Ok, we’re here.
This is the first presidential election since 2000 where I haven’t endorsed a candidate.
While the polls suggest Clinton will probably win, it is close enough that Trump certainly could win if the polls are off at all, as they were in Brexit or in numerous other cases.
Johnson is showing at 5 percent in at least some polls, which is the cut-off for federal funding. Sadly, Stein is not, which is ridiculous, since there are plenty of states the Democrats simply can’t lose, but most “left-wingers” are too frightened and conventional to consider voting Green.
Feel free to use this as an open thread for topics related to the election.
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Anon
I find it astonishing that so many self proclaimed liberals hate Stein and her supporters. More Sanders supporters should have went into Stein’s column after the primary, giving Greens at least 5% of the vote to receive federal funding. It seems the Democrats really are effective at fearmongering self proclaimed liberals into voting for the lesser of two evils every four years. I would suggest any progressive living in CA, HI, and NY to consider voting for Stein.
Daniel N
Second presidential election I’ve been old enough to vote for, here in new york. Went in at 6am to avoid long lines, but already there were thirty-plus people in line; much more than in 2012 this early for the area.
I voted for Jill Stein. Same candidate I voted for in 2012. It’s been really saddening to see so many Bernie supporters among my friends suddenly switch to Pro-Hillary. Had drinks a few nights ago with one of them, and he said he was glad Hillary was taking an aggressive stance against Russia. The mind boggles…
Jeff Wegerson
No one is educating the U.S. electorate how to vote third party. In the late 70s in Chicago many blacks used to vote Republican. Partly it was a way to fuck with the racist Democratic Machine in the city. But the left has not yet created a comparable tactic within our voters.
Bernie Sanders is not going into California, New York or Illinois and telling his supporters, “Hey, as long as the race isn’t close here we need to support Stein.” “Oh no, that’s too dangerous. What if too many people did that?” “It would show up in the polls, d’oh.” “Oh yeah.”
Now maybe Sanders really is a Clinton tool whose purpose is to keep the left on the reservation, I don’t know, but still no one is educating the tribe.
different clue
I have been very torn. I had really wanted to vote for a tiny new party which has just clawed its way onto the Michigan ballot . . . the Working Class Party.
http://workingclassfight.com/party/
On the other hand, I feel threatened and endangered by the Clintonite Menace.
So in the end, I voted for Trump.
Trump . . . for Peace.
Trump . . . for the sake of my brother.
Trump . . . to stop the Clintons before they kill again.
Mandos
Interestingly close indeed. Trump may indeed pull it off. Lots of states unclear, which should be very clear.
Bill Hicks
I had originally intended to vote for Stein, but ultimately decided that standing in the long lines just to cast a meaningless protest vote wasn’t worth it. You highlight the problem with the Greens in your second to last sentence–few people will ever take them seriously until they build a real party with real candidates below the presidential level, and stop telling people to vote for the Democrat instead of them in the swing states.
Anon
An extremely tight race. Trump may win almost all of the Midwest and South including Michigan, Ohio, and Minnesota?! It’s looking to be another Brexit surprise for the MSM…
Mandos
Yep Brexit phenomenon.
Mandos
The Clinton loss narrative is already taking shape and will probably drive US liberal politics: reinforcement of the view of many Americans as bigots.
markfromireland
“reinforcement of the view of many Americans as bigots”
Given that many Americans are bigots that’s an entirely reasonable view to have of them.
Mandos
Yes, but the narrative I think a lot of people want, that the Democrats need to offer a left-populist alternative, is not happening so far.
Oaktown Girl
Being in California, I was free from any angst about voting for Jill Stein.
Voter suppression and (mostly Black but also Latino) voters being illegally purged off the voter rolls in the Red and Swing states is insanely high. Supreme Court gave the States carte blanche to do whatever the hell they wanted, and so they did. The Clinton campaign ignored it, and that gave the media an excuse to (continue to) ignore it, too. Fuck ’em both.
8:17 pm, PST
Oaktown Girl
Above comment time stamp edit to add the date, which is Nov. 8, 2016. I forget your East Coast date stamp messes up my West Coast time stamp after midnight your time.
Z
I’m stunned that Trump is doing this well. I never thought he had much of a chance. I can hardly blame people for voting for him over that corrupt Clinton political machine.
If she loses, most of the demo-zombies will see this as another sign of how fucked up the country is and how morally superior they are to the “thems”. But meanwhile, it was partly their steadfast defense of Obama … despite his continual betrayal of their so-called principles and his slavishness to corporate interests … that brought the nation to this point. They let him get away with it by maintaining their support of him … through all of it. And now here we are …
It’s not the whole entire reason, but it’s a underappreciated contributing factor.
Z
Z
Obama’s signature “achievement” of a corporate-servile health care law also played an underappreciated role in this election.
Z
Z
You can also thank the Clinton-loyal DNC for a Trump victory. Bernie was the stronger candidate against him.
Z
markfromireland
In what alternative version of reality was it ever even possible let alone probable that the Democrats would offer “left-populist” policies? They’re at most a centre-right to right party with some “left”-wing figleaves such as Sanders to act as channelers and gate keepers.
scruff
All over twitter and facebook I’m seeing the same delusions that have caused this result shouted out as if more of the same will somehow change things. To paraphrase one: if only we’d spent more time yelling more loudly at more people that they were even more racist and sexist then maybe this wouldn’t have happened. There’s no self-consciousness left on the left at all.
realitychecker
@ scruff
Yes, it’s always more comfortable to point the finger outward than to point it inward.
IMO, this is a perfect time for every one of us to point the finger inward, and re-calibrate our sense of what is reality and what is nonsense.
Just a little zero-based reasoning, folks, if y’all are capable of it.