2016 Elections

[O Really]

I'm surprised he bailed. It's not like he's ever had much grip on reality.

[Vrede too]

Tweets:

So Carly Fiorina joined the campaign just in time to lay everyone off?

In fairness, Ted Cruz did well for a known serial killer.

Best, deepest Republican field in recent memory....wiped out one-by-one by the host of Celebrity Apprentice.

Unbelievable. I trusted Cruz when he said he'd win in November. Turns out he was Lyin' Ted after all.

US election polling: Donald Trump now beating Hillary Clinton in head-to-head race

Ut-oh.

Donald Trump is now the leader of the Republican Party. It's real – he is one step away from the White House. Here's what else is real:

Trump has built his campaign on racism, sexism, and xenophobia. There's more enthusiasm for him among leaders of the KKK than leaders of the political party he now controls.

He incites supporters to violence, praises Putin, and, according to a columnist who recently interviewed him, is "cool with being called an authoritarian" and doesn't mind associations with history's worst dictators.

He attacks veterans like John McCain who were captured and puts our servicemembers at risk by cheerleading illegal torture. In a world with ISIS militants and leaders like North Korean strongman Kim Jong-Un conducting nuclear tests, he surrounds himself with a foreign policy team that has been called a "collection of charlatans," and puts out contradictory and nonsensical national security ideas one expert recently called "incoherent" and "truly bizarre."

What happens next will test the character for all of us – Republican, Democrat, and Independent. It will determine whether we move forward as one nation or splinter at the hands of one man's narcissism and divisiveness. I know which side I'm on, and I’m going to fight my heart out to make sure Donald Trump’s toxic stew of hatred and insecurity never reaches the White House.

-- Sen. Elizabeth Warren

Not enough, of course, but Bernie still looks strong. I don't care about the platform, POTUSes routinely ignore them, but he can affect Dem. rules and get policy and appointments commitments from Hillary in exchange for enthusiastic support. He can probably do a better job of stealing independents from Trump for her than she can.

[bannination]

Sen. Ted Cruz’s presidential campaign ends after series of trouncings by Trump


I'm heading over to that other forum to watch the fireworks. I'm going to watch for the "but we always supported trump".

Oh yeah, it has begun.

There are getting to be quite a few people in the country that apparently shouldn't be allowed to vote. There is a smart man on another I forum I frequent that has been saying for a long, long time..."We have a citizenry problem". I think it is safe to say now that I completely agree after our citizens voted in Obama twice and now we have a choice of Hillary or Trump. What the hell are people thinking?

Hitler 2016??

EDIT: Just realized Vrede beat me on the last page.

[JTA]

Time to prepare for twenty year reign of president Trump, and America's ascendancy to a new golden age.

[Vrede too]

... I'm heading over to that other forum to watch the fireworks. I'm going to watch for the "but we always supported trump".

Oh yeah, it has begun.

There are getting to be quite a few people in the country that apparently shouldn't be allowed to vote. There is a smart man on another I forum I frequent that has been saying for a long, long time..."We have a citizenry problem". I think it is safe to say now that I completely agree after our citizens voted in Obama twice and now we have a choice of Hillary or Trump. What the hell are people thinking?

Think that "smart man on another I forum" could be me?

... Could be a contest between the nominees with the highest negative ratings ever, even within their own parties. We are a strange place....

It's a pitfall of being a radical, for different reasons you sometimes agree with idiots.

Hitler 2016??

EDIT: Just realized Vrede beat me on the last page.

Can't take credit for that, lots of people have been saying that about Trump since last summer.



O Really makes a good point about the more moderate Hillary being more appealing to independents on the issues, but it may not be that simple. There's a maxim in politics (and commerce and other stuff?) that first they've got to like you. Few dislike Bernie while, perhaps disastrously for the country, Hillary merits tons of respect but she just ain't that likable. Not that I want it for Hillary or think she merits it, but I almost find myself hoping that she gets indicted before the convention for the sake of the country and the world.

Maybe I'm just being pessimistic, hopefully she'll trounce Trump and he'll take Congress down with him.

[Vrede too]

Good news, bad news:

Wealthy Cruz and Bush Donors Dump Millions Into Hillary Clinton’s Campaign

... A number of deep-pocketed elite have given up trying to buy off Republican politicians in order to support Ms. Clinton—the only establishment-friendly candidate of either party remaining in the race....

[Vrede too]

Donald Trump Taps Chris Christie to Lead Transition Team

So, Christie would be the "bridge" between the election and inauguration and between POTUSes.

John McCain broke his silence about Donald Trump's controversial comments on prisoners of war

Kinda sly of McCain, he says that he will endorse the Republican voters' nominee because that's what good Republicans do, then he immediately reminds the nation that Trump disparages all POWs.

[Vrede too]

WV:

est. % in: 94%

Sanders 120,231 51.4%
Clinton 84,176 36.0%

:-0?> Who is getting the other 13%?

This is what I get from those numbers:
Sanders 59%
Clinton 41%

Other news sites do the same thing. Maybe they don't list the results for candidates that are on the ballot but have dropped out and/or there were Dem ballots where folks voted for Gov., etc. but not POTUS?

Sanders won all 55 counties.

Part of the reason:

Donald Trump Supporters Boost Bernie Sanders in West Virginia

... A third of those who voted in West Virginia's Democratic primary say they plan to back Trump in November, according to NBC News exit polls. Sanders won those voters by a wide margin.

In fact, 39 percent of Sanders voters said they would vote for Trump over Sanders in the fall. For Clinton, nine percent of her voters say they plan to come out for Trump in the general election.

West Virginia has an open primary, meaning independents can vote in the Democratic contest. With the GOP nomination wrapped up, it's possible mischievous Trump supporters sought to damage Clinton, the likely Democratic nominee, by voting for Sanders.

There was also a competitive Democratic gubernatorial primary Tuesday — and no Republican one — so Trump voters might have turned out for that and then weighed in on the presidential ballot line while they were at it....

[Seth Milner]

Today I had to go to Lowe's. As I approached the entrance, I noticed a female driver looking for a parking space.

I flagged the driver and pointed out a handicap parking space that was open and available.
The driver looked puzzled, rolled down her window and said, "I'm not handicapped!"

Well, as you can imagine, my face was red! "Oh, I'm sorry," I said. "I saw your 'I'm Ready for Hillary'
bumper sticker and just assumed that you suffer from a mental disorder."

She gave me the finger and screamed some nasty names at me.
Boy! Some people don't appreciate it when you're just trying to help them...........

(I searched for a Trump sticker, but couldn't find one)

[O Really]

Trump "loves the poorly educated."

[Seth Milner]

Trump "loves the poorly educated."

I searched for a Trump sticker, but couldn't find one

[O Really]

Trump "loves the poorly educated."

I searched for a Trump sticker, but couldn't find one

Wasn't about the sticker. It was about the ""I saw your 'I'm Ready for Hillary' bumper sticker and just assumed that you suffer from a mental disorder." Trump loves him.

[Seth Milner]

Trump "loves the poorly educated."

I searched for a Trump sticker, but couldn't find one

Wasn't about the sticker. It was about the ""I saw your 'I'm Ready for Hillary' bumper sticker and just assumed that you suffer from a mental disorder." Trump loves him.

Oh.

[Vrede too]

You're my middle-ish of the road touchstone here, Wneglia. If the election was tomorrow - Trump, Hillary or just let the rest of the country decide?

Me: If NC looks at all close - Hillary, if not - third party (not sure which will be on the ballot). You may feel the same about voting third party since SC always votes GOP. So, imagine that SC looks close.

[Wneglia]

You're my middle-ish of the road touchstone here, Wneglia. If the election was tomorrow - Trump, Hillary or just let the rest of the country decide?

Me: If NC looks at all close - Hillary, if not - third party (not sure which will be on the ballot). You may feel the same about voting third party since SC always votes GOP. So, imagine that SC looks close.

Tough choice of who is the lesser of the two evils. Probably flip a coin. Hoping for some sort of miracle before November.

[O Really]

Tough choice of who is the lesser of the two evils. Probably flip a coin. Hoping for some sort of miracle before November.

It's not a tough choice at all. I'm guessing most of your life you've been a regular sort of Republican. Probably voted for Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush the Elder and Bush the Younger. Probably even voted for Romney last time. Ask yourself, which of the two likely candidates is most similar to all those you voted for? Which of the two likely candidates is likely to be fairly predictable and maybe even boring on important issues? Which one is, by his own self-trumpeting, a loose cannon? Which one has experienced advisors and accepts the counsel of people who have been President, VP, S of S before? If one of the two is going to have "their hand on the nuclear button" which one is the lesser evil? If you're going to send one to meet with US allies, which one would you send?

Fortunately, historically people have talked about devils before, and in that choice almost always pick the devil they know rather than the loose cannon.

[rstrong]

This year the Republican Party has decided that Trump is the best person to lead the United States. Eight years ago they decided that Sarah Palin was White House material, able to lead the country in an emergency.

And to think that just 12 years ago they declared Howard Dean unfit to be president because of an overenthusiastic yell at a rally.

[Vrede too]

June 7, our second primary (thanks GOP ):

My thoughts from March -

US House 11:
Rick Bryson has a lame website and doesn't even list credentials.
Tom Hill has a decent resume, is great on the issues and really lays into the incumbent, Mark Meadows. I'll probably vote for him.

Opinions?

North Carolina judicial elections, 2016, (Edmunds seat)

The seat currently held by Robert H. Edmunds, Jr. will be on the 2016 ballot. Under current state law, Edmunds would have to relinquish his seat in 2021 if he is re-elected in 2016, because he will reach mandatory retirement age.

A 2015 change in state law was set to make Edmunds the first sitting justice who had the option of running in a retention election rather than running against other candidates. Edmunds chose that option, which would have meant that the state's voters would only be able to vote "for" or "against" Edmunds in the November election. If a majority of voters voted "against," the Governor would appoint a new justice to serve until the next general election. Critics cast this as an attempt by Republicans in the legislature to maintain the 4-3 Republican majority on the Court. Edmunds is a Republican, as is the current governor, who would appoint any replacement. Attorney Sabra Faires and two voters filed a lawsuit, claiming the new election method violated the North Carolina Constitution and was not an election at all, but a referendum. Faires said she wanted to run for the seat. A three-judge panel found in favor of Faires and the two voters, and the State Board of Elections established a new candidate filing period of March 16-25. If more than two candidates filed for the seat, there would be a primary election on June 7.

Edmunds and Faires both filed to run for the seat on March 16. Wake County Superior Court Judge Michael R. Morgan then filed on March 21, and was joined later by attorney Daniel Robertson, setting up a primary.

Robert H. Edmunds, Jr. is GOP. Enough reason to dump him? If so, which of his challengers?

I am voting for Tom Hill for US House 11, likely a sacrificial lamb in the GOP gerrymandered district.

North Carolina Supreme Court:
Sabra Jean Faires' website doesn't give me much reason to vote for her.
Daniel G. Robertson is from MS and thinks it's a plus that he has never held elected office before. I can't find that he even has a website. Doesn't he know any 12 year olds?
Michael R. Morgan has the life and professional experience. I'm voting for him.

[O Really]

1. Morgan
2. Faires (I thought she did pretty well with her "why vote for me" tab)
3. Other guy.

Not having run for or been elected doesn't bother me for a judge, but I think a Supreme Court candidate should have some real life experience on the bench somewhere. If I made the rules, I'd make it an eligibility requirement.

[Vrede too]

Great minds . . .

... 2. Faires (I thought she did pretty well with her "why vote for me" tab) ...

I would have preferred more details as to what that experience is. Overall, I just couldn't get a sense of where she's coming from. That said, kudos to her for forcing this election.

4 (maybe 3). GOP incumbent.