US Presidential Election 2020

[Finnaldo]

1 minute ago, Mark_w said:

Well we haven't seen what Trump supporters would do if he isn't President. You are more likely to get civil unrest from the group that doesn't have power.

And unlike Trump supporters, the left doesn’t have many well-armed, drilled militias in their ranks...

[leicsmac]

Incidentally, for the sake of my own interest and as there are a few people around right now who seem to at least tolerate the Trump administration...I'd enjoy hearing an explanation as to why its climate policy is either so unimportant as to not feature in consideration (or an honest admittance of "I don't care about the future/people beyond my line of sight") or how that administration might actually be good for the climate after all.

 

We seem to have time while we're waiting, after all...

[leicsmac]

1 minute ago, Finnegan said:

 

But so what? Those people already vote for him and all they can do IS vote, which they have. 

 

His truly mad cultist supporters are going to believe the election was rigged anyway but it doesn't really matter. 

 

 

The big risk with this for the GOP though is permanently damaging their reputation and the public trust in them. Unless you believe they're ready to try and radically shift American politics forever to make Trump some Putin-esque leader for life (which seems more than a bit fantastical to me) then they have to worry about the future too. 

 

Americans fetishize their democracy. Do you remember him suggesting they delay the election back in the summer? There was palpable uproar from his own support. Even earlier when he declared himself the winner despite evidence to the contrary, there were tweets from his own social media following condemning him. 

 

In a normal year, postal votes would swing red because the elderly are major conservative demographic. They can't do long term damage to postal voting without hurting their future and they can't be seen to openly sabotage this election in an act of, let's call it what it is, fascism without causing major damage to their long term image. 

 

Anything they do has to be based on genuinely framing the Dems for a real act of fraud and if they had any grounds o be doing that you'd have more than Trump's mad ranting right now. 

You know, that's a fair argument. I guess we'll find out soon enough.

[Finnegan]

5 minutes ago, Jon the Hat said:

Not quite - he has asked for postal votes, which people had a month before election day to post, which arrive AFTER election day to be ignored. 

 

Which is why he was literally removing machines from sorting offices and defunding the postal service way back in August in preparation. 

[Finnegan]

1 minute ago, leicsmac said:

You know, that's a fair argument. I guess we'll find out soon enough.

 

What he needs to do is basically the equivalent of changing the rules of football halfway through the world cup final. 

 

I just can't see it happening. But like I said earlier, maybe I'm just naive. 

[Scotch]

7 minutes ago, Jon the Hat said:

Not quite - he has asked for postal votes, which people had a month before election day to post, which arrive AFTER election day to be ignored.  This is exactly how postal voting works in the UK.  If it is not either handed in at a polling station or received by post at the receiving officers address by the time the polls close on polling day it is ignored.  This is also the case in many states, but not in Pennsylvania.  Of course if he wins Penn and loses others this might all be irrelevant.

Of course he might try something else then, it wouldn't surprise me.  At the moment what he is calling Fraud is legal, he would have to overrule that in the Supreme court to have those votes thrown out.

Forgive my ignorance, maybe you could correct me but if Trump knew that votes would be counted after polls close, couldn't he have challenged it before polls even opened? 

 

Making it an issue half way through votes being counted seems strange. 

 

(I know he did mention it before hand but not to the extent of threatening the supreme court)

[martyn]

Nevada, Wisconsin and Michigan looks to be the path for Biden right now. Big results upcoming from Green Bay mail in votes which will probably determine whether Wisconsin is red or blue. Georgia promising as well given outstanding counts from Atlanta.

 

Would be good not to have to rely on Pennsylvania.

[Mark_w]

5 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

What he needs to do is basically the equivalent of changing the rules of football halfway through the world cup final. 

 

I just can't see it happening. But like I said earlier, maybe I'm just naive. 

Couldn't you see FIFA doing that if it was in their self-interest? Trump will try, it's really just going to come down to how far the GOP is willing to go support him (assuming Biden does surge sufficiently in one of the states he needs to). Personally, however much they talk it up, I wouldn't trust the GOP to put democracy over the short term interests of their party.

Edited 4 November 2020 by Mark_w

[StanSP]

14 minutes ago, Jon the Hat said:

Not quite - he has asked for postal votes, which people had a month before election day to post, which arrive AFTER election day to be ignored.  This is exactly how postal voting works in the UK.  If it is not either handed in at a polling station or received by post at the receiving officers address by the time the polls close on polling day it is ignored.  This is also the case in many states, but not in Pennsylvania.  Of course if he wins Penn and loses others this might all be irrelevant.

Of course he might try something else then, it wouldn't surprise me.  At the moment what he is calling Fraud is legal, he would have to overrule that in the Supreme court to have those votes thrown out.

I read that as long as they are postmarked by or on 3rd November, they are still valid and legit. Even if received after the deadlines in each state... 

[TamworthFoxes]

Cast your minds back to how the Remainers took the Brexit defeat, years of disputing, asking for another vote, trying to legally block it. Exactly the same scenario happening in America. Both sides will have options to proceed with.

When something is literally 50/50 it is hard for the losing side to accept.

[Manini]

“When will we hear from the president again?” 
 

 

“Some time this morning, probably on Twitter” 

 

 

[Monk]

4 minutes ago, martyn said:

Nevada, Wisconsin and Michigan looks to be the path for Biden right now. Big results upcoming from Green Bay mail in votes which will probably determine whether Wisconsin is red or blue. Georgia promising as well given outstanding counts from Atlanta.

 

Would be good not to have to rely on Pennsylvania.

Don't see it happening myself. H needs to make up 1.3% with 16% of the vote remaining, that's going to be a big swing with the remaining uncounted ballots. Not impossible, but seems unlikely.

[Innovindil]

11 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

Incidentally, for the sake of my own interest and as there are a few people around right now who seem to at least tolerate the Trump administration...I'd enjoy hearing an explanation as to why its climate policy is either so unimportant as to not feature in consideration (or an honest admittance of "I don't care about the future/people beyond my line of sight") or how that administration might actually be good for the climate after all.

 

We seem to have time while we're waiting, after all...

I think it's pretty telling that on the exit poll of the top 5 important issues that is posted on the BBC, climate change doesn't specifically appear to be stated on it. 

 

 

[Jon the Hat]

16 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

Which is why he was literally removing machines from sorting offices and defunding the postal service way back in August in preparation. 

I'd love to see the video of trump removing sorting machines.

[Leicester_Loyal]

We're in the middle of a global pandemic with huge job losses and economies in ruin, we've got left vs. right violence on the street due to BLM and racial divides, as well as people able to freely buy guns which get used in mass murders.

 

I think it's pretty obvious why climate policy isn't a huge concern for people at the minute, they're more worried about feeding their families, keeping them safe and ensuring a roof is kept above their head. It's the same scenario for most places around the globe I'd imagine.

[Babylon]

Blimey that's been a bit of a swing since 4am. 

 

Please remove this umpa lumpa. 

[Innovindil]

3 minutes ago, Jon the Hat said:

I'd love to see the video of trump removing sorting machines.

Ain't exactly gonna be caught on video wheeling the ****ing things out is he. But he's responsible for the geezer he put in charge of the mail then told to get rid of them. 

[Jon the Hat]

Once again it seems like the BBC have more reporters across the US than anyone else.  I bet those pensioners who are paying now are well pleased.

[AjcW]

1 minute ago, Jon the Hat said:

Once again it seems like the BBC have more reporters across the US than anyone else.  I bet those pensioners who are paying now are well pleased.

I mean Sky have flown out their entire news team....

 

The BBC will be using BBC World Correspondents who are based in the US anyway, BBC World isn't funded by the licence fee, it's commercial.

[Babylon]

3 minutes ago, Jon the Hat said:

Once again it seems like the BBC have more reporters across the US than anyone else.  I bet those pensioners who are paying now are well pleased.

Or you know it's covered by income generated by the rights sale of BBC World news and they use much of the resources used for that.

[KFS]

Massive moves for Joe just now! Still a huge amount of votes to come in from Dem Detroit.

 

Looking better than early this AM..

[The People's Hero]

Personally, I wonder what Otis Redding would make of it all.

 

 

[martyn]

10 minutes ago, Babylon said:

Blimey that's been a bit of a swing since 4am. 

 

Please remove this umpa lumpa. 

Later counted postal votes in larger Metropolitan areas in the swing states hauling it back in for Sleepy Joe - a few key states currently all in this position currently.

 

Indeed, last few minutes there's an increased democrat lead in Wisconsin after Green Bay postal votes counted, and the lead for Trump in Michigan down to 30k from 200k, with loads of metro Detroit yet to count. These 2 look pretty nailed on for Biden now.

 

 

[surrifox]

This election probably more than any other I’ve paid attention to has cast a light onto the selection process for the Supreme Court and its potential role in deciding the outcome . What an utter shitshow that’s been - 

 

you can point at the House of Lords role in UK politics but they don’t have make or break powers over who the government will be 

[Jon the Hat]

7 minutes ago, Babylon said:

Or you know it's covered by income generated by the rights sale of BBC World news and they use much of the resources used for that.

That is unfortunately a bit of a nonsense argument.  Grouping stuff you sell together with costs sod all to do with what you sell doesn't negate those costs.  Do you believe the BBC world news is profitable because of the content provided by reporters in Wisconsin?  Or because it trades off BBC content from other parts of the BBC.

Edited 4 November 2020 by Jon the Hat