2016 elections - because it's never too early

[OttoVonBismarck]

Link to the WaPo story that was the basis of the NPR interview Yi linked to above.

[Berkut]

I used to find him entertaining on The Apprentice, but yeah, he doesn't even register on the "like to have a beer with" meter.

Someone said Sanders would be - I disagree.  He seems like the type that would give you a big long lecture on politics all night long while you just nod and try to change the subject.

Hehe, I guess I would actually enjoy a long discussion on politics. I know I've spent an evening with friends arguing about politics before, so doing that with someone like Sanders actually sounds kind of interesting...

I *love* me a long discussion on politics over a beer.  But you have to be amongst people who will listen as well as talk.  Sanders doesn't give me that vibe.

I guess I haven't really gotten that vibe from him - that he would not be a discusser, rather than a lecturer...the difference in said perception of vibe is likely more about me and you than it is about him...I suspect.

[Berkut]

[Razgovory]

What does the beaver wearing a tie represent?

[dps]

No kidding. Trump is a blowhard, and comes across like the kind of guy who has to be the center of attention. He strikes me as completely unlikable, and I thought that was true before he was ever a Presidential candidate.

He seems like an asshole, really.

There's a New York/New Jersey brash arrogance that Trump exudes, which I'm guessing might be appealing to people that don't encounter the type on a regular basis.

Arrogant assholes are a dime a dozen;  New York and New Jersey don't have the market cornered on them.  If you deal with the public at all, you deal with people like that everyday.  It's not appealing.

[frunk]

Arrogant assholes are a dime a dozen;  New York and New Jersey don't have the market cornered on them.  If you deal with the public at all, you deal with people like that everyday.  It's not appealing.

I'm talking about Trump's particular style of arrogance, not assholes in general.  I think assholes are pretty well distributed everywhere.

[The Minsky Moment]

Arrogant assholes are a dime a dozen;  New York and New Jersey don't have the market cornered on them.

No.
But we have a very healthy market share.

[garbon]

Arrogant assholes are a dime a dozen;  New York and New Jersey don't have the market cornered on them.  If you deal with the public at all, you deal with people like that everyday.  It's not appealing.

I'm talking about Trump's particular style of arrogance, not assholes in general.  I think assholes are pretty well distributed everywhere.

One should hope so!

[Capetan Mihali]

I *love* me a long discussion on politics over a beer.  But you have to be amongst people who will listen as well as talk.  Sanders doesn't give me that vibe.

I guess I haven't really gotten that vibe from him - that he would not be a discusser, rather than a lecturer...the difference in said perception of vibe is likely more about me and you than it is about him...I suspect.

Sanders started his political career by becoming mayor, after several failed attempts, of a 50,000 person city.  And despite the popular misconception of Vermont as a "granola" place, especially in the 1970s and 80s most of those people were hard-bitten French-Canadian-Americans and old-line Yankees who were used to voting for the Paquette machine and were not afraid to speak their mind.   And to get elected and remain a successful openly socialist mayor through the 80s, he had to actually talk and listen to them when they complained about potholes and park hours, not harangue them about "the billionaire class."

That said,  I do think Sanders has a one-track mind for a certain type of politics and doesn't find much else interesting.  He would probably duck out early from any barbecue you were having to go work on political stuff.  But his second marriage has lasted almost 30 years now, and he's raised his own biological son and his wife's children in a way where they all still like him a lot, so he's not some kind of idiot-savant either.

This crop of candidates in terms of the "have a beer" factor is very poor indeed.  Sanders is at least genuine, but I wouldn't particularly want to shoot the bull with him.  I know he'd order "whatever he's having" if we were at a bar, since I doubt he drinks much and probably wouldn' make a calculated decision ("What does this brand of beer convey about me?  Is it American enough?  Too micro?  Too macro?"  "My advisers suggest Blue Moon, so Blue Moon it is.") but I don't really know what we'd talk about.

Clinton is just personally distasteful and unappealing, same with Cruz.  Having only one person to talk to would not satisfy Trump's need for gratification so he'd move on pretty quickly to greener pastures than a beer with me, though it could be fun for 5 minutes.

Honestly, Jeb!, like his brother, might be my preference for a beer companion.  I'd like to hear stories from his Mexico days.  And Romney, with his a non-caffeinated soda pop of course, probably wouldn't be bad either.  I don't know enough about Rubio as a person to judge.

[Martinus]

I'd have beer with Rubio once he came out of the closet.

[Habbaku]

He has 4 kids with a former Dolphins cheerleader.  You might be waiting a while...

Why not Lindsey Graham?

[Capetan Mihali]

Shit, I forgot about Martin O'Malley.  I'd have a Guinness with him after the show, just to see what makes him tick and to give him shit on Seedy's behalf.

[Martinus]

Hey guys, I know that Fox News is the devil but I just watched this clip and could you explain to me, in simple words, why what these guys are saying is wrong?

http://youtu.be/w5HzaP19oCE

[CountDeMoney]

I would talk Jim Webb down from his 'Nam flashbacks. 
And by talking down I mean trying to convince him to let go of that Asian dude's throat in front of the P.F. Chang's, I mean Jesus Christ, the poor guy can't even breathe with that Ranger choke hold Jim, and besides I think he's only 24 and not even from Vietnam.

[DGuller]

I would talk Jim Webb down from his 'Nam flashbacks. 
And by talking down I mean trying to convince him to let go of that Asian dude's throat in front of the P.F. Chang's, I mean Jesus Christ, the poor guy can't even breathe with that Ranger choke hold Jim, and besides I think he's only 24 and not even from Vietnam.