2020 US General Election Thread X: For Those About to Vote

[Kannap]

That's what we're voting for, like it or not, and I hate it.

Luckily I hear presidents have great healthcare.

If Carter and HW can live well into their 90s, there's no reason why Biden can't.

If only all Americans were guaranteed great healthcare.

[Rusozak]

Biden would be 78 on Inauguration Day surpassing Trump as the oldest president.

Geez we're turning into a gerontocracy at this rate.

Hasn't that literally always been the case with our presidents with 2 or 3 exceptions?

[Albrenia]

Luckily I hear presidents have great healthcare.

If Carter and HW can live well into their 90s, there's no reason why Biden can't.

If only all Americans were guaranteed great healthcare.

But that's communism. For some reason.

[Post War America]

Geez we're turning into a gerontocracy at this rate.

At least Biden seems healthy.

I guess. Its just shit like this reminds me of just how old our political class is.

[Valrifell]

Luckily I hear presidents have great healthcare.

If Carter and HW can live well into their 90s, there's no reason why Biden can't.

If only all Americans were guaranteed great healthcare.

I agree, it's a great injustice that politicians decry government-run healthcare and then have their own government-run healthcare plan.

It's fucking absurd.

[Kannap]

That's what we're voting for, like it or not, and I hate it.

Sometimes it comes down to the lesser of two evils.

A bullshit practice and absolutely horseshit that we have to face it every four years. I hope I see genuine progressive and good change in my lifetime but I fear things are only going to get worse no matter who wins if we insist on sticking with the current system.

[Post War America]

Sometimes it comes down to the lesser of two evils.

A bullshit practice and absolutely horseshit that we have to face it every four years. I hope I see genuine progressive and good change in my lifetime but I fear things are only going to get worse no matter who wins if we insist on sticking with the current system.

Not to pull a Lumen here, but it might be worthwhile campaigning for RCV, even if you can't run yourself having that system in place might reduce a lot of the bullshit involved in the current system. Not as perfect as a general strike and total overthrow, but you know, good faith participation goes a long way to building coalitions.

[Valrifell]

Sometimes it comes down to the lesser of two evils.

A bullshit practice and absolutely horseshit that we have to face it every four years. I hope I see genuine progressive and good change in my lifetime but I fear things are only going to get worse no matter who wins if we insist on sticking with the current system.

The problem is you can't break out of it without some serious on-the-ground electoral reform.

[Li Jing]

If only all Americans were guaranteed great healthcare.

I agree, it's a great injustice that politicians decry government-run healthcare and then have their own government-run healthcare plan.

It's fucking absurd.

That’s a politician for you. Be they right wing or left wing.

[Nejii]

If only all Americans were guaranteed great healthcare.

I agree, it's a great injustice that politicians decry government-run healthcare and then have their own government-run healthcare plan.

It's fucking absurd.

Completely agreeable.

The same way it’s hypocritical pietism for a politician to rage and rally against corporations and consumer capitalist systems when they themselves are heavily invested in or benefit from mass industry investment, be it domestic American or foreign. Hypocrisy is stirred into the political soup.

[Valrifell]

I agree, it's a great injustice that politicians decry government-run healthcare and then have their own government-run healthcare plan.

It's fucking absurd.

Completely agreeable.

The same way it’s hypocritical pietism for a politician to rage and rally against corporations and consumer capitalist systems when they themselves are heavily invested in or benefit from mass industry investment, be it domestic American or foreign. Hypocrisy is stirred into the political soup.

If the thought of your favorite political candidate doing well doesn't cause a run on the market, then are they even worth supporting?

[Nejii]

Completely agreeable.

The same way it’s hypocritical pietism for a politician to rage and rally against corporations and consumer capitalist systems when they themselves are heavily invested in or benefit from mass industry investment, be it domestic American or foreign. Hypocrisy is stirred into the political soup.

If the thought of your favorite political candidate doing well doesn't cause a run on the market, then are they even worth supporting?

Perhaps, perhaps not.

I just can’t help but... I don’t know, raise an eyebrow when I see politicians ranting about the rich guys stepping on the masses and the immorality and unfairness of profiteering and predatory capitalism when they themselves are rolling in the dough with dagger smiles.

[Jerzylvania]

A bullshit practice and absolutely horseshit that we have to face it every four years. I hope I see genuine progressive and good change in my lifetime but I fear things are only going to get worse no matter who wins if we insist on sticking with the current system.

The problem is you can't break out of it without some serious on-the-ground electoral reform.

When obsessive party loyalty and self enrichment is put above that to what's best for the country it wrecks our political institutions. This manifests itself as a win at all cost mentality which is destructive. Eventually you can't attract your best and brightest to run for POTUS and other high office. That's how we end up with someone like Trump being nominated twice for POTUS.

People can say what they will about Joe Biden, but Mr. Biden states his candidacy is to represent all of the American people. Neither does he have a reputation for self enrichment. He's a bonafide change candidate versus the corrupted incumbent, Mr. Trump. That being said, it's gonna be a long haul restoring virtue to our political institutions.

I think a lot of the inspiration for the recent intensification of partisanship and overt greed in the GOP the last 30 years can be laid at the feet of Newt Gingrich. A fervent Trump supporter from the get go.

[Zurkerx]

We got a few more polls now:

From Fox (A- Rated), Biden leads 3 of the 4 Battleground States:

In Michigan, Biden leads Trump 52% to 40%. Pretty clear Trump will not win Michigan given the polling we've seen.

In Ohio, Trump leads Biden 48% to 45%. This has gone back and forth but Trumps should win here, albeit by a small margin.

In Pennsylvania, Biden leads Trump 50% to 45%. I think it's safe to say that while PA will be close, Biden should win here, especially after Quinnipiac and Suffolk showed Biden leading.

In Wisconsin, Biden leads Trump 49% to 44%. Like PA, it'll be close but Biden should win here.

We do have an Emerson Poll (A- Rated though that rating is questionable) for Iowa where Biden and Trump are tied at 48%; Ernst leads 51% to Greenfield's 46%. This is a toss-up but I think Trump and Greenfield will win at this point.

Then there's this Garin-Hurt-Yang Poll (B/C Rated) from Georgia that shows Biden leading Trump 51% to 44%; Ossoff leads Perdue 50% to 45%. This is a toss-up and I have no idea where it will go.

[Li Jing]

We got a few more polls now:

From Fox (A- Rated), Biden leads 3 of the 4 Battleground States:

In Michigan, Biden leads Trump 52% to 40%. Pretty clear Trump will not win Michigan given the polling we've seen.

In Ohio, Trump leads Biden 48% to 45%. This has gone back and forth but Trumps should win here, albeit by a small margin.

In Pennsylvania, Biden leads Trump 50% to 45%. I think it's safe to say that while PA will be close, Biden should win here, especially after Quinnipiac and Suffolk showed Biden leading.

In Wisconsin, Biden leads Trump 49% to 44%. Like PA, it'll be close but Biden should win here.

We do have an Emerson Poll (A- Rated though that rating is questionable) for Iowa where Biden and Trump are tied at 48%; Ernst leads 51% to Greenfield's 46%. This is a toss-up but I think Trump and Greenfield will win at this point.

Then there's this Garin-Hurt-Yang Poll (B/C Rated) from Georgia that shows Biden leading Trump 51% to 44%; Ossoff leads Perdue 50% to 45%. This is a toss-up and I have no idea where it will go.

While my fingers are crossed and I like what I see here I’m not celebrating anything until the final declaration in November. I made the mistake of getting wasted preemptively on champagne four years ago and awoke to hear the words “Donald Trump is the new president of the United States”.

[Kowani]

The problem is you can't break out of it without some serious on-the-ground electoral reform.

When obsessive party loyalty and self enrichment is put above that to what's best for the country it wrecks our political institutions. This manifests itself as a win at all cost mentality which is destructive. Eventually you can't attract your best and brightest to run for POTUS and other high office. That's how we end up with someone like Trump being nominated twice for POTUS.

People can say what they will about Joe Biden, but Mr. Biden states his candidacy is to represent all of the American people. Neither does he have a reputation for self enrichment. He's a bonafide change candidate versus the corrupted incumbent, Mr. Trump. That being said, it's gonna be a long haul restoring virtue to our political institutions.

I think a lot of the inspiration for the recent intensification of partisanship and overt greed in the GOP the last 30 years can be laid at the feet of Newt Gingrich. A fervent Trump supporter from the get go.

Gringrich was kind of the grim reaper of consensus building...
But then again, looking at what kind of consensus came out of that, can't say I'll miss it.

[Ngelmish]

A bullshit practice and absolutely horseshit that we have to face it every four years. I hope I see genuine progressive and good change in my lifetime but I fear things are only going to get worse no matter who wins if we insist on sticking with the current system.

The problem is you can't break out of it without some serious on-the-ground electoral reform.

Don't neglect the fact that the goalposts of what constitutes "good" reform tend to move any time that any improvements are made so that we can keep up our perennial, "No one tries to do anything good!" complaints.

[Jerzylvania]

When obsessive party loyalty and self enrichment is put above that to what's best for the country it wrecks our political institutions. This manifests itself as a win at all cost mentality which is destructive. Eventually you can't attract your best and brightest to run for POTUS and other high office. That's how we end up with someone like Trump being nominated twice for POTUS.

People can say what they will about Joe Biden, but Mr. Biden states his candidacy is to represent all of the American people. Neither does he have a reputation for self enrichment. He's a bonafide change candidate versus the corrupted incumbent, Mr. Trump. That being said, it's gonna be a long haul restoring virtue to our political institutions.

I think a lot of the inspiration for the recent intensification of partisanship and overt greed in the GOP the last 30 years can be laid at the feet of Newt Gingrich. A fervent Trump supporter from the get go.

Gringrich was kind of the grim reaper of consensus building...
But then again, looking at what kind of consensus came out of that, can't say I'll miss it.

It's gotta go. Best chances for that start with a blu-nami in 2020. The GOP needs to be washed out, wringed out and hung out to dry in a political gale force wind of change. They're probably going to need a couple severe wipe out elections before they clean up their act. Count 2018 as the first.

[Andsed]

If only all Americans were guaranteed great healthcare.

But that's communism. For some reason.

Are we sure McCarthy is not immortal? Because despite the fact he supposedly died in 1957 it feels like he is still here sometimes.

[Rusozak]

But that's communism. For some reason.

Are we sure McCarthy is not immortal? Because despite the fact he supposedly died in 1957 it feels like he is still here sometimes.

Maybe the real McCarthy was the friends we blacklisted along the way.

[Eukaryotic Cells]

https://www.270towin.com/poll-closing-times

Spent some time playing with 538's swing state tool. Looks like the critical times to tune in will be around 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM. Key states to watch will be Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Texas.

If Biden is expected to win Florida or North Carolina, Trump is probably toast. If Trump is expected to win Michigan or Pennsylvania, Biden is probably toast.

Biden landslide indicators would be him winning in Texas, Ohio, or Georgia.

[Cannot think of a name]

The problem is you can't break out of it without some serious on-the-ground electoral reform.

Don't neglect the fact that the goalposts of what constitutes "good" reform tend to move any time that any improvements are made so that we can keep up our perennial, "No one tries to do anything good!" complaints.

This may be the truest and most succinctly accurate summation post this thread will achieve.

[Nobel Hobos 2]

Because it would tend to come across as forced and overly manufactured. I, for instance, wouldn't believe that Hillary Clinton just spontaneously had the idea to stream Among Us. AOC can get away with it because she's significantly younger than most other politicians in the national spotlight, not significantly older than most streamers herself.

Though adapting to modern media is a good political move regardless, which is why politicians use Twitter more now. It's like the modern radio!

I think my soul died at the idea of Twitter as modern radio.

Talkback radio crossed with daytime television. What could possibly go wrong?

Seriously though. The current social media is a public conversation across borders, with incredible unrealized potential that almost no-one utilizes well ... yet. Even the internet itself is still quite young.

When people are new to anything, they're not good at it. I honestly believe that something like free publishing will develop into a trans-national government. Possibly a better form of government than democracy. Perhaps only an enhancement nation-by-nation. Driven not just by technology, but by people discovering the potential of the technology, the internet comes on top of consumer computers ... a double whammy that seems long ago to young people (40 years) but I was a teenager. My first computer was a ZX-80 and the first time I saw the "world wide web" on a computer at a show, it actually scared me. Even as a tiny ripple it looked like a big wave to ride.

These are interesting times, literally. Only a genius can ride the wave now, the rest of us just fall in and get lifted up and if we're not careful, dumped on the beach. The only people who seem really scared are the religious conservatives, and that alone should be enough to tell you these interesting times are a great new Enlightenment.

[Greater Miami Shores]

All these older Venezuelans and Cubans voting for Trump cause "communism is bad" are making me cry.

Biden isn't even a social Democrat, let alone a communist.

It is not just Biden, it is the leftists behind Biden and the leftists in the Democratic Party. As I posted Biden criticized Bernie for political reasons, praising Fidel and Cuba, while he supports President Obama's appeasement policies on Cuba. Biden supports friendly economic, political, cultural and tourist diplomatic relations with the eternal Cuban regime. The Cuban regime calls itself the continuity of the revolution, this statement says it all.

[The Black Forrest]

But that's communism. For some reason.

Are we sure McCarthy is not immortal? Because despite the fact he supposedly died in 1957 it feels like he is still here sometimes.

Charlie is immortal. He lives at the Smithsonian now. I think Mortimer is with him....