2016 elections - because it's never too early

[CountDeMoney]

Trump is just so awful. I can't even imagine another presidential candidate 'joking' about his opponent being killed.

I'm surprised it hasn't happened sooner.  And we have three more months of everyone's favorite game show, "What Will Trump Say Next?" I CANT WAIT

[dps]

I'm not particularly a Jackson fan (I probably would have supported Adams in 1824 and 1828 if I'd been around back then), but I'll be pleasantly surprised if either of this year's nominees turns out to be as good a President as he was. 

Before becoming President, Jackson served as a US Representative, a Senator, a state supreme court judge, military governor, and of course a general.  He wasn't some wild ingnorant yahoo.  He was far more prepared for the presidency than Trump.

I'm not particularly a Jackson fan (I probably would have supported Adams in 1824 and 1828 if I'd been around back then), but I'll be pleasantly surprised if either of this year's nominees turns out to be as good a President as he was. 

Before becoming President, Jackson served as a US Representative, a Senator, a state supreme court judge, military governor, and of course a general.  He wasn't some wild ingnorant yahoo.  He was far more prepared for the presidency than Trump.

No argument from me on either point.  I wasn't the one who said that Trump resembles Jackson in some ways--that was Malthus.

Clearly you need to spend more time with a history book.

Oh and less time spent as chicken little.

OK, yeah, I'm pessimistic about this election cycle, no matter who wins, but one of our major political parties just nominated Donald Trump as its Presidential candidate.  Even Clinton supporters should take that as a bad thing.  Sure, she's more likely to win than if her opponent was someone actually even marginally qualified who wasn't a jackass, but there's nothing good about us sinking to this level.  And while I'll cop to the pessimism (though not to chicken little status--the checks and balances of our system limit the damage than Trump could do if he were somehow to win), I don't see where there's any historical ignorance indicated by my post.

[CountDeMoney]

I wasn't the one who said that Trump resembles Jackson in some ways--that was Malthus.

Gingrich: Trump is at least as reliable as Andrew Jackson

[Razgovory]

I find myself agreeing more and more with Otto these says.  I'm not sure which of us should be more worried.

[Admiral Yi]

Well Andrew Jackson outright claimed the election of 1824 was stolen from him, contributing to an uncertain and dangerous time in our Republic. Now, you're probably right in the modern era no one has outright claimed an election will be stolen, at the Presidential candidate level. But a lot of people have persistently made these claims for years. Romney supporters believed inner city Cleveland districts that had zero Romney votes were signs of fraud, and that the polls underrepresented Romney's real support due to a large conspiracy. Libs claimed W. Bush stole both of his elections. Nixon privately made the argument for the rest of his life the 1960 election was stolen from him.

I'm not sure if a larger portion of people believe in systemic rigging than in the past, but maybe it is being spoken louder and is more visible in part because everything is more visible now than it once was.

But those claims have always been fringe claims, voiced by people like Seedy.  Shelf's point that this is unprecedented stands.

(Haven't read the whole thread.)

[CountDeMoney]

But those claims have always been fringe claims, voiced by people like Seedy.

HEY NOW

My claims have always been accepted by the mainstream fringe.

[Admiral Yi]

W lost the popular vote, had a recount certified by fiat by his state campaign chairman, and then confirmed by the Supreme Court in a non-precedential decision.

...and legitimized by a Washington Post study conducted after the SC decision counting Florida ballots under ever decision rule proposed, which found that in every single scenario Bush won Florida.

[CountDeMoney]

W lost the popular vote, had a recount certified by fiat by his state campaign chairman, and then confirmed by the Supreme Court in a non-precedential decision.

...and legitimized by a Washington Post study conducted after the SC decision counting Florida ballots under ever decision rule proposed, which found that in every single scenario Bush won Florida.

Disenfranchisement works much better when you can eliminate the votes by purging the rolls before the election.

[Ed Anger]

I must be the only Andrew Jackson fan on Languish.

[The Minsky Moment]

I'm not looking to argue the 2000 election.  I agree there was no feasible scenario where Gore could win.  That doesn't mean everything that actually was done was kosher.  Those are all tangible things that can be assessed and argued about.  Same with Mitt's Cleveland voter claim or Nixon's beef about energetic Chicago voters.  What makes the Trump claim truly special is that he is making it before there is actually anything to argue about.  He is saying any scenario where he loses - even if it involves every single other American voter publically declaring they voted Clinton - is presumptively illegitimate simply because it involves him losing.

[Sheilbh]

It is worth saying the Mitt complaint which I think is actually about Pittsburgh is the one Hannity is pushing as an example of 'questions' out there has been very strongly contested by the Republican elections supervisor from 2012.

[The Minsky Moment]

I must be the only Andrew Jackson fan on Languish.

But he's the anti-Sulla.

[Admiral Yi]

Disenfranchisement works much better when you can eliminate the votes by purging the rolls before the election.

Every single moment in time is before the election.  After the election is before the next election.

[Ed Anger]

I must be the only Andrew Jackson fan on Languish.

But he's the anti-Sulla.

I'm complicated.

[Admiral Yi]

I must be the only Andrew Jackson fan on Languish.

Appalachian clan loyalty.