Who is going to win this election in November?

[STR]

A president can't be elected by straight white males alone. And not all straight white males voted for Trump.

Indeed. Trump outperformed Romney with Latinos and blacks by some 5 points. Granted, a sum total of 7% of the African American vote isn't much, but it was enough.

The mandate for this election isn't "angry white men". It's a bunch of Americans demanding change, any change. Truth didn't matter. Competence didn't matter.

We'll see if they get their wish. Though, there's a better than 50/50 chance of another recession in the next 4 years, so regardless of who won and why it is likely to be a one-shot.

Regardless of the candidate, I don't think the last year has been good for America long term. The supreme court shenanigans paid off, so appointments are likely to get more broken. This, at least at this time, seems to be the 2nd time in 3 presidencies that the winner lost the popular vote. That's not good for democracy. Post-truth elections don't bode well either.

Beyond 2016, and even 2020, I'm deeply concerned with how this will affect the American system. It's creaking. I'm not sure how much more of a hit it can take. And I'm not talking about abortion, walls, or trade pacts.

 

[The Lonely Man]

At this point, it's water under the bridge. This is the world you live in now, and time will tell what he actually does. I am not buying that he will be unfair to minorities though.

Boys will be boys.

 

[Captain Crow]

The next four years is probably not gonna be real pleasant for the LGBT community is it?

That putz Pence is rather homophobic to the point he apparently wanted to divert funding from HIV prevention to conversion therapy.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

- Rejection of rationality.

- Rejection of quality media and inability to tell real media from conspiracy news on FB

- the working class not caring about all those socially progressive policies us liberals are promoting.

- the liberal elite taking working class votes for granted but completely ignoring the socially conservative attitudes in that group.

- Xenophobia and a huge backlash against all the change progressives and liberals have brought to our countries in the past decade. Many people don't want society to change even more, we moved ahead but forgot about them.

- Backlash against the big public discourse about gender equality.

I have no solution for this.

Eight years of pure blockade by the GOP in Congress, and what do they get? A racist, misogynistic fascist with low IQ and attention span gets elected to the presidency, and a completely GOP-controlled Congress.

All correct.

 

[fonzob1]

Boys will be boys.

I meant it's water under the bridge that he was elected, not that his behavior should have been ignored.

 

[Spider]

The problem with Trump, unlike Hillary, is we don't actually know what he is going to do. He used to be a Hillary supporter, before he wasn't. He used to support women's rights, before he didn't. What makes any of you think that ANYTHING that comes out of his mouth is actually what he means, or is going to do? He said what he had to, to get elected, contradicting himself constantly.

I don't take anything from this asshat seriously, like his wall and all that crap. Meaningless jabber. I don't think Trump takes the republican national party ideals seriously. What we have to fear from Trump is the unknown, not the known, or even our perceived known. I'll wait an see if my absolute loathing of the man is deserved or not, because frankly, I just don't know.

 

[Lakenheath 72]

I am a disabled American who votes Democrat, for I feel that I have a place in their world. The modern Republican party does not I feel have a place for me. I will be one of those who will know suffering under a Republican government.

Hilary Clinton failed because she could not overcome her natural inclinations. Hilary Clinton failed because she failed to heed the warning signs that others were seeing. Her closest advisors were as blind as her to these signs. They were successful long ago, in a time which seems so distant now. Now, they are relics.

It feels to me as a Democrat that our party is retreating before the tsunami that is the conservative machine. We are sheltering ourselves in the cities, while leaving the rural landscape to the Republicans and their kind.

We know how Donald Trump will be for there is a record of him as a business man and as a human being. He is not someone who gets into the weeds - Pence will do that job.

What I see in the next four years:
* Elimination of Nixon-era enivronmental policies - Clean Air, Clean Water, EPA
* Elimination of Teddy Roosevelt-era enivronmental policies - ending the national park system, turning the parks over to corporations for exploitation
* Pulling out of the Paris Climate Talks, punishing federal scientists for using any word associated with climate change
* Elimination of several cabinets - Education, HUD, etc.
* Increased militarization of the police, leading to further erosiion of the social contract
* Reduction in social welfare programs for the poor and lower middle income
* Increased military presence overseas
* Massive tax decreases for the wealthy, further inequality in America
* Republicans shutting out Democrats when discussing legislation
* Roll-back on civil rights across the board
* Further delegitimization of political, social, sexual, racial groups by Republicans
* Repeal of Affordable Care Act - if there is an alternative, it will be free market based
* Elimination of many regulations which keep us healthy and safe from harm
* Economy will become worse - may see recession, might even see Depression, due to bad policies
* at least 1 or 2 new supreme court justices

As for the Democrats, there is a strong sense among some that we are the "advanced party" and that the country will eventually come up to us. They are smug when they express their support for this idea. They keep hoping for a demographic shift to come, so they can reclaim a majorithy of the power. Hopefully, this election will beat this out of many of those Democrats who think like this. (Let me be clear - this is not how I think. I believe we must act decisively and not wait for the shift, and we must reject any sense of superiority some of our brothers and sisters in the party have. The American electorate has righteous anger over their treatment by the so-called "elites". This ideology only strengthens their beliefs.)

 

[suarezguy]

Trump seems to have won mostly on the basis of trade, jobs and the economy generally and wanting change in general. He actually lost on immigration but was sufficiently able to marginalize the issue.
Clinton was seen as untrustworthy and not competent, Trump as untrustworthy but of unclear competence, so late deciders picked the person with less government experience.
The next Supreme Court justice will be replacing Scalia so the ideological balance probably won't shift much (but the next justice may well be less fair or independent than Scalia).
Trump probably won't be change immigration or trade policy, might be able to get a middle-of-the-road compromise on immigration, I don't know about the impact on gay rights (maybe moderate overall but he could hurt them a lot through judicial appointments).
It's very frustrating that independents voted against Clinton, a centrist and someone willing to find common ground whatever her personal flaws.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Just wanted to share what my wife posted on FB this morning:

"So, this morning, I have friends who are happy. I hope they don't gloat, and instead resolve to work towards understanding that the other side also feels strongly about various issues. I have friends who are upset. I hope they don't act bitter and angry, and instead resolve to work towards understanding that the other side also feels strongly about various issues.

I also hope everyone picks up a copy of the Constitution and actually reads it. Many of the things people have angrily, bitterly denounced each candidate for, are things that they can't actually do. It's up to the people (that's us) to safeguard our rights, by voting in elections, by contacting our Congresspeople, and by teaching our children how to think critically and gather information from multiple sources before making reasoned decisions. Not to simply react based on memes or posts on facebook, or tweets by our fave celebrity.

Above all, though, we must be kind to each other. Always be kind and try to understand where our neighbors are coming from."​

Your wife sounds like a very kind person. I fear her words will fall upon the deaf ears of those who just voted to make her less than human.

 

[Nyotarules]

Mr Trump might be the Democrats' secret weapon...... oops sorry been watching too many spy movies

 

[suarezguy]

Obama won in 2012 seemingly because of hope his policies would be better for the economy and resentment about Romney's wealth, now it seems they feel the Democratic policies didn't work nearly enough and resentment against the government was more important especially as Trump was able to appeal to the anger and fear about the economy rather than dismissive of them and, acknowledging that the problems were bipartisan, certainly did seem like a different kind of Republican.

Trump isn't going to abolish the national parks and almost certainly not the EPA but he will give them less funding, possibly a lot less funding.

 

[Nyotarules]

In a global world I do not see how Mr. Trump can change the economy to how it was 30 years ago. Unless he taxes the profits of companies but how does that provide employment in the USA and Trump does not believe in paying taxes.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

In a global world I do not see how Mr. Trump can change the economy to how it was 30 years ago. Unless he taxes the profits of companies but how does that provide employment in the USA and Trump does not believe in paying taxes.

He can't turn back the clock, of course. And he's not going to jack up taxes--he's made it quite clear he'll do the exact opposite, because two previous Republican Presidents giving us trickle-down bullshit wasn't enough for some reason.

 

[Tenacity]

The next four years is probably not gonna be real pleasant for the LGBT community is it?

Maybe we'll be able to find jobs.

The problem with Trump, unlike Hillary, is we don't actually know what he is going to do.

The problem (perceived) with Clinton was we did know what she was going to do. A slight variance on what Obama gave us for nearly eight years.

If you liked the Obama administration, great. But not everyone prospered in it.

 

[Xerxes82]

I forgot. If you're poor and white you supposedly get helped left and right.

I've been teetering above and below the poverty line for a good chunk of my life. I've been homeless in the past, nearly homeless twice within the last couple of years (this year being one of them), and I've lived weeks to at one point at least 2 months without utilities. Most programs in my area require you to have children or incarcerated. I have no kids and I haven't been arrested so I get fuck all help from most programs where live.

The only thing my skin color got me was looked down upon or pointed and laughed at. So please take you're "Whitey gets everything!" bullshit somewhere else.

Wow, that was your takeaway? I'm sensing some serious racial hostility there. You asked what happens to poor people. This election has proven we live in a whites first America. Are you white? Then there is the tiny hope that you may receive help. It's slim. It's more likely you'll be criticized for not working hard enough, since conservatives believe only the lazy and the addled are poor. And you'll probably be told it's your duty to pay a higher tax burden so Trump and his friends can hoard more of the national wealth. They are the only ones who know what to do with it, after all.

If you're a minority, well, then you're fucked. Trump will go out of his way to label your entire class, turn middle america against you, and declare you a criminal. Honestly, I think House conservatives would deport every last one, if they thought they could get away with it. Will Trump go that far? Who the hell knows. Which is the most terrifying thing about our new Imperial Majesty. We don't have the slightest idea what he actually believes, or what he'll actually do. Undoing the last 8 years is a given, that was his entire message. But beyond that? No specifics, no plans, no agenda. Beyond his Wall.

 

[Nyotarules]

^As the great Chris Rock put it ' Even the poorest white man does not want to be me. And I'm rich!'

 

[Spider]

Maybe we'll be able to find jobs.The problem (perceived) with Clinton was we did know what she was going to do. A slight variance on what Obama gave us for nearly eight years.

If you liked the Obama administration, great. But not everyone prospered in it.

I would agree, neither Hillary or Trump got my vote by the way.

And it appears, once again, that the person who got the most votes, loses. How 'bout that for democracy?

 

[Tallguy]

Which is the most terrifying thing about our new Imperial Majesty.

Why is he Imperial or Majesty?

I remember at the end of 2008 I had liberal friends who were convinced President Bush would declare himself President for Life and disregard the election. He had never said anything like that. Never hinted it. Never even indicated that he wanted it. (My opinion was that he probably didn't think he could get out of that house fast enough.) But they "just knew he was thinking it".

I don't like Mr. Trump, didn't vote for him. But I'm sure we're going to get a head start on "he's shredding the Constitution" this go around that we haven't heard a peep out of for the last eight years.

And the Patriot Act is about to become a big deal again.

 

[fireproof78]

I would agree, neither Hillary or Trump got my vote by the way.

And it appears, once again, that the person who got the most votes, loses. How 'bout that for democracy?

Since the US isn't a democracy, I'm not overly worried about it.

 

[Tallguy]

I would agree, neither Hillary or Trump got my vote by the way.

And it appears, once again, that the person who got the most votes, loses. How 'bout that for democracy?

Since the US isn't a democracy, I'm not overly worried about it.

Republic, actually.