U.S. Federal Election

[The Unknown Poster]

Washington (CNN)Mike Huckabee suggested President Barack Obama "pretends to be" a Christian in knocking the President's handling of Pope Francis' first visit to the U.S.

 

When asked on Newsmax TV's "The Hard Line" on Tuesday about Ben Carson's comments that a Muslim should not be president of the United States, the former Arkansas governor began by saying there is no religious test for public office, but then shifted to a comment about Obama.

 

"I'm less concerned about what faith the person has. I'm more concerned about the authenticity of their faith and how that plays out in their politics ... I'm also concerned about a guy that believes he's a Christian and pretends to be and then says he is, but then does things that makes it very difficult for people to practice their Christian faith," Huckabee said.

 

"I'm disappointed if someone says, 'I'm a Christian,' but you invite the pope into your home and then you invite a whole bunch of people who are at odds with the Catholic Church policy. I think there's something very unseemly about that," he added.

 

***A guy like Huckabee is almost as dangerous as a middle eastern religious leader.  And I say almost because there are certain western sensibilities that would prevent him from nuking anyone.  But realistically, this kind of nutjob is awful for the religious right because it forces sane people to take what seems like an anti-Christian stance when its not that at all.

 

I think a President's religious beliefs are important to his character and fair game to the voters.  But a President should do whats best for the nation logically, fairly, using common sense and the law and constitution as a guide.  Not his religion.  The fact Huckabee is advocating Kim Davies ignore the Supreme Court and is accusing Obama of putting poltics ahead of religion is kind of scary.  Like as President, Huckabee would put his perception of Christianity first??  He'd enforce Christianity on everyone?  Yikes.

[sweep the leg]

Ben Carson has said that Darwin's theory of evolution was encouraged by the devil. It's so effing scary that people this crazy are so close to leading the most powerful country in the world.

[The Unknown Poster]

Ben Carson has said that Darwin's theory of evolution was encouraged by the devil. It's so effing scary that people this crazy are so close to leading the most powerful country in the world.

Even scarier, he's a neurosurgeon.  Very educated.  Very intelligent.

 

I find it so weird because being raised in a Christian family I was always taught that faith and science were not mutually exclusive.  I dont know where otherwise intelligent people get the strong belief that evolution isnt real or that the Bible is meant to be taken literally.  I respect faith but for me personally, things have to pass the common-sense test.

[The Unknown Poster]

Washington (CNN)Hillary Clinton would beat Donald Trump in a general election match-up if the election were held today, a new poll shows.

 

Clinton beats Trump, 49% to 39%, head-to-head. She would be neck-and-neck with other GOP contenders -- including former tech CEO Carly Fiorina (45% to Clinton's 44%), retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson (46% to Clinton's 45%), former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (44% to Clinton's 45%).

 

But if Vice President Joe Biden runs for president, he'd enter the race as the most popular presidential candidate, according to the NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey.

[The Unknown Poster]

@CBCAlerts: #HilaryClinton proposes tightening gun-control legislation, expanding use of presidential 'executive action' to mandate background checks.

[The Unknown Poster]

Hmmmm

@GlobalNational: Presidential hopeful Ben Carson says Holocaust would have been ‘diminished’ if Jews had guns http://t.co/pVDoNRJMMmhttp://t.co/zpVgk3yluI

[Brandon Blue&Gold]

Hmmmm

@GlobalNational: Presidential hopeful Ben Carson says Holocaust would have been ‘diminished’ if Jews had guns http://t.co/pVDoNRJMMmhttp://t.co/zpVgk3yluI

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defiance_(2008_film) 

 

Going by this movie and the book it was based on, more than a few Jews had guns in WW2.  Not to mention the numerous historical accounts of various other resistance groups that included Jews.  By all accounts this Carson fellow is a highly skilled doctor.  How can he be so stupid otherwise?  This isn't his first gaffe and he's risen to 2nd place behind Trump.  Smh. 

[The Unknown Poster]

Playing to the gun crowd is really desperate and pathetic.

[johnzo]

My wife is scientist and has worked with some very very very smart and accomplished people.

Sometimes, those people believe that since they're experts in some extremely difficult (and relatively narrow) field, that makes them an expert in every field.

We call this "Ben Carson syndrome" now.

[basslicker]

Playing to the gun crowd is really desperate and pathetic.

Why? It's a large group and they vote. Seems smart to me.

[The Unknown Poster]

 

Playing to the gun crowd is really desperate and pathetic.

Why? It's a large group and they vote. Seems smart to me.

 

its disingenuous for one.  A mass shooting and this clown is taking the "more guns is better" approach?  Despicable.  Like such a stupid and ignorant position that he knows is garbage but takes it to pander to the gun nuts...awful.

 

In other news, sounds like Hilary won the democratic debate last night.  Seeing her being called the Comeback Kid in many circles.  (isnt that what they called Bill during his first Presidential Election?)

[basslicker]

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="The Unknown Poster" data-cid="160661" data-time="1444844317"><p><p><blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="basslicker" data-cid="160658" data-time="1444843984"><p>'Gun free zones' just tell wannabe shooters where they'll have an easier time shooting people. I'm for people having the right to own guns. I'd rather have the chance to defend myself then wait for authority to drag their butts there. No better home defense than a shotgun. Impossible to miss at close range.

[The Unknown Poster]

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="The Unknown Poster" data-cid="160661" data-time="1444844317"><p><p><blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="basslicker" data-cid="160658" data-time="1444843984"><p>'Gun free zones' just tell wannabe shooters where they'll have an easier time shooting people. I'm for people having the right to own guns. I'd rather have the chance to defend myself then wait for authority to drag their butts there. No better home defense than a shotgun. Impossible to miss at close range.

 

Thats abject stupidity but its your right to feel that way.  Im just glad neither I nor most people live in that world of constant fear.

[basslicker]

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="The Unknown Poster" data-cid="160661" data-time="1444844317"><p><p><blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="basslicker" data-cid="160658" data-time="1444843984"><p>'Gun free zones' just tell wannabe shooters where they'll have an easier time shooting people. I'm for people having the right to own guns. I'd rather have the chance to defend myself then wait for authority to drag their butts there. No better home defense than a shotgun. Impossible to miss at close range.

Thats abject stupidity but its your right to feel that way. Im just glad neither I nor most people live in that world of constant fear.

I love how people like to live in a Disney movie and think that fox and hound and lion and warthog live in a magical land of pixies and rainbows. There's evil out there. throw caution to the wind, that's your choice. I don't live in fear, I live safe, ready to defend my life and of my loved ones. Being ready isn't being afraid.

[The Unknown Poster]

 

 

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="The Unknown Poster" data-cid="160661" data-time="1444844317"><p><p><blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="basslicker" data-cid="160658" data-time="1444843984"><p>'Gun free zones' just tell wannabe shooters where they'll have an easier time shooting people. I'm for people having the right to own guns. I'd rather have the chance to defend myself then wait for authority to drag their butts there. No better home defense than a shotgun. Impossible to miss at close range.

Thats abject stupidity but its your right to feel that way. Im just glad neither I nor most people live in that world of constant fear.

I love how people like to live in a Disney movie and think that fox and hound and lion and warthog live in a magical land of pixies and rainbows. There's evil out there. throw caution to the wind, that's your choice. I don't live in fear, I live safe, ready to defend my life and of my loved ones. Being ready isn't being afraid.

 

There's being "ready" and there's being silly.  Carrying around a shotgun on the off chance someone tries to murder you is rather silly.

[The Unknown Poster]

CNN.com

 

Clinton stands at 45% in the race for the Democratic nomination, with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders behind her at 29%. Vice President Joe Biden, who is considering a run for presidency and did not participate in last week's debate, follows at 18%.

[bigg jay]

Biden announces that he will not run for president.

 

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/newsalert-biden-announces-he-wont-run-for-president-335086471.html

[Brandon Blue&Gold]

Biden announces that he will not run for president.

 

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/newsalert-biden-announces-he-wont-run-for-president-335086471.html

That clears the way for Hillary to claim the Dem nomination.  Not that there was much doubt of that happening.

[The Unknown Poster]

@CBCAlerts: #DonaldTrump relinquishes US national poll lead for 1st time since July. #BenCarson leads #GOP with 26%; Trump at 22%, all others below 10%.

[CodyT]

Biden announces that he will not run for president.

 

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/newsalert-biden-announces-he-wont-run-for-president-335086471.html

That clears the way for Hillary to claim the Dem nomination.  Not that there was much doubt of that happening.

Feel the bern?

Bern down for what?

Bernie to the future?

He's a long shot, but he's got some momentum.

[iso_55]

Well, time for Trump to spend another ten million. 

[The Unknown Poster]

Interesting look back on Bush vs Gore:

 

http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/02/opinions/borger-bush-v-gore-15-endless-election/index.html

 

Some highlights:

 

(CNN)It's been a trip in a time machine: Back 15 years to the confusion of Election 2000, and the resulting 36 days in Florida — a state whose governor, Jeb Bush, was the brother of the GOP candidate. Back to a tie presidential race that wound up decided by an unprecedented intervention by the U.S. Supreme Court. Back to a very different time -- as we learned in reporting "The Endless Election" -- that still remains an unmatched moment in modern political history.

 

Communication, just 15 years ago pre-smartphone, pre-Twitter seems quaint, even ancient. On election night, when Gore was about to concede, his own war room had no idea that he had already called George W. Bush and was on his way to the War Memorial in Nashville to make it official. The scramble to find him, and hold him back, looks more Marx Brothers than modern -- and only because campaign staffers could not communicate. Imagine that.

 

Al Gore had won the national popular vote by more than half a million. But he lost the two most important votes: the one in the Electoral College and the one at the Supreme Court.

 

Florida, with its 25 electoral votes, was the key to victory for both sides. The voting process in the state was a mess -- with poorly designed ballots and resulting irregularities in counting. Election night itself was a network television nightmare -- with Gore and Bush alternately declared victors in the state. And once the lawyers took over, well, it dragged on for 36 days. Until the Supreme Court decided the election.

 

Bush won, and Team Bush was in Florida to preserve a victory, not count votes. It was a lesson in messaging the Democrats have not forgotten.

 

While Team Gore undoubtedly fought and fought hard, the candidate himself did not want to appear to be taking to the streets to win. Demonstrations were limited. Congressional visits to Florida were limited, too. Gore wanted to be a statesman in a dogfight. As Whouley told us, "When you're in a fight, the first person who stops fighting always loses." It still hurts.

 

So, it comes down to this: Maybe -- just maybe -- more people went to the polls intending to vote for Al Gore. But you need to count votes, not intentions. And that was the crux of the problem. In a series of post-election studies done by both the media and academics, the result is ambiguous: Bush likely would have won the statewide recount ordered by the Florida Supreme Court, by a small margin. But Gore would have likely won a statewide recount of all disputed ballots — a process his team never requested.

[Mark F]

one of my favourite commentors on american election.... discusses debate

 

 

"I case anyone missed it, we had the Rs debate on the economy last night. Two debates actually, the lesser one with the guys that score 2% or less in the polls, and then the main event with all the big guys.

We should be inundated today with expert opinion about what they said and who the “winners” are. In the meantime, for some reason I feel compelled to make a few un-expert and wholly inadequately detailed and un-fact checked observations.

Debate I (the guys that won’t be elected to the jobs they have now)

 

1) Christie reminds of John Candy’s Evil Twin.

2) The general consensus seems to be we need a small government that dominates the world. Any of the candidates can do it.

3) The one exception being Jindal (LA Guvernator). We need a small government and the country should emulate the economy of Louisiana.

4) I can’t put my finger on anything else that needs mentioning.

 

Debate II (People we need to be Very Serious about)

 

1) Lots of rather impressive oratory, some of it even sounded informed. (see my fact checking disclaimer)

I have no idea which planet, alternative universe, or time line they are talking about. This would concern me, but the audience would cheer and clap at regular intervals.

2) Given the uncertainty in 1), the general consensus seems to be we need a small government that dominates wherever it is we are. Any of the candidates can do it.

3) The one exception being Senator Paul (Ky). We need a small government and the country should emulate the economy of Kentucky.

4) We have a big national debt ($19T) and we need tax cuts.

5) I can’t put my finger on anything else that needs mentioning."

 

 

comment in response:

 

"Thanks CB, now I feel I didn’t miss it.
I was hoping to hear Christopher Chris Christie Christ Almighty I’m Hungry walked over to Bobby Jindal’s lectern, sprinkled some salt on him, and then ate him on live TV."

 

[Taynted_Fayth]

Id vote for bernie sanders. Guys been gold on SNL

[Mark F]

"In a new McClatchy-Marist poll, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) leads Republican candidate Donald Trump by a landslide margin of 12 percentage points, 53 to 41. In the McClatchy poll, Sanders also leads former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush ® by a landslide margin of 10 points, 51 to 41.

The huge Sanders advantage over Trump is not new. In the last four match-up polls between them reported by Real Clear Politics, Sanders defeated Trump by margins of 12, 9, 9 and 2 percentage points.

The huge Sanders advantage over Bush is new. In previous match-ups, the polling showed Sanders and Bush running virtually even, with Bush holding a 1-point lead over Sanders in most of the polls. Future polls will be needed to test whether the huge Sanders lead over Bush in the McClatchy poll will be repeated in future polling or whether the McClatchy poll is an outlier.

It is shocking that the data suggests that Sanders has a lead over Trump that could be so huge that he would win a landslide victory in the presidential campaign,"

 

The Hill