US The 2020 Campaign for US President

[Brian W]

 

[Jamie in Chile]

Lou, we don't need to worry about faithless electors any more. I did raise that worry myself when there was the possibility of a 270-268 victory margin. But with Biden getting to probably over 300 it is not going to be an issue because you would need so many of them.

Faithless electors is ridiculous. Why they don´t just agree to get rid of this possibility right away.

Better still get rid of the electoral college altogether and just have popular vote of course.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

Did everyone catch the Four Seasons story yesterday? So it turns out that Trump tweeted:
"Lawyers Press Conference at Four Seasons, Philadelphia. 11:00 A.M," then replaced it with
"Big press conference today in Philadelphia at Four Seasons Total Landscaping — 11:30am!"
it´s thought that they wrongly booked the Four Seasons Total Landscaping, a small business, instead of the hotel, and then went ahead with it anyway.
(Or alternatively couldn´t get the four seasons booking so deliberately booked another business with that name so as not to admit mistake?)
Anyhow, this is a major marketing coup for Four Seasons Total Landscaping. If they have got any sense they will create twitter and facebook accounts and do media interviews immediately and make a fortune. It could even become a minor tourist attraction!
And also good news since it makes the lawsuits look a bit more ridiculous and increases the chances they will die.

Keep on digging: Trump team holds press conference at suburban garden centre

Rudy Giuliani details strategy in the car park of Four Seasons Total Landscaping, a suspected mixup with Four Seasons hotel in Philadelphia

www.theguardian.com

I´m looking forward to hearing John Oliver´s take on this.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

Narendra Modi, the leader of India, a populist demagogue who enjoyed close relations with Trump and seemed to be an ally of his on the world stage, has congratulated Biden and Harris.
Mexico´s AMLO is in the hedging his bets category.
Russia and China are silent.

Narendra Modi

@narendramodi
·
Heartiest congratulations
@KamalaHarris
! Your success is pathbreaking, and a matter of immense pride not just for your chittis, but also for all Indian-Americans. I am confident that the vibrant India-US ties will get even stronger with your support and leadership.

Narendra Modi

@narendramodi

Congratulations
@JoeBiden
on your spectacular victory! As the VP, your contribution to strengthening Indo-US relations was critical and invaluable. I look forward to working closely together once again to take India-US relations to greater heights.

 

[Chryssie]

I was just invited to join a "disgruntled Trump supporters" group on Facebook by an IRL acquaintance. I guess she didn't pay attention to my FB posts! I declined the invitation after looking at the group. Wow! These people's thoughts just boggle my mind!

 

[Emma JC]

"The only person I will miss from not having to watch anymore is Rachel Maddow."
Think it was meant tongue in cheek--as in how I HAD to watch Rachel as she is the most comprehensive and thorough of all the media!

that is correct, @silva - we have been watching her, as best we can on YouTube, as she is the voice of sanity and she likes to dig for the back story and the Nancy Drew in me loves that

Emma JC

 

[Lou]

Did everyone catch the Four Seasons story yesterday? So it turns out that Trump tweeted:
"Lawyers Press Conference at Four Seasons, Philadelphia. 11:00 A.M," then replaced it with
"Big press conference today in Philadelphia at Four Seasons Total Landscaping — 11:30am!"
it´s thought that they wrongly booked the Four Seasons Total Landscaping, a small business, instead of the hotel, and then went ahead with it anyway.
(Or alternatively couldn´t get the four seasons booking so deliberately booked another business with that name so as not to admit mistake?)
Anyhow, this is a major marketing coup for Four Seasons Total Landscaping. If they have got any sense they will create twitter and facebook accounts and do media interviews immediately and make a fortune. It could even become a minor tourist attraction!
And also good news since it makes the lawsuits look a bit more ridiculous and increases the chances they will die.

Keep on digging: Trump team holds press conference at suburban garden centre

Rudy Giuliani details strategy in the car park of Four Seasons Total Landscaping, a suspected mixup with Four Seasons hotel in Philadelphia

www.theguardian.com

I´m looking forward to hearing John Oliver´s take on this.

Thanks for bringing this up.
I don't care what Samantha Bee says, the comedians are going to miss the Trump team, where the jokes practically write themselves.
I'm sort of happy to hear that the Landscaping company is jumping right on the T-shirt and merchandise marketing website thing. I hope to see some Eagles giving pressers in those shirts.
I am also impressed with the author of this article. It could have been just a paragraph. Or even ignored. Instead, it was thoroughly researched and completely enjoyable.
I also never paid attention to the Guardian. I'm an NYT guy. this is the second time in less than a week I really liked one of their articles. Going to tell my newsfeed to follow them.
In the process of telling my newsfeed to follow them, I looked up " Four Seasons Total Landscaping". Holy crap, this is big news. It was on Saturday Night Live, too.

‘SNL’ Destroys Rudy Giuliani’s Four Seasons Total Landscaping Disaster

Few things are more primed for “SNL” than the can’t-make-it-up press conference in a landscaper’s parking lot instead of a hotel. Kate McKinnon’s Rudy Giuliani was happy to oblige.

www.thedailybeast.com

 

[Lou]

that is correct, @silva - we have been watching her, as best we can on YouTube, as she is the voice of sanity and she likes to dig for the back story and the Nancy Drew in me loves that

Emma JC

I listen to her podcasts when I have time but I like my news to be delivered faster. She seems to repeat the same facts over and over again. My best guess is that her audience is making dinner and may not hear her the first time. I find the repetition frustrating.
Another thing I don't like is that when she is reporting the ridiculous stuff that Trump says and does she seems to be enjoying herself. Granted it makes the news interesting, and she does not appear to be gleeful, and it's nice to see someone like what they do but still ... I feel its a little bit wrong to enjoy reporting on Trump.
But she gets a lot cred for not repeating Trump's lies (and tweets). "Watch what they do not what they say".
The cartoon is funny but actually, I do like it when she does background.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

The Guardian is a UK newspaper that sells a physical newspaper. It is one of the about 8 or so main national newspapers in the UK.
I think it´s much smaller in the US and elsewhere.
I believe when you click on it in the Americas you tend to get a more US centric website, different than what you see in the UK. That is what I tend to see in Chile.
It is more towards the earnest, elite, intellectual side of things.
It´s actually similarly aligned to the average view on this forum.
However, it clearly has left wing bias, and therefore, while the articles will have us nodding in agreement quite often, it will deepen your likelihood of becoming polarized, radicalized, elitist, and out of touch while stuck in your echo chamber.
However, some of the bias lies in choice of topics to highlight, e.g. write about feminism rather than the latest quarterly earnings calls of a major company.
And it is truthful and respectful, and rarely makes mistakes or says things that are plainly inaccurate.
Also it is the only UK media publication that is not in denial about climate change and gives the topic the serious coverage it deserves. It´s worth reading for that.
The Guardian is known for co-operating with whistleblowers and worked with Edward Snowden. A few years before Snowden, there was a movie, the Bourne Ultimatum, which features a Guardian journalist trying to undercover a shadowy CIA consipiracy by meeting up with Jason Bourne!
The Guardian is free, but you can send a donation.

 

[Raven]

That Four Seasons story was hilarious.

 

[silva]

Interesting. I took the test. i may have to take the test again because I may have read a little bit too much into the questions. I also may have used the strongly agree/disagree a bit too much. Especially when the question was expressed in absolutes.

Anyway here is my score

View attachment 22832

Me too! I think I got caught up with just how much i want this regime to go away!

 

[Calliegirl]

Some of the questions were hard to answer because they depended on the situation. It was hard to choose to agree or disagree. I think I'm a bit higher and a tad to right.

 

[Lou]

Some of the questions were hard to answer because they depended on the situation. It was hard to choose to agree or disagree. I think I'm a bit higher and a tad to right.For me the

I mostly think I maybe choose strongly disagree when I could have just chosen to disagree. This was when the question asked something and put it in terms of absolutes.

They put me in the correct quadrant.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

Disappointing response from top Republicans.

None of the most powerful/influential/well known Republicans, such as Ted Cruz, Lindsay Graham, Mitch McConnell, Kevin McCarthy, Marco Rubio and Rand Paul, have congratulated the winners. Most of them are fairly neutral, supportive of the lawsuits and nonsense from the Trump inner circle. This is a bit worse than I hoped for.

Mike Pence has just gone totally silent for several days now. I kind of half expected that. He probably wants Trump to concede but doesn´t want to oppose him either due to loyalty.

George W Bush and Mitt Romney have congratulated the winners and accepted the result. There is definitely something of a clear gap between the Republican party of today and a decade or so ago.

 

[KLS52]

I’m a little surprised by my result. I had a really hard time with some of the questions too. I would have expected to be farther right.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

Four Seasons Total Landscaping on their facebook page says that they are "slammed" dealing with merch orders. They have also took my advice and set up a twitter account.

However, sadly the owner of the nearby sex shop has not seen an uptick in business, only people calling the shop with prank calls and gawping from the outside.

 

[Blues]

I must admit, watching the US Presidency race from outside of the USA the last couple of months has been like watching a sitcom.

 

[Second Summer]

I must admit, watching the US Presidency race from outside of the USA the last couple of months has been like watching a sitcom.

I suspect although the election is over, the 'sitcom' will go on for some time yet ... I've read speculation that the Orange Menace might resign before 20th January so that Pence takes over and pardons him for all his crimes. He'll then continue to rule the Republican party as before, and collect donations from his brainwashed followers, and besides he'll start his own TV channel because Fox News was mean to him. By 2024 he could make another attempt at becoming president, or maybe more likely, he'll run Donald junior since he's even crazier and the hardcore MAGA crowds love him to bits.

Those in the US who favour reason, science, democracy and decency in public discourse have their work cut out for them for years to come.

 

[Second Summer]

I've read speculation that the Orange Menace might resign before 20th January so that Pence takes over and pardons him for all his crimes.

Although, I don't think that will work, because I don't think you can be pardoned for crimes you haven't yet been found guilty of!

 

[Lou]

Also, a President can't pardon someone if they are convicted in a state court. There are already a few cases pending in New York State. Dollars to donuts that other states will jump in. There will also be a few civil matters. I'm a little unsure about this but I think bills due still need to be paid. Like IRS stuff. and outstanding loans. My guess is that he will either go to prison or to the poor house. (or flee to Russia).

I don't know what will happen in congress but if we do get a Democratic congress I bet someone has a list of all the crimes he can be tried for.

The worse thing is that Trumpism lives on. In the hearts and minds of the 70 million people who voted for him. and the Republican politicians who have tied themselves to it.

Maybe the good thing to concentrate on is that a major barrier has been taken down. However, there is still a lot of things that can go wrong.