The Match Cut Presidential Dog and Pony Show

[Skitch]

I'm just going to move up north, install a .50cal on the roof of the pole barn, and declare my land a sovereign nation.

Are you accepting immigrants?

[Dead & Messed Up]

I think I'll just go to the pub, have a pint, and wait for this whole thing to blow over.

[Scar]

I think I'll just go to the pub, have a pint, and wait for this whole thing to blow over.

+5

How about we do the Golden Mile instead?

[Dead & Messed Up]

+5

How about we do the Golden Mile instead?

As long as nobody's drinking fucking rain.

[Spinal]

After Bush and Trump, I don't expect to see another white male President in my lifetime. I hope we can eventually move on to leaders who are not just progressive in appearance, but progressive in practice.

[Gittes]

It's so weird how Trump perceived an insult in Clinton's straightforward praise of his children.

[Ezee E]

It's so weird how Trump perceived an insult in Clinton's straightforward praise of his children.

Many Republicans are hoping Ivanka is the one that runs for President down the line.

[Henry Gale]

Last night's debate legitimately had my heart pounding in a way I can't even describe. What a deeply surreal, weighty and maddening spectacle it was to behold. And I'm not even American!

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[Spinal]

Debates need more dogs. Also, more ponies.

[Winston*]

Last night's debate legitimately had my heart pounding in a way I can't even describe. What a deeply surreal, weighty and maddening spectacle it was to behold. And I'm not even American!

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It has been so insane to watch as a foreigner. If it was a New Zealand election the entire campaign would've started last week and no one would be being accused of sexual assault.

[transmogrifier]

It has been so insane to watch as a foreigner. If it was a New Zealand election the entire campaign would've started last week and no one would be being accused of sexual assault.

Well, we did have one minor party leader accused of sexual harassment, so maybe we just need more practice....

[Winston*]

Well, we did have one minor party leader accused of sexual harassment, so maybe we just need more practice....

Also, our prime minister repeatedly pulled a woman's pony tail. Actually, I take it back, our country sucks.

The Conservative Party was never actually in parliament though to be fair.

[transmogrifier]

Also, our prime minister repeatedly pulled a woman's pony tail. Actually, I take it back, our country sucks.

The Conservative Party was never actually in parliament though to be fair.

That is true. We are a cesspool of childish acts of affection and inappropriately sexual text messages.

Still, better than being Australian.

[Skitch]

I'm banking on my dad being Canadian gets me preferential treatment for the inevitable move.

[Spinal]

I do not feel that a Trump presidency is likely. Granted, the fact that we even have to discuss it as a possibility is awful. However, I don't think he statistically has much of a chance. He is like the ebola of candidates. Scary and potentially very dangerous. However, if he did somehow get into a position to hurt people, I think a team of people would rally quickly to contain him and he would burn out quickly. It wouldn't be very hard to get bipartisan support for an impeachment process.

However, what's truly scary to me is how he has laid the groundwork for violence after he loses the election. When you declare your opponent illegitimate, criminal and the devil, and prop up every conspiracy theory you can get your hands on, you are inviting unhinged people to take action into their own hands. They will feel righteous and legitimized by the movement he has led. Trump is a scumbag in so many ways it's hard to keep track of them all, but this is what I find most troubling. I worry his legacy will include bloodshed before this is through.

[Ivan Drago]

I do not feel that a Trump presidency is likely.

I do. From everything I've put up with on Facebook to the unfavorable ratings CNN reported after the debate, there's enough hate for Hillary as there is for Trump. Then again, living in a state for most of my life that churns out corrupt governors every four to eight years (Illinois) has made me cynical about all things politics.

[number8]

What unfavorable ratings? I was watching CNN and they reported that their audience polls voted for Hillary as the winner of that debate by a large margin.

I'm subscribing to the prediction that Trump's myriad of scandals are not changing anything about the Presidential election but it's going to noticeably affect downticket races, and is giving Democrats hope in 2018 that they didn't have before.

[Dead & Messed Up]

I do. From everything I've put up with on Facebook to the unfavorable ratings CNN reported after the debate, there's enough hate for Hillary as there is for Trump. Then again, living in a state for most of my life that churns out corrupt governors every four to eight years (Illinois) has made me cynical about all things politics.

I basically visit FiveThirtyEight and Princeton Election Consortium every day to soothe my fears, and Hillary's bounce after the first debate became a climb and is currently almost matching her peak levels in the wake of the DNC Convention.

Granted, this election season's final stretch kinda feels like we're all members in the mud fight from The Raid 2, so all it might take is a well-timed boot to the face to turn this all around for Trump; my expectation is that numbers will narrow but favor Clinton and give her the presidency. Trump's made the queer decision to emphasize his base over collecting swing voters in a meaningful way (outside a few Bernie plugs during the debate), and I think that tape ensured he won't be able to rebrand himself to women (not that there was much risk of that).

[amberlita]

I basically visit FiveThirtyEight and Princeton Election Consortium every day to soothe my fears, and Hillary's bounce after the first debate became a climb and is currently almost matching her peak levels in the wake of the DNC Convention.

Ditto, though I would encourage you to contain any hubris by using Nate Silver's oft-repeated dictum: this race has been characterized by high volatility and unpredictability. She's currently killing him in the 538 forecast. But 4 weeks ago Hillary had one of the worst weeks of her campaign and 2 weeks ago, just before the first debate, the race was damn near a toss-up, with her hovering somewhere around 55% probability of victory. These candidates are so hated that the undecideds that break for or against them are ready to dump one for the other based on one or two news cycles. I expect we'll see a normalization of the gap between them, she'll be up by 3-4 points and within the margin of error going into election night, and then we'll all be fucking praying that we haven't had a Brexit-style polling error.

[Ivan Drago]

What unfavorable ratings? I was watching CNN and they reported that their audience polls voted for Hillary as the winner of that debate by a large margin.

http://www.redstate.com/saragonzales...undays-debate/

"Respondents also determined Hillary Clinton was more likable than Drumpf: when asked if they had a favorable opinion of the candidates, 55% answered they had a favorable opinion of Clinton (44% unfavorable) while only 34% had a favorable opinion of Drumpf (64% unfavorable)."

44 is uncomfortably close to that 55%, in my opinion. It's also apparently the highest unfavorable percentage for a Democratic candidate ever. I admit I don't have the source off-hand, although I could've sworn a CNN reporter said it last night.

After everything that's happened in the news this year, the general "both candidates suck!" mentality plaguing this year's election, the millennials not voting/voting third-party out of protest over Bernie getting "screwed" because they believe they're SO entitled to have him as President, living in a political climate where the smallest little thing gets everyone outraged, and learning that politics control our lives whether we want them to or not, I'm ready for this campaign season to end. As much as I want to believe in the polls and my real-life friends and common sense . . . Florida screwed up the election in 2000. Brexit happened. I can't get the thought of something terrible happening on Election Day leading us all to witness the end of the world out of my head . . . and I'm terrified about it. I wish I had the optimism of other people.

[Ezee E]

I really hope that all the people that say they'll move if Trump/Clinton wins, that they follow through on it. That'll really make my commute to work faster.

[Skitch]

I'm trying to keep positive that IF Trump wins, he will be the lamest duck president ever and will get nothing done.

[TGM]

I'm trying to keep positive that IF Trump wins, he will be the lamest duck president ever and will get nothing done.

I'm almost certain if Trump wins, he'll basically just be the figurehead running his mouth while Pence pretty much takes on the actual presidential duties behind the scenes.

[number8]

I read this yesterday and waited to see if the update was going to be major news or not. Been watching various news channels since, and it doesn't seem like it.

It's a pretty weird story, though: http://www.newsweek.com/vladimir-put...sputnik-508635

[number8]