Trump vs. Biden - the Final Showdown

[Octavious]

That man is legit mentally ill and it's kind of sad that he can't/won't get proper help. I have someone like that in the family and it's just terrifying as you don't know when they are going to kersplode. Oh and Kanye needs help too.

Ya not you.

[malchior]

Bold below added for emphasis

Biden’s plan is to force suburban towns with single-family homes and minimum lot sizes to build high-density affordable housing smack in the middle of their leafy neighborhoods — local preferences and local control be damned.

Starting in 2015, President Barack Obama’s Department of Housing and Urban Development floated a cookie-cutter requirement for “balanced housing” in every suburb. “Balanced” meant affordable even for people who need federal vouchers. Towns were obligated to “do more than simply not discriminate,” as a 2013 HUD proposal explained. Rather, towns had to make it possible for low-income minorities to choose suburban living and provide “adequate support to make their choices possible.”

Had the rule been implemented nationwide, towns everywhere would have had to scrap zoning, build bigger water and sewer lines to support high-density living, expand schools and social services and add mass transit. All pushing up local taxes. Towns that refused would lose their federal aid.

[El Guapo]

[Alefroth]

Are you just saying a smart man is potentially sharper, and more dangerous, than a dull dimwit ?

Yup. Good Presidents are inherently more dangerous than bad ones when it comes to losing control of Democracy. Price you pay for competence. Trump has done and will do tons of damage, but I have zero fear about his ability to subvert the electoral process.

That must be a nice feeling. I mean, it's not like he's been able to subvert anything else.

[Alefroth]

That man is legit mentally ill and it's kind of sad that he can't/won't get proper help. I have someone like that in the family and it's just terrifying as you don't know when they are going to kersplode. Oh and Kanye needs help too.

Would we allow someone with bipolar syndrome to serve as president? Is it discriminatory not to?

[Holman]

That man is legit mentally ill and it's kind of sad that he can't/won't get proper help. I have someone like that in the family and it's just terrifying as you don't know when they are going to kersplode. Oh and Kanye needs help too.

Would we allow someone with bipolar syndrome to serve as president? Is it discriminatory not to?

FWIW, Kim K issued a statement just the other day asking for the public's sympathy and understanding of Kanye's serious mental illness. She didn't mince words, calling him bipolar and also pointing out that (because he is an adult) there is little the family can do if he refuses to seek professional help.

It didn't really feel like a campaign ad.

[malchior]

So things we just learned at the "coronavirus" daily rally:

* Jacksonville is cancelled
* He still wants kids in schools - pretty much no matter what
* He spoke to Putin today

What the journos asked about

* Issues around Trump graft that protected the FBI HQ site and how funding for the new building is now for some reason holding up coronavirus relief

What the journos didn't ask about

* Gassing Ted Wheeler and Portland Moms
* Feds abducting people
* Plans to expand his Fed deployment
* Followup on wishing Ghislaine Maxwell well
* Russian bounties on American soldiers <- pretty pertinent considering *HE SPOKE TO PUTIN AGAIN TODAY*
* Any question about what Putin and Trump discussed whatsoever.

The WH Press corps is next to useless sometimes. I've watched 3 of these now and they are throwing softballs at Trump every day. It feels pretty staged to me. Helen Thomas is rolling in her grave right now.

[Little Raven]

Would we allow someone with bipolar syndrome to serve as president? Is it discriminatory not to?

Assuming he somehow managed to win an election, we probably would....until he had an episode too severe to ignore. Then I assume he would be 25th Amendmented out. Of course, the bar for that might be distressingly high, depending on the circumstances.

[Alefroth]

Would we allow someone with bipolar syndrome to serve as president? Is it discriminatory not to?

Assuming he somehow managed to win an election, we probably would....until he had an episode too severe to ignore. Then I assume he would be 25th Amendmented out. Of course, the bar for that might be distressingly high, depending on the circumstances.

I wonder which, if any, mental health disorders would disqualify a president.

[Alefroth]

That man is legit mentally ill and it's kind of sad that he can't/won't get proper help. I have someone like that in the family and it's just terrifying as you don't know when they are going to kersplode. Oh and Kanye needs help too.

Would we allow someone with bipolar syndrome to serve as president? Is it discriminatory not to?

FWIW, Kim K issued a statement just the other day asking for the public's sympathy and understanding of Kanye's serious mental illness. She didn't mince words, calling him bipolar and also pointing out that (because he is an adult) there is little the family can do if he refuses to seek professional help.

It didn't really feel like a campaign ad.

Yeah, that's what I was referring to, but also wondering if there is any disorder that would prevent someone from qualifying.

[Unagi]

And the guys in the white coats are chasing him.

no

[LawBeefaroni]

Updated at 6:56 p.m. ET

The Jacksonville, Fla., component of the Republican National Convention has been canceled, President Trump announced on Thursday, as cases of the coronavirus continue to spike across that state.

"I looked at my team and I said the timing for this event is not right. It's just not right with what's been happening," Trump said at the daily coronavirus briefing.

"They said 'Sir, we can make this work very easily.' ... I said there's nothing more important in our country than keeping our people safe, whether it's from the China virus or the radical left mob." [ ]

Trump's last-minute decision to cancel the event follows a mad scramble by the Republican Party over the last few months to try and hold a conventional party gathering in spite of the ongoing pandemic that has already killed more than 140,000 Americans.

[Jeff V]

I don't mean to underplay the Coronavirus, but I don't think we're going to setting up Memorial Cemeteries to COVID any time soon. Though I've been wrong before.

I've said it before - I think one of the first acts of 2021 should be to seize the Virginia Trump Golf Course and convert it into national park that contains a Vietnam-style wall that rises and falls as a memorial for COVID-19 victims in the US.

Love that idea.

[Jeff V]

I don't mean to underplay the Coronavirus, but I don't think we're going to setting up Memorial Cemeteries to COVID any time soon. Though I've been wrong before.

I've said it before - I think one of the first acts of 2021 should be to seize the Virginia Trump Golf Course and convert it into national park that contains a Vietnam-style wall that rises and falls as a memorial for COVID-19 victims in the US.

Love that idea.

[Jeff V]

I don't mean to underplay the Coronavirus, but I don't think we're going to setting up Memorial Cemeteries to COVID any time soon. Though I've been wrong before.

I've said it before - I think one of the first acts of 2021 should be to seize the Virginia Trump Golf Course and convert it into national park that contains a Vietnam-style wall that rises and falls as a memorial for COVID-19 victims in the US.

Love that idea.

[Freyland]

If he loves the idea three times in a row does that cancel something on the JeffV hate list?

[El Guapo]

Updated at 6:56 p.m. ET

The Jacksonville, Fla., component of the Republican National Convention has been canceled, President Trump announced on Thursday, as cases of the coronavirus continue to spike across that state.

"I looked at my team and I said the timing for this event is not right. It's just not right with what's been happening," Trump said at the daily coronavirus briefing.

"They said 'Sir, we can make this work very easily.' ... I said there's nothing more important in our country than keeping our people safe, whether it's from the China virus or the radical left mob." [ ]

Trump's last-minute decision to cancel the event follows a mad scramble by the Republican Party over the last few months to try and hold a conventional party gathering in spite of the ongoing pandemic that has already killed more than 140,000 Americans.

They're still doing part (all?) of the convention in NC? I thought Trump canceled NC in order to pwn the lib governor?

[El Guapo]

I still have a hard time grasping that Biden is up 7.5 in Florida...but that's the average.

[Little Raven]

I still have a hard time grasping that Biden is up 7.5 in Florida...but that's the average.

It's amazing what nuking an economy and bungling a pandemic can do for your approval rating.

In November of 2016, Clinton was polling ~1% over Trump in Florida, and he ended up winning the state by about 1%. So even if the hidden Trump voter still exists, being down 7.5 points is devastating. Trump has no path for victory that doesn't go through Florida.

[malchior]

They're still doing part (all?) of the convention in NC? I thought Trump canceled NC in order to pwn the lib governor?

The physical vote for the nomination is still going to be done in person in Charlotte in August sometime.

As to Jacksonville I'm seeing some indication that it was cancelled for reasons other than coronavirus or because it'd be a bad example. As usual Trump just lied. When they announced Jacksonville several people said that Jacksonville doesn't have the capacity for this large an event. And they didn't have the time to adequately plan for it.

[El Guapo]

I still have a hard time grasping that Biden is up 7.5 in Florida...but that's the average.

It's amazing what nuking an economy and bungling a pandemic can do for your approval rating.

In November of 2016, Clinton was polling ~1% over Trump in Florida, and he ended up winning the state by about 1%. So even if the hidden Trump voter still exists, being down 7.5 points is devastating. Trump has no path for victory that doesn't go through Florida.

Yeah, that's a fair point. I think Clinton was up ~ 3% nationally (and trending sharply down, due in part to that f'ing Comey letter), so maybe I've been overestimating how far gone Florida is politically. Hard to see how Trump wins if he doesn't win Florida. Though also hard to see how he wins if he's down so much nationally as well.

[Alefroth]

They're still doing part (all?) of the convention in NC? I thought Trump canceled NC in order to pwn the lib governor?

The physical vote for the nomination is still going to be done in person in Charlotte in August sometime.

As to Jacksonville I'm seeing some indication that it was cancelled for reasons other than coronavirus or because it'd be a bad example. As usual Trump just lied. When they announced Jacksonville several people said that Jacksonville doesn't have the capacity for this large an event. And they didn't have the time to adequately plan for it.

And there was this a few days ago-

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/2 ... ity-373089

The sheriff of Jacksonville, Fla., said he can’t provide security for the Republican National Convention because of a lack of clear plans, adequate funding and enough law enforcement officers.

“As we're talking today, we are still not close to having some kind of plan that we can work with that makes me comfortable that we're going to keep that event and the community safe,” Duval County Sheriff Mike Williams told POLITICO.

[Grifman]

Updated at 6:56 p.m. ET

The Jacksonville, Fla., component of the Republican National Convention has been canceled, President Trump announced on Thursday, as cases of the coronavirus continue to spike across that state.

"I looked at my team and I said the timing for this event is not right. It's just not right with what's been happening," Trump said at the daily coronavirus briefing.

"They said 'Sir, we can make this work very easily.' ... I said there's nothing more important in our country than keeping our people safe, whether it's from the China virus or the radical left mob." [ ]

Trump's last-minute decision to cancel the event follows a mad scramble by the Republican Party over the last few months to try and hold a conventional party gathering in spite of the ongoing pandemic that has already killed more than 140,000 Americans.

Heh, all the MAGA's giving NC governor Cooper a hard time are having to choke about now

[Grifman]

They're still doing part (all?) of the convention in NC? I thought Trump canceled NC in order to pwn the lib governor?

The physical vote for the nomination is still going to be done in person in Charlotte in August sometime.

As to Jacksonville I'm seeing some indication that it was cancelled for reasons other than coronavirus or because it'd be a bad example. As usual Trump just lied. When they announced Jacksonville several people said that Jacksonville doesn't have the capacity for this large an event. And they didn't have the time to adequately plan for it.

Another issue is that a lot of potential delegates were afraid of going - can't find the article right now, but it appears that some were beginning to come to their senses and realize the danger and the stupidity.

[malchior]

They're still doing part (all?) of the convention in NC? I thought Trump canceled NC in order to pwn the lib governor?

The physical vote for the nomination is still going to be done in person in Charlotte in August sometime.

As to Jacksonville I'm seeing some indication that it was cancelled for reasons other than coronavirus or because it'd be a bad example. As usual Trump just lied. When they announced Jacksonville several people said that Jacksonville doesn't have the capacity for this large an event. And they didn't have the time to adequately plan for it.

Another issue is that a lot of potential delegates were afraid of going - can't find the article right now, but it appears that some were beginning to come to their senses and realize the danger and the stupidity.

I hope that reflects them coding, "I'm not risking my life for this guy...who is probably going to lose anyway."

[Grifman]

To those who replied to me on my comments on morality in this thread, I replied to you in the new "Morality" thread. Just letting you know.

[YellowKing]

I hope that reflects them coding, "I'm not risking my life for this guy...who is probably going to lose anyway."

Hopefully that thinking carries over into deciding whether they are going to vote on election day.

[Eel Snave]

All I know is, I wasn't up on Biden to begin with. He wasn't my first, second or third choice. But I will crawl through rusty needles soaked in COVID to vote for him come November, and not a power in the 'verse can stop me.

[El Guapo]

I hope that reflects them coding, "I'm not risking my life for this guy...who is probably going to lose anyway."

Hopefully that thinking carries over into deciding whether they are going to vote on election day.

One of the ways that I think large Biden polling leads can be helpful (even though it's early) is that if he sustains them, it may cause Trump allies to start more planning focused on a post-Trump future, which will hopefully cause them to more prominently position themselves to be on the right side of history.

[Kraken]

I mailed in my card requesting mail-in ballots today.

I wonder if we need an election integrity thread. It's a topic that's going to keep rising right up to and beyond election day.

[Grifman]

Some more recent polls show Biden widening his lead over Trump to double digits in several states, including Pennsylvania and Florida (of all places) and Biden with a slight lead in Texas (of all places). I believe I saw that the Cook Political report estimates that Democrats will win another 20 seats in the House and pick up 6 to 7 Senate seats. This is looking like a disaster for the Republicans and it is one entirely of their own making.

Still keeping my fingers crossed but I don't see anything that is going to change the trajectory of this election. The virus is not going to go away and the economy is not going to significantly recover by Election Day. Nothing else really matters in comparison.

[Isgrimnur]

I heard today that there are landlords that are ignoring the eviction moratorium. Rumor only, of course. But that chicken will likely come home to roost before the election. Commercial real estate is going to suffer as businesses don’t come back even when restrictions are relaxed.

[Defiant]

Some more recent polls show Biden widening his lead over Trump to double digits in several states, including Pennsylvania and Florida (of all places) and Biden with a slight lead in Texas (of all places). I believe I saw that the Cook Political report estimates that Democrats will win another 20 seats in the House and pick up 6 to 7 Senate seats. This is looking like a disaster for the Republicans and it is one entirely of their own making.

Stop getting my hopes up, stop getting my hopes up, stop getting my hopes up.

I try not to underestimate the ability of the electorate to disappoint me.

[Isgrimnur]

Stop believing in the goodness of humanity as a whole. It's very freeing.

[Kraken]

Still keeping my fingers crossed but I don't see anything that is going to change the trajectory of this election. The virus is not going to go away and the economy is not going to significantly recover by Election Day. Nothing else really matters in comparison.

Not even brownshirts gassing moms in Democratic cities? You're assuming we'll be able to vote.

[Grifman]

Still keeping my fingers crossed but I don't see anything that is going to change the trajectory of this election. The virus is not going to go away and the economy is not going to significantly recover by Election Day. Nothing else really matters in comparison.

Not even brownshirts gassing moms in Democratic cities? You're assuming we'll be able to vote.

Call me naive, but I think it's over reacting to believe that we won't be able to vote. Voting is handled on a local and state level, the federal government has very little ability, IMO, to impact that. Look at voting by mail - Trump has been on a rant about that but that hasn't stopped various states from going ahead and mailing ballot applications to millions of people. What has Trump done about that - nothing. He hasn't even tried suing the states to stop it, which is the minimum he could do. And Trump isn't competent enough to manage/control a vote shut down. We're extremely lucky this time that our autocrat/dictator wannabe is just so incompetent and ill disciplined.

[Jaymann]

But he is cognitively there.

[Holman]

Still keeping my fingers crossed but I don't see anything that is going to change the trajectory of this election. The virus is not going to go away and the economy is not going to significantly recover by Election Day. Nothing else really matters in comparison.

Not even brownshirts gassing moms in Democratic cities? You're assuming we'll be able to vote.

Call me naive, but I think it's over reacting to believe that we won't be able to vote. Voting is handled on a local and state level, the federal government has very little ability, IMO, to impact that. Look at voting by mail - Trump has been on a rant about that but that hasn't stopped various states from going ahead and mailing ballot applications to millions of people. What has Trump done about that - nothing. He hasn't even tried suing the states to stop it, which is the minimum he could do. And Trump isn't competent enough to manage/control a vote shut down. We're extremely lucky this time that our autocrat/dictator wannabe is just so incompetent and ill disciplined.

I mostly agree with you. I don't think Trump is in a position to prevent the election from the White House. I think the scenario of declaring a national emergency and postponing the election is far-fetched.

But my worry is that Trump cronies and sycophants at the local level will work to depress the vote in Dem-majority areas wherever possible. There's not much Trump can do, but there's plenty a state-level governor or secretary of state can do to make voting more difficult.

And there are already signs that Trump's hand-picked head of the USPS is not to be trusted.

[malchior]

The risk isn't a wholesale cancellation of the election. The risk is that the electoral system has shown it has issues already. We'll be under electronic attack by at least three nations. There might be attempts to use Federal storm troopers to scare off voters. Many signs point to the reasonably high chances that this will be the *worst* election we've dealt with and the President is an autocratic cheater. So we don't have to leap to 'cancel election'. We have many other real things to worry about.

[wonderpug]

Still keeping my fingers crossed but I don't see anything that is going to change the trajectory of this election. The virus is not going to go away and the economy is not going to significantly recover by Election Day. Nothing else really matters in comparison.

Not even brownshirts gassing moms in Democratic cities? You're assuming we'll be able to vote.

Call me naive, but I think it's over reacting to believe that we won't be able to vote. Voting is handled on a local and state level, the federal government has very little ability, IMO, to impact that. Look at voting by mail - Trump has been on a rant about that but that hasn't stopped various states from going ahead and mailing ballot applications to millions of people. What has Trump done about that - nothing. He hasn't even tried suing the states to stop it, which is the minimum he could do. And Trump isn't competent enough to manage/control a vote shut down. We're extremely lucky this time that our autocrat/dictator wannabe is just so incompetent and ill disciplined.

Depending on what dystopian movie we're in, you almost have me thinking all these federal troop deployments to democrat-leaning cities is laying the groundwork for a federal presence during the elections.