The Politics Thread

[Juliajms]

Not only are Trump's immigration policies disgusting, but he wants to kill the families of terrorists. Are we really going to be the country that executes children for their parents crimes? That's insanity.

 

Here is an interesting poll on the percent of people who won't vote for certain demographics. Third paragraph from the bottom.  I was pretty surprised that 40% simply won't vote for Muslim or that over 25% wouldn't vote for a gay person.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/poll-10-in-us-less-likely-to-vote-for-a-jew-for-president/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

 

 

 

[ThePrinceOfSunspear]

Yes why do you ask?

[quartermainefan]

I am not sure I would vote muslim.   I don't think I would want to vote for anyone who doesn't think those burkas are ridiculous and should be outlawed.  People need to show their face, plain and simple.  The person with the most responsibility for my own welfare is me, and if I am walking through the street at 2 am I want to be able to read your face and make a judgment whether you are out for trouble or not.    That may just be an NYC thing, where back in the good old 80s and 90s you got your street sense finely tuned to know what was going on all around you, but I want to see your face if you are on the same street with me.  If you are pro Burka, I am anti you as a politician.

[ThePrinceOfSunspear]

I view the burka as anti women and just a very sketch article of clothing and to be completely honest they make me feel very uncomfortable. You can't tell who you're talking to or what features they have. 

 

What an interesting debate without Trump....I do wonder if it will backfire on him. I think he's very close to winning Iowa by a slim margin over Cruz. But dodging the debate because of Megan Kelly definitely made him seem sorta scared and weak. 

[Juliajms]

I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone in a burka before and I've lived in some big cities.  I know almost nothing about Muslims, so I have no idea if most of them are pro burka.

 

The more I see of Ted Cruz the more I dislike him. He's so arrogant, my god. He rubs me the wrong way more than anyone else in this race.  Marco Rubio is much more likable to me (Sorry Carl). It clear this isn't his time though. People keep saying Ted Cruz is the smartest guy in the room.  I guess he and Ben Carson must be pretty smart to be where they are in life, but some of the things that come out of their mouths make me wonder how that's possible.

 

HRC, Chelsea and Charlotte  were in Council Bluffs today, which is really close to where I live. My husband tells the story of how Bill Clinton won over a very hostile Omaha crowd when he was campaigning. HRC just doesn't seem to have the same touch.  I'm not sure that matters though. It's a different time and the lines between Democrats and Republicans are pretty hard and bitter these days.

[DRW50]

Final predictions (mine, I mean) before the caucus:

- I think Hillary will win by at least 5 points, maybe 10. Maybe even more at a push.

 

- I think a lot of people will be reluctant about Trump once they start hearing pitches from backers of other candidates. I think Cruz will win, and Rubio may challenge Trump for second. 

[ThePrinceOfSunspear]

Please God help Hillary to VICTORY!!!! 

[DRW50]

This amuses me:

 

(from AFP/Getty Images)

[ThePrinceOfSunspear]

BYE HUCKLEBEEE!!!!

 

A more loathsome creature I have not seen in politics. Aside from Ted Cruz perhaps. 

[Juliajms]

Ted Cruz wins with his Duck Dynasty lead in calling gay marriage evil. I guess we just have to believe this doesn't matter.  I just hope to god the democrat wins the general election.

 

Also I keep forgetting that Rubio and Cruz are Latinos.  It's really a strange phenomenon. I unconsciously process them as white.  I wonder if I'm the only one.

Edited February 2, 2016 by Juliajms

[Soapsuds]

Eh…for me they are latino in name only. They are more white than Latino IMO.

So I wonder what Donald will say after the loss….LOL

[DRW50]

I'm surprised at how close it is between Bernie and Hillary - I was expecting her to win somewhat narrowly, but not THIS narrowly. I still think she'll pull it out, and post-NH the map is good for her, but Bernie put up a real fight. I read that a lot of young people didn't show up so that yet again shows that many young voters just don't care.

 

I'm not surprised about the GOP side. Trump is a novelty, not a candidate, and the novelty wore off tonight. I think he'll drop out within the next month. And boy am I not surprised at media darling Marco getting a rim job for that mushmouth speech and for "beating expectations." The media would sell their families for this man, and for the narrative that liberals hate minorities and look out he's beating the old guard and all the young hip people are voting for him because he's so cool and today. They will do even more for him than they did for W and McCain, because he fills every fantasy Republican narrative they've ever had. They can spin that he's part of the future and the GOP is the candidate of the future, and he hates all the people the media tends to sneer at anyway (women, lgbt, minorities, etc.) which is a bonus.

Edited February 2, 2016 by DRW50

[Juliajms]

Which Republican doesn't hate women, lgbt and minorities though? Sure, they'll take a successful guy like Carson and tell us why that means it's all just a matter of hard work, but that's the extent of that.

 

I'm also not so sure Trump is over. Cruz didn't exactly win in a landslide and Iowa is Christian fundamentalist heaven. He's not going to get such a sweet set up in NH. Not that it matters. If I had to vote for one on them, I'd be hard pressed to choose which is the lesser evil.

[ThePrinceOfSunspear]

Ehhh it's Iowa. 99% white and then you've got what like 43% of them saying they're okay with socialism.

 

if anything tonight just proves how utterly irrelevant this state is and what a horrible mismatch it is to the rest of the country and the parties it represents. 

 

Hillary's camp has apparently declared victory much to Racheal Maddows disgust (which I love). MSNBC is so crushed that Bernie didn't outright win but oh well they'll get over it.

 

Im glad Rubio did so well in Iowa. Aside from Kasich I think he's the one Republican I'd vote for. 

[Juliajms]

I'm watching Cruz's speech. He might as well just give up politics and become a televangelist. That's what he really wants to be.

 

I figure this tradition of letting Iowa go first has to change before too long, although the state it's not 99% white. More Latinos are coming to this region all the time. It's not representative though, I'll agree with that.  Either way,  It should just go by region and rotate every election cycle. Or whatever some smart person comes up with, but there isn't much reason to give so much spotlight to Iowa and NH.

 

 I do sort of like seeing these politicians pressing flesh with the rabble though. It's obvious they all hate it. trump is actually a germaphobe who hates to shake hands, so it has to be killing him.  Bill Clinton is the last one I actually believe didn't want to run screaming into the night.