2024 US Presidential Elections Megathread

[Maladict]

Pence is running. Might be interesting to see him in a debate against Trump.

[HVC]

Pence is running. Might be interesting to see him in a debate against Trump.

Gonna get crushed

[Duque de Bragança]

Pence is running. Might be interesting to see him in a debate against Trump.

Gonna get crushed

In a question about the events of January 6th? 

[Barrister]

Pence is running. Might be interesting to see him in a debate against Trump.

Trump won't debate Pence.

Apparently the GOP has set up some fairly high threshold requirements for its own debates, at this point only Trump and DeSantis would qualify.

And if, somehow, Pence gets enough support to qualify, Trump will refuse to debate him.  Hell he might refuse to debate Desantis anyways

[Valmy]

Pence is running. Might be interesting to see him in a debate against Trump.

More candidates just play into Trump's hands. The GOP needs to rally around one candidate early if they want to stop Trump from easily sailing to victory.

[Barrister]

Pence is running. Might be interesting to see him in a debate against Trump.

More candidates just play into Trump's hands. The GOP needs to rally around one candidate early if they want to stop Trump from easily sailing to victory.

On the one hand, this is true.

But it's only June - primaries don't start until 2024.  Who is in the race right now doesn't matter much.  So let's see how the early period goes - can anyone get traction and move up the polls?  Then hopefully all the no-hopers withdraw before Iowa/NH so we can get a meaningful 1 on 1 race.

Because I'd hate to see the field cleared to make way for DeSantis, only for him to fall flat on his face.

[Josquius]

Is there any candidate with a chance who isn't a fascist shit bag?

[Barrister]

Is there any candidate with a chance who isn't a fascist shit bag?

By your standards, no.

BY anyone else's standards... there's one only candidate who tried to overthrow the government.  So yes.  Stop me if you've heard this before - anyone but Trump.

[Hamilcar]

Are all these republicans declaring to run now because they think Trump's legal goose is cooked?

[Oexmelin]

BY anyone else's standards... there's one only candidate who tried to overthrow the government.  So yes.  Stop me if you've heard this before - anyone but Trump.

The GOP is politically, morally, ethically bankrupt at this point. Anyone but Trump is hoping that a bunch of other fascists are as incompetent at governing as he was. 

[mongers]

BY anyone else's standards... there's one only candidate who tried to overthrow the government.  So yes.  Stop me if you've heard this before - anyone but Trump.

The GOP is politically, morally, ethically bankrupt at this point. Anyone but Trump is hoping that a bunch of other fascists are as incompetent at governing as he was. 

In large measure yes, I don't understand BBs equivocation on this, it's almost as if he's 'saying' the other republicans are just fine and dandy.

[viper37]

BY anyone else's standards... there's one only candidate who tried to overthrow the government.  So yes.  Stop me if you've heard this before - anyone but Trump.

The GOP is politically, morally, ethically bankrupt at this point. Anyone but Trump is hoping that a bunch of other fascists are as incompetent at governing as he was. 

In large measure yes, I don't understand BBs equivocation on this, it's almost as if he's 'saying' the other republicans are just fine and dandy.

Not the way I read it.

More like "Here is the hand we are dealt.  Let's pick the least worst of it".

I agree with Oex assessment's here:
The GOP is politically, morally, ethically bankrupt at this point.

However, they are still a legitimate political party in the United States.  BB isn't saying "Pence or DeSantis for Prez".  But like me, he's a realist, and there's a chance the GOP might win the next presidency.  So, there we have Trump, who tried to overthrow the government, and the others, who didn't.

It is a small distinction.   It does not mean they are just fine and dandy.  It just means you are allying with Staline to defeat Hitler.  Or with Saddam to defeat Iran.  Or the Northern Alliance to fight the Taliban, even though they were sometimes even just as bad as the Taliban for the civilians.

Whichever candidate the Republicans pick is likely the one that stands the best chance to win against Biden.  Do you want to risk another Trump mandate or do think it is preferable that another, a tad more law-abiding candidate, runs for President against Biden?

Having Trump there is a gamble.  Assuming he's not arrested and indicted (and even then, unless he's in jail, he might still run), he might win.  55% of Americans disapprove of Joe Biden as we speak.  It might get worst before the election.

[Admiral Yi]

BY anyone else's standards... there's one only candidate who tried to overthrow the government.  So yes.  Stop me if you've heard this before - anyone but Trump.

The GOP is politically, morally, ethically bankrupt at this point. Anyone but Trump is hoping that a bunch of other fascists are as incompetent at governing as he was. 

In large measure yes, I don't understand BBs equivocation on this, it's almost as if he's 'saying' the other republicans are just fine and dandy.

It's almost like he actually tried to answer Squeeze's question.

[Barrister]

BY anyone else's standards... there's one only candidate who tried to overthrow the government.  So yes.  Stop me if you've heard this before - anyone but Trump.

The GOP is politically, morally, ethically bankrupt at this point. Anyone but Trump is hoping that a bunch of other fascists are as incompetent at governing as he was. 

In large measure yes, I don't understand BBs equivocation on this, it's almost as if he's 'saying' the other republicans are just fine and dandy.

It's almost like he actually tried to answer Squeeze's question.

If you're going to say that Donald Trump is a unique moral hazard to American democracy - then you have to act like it.  Anyone but Trump.

If you're saying Asa freaking Hutchinson is just as bad as Trump because they both, I dunno, support a 6 week abortion ban (I have no idea what Asa Hutchinson's abortion policy is - same with Trump actually) then you're completely losing the plot.

To get to the point...

I don't like many of De Santis's policies - but I don't think he'll try to overthrow democracy.

Mike Pence - I don't mind some of his policies, hate that he worked with Trump, and know from past experience he won't overthrow democracy.

I could go down the list but you get the idea - some candidates I like (Tim Scott seems pretty good), mixed on others, hate others - but it has to be Anyone But Trump.


But someone like Jos or Oex - Trump's biggest sin isn't the whole overthrowing democracy bit - it's that he's right-wing.  Which I understand, kind of, but profoundly disagree.

[HVC]

It's a frog in boiling water situation. Pence isn't as bad as trump, but he isn't good. He agrees with everything trump does, except for a coup. Hooray? Would early 2000 BB vote for pence, or 1990s? I hope not. But with every horrible actor out there (trump) each bad actor looks less bad, but is still dangerous.