# Thoughts about the election that don't seem to belong anywhere else **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 14, 2016, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002 "2016-11-14T20:57:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2016, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/261 "2016-12-12T00:02:19Z")
His memory is shot. This is what happens when you neglect your drugs. ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2016, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/262 "2016-12-13T00:17:30Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Trump doesn’t make billions without having inherited hundreds of millions. He’s probably of average intelligence. If it weren’t for his inherited money, he’d probably be a used car salesman or some other similarly unprestigious job. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Quatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc8723/32.png) [@Mr\_Quatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Quatro)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2016, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/263 "2016-12-13T02:38:59Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Because Trump wants to snatch it away from him at the last minute to pay him back for all those mean things Romney said about him. ThelmaLou was right and I am so happy: [MSN](http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/roger-stone-trump-interviewed-romney-to-torture-him/ar-AAltVpO?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=U450DHP) > [@](#): > > Roger Stone, a longtime adviser to Donald Trump, says the president-elecrt interviewed Mitt Romney for the secretary of State position just to “torture him” for his former criticism. > > In an appearance on InfoWars Sunday, Stone said Trump had been toying with Romney. > > “Donald Trump was interviewing Mitt Romney for Secretary of State in order to torture him,” ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2016, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/264 "2016-12-13T03:29:42Z")
> [@Mr\_Quatro](#): > > ThelmaLou was right and I am so happy: [MSN](http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/roger-stone-trump-interviewed-romney-to-torture-him/ar-AAltVpO?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=U450DHP) I’ve seen this behavior a lot… from my three cats. \*\ \* ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2016, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/265 "2016-12-13T04:55:33Z")
> [@ataraxy22](#): > > There’s no way SoS is going to anyone other than Bolton Umm… ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2016, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/266 "2016-12-13T21:06:23Z")
After watching some footage of election night, I noticed that some supporters would cheer lustily when a state like Connecticut - which is a deep blue state - was called for Hillary. I don’t think they understood swing states vs. non-swing states… ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2016, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/267 "2016-12-13T21:17:35Z")
What conclusions would you draw from a crowd cheering lustily for “Lock her up”? You know, just for comparison. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/268 "2016-12-15T03:01:52Z")
Trump lets Paul Ryan know how the cow ate the cabbage at their first public appearance together _ever_: > [@](#): > > “Oh, no. I have come to appreciate him [Paul Ryan],” Trump said, quelling the crowd’s boos at the mention of their home state politician (an anti-establishment sentiment Trump himself helped stir up during the campaign). “Speaker Paul Ryan. Where is the speaker? Where is he? He has been, I tell you, he has been terrific. And you know, honestly, he is like a fine wine. Every day goes by, I get to appreciate his genius more and more. Now, if he ever goes against me, I’m not going to say that, okay?” > > [Cite](http://wapo.st/2hwpu6p) ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/269 "2016-12-15T15:30:40Z")
If Romney had a soul he would not be prone to the kind of torture he received. Running against the health care policy you implemented is transparently duplicitous, dude. Do you think Trump is a fraud, like you said, or are you going to make us all watch you lick his boots on TV? Geez… Anyway, interesting article that confirms something else you probably already know, from [here](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-14/in-trump-country-the-brain-drain-takes-a-toll-bloomberg-index): > [@](#): > > The industrial city of Cumberland, Maryland, tucked in the Appalachians, illustrates the economic despair that helped Donald Trump win the U.S. presidency – as well as efforts to alleviate it. > > Cumberland tops the Bloomberg Brain Drain Index, which tracks metropolitan areas with the greatest loss of advanced-degree holders, white-collar jobs and earnings generated by employment in computer, engineering and science occupations. Once a thriving coal-mining and manufacturing center – two sectors of the economy Trump pledged to revive – Cumberland has struggled to draw new businesses. Yep, the red states this year are the most “brain drained”. That’s a scientific conclusion! ---
**Author:** ![Pearl\_Clutching\_Provocateur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pearl\_Clutching\_Provocateur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pearl_Clutching_Provocateur)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/270 "2016-12-16T04:19:15Z")
SCOTT BAIO CHILI PEPPER’S WIFE PHYSICALLY ATTACKED ME OVER TRUMP > **[Scott Baio Claims Physical Attack by Chili Pepper's Wife Over Trump](https://www.tmz.com/2016/12/15/scott-baio-attack-chili-pepper-wife/)** > > Scott Baio has filed a police report claiming the wife of the Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer went nuts on him at a function with their elementary school kids. Trump Derangement Syndrome is real. ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/271 "2016-12-16T19:21:49Z")
> [@Pearl\_Clutching\_Provocateur](#): > > SCOTT BAIO > CHILI PEPPER’S WIFE PHYSICALLY ATTACKED ME OVER TRUMP > [Scott Baio Claims Physical Attack by Chili Pepper's Wife Over Trump](http://www.tmz.com/2016/12/15/scott-baio-attack-chili-pepper-wife/) > > Trump Derangement Syndrome is real. She should have grabbed him by the pussy instead. Sent from my SM-T217S using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/272 "2016-12-18T16:10:44Z")
[ **Newt Gingrich Tries to Explain How Trump Will Remake America** _He summed up the president-elect’s plans simply: “Donald Trump’s gonna kick over the table.”_](https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/12/gingrich-trump-election/510983/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheAtlantic+%28The+Atlantic+-+Master+Feed%29) > [@](#): > > “Donald Trump is the grizzly bear in The Revenant,” Newt Gingrich told the crowd at a Heritage Foundation event on Tuesday. “If you get his attention, he will get awake _[sic]_, he will walk over, bite your face off, and sit on you.” Just the kind of thing we all love to hear about our President. :rolleyes: > [@](#): > > On Tuesday, conservatives gathered to hear him prophesize about Trump’s presidency, but Gingrich avoided policy specifics and instead focused on the vague tenets of the new revolution he believes Trump has a mandate to lead, one that involves draining the D.C. “swamp” and waging war on political correctness. Gingrich’s explanation of “Trumpism” seemed to boil down to a phrase he repeated again and again: “Donald Trump’s gonna kick over the table.” And the audience responded with applause and murmurs of agreement each time. > > It didn’t look like the typical Trump rally. The crowd was largely white, but there were no lewd t-shirts and only one “Make America Great Again” hat in sight. The audience members were mostly Beltway types, a sea of dark suits and candy-red dresses. The women wore heels; the men had shiny shoes and clean-shaven faces. They sat in tidy rows in an auditorium at the headquarters of a powerful conservative organization, steps from the Capitol. An establishment of the establishment. > > And they clamored to tear it all down… Can someone explain to me why _these people_ want to “tear it all down”? > [@](#): > > “I just think his temperament is a great temperament for what is going on now in this politically correct government,” Regina Minor, a former commercial-property manager from the Washington area, told me. Minor said she was initially incensed by Trump’s comments about former rival Carly Fiorina’s appearance during the Republican primary, but now she’s excited about his impending presidency. “I have overlooked the offensive comments that he made,” she told me. “I believe that he will stand up, as Speaker Newt mentioned, and kick over some tables!” > > **Plus, she added, “Two of his wives have been incredibly beautiful, world-class models, and maybe he just doesn’t have a true understanding of what an average woman looks like.”.** … My bold on the last paragraph. This gives you an idea of the level of discernment and intelligence this crowd represents. Holy fuck. Donald “doesn’t know what an average woman looks like”? And that has exactly WHAT to do with qualifications to be President? > [@](#): > > I asked one woman what, specifically, she wanted from a Trump presidency. “All of it,” replied Mary Toman, a local who once worked for the Department of Commerce. “Just all of it. … Trump is man of action, the whole package.” Another woman, who declined to give her name, called him “the reincarnation of Hyman Rickover.”\* As she helped her husband, a retired Naval officer named Robert Small, put on his coat, she explained that Hyman “did the job that everybody said was impossible.” > > “I expect Trump to do what he says he’s gonna do … to make America great again,” Small chimed in. “If I have to tell somebody what that is, they don’t even know what I’m talking about.”… It’s like they’re all infected with some kind of mental virus. The Pod People have taken over their bodies. :smack: * * * - Hyman Rickover ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyman_G._Rickover#Controversy)) > [@](#): > > Admiral Hyman G. Rickover has been declared in retrospect as “the most famous and controversial admiral of his era.”[49] Hyperactive, political, blunt, confrontational, insulting, flamboyant, and an unexcelled workaholic, Rickover was always demanding of others — without regard for rank or position — as well as himself. Moreover, he had “little tolerance for mediocrity, none for stupidity.” “If a man is dumb,” said a Chicago friend, “Rickover thinks he ought to be dead.”[50] Even while a captain, Rickover did not conceal his opinions, and many of the officers whom he regarded as dumb eventually rose in rank to be admirals and were assigned to the Pentagon.[51] ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/273 "2016-12-18T16:31:04Z")
If we make it through a Trump presidency w/o medicare being voucherized, without losing Obamacare, without mass deportations or Muslim registrations, without a massive terror attack or major international incident, then I will consider myself lucky. Other than a few token gestures I do not expect anything to get better for the working class and middle class. I’m sure it’ll get worse on multiple levels. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/274 "2016-12-18T21:04:35Z")
[52% of Republicans actually think Trump won the popular vote](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/12/18/a-new-poll-shows-an-astonishing-52-of-republicans-think-trump-won-the-popular-vote/?utm_term=.d4f9cbfcca04) > [@](#): > > Clinton’s lead now exceeds 2.8 million votes (more than 2.1 percent of the total vote) and continues to grow. Many Democrats hope this fact alone might persuade Republican electors to reject Trump in favor of some alternative. > > But this hope faces a serious challenge: Half of all Republicans actually think Trump won the popular vote… :smack: > [@](#): > > A large fraction of Republicans — 52 percent — said Trump won the popular vote, compared with only 7 percent of Democrats and 24 percent of independents. People are more stupid than I thought. Trump is _trump_eting this lie, and people on all sides are believing him. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/275 "2016-12-18T21:13:25Z")
As some will have heard, there was to have been an online auction of “coffee with Ivanka Trump,” but it was pulled from the site (Charitybuzz) after a _New York Times_ story raised questions about the ethics of auctioning off ‘time with the future first family.’ The auction, for 45 minutes of drinking coffee with Ivanka, was organized by brother Eric for his own Foundation. The claim was that the proceeds would have benefited St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The bidding was over $72,000 when the auction was pulled from the site. What caught my attention was Eric Trump’s reaction: > [@](#): > > In an official statement, Eric Trump announced, “Today, the only people that lost are the children of St. Jude.” > **[Sorry, You Can’t Buy a Coffee Date With Ivanka Trump After All](https://www.thecut.com/2016/12/the-ivanka-trump-coffee-date-auction-was-called-off.html)** > > The auction was canceled over “ethical questions.” I waited a couple of days after this story broke to see if there would be follow-up story in which Eric Trump said anything about giving St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital the $72,888 _himself_. He could, obviously. But, no. Apparently he’s enjoying his self-righteous attempt to shame the Times and all those mean people who made him close down the auction. He sees no reason to help out “the children.” You can’t make this stuff up. more on the original story: [Trump Family Tried To Auction Coffee With Ivanka, Raising Ethical Concerns : The Two-Way : NPR](http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/12/16/505833734/trump-family-auctions-coffee-with-ivanka-raising-ethical-concerns) ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/276 "2016-12-19T02:59:06Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > [52% of Republicans actually think Trump won the popular vote](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/12/18/a-new-poll-shows-an-astonishing-52-of-republicans-think-trump-won-the-popular-vote/?utm_term=.d4f9cbfcca04) > :smack: > > People are more stupid than I thought. Trump is _trump_eting this lie, and people on all sides are believing him. Something like 70% of republicans either believe or aren’t sure if Obama was born in Kenya. They have created their own reality where facts cannot penetrate and any media outlet they don’t agree with can be written off as fake news. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/277 "2016-12-19T03:20:14Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I wonder what Canadians think of liberal-progressive Americans who want to move up north after elections of this sort. Welcome? Not welcome? > > For that matter, where do conservatives threaten to move to when an election doesn’t go their way? Going to Canada wouldn’t make any sense; Canada is more liberal than the USA. It’d be fine with me, assuming they meet our immigration standards. I wouldn’t accept them as refugees. That’s silly. But hey we need more people up here so other than that fine with me. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/278 "2016-12-19T04:59:47Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > [52% of Republicans actually think Trump won the popular vote](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/12/18/a-new-poll-shows-an-astonishing-52-of-republicans-think-trump-won-the-popular-vote/?utm_term=.d4f9cbfcca04) > :smack: > > People are more stupid than I thought. Trump is _trump_eting this lie, and people on all sides are believing him. Yes. You understand. Rhetoric is huge. Rhetoric may very well be a more potent tool than logic. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/279 "2016-12-20T21:22:36Z")
A couple of related thoughts: 1. How far do people realistically think this “post truth” thing will go? Could Trump, say, claim the economy has just tripled when it hasn’t? Say no troops are in Iran while he’s invading? Say his Supreme Court pick believes exactly the opposite of what he believes? Or see below…? 2. How far can the environmental genie be stuffed back into the bottle? Sure, people can’t objectively see global warming effects easily, but surely people will notice when their local air gets thicker or their water becomes contaminated, even if outsiders claim it isn’t happening. When it affects THEIR quality of life, then people care. So what effect can that realistically have? ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/280 "2016-12-20T21:54:13Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > How far do people realistically think this “post truth” thing will go? Could Trump, say, claim the economy has just tripled when it hasn’t? Say no troops are in Iran while he’s invading? Say his Supreme Court pick believes exactly the opposite of what he believes? Or see below…? That sort of thing is a _hallmark_ of authoritarian regimes. So, yes. Trump will speak complete fabrications about the state of things. And many people will accept them as truth. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002.md?page=15)