politics Post Election Thread: Democracy Dies In Darkness And You Can Help

[Belesarius]

Ken Burnside 65.9 million for Obama in '12
59.8 million for Clinton in '16

Two states in particular, Wisconsin and Michigan, are illustrative.

Wisconsin: Margin of Victory: 27,000 votes.
Voting delta between 16 and 12: Clinton: -235,000 votes, Trump: -2,000 votes
Number of campaign stops by Clinton: 0

Michigan: Margin of victory: 12,000 votes
Voting delta between 16 and 12: Clinton: -400,000 votes, Trump +1,200 votes.
Number of campaign stops by Clinton: 2

Pennsylvania isn't quite as stark; she was down by 300,000 votes and lost by 130,000 in Pennsylvania.

It looks a lot like efforts by Rove, Adelson and the Ricketts to save the downticket gave just enough float to put Trump over the top of those three states, and either Pennsylvania or Michigan would've rendered Florida moot.

Couple this with Trump getting the rural vote that the Democratic Party has increasingly referred to as "dumbfuckistan." by simply pulling a Bill Clinton "I feel your pain..."

I'll lay it out for you:

Trump had a positive message that outweighed every single negative he had.

That positive message is "Both parties don't give a flying fuck about the fact that you haven't had a pay raise since the 1990s, that a lot of your friends lost their homes in 2008 due to stupid mortgage backed derivatives, and when you're worried if that plant you work at is going to close and kill your town, they're selling you More Globalization Is Better."

Trump got unprecedented percentages of rural white voters, by, well, treating them as a racial voting bloc all their own and telling them what they wanted to hear.

Clinton ignored that voting bloc, and treated Wisconsin and Michigan as "safe" (her campaign mocked Trump for campaigning in those two states, late)...and it cost her the election.

[Walter_Sobchak]

Shit, there's going to be a March Against Trump in Fort Collins. Awesome. 

 

Because fuck democracy. 

When candidates are able to win despite having fewer votes than their opponent, democracy is already fucked.  I say fill the god damned streets with people.

[SuperComrade]

I'm kind of worried about Trump's environmental policies, since he apparently is going to appoint a climate skeptic to the EPA

[Jeeps_Guns_Tanks]

Saudis know what to do for US - Trump: the First King of America!

The only dream I have for that shit dick is a drone strike.

[Ramlaen]

When candidates are able to win despite having fewer votes than their opponent, democracy is already fucked. I say fill the god damned streets with people.

That is an intellectually dishonest stance, neither candidate campaigned for the popular vote.

And they haven't finished counting.

[Donward]

We're a Republic, not a Democracy. That's the difference. Also certain states like California have a unique stance on who is allowed to vote.

[Priory_of_Sion]

Maine got ranked voting passed

[T___A]

CNN is now predicting a Donald Trump popular vote victory:

[Donward]

We tried Ranked/Instant runoff voting in Pierce County, Washington. It was a fucking unmitigated disaster.

Top Two primary is where it's at.

[EnsignExpendable]

[Sturgeon]

When candidates are able to win despite having fewer votes than their opponent, democracy is already fucked. I say fill the god damned streets with people.

I know you're not thrilled with the outcome, but I think this is a silly thing to say, not the least reason for which is because the popular vote count hasn't been finalized yet and is very close.

But, also, because democracy is one abstract system for selecting rulers or policies, and the electoral college is another. Direct democracy is not "morally right" any more than the college is, and the people chosen by direct democracy are no more anointed by God than those chosen by the college.

Throw in the corruption in the Democratic primary, the possibility of large-scale DNC-backed voter fraud initiatives, and Hillary's incredibly low numbers relative to Obama in '08 and '12, and I really don't feel comfortable crowning her "the people's candidate".

[SuperComrade]

I do have friends who did analytics for the Hillary campaign (they also worked for Obama's campaigns) and they agree that the game was the DNC's to lose, and that they should not have picked Hillary (or Kaine, for that matter)

 

 

Still pissed that [name redacted] and I had been warning people about working class white people for half a decade and all the righteous indignation we got from everyone.

[T___A]

or Kaine, for that matter)

 

 

Why do they think choosing Kaine was wrong?

[SuperComrade]

No charisma, establishment candidate much like Hillary etc.

[Priory_of_Sion]

Why do they think choosing Kaine was wrong?

Kaine didn't seem to bring any demographic or ideological group closer to Clinton's campaign. He didn't even seem to be too helpful in Virginia. 

 

Many seem to think that Pence's credibility among many conservatives helped them vote Trump or something along those lines. 

[Donward]

That assessment is correct.

Hillary wanted a cipher, an irrellevant VP who wouldn't outshine her.

Trump is secure in himself to pick the best man for the job, even if Pence disagrees with him on issues. This bodes well for his leadership style.

[Oedipus Wreckx-n-Effect]

2015 was a magical time. And so easily forgotten. 

 

 

[Oedipus Wreckx-n-Effect]

Hey everyone, remember that QB Colin Kapersnickerdate?  

 

The one who made a big stink a few months back? 

 

He didn't vote. And the ESPN anchor has a meltdown. 

 

http://ijr.com/2016/11/733056-steven-a-smith-finds-out-kaepernick-didnt-even-vote-his-rant-leaves-nothing-but-scorched-earth-behind/

[SuperComrade]

The basic thing my friends said is that the Democrats basically paid too much attention to Hispanics to the detriment of the white working class, which was a traditional Democrat base. The problem with that strategy is that Hispanics are not very reliable voters, and it cost them in this election.

They are hopeful for a purge in the DNC, but that remains to be seen, They appear to still be in shock.

[T___A]

[Sturgeon]

[ApplesauceBandit]

I for one am most appreciative of all the liberal anti gun types screaming for revolution.

The irony is delicious.

 

What I found especially hilarious was seeing some facebook post about someone in Commiefornia wanting to riot and fight against the system to the point I imagine they'd want a few guns.  It wasn't just protests, since they were telling you how to avoid government tracking, to wear masks and gloves, and never to name other members in public.  Sucks when you already took those guns away from yourselves, doesn't it? :^)

 

I'm kind of worried about Trump's environmental policies, since he apparently is going to appoint a climate skeptic to the EPA

 

I'm taking comfort in the fact that we won't see TPP happen, which in the long run likely would have been worse I think.

 

I don't recall his specifics at all, but from what I recall hearing in a speech of his, he wants to cut money used to work on global environmentalism and spend more in the states instead.  Depending on the size of the cuts and how much money is moved home, how much this matters could vary a good bit.

[Donward]

So after losing the electoral college and popular vote, lefties now hope individual electors refuse to certify Trump.

http://nypost.com/2016/11/09/the-one-scenario-that-could-still-get-hillary-into-the-white-house/

[SuperComrade]

Now that El Presidente Trump has been elected, I figure I should prepare for Imperator Vladimir I's Second Great Northern War



 

[EnsignExpendable]