Politics of the Free - It’s because Democrats, stupid. - The Bear and Badger

Diluted Dante

LarryDavid wrote:

You can bet that someone within British politics will analyse how Trump managed to become so popular and try to translate it over here. Which will be fucking awful, obviously.

So, Nigel Farage then.

monkey

I don't know if you can get a British Trump to the same extent as the Tory party is a closed shop, run by its business donors who wouldn't go for a Trump like figure being given any sort of platform for leadership. Tory MPs only put forward two candidates for leadership to the plebs. The closest would be Farage who comes from outside the mainstream and that takes years and years to get a foothold. Farage himself looks like something of a spent force.

If Sanders ever got in, he'd be as hamstrung by the system as Obama as been. His best accomplishment will be changing the parameters of the debate and the tone of the politics. But that's been hugely marginalised by Trumps bombast. It'll be Clinton by as big a margin as it's possible for a democrat to win by which is 5-10% of the vote.

LarryDavid

Farage was a commodity broker, he's hardly the man of the people he sold himself as. I'm sure most people in here know that anyway.

Boris or someone could be used as an experiment to see if Trump-like tactics appeal to British voters, in terms of media management and PR and stuff like that, obviously the Tory party wouldn't put forward a rogue nutter like Trump who might go off-piste. Being completely under the control of the donors, the City and party hierarchy is the only way to even get nominated over here.

Yossarian

LarryDavid wrote:

Farage was a commodity broker, he's hardly the man of the people he sold himself as.

As opposed to Trump the construction worker?

Roujin

Anyone else just feel really bad for Obama?

I mean he was elected on such a wave of hope and optimism and all of his major policies have just been relentlessly crushed by the senate.

I'm not surprised the dude is crying every time he has to come on TV and decry another mass shooting lately.

LarryDavid

Trump's been driving that 18-wheeler 12 hours a day and still managing to lead the presidential nomination polls on the side. A simple, hard working American boy done good. An inspiring tale in these dark days.

People just see the public image, they don't see the real Trump - covered in oil, sweat and grease, dirty wifebeater on, builders bum hanging proudly outside his good ole' American denim.

[Deleted User]

He made himself with just a small $1million loan from his Father you know.

Roujin

Liveinadive wrote:

He made himself with just a small $1million loan from his Father you know.

Yeah well, if your Dad had been a good citizen and worked hard like Trump Snr, then you could have had a million dollars to start your shitcunt empire. But no, you're a liberal spineless cuckmaster who is a disgrace to this proud country and everything it stands for.

[Deleted User]

He is such a dreamboat.

Gremill

I still can't get to grips with how supporters of The Donald continually declare what a great businessman he is, in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

beano

"cuckmaster"

Roujin

I know, I'm so sorry. But I was trying to sound like an American retard.

beano

I missed the "+1", which I figured might be a given along with the quote.

Stopharage

Note the importance of the endorsement primary.
http://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2016-endorsement-primary/

Every candidate on political issues.
www.ontheissues.org

Interestingly Trump isn't that conservative, but is basically Palin the Second
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/sarah-palin-endorses-donald-trump-for-president/

At work at the mo, but I have a load more I'll add when at home.

I_R

Gremill wrote:

I still can't get to grips with how supporters of The Donald continually declare what a great businessman he is, in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

He's managed to muddy the waters about what he inherited and what he's worth, the big fancy hotels and casino's give him a successful appearance at least.

Crucially though, he's a billionaire without being one of the guys who's off-shored millions of jobs or undercut lots of other American businesses. If he was actually a success like Steve Jobs or Jeff Bezos, that appeal to middle America wouldn't be there.

djchump

4 bankcruptcies and now Carlos Slim won't do business with him? 'Murca loves a Riches to Rags story, love to root for the overdog.

Stopharage

I'm still unsure as to why Trump hasn't been discredited more. He waffles on about the USA being bankrupt, the mismanagement of the economy and his prowess as an entrepreneur. Negating to mention that his wealth has been born from manipulating govt agencies, benefiting from tax breaks, misleading officials to pay lower tax and receiving public subsidies for commercial developments rather than the neighbourhood regeneration projects they were designed for. And his father pretty much did the same to develop the teat that Trump fed from.

djchump

Hush now Stoph, why do you hate 'Murcan Freedom so? Are you some kind of pinko commie?
He's rich, so all 'Murcans can become rich, if they simply oust all those filthy immigrants who are coming over there and taking all the jobs and money and killing all the Native Americans. 'Murca for the true 'Murcans, HOO-RAH!

I_R

It can all be made to paint a picture of a guy who knows how the system works, but is going to go to Washington and make it all work for America. It's ridiculous, but it's aimed at a big section of the American electorate who want the American dream to be true. The Republicans have let these people down over and over again - it's against their interests to vote for them - it makes some sort of weird sense that they'd jump at an outsider telling big lies.

poprock

Trump’s entire business career, from day one of taking his Father’s money, has generated less profit than if he had put it in a standard high-street interest bearing bank account then sat on his privileged arse and done nothing.

He’s an utter financial failure, it’s just that his starting pot was so huge he still has oceans of cash remaining.

Diluted Dante

Yeah, but he bought Raw off Vince McMahon, who then bought it back for twice as much the following week!

Stopharage

And that he's raked millions of tax-payers money without an ounce of compassion and now has the nerve to say he is America's best option.

GooberTheHat

Liveinadive wrote:

He made himself with just a small $1million loan from his Father you know.

Space gazelle has an interesting fact about that.

[Deleted User]

Stopharage wrote:

Note the importance of the endorsement primary.
http://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2016-endorsement-primary/

Every candidate on political issues.
www.ontheissues.org

Interestingly Trump isn't that conservative, but is basically Palin the Second
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/sarah-palin-endorses-donald-trump-for-president/

At work at the mo, but I have a load more I'll add when at home.

Thanks, really appreciate the links, will add to the OP.

Edit:

Added

GooberTheHat

Dan Carlin's common sense podcast can be a pretty interesting take on US politics.

http://traffic.libsyn.com/dancarlin/cswdcd00.mp3

http://www.dancarlin.com/common-sense-home-landing-page/

[Deleted User]

Cool, will give it a gander and add to OP.

For conveniences sake, how would you suggest classifying it? Is it a general overlook at American politics? Or does it focus on specific areas?

GooberTheHat

It's a pretty broad brush look at public affairs from an America perspective, with a slant toward politics. The most recent one is talking, for the first 40 minutes or so, about the electoral process focusing on the upcoming primaries, and what he would like to see change about it. There is a lot of incidental detail that will flesh out your knowledge of American politics if you're only a casual observer. If you're already pretty engrossed then it might not be as educational.

LarryDavid

http://theweek.com/articles/599577/how-obscure-adviser-pat-buchanan-predicted-wild-trump-campaign-1996

EDIT: IR posted it on the last page. Duh.

Euan

Gremill wrote:

I still can't get to grips with how supporters of The Donald continually declare what a great businessman he is, in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Was chatting to a few American squillionaire types at the golf course a while back and they were basically saying that while it looks like he has destroyed companies he generally does it in a way that he profits and others are the ones who lose out. He's ruthless to sociopathic levels.

GooberTheHat

I'm going to steal space gazelle's fact now. If Trump had invested the 1 million loan he got from his dad in a market tracker investment thingamajig and done nothing else with it he would be 4 time richer than he is now.

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