I’ve been trying to articulate this, because it’s really not how debates are supposed to work. And in normal times, maybe a bar this low wouldn’t apply. But in all 3 of the debates, I’ve been very impressed with Hillary Clinton saying things I disagree with:
After the first debate, a lot of liberals complained about her position on NAFTA. Fair, enough, I thought she was wrong on the policy. But I also appreciated her defense of trade more generally and of what future trade policies should look like. You can, and should, argue the policy but she clearly knew what she was talking about, and I hope we can hold her to that in future trade negotiations.
In the second and third debates, Syria policy came up. In the second debate, there was discussion of arming the rebels. Those rebels are probably better people than the current regime, but honestly it’s not our place to arm them. There’s also considerable possibility of blowback and of those weapons ending up in the wrong hands (and that could include the hands we gave them to, 20 years on). That said, Trump was complaining about the policy and he said “She doesn’t even know who the rebels are” and after a lot of Trump nonsense, including a back and forth with one of the moderators, Clinton casually explained who she would arm and why, when I think most people would have just let it go.
In the third debate they discussed a no fly zone. From my perspective, this is a bad use of American military. It’s an act of war, and I think it makes things worse. But I also appreciated her discussion of what the goals of an no fly zone would be and the diplomacy would look like to put it in place.
This is running pretty long for an open thread, so I’ll stop it here: I don’t think I’ll ever have a candidate who I agree with on all the issues, but when I watch Hillary Clinton speak, I’m at least glad that it’s her, smart, competent, prepared, even when I disagree.
I’m not suggesting what we should or what we shouldn’t be doing in Syria, other than whatever we do do that it improves the situation even if it is only a fraction of an improvement.
But I have to laugh at Trump and other Conservative for criticizing and liberals that want to complain and say to stay out. It seems like people speak with forked tongues. Either they want to criticize the current administration but yet have no solid plans on what to do or commit to. Or they want to stay out and yet complain that people are dying over there.
I don’t think we can ever resolve the conflict ourselves . But I think Drumpf supporters should be the one to arm up and go help over there.
Some type of chemical leak in KansASS. I’m sure Brownback has this one covered.
The Republican Party Nominee’s national political director has quit the campaign.
No mystery as to why. No able careerist would want to become associated with the efforts to shift campaign field ops away from voter turnout and toward voter intimidation.
Very unlikely they can find anyone to step in at this late stage. Leaves them with no coherent point of authority for field ops just as those resources are being fully deployed.
Sometimes policy is more with an eye on future negotiations. You need to hold some cards to be in the game.
Isn’t it obvious: The President will never defeat Christian Terrorism so long as he is unwilling to say the words “Christian Terrorism”.
Right?
Yay! Open Bread! It’s about time!
The thing is, Carl, politics isn’t rational. You stupid humans vote with your gut instead of your brains. It’s not hard to see why: Big gut, small brain. At least fat rabbits have big brains to match. Trump supporters, and Republicans generally, are impervious to facts. We all know this. It doesn’t matter how many lies Trump tells, it doesn’t move the needle. As he himself said, he could stand in the street and murder someone, and they would still vote for him. You can fact-check these people to death, and they’ll still believe Obama is a Muslim who was born in Kenya and has an agenda of imposing Sharia Law on the U.S. population, climate change is a hoax, and if Trump loses it will be because eight million dead people voted. These people live in a fantasy world and they believe in whatever makes their fantasy world work, not what is true or real or observable. So the debates have nothing to do with rational policy discourse; they’re all about pushing buttons. He who pushes the most buttons wins. That’s what a democracy run by stupid humans looks like. Don’t forget that Hitler was elected. As for rabbits, we do quite well in a state of feral anarchy, just look at our population growth. All we need is a lettuce field and we’re good to go.
Looks like the Wall Street Journal is imploding under Rupert Murdoch’s ownership.
http://www.cnbc.com/2016/10/21.....umber.html
Ballot’s in the mail! Take that troll-holes!
Sux to be the HA trolls!
@9 Is there still any doubt about the outcome of this election?
No. And there appears to be a special absence of doubt from one certain babbling jackass troll.
Always wrong wing bullshit propaganda websites remove all doubt from the vaccum between the ears of that troll dumbass
I am a convicted felon.
@9 the election is rigged. Hehehe.
@10 The Presidential election is really 50 plus the District of Columbia. Shouldn’t Puerto Rican’s, Virgin Islanders, Guamates, ect have a say in this democratic process. Oh but we are a Republic and not a democracy. The outcome of the Presidential election has been set since the last election. This is Democratic territory and whoever is fingered by the Democratic party will get all our electoral votes, even if the candidate only gets a bit over 50%. There will come an election to everyone’s amazement that a Republican candidate will win, probably will not be this election. Nor the next election. At least it keeps alive the eastern Washington threats to form a new state. That is entertaining.
Maybe we should shock everyone and vote Trump in it would at the least be very entertaining. Heck he maybe our first Liberal President since Nixon.
@12 And you should be able to vote! You should not lose your right to vote even if your incarcerated and serving a 20 year sentence. In most counties of Washington State we have mail in ballots that you can fill out in your cell. Or you should quality for a mail in ballot.
Or are Democrats afraid you will vote Republican. That is cops they always vote Republican. (Source Jack Reacher per Lee Child)
@7 Only rabbits will in their feral anarchy will fuck themselves into a unsustainable population, that will then collapse. The foxes, wolves, hawks, ect, will eat very well for awhile and then their populations will collapse unless they go hunt elsewhere. We humans with our big brains and intelligence if we choose not to live in fantasy can escape this population explosion and collapse. Unfortunately we are animals, and it appears we like rabbits like fucking more than creating a human utopia. Don’t worry you will still fuzzy pets until some dinner.