POTUS Election thread

[Xiahou]

Seamus and Xiahou:

just curious, during the republican primaries did you have a favourite candidate?

Almost any of them would have been more tolerable than Trump. If I could've named the nominee, I would've went with Cruz. I think a politician that is willing to go into Iowa and tell them he wants to kill the RFS (and still won the state no less) is one who might actually put principle over expediency. He did, however, lose a little bit of my respect when he knuckled under and endorsed Trump.

Aside from him, I think I could have voted for Rubio, Walker, (probably) Fiorina, Paul, Jindal or even Perry.

In the end, I wrote in Evan McMullin. Apparently he was formally registered as a write-in (that's a thing?) in my state, meaning that his vote totals would be counted. Apparently other write-ins aren't even tallied unless write-ins make up a significant portion of the vote....

[Seamus Fermanagh]

I'll be voting after work today. I won't be voting for either Clinton or Trump- as they're both repulsive individuals. Not sure who I'll waste my POTUS vote writing in (probably either Vermin Supreme of Evan McMullin), but there are some down-ballot races that are worth voting for.

Voted for my wife for POTUS.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Seamus and Xiahou:

just curious, during the republican primaries did you have a favourite candidate?

Rubio mostly, some thoughts about Cruz.

[Xiahou]

Voted for my wife for POTUS.

I learned my lesson once when I wrote in my own name for a county GOP committee seat and won. Since then, I've never wrote in anyone I care about.

EDIT: On a different note, here's a fun real-time election forecast via the NYT. It updates itself before your very eyes as results come in- Right now it predicts Hillary 80% likely to win and with a 310 electoral vote total. I don't know if it's accurate- but at least it's interesting.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

I learned my lesson once when I wrote in my own name for a county GOP committee seat and won. Since then, I've never wrote in anyone I care about.

I would follow her to Hell with a damp sponge for a shield. Since none of the other candidates were truly qualified, I tapped her for it.

[Pannonian]

I learned my lesson once when I wrote in my own name for a county GOP committee seat and won. Since then, I've never wrote in anyone I care about.

Did you serve in the committee, and what did you have to do?

[Xiahou]

Did you serve in the committee, and what did you have to do?

I showed up at the first meeting and got a witness a very petty fight over two people who wanted to be chair. It seemed mainly like a GOP cheerleading team otherwise. After the meeting, I withdrew from the committee- though they still send me spam.

I don't really consider myself a GOP loyalist- I've never given them any money and may never do so. My beliefs align much closer to the Republicans than Democrats- but I think the tribalism that goes with the two parties is unhelpful. The worst case of that is this election.

[Hooahguy]

So Trump will probably be taking Florida, North Carolina, and... Virginia? Might also win Wisconsin and Michigan. Looks great for Trump. Terrible for Clinton. I kinda think now that Trump will win.

[Xiahou]

So Trump will probably be taking Florida, North Carolina, and... Virginia? Might also win Wisconsin and Michigan. Looks great for Trump. Terrible for Clinton. I kinda think now that Trump will win.

Yeah, this election looked like a tall order for Trump, but to me, his X factor was also the crowd that he speaks to who doesn't normally turn out big for elections. We're seeing the possibility that he could flip some traditionally blue states.

If Trump does manage to win, I look forward to seeing liberals and media (but I repeat myself ) heads exploding over the next few days. He'd definitely be a more entertaining president than Clinton.... not sure that's a good thing though.

[Montmorency]

Losing Florida, Ohio, and North Carolina is looking fatal. Losing Wisconsin and Michigan might as well make it decisive.

[Xiahou]

So according to the NYT, there's an 80% chance of Trump winning and a 95% chance to maintain control of the House and Senate. I never countenanced the possibility of a president Trump with total GOP control of Washington.

[Hooahguy]

Yup, and Clinton will go down in history as one of the worst candidates in history who lost to Trump, of all people. Her political career is over if she doesnt win.

[drone]

Yup, and Clinton will go down in history as one of the worst candidates in history who lost to Trump, of all people. Her political career is over if she doesnt win.

I'm pretty sure it's over either way.

Assuming the worst, as horrifying as a Trump presidency will be there will be a small part of me that would enjoy watching Hillary wondering what the hell just happened. Hopefully the DNC learns from this. You may think you know better than us, but you have to do a better job convincing the rest of us, not just smugly telling us how it goes.

[Tuuvi]

I can't believe Trump is actually probably going to win, I thought for sure it was going to be Clinton. The thought of a Trump presidency scares me but in a way I'm excited to see what he will do. Me personally I voted for Vermin Supreme, because I'm worried about the state of dental care in this country.

Also, casted a protest vote. Real politician, had to write it in.

Was it Mimi Soltysik? I bet it was Mimi Soltysik.

[GeneralHankerchief]

I'm pretty sure it's over either way.

Assuming the worst, as horrifying as a Trump presidency will be there will be a small part of me that would enjoy watching Hillary wondering what the hell just happened. Hopefully the DNC learns from this. You may think you know better than us, but you have to do a better job convincing the rest of us, not just smugly telling us how it goes.

Judging by the reactions on my Facebook feed, this is not going to be a lesson quickly or easily learned.

[Montmorency]

Amusingly, winning Iowa and keeping at least Michigan would make a probably victory for Clinton.

[Tuuvi]

Kinda makes you wonder what would have happened if Sanders had won the Democratic nomination. One the one hand his self labeling as "socialist" made him a non-starter for the older generation but on the other hand a lot of people seemed excited for a potential Sanders presidency, more so than for Clinton who was supported just because she isn't Trump.

[GeneralHankerchief]

269-269

[Pannonian]

Kinda makes you wonder what would have happened if Sanders had won the Democratic nomination. One the one hand his self labeling as "socialist" made him a non-starter for the older generation but on the other hand a lot of people seemed excited for a potential Sanders presidency, more so than for Clinton who was supported just because she isn't Trump.

Depends what the voting demographics are. Corbyn is incredibly popular among the younger demographic in the UK, but they're also highly unlikely to vote. A marker of this discrepancy was David Cameron's former constituency, where the Labour membership doubled prior to the by-election, but where their vote halved.

[drone]

Judging by the reactions on my Facebook feed, this is not going to be a lesson quickly or easily learned.

The Dems still think they are entitled to the union (working class) and black vote. They have been losing the union votes over the years by both letting the country's manufacturing go to hell and trying (or being painted as trying) to take the guns from the Midwest hunters. And Clinton could not get the black vote motivated in the states that count. She won the primaries in the South mainly with the black vote, but she wasn't going to win those states in the general election regardless.

Pure arrogance lead them to this point. Anointing Clinton before the nomination race even began bypassed the usual vetting, they knew she was hugely disliked and scandal prone and put her up anyway. "How am I not up by 10 points" indeed. They just don't get it.

[GeneralHankerchief]

The Dems still think they are entitled to the union (working class) and black vote. They have been losing the union votes over the years by both letting the country's manufacturing go to hell and trying (or being painted as trying) to take the guns from the Midwest hunters. And Clinton could not get the black vote motivated in the states that count. She won the primaries in the South mainly with the black vote, but she wasn't going to win those states in the general election regardless.

Pure arrogance lead them to this point. Anointing Clinton before the nomination race even began bypassed the usual vetting, they knew she was hugely disliked and scandal prone and put her up anyway. "How am I not up by 10 points" indeed. They just don't get it.

Yeah, people are blaming the voters for daring to have differing opinions from them. I generally bite my tongue because I enjoy the company of these people when politics isn't involved, but it's not the voters' job to prop up crappy candidates. It's up to the candidates and their campaigns to sell themselves to the voters, and if they aren't able to do that, it's on them.

[edyzmedieval]

At best, for Hillary, it will be a tie. But that's very unlikely, so it's almost a given now that Donald Trump is the next US President.

[Montmorency]

Yeah, people are blaming the voters for daring to have differing opinions from them. I generally bite my tongue because I enjoy the company of these people when politics isn't involved, but it's not the voters' job to prop up crappy candidates. It's up to the candidates and their campaigns to sell themselves to the voters, and if they aren't able to do that, it's on them.

It's fairly dispiriting, as even though at this point in my life my political convictions are more than distasteful for any political spectrum, I still hold vestigial sympathies for the left. The D Party is more fragmented than the R party, but complacency has only increased with each instance of pointing this out.

[edyzmedieval]

Bernie Sanders however would have stood a better chance, except that he didn't get the entire support of the Democratic voting base.

[Montmorency]

Best-case: long-term executive failure of Trump induces Congress to return powers to the Presidency. Worst case, they remove more powers from the Presidency.

[edyzmedieval]

What's stunning actually is the complete control of both legislative chambers by the Republicans. Swept away the Democrats.

[drone]

Yeah, people are blaming the voters for daring to have differing opinions from them. I generally bite my tongue because I enjoy the company of these people when politics isn't involved, but it's not the voters' job to prop up crappy candidates. It's up to the candidates and their campaigns to sell themselves to the voters, and if they aren't able to do that, it's on them.

And if you ignore your base and tell them it's raining, they will eventually realize that they are being micturated on. I am not in the Trump demographic, but I know lots of people that are a part of it. They aren't happy, and they aren't getting any reassurances that their situation will get better from their supposed party. It's not that the GOP will actually improve their situation, but at least they are giving it lip service.

Trump just took the lead in PA. Elitist, arrogant, and out of touch. The Democratic Party, 2016.

[Xiahou]

Looks like we're about to have our first Oompa Loompa president. Historic.

[Kagemusha]

I sincerely hope that once Trump is the POTUS, things will not turn out as bad as i fear they will. Well this is democracy and what parties put up as candidates can actually get elected into office.

[Strike For The South]

I'm in shock. I've stopped drinking.