a first spouse. 

[DRW50]

I know the first time she ran there was talk he could be on SCOTUS, but I don't think they'd do that. 

[DramatistDreamer]

Bill as a SCOTUS would probably not fly since it was well known that he skipped a lot of his law school classes at Yale Law school to attend political meetings and rallies.  The public service and the political will always be Bill's bread and butter. Both HRC and Obama seem more suited to the SCOTUS, HRC being far more engaged in policy, down to the minute details and Obama very engaged in the Constitution and its everyday application.  

 

Also, I couldn't imagine Bill being sequestered as the SCOTUS often is, he likes to engage with the people, "press the flesh", so to speak.

[DRW50]

I'd heard about this, and I know what to expect from Faux News, but I didn't realize until watching just how much time would be spent making fun of Asians - and not poking fun at stereotypes or other buzzwords, but actually making fun of the people in the video. It seems like the GOP is happy to throw away the Asian vote after spending many years trying to cultivate it.

 

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[marceline]

I don't think that Bill even has his law license anymore. Although getting it back would be easy enough.

 

I have a friend pretty involved in the campaign and he suggested that once Hillary's elected we won't be seeing much of Bill because he's gotten to the point where he's ready to become Jimmy Carter. The guy who just works his charities and plays with his grandbabies. I didn't buy that at first but the more I see him, it makes sense. I think he's tired and that's the reason for the gaffes.

[DRW50]

21 years ago. 

 

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[Ms. Quartermaine]

 

I don't think it will hurt her either, but I don't like how he links her to Bill, as that as anything to do with how she could run the country. Also, in my opinion, he was using "unbridled ambition" as an insult. I like the fact that she's determined and also detailed-oriented (something else that she is given a hard time about). It's possible she won't be a transformational president, but he makes it sound like she hasn't done anything in her entire career, which to me, is insulting. Especially for a "friend" to say that. 

 

 

She made a comment in one of her interviews that she wanted him to advise her on dealing with the economy, and I read that she got a lot crap for that comment. If she wins, I think he'll have some kind of role, but I bet they make every effort to keep it quiet. 

 

Edited October 6, 2016 by Ms. Quartermaine

[JaneAusten]

All Powell has shown is that he is not above the snarky pettiness people always accuse women of . I've seen it myself in the workplace. Men are cattier than women are by far. He also shows his own sexist talking about her being ambitious as if he wasn't or any other man who's risen in the ranks. But it's the same sexist stereotype women these days continue to have to fight about. Anyone thinking there is no longer sexism or gender bias is living in a fantasy world.

Edited October 6, 2016 by JaneAusten

[DramatistDreamer]

Pence's "That Mexican Thing" comment is coming back to haunt him.

 

Internet explodes after Mike Pence tells Tim Kaine he 'whipped out that Mexican thing again'

 

This is an anti-endorsement, if ever I've seen one.

 

Edited October 6, 2016 by DramatistDreamer

[marceline]

He got the same reaction when he decided to turn health care reform over to her in the 90s. They've always been a package deal.  The funny thing is that Bill Clinton is the first president I ever voted for and a big part of his appeal to me was Hillary. I was happy to vote for him because I knew I'd also be getting her.

 

I know a lot of people like to suggest Bill in the cabinet and Obama on the court. While both would be great, I think it would be in Hillary's interest to stay away from that. People are tired of family dynasties. We don't want to just keep handing power between the Clintons and Obamas. We need to deepen the bench a bit. At least until Chelsea and Malia decide to run in 2032. 

[dragonflies]

Sorry if this is a stupid question, if he had been interested, would Bill have been able to be Hillary's running mate given he was President twice? I don't know how it works, if could run for VP or not?

[Ms. Quartermaine]

I just looked it up, and the Constitution says that no one can be elected to the office more than twice, but there appears to be wiggle room because is a VP who succeeds a President technically "elected" to the Presidency?

 

There would also be electoral college concerns because the VP and President cannot be from the same state, so they couldn't both get all of NY's electoral votes. But this can solved if one of them declared residency in their old state like when Cheney changed Texas to Wyoming.

 

[Vee]

Meanwhile, in the smoking wreckage of Ted Cruz's life.