# 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:** 15
**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 23, 2016, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/281 "2016-12-23T23:46:31Z")
More words of wisdom from a classy, highbrow Trump crony. Carl Paladino is a former Republican nominee for governor of New York and an adviser to president-elect Trump. [Italics are in the original.] > [@](#): > > \*Artvoice: What would you most like to happen in 2017? > > Carl Paladino: Obama catches mad cow disease after being caught having relations with a Herford. He dies before his trial and is buried in a cow pasture next to Valerie Jarret, who died weeks prior, after being convicted of sedition and treason, when a Jihady cell mate mistook her for being a nice person and decapitated her. > > Artvoice: What would you most like to see go in 2017? > > Carl Paladino: Michelle Obama. I’d like her to return to being a male and let loose in the outback of Zimbabwe where she lives comfortably in a cave with Maxie, the gorilla. > \* > In a statement to The Post, Paladino denied that the comments were racist. > > “It has nothing to do with race,” Paladino said. “That’s the typical stance of the press when they can’t otherwise defend the acts of the person being attacked.” > > “It’s about 2 progressive elitist ingrates who have hated their country so badly and destroyed its fabric in so many respects in 8 years,” he added. > > Reached briefly by phone Friday, Paladino confirmed that he made the comments and that he is currently involved in Trump’s transition efforts. > > “I don’t think Mr. Trump particularly cares what I have to say,” Paladino said. “He knows me. I was active with him, and I still am active with him.” > > [Cite](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/12/23/trump-friend-and-n-y-campaign-co-chair-says-he-wants-obama-dead-of-mad-cow-disease-in-2017/) ---
**Author:** ![Donpeyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a4c791/32.png) [@Donpeyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donpeyote)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/282 "2016-12-23T23:49:59Z")
My Dream Candidate as a two issue voter (2A/RTKBA) (Illegal Immigration/Securing the Southern Border) Was Ted Cruz , But Trump grew on me … ---
**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 23, 2016, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/283 "2016-12-23T23:58:43Z")
> [@Donpeyote](#): > > My Dream Candidate as a two issue voter (2A/RTKBA) (Illegal Immigration/Securing the Southern Border) Was Ted Cruz , But Trump grew on me … Like a fungus? ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/284 "2016-12-24T00:26:22Z")
My current perspective on all this is like watching a train wreck from a distance. I have enough other things to worry about without continuing to fret about this. I imagine that there will be lots of high comedy and probably lots of first-time extraordinary events, maybe even a spectacular impeachment. I just don’t care any more. Just as long as one of those events isn’t a nuclear war or a major nuclear buildup. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/285 "2016-12-24T03:48:00Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I wonder what Canadians think of liberal-progressive Americans who want to move up north after elections of this sort. Welcome? Not welcome? > [@BeepKillBeep](#): > > 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. Sure, any of you can come up here, except **Clothy**.\*😛 But none of you are allowed to be wearing any of those annoying quiver pouch things ([Made in the USA: Ten cool American-made products](http://www.cnbc.com/2013/06/08/Made-in-the-USA:-Ten-cool-American-made-products.html?slide=8)) which Canadians consider an abomination. ::archly:: _I may even have seen one the other day._:dubious: > [@Velocity](#): > > Going to Canada wouldn’t make any sense; Canada is more liberal than the USA. Currently not in the mood to elaborate (but most certainly _will_, at some point in the quite foreseeable future), but I’m starting to see too many signs of a major far-right groundswell under way in various social and political arenas up here that’s kinda bumming me out. > [@Velocity](#): > > For that matter, where do conservatives threaten to move to when an election doesn’t go their way? I’m guessing that topic might have been bandied about over the odd roast porcupine Sunday dinner table in 2008 and 2012, but I’m sure Kyrgyzstan and Burundi would be good starting off points. - oh I was just being a silly goose…(Jeez we’re just so _darned inclusive_, aren’t we.) ---
**Author:** ![ultimate11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/49beb7/32.png) [@ultimate11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultimate11)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/286 "2016-12-24T07:17:57Z")
> [@Pashnish\_Ewing](#): > > I’m really hoping there is an SDMB ‘silent majority’ out there that, like me, is determined NOT to treat the Trump presidency the way the GOP treated the Obama presidency. > > Taking longer than we thought, indeed. Well the only difference is that there wasn’t any significant protests in 2012 (there doesn’t appear to be much news coverage regarding what happened after the 2012 election, and my memory is very faint for what happened in 2012). I don’t recall a person getting shot and riots breaking out in Portland, so 2016 was far worse than 2012. Possibly even 2000. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/287 "2016-12-24T07:30:27Z")
I am not prepared to pretend to believe that Il Douche is worthy of the same level of respect I accord President Obama. And perversely, one of the things I respect most about him was one of the most annoying: that he was determined to keep his faith in dialogue and compromise, even when the Republicans pissed on his shoes. And he actually _won_ his elections, no asterisks necessary. McCain, yeah, Romney, yeah, I could make the effort. I would trust Obama alone with my daughter, I wouldn’t trust Trump alone with my dog. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/288 "2016-12-24T09:35:00Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > More words of wisdom from a classy, highbrow Trump crony. Carl Paladino is a former Republican nominee for governor of New York and an adviser to president-elect Trump. [Italics are in the original.] This is definitely not the most problematic part of what he said, but…I don’t think you can get mad cow that way, can you? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/289 "2016-12-24T15:02:45Z")
I keep thinking about an alleged statistic I’ve heard several times: that 12 million Democrats voted for Trump in open state primaries because they thought he’d be easy for Clinton to beat. If this is really true, I’d like to congratulate them for fucking us all over. Man, if there are any lessons learned this election, I hope it’s that states reconsider open primaries. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/290 "2016-12-24T15:53:14Z")
Google “12 million Democrats voted for Trump in open state primaries” and first thing you see is “redstate”. Make of that what you will. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/291 "2016-12-24T18:47:12Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Google “12 million Democrats voted for Trump in open state primaries” and first thing you see is “redstate”. Make of that what you will. Also, even if it is true that 12 million registered Democrats voted for Trump, I don’t think it is possible to distinguish between Democrats who voted for Trump because they thought he’d be easier to beat, Democrats who voted for Trump because they genuinely thought he was less-awful than Cruz and didn’t think any of the other candidates had a realistic chance of winning the nomination, and Democrats-in-name-only who are de facto Republicans but never got around to switching their registration. ---
**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 25, 2016, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/292 "2016-12-25T18:54:07Z")
Today it might be fitting to remember what Charles Dickens said in _A Christmas Carol_, when the Ghost of Christmas Present revealed to Scrooge the pair of gaunt supernatural creatures cringing under his robe: > [@](#): > > They are Man’s and they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. This boy is _ **Ignorance** _ and this girl is _ **Want** _. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased. In 2016, Ignorance has brought us to a terrible pass, indeed. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/293 "2016-12-25T23:04:00Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Today it might be fitting to remember what Charles Dickens said in _A Christmas Carol_, when the Ghost of Christmas Present revealed to Scrooge the pair of gaunt supernatural creatures cringing under his robe: > > In 2016, Ignorance has brought us to a terrible pass, indeed. And it keeps getting worse. There was a thread recently in Great Debates titled “What’s so wrong with fake news?” This, this is what’s wrong with fake news. The news if fake the consequences are potentially all too real. > **[Pakistani Defense Minister Makes Nuclear Threat Against Israel After Fake...](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/pakistan-nuclear-israel-fake-news_n_585f2e8ae4b0de3a08f58fb6)** > > Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif responded to a made-up article with a real-life scare. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/294 "2016-12-25T23:19:04Z")
I was not a HRC fanboy but I voted for Hillary Clinton because Trump seemed like a dangerous clown. Having said this, and having posted a thread or two dedicated to the election post mortem I have to say, in the end the main problem was Hillary Clinton herself and those who enabled her. Little personal charisma and lots of baggage with a fierce entitlement vibe that rubbed lots of otherwise democratic leaning people the wrong way, and yet _this_ was the standard bearer the DNC machine put forward. And there was the nagging question “Why?”. Why would the Democratic Party powers that be see _her_ as the logical or natural choice for a POTUS candidate? And then I read [this article](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/13/opinion/the-democrats-screwed-up.html) which detailed the huge degree to which the Clintons hold sway in the Democratic Party nexus. I did not realize their sway was this powerful. > [@](#): > > Democrats need to understand that, and they need to move past a complacency for which the Clintons bear considerable blame. > > It’s hard to overestimate the couple’s stranglehold on the party — its think tanks, its operatives, its donors — for the last two decades. Most top Democrats had vested interests in the Clintons, and energy that went into supporting and defending them didn’t go into fresh ideas and fresh faces, who were shut out as the party cleared the decks anew for Hillary in 2016. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2016, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/295 "2016-12-26T03:07:10Z")
Because she was seen as an extension of Obama policy of radical centrism, the “bipartisan at all costs” position. But I don’t see how this means that the leadership really dictated her nomination, there was a brisk fight, and she won. Could Bernie have won? Love to think so, but given what the Pubbies could do to Hillary, what could they do to an old Socialist Jew with Weed-whacker bed hair? The failure as I see it is that such a policy depends on the sanity of mainstream Republicans, which Obama continued to keep faith in when all hope had vanished. Remember the “Never Trump!” Republicans? Well, good, but nobody else does. ---
**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 27, 2016, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/296 "2016-12-27T23:35:13Z")
> [@](#): > > The biggest outside donors [to the Trump Foundation] were Vince and Linda McMahon, two pro-wrestling moguls, who gave the Trump Foundation $5 million between 2007 and 2009. Trump recently nominated Linda McMahon to head the Small Business Administration. [Cite](http://wapo.st/2hKgTfN) Pay for play, Mr. Hypocrite-Elect? ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/297 "2016-12-28T00:47:57Z")
[Rockette speaks out against performing for Trump’s inauguration](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/rockette-says-inauguration-performance-is-an-issue-of-racism-and-sexism_us_5862a484e4b0de3a08f633e0) Who was the wise guy who thought Trump’s presidency should be heralded by scantily clad women performing against their will? ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/298 "2016-12-28T02:38:00Z")
Speaking of the inauguration…So the Trump team can’t find any acts to play the event, to the glee of my fellow liberals and progressives, but personally I think having civilian entertainers at a presidential inauguration is stupid and unnecessary. Let the Marine band play, swear the president in, give the speech and let’s get on with running the country. If this is one of the norms that President Trump smashes, I say good riddance. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/299 "2016-12-28T03:06:41Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > For that matter, where do conservatives threaten to move to when an election doesn’t go their way? They threaten to move to a tax haven. But I think they actually move to some place where you can pay your servants peanuts. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002/300 "2016-12-28T04:49:08Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > [Cite](http://wapo.st/2hKgTfN) > > Pay for play, Mr. Hypocrite-Elect? Just curious, if Hillary had won, are you under the impression she wouldn’t have nominated anyone who donated to the Clinton Foundation? No ambassadorships for deep-pocketed friends? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-about-the-election-that-dont-seem-to-belong-anywhere-else/772002.md?page=16)