US Election: 2016

[tomahawk6]

The Trump campaign hired Cambridge Analytica,which was the firm behind the successful Brexit vote.

http://www.thewrap.com/donald-trump-campaign-brexit-move/

Donald Trump and his team have upped their game to win the race for the White House by hiring the company that got the Brexit message to millions, resulting in the split of Great Britain from the European Union.

Cambridge Analytica is a marketing film that targets voters (and potential donors) based on their unconscious psychological biases.

The strategic communications company also worked with former GOP candidates Ted Cruz, Ben Carson and the “Leave.EU” campaign in the United Kingdom. According to the Daily Beast, Cambridge Analytica “went after first-time voters and those who felt left out of the political process, the kinds of people that Trump was successful bringing to the polls in primary elections.”

 

[Kirkhill]

FTFY

It amazes me how many of you are so sure that Trump will spell certain disaster for our country. For you armchair elitists and pontificators north of the border, there's almost half this country that doesn't feel the last 8 years have been all that great...

Granted, most of my circles run in the zone right of center, but the vast majority of my friends and business colleagues are voting for Trump. Some of them are physicians, some are women, some are people of colour, many are accomplished business people, all are educated. None are rednecks, none are bigots.

You know, all I heard growing up was "arrogant Americans"; now I read Canadian opinions and comments on the internet and some are thoughtful, even when I don't agree. On the other hand, most make me wonder when the roles reversed....

If Americans were opining so strongly about Canadian politics, some of you would be going out of your minds.

Drove through Washington State a couple of weeks back.  Saw half a dozen Trump signs along the highway.  Zero Clinton signs.

 

[FJAG]

He had a nose for strategy.

I saw what you did there. 

:cheers:

 

[Kirkhill]

I saw what you did there. 

:cheers:

Hard to miss....

 

[a_majoor]

More on why Trump (and Bernie Sanders) are symptoms rather than the problem in this election cycle. The same thinking behind the failed public pensions and the mendacity which allowed this to take place and attempt to cover up the unfolding disaster in other parts of the West led to the Brexit and the growth of Nativist parties in Europe as well. (The actual subject matter, failed public pensions and the trillions in dollars in unfunded liabilities could go in the "Grand Strategy for a Divided America" thread, or even "Making Canada Relevant Again economic superthread" (considering our own $500 billion + in unfunded liabilities for Federal pensions).

http://www.the-american-interest.com/2016/08/04/actuarial-establishment-tries-to-suppress-explosive-paper-on-public-pensions/

Actuarial Establishment Tries to Suppress Explosive Paper on Public Pensions

America’s slow-motion public pension train-wreck (by some estimates, the shortfall currently exceeds $3 trillion) has been kept in motion for years by deeply dishonest accounting practices employed by state and local governments, which presume unrealistically that pension funds can consistently earn white-hot annual returns approaching eight percent. So it’s disappointing, but not particularly surprising, that the actuarial establishment moved to suppress a report pointing this out. Pensions and Investments reports:

The American Academy of Actuaries and the Society of Actuaries Monday abruptly disbanded its longtime joint Pension Finance Task Force, objecting to a task force paper challenging the standard actuarial practice of valuing public pension plan liabilities.

“This paper (is) being censored by the AAA” and SOA, said Edward Bartholomew, who was a member of the former task force, in an interview. “They didn’t want it to get out.”

Others who were members of the task force also said in interviews the two actuarial groups are trying to suppress publication of the paper.
There are powerful interests that don’t want public pensions to be governed by the same kinds of accounting principles used in the private sector because… well, because if they were, public pensions would go from seriously underfunded to catastrophically underfunded.

Union officials and state legislators (in both parties) seem to believe that it makes more sense to allow public pension funds to play “let’s pretend” with public money. To be sure, the sudden imposition of a tougher standards would cripple business as usual in many state and local governments, so there can and should be some reasonable accommodations made to allow the adjustment to take place in a less disruptive fashion. Governing by catastrophe is almost never a good idea, and a series of small and incremental changes is usually (though not always) a better way to manage public affairs.

In the long run, shifting to a more portable system of public pensions—defined contribution, rather than defined-benefit—wouldn’t just help save states and municipalities from fiscal ruin. It would also do much to improve the performance of the civil service. The current system creates a jobs-for-life mentality in public employment because workers need to stay at their positions for decades to collect the full value of their pensions. Somebody who was a good teacher at 30 but wants to leave and should leave at 40 is currently trapped. Also, one of the reasons the unions fight quality evaluations so fiercely is that the loss of job and pension is so much more draconian than simply losing a job.

The report from dissident actuaries might have helped push state and local pension systems down a more sustainable path. And the conduct of American actuarial leaders—disbanding a reputable task force that had prepared a report that the bureaucracies didn’t like, and then hinting at legal action if the report is published—is irresponsible at best and corrupt at worst. Is it any wonder that Americans are fed up with experts and the institutions they manage?

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Suppose someone got something highly controversial off the email server, and attempts blackmail.  Which response do you think is likely: meet the demands (presumably at a cost to the US but not Clinton Inc), or "publish and be damned, sir"?

She'll just have them commit suicide, like the rest that got in her way. ;D  What's the count with the new guy from the DNC that was going to testify. He makes 43. :Tin-Foil-Hat:

 

[cupper]

Trump's biggest problem is that he forgets that there is this thing called television, and it has this thing called video archives.

http://youtu.be/kSE-XoVKaXg


I particularly like his criticism on Vincente Fox swearing in an interview about not paying for that €%#£ wall.

;D

 

[muskrat89]

Trump's biggest problem is that he forgets that there is this thing called television, and it has this thing called video archives.

Like that doesnt work both ways?  LOL

https://youtu.be/vGqD8-a-REQ

https://youtu.be/wbkS26PX4rc

 

[daftandbarmy]

It would seem that the USA is living this quote from Churchill:

'Democracy is the worst form of government - except for all the others'

 

[jollyjacktar]

Like that doesnt work both ways?  LOL

https://youtu.be/vGqD8-a-REQ

https://youtu.be/wbkS26PX4rc

:rofl:  I am loving this circus this election.

 

[cupper]

Like that doesnt work both ways?  LOL

https://youtu.be/vGqD8-a-REQ

https://youtu.be/wbkS26PX4rc

Never said it didn't. But you forgot rule number 3 of political campaigns. Anything said or brought up in a previous campaign cannot be used in a future campaign. Just isn't kosher.  ;D

But you have to admit, Trump is just so much better at it and much more entertaining too.

:rofl:  I am loving this circus this election.

Me too. And I have the added bonus that Hillary feels her chances of taking Virginia are good enough that she's pulled her ads.  For that alone I'd vote for her. Many times. Over and over again.

;D

 

[tomahawk6]

People are wondering if Hillary is sick or just very tired.

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2016/08/hillarys-dark-side-strange-man-observed-hillary-leads-questions-health/

 

[The Bread Guy]

Soooo, which is it, then?

• "Intelligence Community ‘Fear’ A Hillary Clinton Presidency"
• "America's Top Spies and Analysts Warn of Real Threat of a Trump Presidency: 5 Leaders Who Have Spoken out"

 

[muskrat89]

Soooo, which is it, then?

"Intelligence Community ‘Fear’ A Hillary Clinton Presidency"
"America's Top Spies and Analysts Warn of Real Threat of a Trump Presidency: 5 Leaders Who Have Spoken out"

Probably both - and therein lies the problem :-/

 

[Bird_Gunner45]

Finally, a campaign to get behind...... Best of both worlds really...

B list Celebrity (Trump)- CHECK!

Famous in the early 90's (Hillary)- CHECK!

 

[cupper]

Finally, a campaign to get behind...... Best of both worlds really...

B list Celebrity (Trump)- CHECK!

Famous in the early 90's (Hillary)- CHECK!

And he even has an issue with plagerism!  ;D

 

[mariomike]

People are wondering if Hillary is sick or just very tired.

Regarding peoples right to know,

Do voters have the right to know presidential candidates' health histories?
http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/14/health/presidential-candidate-health-disclosure/

 

[jollyjacktar]

And the Amish have been asked for their voting intentions.

'No Amish is going to vote for Hillary': Pennsylvania community mostly backs Trump

Despite 'too much bragging' by Trump, Amish against social liberalism and voting for a woman

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/amish-community-donald-trump-hillary-clinton-us-election-1.3711008

 

[Remius]

Back to actual elections.

Trump outlines his economic policy.  Should be interesting.  He seems to favour re-opening the Keystone Pipeline issue.

He could start making some headway if he shows his strength on the economy.  something he is likely going to better at than Clinton.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/trump-talks-economics-keystone-pipeline-in-detroit-today-1.3711541

 

[Remius]

Oh - the whole hollering at the baby's mom thing? Funny - the baby's Mom wasn't offended...

http://www.chicksontheright.com/mother-of-crying-baby-mr-trump-never-kicked-me-or-my-child-out/

Look, I'm not a Trump fan. For the first time in twenty years, I'm glad I'm not a Citizen and won't be voting. That being said, the prevalence of anti-Trump bias in  the media, and the near-obsession with Trump (negative) from many of my Canadian friends - based mostly on Facebook posts and Huffington Post articles it seems - is annoying. The only reason I post anything it all is tor try and add some balance to the discussion.

Just to add some context to this as well.

I'm not a Trump fan either.  But context seems to be something people forget when getting on the bandwagon.

http://www.snopes.com/donald-trump-crying-baby/