The Official 2016 US Presidential election thread

[whitey]

For what it is worth I think the Republicans over the last decade or so have managed to strengthen their hardcore of 45% of the electorate. That core probably despise the Democrats/ Obama/ Clintons x2 more than ever.

Problem is / was trying to reach out to the 5/6% percent extra needed to win the presidency.
Being less than friendly to hispanics (natural republicans imo) a disaster imo given how the demographics of America are changing.

Your 45 sounds like a very high number. The number of racist old white men is a lot smaller than that, I would have thought.

I assume your trolling/joking with that comment?

[Eamonnca1]

Exaggerating a little, but I still think the base that the candidates pander to these days is a lot smaller than 45% of the voters. They don't seem to be interested in appealing to women, people of colour, or anyone with more than tuppence worth of brains. Doesn't leave a whole lot of voters left to choose from.

Let's not forget that the Republican extremists in congress largely got there by way of gerrymandering, voter suppression and other cheating methods. The majority in the House does not have the majority of votes in the bag.

[omaghjoe]

For what it is worth I think the Republicans over the last decade or so have managed to strengthen their hardcore of 45% of the electorate. That core probably despise the Democrats/ Obama/ Clintons x2 more than ever.

Problem is / was trying to reach out to the 5/6% percent extra needed to win the presidency.
Being less than friendly to hispanics (natural republicans imo) a disaster imo given how the demographics of America are changing.

It's ironic given how culturally conservative and hard working most Hispanic immigrants are, supposedly things that the GOP base embraces.

Dunno where youse are getting this from about Hispanics, maybe your talking about the middle class and wealthy Cubans in Florida? Most Hispanics are working class, under paid and overworked, why would they vote for the party of the rich that doesn't represent them in the slightest? Cesar Chavez? FFS?

Kinda impossible to generalise people in a political context with political bloodlines ranging from Batitstas chums to the followers Pancho Villa is it not?

[Eamonnca1]

He's talking about social issues. If the GOP stopped running on a shoot-the-poor ticket they might find a lot of latinos who'd feel comfortable voting for them.

[omaghjoe]

He's talking about social issues. If the GOP stopped running on a shoot-the-poor ticket they might find a lot of latinos who'd feel comfortable voting for them.

?
I would have thought the biggest social issue goin is wealth disparity, and the primary purpose of the GOP is to maintain and increase it. If they werent doing that they would no longer be to the right, theyd be to the left, so of course more working and lower income people would vote for them.

[armaghniac]

Being right wing should be more than making rich people richer. A US right wing party should be supportive of the traditional opportunity to better yourself, which should be of interest to the Mexican self employed guy.

[stew]

Exaggerating a little, but I still think the base that the candidates pander to these days is a lot smaller than 45% of the voters. They don't seem to be interested in appealing to women, people of colour, or anyone with more than tuppence worth of brains. Doesn't leave a whole lot of voters left to choose from.

Let's not forget that the Republican extremists in congress largely got there by way of gerrymandering, voter suppression and other cheating methods. The majority in the House does not have the majority of votes in the bag.

You are completely effed in the head!

Proof please of said gerrymandering, voter suppression and these other cheating methods?

I love you libtards, you see the world in two dimensions, Democrats great, Conservatives Evil.

Simpletons have more wit than you do Eamon.

[Canalman]

My dealings with hispanics in America lead me to believe they are incredibly hard working and have a huge belief in the "American Dream" which if it doesn't benefit them hugely they hope will benefit their kids. Family orientated, not hugely expectant of government help in making their way in life.

Prime potential republican party supporters imo.

Can't for the life of me understand why GOP are sort of dismissive to their potential support.

[J70]

Exaggerating a little, but I still think the base that the candidates pander to these days is a lot smaller than 45% of the voters. They don't seem to be interested in appealing to women, people of colour, or anyone with more than tuppence worth of brains. Doesn't leave a whole lot of voters left to choose from.

Let's not forget that the Republican extremists in congress largely got there by way of gerrymandering, voter suppression and other cheating methods. The majority in the House does not have the majority of votes in the bag.

You are completely effed in the head!

Proof please of said gerrymandering, voter suppression and these other cheating methods?

I love you libtards, you see the world in two dimensions, Democrats great, Conservatives Evil.

Simpletons have more wit than you do Eamon.

You criticize him for partisanship while calling him a "libtard"?!

The gerrymandering is well established stew.

Historically, both parties are guilty of it. The GOP has taken it to a new level though. How the hell do you think they've lost the popular vote in the house in 2012 yet came out with 54% of the seats? That's why the 2010 election was so key. The GOP swept the board, and in the aftermath of the census, got to draw all these congressional districts to suit themselves, ensuring they'll have a House majority until at least early in the next decade. One stat I read stated that Democrats would have to win 55% of the popular vote for House seats to have any hope of winning a House majority at the moment.

Check out this corralling of the Democratic vote in north central Florida - its like one of those pythons invading the Everglades got lost and wandered north, stretching from Orlando to Jacksonville (about 150 miles)!:

[omaghjoe]

Exaggerating a little, but I still think the base that the candidates pander to these days is a lot smaller than 45% of the voters. They don't seem to be interested in appealing to women, people of colour, or anyone with more than tuppence worth of brains. Doesn't leave a whole lot of voters left to choose from.

Let's not forget that the Republican extremists in congress largely got there by way of gerrymandering, voter suppression and other cheating methods. The majority in the House does not have the majority of votes in the bag.

You are completely effed in the head!

Proof please of said gerrymandering, voter suppression and these other cheating methods?

I love you libtards, you see the world in two dimensions, Democrats great, Conservatives Evil.

Simpletons have more wit than you do Eamon.

Are the lot of yis not like that or vise versa? No middle ground the other side is inherently stupid, evil, illogical, overly emotional etc etc.

I discovered this article while back
http://bigthink.com/experts-corner/not-every-disagreement-is-a-logical-fallacy

Sometimes you just have to respect and accept people's views

[omaghjoe]

Not wanting handouts or wanting your kids to do better than yourself is not a uniquely American concept and not something that is the exclusive domain of the GOP in America.

While I wud say the GOP are defo supportive of the American Dream (whatever that is!) as opposed to say the British Conservative party for example, their main purpose is still like the Tories to keep the wealthy wealthy. And you could also say that the Democrats are as equally supportive of the "American Dream". Its about how to go about attaining the American Dream is what is disagreement, the GOP believes work hard enough and you will achieve it regardless, the Democrat party believes in providing the means to achieve it for those that want to.

The American Dream is a bit of Pyramid scheme anyway especially with reduced immigration but we wont get into that. It has also been used as a unattainable carrot for many voters, enticing them to vote based on the situation they would like to be in rather than the situation they are in. Its probably the biggest factor that has allowed the American political spectrum to be skewed to the right

Anyway my point is Hispanics appear to vote on how it will affect them not on the hypothetical values that the conservative/liberal spectrum like to define themselves by, so I would say that most are natural Demo voters.

[armaghniac]

The American Dream is a bit outdated. Fine when European countries were class ridden and the US had free land. Nowadays though social mobility is higher in European countries where decent free education systems give the person from the poorest circumstances a chance to make good. Of course when they make their pile there is a little bit of tax to pay. In this respect Canada has a lot to offer.

[J70]

Apparently Trump thinks Hillary using the bathroom is disgusting.

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/12/22/donald-trump-goes-vulgar-in-swipe-at-hillary-clinton/

Is there a bottom for this dude to hit?

[J70]

Not wanting handouts or wanting your kids to do better than yourself is not a uniquely American concept and not something that is the exclusive domain of the GOP in America.

While I wud say the GOP are defo supportive of the American Dream (whatever that is!) as opposed to say the British Conservative party for example, their main purpose is still like the Tories to keep the wealthy wealthy. And you could also say that the Democrats are as equally supportive of the "American Dream". Its about how to go about attaining the American Dream is what is disagreement, the GOP believes work hard enough and you will achieve it regardless, the Democrat party believes in providing the means to achieve it for those that want to.

The American Dream is a bit of Pyramid scheme anyway especially with reduced immigration but we wont get into that. It has also been used as a unattainable carrot for many voters, enticing them to vote based on the situation they would like to be in rather than the situation they are in. Its probably the biggest factor that has allowed the American political spectrum to be skewed to the right

Anyway my point is Hispanics appear to vote on how it will affect them not on the hypothetical values that the conservative/liberal spectrum like to define themselves by, so I would say that most are natural Demo voters.

I think the assumption or received wisdom is that the average Latino immigrant should align with the GOP on account of their relatively devout catholicism. Opposition to abortion, gay marriage etc. How well supported that is, in reality, I don't really know. But, even if it is, the immigration thing renders it moot anyway. And, ironically, part of the resistance to it on the part of the GOP base is that they think that the Dems want all these immigrants coming in to bolster their own political base.

[Eamonnca1]

Republicans hold 57% of house seats on the strength of having 51% of the popular vote.
Democrats have 43% of house seats on the strength of having 45% of the popular vote.

As shown above, some of the gerrymandered districts would do a 1950s Unionist proud.

Voter suppression (shutting down polling places in minority neighborhoods, excessive voter ID laws designed to disenfranchise poor people, mass purging of electoral rolls etc.) is so well documented I can't believe you even have the gall to question it.