US Politics December 2018: ~very legal and very cool~

evan's idea is realistic

I felt the bottom drop out of reality when there were "moderators" who just allowed him to spew nonsense and bullshit unchecked, not to mention float about the stage like a predatory, narcissistic balloon when the camera wasn't on him.

this was pretty bad but tbh I thought the way they handled the Republican debates was worse, giving Trump 3x the time of anyone else, pausing for applause after all his dumb zingers, and then airing them nonstop as a means to get people to watch the next one

luckily I didn't have to deal with that, but after a year in America I can aver that television news here overall is absolutely and completely shitfucked

I felt the bottom drop out of reality when there were "moderators" who just allowed him to spew nonsense and bullshit unchecked, not to mention float about the stage like a predatory, narcissistic balloon when the camera wasn't on him.

imo the only reason debates feel important is that they are literally the only time during an american presidential campaign that a significant chunk of people sit down to listen to "the issues" being discussed outside their own personal facebook bubbles. if our fourth estate functioned properly they would feel much less essential - just another podium on which to bloviate

hai americans, just checking in from the future here... not even going to tell you who is president now or how bad climate change has got cause u'll think i'm doing some extremely heavy handed satire, but y'all enjoy new year

Good morning!

idk I imagine refusing to debate him outright backfiring pretty badly.

I think a blunt description of why it is impossible to "debate" Trump would resonate with a lot of voters who aren't guaranteed Trump devotees. To wit...

"I won't debate him, because, face it, our president lies. A lot. And when he doesn't lie he exaggerates. And when he isn't lying or exaggerating, he raises red herrings and then he lies or exaggerates some more. Listen, the only way properly 'debate' Trump is to completely ignore whatever he says. But it's way simpler to do that by not debating him at all, because a 'debate' just gives him gives him a big, free stage for his lying antics, but doesn't gain me anything in return. I refuse to do it. With Trump it's just stupid to even attempt it. Now, got it? Good. Because that's my answer every time you ask me about 'debates'."

Wait, do people think he won the debates against Hillary?

People seemed to think it at the time.
Won debates, beat her, handed her her relevant body part.
But it seemed to be on a more emotive level than factual. People still sit through his rallies for enjoyment despite all the lies.

Pretty sure you can find people who think just about anything.

"I won't debate him, because, face it, our president lies. A lot. And when he doesn't lie he exaggerates. And when he isn't lying or exaggerating, he raises red herrings and then he lies or exaggerates some more. Listen, the only way properly 'debate' Trump is to completely ignore whatever he says. But it's way simpler to do that by not debating him at all, because a 'debate' just gives him gives him a big, free stage for his lying antics, but doesn't gain me anything in return. I refuse to do it. With Trump it's just stupid to even attempt it. Now, got it? Good. Because that's my answer every time you ask me about 'debates'."

you're dreaming if you think this doesn't read like one long chickenshit waffle. (I'm not saying it's incorrect.)

Wait, do people think he won the debates against Hillary?

― Nerdstrom Poindexter,

Depends what you measure it in? If you measure it in 'did enough in them to secure an election victory" then yes

If you have to 'debate' Trump, you use the opportunity to just lay out your platform without ever directly acknowledging him or anything he says. Don't refute, don't respond, don't react. He doesn't fucking exist. Steamroll over every dumb fucking phoneme that burbles from his face anus and make yourself the adult in the room.

Every poll showed Hilary winning the debates, iirc?

Yes of course Trump people thought Trump won the debates. That’s not a thing I doubted.

Remembering that Kerry kind of made Bush look stupid in 3 debates. Feeling like 16 was a similar thing and it didn’t really matter

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/ahead-times-square-ball-drop-u-s-strategic-command-jokes-n953416

If you have to 'debate' Trump, you use the opportunity to just lay out your platform without ever directly acknowledging him or anything

Absolutely! Make use of all airtime to lay out your platform and not get into nonsense

Every poll showed Hilary winning the debates, iirc?

― Frederik B,

All except the big one!

US Politics January 2019: we are #ready to drop something much, much bigger