Re: US Election 2016
 

I think the media is to blame for quite a lot of this because they increasingly seem willing to report/propagate all sorts of nonsense, the extent to which they do this being linked, to a greater or lesser extent, to those paying the bills. Once news is out there it's easily distorted, spreads like wildfire across the internet and is impossible to stop. There are those suffering with terminal confirmation bias who'll lap up what they want to hear and spread the word but there are many more, I believe, who can have their views changed on the basis of anything ranging from blatant lies to slight exaggerations if they're exposed to enough of them.

Where are we heading with all of this I wonder? I think this is only going to get worse with elections, referenda etc. being increasingly influenced, delayed and undermined by different factions and vested interests beyond the control of any govt. which doesn't choose to operate like N. Korea. Our freedoms might just be catching up with us and ultimately result in us losing some of them because that's the only way things can function effectively... :erm:

Re: US Election 2016
 

I think we underestimate how much it is our own confirmation biases direct the media though. They're feeding us with what we want but because to be commercially successful they need a rather broad base the mainsteam press isn't as bad as the Internet. The internet though can go even more hyper-partisan as appeal to a narrow group feeding them everything we want to hear.

Re: US Election 2016
 

Not the only one, just the most vocal

Re: US Election 2016
 

Trump can win. The polls show him losing. Those polls are getting closer but they still favor Clinton at the moment. The map itself still looks difficult, he'll have to keep all the states where he is currently ahead and the swing states then also switch one currently blue. He'll need Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Nevada and then flip either Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, New Mexico or Colorado.

Re: US Election 2016
 

That is how l see it but alas my predictions can be wrong sometimes.;)

Re: US Election 2016
 

Most people don't watch the news for entertainment, they watch for information and the way in which that information is presented will affect how they react to it. Clearly some people prefer certain media outlets for the reasons you cite but I reckon that when it comes to the news, most of the time, most people don't feel all that strongly about it either way, they're just trying to keep abreast of what's going on in the world.

What we do know categorically, though, is that commercial reasons do affect their output in various ways and they have a vested interest in sensationalising whatever they can in order to fill their airtime/pages. Those outlets with a definite and deliberate political bias such as RT will of course be highly selective in what they do/don't cover and IMHO it's the gradual drift in that direction coupled with the power of the internet to distort matters which means we're either going to wind up running around in circles not knowing what to do or working ourselves up into a frenzy of rabid outrage every time a decision, election or whatever goes the wrong way and we feel we have to overturn it. Who'll be the winners from that state of affairs? Maybe the resulting paralysis and disquiet will be the reason for someone to come along who's authoritarian enough to effectively seize control and thereafter dictate what we're told and how we're allowed to react. :shrug:

I don't like the way the world's heading. Freedom is a wonderful thing but too much freedom exercised the wrong way can be a very dangerous thing and they could be on the verge of that situation in the states. It'll be interesting to see the outcome of the election over there and what happens next. I wouldn't be surprised if there's trouble.

Re: US Election 2016
 

My American pals are telling me today that some States that do allow vote reconsideration in the early voting stages, so those Americans not happy with their vote for Hillary have asked to change their vote to Trump.

The latest revelations as well that Hillary cheated by being given some of the questions, in some of the earlier debates has not gone down well at all either.

Re: US Election 2016
 

On Mick's point.

http://heavy.com/news/2016/10/early-...-donald-trump/

Re: US Election 2016
 

I reckon there's going to be an even bigger bombshell dropped this week.

No wonder she's urging everybody to get out and vote early in all the states that have early voting.

Re: US Election 2016
 

I am starting to think Trump is actually going to pull this off now though. I have that feeling it just became all too possible again for him to take the White House.

People are circulating an 'update or something' from the FBI tomorrow. No actual source, seems like chinese whispers to me. Even if it was true it wouldn't be anything significant. Can't see it actually being true though given the media coverage since :erm:

Of course there is the possibility Wikileaks follow up this:

By Podesta, with proof, which would signal intent.

Context: People get the impression this occurred: Obviously Podesta was referring to dumping all the emails on the Clinton Server. In other emails they indicate that they have cleaned it up so they are OK. So, I expect that they had no idea that everything sent to Huma got backed up on the Weiner Computer. In which case, Trump would have his 'Motherlode' - Take it with a pinch of salt though, assumptions never go wrong...

I still feel that if Wikileaks had something significant they'd have dropped it a while back. Then I think, what if they drop the atomic bomb the night before the election. Many people are banking on Wikileaks to 'save them'

It's still massively unlikely any of this will be significant before the election. It's a sure bet to just continue on regardless of the Election. Becomes a lot easier if Clinton loses of course but we'll see.

Re: US Election 2016
 

I think you're right. Good journalism is crucial to democracy and I think one of the things that is currently undermining it is both people's distrust of the media causing them to seek even more partisan reporting and the fact that an absolute truth doesn't seem to exist anymore. When nothing is true anymore and the answer to any story, any evidence, is that 'well, that's one side of it' then we'll never agree on anything. How can we agree when there is no common ground?

This suits some people's agenda though and you've nailed it when you say it causes disquiet and paralysis: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/29/wo...formation.html

I only disagree with you on the last line:

I am not sure what the alternative is and I think any clamp down will be exactly the reaction the enemies of the West, and there are enemies of the West, want. Look at how much of a PR coup for Russia Natwest closing their accounts was. RT/Sputnik are constantly on the lookout for examples of Western hypocrisy to justify Russia's lack of a free press.

We are in dangerous times though and I do worry.

---------- Post added at 21:29 ---------- Previous post was at 21:11 ----------

You need to find which state (or states) would flip. Let's give Florida to Trump, Ohio, North Carolina, and Nevada to Trump (the last two have Clinton ahead in average polling). We assume all the states learning towards Trump he wins. You still fall short. You need one of the following to flip as well: Colorado, New Mexico, Pennsylvania or New Hampshire.

http://image.prntscr.com/image/90f8a...a822b57a48.png

This is why the betting markets are more bullish on Clinton than the atmosphere would suggest. It's harder for Trump to get to 270.

Of course he still could. In that map Pennsylvania or Colorado are probably the more likely to flip. He might get a surprise win in Michigan (Clinton +7). However at the same time we're assuming Clinton doesn't win North Carolina or Florida. She does either of those and it's hard to see where Trump wins without something going completely mad.

This stuff always happens. For weeks I have heard of the existence of two Trump tapes which never materialised. This time in 2008 Republicans on the Internet were going crazy about a supposed video where Obama said he hated white people - they were convinced it was coming - and it never happened.

24 million people have voted. In Nevada it's 35% of the entire electorate already. In Florida the current early voting is tied and with that state going to be so close why would you wait?

Something might come out but I don't think either campaign is sitting on something. Thursday night would be the time to drop it though. (night before election is far too late, too many voters will miss it).

---------- Post added at 21:31 ---------- Previous post was at 21:29 ----------

Dump in that context means 'drop'. The context of the rest of the e-mail shows they mean get them out: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...hinks-it-does/

Re: US Election 2016
 

Maybe Rand Paul will finally shoot her down with the whole supplying weapons and lying under oath claim he keeps stirring. That was August from my search, the guy has a rant every other day but has since produced nothing.

Then maybe the 'Clinton Cartel' will unravel for all to see. You know, Obama, Clinton and co all sipping some fine whiskey whilst supplying Iran etc. :D

(Sarcasm just incase, Rand Paul is a tool, he pops up every now and then to make silly digs at Clinton I.E a month after his rant about Clinton and weapons he started badgering on about her health, completely forgetting his previous rant)

Re: US Election 2016
 

As expected. Hillary Clinton has released an Ad in conjunction to her visit to rally in Dade City, Florida today, basically highlighting Trump's attitude to Women with clips of him from the past saying comments which could be considered sexist remarks.

Let's face it, he has been very disrespectful in the past and he has ran away with his mouth, no two ways about it, but then so have lots and lots of other men and lots and lots of women have been disrespectful to other men.

As for the sexual allegations, well, they have not been proven and Trump has denied all claims, insisting they were brought about by the sleazy DNC campaign.

Whichever way you look at it. This is a desperate woman trying to turn the negative press and attention back to on Trump.

What made me laugh though in her speech, yeah, I brought myself to watch what she had to say, I will never be able to the time back on that, anyway, she said:

Does this silly woman have a short memory ? She labeled half of Trump's supporters 'A basket of deplorable's.' That's a very large portion of the voting public, she insulted with that remark.

Re: US Election 2016
 

He can win, I think I'd like to see him win, but ultimately I don't think he will win.

Re: US Election 2016
 

That's to be expected though. Isn't that a Politician's go to move.