2024 US Presidential Election Thread

[Famine]

Still weird to me that there's all this fuss that an old man who has a stammer and sometimes stumbles over words is having questions asked about his fitness to run for the office by his party and donors, while an old man who spouts stream-of-consciousness gibberish, has 34 felony convictions, is a rapist, has more court dates impending, has a paper trail of child sexual abuse (although as-yet nothing legal has come of that), definitely stored classified information improperly, almost certainly shared classified information with foreign nations (not including the two times he just openly did it in public), killed a million people through incompetence while actually in the office of President, has openly denigrated women, black people, people with disabilities, and veterans [especially POWs and KIA/MIA], overtly crapped on the Bill of Rights with several actions and suggestions, and many, many other issues that are just too much to include in one throwaway comment about his unsuitability for the role is NOT having questions asked about his fitness to run for the office by his party and donors...

 

[GBO Possum]

Sometimes, it makes sense to step back and observe ourselves from some distance, or maybe even better, have some smart people who already have a more strategic view than we do, perform some analysis for us.

I commend to you this new podcast series "After America"

"America faces a big choice this November. But whoever wins the presidency, the United States we thought we knew is gone – and it isn’t coming back.

In this new Australia Institute podcast, Dr Emma Shortis asks what this means for the rest of us, and how Australia can help shape our rapidly changing world for the better."

Episode 1 is titled "America: At War With Itself"
Episode 2 = "Return of the KIng"

Link -

 

[GBO Possum]

Still weird to me that there's all this fuss that an old man who has a stammer and sometimes stumbles over words is having questions asked about his fitness to run for the office by his party and donors, while an old man who spouts stream-of-consciousness gibberish, has 34 felony convictions, is a rapist, has more court dates impending, has a paper trail of child sexual abuse (although as-yet nothing legal has come of that), definitely stored classified information improperly, almost certainly shared classified information with foreign nations (not including the two times he just openly did it in public), killed a million people through incompetence while actually in the office of President, has openly denigrated women, black people, people with disabilities, and veterans [especially POWs and KIA/MIA], overtly crapped on the Bill of Rights with several actions and suggestions, and many, many other issues that are just too much to include in one throwaway comment about his unsuitability for the role is NOT having questions asked about his fitness to run for the office by his party and donors...

This quotation in my post above seems singularly appropriate as a response to your excellent head-scratching, @Famine

"But whoever wins the presidency, the United States we thought we knew is gone – and it isn’t coming back."

 

[McLaren]

Prove me wrong.

I already did.

Presidency of US is holy grail for every US politician

I am talking about federal level politicians, obviously there are plethora of local politicians that doesn't give a ****.

Bush was a Governor. Clinton was a Governor. Reagan was a Governor. Carter was a Governor.

Biden & Obama are the last Presidents to come out of the federal level. Daddy Bush was Director of the CIA, but his transition to the White House was working for the First International Bank, then VP, then President. @Eunos_Cosmo furthered his point by pointing out more names.

You want to talk nonsense, just look at this stupid train of thought.

He could never talk about it or try, because his time didn't come, but will always want it.

What politician in our country has ever had to hide their desire to run for President.

 

[Danoff]

Still weird to me that there's all this fuss that an old man who has a stammer and sometimes stumbles over words is having questions asked about his fitness to run for the office by his party and donors, while an old man who spouts stream-of-consciousness gibberish, has 34 felony convictions, is a rapist, has more court dates impending, has a paper trail of child sexual abuse (although as-yet nothing legal has come of that), definitely stored classified information improperly, almost certainly shared classified information with foreign nations (not including the two times he just openly did it in public), killed a million people through incompetence while actually in the office of President, has openly denigrated women, black people, people with disabilities, and veterans [especially POWs and KIA/MIA], overtly crapped on the Bill of Rights with several actions and suggestions, and many, many other issues that are just too much to include in one throwaway comment about his unsuitability for the role is NOT having questions asked about his fitness to run for the office by his party and donors...

Yea there's nothing fair about it. Biden is a billion times better than Trump, but not enough voters are seeing it that way.

 

[Joey D]

We talking about politician that could become president, I don't believe there are some at this level that not ready for that. Those people are powerhungry murder machines, I don't think they scare of not being able to drive car on public roads.

Mitch McConnell could've easily been president, but why would he want to? Presidents have term limits, people in Congress don't and you're likely not going to go backward (from presidency to Congress). You hold more power for a longer time in Congress than you do with the president. You have the ability to shape more policy decisions in Congress too.

 

[inCloud]

I already did

Did what? I didn't said that state level politicians don't want to be President, only that they understandably could.

Biden is a billion times better than Trump

Biden is weak, its scary. Too many lines were crossed without consequences.

could've easily been president

At what point?

 

[Liquid]

Biden is weak, its scary. Too many lines were crossed without consequences.

Taking all that on board, he's still a million times better than Trump.

 

[McLaren]

Did what? I didn't said that state level politicians don't want to be President, only that they understandably could.

I am talking about federal level politicians, obviously there are plethora of local politicians that doesn't give a ****

The only thing you said about state politicians is that a bunch of them don't give a crap & you were talking about federal level politicians being the ones who think the Presidency is the "Holy Grail". Which is still wrong. Most people running for President in this country come from a state level office, typically as a Governor. You had your statement backwards at the very least b/c it's federal level politicians that "don't give a ****" for the very reasons @Joey D nailed.

And this quote clipping tactic you're running with by deliberately cutting whole posts down to 3-5 words is going to bite you in the ass eventually.

 

[Joey D]

Biden is weak, its scary.

Yes, Biden is a frail old man with cognitive issues. But Trump is also a frail old man with cognitive issues. Both are weak, but in terms of frail old men with cognitive issues, Biden is the less concerning of the two. Biden has dementia and doesn't know what's going on half the time, that's not all that dangerous. Trump is delusional and a megalomaniac, which is dangerous, especially give that the Supreme Court just gave the presidency monarchy like powers. This of all the kings throughout history. What's safer? A feeble old king who doesn't know where he is or a fatass king who wants to behead anyone who looks at him wrong? Both are bad, but one has a safer outcome.

At what point?

He's been in Congress for nearly 40 years and is the longest-serving person in the Republican Party leadership. It would be crazy to think that he couldn't have been president had he wanted it. He was the most influential Republican in the federal government until Trump rolled along.

 

[McLaren]

He's been in Congress for nearly 40 years and is the longest-serving person in the Republican Party leadership. It would be crazy to think that he couldn't have been president had he wanted it. He was the most influential Republican in the federal government until Trump rolled along.

I don't know how the point can be driven any further home than this.

8 years as President before forced "retirement" or decades in Congress. The only other better position in Government is sitting on the Supreme Court. Lifetime appointment & legal bribery.

 

[Danoff]

Biden is weak, its scary. Too many lines were crossed without consequences.

Trump is insane. Scarier.

 

[inCloud]

Most people running for President in this country come from a state level office, typically as a Governor

And? They becoming federal level politicians when starting presidential campaign.

Which is still wrong

Prove me wrong.

What's safer

Institutions that would limit Trump + Trump. Average Joe would be happy to vote for younger Biden version, ofc, but someone stubborn.

It would be crazy to think that he couldn't have been president had he wanted it

Man is master of his game, but federal elections need some specific set of skills and abilities. I can't imagine him vs Obama or Clinton. US isn't upscaled version of Kentucky.

 

[McLaren]

And? They becoming federal level politicians when starting presidential campaign.

Lol, this is such a desperate cling to try & argue semantics. Jill Stein is not a federal level politician by this hilariously awful reasoning.

Prove me wrong.

It's in the very quote you posted, but you once again clipped it down. Like I said before, this stupid decision you're doing is going to backfire on you.

 

[Joey D]

Institutions that would limit Trump + Trump. Average Joe would be happy to vote for younger Biden version, ofc, but someone stubborn.

Except our realistic choices are old and demented Biden vs. old and delusional Trump. There is no limiting it there.

Man is master of his game, but federal elections need some specific set of skills and abilities. I can't imagine him vs Obama or Clinton. US isn't upscaled version of Kentucky.

McConnell has been winning federal elections since 1985. He's been in party leadership since 2003, and before Trump, he ran the Republican Party more or less. Had he wanted to pursue being president, he would've walked to the nomination on name recognition alone. But he's made an absolute fortune in Congress and likely didn't want to give that up. He's worth something like $40 million.

But it doesn't matter if a state is representative of the US or not. Arkansas isn't like the US at all, and yet Bill Clinton was our president for eight years. Ohio is probably the most average of all the US states, and while we do get presidents from there, we haven't had one since 1923.

 

[inCloud]

Jill Stein is not a federal level politician by this hilariously awful reasoning

I didn't cut anyone from being federal politician, you obviously have problems with understanding simple words.

Except our realistic choices are old and demented Biden vs. old and delusional Trump.

What happened?

he would've walked to the nomination on name recognition alone

No doubt, but could he won? Man is smart, seat in Congress is better than being loser in battle with Obama.

But it doesn't matter if a state is representative of the US or not.

Its hard to be likeable by very special people of Kentucky and average US citizen at the same time, IMO. Clinton is universally charismatic man.

 

[McLaren]

I didn't cut anyone from being federal politician, you obviously have problems with understanding simple words.

The only problem here is you once again, getting yourself tied up in your own stupid statements b/c you clearly don't even understand your own simple words.

You said: When someone runs for President, they become a federal level politician. That is not true. Jill Stein has ran 3 times now, she is not a federal level politician. She has barely held a state level position.

 

[Joey D]

What happened?

The primary process rarely picks the best candidate. Couple that with money, corruption, owing favours, and all the other crap that comes with politics and this is what we get. Trump v. Biden wasn't a surprise the first time and it's even less of a surprise now. Candidates have been getting worse and worse and now we're here.

No doubt, but could he won? Man is smart, seat in Congress is better than being loser in battle with Obama.

No idea. Maybe, maybe not. But McConnell could've beaten Hillary Clinton and probably had an easier time of it than Trump. He probably could've beaten Biden last time too.

Its hard to be likeable by very special people of Kentucky and average US citizen at the same time, IMO. Clinton is universally charismatic man.

Trump proves you can be a bumbling idiot and still win the election. Is Trump stupid? No, but he does play a pretty good idiot. Trump also isn't charismatic at all, nor is he attractive, young, or a good speaker.

Bush the Younger wasn't overly charismatic either, but still won two terms. Obama was kind of unusual since we hadn't had a president like that in years.

 

[Duke]

Still weird to me...

There is a large faction - a large enough faction, anyway - who are so convinced that "libtard dems" are so thoroughly "destroying America" that they are willing to do almost literally anything to stop that from happening. This includes overlooking all of Trump's history and personality, for whatever reason.

Each one of them has a specific set of hot issues that constitute "destroying America", but largely they cluster around gun rights, abortion, queers and transgenders, inflation, and immigration.

Maintaining the first one and preventing all of the others is somehow seen as worth ending democracy for.

This is probably because they only see it as ending democracy for people different than they are.

[edit] BTW, I stole your words from this post on the assumption you wouldn't mind. Retroactive thanks.

 

[Blitz24]

Trump became the nominee because the Republican party couldn't grow a backbone and run on an anti-Trump platform without alienating their MAGA-crazed constituents.
Biden is still the nominee because the Democratic party is playing by the rules and doesn't see any reason to divert from them. Biden would be a good candidate if he were younger.

Only 45 men have been president and of those 45, 8 of them died while in office. 4 of them (Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley and Kennedy) were assassinated. 4 of them (William Henry Harrison at 68, Zachary Taylor at 65, Warren Harding at 57, and FDR at 63) died of natural causes. Having a president die in office of old age is a bad look because it is preventable. It would also push the vice president into the presidency and we have no clue how they would perform.

 

[Duke]

Biden would be a good candidate if he were younger.

No, he wouldn't. If you actually look at it, Biden has a terrible political track record.

But, young or old, he's still a better candidate than Trump.

 

[Blitz24]

No, he wouldn't. If you actually look at it, Biden has a terrible political track record.

But, young or old, he's still a better candidate than Trump.

Compared to Trump, he'd be a better candidate if he were brain-dead. The Democrats realize he's a better candidate but are going to bungle the chance to make an even better decision.

 

[HenrySwanson]

Compared to Trump, he'd be a better candidate if he were brain-dead. The Democrats realize he's a better candidate but are going to bungle the chance to make an even better decision.

But, why?

 

[Joey D]

Trump became the nominee because the Republican party couldn't grow a backbone and run on an anti-Trump platform without alienating their MAGA-crazed constituents.

What's weird is if they ran pretty much anyone other than Trump, they'd probably win in a landslide. It's like neither the Republican nor Democrat Party can see past their own stupidity. I don't know who does their focus groups or looks at statistic, but they have to be ignoring a sizeable chunk of data to arrive at the conclusion that Trump or Biden is the right choice to trot out there.

But, why?

The Democrats had (and still have) an opportunity to replace Biden with someone who wasn't a walking husk of a man, but they won't. Like the Republicans replacing Trump, the Democrats could pretty much put anyone who's not old and feeble and they'd likely win in a landslide, even more so if they were a moderate Democrat.

 

[inCloud]

Trump also isn't charismatic at all

Lolwat

Bush the Younger wasn't overly charismatic either

IMO, he won as result of Clinton disaster and second time it was rally around flag. BY seems like ideal candidate after Clinton - simple, fair, Southern and full of guilt. Old ass bureaucrat isn't what could defeat Al.

Republican party couldn't grow a backbone and run on an anti-Trump platform

Lack of charismatic leaders. De Santis was interesting at first, until he start speaking. Hayley is in wrong camp of misogynists.

 

[HenrySwanson]

The Democrats had (and still have) an opportunity to replace Biden with someone who wasn't a walking husk of a man, but they won't. Like the Republicans replacing Trump, the Democrats could pretty much put anyone who's not old and feeble and they'd likely win in a landslide, even more so if they were a moderate Democrat.

So why don't they?

The guy just introduced Zelenskyy as bloody Putin

 

[Danoff]

Lolwat

IMO, he won as result of Clinton disaster and second time it was rally around flag. BY seems like ideal candidate after Clinton - simple, fair, Southern and full of guilt. Old ass bureaucrat isn't what could defeat Al.

Lack of charismatic leaders. De Santis was interesting at first, until he start speaking. Hayley is in wrong camp of misogynists.

The US did an investigation that uncovered that your government (based on your location) directly attempted to support Trump (via social media posts like this) in an effort to destabilize the US. I don't want to say that's what you're doing, but you certainly are behaving exactly like someone who has been paid to sell propaganda.

 

[TexRex]

The US did an investigation that uncovered that your government (based on your location) directly attempted to support Trump (via social media posts like this) in an effort to destabilize the US. I don't want to say that's what you're doing, but you certainly are behaving exactly like someone who has been paid to sell propaganda.

I'm sitting here thinking about how absurd it is that a Russian specifically is posting about an American election that includes Trump. It's just laughably on point.

Edit: I knew this wasn't the first time I've thought about it.

lol. lmao. A Russian fellating Trump on social media. Is there a word like "cliché" but...more?

 

[Yard_Sale]

On a sim racing-dedicated website which in itself, is in an extreme minority niche within the gaming community - within a sub forum that’s frequented by maaaaybe 10 posters?

 

[Famine]

The guy just introduced Zelenskyy as bloody Putin