Il Douché and His Discontents: The 2016 Primary Voting Thread, Part 4

mitt romney feels like the robert ryan here, he just needs the mustache.

Does this mean Reid wants Cruz or Trump to win?

― clemenza

heh – sounds like what I call the Harriet Miers Strategy, which worked well for Reid.

first time I've heard this "Grover Norquist is a jihadist" theory:
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/03/cruz-names-anti-muslim-paranoic-as-top-adviser.html#

Forgot all about Norquist--haven't heard him mentioned once this cycle.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2015/08/13/nearly-all-the-gop-candidates-bow-down-to-grover-norquist/

That dates back to last August, when Trump was one of three people who hadn't signed the "pledge."

cruz named gaffney to his national security advisory team? loooool

that "fetuses don't become cats" tweet is a good reminder that while Trump is an a+fascist schlemiel, the rest of the party's nominees aren't much better except at hiding the crazy

Is this like that thing where GWB was asked what was the worst judicial decision, and he said Dred Scott?

Lots of people were laughing about, oh, okay, W is being very brave in coming out against chattel slavery. But where does he stand on Teapot Dome, Smoot Hawley, etc.? Har de har har, until it was pointed out that it was a pro-life dogwhistle.

Kasich has unleashed the heavy artillery: he's got some mildly critical Tweets directed at Trump today (March 17, 2016).

holy christ – Frank Gaffney AND Michael Ledeen AND Elliott Abrams in Ted Cruz's national security posse?

I had totally forgotten about Ledeen what a shitbag

Trump died yet?

Not yet, check back later.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/18/us/politics/obama-hillary-clinton-bernie-sanders.html

Mr. Obama acknowledged that Mrs. Clinton is perceived to have weaknesses as a candidate, and that some Democrats did not view her as authentic.

But he played down the importance of authenticity, noting that President George W. Bush — whose record he ran aggressively against in 2008 — was once praised for his authenticity.

...

Our president seems to have confused authenticity and honesty

But, while he stressed that he was not endorsing either candidate, and that both would make good presidents, Mr. Obama went on to lavish praise on Mrs. Clinton, describing her as smart, tough and experienced, and said that she would continue the work of his administration.

breaking news

bad news for MSF hospitals

Our president seems to have confused authenticity and honesty

― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, March 17, 2016 3:19 PM (16 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

you seem to have confused politics and honesty

I don't know what he means by "authenticity" -- Sanders and Bush like roots rock?

Hil's cash is Goldman Good

I don't know what he means by "authenticity" -- Sanders and Bush like roots rock?

It means they use vintage gear and record on reel-to-reel. Old school, man.

ability to connect w/ voters on an intimate personal level that conveys that the politician is a real person just like me who i like and who understands my problems

That's what I thought the writer meant. Whatever my reservations about HRC, she does connect with lots of voters. That criticism of hers has always made the least sense to me (I don't imagine Romney, Dole, or Kerry connecting w/anyone).

Bob Dole connects with Bob Dole!

sometimes it feels like anyone other than kerry would have been a winner that year, even if they'd run gore out there one more time.

HRC connects with voters but i think she's right that she's not a natural politician like bill + obama - they were able to, despite being moderates, spark the hopes and dreams of an awful lot of ppl (who probably should've known better). she doesn't have that transcendent element - she seems more like your run-of-the-mill politician. nb i like her a lot but even there i don't get the infamous leg shivers

she hasn't had a "i feel your pain" or "a more perfect union" moment

sometimes it feels like anyone other than kerry would have been a winner that year, even if they'd run gore out there one more time.

― nomar, Thursday, March 17, 2016 4:47 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

any candidate that lets the Swift Boat nonsense actually cripple their campaign rather than getting out in front of it and turning it on its head stood no chance. it was kinda like he'd decided by then he didn't really want the job.

I don't think that's what sunk Kerry

Dem base wasn't gonna get excited about a candidate who was just gonna "do better" at Dubya's stupid war, the guy had to inspire turnout, and his basic positioning was flawed and stupid.

stupid, I say! Dems should've run an antiwar candidate, but they were too cowardly.

what's weird is that kerry is an obvious antiwar candidate w/ his vietnam protest background. considering that lord knows why he voted for the iraq war.

that Kerry died awhile ago, now he advocates for lobbing some soft cruise missiles

HRC connects as one of several unfortunate symbols, pick one

I don't think that's what sunk Kerry

― Οὖτις, Thursday, March 17, 2016

he was on a Swift Boat.

what's weird is that kerry is an obvious antiwar candidate w/ his vietnam protest background. considering that lord knows why he voted for the iraq war.

― Mordy, Thursday, March 17, 2016 5:02 PM (3 minutes ago)

yeah i think that iraq war vote may have had something to do with it

idk what to think of Kerry as secretary of state -- less blood on his hands than Clinton for sure, and I'm impressed with the smoothness of the Cuba-U.S. reopening.

As senator he had a mostly honorable career (one of the few interested in impeaching Reagan; investigating Contra-drug ties; BCCI). He would've made a good president had he he run twenty years earlier.

otoh we never bombed an MSF facility while hill was SOS (iirc!).

just a citizen or three

and some 'militant' children

gosh look at you always moving the goal posts. first you don't want us to bomb hospitals, then you don't want us to kill innocent civilians and american citizens, next you'll want what? no more coups of democratic countries???

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxjM1yCcqTQ

Referencing America recovering from President Trump.

I think Kerry's badness is overstated he was a okay candidate and Bush was just not as unpopular as most people think he was in 2004

swift boat stuff probably had zero effect on anything, that was just meat for the republican base

sanders not asking for a missouri recount which leads me to believe he's rethinking how long he's going to stay in the race at this point

Yeah, I'm sure he knows he's not going to win, but also he gets basically the same amount of delegates from Missouri no matter who is the official winner

delegates are awarded proportionally so it doesn't really matter

I think Kerry's badness is overstated he was a okay candidate and Bush was just not as unpopular as most people think he was in 2004

― iatee, Thursday, March 17, 2016

otm -- and Bush barely won. Remember when Ohio results were unknown for about twelve hours?

The surge worked!