Stumpylegs

Oh I knew, but whether it was due to being blinkered or giving him too much credit previously, or just knowing the full context of his comments normally due to being snippets and giving him the benefit of the doubt.

This was far more of a prolonged car crash of idiotic comments in a setting where the whole interaction was on film and didn't feature a particularly hard interviewer.

​
​ Who would you name as someone more powerful?? whilst he currently seems out of control of his own country, I have no doubts if he were to mobilise his military he holds enough power to destroy the world. Likewise politically he likely has more clout than anyone else currently.

For what's it's worth not saying you are wrong - honestly think if he made the wrong call his military might would be non existant as orders wouldn't be followed.

​​​​​

dbd33

Well, he'll be gone in January, leaving rubble behind but gone. America will have survived. Brexit has yet to happen so I'm swaying to the view that the most stupid thing the public did in my lifetime is voting for Brexit rather than electing Trump.

Stumpylegs

Came here just to post the links, but ties nicely into he'll be gone in January post. Whilst one hopes he isn't re-elected - with comments like this floating around 1 does wonder whether he will peacefully vacate the WH, and how that plays out. Can see if its a whitewash he will leave, but any sort of minor outvoting either in total numbers or states/seats and I think he will do everything he can to say that the vote was rigged.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/18/p...024/index.html

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-a9244761.html

dbd33

Not just to say the vote was rigged but to rig it. I think though that he's scored a huge own goal with the USPS. I think he wanted it hobbled because his supporters are more likely to vote in person than his detractors so there's a win in absolute numbers and because postal votes take longer to count than votes cast in person so, delaying postal votes sets up a scenario whereby he seems to have won on the night and can shout "fraud!" as the postal votes come to weigh against him. The postal service matters to old people and people in rural locations so setting the Democrats up as the party that wants to save the USPS while Republicans want to destroy it isn't an obviously clever move.

Jingsamichty

The Republicans (and in the UK, the Conservatives) know that their voters are much more liable to vote regardless of the ease of voting. Their party strategists know full well that Democrat & Labour voters are more likely to not vote if there is even a minor inconvenience, such as forms to fill in, ID to be produced, polling stations not opening before they have to go to work etc. Really, the Republicans and the Tories are actually anti-democratic. The fewer people that vote, the better for them - and it only needs a small % of people to be dissuaded to make a difference.

For anyone in the know, is the US high level of imprisonment a direct result of trying to disenfranchise elements of society? I am open to correction but doesn't a criminal conviction bar your from voting for life? I wonder how many people in the US are barred from voting because of a criminal record?

scrubbedexpat091

https://www.ncsl.org/research/electi...ng-rights.aspx

Like just about everything in the US, varies by state. The link gives the finer details, but below is a summary from the website.

In summary:

• In Maine and Vermont, felons never lose their right to vote, even while they are incarcerated.
• In 16 states and the District of Columbia, felons lose their voting rights only while incarcerated, and receive automatic restoration upon release.
• In 21 states, felons lose their voting rights during incarceration, and for a period of time after, typically while on parole and/or probation. Voting rights are automatically restored after this time period. Former felons may also have to pay any outstanding fines, fees or restitution before their rights are restored as well.
• In 11 states felons lose their voting rights indefinitely for some crimes, or require a governor’s pardon in order for voting rights to be restored, face an additional waiting period after completion of sentence (including parole and probation) or require additional action before voting rights can be restored.

Jingsamichty

Thanks for that Js.

BristolUK

dbd33

That seems like 100 years ago. Since then we've had him knowing that the voting machines in Florida were hacked in his favour. Knowing in the spring that COVID-19 is an airborne disease and choosing not to tell anyone so as to avoid a panic. Claiming to be acting on behalf of the federal government when raping someone in a department store. Acknowledging that he was a party to the cover up of the murder of Khashoggi. Doubtless other scandals I've forgotten already. He's really not a very good President and voting for him a second time would, I think, probably be more stupid than voting for Brexit.

caretaker

Has to ride around wrapped in steel.



https://www.driving.co.uk/news/presi...uguration-day/

Jingsamichty

I simply can't fathom that any sane person could go into a voting booth and decide that Donald Trump is the kind of leader that the USA needs. It seemed madness to do so in 2016, it seems exponentially more mad do so again in 2020.

Please would a Trump supporter explain why?

Former Lancastrian

In no particular order
He is going to make America great again
He is going to tighten up on Immigration and stop the influx of bad hombres especially those from Latin America and all those other shithole countries.
He will create thousands of manufacturing jobs so we are not as reliant on places like China, Bangladesh, India and all those other countries that make the crap we buy at Walmart.
He will stop bad trade deals like NAFTA
He will make sure there is law and order and crack down on those who oppose this
You as a voter can trust him to do the right things for America
With his experience he will groom other family members on how to become Presidential so the Trump Presidency will carry on for years. Vote Ivanka 2024

moneypenny20

Even if his supporters refuse to accept he's done anything wrong or badly, how do they not accept that this hasn't happened? Ignoring the fact that America was never great in the first place obviously.

dbd33

He's not running on his record, his campaign acknowledges that the country is in a bad way and attributes that to Democrat Mayors and Governors and to the Chinese.

His pitch this time around is that he'll keep those frightening black people out of the suburbs. The argument requires that voters feel safe in their white enclaves, hence fomenting riots downtown and demonizing border crossers. It's a stance that would work better if the opposition was running Mike Tyson and not Kamala Harris backed by Michelle Obama, the very picture of desirable neighbours. It'd also work better if only white people voted.

I don't think he expects to win but he can't leave office or he'll go to jail for all those tax frauds so he has to de-legitimise the election, throw the country into chaos and hope that the military takes his side. I can't see it but you never know.

Still, nothing to be smug about, Boris Johnson, Brexit, it's not just the Americans who've lost their minds.

BristolUK

It's not so much an answer but this brief comment is an indication of the mindset. https://britishexpats.com/forum/take.../#post12908489