The Election Night Thread - Part 2

[regwec]

How to lose an election it is unforgivable not to win:

1) Pick a candidate no-one much likes.
2) Tell them that, if they vote for the other guy, they are reprehensible.
3) Act like you've already won.

 

[Thundercrack85]

It's like most Germans in Nazi Germany. "I don't hate the Jews, but it's not my problem. I like that Hitler. He's gonna make Germany great again".

 

[BoredGuy]

How to lose an election it is unforgivable not to win:

1) Pick a candidate no-one much likes.
2) Tell them that, if they vote for the other guy, they are reprehensible.
3) Act like you've already won.

pretty spot on
most people just assumed the Trump hate would balance the Hillary hate

but I guess we didn't hate hard enough

So much for 'going high when they go low', Michelle

 

[Thundercrack85]

Liberals will never out hate conservatives, that's like their superpower.

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

LOOOOL

As a black man, the last thing I'm going to do is feel sorry for a bunch of uneducated, backwoods idiots who just voted in a racist scumbag. I'm terrified for the next four years. Absolutely terrified.

As we all should be, but I put that quote in the context of these people being so economically desperate (as many parts of the black community can surely understand) and they put their faith in a snake oil salesman, who's going to leave them high and dry. Most of them not being sophisticated enough to even really understand the inherent racism in Trump's platform, or better yet if you go the "Hierarchy of Needs" route having the ability/time to even care.

I pity anyone who's faith is misplaced and gets taken advantage of, especially in this case because after Trump doesn't come through, where do they turn then?

 

[BoredGuy]

Liberals will never out hate conservatives, that's like their superpower.

very true
like a Republican Red Lantern Corps

 

[Thundercrack85]

As we all should be, but I put that quote in the context of these people being so economically desperate (as many parts of the black community can surely understand) and they put their faith in a snake oil salesman, who's going to leave them high and dry. Most of them not being sophisticated enough to even really understand the inherent racism in Trump's platform, or better yet if you go the "Hierarchy of Needs" route having the ability/time to even care.

I pity anyone who's faith is misplaced and gets taken advantage of, especially in this case because after Trump doesn't come through, where do they turn then?

I am playing the world's smallest violin.

 

[TheDreamMaster]

Despite the fears I have already voiced, I do wonder how much of this was racist-fueled voting, apathy, or "I don't like either but I hate Hilary more", which made a perfect ****storm of stupidity that led us to this decision.

I mean liking neither candidate myself, I never in my right mind vote Trump, I can't fathom him the lesser evil.

 

[Schlosser85]

You don't have to be sophisticated to understand the racism of someone who was sued multiple times for discrimination against black tenants, or said laziness is a trait in blacks, or his blatant misogyny.

 

[regwec]

I don't think anyone is accusing Hillary or her campaign of a surfeit of sophistication.

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

You don't have to be sophisticated to understand the racism of someone who was sued multiple times for discrimination against black tenants, or said laziness is a trait in blacks, or his blatant misogyny.

Look I'm not defending Trump being an abhorrent racist here, and thats really not the point so let's get that straight. But if you're down and out, and can barely keep food on the table for your family, and your life skill is becoming increasingly useless, if someone comes along and for the first time in years promises to change your personal situation, even if that person if a bigot I dont think you're going to care much about "principles" especially those that in no way affect your day to day existence. If I live in Snyder County, PA racial inequality in Philadelphia may just as well be on Mars.

 

[kane9321]

It is when whites overwhelmingly vote for an unapologetic bigot.

drop the mic..boom

 

[kane9321]

LOOOOL

As a black man, the last thing I'm going to do is feel sorry for a bunch of uneducated, backwoods idiots who just voted in a racist scumbag. I'm terrified for the next four years. Absolutely terrified.

BRO..my heart is still aching...this is a bad dream

 

[Darepool]

From the perspective of the average voter, Obama is not enough. 2016 was the year of populism. The people want radical change. They wanted a candidate that wasn't part of the Establishment. Either someone like Bernie or a third party candidate.

So naturally when those candidates are no longer a realistic option, they'll cling to the con man who sells himself as anti-Establishment.

Pretty much, yeah.

 

[Gold Samurai]

 

[Victarion]

I retract what I said in my previous post in this thread (its laughing at the Clinton HQ party's response, but still savage all the same).

 

[auditor]

Who was more mis guided? Trump supporters or Bernie or Bust? I say bernie or bust. At least Trump supporters got what they wanted.

 

[Legendver2]

I feel for Obama though. He must be thinking "how did a country I single-handedly brought out of a recession turn full ****** overnight....?"

 

[Lighthouse]

very true
like a Republican Red Lantern Corps

Oh my God.......Donald Trump is Agent Orange. That's almost too perfect.

 

[Kane52630]

 

[Kane52630]

Also on the bright side, System of a Down is releasing a new album next year.

 

[Lighthouse]

Also on the bright side, System of a Down is releasing a new album next year.

All the original members?

 

[Paradoxium]

I think to imply that Trump's victory was due completely to racist sentiments is misguided and in some sense trying to oversimplify it to cope with the decision.

In reality, based on what I've read, it seems more like the voter base where he got the biggest turnout was with the white, rural blue-collar workers, most of whom who work in industries in the rust belt or in farming or the coal regions where their signature industries have either all but gone away or have been completely rendered useless by out-sourcing, technology, etc.

That population lives hand to mouth and check to check these days having seen a large drop in their standard of living, and basically been left behind as the Country evolves and speeds ahead. They don't really have the luxury of confronting social issues, and due to their rural nature don't get all too much exposure to more than a handful of minorities.

Does fear and racism play a part in that? Sure it does. But it definitely wasn't the sole or perhaps even largest motivation, otherwise they'd have come out in droves in 2008/2012 to vote AGAINST Obama, and that didn't happen.

Trump's "Make America Great Again" BS hit a nerve with them, most likely unintended, in that it harkens them back to when they were relevant and earning a good living. Their communities are almost as homogeneously white now as they were then so I would doubt that was the most attractive aspect of that for them.

The sad part in the end is you should feel bad for these folks. Because they've in effect turned to a man they don't completely understand and they're going to be left holding the bag because coal mining and like industries in the south/rust belt/ozarks, etc. aren't coming back no matter what Trump said, and I doubt he'd really even know where to begin to try. That horse has long left the barn.

While I am sure we have nothing in common politically (and Tom Welling), I agree and had a similar conclusion.

 

[godisawesome]

Despite the fears I have already voiced, I do wonder how much of this was racist-fueled voting, apathy, or "I don't like either but I hate Hilary more", which made a perfect ****storm of stupidity that led us to this decision.

I mean liking neither candidate myself, I never in my right mind vote Trump, I can't fathom him the lesser evil.

Despite the fears I have already voiced, I do wonder how much of this was racist-fueled voting, apathy, or "I don't like either but I hate Hilary more", which made a perfect ****storm of stupidity that led us to this decision.

I mean liking neither candidate myself, I never in my right mind vote Trump, I can't fathom him the lesser evil.

I'm going to say apathy and a lack of critical, educated thinking was the real killer; the vast majority of voters weren't satisfied with either candidate, but at least those are the ones who actually voted. Trump benefitted from The general apathy of those who had determined that neither candidate was adequate, especially among the "Obama coalition", seems to have left the country vulnerable to Trump's exploitation of prejudice and selfishness for office. Some people simply didn't understand that even if you hate both candidates, you should still vote for someone.

This thing came down to a few thousand votes. And there were many traditional Republicans like me who went split ticket because we saw Trump as clearly worse than Hillary. But Trump's fanbase (the combined traditional Republican country vote and the old blue collar Democratic reserve) was genuinely enthusiastic (dangerously so) and was never going to not vote for him.

I don't think Trump necessarily gained support in the wake of the debates or Comey's announcement as much as not having a constant and periodic reminder of how bad Trump was let voters drift away from Clinton, with some being knocked out by what must have been a shallow understanding of Comey's announcement.

I mean, I went from thinking I could safely vote a write-in or third party to knowing I had to vote Hillary once I saw Trump's poll numbers go up. But I'm outside of Trump's demographic; I'm educated and not mired in debt. I'm not rich, but I was taught to evaluate news stories for understanding. To me, the Comey report was only moderately disconcerting; it wasn't a new scandal, it was the same scandal, but reopened for an even smaller peek. But the narrative turned in Clinton,a nod people didn't think it was necessary to vote for her. That left Trump's base and the still motivated to vote reluctant Republicans to take the swing states.

 

[Iceman]

So last night was just a dream right?