Trump cheats at golf - the ONE and ONLY politics thread

Was that a scheduled tweet by Pence? It was the Indy Star who said initially that he was wobbling and might want out. Hmm....

 

Clinton "won" the debate, which in my book puts her up 2-0, which is amazing, because she's a poor debater.

She just happens to be better than Bernie Sanders (who was awful) and Donald Trump, who was pretty good at times during the primaries but needs more, uh, stimuli.

I mean that about Trump. His trying to bully Cooper and Radditz? That's not just him being an asshole, IMO. That's him trying to rev himself up. He needs the interplay. The pacing, the facial expressions, the interrupting - his overwhelming ADD is an underrated factor in debates.

Trump has painted himself into a corner with the nightmare vision of America. He can't be very charming when he insists America is a great abyss.

 

Yeah, it is better than 50/50 that Pence is gone. People seem to be underestimating just how big of a deal it is that he took a 48-hour leave of absence at the height of the campaign

 

If Pence bailed and then tried to become the nominee...he might rate lower than Ted Cruz on my asswipe-o-meter scale.

I'm not sure I thought that was possible. But Pence could give Cruz a run for it.

 

Like I said a few pages ago, a large portion of the case Hillary has made for herself -- and Obama himself said at the convention -- is that she is super qualified to be president because of her work with two administrations and as a senator. Several times tonight she mentioned her "30 years of public service."
That means she's tied to both the Clinton and Obama administrations. She can't use that to her advantage on one hand, and then try to distance herself from it when it doesn't suit her.

 

I can't imagine Pence trying to become a nominee in 2016. Just not happening.

I can imagine Pence thinking if he wants to be the nominee in 2020, he has to get off this trainwreck before another tape comes out. And there is every indication there is more to come.

 

What is this noise about Pence becoming the nominee? Haven't we concluded (mostly through that WaPo story) that that's impossible?

Ballots have gone out. People have voted already. It can't change. Right?

 

I tend to agree, but I think he missed his window if he was going to bail. If he does it yesterday or today before the debate he's following his moral compass or some such. If he does it after Trump has at least a semi-decent debate he's a deserter under fire. I can't help but think that if he bails now without a valid excuse (such as another tape) he hurts his 2020 chances.

 

If Pence ditches Trump, and that's probably still a big IF, what does that do? Nobody really votes for VP. But in Trump's case, isn't Pence there to calm the conservative base?

 

Her retort - and here is where she struggles - should be: You bet I'm tied to my husband and Obama - we had a good 16 years with them.

 

The election is over. He's going to lose by an enormous amount. The GOP might also lose both governing bodies. Pence needs to do anything he can to get away from the stink of this sinking submarine that's on fire from within. If he bails now, I think he looks smart. It may further torpedo Trump, but it looks worse if he is forced to keep defending this derangement. Think about the final two weeks of the campaign, how hard you have to push to get voters out, keep enthusiasm high. Pence will look like a total fool out there if he's attached to a campaign where trump is forced to explain why he was using the N-word on set of The Apprentice.

The GOP is in for a reckoning, and the sooner you get away from Trump, the better. It really is going to get worse. If Pence has any sense, he won't go down with this ship. Make up a health excuse, anything. Just run. Let him put his kid on the ticket, or Christie.

 

Some thoughts even a few hours after it went live...

Trump looks really tired. As if Melania has him on the couch since Friday night.
I hate these town hall debates. Prefer podiums and finger-pointing. Especially this trend of late, since Cheney, of having the VP debate at a table.
Clinton is on talking points. All she has to do is run out the clock.

As a Republican, I'm not angry with Trump. We all knew what we was about. I'm angry at the damn candidates who lingered way too long in the primaries. If the initial field was 5 or 6 candidates, Trump could have been stopped.

Instead, all of the Huckabee/Carson/Fiorina types stayed in to advance their personal brand and speaking fees instead of getting out. This debacle is on them. Not on Trump. He is who he is. Also why I'm not voting for him.

Ultimately, nothing will change. Clinton wins. Democrats may get the Senate back. Republicans retain the House and keep the legislation where it is. In 2018, Republicans probably regain the Senate (flipping 2012 seats in red states) and it heads to 2020.