H follows American politics fairly closely where as I personally don't. We were talking about Donald Trump running tonight and how he's been gaining popularity. H thinks that even if he's put forth as the republican candidate that he can't win. Since we have such a large group of Americans here I have some questions that I was hoping to get answers to. I don't mean to offend anyone with these questions, I'm genuinely curious what Americans think about this.
1. What is your opinion of DT running for president? Do you think he's legit, or is he a big joke?
2. Do you think he can win if he's put forth as the republican candidate?
3. If you typically vote republican, would you actually vote for him?
1. He is a huge joke and he is widely regarded as a huge joke. 2. No absolutely not. 3. I wouldn't be voting R anyway so this doesn't really apply.
This is what I kind of thought would be the general consensus, but if he's actually gaining popularity then there are obviously some people out there who support him.
1. He is a huge joke and he is widely regarded as a huge joke. 2. No absolutely not. 3. I wouldn't be voting R anyway so this doesn't really apply.
This is what I kind of thought would be the general consensus, but if he's actually gaining popularity then there are obviously some people out there who support him.
I think there are two factors here: one is that there is a segment of America that is really and truly kind of nuts. They're racist, anti-immigrant, and they love hearing someone say these things out loud. The other is that a lot of Republicans are upset with their party and are supporting Trump just because he's the outsider, because he's supposedly "successful in business" and all that. I don't think most of these people would actually vote for him in a general election though - or rather, they wouldn't actually turn out to the polls to vote for him (and this is really what it's about - putting up a candidate that people care enough about to actually show up and wait in line to vote for).
So, yeah some people support him but not as many as it looks like in the polls/press.
In fairness, most of this board is not Republican and does not support R candidates. So yes, there may be many people who take him seriously, but not around these parts.
Yeah! More Canadians ! I think considering how relatively boring politics are here, we are so fascinated by the shit show that is Donald Trump as an actual candidate.
1. What is your opinion of DT running for president? Do you think he's legit, or is he a big joke? He's legit and he's a joke. He's legit because he's captured the heart of the GOP. He's a joke because the heart of the GOP is comical in how depraved it is.
2. Do you think he can win if he's put forth as the republican candidate? He won't be the nominee. Someone up top will put a stop to it. He may run as an independent. If he does, he will never win.
3. If you typically vote republican, would you actually vote for him? I don't vote GOP. I will never vote GOP.
1. He is a huge joke and he is widely regarded as a huge joke. 2. No absolutely not. 3. I wouldn't be voting R anyway so this doesn't really apply.
This is what I kind of thought would be the general consensus, but if he's actually gaining popularity then there are obviously some people out there who support him.
It's so embarrassing that everyone isn't laughing this guy off the stage. I think this far from the election, "supporters" are just having fun backing-up a loud mouth, tough guy. Like it's re-freshing to watch a rich guy perform like an uneducated bigot. it really tells more about how much we hate politicians.
I guess one of the (many) things I don't get about the whole situation is why he thinks he deserves to be president. As a pseudo-celebrity/well known name he already has enough of a platform for his ludicrous ideas.
Also, is it just me or does the GOP seem to always have one person that leans so far to the extremist side in order to engage the nut jobs out there? This will also make me look dumb, but is it the party or the people that decide who the final candidates are? Up here the parties decide who their leader is (this person would be prime minister if they win).
This will also make me look dumb, but is it the party or the people that decide who the final candidates are? Up here the parties decide who their leader is (this person would be prime minister if they win).
I can try and answer this, but as a Canadian married to an American, living in the UK. Take it with a large helping of salt. My understanding is that the presidential candidate is chosen by votes in what's called the primaries. The votes are tallied state by state, but it is really fucking somewhat confusing. Depending on the party and the state, only people registered with that particular party can vote, whereas in some states I think ...anyone can vote? Registered Democrat voters who live abroad, like my H, can also vote for their preferred presidential candidate, although I'm not entirely sure how those votes get counted. I'm assuming registered GOP voters living abroad can do the same, but I've never known any Americans abroad who vote GOP.
The president isn't the leader of the party in the Westminster sense. He/she sets foreign policy agendas, can veto bills etc, but doesn't sit with their party in congress and 'lead' them. Imagine if the queen, who holds the power in Canada, but does not wield it, started wielding the power but separately from the Commons and the Senate, but was aligned, more or less, with one of the parties. The president is like an elected queen that actually does stuff.
Just FYI: my husband & I have a pact that we will move to Canada if Trump ever becomes president of this country. The support he's been shown so far is humiliating (as an American), & we don't want to live in a country who takes what we initially saw as a huge joke way too far
This will also make me look dumb, but is it the party or the people that decide who the final candidates are? Up here the parties decide who their leader is (this person would be prime minister if they win).
I can try and answer this, but as a Canadian married to an American, living in the UK. Take it with a large helping of salt. My understanding is that the presidential candidate is chosen by votes in what's called the primaries. The votes are tallied state by state, but it is really fucking somewhat confusing. Depending on the party and the state, only people registered with that particular party can vote, whereas in some states I think ...anyone can vote? Registered Democrat voters who live abroad, like my H, can also vote for their preferred presidential candidate, although I'm not entirely sure how those votes get counted. I'm assuming registered GOP voters living abroad can do the same, but I've never known any Americans abroad who vote GOP.
The president isn't the leader of the party in the Westminster sense. He/she sets foreign policy agendas, can veto bills etc, but doesn't sit with their party in congress and 'lead' them. Imagine if the queen, who holds the power in Canada, but does not wield it, started wielding the power but separately from the Commons and the Senate, but was aligned, more or less, with one of the parties. The president is like an elected queen that actually does stuff.
You have a better grasp of the American electoral system than 95% of Americans. Bravo! and also for my country.
achi, The primary elections determine which candidate from each party will stand for the general election... Sort of. Voters in the states vote in their primaries, and then each party holds a convention to officially select the candidates. (Delegates to the convention may be pledged to select the candidate of their party's choosing in the primary or unpledged, free to nominate whom they choose.) And loira is right that different states have different rules about registration/ballots. So in open primary states, voters can choose on the day to vote Repub or Dem. In closed primary states, you have to follow your party registration. And then there are caucus states, which are a whole other can of worms.
I see his candidacy as similar to George Wallace's in 1964. He says out loud what a lot of people truly believe and want to hear. I'm wondering if he'd run as a 3rd party candidate if he doesn't get the nomination. I could see him winning in some of the early primaries (NH and Iowa) - I think he could run neck and neck with Jeb! up until the convention and then there would be hell of a back room fight to keep him from being the nominee.
Donald J. Trump ✔@realdonaldtrump .@senjohnmccain should be defeated in the primaries. Graduated last in his class at Annapolis--dummy! 4:39 PM - 16 Jul 2015 1,410 1,410 Retweets 1,887 1,887 favorites
did he really just call the guy he endorsed in 2008 a dummy? FFS Donald the man was a POW.. Gah. I actually feel bad for Republicans bc of this jackass.