OT Election Thread

[TheStig]

Sorry to hijack the first post, but I doubt TheStig will mind.

I know this is an emotional topic for a lot of people. I know temperatures will run high and hot for a lot of people in this thread. Please be aware of the following:

1: You can not attack individuals. You can not criticize them as individuals because of their political beliefs. Keep conversation solely based on the politics not on the individuals.

2: You will treat people with respect here. If you cannot, you will not be allowed to post in this thread.

3: There will no warnings here, if you are breaking the rules, the first mod to see it will temporary ban you for 12 hours, and you can sit out the election discussion and join back in the forum tomorrow.

4: If you are attacked, do not attack back, hit the report button.

-The Bulls Mod Team

I wanted to create an election thread. I think it's going to be a wild one and won't be resolved in a night. I also think this would be a great place to post news and updates.

So who you got and why?

[Jeffster81]

I cannot in good conscious vote for either guy, thus I am not voting. Save the rhetoric about "every vote counts", or "it is my right, or duty to vote," just know I am not voting and simply move on.

[dougthonus]

Watch on YouTube

This about sums up my view of the election.

Between Hilary Clinton, Joe Biden, and Donald Trump in the past 2 elections, these are maybe the worst three candidates I can remember in my life time. Going for Biden because I think its just anti-Trump and between what Trump has done with the courts (pushing our courts against the direction I would want to see) and hand outs to the uber rich by taking from the poor/middle class, its hard to imagine any president whose policy decisions I would disagree with more (ignoring any of the shtick he has or general conduct which I'm also highly against).

That said, I think Trump will win again because I can't imagine how the democrats got here with Biden. He just looks infirm and like he should be in a home. If he wins the country will really be run by his handlers/Harris/whomever and you won't even know who is really running the executive office, but I think that's probably still much better for me, because my guess is I will still be more inline with those people than Trump, because that group would move the courts more in the direction I like (if possible) and would probably make other policy decisions more inline with the good of the nation than the uber wealthy (though rarely are those decisions ever rolled back, so in some ways it doesn't matteR).

[drosestruts]

I cannot in good conscious vote for either guy, thus I am not voting. Save the rhetoric about "every vote counts", or "it is my right, or duty to vote," just know I am not voting and simply move on.

What about option C - there are still other things on the ballot. Vote for on those.

[dougthonus]

I cannot in good conscious vote for either guy, thus I am not voting. Save the rhetoric about "every vote counts", or "it is my right, or duty to vote," just know I am not voting and simply move on.

What about option C - there are still other things on the ballot. Vote for on those.

You can, but what is the point? I know everyone is pushing "you have to vote", but quite honestly, I wouldn't waste 2 hours of my time to vote for an independent that has no chance to win. My time is still valuable. I actually don't think voting for president is valuable for me in Illinois anyway. Hint, we're going to vote for Biden as a state.

I think its worth voting to get all your local stuff in, your vote actually counts much more there anyway, as long as you're their voting for that stuff, might as well vote independent or against whomever you dislike more and take the lesser of two evils, but I get why people don't vote. If you actually want people to just vote more, then create MFA based online voting and let people vote in 30 seconds from their phone.

That said, one of our two parties doesn't really want more people to vote, because they'd never win. I actually think if you had a lot more people able to vote, that the democratic party would eventually split though into multiple parties because then you could much more actively engage the different democratic party bases which have a pretty wide split in terms of agendas.

[jc23]

If Biden wins i imagine all of late night tv will have to take methadone to get off that Trump high they have been on the last 4 years.

[TheStig]

I cannot in good conscious vote for either guy, thus I am not voting. Save the rhetoric about "every vote counts", or "it is my right, or duty to vote," just know I am not voting and simply move on.

What about option C - there are still other things on the ballot. Vote for on those.

You can, but what is the point? I know everyone is pushing "you have to vote", but quite honestly, I wouldn't waste 2 hours of my time to vote for an independent that has no chance to win. My time is still valuable. I actually don't think voting for president is valuable for me in Illinois anyway. Hint, we're going to vote for Biden as a state.

I think its worth voting to get all your local stuff in, your vote actually counts much more there anyway, as long as you're their voting for that stuff, might as well vote independent or against whomever you dislike more and take the lesser of two evils, but I get why people don't vote. If you actually want people to just vote more, then create MFA based online voting and let people vote in 30 seconds from their phone.

FYI you could have requested a mail in ballot and that takes 2 minutes. But I agree with your point. I did that but there is just no compelling election on it that I feel strongly about. I was hoping something would come along but sadly the only thing I'd vote for is the fair tax and even that has strong concerns as it's an incomplete "solution".

To me, the far more valuable vote is the primaries. That's where there are some good choices available and your vote tends to go further as there are less voters and more candidates. I've never understood the you must vote in this election but sooooo many missed the vote where you had a choice outside of these 2 candidates. I think that's the big miss of the must vote crowd.

[bulls_troy]

I'm sure if American president's could serve more than 2 terms like we do Prime Ministers in Australia, you will still have Barack Obama as President. From afar, Barack was bloody brilliant.

[TheStig]

I will also say that this election is the most depressing one of my life. There was more talk over who is a crook, theif and liar than actually substantive policy debate. As fat as I can tell, the only real thing they separate on outside of identity politics is taxes. No one has a real economic, recovery or health care plan.

[PaKii94]

Watch on YouTube

[nomorezorro]

i've come to accept that the best-case scenario for an american election is "donald trump gets his ass kicked by a senile old man who also sucks," and even in the most generous environment to democrats imaginable there's still only like a 40% chance of that happening

[ImSlower]

Trump is already outright stating that he'll be ready Wednesday with his herd of lawyers.

Unless Biden wins a true landslide, this thing won't be resolved for a couple days or possibly weeks in a worst-case.

Tomorrow I'm driving to a state park to hike all day, stay at rural hipster AirBnB , work on some art, never actually get around to my theoretical writing in progress, and turn my phone off for 48 hours. I need a break. Last election I was bartending, and it was one of the worst nights of my career. Won't let this one get at my anxiety like that one! Plus, the weather's gonna be amazing.

Garden of the Gods is gonna be gorgeous.

[drosestruts]

I cannot in good conscious vote for either guy, thus I am not voting. Save the rhetoric about "every vote counts", or "it is my right, or duty to vote," just know I am not voting and simply move on.

What about option C - there are still other things on the ballot. Vote for on those.

You can, but what is the point? I know everyone is pushing "you have to vote", but quite honestly, I wouldn't waste 2 hours of my time to vote for an independent that has no chance to win. My time is still valuable. I actually don't think voting for president is valuable for me in Illinois anyway. Hint, we're going to vote for Biden as a state.

I think its worth voting to get all your local stuff in, your vote actually counts much more there anyway, as long as you're their voting for that stuff, might as well vote independent or against whomever you dislike more and take the lesser of two evils, but I get why people don't vote. If you actually want people to just vote more, then create MFA based online voting and let people vote in 30 seconds from their phone.

That said, one of our two parties doesn't really want more people to vote, because they'd never win. I actually think if you had a lot more people able to vote, that the democratic party would eventually split though into multiple parties because then you could much more actively engage the different democratic party bases which have a pretty wide split in terms of agendas.

I think what I was failing to say is - even if you're not voting for president, take the time to vote for the local stuff.

[pduh01]

**** all the politicians that is all I have to say…

[dougthonus]

I think what I was failing to say is - even if you're not voting for president, take the time to vote for the local stuff.

My bad, I just misread your post. I agree with that completely.

[Chicago-Bull-E]

538 has Biden winning in 89 of 100 scenarios. FWIW.

I'm going to try and not watch the election coverage because it will give me anxiety. I don't know what this country would look like with 4 more years of this lunatic, but I'd rather not worry about it until it's a reality.

I'll check in late Tuesday night and hopefully it's wrapped up.

There is a doomsday scenario that is being talked about elsewhere. It's where Biden wins, and just about everyone knows this, but Trump uses the courts to overturn the decision. Local courts would overrule their electoral college votes. This could result in anarchy and an actual attempt at an overthrow of our democracy. People are claiming others would start hunting down these judges and killing them for this attempt. Really wild stuff. Let's hope it doesn't come to this.

[MrFortune3]

I think that it's important to vote as it will help shape not only your local but your federal government and that will always affect you.

Even if it's just for your local government, still got out and cast your vote. If for no other reason than your own self interests.

I live in Alabama, Trump is going to win the state in a landslide. I will still cast my vote for the presidential election and to help shape the local government and state senate.

[kulaz3000]

From afar, it's been absolutely fascinating to follow this election. The amount of anarchy and controvesy is just incredible.

That said, I think it's so critical for people to vote, every single citizen whether you're polictical or not.

[kulaz3000]

I think that it's important to vote as it will help shape not only your local but your federal government and that will always affect you.

Even if it's just for your local government, still got out and cast your vote. If for no other reason than your own self interests.

I live in Alabama, Trump is going to win the state in a landslide. I will still cast my vote for the presidential election and to help shape the local government and state senate.

Quite frankly, I think it should be mandatory, but that's just my opinion.

[Betta Bulleavit]

I can honestly say that I went anti-Trump more so than pro-Biden. I’m not as against Biden as some people seem to be but he’s certainly not the strongest candidate that I’ve seen either.

What I will also say is that I’m not nearly as concerned with Biden’s mental state as a lot of people are. While he may not be as animated as Trump, that doesn’t equate to mental instability. I think that he’s intentionally played up to the anti-Trump narrative, which includes less animation and more logic. Furthermore, some of the wisest and mentally equipped people that I know are north of 70. He slips on words at times, but I’m 41 and so do I.

As far as the outcome, I think it’s going to be a Biden win by a much wider margin than some people think. Trump needs a repeat of 2016 that I just don’t see happening. Trump is laboring just to carry the states that he’s supposed to carry. He will need to do that AND take the blue wall again and he just doesn’t have the same things going for him this time around. Last time he was the “cool, speak your mind and keep it real” candidate that was the antithesis of what people had grown tired of. Now, he’s the guy that a lot of people are tired of. And while he will still garner GOP voters just based on the fact that he himself is a republican, that’s not going to be enough in this climate. Just my personal thoughts.