Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[iam416]

Might need to start wondering how many 'establishment' Republicans might not even vote for President now. They might've disliked Trump but were willing to stick with him if he could actually beat Clinton...but now that more people become convinced he's going to lose no matter how they vote, might they just choose to ease their conscience and not bother voting for either?

I hope so. I think the Rs "least bad scenario" is a total and complete rejection of Trump...and total asswhupping...coupled with a competent congressional showing -- somehow managing to plug the dyke to hold the House and lose the Senate at 51 or 50.

That result would be a complete repudiation of the candidate. It would, in theory, all normal Rs to move beyond Trump. Their path forward will be interesting, though.

A narrow Trump loss is disastrous. Not as disastrous as him winning...heh...but for the Rs it would mean he remains front and center. The vast majority of Rs want him to step back. A WaPo (I think) poll asked who should be the face of the R party if they lose in November? -- 24% said Trump....76% want someone else....same question for Ds (Hillary 34%, bernie 31, Warren 20-something).

[Jeff Buchanan]

I watched a a Georgia Public Broadcast last evening on the Broadway show, Hamilton. It included a lot of the show but also had commentary from historians and political figures, including BO, about the roles and personalities of Hamilton, Jefferson, Burr, Madison and Washington in the development and adoption of the US Constitution. Speaker Ryan and Senator Warren both provided commentary. I was impressed by their abilities to put what these men did into the context of the current American political scene.

I mention this not to highlight the show Hamilton but to shed light on what these men did as nation builders and the important principles they framed in the US Constitution. We should all be proud of that and embarrassed by the disgraceful on-going Presidential race, especially as it pertains to Donald Trump and what he represents.

[iam416]

That was a good program. My daughter desperately wants to see Hamilton, so she was really interested in the PBS show and we were able to watch it together.

[Wild Hoss]

The fools in my state still think Trump is going to win.

That is probably better than it is here...there isn't one Clinton/Kaine sign to be seen, anywhere. There isn't a huge amount of Trump signage (One guy down the street made his own- a piece of particle board with "Trump" spraypainted on it, LOL) but there is literally no Clinton representation. A few signs for downticket Ds.

This state flipped from purple to crazy-red with frightening speed.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Trump held another 'campaign event' at his Doral golf course this morning with all the employees standing behind him. He talked about all the hard work he put into renovating the place. Reminded everyone about his exciting new hotel that just opened in DC. Then he 'invited' employees up to the mic to tell the press what an honor it was to be working for Mr. Trump. Then the 'campaign event' was over.

A Hollywood producer would throw this screenplay in the trash.

[Jeff Buchanan]

That was a good program. My daughter desperately wants to see Hamilton, so she was really interested in the PBS show and we were able to watch it together.

Cool .......

We were in NYC a few weeks ago before the Rutgers game. Would have loved to get in to see Hamilton. You'd probably not be surprised that cheap seats are going for over $500 a piece. Best seats approaching $1000.

I will say that all of the Broadway theaters are intimate and much smaller than you might expect. There really aren't any terrible seats. We saw Aladdin and paid somewhere around $350 for a pair. Spent a hair over $1500 for the entire weekend including air, the hotel in NYC and the hotel in New Brunswick for the game.

NYC ain't cheap but it's a fun city especially if you like Broadway and we both do. Good eats can be had reasonably cheap. We spent more in New Brunswick on dinner than we did in NYC.

[CGVT]

That is probably better than it is here...there isn't one Clinton/Kaine sign to be seen, anywhere. There isn't a huge amount of Trump signage (One guy down the street made his own- a piece of particle board with "Trump" spraypainted on it, LOL) but there is literally no Clinton representation. A few signs for downticket Ds.

This state flipped from purple to crazy-red with frightening speed.

This place is all Trump. Period. I am careful what I say or post on Facebook out of fear that my 14 year old will be ostracized because his father is not a true believer.

There are not a lot of signs here, because there doesn't need to be. It is just assumed that everyone supports Trump and more importantly all things Christian Conservative.

At times it is a scary place to live.

[Wild Hoss]

This place is all Trump. Period. I am careful what I say or post on Facebook out of fear that my 14 year old will be ostracized because his father is not a true believer.

There are not a lot of signs here, because there doesn't need to be. It is just assumed that everyone supports Trump and more importantly all things Christian Conservative.

At times it is a scary place to live.

Do you see people wearing the "Make America Great Again" baseball hats down there? They are starting to show up around here. On old, white guys. And their wives, who I expect will wear them to the polls and vote for Hillary.

Between this stuff, Ferguson, and the BLM shit going down in Columbia...its like Bizarro World here. Like you, I keep a low profile.

[edindetroit]

This thread should be renamed 'Political Asylum'.

[froot loops]

My son had a football game Friday in southern Michigan south of the Irish Hills, on the drive there seemed like every property had a Trump sign.

[Jeff Buchanan]

This place is all Trump. Period. I am careful what I say or post on Facebook out of fear that my 14 year old will be ostracized because his father is not a true believer.

There are not a lot of signs here, because there doesn't need to be. It is just assumed that everyone supports Trump and more importantly all things Christian Conservative.

At times it is a scary place to live.

Same down here in the metro Atlanta area. The further North you go in the state the worse it gets. Atlanta is a fairly progressive city with a good portion of liberal dems scattered about in local government. The most influential and powerful offices, though, are held by Rs.

What's interesting is that I think the Georgia constituency is changing with regard to its political views and therefore how they'll vote. It's an age demographic and race thing down here. There are a lot of good jobs in metro Atlanta and so there's a steady influx of well educated and I suspect more liberal minded people.

We also have a very large immigrant population down here. It used to be predominantly Hispanic with a smattering of Asians until maybe right after the housing bubble burst on 07/08. As businesses recovered and new investments were made SW Asians from India came in droves. They are almost exclusively educated hi-tech professionals and assume would not support Trump if they are citizens and voting.

Rural Georgia is an entirely different matter. Highly conservative and with blinders on/ears shut, voting for Trump. It is possible that the state wide AA and metro vote in Georgia, by sheer numbers of voters, will end up carrying the state for HRC. For US Senate, R, Johnny Isakson is not going to get beat by a D (a whimpy fellow named Barksdale that Isakson is hammering) and neither is R Congressmen Rob Woodall in our distrcit .... both long term entrenched political fixtures in Georgia. Below these guys, state and local levels of government, there is not a single D challenger on the ballot running against R incumbents.

[iam416]

NYC ain't cheap but it's a fun city especially if you like Broadway and we both do. Good eats can be had reasonably cheap. We spent more in New Brunswick on dinner than we did in NYC.

Yep. Her grandmother takes my daughter to NYC once a year and they see several shows -- affordable shows. Heh. She loves them. Hamilton, however, is not in our range of affordable, so she'll have to do without. I mean -- c'mon -- I could get midfield seats 15 rows up to watch OSU lost M for half the price of a Hamilton ticket!

[froot loops]

It is interesting how that Hamilton musical has increased his name recognition. Before it, Hamilton was the crazy guy who got shot by Burr.

[iam416]

Well, Hamilton's reemergence started with the biography by Chernow, but the musical mainstreamed the story like nobody's business. The musical is the difference between his modern treatment and that of John Adams, who also enjoyed a reemergence.

Though, I never thought of him as the "crazy guy" and I'm not sure anyone really did. You're the first I've heard describe him as such.

But anywho -- the PBS Show does a nice job of illustrating how powerful the musical has been and how effectively it communicates history in a way that the masses can consume -- very much like Shakespeare.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Others have noted that the Trump-Clinton is not red state vs blue state so much as it is urban/suburban vs. rural. How a billionaire real estate mogul who wouldn't be caught dead in most of rural America got to become its champion is beyond me, but it is what it is.

Nearly all the recovery since 2008 has been in cities or near them. Places like West Virginia or Monroe County, Ohio haven't seen anything improve. I get where those people are coming from. But at the same time, when they dream about a return to the boomtown days of the coal rush in the 1920's, I think they are delusional. Nothing's bringing that back.