POLITICAL JUNKIES

DivineMrsM

Thanks for the history on women's right to vote and link to a Rolling Stone, rainy, will read it tomorrow.

ruthbru

Watch Clinton's thoughtful speech yesterday on terrorism, and compare it to Cruz's "carpet bomb them" (in Brussels? In Syria? In Iran? He didn't specific) and Trump's "torture them" comments (after which, with the fate of the western world at stake, they went back to attacking each other's wife. You can pretty clearly see which candidate would be the grown up in the Oval House. (Kasich also gave very good comments on the situation, but it seems as though the Republicans are voting with their trigger fingers this year.......it is shake my head scary!)

exbrnxgrl

Yes, a super PAC ran an old nude photo of Mrs. Trump . Donald, assuming it was from the Cruz campaign tweeted that lyin' Ted should be careful or he would spill the beans on Heidi aka: Mrs, Cruz.
Another tale for the great classless campaign of 2016.
Has no one attacked the candidates pets yet?

SummerAngel

I find it interesting that women would vote for Trump, too. I know my sister will vote for him if he's the Republican candidate, she said she would even though she's not thrilled with him. I'm going to ask her why and I'll post her thoughts. She and I have very different political views but are very close and can speak about politics in a calm and rational manner (unlike when I try to talk to my parents about their views. )

april485

Summer, perhaps your sister would vote for Trump as the Republican nominee for the same reasons democrats who really would like Bernie Sanders to be the nominee will vote for Hillary Clinton? If your sister does not like the democratic views on issues and/or she is conservative, she likely sees him as a better bet than throwing her support behind Clinton or Sanders. Just the way I view it. I would probably vote for anyone who got the democratic nomination than vote for Trump as I find him not to have any credibility when it comes to the issues that are important to me and my family.

I would LOVE it if Elizabeth Warren were to run, but alas, I think she is waiting on that one if she ever does run at all. I know that Hillary is unlikely to choose her as the VP on her ticket as it would make it too much of a feminist statement and make it look like all she wants/is is the first female President.

The fact is, very early on Hillary knew she would one day run for President. In a book I read by her husband, she often weighed in on decisions made during his Presidency and he has a lot of respect for her political savvy. Of course, only non classified things were discussed between them. She really thought she would be relaxing and retired by now as she had planned to win in 2008 but President Obama obviously had other ideas.

SummerAngel

I think you're right, April. She is an old-school Republican and I'm sure the thought of voting for Hillary or Bernie makes her skin crawl more than voting for Trump would - even with his extremely un-old-school Republican beliefs.

DivineMrsM

I have no doubt there will be some idiots who vote for Trump specifically because of his wife's nude centerfold pics. Were she to become First Lady, I foresee many would will degrade her every chance they get because of the pics.

Should Hillary become the Democratic nominee for President, and it's looking that way, I will be very very curious who she selects as her running mate. Definitely won't be another woman. Hillary wants her female star to be the shiniest!

Hopeful82014

I think HRC will choose her running mate based on creating a string ticket and a feasible second in command, rather than wanting to be the star of the show. I think she almost has to choose a male (not at all sure who that might be) in order to avoid alienating those who aren't quite ready yet for an all female ticket.

april485

Kayb, thanks for posting that article. I knew most of it but there were a few tidbits I did not know about, particularly about the beauty contest contestants...YIKES. I just read that on my lunch hour and now have no appetite.

3-16-2011

I am far behind. I do want to share that I am writhing this as I wait to hear Bernie Sanders speak at a rally here in Spokane. A few days ago I saw President Bill Clinton stump for Hillary. I was so moved to a husband support his wife's run for president amazing!

I am so enjoying this discussion.

Mary

DivineMrsM

I know there is a lot of strategizing in selecting a running mate to maximize getting the most votes. A quick google on the issue for Clinton brought up some articles, here's one of them

Who Will Hillary Clinton Choose as Her VP? Here's a Shortlist of Potential Running Mates

By Claire Lampen March 01, 2016

With Super Tuesday upon us, it seems an appropriate time to start thinking about whom Hillary Clinton might select as her running mate, should she win the Democratic Party's nomination at its July national convention. While Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is still very much in it to win it, Clinton emerged as the frontrunner after her big win in Saturday's South Carolina primary.

Who might Hillary select as her vice president? The candidate hasn't named her would-be V.P. yet, but speculation has been swirling for some time now. There are many possibilities: Elizabeth Warren, Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown — even her current opponent Sanders, the apparent choice of 26% of Democrats polled in a recent survey.

That seems unlikely, but Clinton may well opt for someone whose politics and professional track clock with Sanders' progressive ethos. Here are three people whose names have been tossed around as potential vice presidents.

Julian Castro is the secretary of housing and urban development; he is also, according to the Los Angeles Times, a distinct possibility when it comes to Clinton V.P. choices. When he campaigned for Clinton in Iowa, the Times reported, the Secretary — whose background and rapid rise within the party have prompted people to compare him to President Obama — spoke in cities throughout the state, warning Latino populations of the threat posed by a Republican presidency.

According to Politico, he's spent time building bridges within Congress, a strategy that could serve him well as second-in-command to a president Republicans would likely see as an extension of the Obama administration. He's also much younger than Clinton; at 41, he could help sway the younger voters who have, so far, gravitated toward Sanders.

And as Reuters reported in October, Clinton has already pledged close consideration of Castro when considering V.P. candidates. "I am going to look really hard at him for anything, because that's how good he is," she said of Castro, at a meeting of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce held in San Antonio, Texas. Castro later endorsed her.

Clinton and Castro then hosted a "Latinos for Hillary" rally in the city — as her running mate, Castro could help swing Clinton the Latino vote that will be decisive in the 2016 election.

Tom Perez, the U.S. secretary of labor, is another buzzed-about contender for the coveted V.P. slot, especially in recent days as she reestablishes her lead over Sanders. Perez, some have speculated, could help the Clinton campaign to attract the party's progressive element, a goal he highlighted when he endorsed the candidate in December.

Before joining the Obama administration in 2013, Perez was assistant attorney general for civil rights at the Department of Justice; he fought against discrimination in housing, education, employment, voting and law enforcement.

And then, his parents are both Dominican immigrants; this, combined with his experience working for labor rights means he is an ideal choice to reach some of the key voter demographics whose votes Clinton will need to secure the presidency. Indeed, the WashingtonPost has called him "one of President Obama's top emissaries to liberal, labor and Latino constituencies."

Perez has already helped her there, rallying Latino support for the former secretary of state leading into the South Carolina primary, which proved a major victory for her.

Another Democratic up-and-comer who turned out for Clinton in Iowa was Cory Booker, former mayor of Newark, New Jersey and current junior senator. As the Washington Post reported, Clinton and Booker made an appearance at Cedar Rapids' Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, where Booker gave a sermon to the majority African American members.

Afterward, Clinton praised the junior senator's continual self-sacrifice in the interest of equal opportunity and said something that may or may not be construed as a V.P. hint. "It gives me such a sense of gratification that he is here, supporting me in this very important election, because there is nobody I'd rather have by my side," Clinton said of Booker.

Of course, Clinton didn't clarify whether or not she meant "have by my side as a vice president" or simply, "campaign with," but Booker's name had been dropped in conversations surrounding V.P. picks even before that. NBC News listed him as one of seven potential contenders for the position in early January, noting his skill with social media.

For his part, Booker has been a strong Clinton supporter from the start, formally endorsing her in June and saying that he could think of "few candidates in history who are as qualified or ready for the job of president as Hillary Clinton." Recently, he defended her stance on Wall Street against attack from Sanders. He's also called her a civil rights "champion" whom black and Latino voters can trust to work for equality.

The largest obstacle to a Clinton-Booker ticket? The 46-year-old is relatively inexperienced. Clinton may do better to pick someone with a longer track record in Washington.

ChiSandy

OMG, Caryn--I was on that same CUNY caravan to Albany! We got nowhere with most of the Assemblymen; but we did get into a spirited argument with Wm. F. Buckley, Jr. while we waited for our bus home. He was outnumbered. (Tried to convince us that a free education devalues a college degree).

Mrs. M's observation about the "politics is a joke" mindset rings very true, and reminds me of when I was in college and the "Yippies" nominated a hog named "Pegasus" for President. I found it quite depressing how many of my fellow members of student gov't delightedly went along with this--there was an attitude of "we're too clever & cool to fall for all this bourgeois same-old-same-old" on their part.

And though I think Booker and Warren are both Presidential timber and would make great VPs, I don't think we can afford to lose any more Democrats from the Senate. Every seat vacated by a Dem. who retires or moves up to the Exec. branch lessens the chance of regaining control of the Senate.

ChiSandy

kayb, IIRC, didn't Julian Castro give an amazing barn-burner of a speech (keynote?) at the DNC in 2012?

As to designers, I freely admit to wearing Monsieur Tar-Zhay. But lately, I've become a big fan of Chico's--or, as I like to call it, Forever 61.

rainnyc

While there may or may not be substance to it, Booker has been dogged by accusations of cozy ties to Wall Street. Since the same accusations have been a big issue in the Clinton campaign, I wonder if that's a strike against him, as is the fact he's from a state she should carry without difficulty.

I also saw Castro's terrific speech in 2012 and thought he was being groomed as a rising star--and from a state and a demographic Clinton needs to carry.

DivineMrsM

It's beginning to feel like Trump has become addicted to making controversial comments on the campaign trail. He knows it's the only way to keep the interest on him, to get the media to continue to cover him. He doesn't know how to make those sweeping , patriotic-inspiring speeches the way Reagan could. He has to stoop to the lowest common denominator to get a reaction. Now he's attacking a rival's wife. (I'm not sure why the nude photos of Melania are newsworthy, you can google all that stuff and I thought pretty much everyone knew she modeled, ect.) Trump keeps digging the bottom of the barrel trying to find Any newcontroversy to sling about.

Hopeful82014

Sandy - "Chico's--or, as I like to call it, Forever 61" totally cracked me up. Thanks for the chortle.

Hopeful82014

Mary, thanks a bunch for starting this thread. I, too, am enjoying it, for the most part; I will admit that I could not finish the Slate article on Trump. Talk about stomach churning...

ruthbru

Actually, at least once presidential pet has been the subject of political attack:

Franklin Roosevelt's beloved dog, Fala, was a target of the Republicans in the 1944 campaign. They circulated a story claiming that Roosevelt had accidentally left him behind while visiting the Aleutian Islands and accused FDR of sending a Navy aircraft to retrieve the dog at great expense. In a speech that fall (which was broadcast on all U.S. radio networks), Roosevelt demolished his opponents.

"These Republican leaders have not been content with attacks on me, or my wife, or on my sons. No, not content with that, they now include my little dog, Fala. Well, of course, I don't resent attacks, and my family don't resent attacks, but Fala does resent them. You know, Fala is Scotch, and being a Scottie, as soon as he learned that the Republican fiction writers in Congress and out had concocted a story that I'd left him behind on an Aleutian island and had sent a destroyer back to find him—at a cost to the taxpayers of two or three, or eight or twenty million dollars—his Scotch soul was furious. He has not been the same dog since."

"The audience went wild, laughing and cheering and calling for more," wrote historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. "And the laughter carried beyond the banquet hall; it reverberated in living rooms and kitchens throughout the country, where people were listening to the speech on their radios. The Fala bit was so funny, one reporter observed, that 'even the stoniest of Republican faces cracked a smile.'"

There is statue of Fala beside FDR at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, DC, the only presidential pet so honored.

DivineMrsM

Great story, Ruth, and I have seen that cute little dog statue at the FDR memorial in DC

ruthbru

Oh, that is so sweet, kayb. I knew Mrs. Roosevelt became his favorite person after FDR died but didn't I know the specifics of his retirement years. I am glad that they were fun!

DivineMrsM

We should all have such a loyal friend as Fala

exbrnxgrl

Thank you, Ruth! I remember hearing about FDR andFala, but didn't know he was such a controversial little dog. 🤗

Meow13

Just received a robo polling call. I answered the survey.

exbrnxgrl

What has happened to our Trump supporter? All posts deleted and a change of user name? Ooo/marijen, I hope our spirited posts didn't offend you. I firmly believe that we are all entitled to our opinions. Our differences are what make life interesting.

DivineMrsM

Wow, I hadn't even noticed the name change/deleted posts, Caryn.

I don't see why she would have found it necessary to do all of that. I welcomed her opinion and didn't notice anyone being combative with her.

Tho I wonder......sometimes when others are presenting a difference of opinion and it's starting to make sense causing you to doubt your previous views, you might not want to hear it. Just a thought.

I didn't enter this thread because I wanted to see all HRC supporters and rather enjoy a lively discussion of the election process, so too bad marjen ooo didn't want to stick around. Btw, I didn't even know you could change your screen name

Meow13

Just saw the picture "worth a thousand words". I can't decide who I like the least Trump or Cruz.

ruthbru

Well, Cruz is a jerk (remember his staff spreading the word that Carson had dropped out, so vote for Cruz.....when Carson had not (which is why I think that Carson is supporting Trump, not him). So I wouldn't put it past him to put out the nude of Mrs. Trump (who wasn't Mrs. Trump at the time and was a model doing what models do). But Trump responded like a jerky 4th grade boy! If you do something mean, I will do something even meaner back to you. As my mom used to say, "Two wrongs don't make a right." (Although this year, they make a right wing!)

edited because I had first put Trump in the 6th grade......most 6th graders are more mature than that......

DivineMrsM

Ha ha, love that right wing comment, too, Ruth!


There are those people who like to try flaming topics on forums to see if they can get a reaction. If their attempts are met with level-headed, respectful reasoning and replies, they may chose to drop the matter. Perhaps that's what happened with marijen.


I heard today that women in increasing numbers are becoming disillusioned with Trump. Other than starting a platform saying he wants to make this country "great again", it doesn't seem like Trump did any further strategic thinking about how to run his campaign. Did he think anything thru? It doesn't appear that way. It seems more to me that he is constantly reacting to issues rather than dealing with the nitty-gritty details. I don't want a president who leads like that. Did he not realize women got the vote in 1920? I am about ready for the death knell on electing presidents who find it difficult to treat women equally.

Obama married a strong, educated and successful woman. That alone says a lot about him. He is raising two daughters, and he wants to ensure all opportunities in life are available to them the same as if he had two sons. The Donald is a throw back to men in the 50s. As women, we don't need that. As a nation, we don't need that.

Meow13

I think the picture of Heidi vs Melania really back fired. I don't think Melania represents wonderful glamour, she looks fake and plastic to me. Overdone. I hope this doesn't turn into a junior high boy's view of women.

I'm sure Trump is looking for the most unflattering pictures of Hilary. Most women have seen horrible pictures of themselves and will feel for that kind of humiliation.

I like Bernie, but I worry about jobs and the economy with his ideas. Will corporations move overseas? Boeing got a 9 billion tax incentive from Washington state to keep the jobs here. Guess what they moved a bunch in the military side to Oklahoma. That money should have been used to help education. The teacher salaries are low and we have a serious teacher shortage. States are fighting each other for jobs. Bernie doesn't think Boeing should be subsidised and I don't either. I am so glad the finally got rid of McNerny he was the absolute picture of corporate greed.

It is a disgusting ego game at the top.

ruthbru

Oh boy, it is going to sink even deeper into the mud........this is what is all over the internet right now: The National Enquirer's new issue claims that Republican political operatives are investigating rumors that Texas senator Ted Cruz has had extramarital affairs with at least five different women. Now, I do NOT, in any way, believe in the truthfulness of The National Enquirer (although they were the ones who outed John Edwards)......but, true or false, this will bring in even more of the ICK factor to this whole horrible campaign. For sure, Kasich seems nice in comparision!!!!!