Donald Trump, the road that might not lead to the White House!

[ViolentPanda]

I just need a bunker, crossbow, corned beef and tinned peaches. I'm starting digging tomorrow..

I'm guessing that the tinned peaches are to help relieve the constipation from eating too much corned beef?

 

[ViolentPanda]

So is there any party who's shouldn't be "taken to task"?

No. they're all leprous stoat scrotums.

 

[J Ed]

Wanna pitch a guess at the last European governments who held people accountable for their votes?

The Tories seem to hold Labour voting areas very accountable

 

[bimble]

This is (i think) spot on, as an explanation of why people are voting for Trump but with implications wider than that too.
The rise of American authoritarianism

 

[alfajobrob]

I'm guessing that the tinned peaches are to help relieve the constipation from eating too much corned beef?

 

[J Ed]

This is (i think) spot on, as an explanation of why people are voting for Trump but with implications wider than that too.
The rise of American authoritarianism

Vox is terrible, Pravda for Hillary. They are positively salivating at the propect of a Republican party dominated by ethno-nationalism and a Democrat party even more wedded to neoliberalism. They find that scenario inviting, I find it terrifying, no matter how realistic a prediction it may be.

 

[bimble]

Vox is terrible, Pravda for Hillary. They are positively salivating at the propect of a Republican party dominated by ethno-nationalism and a Democrat party even more wedded to neoliberalism. They find that scenario inviting, I find it terrifying, no matter how realistic a prediction it may be.

No idea about Vox but I thought it a really good article. Particularly the bits about the history of the study of authoritarianism as a tendency and the idea of how perceived threats activate it.

 

[frogwoman]

Tbh i didnt think that article was all that good. I think a lot of people want trump because he appears to be so completely outside the US political establishment.

 

[frogwoman]

There are plenty of total psychos who support ted cruz and hillary as well.

 

[bimble]

Tbh i didnt think that article was all that good. I think a lot of people want trump because he appears to be so completely outside the US political establishment.

That's definitely true too, but with so many people waving the trump flag there's room for more than one 'explanation' surely.

 

[frogwoman]

Tbh i reckon there are probably plenty of authoritarians on the democratic side, especially those supporting hillary.

 

[DotCommunist]

there was a line- a bit simple perhaps but it was pithy-in that Rolling Stone Trump article 'Even a bully can seem worth cheering when he's tearing into other bullies'- thats with reference to him insulting his political opponents regularly and with the practised ease of a bully who learned early and never had the 'talent' beaten out of him

obviously there's more depth to it than that but that line did make me chuckle.

 

[frogwoman]

Tbh it did make me laugh the thought of uk elections being like this. Remember when Corbyn refused to comment on pig gate as it 'wasnt appropriate'? Imagine if trump was the leader of the labour party. He would NEVER let cameron forget it. In fact it might be the only good thing about President Trump lol, imagine if he and cameron had some sort of diplomatic incident

'Little Dave wouldn't sign my trade agreement. Bad loser! He had sex with a pig once you know. Disgusting!'

 

[J Ed]

Tbh i reckon there are probably plenty of authoritarians on the democratic side, especially those supporting hillary.

One thing I have been struck by with the online support for Hillary, not that there's a lot of it and some of it is clearly paid for in one way or another, is how much of it revolves around the promotion of Hillary as a kind of neoliberal strongman figure.

 

[J Ed]

RAND Kicks Off 2016 Presidential Election Panel Survey | RAND

 

[J Ed]

I like how his hat lets you know what he's dressed as in case you weren't sure

 

[frogwoman]

Maine, Kentucky, Louisiana, Kansas and Nebraska primaries: track the results live

Looks like a landslide for cruz so far.

 

[Coolfonz]

I think there is a good analysis of Trumpists, but also generally the furious right in the EU, M East, wherever, in this article by the guy Henin held prisoner by ISIS. Extreme victimhood, a desire for protection by a higher authority/person of some sort and to be at the front of the line for handouts.
I was held hostage by Isis. They fear our unity more than our airstrikes | Nicolas Hénin

"They present themselves to the public as superheroes, but away from the camera are a bit pathetic in many ways: street kids drunk on ideology and power. In France we have a saying – stupid and evil. I found them more stupid than evil. That is not to understate the murderous potential of stupidity."

"It struck me forcefully how technologically connected they are; they follow the news obsessively, but everything they see goes through their own filter. They are totally indoctrinated, clinging to all manner of conspiracy theories, never acknowledging the contradictions."

"Everything convinces them that they are on the right path and, specifically, that there is a kind of apocalyptic process under way"

"Central to their world view is the belief that communities cannot live together"

 

[petee]

Maine, Kentucky, Louisiana, Kansas and Nebraska primaries: track the results live

Looks like a landslide for cruz so far.

That graphic with Cruz !!????!?!?!

 

[agricola]

That graphic with Cruz !!????!?!?!

If anything, a Trump - Cruz standoff is probably even worse situation for the Republicans than a Trump landslide would be. Also you would think that Rubio is done now, he is third or fourth everywhere.

 

[DrRingDing]

Tbh i didnt think that article was all that good. I think a lot of people want trump because he appears to be so completely outside the US political establishment.

I would suggest many people would say that but why people take positions is far more complex and subconscious. The truth is Trump and his team have read about this study.... http://yoelinbar.net/papers/ds_voting.pdf

He's not an idiot. He's appealing to what conservative voters have in common.... A high sensitivity to disgust. Note his mocking of the disabled, perverse characterisations of Muslims, Mexicans I.e not conservative voters - the 'out group', he's even attacked th sweat of his opponent. This is a clever educated tactic to appeal to the subconscious fears of fucknuts.

If he wins the nomination then I predict a change in tone and content of his rhetoric as his sights will be set on floating voters that will not be so susceptible to these manipulations.

 

[J Ed]

If anything, a Trump - Cruz standoff is probably even worse situation for the Republicans than a Trump landslide would be. Also you would think that Rubio is done now, he is third or fourth everywhere.

I agree with this, a close Cruz and Trump race and a disputed convention would be fantastic in terms of splitting the GOP and causing maximum chaos.

 

[agricola]

I agree with this, a close Cruz and Trump race and a disputed convention would be fantastic in terms of splitting the GOP and causing maximum chaos.

It would be absolute carnage, though TBH I would be absolutely amazed if Trump wasn't the nominee afterwards.

 

[stupid kid]

Tbh i didnt think that article was all that good. I think a lot of people want trump because he appears to be so completely outside the US political establishment.

Yeah I think Occam's razor works for Trump. People have just gotten tired with Congress and politics generally, but are still subject to it - so they want a guy who appears to not give a fuck. Similarly (and sadly) a lot of people in the US see political correctness as a force of oppression, so when Trump came out and attacked Megyn Kelly, and others, he confirmed himself as the authentic man in a room of waxworks, even though all he did was made the kind of crass comment he's been making his whole life and throughout his campaigns. He said the exact thing that had gotten him that far in this campaign (in August, when he was second in polls iirc) and pundits were shocked when his numbers didn't lead balloon. They appear to have under-estimated how tuned in the average Trump supporter was, and misunderstood what they were willing to accept from a candidate.

Half or more of conservatives in particular, are just done with their congressional and party leadership. Boehner, Ryan, McConnell, Cantor etc should be in full swing all day every day at this point, but they're having to defend themselves to their support. With the exception of Cantor, heh.

I seem to remember reading somewhere that if you put Bernie's policies in front of Trump supporters, without the word socialism, they support the policies. Makes sense, part of the issue with congress is what Bernie's campaign is centered around stopping: campaign finance corruption. What I still don't get is how the fact that Trump has been the corruptor rather than the corrupted makes him any better though, but that's for his supporters to decide.

 

[frogwoman]

Allegations of voter fraud in Kansas.

 

[teqniq]

 

[goldenecitrone]

Another sneering Liberal. That's probably another couple of million votes for Drumpf.

 

[frogwoman]

It's time to clear the way for Ted Cruz to take on Donald Trump | John Stoehr


guardian article shilling for Cruz

 

[sleaterkinney]

It's starting:

 

[bluescreen]

It was on Slate blog too: Trump Supporters Raise Right Hands to Pledge Support. The Photos Are Terrifying.