A few questions to the Americans re: Presidential Elections 2016

[garbon]

At least the last few. The strong evangelicals haven't been doing so well.

Mitt was not exactly an evangelical, being a vile heathen Mormon and all, but I thought those issues were still things in 2012. Ah well it is has been awhile.

I could be wrong but I don't recall him expounding a lot on that topic. Actually I can't recall at all what he said.

[garbon]

I might have disliked the man and thought (still think) he'd have been much better had he waited to build relationships in Washington, but I don't really see how that's true. Unlike Trump he actually had policies. Many might have been 'chocolate milk in drinking fountains' but they actually were thought out unlike notions that 'Obamacare is going to be repealed and we are going to create the best health system (unspecified)'.

He certainly was big and theatrical though. He was an incredibly gifted campaigner for that reason.

Okay but I thought we were discussing essentially style over substance. While I call complaining about that back then, he was/is miles ahead of Trump. Basically not even comparable really.

[Valmy]

Okay but I thought we were discussing essentially style over substance. While I call complaining about that back then, he was/is miles ahead of Trump. Basically not even comparable really.

He certainly had far more substance than Trump. But he was a Junior Senator will little to show for his short time in the Senate, beyond one speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention. His flair on the campaign trail is what made him President.

[The Minsky Moment]

Answers

1. Easily the worst in the postwar era.  Not even close.

2. Not historically.  HW Bush, Clinton and Obama were high content candidates; W was less so but ran substantive campaigns and was not particularly theatrical.  Among the other nominees of the of the last 25 years - Dole, Gore, Kerry, McCain and Romney are all easily on the content side vs. threatrical.  There has never been a major party candidate as content poor and ignorant of the basics of American government  as Donald Trump.

3. Typically people vote more for than against at least in the modern era.  It's almost always the case that ultimate winner has significantly higher favorables than unfavorable, and pretty common that BOTH candidates - including the loser - do.

4. I have no crystal ball but both party organizations seem very dysfunctional, albeit in different ways.  They will likely follow their path of least resistance, which is that everyone in them will draw the conclusion most convenient to their personal interest and preferred worldview and there will be no serious reassessment, much less reform.

[mongers]

If this debate wasn't a hands down win for Hilary, then I'm of the opinion that she's a pretty poor candidate.

[mongers]

Answers

1. Easily the worst in the postwar era.  Not even close.

2. Not historically.  HW Bush, Clinton and Obama were high content candidates; W was less so but ran substantive campaigns and was not particularly theatrical.  Among the other nominees of the of the last 25 years - Dole, Gore, Kerry, McCain and Romney are all easily on the content side vs. threatrical.  There has never been a major party candidate as content poor and ignorant of the basics of American government  as Donald Trump.

......

1. Indeed, lets not forget that in the debate Trump accused an ex-President, who was sitting in the room, of raping a 12 year old girl. 

Sometime you just have to pinch yourself to remind oneself, just how nasty, slanderous and dangerous this campaign has gotten.

2. I think Vladimir Putin has a much better grasp of Russia's constitution than Trump does of his own country's, Putin needs to know that so he can ride roughshod over it in the most effective manner, in contrast I've seen nothing to suggest Trump doesn't believe his word will be law once elected.

[Admiral Yi]

I believe he accused Hillary of representing the defendant in a case of raping a 12 year old girl.

[mongers]

I believe he accused Hillary of representing the defendant in a case of raping a 12 year old girl.

Oops, I misheard, probably just assuming all of the abuse was of the basest form.   

[Zanza]

2. I think Vladimir Putin has a much better grasp of Russia's constitution than Trump does of his own country's, Putin needs to know that so he can ride roughshod over it in the most effective manner, in contrast I've seen nothing to suggest Trump doesn't believe his word will be law once elected.

I would assume that Vladimir Putin has a much better grasp of America's constitution than Trump. 

[Zanza]

I believe he accused Hillary of representing the defendant in a case of raping a 12 year old girl.

Bill was the defender in the case.

[Razgovory]

2. I think Vladimir Putin has a much better grasp of Russia's constitution than Trump does of his own country's, Putin needs to know that so he can ride roughshod over it in the most effective manner, in contrast I've seen nothing to suggest Trump doesn't believe his word will be law once elected.

I've never seen any evidence Trump knows what the powers of the presidency are.  That's one of the biggest of Trump's problems:  He could do a lot of damage before the court system even caught up with him.

[garbon]

If this debate wasn't a hands down win for Hilary, then I'm of the opinion that she's a pretty poor candidate.

I don't know, I mean there are a lot of things she had to worry about that would actually make this debate tricky.

[The Minsky Moment]

Trump does have some odd views about constitutional authority - while does seem to think that the President has very extensive law enforcement and security authority, those powers apparently pale in comparison to the untrammeled power placed in the hands of the Junior Senator from the State of New York.

[lustindarkness]

Trump does have some odd views about constitutional authority - while does seem to think that the President has very extensive law enforcement and security authority, those powers apparently pale in comparison to the untrammeled power placed in the hands of the Junior Senator from the State of New York.

He admits her hands are bigger than his?

[Admiral Yi]

I believe he accused Hillary of representing the defendant in a case of raping a 12 year old girl.

Bill was the defender in the case.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/10/09/why-donald-trump-just-attacked-hillary-clinton-for-defending-an-accused-child-rapist-explained/

If Bill had been accused of raping a 12 year old I would definitely remember it.