Re: 2016 Election
 

I know you're not.

Hillary has her questionable stuff. The email thing, probably used state department influence and resources to enhance their foundation...

But to suggest she's guilty of Trump's skeletons... Well, that's very Trumpish.

Re: 2016 Election
 

I didn't mean to suggest it was Trump skeletons. Just about any dirt/scandal about Clinton is dismissed as being lies by her supporters. Like you said...where there's smoke... :sneaky:;)

Re: 2016 Election
 

Trump advisor Paul Manafort was an advisor to the pro-Russian faction of the Ukrainian government.

Paul Manafort, Donald Trump’s top adviser, and his ties to pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine | PolitiFact Global News Service

A lot of what comes out of Trump's mouth is eerily similar to Russian agitprop. Trump would be terrific as a useful idiot.

Re: 2016 Election
 

But you keep saying that the primary is totally different to the general. You can't have it both ways,


Sanders is more popular with independents than Clinton.

Re: 2016 Election
 

She's a professional politician. I have no doubt she has dirt under her fingernails. Just like every other politician anywhere on the planet.

I reckon in the global political climate, to achieve certain objectives, certain deals must be made, and they aren't always shining examples of ethics. They aren't always the ideal choices either. Often it may come down to the "least bad" of a number of choices.

The question is (and hard to quantify), what are the true objectives the candidates are seeking to achieve?

Of the two major choices, which of them exhibits the least troubling of the objectives they seem to represent?

Re: 2016 Election
 

You know this election reflects on OB term as president. He's annoyed so many people that Trump become a contender.

HC is just as bad as trump, but clearly more political educated. It's really a sad state of affairs for the world.

On a personal note, OB might of been a great internal leader, but on the world affairs he'd been a disaster.

Re: 2016 Election
 

Sure I can. If your guy can't even win over the party that attracts most of the leftists, then how can he win over all of those general election voters who are more centrist?

Winning a primary does not ensure general election success -- this should be obvious, as every election includes one winner of a major party primary who then fails to win the election.

But losing a primary in a landslide bodes even more poorly. Sanders couldn't even convince most Democrats to prefer him, and they provide a more receptive audience for his message than would the general electorate.

Re: 2016 Election
 

I like the way that Trump bashes Muslim countries for their treatment of gays (LGBTQ --- he has to actually read that bit off his notes each time) yet says nothing about Russia's draconian treatment of homosexuals.

Re: 2016 Election
 

The objectives I believe are power and money...for both candidates. Isn't that usually what fuels politicians ambitions?

It's a toss up...the best of two evils...but Trump seems to be the most likely to press 'the button'.

Re: 2016 Election
 

Story breaking right now on all major networks

Re: 2016 Election
 

No, it doesn't. For example, if you seriously believe that was Obama's sole objective, then I would have to seriously question most every other assertion you might offer.

There's nothing in Obama's presidency which would suggest it was even remotely about power and money. That's not a claim of perfection or that all fingers are clean. But the entire character of that presidency suggests nothing of the kind.

Re: 2016 Election
 

No he hasn't. Just because America has not been throwing it's military might around for the past 8 years doesn't mean his foreign policy has been a disaster.

America for all it's power has little real influence in world affairs. Assad has clung to power in the middle east, invited the Russians in and a blood bath has resulted.

Iraq's corrupt and inept Shia dominated government was the basic reason that ISIS came about,

Turkey's Erdogan is intent on turning the country from a secular state into an Islamic state. The recent failed coup against him has now given him the means to get rid of anyone who still believes in secularism

Europe seems to be manufacturing it's own problems. Britain's exit from the EU has only inspired nationalist groups in other parts of the EU to push for the same fueled by anti-immigrant bias.. Disunity is rife everywhere in that part of the world.

We are winning the war against ISIS contrary to Trump's bullshit rhetoric on the subject. Dropping a nuclear bomb on the territory still occupied by ISIS is not the solution.

Obama has nurtured good relations with many countries in the world and the US is today regarded far more favourably than it was at the end of Bush Junior's term.

America cannot direct the way the affairs of the world take their various courses. As the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius told the British when he pulled his legions from the island "you must look to your own affairs and defenses"

Re: 2016 Election
 

My bad for claiming all...maybe I should have said almost all.

Re: 2016 Election
 

It's probably worth saying that ISIS is truly getting hammered now. The Iraqi and Kurdish forces were pathetic, it took training them for many months to make them battle-ready. But now, ISIS are losing significant chunks of ground literally every minute. It's no longer a matter of if, but when they will lose all territory, and effectively, the caliphate.

And yes, just as America was finally regaining some respect in the world...

Re: 2016 Election
 

well given the amount that Putin is suspected of loading Trump's coffers with, it's only to be expected.