The 2016 US Election Thread: Be Nice Or Get Out Edition

I have been far more interested in the process of the two party system being discredited (albeit in a distorted manner) than either of the two main candidates themselves. Things are definitely getting to a breaking point, and people are not going to put up with the way things are indefinitely.

I'll eat a bowl of thumbtacks before I vote for Trump or Clinton. Both of them are oligarchs that have interests utterly opposed to our own, and I don't think it is an accident that both of them have high disapproval ratings. Do they really have anything to offer for those of us who work for an honest living, considering that both of their campaigns have a heavy degree of scapegoating and fear mongering to them? One of them rails against Muslims and Hispanics, while the other rails against inanimate objects (firearms). There is no reliable evidence suggesting that any of these things being scapegoated are responsible for the effects of the "Great Recession" that continue in spite of it formally ending in 2009. It seems like we are dealing with classical distraction tactics here. The tactic of voting for the "lesser evil" has been an abject failure; lower standards of living prevail, and the "greater evil" eventually gets back into power as a result of the failures of the "lesser" one (which isn't any fundamentally different). It seems that these two "evils" have a history of reinforcing and conditioning each other at times.

I can't definitively say if I will stay away from the polls this year. I was against both Obama and Romney in 2012, but I ended up going to the polls to vote against a homophobic marriage amendment Minnesota's state constitution. My side ended up defeating the said amendment, which paved the way for the legalization of same-sex marriage the following year. I will have to see if anything like that (not related to the presidency) ends up on the ballot.

 

There's really only one obvious choice and I plan on making it.

Honestly... I think it'd be hilarious if the Republican's find a way to deny Trump the nomination with the occasional rumors I've heard on CNN of them attempting to do so.

We'll see I guess.

At this point about the only thing I can do is pray. Ugh...

 

Denying Trump the nomination would probably result in a split in the Republican Party (Trump would probably run as an independent and take millions of Republicans with him). While it is impossible to predict with any sort of certainty what would happen, it does make one wonder if such a thing would have the potential for a four way race for the presidency (perhaps Sanders would be emboldened and end up effectively reentering the race as an independent as well).

I am not a Green by any means, but Jill Stein has pointed out that Hillary Clinton has a record of doing things that people fear Trump doing. Both the "lesser evil" and the "greater evil" condition and reinforce each other. There is no way forward within the confines of the two party system (in reality, it is a one party system with two right-wings).

 

We're *squee*'d either way. On one hand, we have Trump who is pandering and spouting all sorts of nonsense, and on the other hand we have Hillary who is a liar and most likely has blood on her hands. I mean, Hillary is supposedly Pro-LGBT, but who knows if that's her actual standpoint. And Trump is now for, HB2, which is a deal breaker for me. Granted, I can't vote this election so why should anyone take my opinion seriously anyway?

 

You don't need to be an eligible voter to ascertain information and make judgments on an electoral issue.

 

HB2, or at least it's stated intent, is necessary as long as the public continues to want single sex restrooms. There are physiological differences between the sexes that must be recognized and the right to privacy of the people must be upheld. Many women feel frightened, intimidated and nervous when a man enters a girls restroom; their feelings shouldn't be trumped by the man's current gender leanings at that moment. Both parties feelings are valid and should be acknowledged and respected. Once science finds a way to truly change a person's sex, then this whole issue will become mute.

I would personally prefer we just went to co-ed restrooms. Co-ed restrooms would do away with the privacy concerns as everyone using the restroom would know that everyone can use the restroom. Both sexes using the restroom at all times would also help deter sexual assaults; male rapists are less likely to attempt rape on female victims when other males are present that might kick his ass. Full inclusion, dispensing of sexual segregation entirely would be true equality.

HRC lying to the victims families of Benghazi was a deal breaker for me. Not only lied to them about why their loved ones were killed but then going out to the media and claiming the families were lying was just disgusting. Trump's support of imminent domain was almost a deal breaker too, but his election might nuke the establishment and bring out changes for fair primary processes for parties and hopefully and end to the electoral college. But I'm still probably going with my write-in candidate, Deadpool for El Presidente 2016!

 

Deadpool is a fictional character, join me in voting for Weird Al Yankovic.

 

HB2 isn't just the bathroom bill, you know. It completely removes civil protections granted to minority groups who have been historically discriminated against. It is unconstitutional and illegal. As for the whole privacy thing, take a trans woman who has or is currently going through transition. She passes as a woman, but she is legally classified as male. Does she belong in the male restroom where she could potentially be assaulted? This wasn't a problem until the idiots over at the NC General Assembly made it a problem.

 

The event of a third party winning in the future would hardly be a panacea, but it is interesting to see that more people are starting to reject this "lesser evil" nonsense that has been peddled for so many years.