The 2016 US General Election

[Doktor]

One year? No, each line is an entire president's time in office (cf. 1982-90 for Reagan, where he shouldn't be held responsible for 1981, but gets credit/blame for 1990).

ADD: clarity ... the budget balance as a percent of GDP is an average over the same period.

Looked like that. But the years look like someone is cherry-picking, so RR was in the office for 9 years but Bill was for 7?

[Parihaka]

I'm entranced by the notion that twenty to twenty five percent of your population is viewed as crazy. Here it would be like five percent.

[astralis]

Pari,

what do you mean? don't get it or the figures.

[JAD_333]

I'm entranced by the notion that twenty to twenty five percent of your population is viewed as crazy. Here it would be like five percent.

What a relief. Thought it was much higher.

[Doktor]

What a relief. Thought it was much higher.

Since we talk stereotypes, here it would be even lower. OTOH the perceived level of ignorance would be above 50%. The easiest way to show people how biased they are about the Americans is to ask them to show you where North Dacota is on the map. I mean it's huge, who'd miss it, right?

Back to the regular program

[JAD_333]

Since we talk stereotypes, here it would be even lower. OTOH the perceived level of ignorance would be above 50%. The easiest way to show people how biased they are about the Americans is to ask them to show you where North Dacota is on the map. I mean it's huge, who'd miss it, right?

Back to the regular program

It would surprise you to know how many Americans don't know where N. Dakota is.

Since we're talking obliquely about the 20% who support Trump, I will stick my neck out and say that most of them are not crazy. They're channeling through Trump to express their frustration about Washington's lack of action on immigration, etc. If that is the only way they have to let the rest of the field of presidential hopefuls know what's bugging them, why not. My sister was polled and she named Trump as her favorite, but told me she'd never really vote for him. Right message...wrong guy.

[Mihais]

The danger lies elsewhere.He may turn to be a Caesar to the Republic.But tha failt ain't his.The system has failed or is failing.

[Parihaka]

What a relief. Thought it was much higher.

I make up most of the five percent because of my sheer irascibility.

[Parihaka]

Pari,

what do you mean? don't get it or the figures.

http://www.salon.com/2015/07/16/john...p_the_crazies/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/t...o-john-kasich/
McCain (and others) say Trumps supporters are crazies. Trumps support seems to be floating around the 20-25% mark. Ergo, 20-25% of y'all are crazy :)

[astralis]

ah. but that's 20-25% of Republican voters, which is what, 25-30% of the electorate.

so it's pretty close to that 5% of New Zealanders you're talking about...:-)

[Parihaka]

ah. but that's 20-25% of Republican voters, which is what, 25-30% of the electorate.

so it's pretty close to that 5% of New Zealanders you're talking about...:-)

Nice try Asty but no cigar
http://maristpoll.marist.edu/731-tru...-name-billary/
Face it, 20% of your population are bananas

[Parihaka]

In fact delving into it, while only 5% of Democrats are a few sandwiches short of a picnic.....
http://maristpoll.marist.edu/wp-cont...es.pdf#page=26

[tbm3fan]

Nice try Asty but no cigar
http://maristpoll.marist.edu/731-tru...-name-billary/
Face it, 20% of your population are bananas

Bananas or kiwis. In the end we are all fruits...

[Doktor]

Bananas or kiwis. In the end we are all fruits...

Touche

[astralis]

pari,

Nice try Asty but no cigar
http://maristpoll.marist.edu/731-tru...-name-billary/
Face it, 20% of your population are bananas

ah, you're optimistic. truth be told, given the state of the Republican party since Bush the Elder, i'd say it's closer to 50%...

i kid, i kid. sort of. ;-)

by the way, JAD, more seriously-- i think the support for trump doesn't arise from his policy positions (he hasn't really articulated any, unless you count "build a wall on the Mexico border and forcing the Mexicans to pay for it", or "solving our energy problem by a combination of fracking and conquering parts of the Middle East and taking their oil" as policy positions).

it arises from the fact that he says whatever the hell he likes and is pretty much the opposite of the Mitt Romney/Hillary poll-test-every-position-to-death-and-then-triangulate.

in short, it's about HOW he says things, not really what he's spewing. look at the fact that he said he's still for universal healthcare, but somehow everyone's just about ignored that.

if he said any of his various "positions" without his usual bombastic tone, he'd have been laughed out already.