Nobody in Washington liked Cruz anyways, he's pissed off quite a few people.

(07-22-2016, 05:38 AM)Duchess Wrote: I didn't watch the speech and this morning I went straight to the fact checking that is done by a number of sites. He's a lying cocksucka and I'm ready with the facts for anyone who chooses to engage me on this today. *flexes*

I think you have to listen to the speech, from the mindset of those who see things differently than you, in order to gauge it's effectiveness.

It was dark and full of absolute promises with little detail on the "how" and no acknowledgement that Trump would have to transfer some state powers to the Executive branch of the Federal government to do what he promises he'll do. It was very authoritarian dictatorish, in my opinion.

But, if you listen to people from around the country, especially disgruntled blue collar white people, there are millions who absolutely vote based on their immediate fears/emotions. Facts don't matter to them and they'll write facts and stats off as 'liberal talking points' or 'PC rhetoric'. Trump is reflecting and exaggerating their fears. That's music to their ears; he's legitimizing their fears and biases (largely irrational fears and biases, in my opinion, but they don't give a crap about my opinion any more than they care about facts and realistic policy discussion).

In his speech and attempt to brand himself the "Law and Order Candidate", Trump also pandered to the NRA, gun-enthusiasts and police officers. I think many in those groups believe that the government is against them and Trump really is "their voice".

Before his speech, two remarkable things happened in the context of a modern-day Republican convention. First, a gay Silicon Valley CEO billionaire got a round of applause for saying he's proud to be gay and that where people go to the bathroom is not an issue anyone should care about. I'm familiar with that CEO, he's a nutbag who doesn't believe in democracy because he believes it cramps Capitalism and he's focused on live-forever technology. But, he was right about the establishment Republicans putting off too many Independents and moderate/young would-be Republicans with their anti-gay and anti-diversity obsession. Trump himself bucked the GOP establishment and its agreed-to platform by reinforcing the CEO's point and directly appealing to the LBGTQ communities and their supporters in his speech.

Between the speeches of the gay CEO and her father, Ivanka Trump took the stage and told a room full of Republican zealots that she's an Independent. She spoke about how Trump's companies have more female than male executives, how they're paid equally, and how they're supported rather than left behind if they become mothers. She promised that her father would change the labor laws to make equal pay for women across the country a reality and affordable/accessible childcare available to all. She was trying hard to position the Trumps as "blue collar billionaires" and not elitists. From my perspective, she was obviously targeting Republican women who haven't been able to get behind Trump, and targeting female Sanders' supporters, and targeting undecided women, and targeting people in the hold-your-nose-and-vote-for-Hillary camp. I don't know if she was successful or not.

Clinton, in my view, needs to modernize her approach and work some excitement into her campaign. I can see some young women/people viewing Ivanka Trump as a Hillary Clinton alternative, even though I personally think that's naive and I'm very turned off by the thought of a Trump dynasty running our government. The 'Trump kids' thing is rubbing me way wrong, but apparently it's hitting the spot for a lot of Republicans who were previously Trump hold outs.

(07-22-2016, 10:51 AM)HairOfTheDog Wrote: I think you have to listen to the speech, from the mindset of those who see things differently than you, in order to gauge it's effectiveness.

I've since listened to segments of it and even they were hard to get through. I don't view my country as dark & scary, I don't feel the foreboding that he is trying to impress upon me. What he sees and what I see are two very different Americas. I am not frightened and I don't feel hopeless.

No matter where I tuned in to this speech all I heard were ridiculous promises, I didn't hear a plan of action or even a starting point. I didn't hear anything of substance and I wanted to so that I could argue about it in an informed manner.

(07-22-2016, 07:45 AM)cannongal Wrote:

(07-21-2016, 07:16 PM)HairOfTheDog Wrote: I don't think what Cruz did is anywhere near as big a deal to the general public as it was to the convention attendees last night. Remember, they're the same people chanting "build that wall!", "lock her (Hillary) up!", and proclaiming that Hillary Clinton is like Lucifer and should be shot on a firing line for treason.

A radio host in my area said that what Cruz did is political career suicide. I also read somewhere that Cruz was going to run in 2020, whether Trump was president or not.

Maybe he needs his meds adjusted or something?

I've heard others say that too, cannongal.

I think Ted Cruz is an incredibly smart and uber ambitious mofo. He's also a political vampire and I don't agree that he committed political suicide.

If Trump loses, no one will blame Cruz's non-endorsement, there are too many other blatant reasons for Trump to lose and Cruz isn't that powerful. The fact that he didn't bend over and endorse Trump will work in his favor as he attempts to position himself as a man of principle and the leader of the conservative Republican party reconstruction effort (it'll be Cruz vs. Ryan).

If Trump wins, Cruz has four years to strategize and position himself as the man who can either undo the presidential missteps of Donald Trump and save the party, and/or the person best qualified to capitalize on the accomplishments of President Trump while also promising to "make America moral again". That's how I imagine it, anyway.

(07-22-2016, 05:38 AM)Duchess Wrote:

I didn't watch the speech and this morning I went straight to the fact checking that is done by a number of sites. He's a lying cocksucka and I'm ready with the facts for anyone who chooses to engage me on this today. *flexes*

The weird thing with this election is that you can say the same thing about both of them.
I'm willing to take a chance on the unknown instead of another term for Obama via Hillary.

(07-22-2016, 11:24 AM)FAHQTOO Wrote: I'm willing to take a chance on the unknown

(07-22-2016, 11:27 AM)Duchess Wrote:

(07-22-2016, 11:24 AM)FAHQTOO Wrote: I'm willing to take a chance on the unknown

You started freaking me out about 6 months ago.

If I stare at that kid long enough I begin to hear that scream. And I've heard it so many times now it sends chills up my spine.

(07-22-2016, 11:02 AM)Duchess Wrote: I've since listened to segments of it and even they were hard to get through. I don't view my country as dark & scary, I don't feel the foreboding that he is trying to impress upon me. What he sees and what I see are two very different Americas. I am not frightened and I don't feel hopeless.

No matter where I tuned in to this speech all I heard were ridiculous promises, I didn't hear a plan of action or even a starting point. I didn't hear anything of substance and I wanted to so that I could argue about it in an informed manner.

I understand where you're coming from. I think the center and left pundits are gauging the effectiveness of Trump's speech from the same perspective as you.

But, you (and those pundits) are not part of Trump's target market. You aren't undecided and you're not of the hold-your-nose-for-Hillary mindset.

So the fact that Trump's speech didn't appeal to you isn't indicative of its effectiveness, in my opinion.

A few points in Trump's speech were accurate and scary to a lot of people, especially if they believe Trump's rhetoric as to why it's happening and don't have surrounding context. I think he may have swayed a number of undecideds who disagree with him on some issues but worry a lot about crime and immigration.

1. Trump was accurate when he talked about a 17% increase over last year in homicides in the nation’s 50 largest cities; and the homicide rates in Washington, Baltimore and Chicago.

2. The number of police officer deaths (from gunshot wounds only) has in fact risen nearly 50% compared with the same period last year. However, the overall number of police officers killed in the line of duty is actually flat.

3. Hillary Clinton does plan to increase the number of Syrian refugees by 550%.

One of the most concerning things that Trump said, from my perspective, wasn't even mentioned by the pundits I heard last night.

He said that it's a violation of free speech that churches and religious institutions can't donate to political groups lest they lose their tax-exempt status. First off, they shouldn't be tax exempt at all, in my opinion. Secondly, I think the separation of church and state is a very good thing, money is not speech, and the last thing we need is religious special interests wielding immense influence over the government.

(07-22-2016, 11:27 AM)Duchess Wrote:

(07-22-2016, 11:24 AM)FAHQTOO Wrote: I'm willing to take a chance on the unknown

You started freaking me out about 6 months ago.

Well jeez Louise, I understood the first time.

This morning there was a thank you gathering for staff and volunteers of the convention. Trump was back to spewing the same old lame bullshit as well as saying "I ran as an outsider, I didn't want anybody," Trump said. "Now I have guys like Mike Pence ... See now if I don't win, I'm going to blame Mike, right? We have to blame Mike."

He's such a tool.

Did u see when trump blew pence a kiss. What a freaking weirdo.

It was as creepy as it was when he grabbed his daughter's hips last night.

Do you guys do this with your daughters?

Bernie live tweeted through Trump's speech last night. Heh.

I watched the second half of his speech last night.

I've always voted Republican so I wanted to really listen to him.

I thought he made some good points.

Now, can he actually win?

(07-22-2016, 08:03 PM)Midwest Spy Wrote: I thought he made some good points.

The German people said the same thing about Hitler before he went totally Nutzi.

(07-22-2016, 08:03 PM)Midwest Spy Wrote: Now, can he actually win?

Absolutely. The world is a dark & scary place and he's the savior. His skills are such that he's the only one to save us. When asked about his foreign policy his response was that he watches political programming, the kind that's on every Sunday morning. Matter of fact, he's just so damn good that's his going to squash ISIS in the days following his swearing in. He says he has a secret plan and he knows better what to do than our military Generals do.

(07-23-2016, 12:55 AM)Clang McFly Wrote:

(07-22-2016, 08:03 PM)Midwest Spy Wrote: I thought he made some good points.

The German people said the same thing about Hitler before he went totally Nutzi.

The German people just had an Iran/German go into a mall and shoot a bunch of innocent people. Germany accepted immigrants and they are getting clobbered by terrorists even though they have some of the most strong gun limitations in the world. German media has not commented on anything and the German government is not saying a word about the reasons behind the attack but I bet the ones that were there will start talking soon. How do you vet an immigrant that virtually has no verifiable past?

Not that it matters much but check out this poll............

Bing bing bing