Republican debates/primaries.

• gut

  Spock;1785711 wrote:you arent making these statements without proof. links?

  Protectionism....Single payer (this is what he actually has supported - the no lines thing is just recycled Republican non-starters)....Calling for boycott of businesses...Punishing businesses that do things he doesn't like
  
  Basically Trump is probably left of Bernie when it comes to free markets.
• majorspark

  

  like_that;1785703 wrote:I wish there was a site that could simply break down every state's ballot access laws and how it would apply to Trump.

  This site has a lot of info.
  
  https://ballotpedia.org/Ballot_access_for_presidential_candidates
  
  Also the Libertarian party at this point (the 3rd party currently with access on the most number of states) is on 34 state ballots. At best at this point a 3rd party candidate could only serve as a spoiler. Even with a strong independent or 3rd party candidate with a well organized run from the start of the presidential campaign, the best possible outcome would be winning enough states to deprive the other two candidates of the necessary electoral votes to win the election. The winner then decided by the majority party in the House.
  
  https://www.lp.org/2016-presidential-ballot-access-map
  

  like_that;1785703 wrote:This way I am sure more people would feel comfortable with a brokered convention.

  I think most people would be comfortable with this as long as there are no shenanigans. It really makes good sense that a convention should be contested if there are more delegates pledged in total against any one of the candidates. Now if there are last minute rule changes. A candidate is parachuted in that was not involved in the nomination process. Or a nominee is selected from the current batch with a significantly lower number of pledged delegates than the candidate that recieved the plurality. In these cases all hell breaks loose.
• gut

  Either they stacked the audience in the debate or the Florida polls are really wrong....going crazy for Rubio
• Wolves of Babylon

  gut;1785734 wrote:Either they stacked the audience in the debate or the Florida polls are really wrong....going crazy for Rubio

  Definitely some home town advantage going on. Trump is winning Florida.
  
  Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk
• majorspark

  

  gut;1785734 wrote:Either they stacked the audience in the debate or the Florida polls are really wrong....going crazy for Rubio

  Gut you know. Any correlation of audience response to the will of the people or to polls is nonsense. These debates operate under the rules of the party. The party has an element of control of who is attending as well.
• majorspark

  

  Another question to ponder is why the sudden change in tone of the republican debates?
• HitsRus

  

  Rubio was solid and he deserved the applause from his home supporters. That said, Donald Trump knows nothing about very much when it comes to foreign policy....not that it matters. I mean, he knows all about Israel...."because he has Jewish friends" in New York....very good and strong people by the way.... And of course all about Cuba and China and Iran, because it's all about the deal. Trump is a combination of Archie Bunker and Monty Hall and people will eat that up.
  
  He is a media driven, celebrity candidate...and this "substantive" debate actually exposed him for the charlatan that he is......to no avail.
• Al Bundy

  majorspark;1785749 wrote:Another question to ponder is why the sudden change in tone of the republican debates?

  The questions were asked differently this time. In the past they were usually asked in a way to instigate fighting.
• majorspark

  

  Al Bundy;1785751 wrote:The questions were asked differently this time. In the past they were usually asked in a way to instigate fighting.

  I agree. Why do you think that is? Are these media so called "moderators" just neutral players or are they themselves also under the hand of political power brokers?
• gut

  majorspark;1785741 wrote:Gut you know. Any correlation of audience response to the will of the people or to polls is nonsense. These debates operate under the rules of the party. The party has an element of control of who is attending as well.

  That's a good point. I'm not sure how much they actually "stack" the audience, but Rubio supporters are more likely to go to that debate, maybe, at least relative to people supporting Trump doing it primarily to blow-up the party.
  
  I just thought there was a pretty stark contrast - Trump has been booed and not had much support in a few other debates, but he's also had plenty of supporters at others.
  
  Just saying not an audience that reflects Trump with a 2 to 1 advantage over Rubio (though a recent poll has it only like 39-32%).
• gut

  HitsRus;1785750 wrote:Trump is a combination of Archie Bunker and Monty Hall and people will eat that up.

  I get a kick how all these Trump supporters presumably are very angry with Obama, yet Trump's foreign policy is pretty similar....except, according to Trump, Obama did "terrible deals" and Trump is going to do "great deals" (no doubt as defined by Trump).
  
  But everyone is up there claiming to have a great foreign policy plan...The reality is sanctions only grow hatred and poverty and accomplish little. Deals are worthless because the international community does nothing when the terms are violated. Regime change was the last option that hadn't been tried, and that failed, too.
• majorspark

  

  gut;1785753 wrote:I just thought there was a pretty stark contrast - Trump has been booed and not had much support in a few other debates, but he's also had plenty of supporters at others.

  The stark contrast shows that Trump is not the bad ass he proclaims to be. He was reigned in and controlled. So was Rubio. I am sure Trump will say his temperament is of his own choosing but given the so called moderators sudden change in how they conducted questioning as well I smell something else.
• gut

  majorspark;1785756 wrote:The stark contrast shows that Trump is not the bad ass he proclaims to be. He was reigned in and controlled. So was Rubio. I am sure Trump will say his temperament is of his own choosing but given the so called moderators sudden change in how they conducted questioning as well I smell something else.

  Well, Fox tried to sink Trump with the "gotchya" questions and questions instigating fighting, and it didn't work. Now that Trump appears not only headed to the nomination, but potentially winning the general, the liberal media is trying to sink him (having seen Fox's approach didn't work).
  
  It will be interesting to see if Fox comes over to support Trump's side. They probably will because the alternative is Hillary, but a President Trump will be interesting to see how the networks cover him.
  
  But if the meme that Romney's plans didn't add up and had no detail sunk him, then Trump has no chance. Unless Trump can tap into Bernie's voters, which is possible given his protectionist policies that Hillary would struggle to go to the left of.
  
  
  Anyway, to your point, the last debate made the Repub party and candidates look horrible, and it wouldn't surprise me if the RNC told CNN to keep things on policy or they won't agree to CNN doing a Presidential debate.
• Belly35

  

  majorspark;1785756 wrote:The stark contrast shows that Trump is not the bad ass he proclaims to be. He was reigned in and controlled. So was Rubio. I am sure Trump will say his temperament is of his own choosing but given the so called moderators sudden change in how they conducted questioning as well I smell something else.

  I agree... Trump camp knows something, that Trump will use to his benifit later. I also think Trump and the media sees Hillary walking a thin line of losing supporters. Hillary is her worse problem..
• BoatShoes

  gut;1785716 wrote:Protectionism....Single payer (this is what he actually has supported - the no lines thing is just recycled Republican non-starters)....Calling for boycott of businesses...Punishing businesses that do things he doesn't like
  
  Basically Trump is probably left of Bernie when it comes to free markets.

  This. Add in the fact that he is probably less of an interventionist in foreign affairs than even Obama and definitely Hillary.
  
  But, he is hardcore anti-immigration (not just illegal immigration) and isn't politically correct and wants to ban all muslims from coming into the country temporarily so all is forgiven with regard to his views that mirror Bernie's!
  
  
  I mean take Spock/CCRunner - he has called Bernie Sanders insane but loves Trump even though Trump is right there with Bernie on half of his ideas.
  
  
  This election just shows that outside of internet forums like these there's no real, sincere political discourse coursing through the body politic.
• BoatShoes

  majorspark;1785756 wrote:The stark contrast shows that Trump is not the bad ass he proclaims to be. He was reigned in and controlled. So was Rubio. I am sure Trump will say his temperament is of his own choosing but given the so called moderators sudden change in how they conducted questioning as well I smell something else.

  Maybe just Rubio thinking that when he went into attack mode against Trump it didn't work? I dunno.
• BoatShoes

  gut;1785757 wrote:Well, Fox tried to sink Trump with the "gotchya" questions and questions instigating fighting, and it didn't work. Now that Trump appears not only headed to the nomination, but potentially winning the general, the liberal media is trying to sink him (having seen Fox's approach didn't work).
  
  It will be interesting to see if Fox comes over to support Trump's side. They probably will because the alternative is Hillary, but a President Trump will be interesting to see how the networks cover him.
  
  But if the meme that Romney's plans didn't add up and had no detail sunk him, then Trump has no chance. Unless Trump can tap into Bernie's voters, which is possible given his protectionist policies that Hillary would struggle to go to the left of.
  
  
  Anyway, to your point, the last debate made the Repub party and candidates look horrible, and it wouldn't surprise me if the RNC told CNN to keep things on policy or they won't agree to CNN doing a Presidential debate.

  I feel like the liberal media would be perfectly happy if the GOP nominated a liberal New Yorker who can make the GOP look bad and at the same time, if he some how wins, not be totally hostile to liberal priorities.
  
  If you take away the fact that the way he conducts himself is unbecoming of statesman and setting aside some of his other views - a protectionist who is pro-medicare and social security and not a hardcore interventionist and not a hardcore social conservative is just about the best liberals could ever hope to come out of the GOP.
  
  I mean shit - it may not stop illegal immigration or make our country much wealthier or more productive in the long run but a Trump Wall(TM) on the Border would be a hell of a Keynesian Stimulus :laugh:
• HitsRus

  

  I mean shit - it may not stop illegal immigration or make our country much wealthier or more productive in the long run but a Trump Wall(TM) on the Border would be a hell of a Keynesian Stimulus :laugh:

  
  Building that wall will provide High paying American jobs( unless he uses cheap foreign labor like he does in his hotels ) .....now will he fast track Keystone?
• sleeper

  

  Hopefully Ohioans don't embarrass themselves and let Trump win the primaries there. Everyone should vote for Kasich.
• Con_Alma

  sleeper;1785801 wrote:Hopefully Ohioans don't embarrass themselves and let Trump win the primaries there. Everyone should vote for Kasich.

  
  That depends on your objective. Do you want to keep trump from winning Ohio or keep him from winning the nomination. They each may require different voting strateies in Ohio.
• gut

  BoatShoes;1785782 wrote: This election just shows that outside of internet forums like these there's no real, sincere political discourse coursing through the body politic.

  It's really interesting that Trump was the "outsider" people have flocked to. Apparently, even a modicum of support from the party qualifies one as "establishment", even someone like Rand Paul or Fiorina (just as an example)...Being a governor, even for a little while (like Romney) apparently makes one establishment.
  
  In what many people believed was a strong field of Repub candidates, they are heading toward Trump!
• gut

  BoatShoes;1785782 wrote:This. Add in the fact that he is probably less of an interventionist in foreign affairs than even Obama and definitely Hillary.

  That's a good point - his plan is mainly to negotiate a deal on everything. And that backs him into a corner. Don't put it past Trump to negotiate even worse deals (because his primary claim is that he is THE deal maker) and then lie through his teeth about how great it is.
  
  But he fools people with the ridiculous talk of bombing families, which he knows he can't and won't do. But that's the right-wing dog whistle equivalent to "free college"!
• gut

  HitsRus;1785798 wrote:Building that wall will provide High paying American jobs( unless he uses cheap foreign labor like he does in his hotels ) .....now will he fast track Keystone?

  No no no....Trump is a brilliant businessman. You hire illegals to build the wall - payment due on completion. Joke is on those working the south side of the wall. Literally have them wall themselves off from America.
  
  Two birds with one stone!
• sleeper

  

  Con_Alma;1785804 wrote:That depends on your objective. Do you want to keep trump from winning Ohio or keep him from winning the nomination. They each may require different voting strateies in Ohio.

  I don't want to embarrass my home state. If Trump wins the nomination, at least Ohio can say "Hey America we tried!".
• like_that

  

  sleeper;1785815 wrote:I don't want to embarrass my home state. If Trump wins the nomination, at least Ohio can say "Hey America we tried!".

  Are you going to vote in the DC primary tomorrow?