The US Presidential Election--general comments for the general election

[agalisgv]

Since the other thread is over 1000, here's a new thread. How will candidates pivot toward the general? Who will be the VP picks?

Exciting times!!!

 

[caseyedwards]

It's not clear who the republican nominee is going to be. so many republicans and conservatives are working to block trump at the convention. It's not clear trump won't drop out.

 

[BlueRidge]

General election wait... I haven't voted in the primary yet!

 

[Vagabond]

Snark away!

 

[Allskate]

Elizabeth Warren is on Rachel Maddow right now. And, as usual, she is awesome. She is going to be so great on the campaign trail.

 

[rjblue]

I like having a different title for the next "general" thread about the election. Who decides which one to use now that there are two threads?

 

[BlueRidge]

How Bernie Sanders’s day in Washington got eclipsed by Democratic unity

Hillary and Barack actually snared Sanders in a nice trap and got him looking way more like he was getting ready to get out of the race and move with the others toward unity than he thought was going to happen.

Outsmarted.

It had been billed as Bernie Sanders’s big day in Washington. Making a last stand as a Democratic presidential candidate, the senator from Vermont was set to meet with President Obama and other leading Democrats and stage a show of his continuing ability to draw throngs of supporters at an outdoor rally near RFK Stadium.

Only all that was eclipsed — much like his upstart presidential campaign itself — by Hillary Clinton and the muscle of the Democratic establishment.

Shortly after Sanders emerged from his meeting with Obama, word got out that the president was going to trumpet an endorsement of his former secretary of state in a video. And then it became clear that Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a darling of the political left and Sanders’s ideological soulmate, had also chosen Thursday to throw her support behind Clinton.

The theme of the day soon became Democratic unity, drowning out the conversation about what policy changes and other concessions Sanders might exact in exchange for exiting the race.

 

[PRlady]

Heh. Hope they use those smarts on Trump. He's not a pro at this game. He's not gonna know what hit him.

 

[purple skates]

Probably should merge. I vote for this title. It will probably be my only presidential vote this year.

 

[BlueRidge]

That's what so amazing about Trump , he's totally making it up as he goes along! Yet millions of people take him seriously!

 

[Allskate]

I don't think Sanders was surprised by Obama's endorsement. He reportedly was told last weekend that Obama would make the endorsement this week.

I'm also confident that Sanders knew that Elizabeth Warren was going to endorse Clinton tonight.

Sanders just is not quite ready to admit defeat. He's still talking about how the results will be better for him in California once the counting is over and his campaigning for the D.C. primary. But, I think that he'll eventually see that he needs to support Clinton, both for the good of the country and for his own legacy.

 

[BlueRidge]

The point is he came to DC thinking he would dominate the discussion and the news with his demands and his voice. And he didn't.

Admittedly I'm sick of the old white man trying to hog all the attention and mansplain everything to us just like the old white socialist men I sat in meetings with decades ago. And I'm sick of hearing how he is all the new and the future and all that when again, he's just the old white socialist man in I had to listen to in the meeting decades ago. The one with the mediocre intellect who thought he knew more than anyone else.

I don't get his appeal. Especially not to young people who think he's new and different. He can't go away fast enough for me.

 

[caseyedwards]

Warren isn't saying anything republicans aren't saying stronger and with no built in partisan motivation

 

[BittyBug]

I'm sick of the old white man .... he's just the old white socialist man

For someone who has spent much time in this forum decrying ageism, racism and sexism, is it the fact that he's old that bothers you? That he's white? Or that he's a man? Or all of the above?

 

[BlueRidge]

For someone who has spent much time in this forum decrying ageism, racism and sexism, is it the fact that he's old that bothers you? That he's white? Or that he's a man? Or all of the above?

Its the fact that he assumes the entitlement that a white man of his generation often does to speak down to all of us. That's how I see it.

In my lifetime I've had plenty of entitled men of his generation and race laugh at me the way they laugh at the silly females that are just here for their entertainment. Glad if you never experienced any of that and don't ever feel like lashing back at the sexism of a lifetime.

To me Bernie Sanders just reeks of the certainty that he is superior to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

I'm really angry today at his behavior. And I'm tired of being told how wonderful he is by people who don't give any respect to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

If you want to call me a hypocrite and a bigot go ahead. I'm venting. I'm sick to death of Bernie Sanders. He was a lousy candidate from the get go and I've had enough of the charade that he was up to the task of being president. I'm tired of his anger and his simplistic ideas and his disrespect of a great public servant like Clinton.

Like I said, I'm angry and I'm venting. If you want to get on my case for it feel free.

I'm tired of months of having Bernie Sanders shoved down my throat. I found him unimpressive from the get go. I wish he's shut up and go away.

 

[purple skates]

He had every right to run. I've never heard him disparage Clinton for being a female.

I'm not a fan of his by any means, but I don't get the anger from that particular angle.

 

[Allskate]

Its the fact that he assumes the entitlement that a white man of his generation often does to speak down to all of us. That's how I see it

I know that you are venting and don't really lump all old white men together. I understand your frustration. I know the kind of guy you're talking about. I've worked with the same kind of men for years. And I think a disproportionate number of them will not vote for Clinton. A friend of mine was just telling me about her BIL. He's an older white Democrat who voted for Bernie because he didn't like Clinton's shrill speaking style. Seriously. And he's not sure who he will vote for in the general election.

I wish he's shut up and go away.

I wish he would do what Clinton did eight years ago and wholeheartedly endorse and campaign for the Democratic nominee. I'm not holding my breath. But, he may just need a little more time.

 

[BittyBug]

I'm with @purple skates. I never felt the Bern, but I'm not reading the same things into his decision to stay in that you are. Maybe he's just driven by his ego as so many politicians are, maybe he's a nut job, maybe he's particularly fervent in his beliefs, maybe he's delusional.

By this time next week he'll be gone from the picture so who cares?

 

[BlueRidge]

I'm with @purple skates. I never felt the Bern, but I'm not reading the same things into his decision to stay in that you are. Maybe he's just driven by his ego as so many politicians are, maybe he's a nut job, maybe he's particularly fervent in his beliefs, maybe he's delusional.

By this time next week he'll be gone from the picture so who cares?

Because I get overworked by this stuff, I know I shouldn't but I do. I can get too angry at times. Usually I just vent to my sister on the phone but I just lost it tonight.

I didn't really even care if he stayed in. I just lost it when he paraded around to the White House and all that like all the attention should be on him not Hillary and he says nothing about her historic achievement. He hasn't shown a lot of consciousness of women in this campaign and its just boiled over for me today.

 

[Allskate]

By this time next week he'll be gone from the picture so who cares?

I think the concern some people have is what kind of harm he is causing to Clinton's chances of beating Trump. If you saw the reaction by some Bernie supporters to Obama and Warren today, you'd get a sense of how Bernie has fueled some Clinton hate. When he is energizing anti-Clinton folks, it is a concern. When there are Bernie supporters who still think that he has a shot or is being robbed by a rigged system, that is a concern. Trump is using Sanders's words and arguments in his campaign.

Because I get overworked by this stuff, I know I shouldn't but I do. I can get too angry at times. Usually I just vent to my sister on the phone but I just lost it tonight.

Heh. I think my sister is sick of hearing me vent, though I usually vent about Trump, not Bernie. It might make you feel better to watch Obama on Jimmy Fallon tonight, or to watch Elizabeth Warren's and Obama's endorsements of Clinton.

 

[BlueRidge]

When there are Bernie supporters who still think that he has a shot or is being robbed by a rigged system, that is a concern.

This is a concern of mine, but wasn't my reason for boiling over today.

I am concerned if he has convinced people with some of his statements that the voting was corrupt. I'm not really sure that the online comments from people though indicate any large number of people believing that. I think that he has a hardcore internet army that posts some really vicious stuff, but I'm not at all sure that its any real number of people.

 

[once_upon]

By this time next week he'll be gone from the picture so who cares?

Bern 'em Down-ers won't let him be gone. Unless he is VERY clear that he supports Clinton, which I see NO signs that he is willing to. Even then the Bern 'em Down-ers won't be supportive.

Bernie wont just be gone from any picture.

 

[VGThuy]

Its the fact that he assumes the entitlement that a white man of his generation often does to speak down to all of us. That's how I see it.

In my lifetime I've had plenty of entitled men of his generation and race laugh at me the way they laugh at the silly females that are just here for their entertainment. Glad if you never experienced any of that and don't ever feel like lashing back at the sexism of a lifetime.

To me Bernie Sanders just reeks of the certainty that he is superior to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

I'm really angry today at his behavior. And I'm tired of being told how wonderful he is by people who don't give any respect to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

If you want to call me a hypocrite and a bigot go ahead. I'm venting. I'm sick to death of Bernie Sanders. He was a lousy candidate from the get go and I've had enough of the charade that he was up to the task of being president. I'm tired of his anger and his simplistic ideas and his disrespect of a great public servant like Clinton.

Like I said, I'm angry and I'm venting. If you want to get on my case for it feel free.

I'm tired of months of having Bernie Sanders shoved down my throat. I found him unimpressive from the get go. I wish he's shut up and go away.

THIS. All of this.

Sadly, it's not just from his generation.

 

[Allskate]

I am concerned if he has convinced people with some of his statements that the voting was corrupt.

I think that's some of what people think when he talks about the "rigged system." IMO, your concern is valid. But, I'm really hoping that he'll see things differently soon and make it clear that he lost fair and square.

 

[BittyBug]

I think the concern some people have is what kind of harm he is causing to Clinton's chances of beating Trump. If you saw the reaction by some Bernie supporters to Obama and Warren today, you'd get a sense of how Bernie has fueled some Clinton hate. When he is energizing anti-Clinton folks, it is a concern. When there are Bernie supporters who still think that he has a shot or is being robbed by a rigged system, that is a concern. Trump is using Sanders's words and arguments in his campaign.

That's now while the primaries are just winding down. I guess I just don't see that having a significant impact 5 months from now.

 

[BlueRidge]

Well if I were being fair-minded, I'd say that today he couldn't say anything about Clinton winning and it being historic because he had already determined he would not end his campaign before the D.C. primary was over which is reasonable given that it is only a few days away.

I actually think there's a good chance he will end his campaign after that, though with the statement that he intends to press his agenda at the convention (I have no issue with that, he won the votes to do so) and I have no reason to believe he won't give due respect to Hillary at that time.

I'm just pissed off today.

 

[BlueRidge]

That's now while the primaries are just winding down. I guess I just don't see that having a significant impact 5 months from now.

I feel this way. I just don't see the vast majority of folks who liked Bernie carrying on any opposition to Clinton. Now sure, many won't get that excited about her but they'll be feeling warmly towards her by the time they've seen her going up against Trump for a few months.

 

[once_upon]

I think that's some of what people think when he talks about the "rigged system." IMO, your concern is valid. But, I'm really hoping that he'll see things differently soon and make it clear that he lost fair and square.

But he couldn't have lost fair and squared...HE RAISED MORE MONEY WITH THE PEOPLE, not WALL STREET....the average donation was what? $87 What I can't hear you $87, what I can't hear you $87, $87, $87. Let's chant it now...87, 87, 87, 87. FEEL THE BERN, FEEL THE BERN. BERNIE, BERNIE, BERNIE...THIS IS ....UGE
Yeah, he/they aren't riding off to the sunset and neither is he

 

[Allskate]

That's now while the primaries are just winding down. I guess I just don't see that having a significant impact 5 months from now.

I hope you're right. I think that part of what stokes concern is that, just went you think that Trump can't get any worse, he does. And it seems to appeal to a significant segment of the American population. It is distressing that so many people like Trump because of it, not just in spite of it. And I think Trump's campaign itself is doing serious damage to this country:

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jun/09/california-primary-trump-rhetoric-school-bully

So, I'd rather see people like Sanders focused solely on countering Trump.

 

[BlueRidge]

OMG I saw that Guardian article earlier, @Allskate, its frightening. Trump is harming us with his candidacy even if he loses, which I think he will. Its just awful.

By next week I'll calm down about Bernie because I'm sure he'll campaign against Trump and that will be what matters.