I didn't really watch, though it was on and I heard a fair amount. The thing is, not watching doesn't make me an uninformed or uninterested voter, which is what this article about the ratings (high but not as % of voters) is implying. In 1980 there were newspapers and local rallies, but for most casual voters the debate (only 1 in 1980) really was the only way to get to understand who the candidates were with respect to each other. That's not really true today. Between cable news, and the internet there is far more exposure for the candidates than there was then, and people who want to know about them already do.
Further, this election paints such a stark contrast that it's actually really hard to not know who you will vote for at this point. I suspect that many to most "undecided" voters are really just in the process of acceptance. They will end up voting for Hillary Clinton or Gary Johnson (or staying home) but aren't happy about either choice.
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Monday, September 26, 2016
They Want to Blow it Up
So, if you are a rational, logical, coherent, compassionate, humane individual (any one, or all) then there isn't any question that you will vote for Hillary Clinton. It really doesn't matter if you like her, her politics, her policies, her family, since the other major party candidate has no business being anywhere close to power.
The apparently >50% of Trump supporters who are deplorables of one variety or another has been discussed elsewhere quite a bit. The remainder are more of a question. It's possible that many of his other supporters are also deplorables, but smart enough not to answer questions in a way that proves it. It also seems like there is a group that just wants to blow shit up. People who may not ever bother voting, or who regularly vote for 3rd party candidates, and who see in Trump a candidate whose election could actually wreck US politics. I should add: no matter how bad he will be, he won't be enough to destroy US politics so it can be reworked. He's too incompetent. He will do real lasting harm, but the likelyhood of much good coming of it is low, and whatever good may come won't be enough to offset the damage.
I think the "Blow Shit Up" constituency is largely incoherent, lacks knowledge of our world/country/politics and/or just doesn't give a damn about their fellow human beings/Americans. They are, however, a constituency that doesn't normally have a major party candidate to support, and because they don't necessarily vote in most elections, they may be larger than most people think.
The apparently >50% of Trump supporters who are deplorables of one variety or another has been discussed elsewhere quite a bit. The remainder are more of a question. It's possible that many of his other supporters are also deplorables, but smart enough not to answer questions in a way that proves it. It also seems like there is a group that just wants to blow shit up. People who may not ever bother voting, or who regularly vote for 3rd party candidates, and who see in Trump a candidate whose election could actually wreck US politics. I should add: no matter how bad he will be, he won't be enough to destroy US politics so it can be reworked. He's too incompetent. He will do real lasting harm, but the likelyhood of much good coming of it is low, and whatever good may come won't be enough to offset the damage.
I think the "Blow Shit Up" constituency is largely incoherent, lacks knowledge of our world/country/politics and/or just doesn't give a damn about their fellow human beings/Americans. They are, however, a constituency that doesn't normally have a major party candidate to support, and because they don't necessarily vote in most elections, they may be larger than most people think.
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Elizabeth Warren is Awesome!
They were talking on the radio about the Wells Fargo CEO taking "responsibility" which, I thought, was odd, since, he still has the job, and all the money he's earned, and will continue to make lots of money and get a big bonus. I'm not sure what kind of "responsibility" he is taking other than saying the words. So Sen. Warren tore into him and I feel (somewhat) better about things.
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
This Election "Undecided" = "Doesn't Like Clinton but Probably not a Racist", or "A Idiot"
I understand not liking the Clintons (not Hillary in particular who I think is better than Bill), but there is no world in which voting for Trump is acceptable to anyone who isn't a racist, misogynistic, sexist, xenophobic ass hole.
If you are voting for Donald Trump you are at least one of those things. If you are a "liberal" and not voting for Hillary you are probably "a idiot" (if you are a "liberal" and voting Trump see the previous assessment). I like the idea of viable Green and Libertarian parties for local politics and the US House. There's really no way that works in this country for president (and really even for US Senate), so if you vote Jill Stein in most places you are a idiot. If you are "conservative" and vote Gary Johnson, then that is probably the best sign that you are in fact conservative and not a racist ass hole pretending conservative means something it doesn't.
So undecided voters are a bit of a mix. Some are "a idiots" certainly, but a large fraction are probably Republicans (nominal or de facto) who understand that supporting Donald puts you in league with racists, sexists, bigots and one yuuuge misogynistic authoritarian demagogue (who may or may not be a racist bigot, but that doesn't matter...no, it really doesn't).
If you are voting for Donald Trump you are at least one of those things. If you are a "liberal" and not voting for Hillary you are probably "a idiot" (if you are a "liberal" and voting Trump see the previous assessment). I like the idea of viable Green and Libertarian parties for local politics and the US House. There's really no way that works in this country for president (and really even for US Senate), so if you vote Jill Stein in most places you are a idiot. If you are "conservative" and vote Gary Johnson, then that is probably the best sign that you are in fact conservative and not a racist ass hole pretending conservative means something it doesn't.
So undecided voters are a bit of a mix. Some are "a idiots" certainly, but a large fraction are probably Republicans (nominal or de facto) who understand that supporting Donald puts you in league with racists, sexists, bigots and one yuuuge misogynistic authoritarian demagogue (who may or may not be a racist bigot, but that doesn't matter...no, it really doesn't).
Thursday, September 01, 2016
And What Gave You That Idea?
There's a whole bunch I don't really understand in this election, but every once in a 30 second period looking at anything about Trump something stands out as particularly bizarre. Take Jacob Monty an Hispanic member of of Trump's "National Hispanic Advisory Council" (seriously, and yes, that is an actual thing):
What the fuck is wrong with this person? Is he that stupid? Did he think he could actually make a difference on policy just because Trump is obiously an idiot who doesn't understand anything but will parrot whatever he just heard back? In fact hating immigrants (particularly those of color) is the only thing that is remotely consistent in Trump's entire campaign.
Another bit of WTF was this morning when a reporter on NPR said something about how "Trump's supporters" have been waiting for these policy details on...
No! No, a million times no. His "supporters" have not been waiting on policy details. They don't give a crap about policy details. If they did, they wouldn't be his supporters.
It's pretty obvious I don't like Republican policies, but if you are a Republican who does give a crap about policy details, you supported any non-Trump candidate, and now you are either behind Gary Johnson (economic policy) or Hillary Clinton (foreign policy) or just not going to vote ("the gays shouldn't marry and marijuana should stay illegal damnit!"). The people who are waiting for these details are a combination of less hateful Republican voters who really want some excuse to go ahead and pull the lever for someone they know is horribly unqualified, and more left leaning people who want the option to further mock Trump and his supporters for their non-nonsensical positions (and there is no way any policy position that Trump could take would be able to make any sense against the backdrop of reality and his previous positions/statements).
“I was a strong supporter of Donald Trump when I believed he was going to address the immigration problem realistically and compassionately,” Jacob Monty explained. “What I heard today was not realistic and not compassionate.”Ok, really? Really?!? I know there has been a lot of completely unwarranted wishful thinking among Republicans and Republican leaners regarding what Trump's "real positions" were but there has been precisely zero evidence that he had any realistic or compassionate plan for anything but immigration in particular. His campaign was built on the wall and calling Mexicans rapists and banning Muslims from entering.
What the fuck is wrong with this person? Is he that stupid? Did he think he could actually make a difference on policy just because Trump is obiously an idiot who doesn't understand anything but will parrot whatever he just heard back? In fact hating immigrants (particularly those of color) is the only thing that is remotely consistent in Trump's entire campaign.
Another bit of WTF was this morning when a reporter on NPR said something about how "Trump's supporters" have been waiting for these policy details on...
No! No, a million times no. His "supporters" have not been waiting on policy details. They don't give a crap about policy details. If they did, they wouldn't be his supporters.
It's pretty obvious I don't like Republican policies, but if you are a Republican who does give a crap about policy details, you supported any non-Trump candidate, and now you are either behind Gary Johnson (economic policy) or Hillary Clinton (foreign policy) or just not going to vote ("the gays shouldn't marry and marijuana should stay illegal damnit!"). The people who are waiting for these details are a combination of less hateful Republican voters who really want some excuse to go ahead and pull the lever for someone they know is horribly unqualified, and more left leaning people who want the option to further mock Trump and his supporters for their non-nonsensical positions (and there is no way any policy position that Trump could take would be able to make any sense against the backdrop of reality and his previous positions/statements).
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