US Presidential Election 2020

duploelabs · 08-10-2020 09:31AM

440Hertz wrote: »

Pence's entire body language just gives me the creeps. Something reminds me of a sci-fi villain.

Or is it Village of the Damned?

I'm surprised they managed to automate the switch at the back of his head to move his eyes ala action man

breezy1985 · 08-10-2020 09:33AM

Igotadose wrote: »

"Ease your passing." Sorry no one would say that in the US. Gimli did dramatically sat that to an orc in The Two Towers if I remember correctly.

It's a widely used comment in regards to death in other anglophone countries including Ireland so I doubt it's a LotR reference

08-10-2020 09:34AM

gmisk wrote: »

She really wasn't. Pence was as low on details as expected. Harris is a pretty fearsome debater.

Pence at least behaved like a gentleman.
Mother has taught him well

Harris is quite clearly an intelligent woman but if she's a fearsome debater, she has yet to show it.

She disappeared meekly in the primary and hardly tore a dullard like Pence a new one last night.

duploelabs · 08-10-2020 10:02AM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Harris is quite clearly an intelligent woman but if she's a fearsome debater, she has yet to show it.

She disappeared meekly in the primary and hardly tore a dullard like Pence a new one last night.

I suggest you watch her questioning Bill Barr in the senate

08-10-2020 10:03AM

duploelabs wrote: »

I suggest you watch her questioning Bill Barr in the senate

That is not a debate.

Zubeneschamali · 08-10-2020 10:37AM

Deleted User wrote: »

She disappeared meekly in the primary and hardly tore a dullard like Pence a new one last night.

Vital for a black woman in the US not to seem angry or aggressive, even when provoked. This is why she responded to interruptions with a polite "Mr. VP, I'm Speaking" instead of "will you shut up man"

pixelburp · 08-10-2020 10:43AM

Yes, context is important here. And worth remembering that gender / racial sensibilities can be 20 years behind the curve in certain parts of the US; the sad reality is that, for a black female politician, there's a very thin line to walk in presenting an "acceptable" template on TV. It sounds farcical but is a phenomenon well understood: that black folk can't seem overly angry or passionate as that feeds into racial bias; while women in power have to avoid coming across too aggressive. Or seeming "shrill" as is the codeword used by chauvinistic male viewers. Or many women too, given how 2016 panned out.

Think on Mike Pence's own retrograde views of women, and I could hear Harris' backstage advice to go softly in front of a national audience. Don't attack the evangelical or it'll feed into every Confirmation Bias going.

everlast75 · 08-10-2020 11:00AM

Michael Steele was on MSNBC and his take was very good.

He said the both did what they needed to do. Pence pivoted like any politician would and Harris kept calm and made her points.

Wallace made the point that the VP debate only really matters when your Pres nomination bombed. Trump needed a boost from Pence and he got a steady performance. Biden won the first one so all Harris had to do was hammer the points home, which she did.

This debate didn't move the needle.

And for those saying it was boring - that's a nice change from 45 aggresively spewing BS.

BonnieSituation · 08-10-2020 11:31AM

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

Harris was awful last night.

Do go on...

What aspects did you think were awful?

BonnieSituation · 08-10-2020 11:35AM

FortuneChip wrote: »

Just seemed like a load of question dodging last night.

Rattling off their monologues, rather than answering the questions, from both parties.

Mike Pence looks like the stock villain to a long delayed direct-to-DVD sequel to an 80s/90s action movie.

As mentioned, this won't have much of an impact on anything anyway.

This is all a VP should be aiming for. The onus was on Pence to knock it out of the park given how far behind they are in the polls, and he didn't manage it.

Job done as far as the Dems should be concerned.

Hyperbollix · 08-10-2020 11:41AM

I think Pence is in many ways worse than Trump. Trump at least has family history / psychological reasons why he's a headcase.

Pence is just pure opportunist. The obsequious fawning to the totems of US culture is stomach churning. The sad truth is that for tens of millions of voters, an old white man with a square jaw and a steely Clint Eastwood squint who blathers on about God, Country and Military is more than enough.

Professor Moriarty · 08-10-2020 11:58AM

correct horse battery staple wrote: »

Trump is down to his lowest chances now (and still falling), the debates and the covid debacle really not done him any favours. And the later has not yet filtered down thru the polls.

538 forecast down to 16/100 chance https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-election-forecast/

economist forecast down 8/10 chance https://projects.economist.com/us-2020-forecast/president

Fantastic.

everlast75 · 08-10-2020 11:59AM

correct horse battery staple wrote: »

Trump is down to his lowest chances now (and still falling), the debates and the covid debacle really not done him any favours. And the later has not yet filtered down thru the polls.

538 forecast down to 16/100 chance https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-election-forecast/

economist forecast down 8/10 chance https://projects.economist.com/us-2020-forecast/president

A thought experiment.

Say with 2 weeks to go. Trump is facing an historic defeat. A SCOTUS intervention is impossible. What does he do?

Is it *possible* that he steps away from the ticket?

There is no easy choice for a narcissist. Run and lose by the biggest margin ever or step aside which is effectively admitting defeat.

Like I said - just something to contemplate.

duploelabs · 08-10-2020 12:05PM

everlast75 wrote: »

A thought experiment.

Say with 2 weeks to go. Trump is facing an historic defeat. A SCOTUS intervention is impossible. What does he do?

Is it *possible* that he steps away from the ticket?

There is no easy choice for a narcissist. Run and lose by the biggest margin ever or step aside which is effectively admitting defeat.

Like I said - just something to contemplate.

That would entail Trump admitting fault, never will happen. The fall will be glorious

Zubeneschamali · 08-10-2020 12:05PM

He'll run, even a 1 in 10 shot is better than utter ruin.

But he'll do that grumpy toad folded-arms Mussolini pose all day long. Hilarious.

spacecoyote · 08-10-2020 12:13PM

correct horse battery staple wrote: »

Trump is down to his lowest chances now (and still falling), the debates and the covid debacle really not done him any favours. And the later has not yet filtered down thru the polls.

538 forecast down to 16/100 chance https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-election-forecast/

economist forecast down 8/10 chance https://projects.economist.com/us-2020-forecast/president

538 did note on their commentary on the numbers that on Oct 17th, Hilary was at 88/100 before dropping to 71/100 by election day, so not done and dusted by any means.

But it is all trending the right way for him alright. Again the significant drop in undecided voters relative to 2016 is working against Trump being able to turn it around as much this time though

droidus · 08-10-2020 12:14PM

everlast75 wrote: »

Michael Steele was on MSNBC and his take was very good.

He said the both did what they needed to do. Pence pivoted like any politician would and Harris kept calm and made her points.

Wallace made the point that the VP debate only really matters when your Pres nomination bombed. Trump needed a boost from Pence and he got a steady performance. Biden won the first one so all Harris had to do was hammer the points home, which she did.

This debate didn't move the needle.

And for those saying it was boring - that's a nice change from 45 aggresively spewing BS.

This is fair, though the image most on display today (and let's face it, this is what will influence people if they are open to influence) is of a pink eyed robot with a fly on his head.

AbusesToilets · 08-10-2020 12:23PM

everlast75 wrote: »

She seems to poll very well, with record breaking funds raised when she was announced on the ticket.

It appears therefore that your last sentence is incorrect.

She was soundly beaten in her own state's primary

08-10-2020 12:29PM

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

Vital for a black woman in the US not to seem angry or aggressive, even when provoked. This is why she responded to interruptions with a polite "Mr. VP, I'm Speaking" instead of "will you shut up man"

I didn't even remotely suggest that she needed to be angry nor aggressive.

She should be pounding Pence on policy issues.

Does anyone in this thread have any interest in actual policy issues, or is it all just tribal cobblers?

BonnieSituation · 08-10-2020 12:36PM

Deleted User wrote: »

I didn't even remotely suggest that she needed to be angry nor aggressive.

She should be pounding Pence on policy issues

But the objective is to win an election in the morass that is American politics today.

No point talking about policy if it doesn't win the election.

Harris did what needed to be done last night. That's all.

Does anyone in this thread have any interest in actual policy issues, or is it all just tribal cobblers?

Is this your first US election?

Zubeneschamali · 08-10-2020 12:46PM

At their convention, the Republicans didn't even adopt a policy platform. They adopted a one-pager saying their policy is to support Trump.

What is the point in debating policy with that? Sure, Harris can hit Pence with a 100 page Democratic policy document, but neither the Republican party nor their voters care. This time out, they are the Whatever Trump Just Said Party.

Foxtrol · 08-10-2020 01:20PM

Throughout the debate Pence lived in a complete fantasy world regarding the questions asked and the facts on the ground in the US.

Given the biggest headline grabber was a fly this debate will be quickly forgotten.

Water John · 08-10-2020 01:23PM

A virtual debate has been proposed for the next one and Trump has rejected it. More than likely, no more debates.

Tell me how · 08-10-2020 01:27PM

Water John wrote: »

A virtual debate has been proposed for the next one and Trump has rejected it. More than likely, no more debates.

Suits Biden's campaign.

He should come out and say he's sorry if they won't happen, but this is another effect of Covid19 and how the administration allowed it to have a bigger impact than should have been the case.

everlast75 · 08-10-2020 01:32PM

Tell me how wrote: »

Suits Biden's campaign.

He should come out and say he's sorry if they won't happen, but this is another effect of Covid19 and how the administration allowed it to have a bigger impact than should have been the case.

I don't know if Harris did say that the reason has had to use plexi glass was to protect herself from the guy installed to protect the American people from COVID and clearly he had failed.

Foxtrol · 08-10-2020 01:38PM

Trump just called into Fox Business and sounded absolutely terrible. Never heard him sounds so low energy. Steroids must be wearing off

Tell me how · 08-10-2020 01:45PM

Pete giving it straight to Fox News.

https://twitter.com/TheRickyDavila/status/1314051953790345219?s=19

everlast75 · 08-10-2020 01:45PM

Three possible motives for objecting to virtual debate

1) he doesn't want to do the debate and he just wants to blame it on the format
2) he truly doesn't like the idea of being cut off if he acts the a hole again
3) he wants to expose Biden to it. This sounds fanciful but not beyond the realms of possibility

Tell me how · 08-10-2020 02:18PM

everlast75 wrote: »

Three possible motives for objecting to virtual debate

1) he doesn't want to do the debate and he just wants to blame it on the format
2) he truly doesn't like the idea of being cut off if he acts the a hole again
3) he wants to expose Biden to it. This sounds fanciful but not beyond the realms of possibility

Its for that last reason that I am pleased if they do not debate in person again.

Just don't want to contemplate a situation where Trump gets Covid and recovers in a seemingly straightforward manner, goes to another debate after which Biden gets it and is pretty much incapacitated for the final week, leading to a Trump victory.

Harry Palmr · 08-10-2020 02:27PM

Foxtrol wrote: »

Trump just called into Fox Business and sounded absolutely terrible. Never heard him sounds so low energy. Steroids must be wearing off

It wouldn't be a shock if Covid was suppressed successfully but the phalanx of drugs laid him low instead! He is a walking lab at the moment.

US Presidential Election 2020

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