All-purpose news and politics thread: Two Steps Beyond!

[ed2962]

hey you can watch this interview of Sarah Palin interviewing Donald Trump

OR

you can punch yourself in the face

http://gawker.com/loser-interviews-h...ium=socialflow

"Your campaign is avant guard"...what does that even mean?! Thing is Palin, just like Trump, realized that many of her fans are not the best critical thinkers and that she could get rewarded just for spewing gibberish. I'm convinced that when she was doing public speaking she went home laughing her ass off, telling her husband, "Yeah, I didn't even prepare. I just made up some BS off the top of my head and those jerks gave me $75,000!"

[ed2962]

It's been brought up before about Trump, why single him out when other Republicans and Tea Party candidates have said similar things. I think the thing is, sure other right wingers have had success saying outrageous things, but for a long time popular wisdom has been that on a national scale you need to be more mainstream or at least tone down the extremist rhetoric. But Trump has kind of flipped that, the more outrageous he gets, the more his poll numbers go up. I still think he has no plans to actually hold office, he has nothing to lose, so he's enjoying the spotlight being controversial

[bert]

It's been brought up before about Trump, why single him out when other Republicans and Tea Party candidates have said similar things. I think the thing is, sure other right wingers have had success saying outrageous things, but for a long time popular wisdom has been that on a national scale you need to be more mainstream or at least tone down the extremist rhetoric. But Trump has kind of flipped that, the more outrageous he gets, the more his poll numbers go up. I still think he has no plans to actually hold office, he has nothing to lose, so he's enjoying the spotlight being controversial

his numbers are going up among PRIMARY voters.

his numbers among the general public, seem to be going down. Heck, he's NEGATIVE in some of the polls, folks saying they would *never* vote for him.

[lancerman]

his numbers are going up among PRIMARY voters.

his numbers among the general public, seem to be going down. Heck, he's NEGATIVE in some of the polls, folks saying they would *never* vote for him.

Actually (and unfortunately) they are way better than what they were a few months ago. He was getting killed by Clinton head to head (and almost every other Democratic) in polls. The latest Quinnpiac poll has him 4 points behind Clinton. He's trending in the right direction there. And Clinton is actually losing her lead against most Republicans.

What should be concerning is that his numbers are steadily rising. The idea was that Trump was taking a fringe in the Republican party but once some big candidates fell they would rally around someone else and they would eventually gain enough support to be the clear majority and thwart him. But as candidates start going down, it seems people are jumping on his bandwagon. Even in the national polls. If you average the last 2 months of polls out he still would be one of the worst against a Democrat but that's more because he started out so abysmally and had a mountain to climb. Now he's really only has to go up a hill while most of the people around him seem to be rolling down. This is really crazy.

I thought for sure he'd be done by now. But at this point if you look at polls. If the election was held in a month, he wouldn't be a bad a bet. It would be close. But his campaign is showing the best signs of continuing to surge.

[CSTowle]

So, a white cop was killed execution style by a black male at a gas station. Anyone who kills a cop while he's pumping gas is a coward.

Also, the pro-life counterpoint to WBE's pro-abortion link.

When I see things like this posted, as if it were the counterpoint to another argument (usually a gun control one or a the call for reining in police violence) I wonder, "who in the hell do you think you're arguing with? Seriously, who in the hell do you think honestly doesn't believe killing a cop short of self-defense (or anyone else for that matter) is an act of cowardice? There may be someone holding that stance, but I don't think you're going to find them here". It falls under the "no s##t" category, and the "does not need to be brought up for argument because there are zero takers on the other side.

[Mister Mets]

How do dozens of specific cuts and edits in a short video add up to "not widespread evidence"? Other than burying one's head completely in the sand, I mean?

It's the conclusion reached by the firm hired by Planned Parenthood. For some reason, Crooks and Liar left that line out.

Actually (and unfortunately) they are way better than what they were a few months ago. He was getting killed by Clinton head to head (and almost every other Democratic) in polls. The latest Quinnpiac poll has him 4 points behind Clinton. He's trending in the right direction there. And Clinton is actually losing her lead against most Republicans.

What should be concerning is that his numbers are steadily rising. The idea was that Trump was taking a fringe in the Republican party but once some big candidates fell they would rally around someone else and they would eventually gain enough support to be the clear majority and thwart him. But as candidates start going down, it seems people are jumping on his bandwagon. Even in the national polls. If you average the last 2 months of polls out he still would be one of the worst against a Democrat but that's more because he started out so abysmally and had a mountain to climb. Now he's really only has to go up a hill while most of the people around him seem to be rolling down. This is really crazy.

I thought for sure he'd be done by now. But at this point if you look at polls. If the election was held in a month, he wouldn't be a bad a bet. It would be close. But his campaign is showing the best signs of continuing to surge.

There's no way around the conclusion that Trump's doing better in General Election polls than he did a month ago.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epo...491.html#polls

Earlier polls had him losing to Hillary Clinton by 12-24 points. The most recent polls bring the margin down to 4-6 points.

This does not necessarily mean he would get that result in a General Election setting, and he remains one of the weakest potential Republican nominees. But he is improving his GE numbers.

[CSTowle]

Yeah, think he wasn't being seriously considered by most of those polled initially. Now they look at the field and see it's all about him, and nobody at all stepping up on the other side. Anybody who fights against Trump gets smacked down. Not just by him, but by his supporters. Worse is when they try and ape him and end up looking just as bad as he does to sane voters. Like Jeb and the "I meant Asian anchor babies, not Latinos."

Even if he collapses at this point (and considering what he's gotten away with so far and come out stronger for it, who knows if he will), he'll have done so much damage to the party's standing with independents, women, and Latino voters that whoever ends up holding the lead when the merry-go-round stops will be doomed. They're probably better off saying "to hell with it" and nominating him. At least he generates excitement for them. Can't say that about anyone else.

[lancerman]

Well if Trump collapses any ticket with Rubio or Bush on it would quell a lot of the issues they would have with the Hispanic vote. So long as the other end of that ticket doesn't have Trump on it because that like putting Obama on a ticket with Donald Sterling to try and get the African American vote.

Barring Trump the Republicand have some good swing state politicians they could put on a ticket. I think it was TYT that said you a Rubio and Kasich ticket could win the Republicans Florida, Ohio, and a good chunk of the Hispanic vote that Democrats would be counting on. That's pretty strong especially when you know Hillary isn't going to have a strong foothold in any modern swing states.

Of course they'd have to get to that point first and Trump is the giant orange elephant in the room.

[JCAll]

Of course they'd have to get to that point first and Trump is the giant orange elephant in the room.

And assuming Trump doesn't try to run Third Party and absolutely wreck everything.
He swears up and down he will run third party if he doesn't get the nod, but Donald Trumps promises are about valueless.

[Kid A]

Well since we're going to be rehashing 1992's Bush vs Clinton, someone may as well play as Ross Perot.

[ed2962]

And assuming Trump doesn't try to run Third Party and absolutely wreck everything.
He swears up and down he will run third party if he doesn't get the nod, but Donald Trumps promises are about valueless.

He's threatened to run as a 3rd party candidate in the past and nothing came of it. It's more hot air from Trump. I think people have forgotten like 10-15yrs (?) ago when he said that he'd run and that Oprah would make a good running mate...

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Yeah, think he wasn't being seriously considered by most of those polled initially. Now they look at the field and see it's all about him, and nobody at all stepping up on the other side. Anybody who fights against Trump gets smacked down. Not just by him, but by his supporters. Worse is when they try and ape him and end up looking just as bad as he does to sane voters. Like Jeb and the "I meant Asian anchor babies, not Latinos."

Even if he collapses at this point (and considering what he's gotten away with so far and come out stronger for it, who knows if he will), he'll have done so much damage to the party's standing with independents, women, and Latino voters that whoever ends up holding the lead when the merry-go-round stops will be doomed. They're probably better off saying "to hell with it" and nominating him. At least he generates excitement for them. Can't say that about anyone else.

Given the rest of the field, with mental lightweights such as Bush and loopjobs like Carson just to name a few, is it any wonder jaded voters might very well cast their lot with Trump. But, you want to know who I think suffered most from Trump's ascendancy? Chris Christie. Everyone pegged him as the bull in the GOP china shop because he was going to be the resident loudmouth everyone was going to have to acknowledge thanks to the strength of his abrasive personality, but along came Trump who out Christied Christie, and suddenly, the Outlaw Jersey Whale has been marginalized, his poll numbers bordering on subterranean. Even worse, like the rest of the Republican field, Christie has been left sucking on the Donald's fumes as the world wants more of Trump, leaving Christie and company pretty much ignored.

[Spike-X]

So, a white cop was killed execution style by a black male at a gas station. Anyone who kills a cop while he's pumping gas is a coward.

Yes.

Also, the pro-life counterpoint to WBE's pro-abortion link.

I prefer to think of WBE's link as 'pro-facts'.

[Malvolio]

So, a white cop was killed execution style by a black male at a gas station. Anyone who kills a cop while he's pumping gas is a coward.

Also, the pro-life counterpoint to WBE's pro-abortion link.

So all the white cops killing Black people over minor crimes is just them getting even for a crime that hadn't even happened yet? And if not, then what is their justification?

[TheInvisibleMan]

So all the white cops killing Black people over minor crimes is just them getting even for a crime that hadn't even happened yet? And if not, then what is their justification?

I don't think there is any rational person celebrating that deputy being murdered