The US 2020 Presidential Election

[Albany Rifles]

There is no doubt he is not the mainstream of the party. And is viewed by the power holders of the party as an outsider. But I think fringe doesnt quite capture it either. Too far in the other direction.

Okay....fringe may be unfair.

I'll say minor wing of the party....and I am not denying that could be the majority in the party a decade from now. But for 2020 we are not there.

[TopHatter]

Presidential Debate Moderators Include Fox News' Chris Wallace, C-SPAN's Steve Scully and NBC's Kristen Welker

Fox News’ Chris Wallace will serve as referee for this election season’s first presidential debate, it was announced on Wednesday by the Commission on Presidential Debates.

The first debate between incumbent President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden will be held Tuesday, Sept. 29 at the Case Western Reserve University and Clinic in Cleveland.

The first debate will be divided into six segments of approximately 15 minutes each on major topics to be selected by the moderator and announced at least one week in advance.

The first vice presidential debate, between incumbent Mike Pence and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, will be held Wednesday, Oct. 7 at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, and moderated by Susan Page, Washington Bureau Chief for USA Today.

The second, town hall-style presidential debate will be moderated by C-SPAN senior EP Steve Scully, and held Thursday, Oct. 15 at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Fla.

Last but not least, the third presidential debate will be moderated by NBC News’ Kristen Welker, and held Thursday, Oct. 22 at Belmont University in Nashville.
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[snapper]

Ouch.

[surfgun]

A little bit about the contentious relationship between the Secret Service and Joe Biden.
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/...bbing-incident

[TopHatter]

A little bit about the contentious relationship between the Secret Service and Joe Biden.
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/...bbing-incident

"Zero Hedge" Oh man...what, was InfoWars down or something?


Funded by / Ownership

The website is registered in Bulgaria under the name Georgi Georgiev, a business partner of Krassimir Ivandjiiski.

According to Rationalwiki the only writer “conclusively” identified is “Dan Ivandjiiski, who conducts public interviews on behalf of Zero Hedge.” The blog generates revenue from online advertising.

Analysis / Bias

In a quote from the above New Yorker article they summarize the political stance of the blog, which Lokey told Bloomberg is: “Russia=good. Obama=idiot. Bashar al-Assad=benevolent leader. John Kerry= dunce. Vladimir Putin=greatest leader in the history of statecraft.”

Zero Hedge’s content has been classified as “alt-right” and has been criticized for presenting conspiracy theories.

In review, Zero Hedge publishes pro-right wing/Trump articles such as Pat Buchanan: “Trump Calls Off Cold War II.” As well as fake news stories regarding liberals: Anti-Trump Protesters Bused Into Austin, Chicago.

Editorial content is written under the pseudonym Tyler Durden and usually focuses on conspiracies related to economic collapse. Zero Hedge sources to factually mixed think tanks such as The Mises Institute, which promotes Austrian (Anarcho-Capitalism) economics. Finally, during the Coronavirus outbreak of 2020 they have frequently promoted false and misleading information as evidenced by failed fact checks below.

Failed Fact Checks (A short list of many)

Says China “stole Coronavirus from Canada and weaponized it into a Bioweapon.” – False
Is a Craigslist ad proof that counterprotesters at a white nationalist rally were “paid to make chaos”? – False
It’s now against the law in California to shower and do laundry on the same day. – Mostly False
A “newly uncovered” photograph reveals Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was crying over an empty parking lot, not detained migrant children, at a protest in Texas. – False
“The Ukrainian government just indicted the Burisma gas company & named Hunter Biden for accepting millions of dollars from a slush fund.” – False
During the last hundred years the temperature is increased about 0.1°C because of carbon dioxide. The human contribution was about 0.01°C. – Incorrect
New Study Confirms EVs Considerably Worse For Climate Than Diesel Cars – Inaccurate
This coronavirus genome contained sequences of another virus […] the HIV virus (AIDS virus) – Inaccurate
Coronavirus contains ‘HIV insertions’ – Inaccurate

Overall, we rate Zero Hedge an extreme right biased conspiracy website based on the promotion of false/misleading/debunked information that routinely denigrates the left. (8/18/2016) Updated (M. Huitsing 7/29/2020)

[surfgun]

Other sources on Secret Service issues.
https://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2...ecret-service/

https://patriotsignal.com/breaking-b...-turns-him-in/

https://www.judicialwatch.org/press-...biden-records/

https://ussanews.com/News1/2020/09/0...breast-report/

https://www.usapoliticstoday.org/joe...amning-secret/

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/202...n-level-stuff/

https://www.citizenfreepress.com/bre...-taking-photo/

[DOR]

Other sources on Secret Service issues.
https://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2...ecret-service/

https://patriotsignal.com/breaking-b...-turns-him-in/

https://www.judicialwatch.org/press-...biden-records/

https://ussanews.com/News1/2020/09/0...breast-report/

https://www.usapoliticstoday.org/joe...amning-secret/

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/202...n-level-stuff/

https://www.citizenfreepress.com/bre...-taking-photo/

Stick with ZeroHedge.
At least we know they're Russian goons.

[TopHatter]

Other sources on Secret Service issues.
https://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2...ecret-service/

https://patriotsignal.com/breaking-b...-turns-him-in/

https://www.judicialwatch.org/press-...biden-records/

https://ussanews.com/News1/2020/09/0...breast-report/

https://www.usapoliticstoday.org/joe...amning-secret/

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/202...n-level-stuff/

https://www.citizenfreepress.com/bre...-taking-photo/

Sweet fancy Moses....

Washington Times Numerous Failed Fact Checks, Poor Sourcing, Lack of Transparency

Judicial Watch Extreme Right, Conspiracy, Propaganda, Numerous Failed Fact Checks

USSA News Right Biased based on story selection that always favors the right and Mixed for factual reporting due to a few failed fact checks and use of poor sources

USA Politics Today Strong right wing bias in story selection and uses loaded words in headlines and articles. This source also sometimes sources to other right wing sources and has had a false claim with fact checking.

The Gateway Pundit Extreme Right, Propaganda, Conspiracy, Nationalism, Some Fake News

Citizen Free Press Right Biased for story selection and Mixed for factual reporting due to use of some poor sources and a complete lack of transparency.

"Sources"

Well, this does explain a great deal about your worldview.

[Firestorm]

too many unknowns on the Democratic side to make this call.

IE, say Biden loses in November. in that case, I definitely agree that 2024 there's a significant chance that the Dems nominate a lefty, because this will be two elections now that they've had to shut up and color for the establishment choice on arguments of "electability", and lost anyway.

but if Biden wins? then absent Harris standing in the middle of 5th Avenue and shooting someone, she WILL be the Democratic nominee if Biden doesn't feel like a second term. same with 2028.

If Biden loses in November it will be because the mid-western states were too scared of far-left politics (riots hitting too close to home with little condemnation (and active support in some cases from the Dems.) It won't be because Biden wasn't left enough. So you seem to be suggesting that if he loses, the Dems will take the wrong lessons from the loss and screw themselves over for the next couple of elections too by doubling down on their mistakes.

[Firestorm]

To put it in more blunt words, a platform of Capitalism is evil, critical race theory, Words are violence but property destruction is not etc. will not help the Dems win Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Biden has a chance to win those states because he does not run on such a platform (although walking the tighrope has been difficult for him because of the vocal lefties). Even a third-rate Republican candidate could wipe the floor with someone like AOC in those states, if she had been the nominee for example. I sincerely hope the Dems don't think it will be the other way around in 2024 if Biden doesn't make it this year.

[TopHatter]

Trump spurns traditional debate prep with first faceoff less than 3 weeks away


WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has not held a single mock debate session, and has no plans to stage a formal practice round, as he readies for his first faceoff with Joe Biden in less than three weeks, according to multiple people familiar with the discussions.

The president has dismissed the typical debate preparations he participated in four years ago, joking to aides and allies that he’s been preparing for debates since he was born. His ability to fire back at an opponent in real time, he’s argued, “isn’t something you have to practice.”

Instead, Trump has so far chosen to prepare through informal discussions with key allies and with briefings from top officials in his administration on various topics that are likely to come up, these people said.

“It’s not the traditional, ‘we need Chris Christie to fill in and play Hillary Clinton’ like we did four years ago,” one of the president’s allies said, referring to the former New Jersey governor who has helped Trump prepare in the past.

The lack of formal preparation is notable given how much emphasis Trump’s team has put on the debates. His allies have pushed for more of them beyond the scheduled three. And his re-election campaign was so concerned about early voting that it even pushed the Commission on Presidential Debates to schedule a debate earlier than the first one Sept. 29, but that idea was quickly rejected.

Not all of the president’s allies think his casual approach is a wise strategy. Privately, some of them are expressing concern that the president’s overconfidence could backfire.

In particular, they’re worried that Trump appears to be banking on a Biden misstep in the first 2020 debate; all the three debates are scheduled for 90 minutes each. They said Trump has repeatedly told aides that he’s not worried about debating Biden because the former vice president is likely to have a gaffe moment or stutter. Biden had a severe stutter as a child that he overcame.

These advisers point to former President Barack Obama, the last incumbent to square off on a debate stage, who took a similarly overconfident approach to the first debate in his 2012 re-election campaign and was widely seen as being bested by his opponent, Mitt Romney. They also note that Romney prepared extensively and was seen as losing the second and third debates with Obama.

Trump’s allies said he plans to head into the debate with some talking points but has resisted practicing a series of scripted exchanges. The president doesn’t want to be told precisely what to say on specific issues, they said.

Underscoring the shift from 2016, Christie met with Trump last month at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, to discuss some debate strategy. The meeting also included the president’s son-in-law and senior White House adviser Jared Kushner and Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien. And Trump has held other debate discussions while flying on Air Force One or sitting at his desk in the Oval Office.

But, as one adviser put it, “He’s not standing at the podium” in those instances, and no one is playing Biden.

Other allies involved in debate discussions with the president include White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller.

Trump’s aides have provided him with details of Biden’s record, including his support for a crime bill in the 1990s and his recent comments on policing. The president also has been advised to point out policy inconsistencies between Biden and his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris.

Trump has discussed foreign policy issues that might come up in the debate with national security adviser Robert O’Brien and economic issues with adviser Larry Kudlow.

But Trump’s focus on the debate shifted several weeks ago toward preparing for the Republican National Convention and hasn’t moved back, people close to the president said.

The president’s allies who are supportive of his cavalier approach argue that Trump is best off the cuff, and that he’s preparing regularly by holding news conferences with the White House press corps.
Link
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[astralis]

firestorm,

If Biden loses in November it will be because the mid-western states were too scared of far-left politics (riots hitting too close to home with little condemnation (and active support in some cases from the Dems.) It won't be because Biden wasn't left enough. So you seem to be suggesting that if he loses, the Dems will take the wrong lessons from the loss and screw themselves over for the next couple of elections too by doubling down on their mistakes.

not the "Dems" as a whole, but the left-wing. they might not necessarily win -- they haven't won that fight since the 1980s -- but they will certainly be enraged that they had to eat the electability argument and nothing came of it.

they'll point to the fact that Trump ran twice on destroying the system and WON twice.

it's essentially the same set of arguments the GOP had post-2012, even if the structure of the GOP/Dems are so different that the political incentives are completely different.

[DOR]

I can't seem to find the full-page ads taken out by retired military officers denouncing The Trumpet's comments about veterans and war dead.
It's almost as bad as the total lack of shame among GOPers.

[tbm3fan]

[SIZE=16px][B]

The president’s allies who are supportive of his cavalier approach argue that Trump is best off the cuff, and that he’s preparing regularly by holding news conferences with the White House press corps.
Link

Preparing by holding news conferences with the White House reporters. Ok, so that means his debate will consist of lies and grievances cause I haven't seen anything factual. Should be interesting.

[Firestorm]

firestorm,



not the "Dems" as a whole, but the left-wing. they might not necessarily win -- they haven't won that fight since the 1980s -- but they will certainly be enraged that they had to eat the electability argument and nothing came of it.

they'll point to the fact that Trump ran twice on destroying the system and WON twice.

it's essentially the same set of arguments the GOP had post-2012, even if the structure of the GOP/Dems are so different that the political incentives are completely different.

Problem is if what you say happens, and I agree that it might, the Dems are going to be screwing themselves out of power for a while. Just the nature of the electoral college reality for them unfortunately.