Former President Donald J. Trump

[Lord Rother]

Still a long way to go. It's going to be all about AZ, NV, PA, WI, NC and perhaps even OH and MI.
He's a complete doofus and got soundly beaten in the debate, but the election is still 7 weeks away, and his rhetoric about immigration and inflation is influencing people. I'm so naive to think that 'naturally' a big majority of young people vote Democrate, but nothing could be further from the truth. This current New Silent Generation is a lot more conservative than the Millennials, and that's a worrying trend, for me. If Harris wins it will be because of the female and non-white voters. Among white men from any generation, Trump would win hands down. And don't forget all the pet lovers who are leaving Springfield OH in droves, leaving the Haitians with nothing to eat but their children

Your “nothing could be further from the truth” claim re young voters - based on what exactly?

Statista States - “According to exit polling in the 2020 Presidential Election in the United States, 62 percent of surveyed 18 to 29 year old voters reported voting for former Vice President Joe Biden. In the race to become the next president of the United States, 51 percent of voters aged 65 and older reported voting for incumbent President Donald Trump.”

And

“According to an August 2024 survey, young Americans were much more likely to vote for Kamala Harris in the November 2024 presidential elections. Of those between the ages of 18 and 29, 58 percent said they were planning on voting for Harris, compared to 27 percent who said they planned on voting for Trump. In contrast, Trump was much more popular among those between 45 and 64 years old.”

58 - 27 = 31.

All this before the Taylor Swift effect which is likely to add a point or 2 (probably from the missing 15).

I.e. with all due respect, you are talking bollocks.

[mudshark]

Whatever...

[Hightea]

I know you all think that Kamala has this wrapped up - but I'm telling you it's not. As crazy as Trump is this is going to be close and I don't trust some of these red/purple states counting votes. Also the polls in plenty of states are with in the error margin and the past two elections the Trump vote in polls was off by quite alot.

Wish I had Kath's positive attitude but I'm already planning for a long election day night. Please America end this awful mans political career.

[pcqgod]

I think she needs to focus more on economic matters. People are still feeling the hurt in this economy. Gas has come down but groceries still cost an arm and a leg and housing/rent is putting awful pressure on the poor and lower middle class. She has been hammering the abortion issue but that can only get her so far. Most of the ads I've seen from her here in Ohio have focused on the abortion issue. I am glad to report that I am fairly regularly seeing Kamala ads on tv here and zero Trump ads. I'm not sure if that is because Trump is so confident of his hold on Ohio's electoral votes or because the endless Bernie Moreno ads are basically Trump ads. Basically, Biden/Harris/Sherrod Brown are pro weirdo trans people, pro dangerous immigrants, and pro inflation policies. Moreno is the Republican challenger to Senator Sherrod Brown, endorsed by Trump, and basically George Santos mark II. Right now Brown is also focusing on the abortion issue in his latest ad blitz, calling out Moreno's hardline anti-abortion stance.

[Rorschach]

I know you all think that Kamala has this wrapped up - but I'm telling you it's not.

Totally. Nate Silver says that anyone calling this is mad or a liar.

From what I'm hearing, it's all down to Pennsylvania. She wins that and she wins.

The electoral college system is so shit...

[Lord Rother]

I know you all think that Kamala has this wrapped up - but I'm telling you it's not.

Totally. Nate Silver says that anyone calling this is mad or a liar.

From what I'm hearing, it's all down to Pennsylvania. She wins that and she wins.

The electoral college system is so shit...

2 weeks ago Silver had it as 69% in favour of Trump.

Now he goes 1% lean to Harris.

[Rorschach]

2 weeks ago Silver had it as 69% in favour of Trump.

Now he goes 1% lean to Harris.

I think he's been in London this last week. A couple of london-based podcasts I listen to had interviews with him. He's been promoting his new book about how high stakes gamblers rule the world at the moment, and he is one of them. While he is happy to show the data and who is leading in the polls, he also states that nobody in their right minds would gamble on this because it's all within the margin for error and nobody knows who is going to win.

[mudshark]

Exactly. I'm pretty sure there's a majority, silent or otherwise, that doesn't want Trump. But while Harris is promoting joy, hope, equality and all that stuff, she's not very strong on the 2 topics that most people care most about: immigration and the economy. James Carville's famous 1992 statement during naughty Bill's campaign against Bush ("It's the economy, stupid!) is as valid as it ever was. Let's hope the drop in the interest rate quickly finds its way to ordinary people's wallets. Also, a lot of people feel there needs to be a man in charge in these dangerous times for the world. I think they're dead-wrong, but that doesn't mean a damn thing. Fortunately, Trump is stupid enough to keep on doing Trump things, like trying to sell $100 commemorative coins with his face and signature on it. Nobody knows what these represent, and quite illogical to try peddling these while lamenting the increase in the price of eggs. It's going to be a nailbiter!

[BARON CORNY DOG]

I know you all think that Kamala has this wrapped up - but I'm telling you it's not.

I don’t know anyone, anywhere who thinks this.

[mudshark]

There's some English nobility with a penchant for Scandinavian Prog that seems to be in-the-know...

Here I was reading that Texas may be a battleground this cycle: Fuhgeddaboudit!

[Lord Rother]

[Lord Rother]

Kamala Harris has won the endorsement of Rudy Giuliani’s daughter, who declared: “I’ve been grieving the loss of my dad to Trump. I cannot bear to lose our country to him too.”

Caroline Rose Giuliani wrote:

“I’m unfortunately well suited to remind Americans of just how calamitous being associated with Trump can be, even for those who are convinced he’s on their side. I am constantly asking myself how America is back here, even considering the possibility of electing Donald Trump again, after all of the damage he has caused, both in office and since. There are unmistakable reminders of Trump’s destructive trail all around us, and it has broken my heart to watch my dad become one of them.”

[pcqgod]

Republicans are really betting on Ohio voters being transphobes. Literally every commercial break on broadcast tv has another Bernie Moreno ad reminding voters that Sherrod Brown supported pro-transgender legislation. The only Trump ad I've seen also plays on the same issue, but with Harris as the target. Last I heard, Brown was still polling ahead of Moreno but looks like this race will be another nail-biter.

[Charlie O.]

Even by Trump standards, this is weird, and nothin' but. It's like something from a dream.

OAKS, Pa. — The town hall, moderated by South Dakota Gov. Kristi L. Noem (R), began with questions from preselected attendees for the former president. Donald Trump offered meandering answers on how he would address housing affordability and help small businesses. But it took a sudden turn after two attendees required medical attention.

And so Trump, after jokingly asking the crowd whether “anybody else would like to faint,” took a different approach.

“Let’s not do any more questions. Let’s just listen to music. Let’s make it into a music. Who the hell wants to hear questions, right?” he said.

For 39 minutes, Trump swayed, bopped — sometimes stopping to speak — as he turned the event into almost a living-room listening session of his favorite songs from his self-curated rally playlist.

He played nine tracks. He danced. He shook hands with people onstage. He pointed to the crowd. Noem stood beside him, nodding with her hands clasped. Trump stayed in place onstage, slowly moving back and forth. He was done answering questions for the night.

“Total lovefest at the PA townhall! Everyone was so excited they were fainting so @realDonaldTrump turned to music,” campaign spokesman Steven Cheung wrote on X. “Nobody wanted to leave and wanted to hear more songs from the famous DJT Spotify playlist!”

Trump has long obsessed over his playlist, and aides have often described him privately DJing on his campaign plane or at his Mar-a-Lago Club patio in Florida. He has also angered music artists — such as Celine Dion — who have requested that he stop playing their music at his campaign rallies.

As Trump stood onstage in his oversize suit and bright red tie, swaying back and forth, it was almost as if he were taking a trip back to decades past. Trump’s decision to cut short the question-and-answer portion of the town hall and instead have the crowd stay to listen to his favorite songs was a somewhat bizarre move, given that the election was only 22 days away. Vice President Kamala Harris has called Trump, 78, unstable and questioned his mental acuity.

Some in the crowd began to leave. Some looked around, wondering whether he was done speaking for the night and how much longer the dance — or sway — session would last. Many stayed holding their cameras and watched as Trump took in the music, at times looking over at a screen beside him that showed videos of James Brown singing “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” and Sinéad O’Connor performing “Nothing Compares 2 U.”

The evening began to take a different trajectory when a man appeared to faint in the crowd. Trump paused his remarks. Attendees fanned the man and began to sing “God Bless America.” As the man waited for medical help, Trump mused: “While we’re waiting. So we had a beautiful evening. And I don’t know if they could get this song up quickly, but if they could work really quickly backstage while we’re waiting. ‘Ave Maria.’” The song began to play.

Trump then resumed. Minutes later, another attendee needed medical attention. Trump stopped again. “Take your time, doctor,” he said, and “Ave Maria” began to play again. Trump then quipped to the crowd: “Would anybody else like to faint? Please raise your hand. Let’s do it now.”

Trump then referred to a chart with immigration statistics that he credits with saving his life: “My all-time favorite chart. And let’s listen to Pavarotti sing ‘Ave Maria.’ They gave me the ‘Ave Maria’ with no voice.” He then pointed to a Gold Star couple whose son was lost in battle, saying: “That’s for your boy, stand up.”

He briefly returned to talking about the election and the importance of winning Pennsylvania. After Noem gave Trump the option of closing “with a specific song” or taking “two more fast questions,” he addressed one of his aides: “So Justin, how about a couple really beauties and we’ll sit down and relax.”

It was time to listen to Andrea Bocelli’s “Time to Say Goodbye.” After listening to James Brown, Trump began to speak again, as if remembering that he was still at an event that was billed as a town hall.

“This is the most important election in the history of our country,” Trump said, once again accusing Democrats of weaponizing elections. But then he went back to his music.

“Those two people that went down are patriots, and we love them, and because of them we ended up with some good music, right?” he asked. “So play ‘YMCA!’ Go ahead. Let’s go nice and loud!”

“Here we go, everybody,” Noem interjected.

The crowd cheered and danced to the Village People song from the 1970s, which celebrates gay cruising culture. Noem put her hands up in the shape of a “Y.” As the song was ending, Trump mouthed the words, “Nobody’s leaving.”

“Nobody’s leaving. What’s going on? There’s nobody leaving. Keep going,” he said, as Rufus Wainwright’s version of “Hallelujah” played next. “All right, turn that music up! Turn that up. Great song!”

Then it was “Nothing Compares 2 U” by Sinéad O’Connor. “An American Trilogy” by Elvis Presley. “Rich Men North of Richmond” by Oliver Anthony. Trump stood and swayed.

As “November Rain” by Guns N’ Roses played, he walked off the stage. He spoke to attendees on his way out, as “Memory” from the musical “Cats” played in the background.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/10/14/trump-music-sways-town-hall/

[Lord Rother]

I guess it's an effective new way to avoid displaying his complete ignorance of everything to do with running the country I suppose.

Different context but as Steve Benen of CNN wrote today:

"I can appreciate why Republican officials keep urging their nominee to focus on policy, but they’re effectively asking squirrels to do trigonometry: If Trump could talk about the substantive details of governing and policymaking, he would. But he can’t, so he doesn’t."

[Flower]

Just when I thought that Trump couldn't get any more DESPICABLE ...

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/17/us/p ... e-war.html

Former President Donald J. Trump blamed President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine for Russia’s invasion of his country in a podcast interview released on Thursday, inverting the facts of the largest military action in Europe since the Second World War.

The war began when President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia massed troops on the border and then invaded Ukraine, sending in troops and launching airstrikes on Feb. 24, 2022. Mr. Putin had long hoped to assert more control over the country, having already seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and backed pro-Russia separatists in Ukraine’s east in a proxy war.

Mr. Trump, in a rambling, muddled answer on a conservative podcast, was criticizing President Biden’s leadership when he abruptly brought up his skepticism over the administration’s continued military aid to Ukraine.

“I think Zelensky is one of the greatest salesmen I’ve ever seen,” Mr. Trump said, repeating a statement he has made frequently. “Every time he comes in, we give him $100 billion. Who else got that kind of money in history? There’s never been. And that doesn’t mean I don’t want to help him, because I feel very badly for those people. But he should never have let that war start. That war is a loser.”

Mr. Trump has suggested before that blame for the widespread destruction caused by the Russian invasion rests with the Ukrainian president. Mr. Zelensky, he has said, should have cut a deal with Mr. Putin to avoid the invasion.

[Flower]

"I feel very BADLY for those people" .. Where are the grammar police when you really need them?

[Mike Boom]

So Trump goes full Nazi at Madison Square Garden. People are actually voting for this creep ??
Disgusting and vile and actually quite scary to think this election is even close.

[mudshark]

Same venue as the 1939 Nazi rally organized by the German-American Bund. Any significance?
You'd think that millions of moderate republicans and Puerto Ricans who might have considered voting for the man, either don't turn up or cast their vote for somebody else. Bu that may be wrong assumption - again. Most Americans vote with their wallet, and a lot of them think Trump will do a better job with the economy, and will save their pets from hungry Haitians. These are dangerous times. I'll lie low in Europe until after the elections, so I can make plans for my family's evacuation. My son-in-law is from Puerto Rico, so my grandchildren are 50% Puerto Rican. There may be plans for them...

[Charlie O.]

Most Americans vote with their wallet, and a lot of them think Trump will do a better job with the economy

... despite having tanked it last time. I must say, I'm impressed by the chutzpah of GOP people saying "Are you better off now than you were four years ago?" Hmmm, let's see, that would be 2020, what was happening four years ago...?