Super Tuesday Open Thread

She’s using a gun as a hammer because somehow Hollywood got the idea that that’s what sheriffs and cowboys did in the Old West when they didn’t have an actual hammer: They misused a deadly firearm.

I think the last place I saw the trope was in that Star Trek episode where they hallucinate that they’re the Clancy gang and the Earps are going to kill them stone dead … because they done bothered the wrong aliens.

Is there a REAL possibility he wins?!

Short answer? Yes.
Long answer? AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!

Unfortunately, Cruz is even worse in many ways. And Rubio? If he’s a moderate, I’m a vermicious kinit.

I blame Reagan. He started taking us down this road. Of course, the country didn’t have to actually follow him over this particular cliff.

I need to know: Is there a REAL possibility he wins?!

Not especially. Projections say he probably becomes the Republican nominee and loses badly in the general election.

Ah the Republican primary, where the choices are:
1. A carnie who appreciates Mussolini
2. A lizard-person whose skin suit seems uncomfortable for him and
3. A man who failed the Turing Test…

oh and since apparently he’s still running…
4. A surgeon who brags about having stabbed a guy (wtf?)

and all of them want to control my reproductive options….and possibly cause World War 3

If he does win the nomination, I’m hoping against hope all those lifelong Republicans who have an ounce of common sense and actually do want what is right for their country will vote Democrat rather than see a dangerously stupid megalomaniac in the White House.

I realize the other Republican nominees aren’t much better than Trump, but they strike me as at least being intelligent enough that they wouldn’t attempt to build a wall across the Mexican border, or get rid of the internet.

I could see Trump winning if Clinton gets the Democrat nomination and Bernie Bros organize a write-in campaign (Sanders has said he will not run as independent), causing more red wins because of blue being divided. I don’t think it’s likely, but I think it’s possible.

Trump’s nebulosity and lack of seriousness might win him the primary, which would prompt serious election reform efforts on the part of the right for the first time in ages, but the fact that he’ll probably make money on this campaign because of the way he structured the loans should be nauseating enough.

If he goes up against Hillary in a debate he would be crushed by her comprehensive understanding of facts and actual political experience. He is a master of stagecraft and that is all that is keeping him afloat, he just says the most extreme version of whatever the right wants without deference to their power structure.

California’s primary isn’t ’til June, so not much to say here.

@Chiomara
They did comment on some of his more… unortodhox positions, but even then it wasn’t treated with the seriousness it probably deserved.

I think ej is right. So much of journalism seems to be about shocking people rather than relating useful information – And given how many people in Brazil have been getting horribly reactionary as of late, I think Trump might even have quite a few fans here.

@iknklast
HOLY SHIT,THERE IS?!!?!?

@EJ
Of that I know! But what is TERRIFYING is that he is not being portrayed as a monster! You see, if I was presenting him to the public I’d say “And Trump won another primary. For who doesnt know him, he is basically a fascist monster. And you should be terrified of him, especially being latinos or women. This guy hates your guts. He said xyz about latinos. Lets pray for him not to win.”
But what they are saying instead is “Trump won another primary 🙂 . For who doesnt know, he is a millionaire with some businesses in Brazil and he is controversial and funny. Other candidates have their jimmies all rusted up cause they cant stand how popular and different he is. He said xyz about Hilary, isnt that hilarious? Ah, good old Trumpy. She was so mad, but she had to pay for her tongue, cause he won again!”

It’s just terrifying. It’s very alike what they do with terrible brazilian polititians they support, making he seem a witty, moral lonely warrior fighting against all odds. But the difference is that I have no idea why would they do that for Trump. I fear Brazilian politics is getting so horrible his views are not even seen as that absurd by people here, nor by the news channels nor by the general public.

I need to know: Is there a REAL possibility he wins?!

Though many of us in the U.S. can barely believe it ourselves, the truth is that yes, there’s a real possibility. Someone on Twitter (sorry I forget who) said something that disturbed me with its utter plausibility: since this is America, the odds are very good that there will be at least one very deadly mass shooting between now and November. So, what if whoever commits the shooting says that they’re with Islamic State (or maybe even just has a vaguely Arabic-sounding name)? It might generate enough fear, rage, racism and xenophobia to send Trump over the top.

At this point it’s doubtful that he would win against the Democratic candidate, but a lot of people in the U.S. are angry and afraid about the state of the world, and Trump is the one most directly speaking to that anger and fear.

Chiomara – I don’t know if the chance is huge; I’ve seen some polls that has Trump beating Clinton and some that has him losing big. That means yes, there is a chance.

And if Hillary is the nominee for the Dems (likely), she will be the target of the most coordinated hate campaigns we have seen in a long time. Will they exceed what they threw at Obama? Don’t know, but it is possible. After all, they’ve hated Hillary since before Obama was old enough to run for President.

Sexism doesn’t hurt the Donald with his own group, but it could in the larger election. Even a lot of casual sexists hate the blatant nastiness of people like Trump and his supporters, so his open disdain for women may turn the tide. Or not.

If he does win the nomination, I’m hoping against hope all those lifelong Republicans who have an ounce of common sense and actually do want what is right for their country will vote Democrat rather than see a dangerously stupid megalomaniac in the White House.

I live with a lifelong Republican. He will not vote for any of the current Repub possibilities. Problem is, he’s talking about not voting for President at all, because he doesn’t much like the Dems either. That’s another possibility – just voting in the local elections and leaving the Presidential blank empty, which won’t help. However, he’s worried enough about the current dastardly foursome that he might be willing to make a vote against them rather than for Hillary (who he doesn’t hate, and actually sort of likes, but doesn’t trust).