2016 U.S. Presidential Race Megathread Mark 2.

uncleoswald wrote: »

Hardly a panic. Whatever happens it's going to be a fairly close election and if Trump does win a large part of that will be third party candidates taking youth votes away from Hillary.

Or of Clinton will lose some votes which will be given to third party candidates as protest where nobody cares how good those candidates are.

So, somebody sent one of Trump's old tax returns to the New York Times. It turns out he claimed a $916mn loss on his tax returns in 1995 and likely didn't pay taxes for up to 18 years. Trump has responded to this revelation, not by denying it, but by taking shots at the New York Times and Hillary Clinton. Predictable as always.

This revelation suggests that Trump didn't pay taxes because he was incompetent, not because he was smart as he claimed in the debate Monday. I'm very much enjoying watching this horrible creature's presidential bid go up in smoke. Roll on the 8th of November.

Suryavarman wrote: »

So, somebody sent one of Trump's old tax returns to the New York Times. It turns out he claimed a $916mn loss on his tax returns in 1995 and likely didn't pay taxes for up to 18 years. Trump has responded to this revelation, not by denying it, but by taking shots at the New York Times and Hillary Clinton. Predictable as always.

This revelation suggests that Trump didn't pay taxes because he was incompetent, not because he was smart as he claimed in the debate Monday. I'm very much enjoying watching this horrible creature's presidential bid go up in smoke. Roll on the 8th of November.

The mystery to me why is he still on the card? No tax payments, dodged the draft several times back in the day, racist, bigot, rude, ignorant, incompetent and more. What is not to like. He makes Nixon look clean. I would not count him out, simply because it all boils down to him or her, nothing else.

Offsetting current losses against future profits is standard practice in taxation.

I doubt if anyone really cares over there.

Trump needs to stick to the fight and not get distracted. Clinton is corrupt and self serving. Obama and Clinton sit back and watch Russia and Syria bomb hospitals in Alleppo, they watch on as innocent people are being killed, a lot of them women and kids.
They offer no protect. USA is a joke under Obama and Clinton. So weak, Russia is laughing as US .

Black Swan wrote: »

Methinks that Trump is just being Trump. He is generally acting now just like he did during the Republican primaries.

The federal deficit doubled for the first time during Ronald Reagan's Cold War arms race with USSR, and has been rapidly rising almost every administration since, regardless of which party controlled the presidency or Congress (Congress being the institution that actually legislates federal debt).

Historically speaking I doubt that it's any more unstable than before, especially if we are comparing war with peace. According to Durant and Durant in The Lessons of History, "History and War" chapter (p.81):

"War is one of the constants of history, and has not diminished with civilization or democracy. In the last 3,421 years of recorded history only 268 have seen no war."

It really does not matter if we are addressing conventional war, nuclear war, or nonconventional war (e.g., terrorism, etc.). Peace has been abnormal and war normal in human history, so today's threats of war or active nonconventional wars are normal, as they were in the historical past.


Methinks the 2016 presidential election is a choice between bureaucrat Clinton and con-artist Trump, neither good choices. And, once again, to say that one is better than the other, or the lesser of evils, requires a leap-of-faith, and not one based upon reason.

Trump being Trump, I don't know what he think he can benefit from his war with a former Miss universe. Maybe he wants to paint Clinton as having bad judgment by using her, but this is just silly stuff, so much wrong in thew world and the Clintons using a Miss Universe and Trump playing along...

The problem with the national debt is the US cannot keep doubling it every so many years. From $9 trillion to $20 trillion in 8 years says 'out of control', a debt from propping up the economy and wars and no sign that there will be any real change to it.

Maybe I am pessimistic, normally optimistic but there is like a darkness in the world. In my opinion with the Arab Spring it has brought a lot more instability and uncertainty into the world.
There are a lot of tensions, the Russians finally got fed up of the US after being ignored over Iraq and Libya and have become pro-active. Some think the fault is the Russians, but if your idea of repairing damage done which Clinton voted for, is to give a reset button and then simply ignore Russia when it warns about removing Gaddafi then there will be consequences.
I think the ignorance of Clinton is astounding and I think she will be the next president.
A Trump presidency could bring great instability and will not be good, but I am 100% sure a Hillary Clinton presidency will be a disaster.
The EU is in trouble, and Brexit has been so damaging.
If France keeps being attacked then Le Pen could win despite people dismissing it.
I just think the world is in a right mess right now.

I think whoever is president, the methods of war are more dangerous than ever.
A state hacker could turn off the power supply to a country, and disable it, maybe put in viruses into the systems which was done to Iran's nuclear program.
Computers are now a more effective weapon than having a direct war.
We see in this election how the Democrats cyber security has been extremely poor.

I think whoever one wants to win, be careful what you wish for, I think it is going to be an election that will be better to lose.
Anyone who thinks the person they support has the answers or is competent, has been an ostrich in this election.
This election is a disaster whoever wins.

RobertKK wrote: »

One can argue who is more incompetent.
Trump with his $900 million + income loss in 1995 which he could use to write against income tax for 18 years or so.

Losing $916mn is pretty incompetent.

Clinton who was directly involved in destroying entire nations - vehemently supporting Bush's disastrous Iraq war and was all over the destruction of Libya and handing the nation to terrorists.

Despite it being in the midst of civil war Libya is still freer than it ever was under Gaddafi. Gaddafi was only overthrown five years ago. It's far too early to say whether or not intervention there was a success or a failure. You also seem to be under the impression that Gaddafi would still be in power if America never joined the coalition that overthrew Gaddafi which is pretty naive.

Clinton was warned by Russia about removing Gaddafi, but we can talk about how petulant and incompetent Clinton can be.

Link to a video or an article documenting Clinton's petulance please.

Billy86 wrote: »

He's been played like a fiddle, basically. It's a good preview of what other world leaders would do to him constantly were he to win the election. And he'd be played like a fiddle by them, too.

Yes. The Clinton campaign knew exactly what they were doing bringing her into the debate. Remember the Khans? It took trump a week to get over them too.

And trump is that stupid he didn't see it coming.

I wonder who they'll bring to the next debate?

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

Trump has made mistakes.

He lost Nine Hundred Million Dollars.

It explains why he doesnt want any more of his tax returns revealed.

Except...he claims its smart. And today he has chris christie and rudy guilani out telling the news outlets that he's a "genius" for paying so little.

SO if its genius then why doesnt he release the tax returns?