2016 elections - because it's never too early

[Savonarola]

Call him Charles Foster Trump.

[Zanza]

Being able to concede defeat is probably the one quality you need as a democrat (small d). I think Trump lacks that ability as he always tells us that he has won his entire life, won so much that we get sick of winning.

[The Minsky Moment]

If he loses at the polls in November, his plan is to run into bankruptcy court, and demand the right to run the country while he raises more votes to make up the shortfall.

[DGuller]

Being able to concede defeat is probably the one quality you need as a democrat (small d). I think Trump lacks that ability as he always tells us that he has won his entire life, won so much that we get sick of winning.

To be fair, like with many things, Trump is just driving to extreme what Republicans have been doing with some moderation.  Republicans have had trouble conceding legitimacy of elections that elected Democrats for quite some time.

[Berkut]

True enough - lucky for us that problem is uniquely Republican, and the Dems have never done anything like that themselves.

[merithyn]

True enough - lucky for us that problem is uniquely Republican, and the Dems have never done anything like that themselves.

Sorry, I'm in Illinois. *snort* This made me laugh.

[Sheilbh]

At a campaign town hall in Columbus, Ohio, Trump said he feared that the election would be "rigged," in an unprecedented statement for a major party nominee in modern history.

"I'm afraid the election is going to be rigged, I have to be honest," he told the crowd.

He did not elaborate but later repeated the charge on Monday night with Sean Hannity on Fox News, saying: "November 8th, we'd better be careful, because that election is going to be rigged. And I hope the Republicans are watching closely or it's going to be taken away from us."

Roger Stone, a long time confidante of Trump, amplified these concerns in an interview with a far right wing radio show.

Stone said: "I think we have widespread voter fraud, but the first thing that Trump needs to do is begin talking about it constantly."

Laying out a strategy for Trump to adopt, Stone added: "He needs to say for example, today would be a perfect example: 'I am leading in Florida. The polls all show it. If I lose Florida, we will know that there's voter fraud. If there's voter fraud, this election will be illegitimate, the election of the winner will be illegitimate, we will have a constitutional crisis, widespread civil disobedience, and the government will no longer be the government.'"

He also promised a "bloodbath" if the Democrats attempted to "steal" the election.

Shit like that from the candidate of a major party (or a close confidante whatever that is) will be the real damage of Trump domestically. It will alienate a significant part of the population from the very basics the republic is built upon.

I see Trump is already preparing his gracious and tasteful concession speech, should that prove necessary. 

I sincerely hope you are right. As I said in another thread, I've long wondered just what Trump could possibly say to annoy his supporters, given that they have already swallowed the stuff he's said to date.

Yeah, but so far he's been up against weak incompetents. They all avoided attacking Trump because they wanted his votes when he, inevitably, failed or withdrew. Then they realised he wasn't withdrawing and didn't look like he was failing but they still wanted his votes. So they were like a herd of startled wildebeast taken down one by one. First Jeb, then Marco, then Cruz, then Kasich.

I think he has a definite ceiling and he will be coming under attack from one candidate now. If this were the UK I'd also say that most people don't really follow politics so most people's first real time looking at him will be in this bit of the campaign.

True enough - lucky for us that problem is uniquely Republican, and the Dems have never done anything like that themselves.

Has any party candidate ever said 100 days before the election that they think it'll be rigged and stolen from them and that there'll be a bloodbath over it?

[frunk]

I think he has a definite ceiling and he will be coming under attack from one candidate now. If this were the UK I'd also say that most people don't really follow politics so most people's first real time looking at him will be in this bit of the campaign.

Your claim for why Trump is doing well is the lack of public awareness about him?  Apparently every media outlet in existence running multiple stories about him is not enough.

[Sheilbh]

I think he has a definite ceiling and he will be coming under attack from one candidate now. If this were the UK I'd also say that most people don't really follow politics so most people's first real time looking at him will be in this bit of the campaign.

Your claim for why Trump is doing well is the lack of public awareness about him?  Apparently every media outlet in existence running multiple stories about him is not enough.

No. That he's got a ceiling. In a diluted field of weak Republicans that ceiling is enough to win. It isn't in a general election when he'll be attacked by his one opponent relentlessly and when the 98% of people who don't watch news networks and only watch a snip of the evening news start paying attention beyond just laughing at/nodding at him.

But yeah it's not enough because it's been a primary. But most people don't care about politics and don't follow it anywhere near the level even we do - far less the real obsessives. Loads of people will sort-of know what's going on but won't really be paying attention yet.

[frunk]

But yeah it's not enough because it's been a primary. But most people don't care about politics and don't follow it anywhere near the level even we do - far less the real obsessives. Loads of people will sort-of know what's going on but won't really be paying attention yet.

I think there's significantly more people paying attention to this presidential election than any previous one.

[Malthus]

Trump kicks crying baby out the room:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/03/us/politics/donald-trump-baby.html?_r=0

Apparently, there is only room for one such at his rallies. 

[garbon]

[Zanza]

Fallen soldiers, babies, what will he attack next? George Washington?

[Malthus]

Fallen soldiers, babies, what will he attack next? George Washington?

Motherhood and apple pie. 

[The Minsky Moment]

Fallen soldiers, babies, what will he attack next? George Washington?

Washington blundered into the French and Indian War, he lost nearly every battle during the Revolution, he refused to assume power in a military coup or become president-for-life, his administration signed the Jay Treaty - WORST DEAL EVER, he completely rolled over on the cherry tree allegations without a fight .

Loser.