2020 US Presidential Election

[radamfi]

They need to find another Trump, or someone who can change his behaviour to be like Trump, or even better, worse than Trump. Someone who has actually admitted to rape would be ideal. Trump became really successful once he admitted to feeling women's private parts. Britain is little better. Johnson has history of racism and being the opposite of being politically correct.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I hope Kamala Harris takes over after Sleepy Joe

@GRALISTAIR
You probably know more about this than the rest of us put together
Is it customary in the US to talk about politics with workmates, family neighbours, or best to avoid? Do you have a vote over there?
Whatabout non-voters, I mean those who choose not to vote?

Politics has frequently been discussed all 20 years I have been in the USA. Sadly it has been known to break up families. I am a LPR Legal Permanent Resident aka green card holder not a citizen so can’t vote. Don’t know about non voters. Everyone at my place of work especially my boss are deeply sad and down this week. Silly. The world carried on when Obama was elected and also after Trump. All will be fine.

 

[birchesgreen]

My best friend is a green card holder as well, his wife is a real hardcore Democrat so lets just say it has been a bit of a rollercoaster in his house the last few days...

 

[GRALISTAIR]

This, 100%. Watch him not bother with the established traditions in coming weeks and months. No concession call to Biden, no pre-transition meeting at the WH, no attending of the inauguration (though for obvious reasons that won't be huge event this time around), no waving to the new president + family as he leaves the WH in the helicopter. I think he'll leave via a side entrance and skulk off. That'll be it.

Trump is incapable of dealing with losing and acting like a human being in the face of professional adversity. His behaviour ensures history won't look kindly on him and the next few years will be ugly for him.

I agree with this assessment. He is an alpha male who hates losing with a passion. What else is left for him? He is one of the richest people, has his own private plane, he surely will not go back into real estate, has been with some really beautiful women and has been POTUS. I fear he will really struggle. I mean playing golf all day soon gets boring.

Wow. We're at the stage of judging women by "cuteness" of accent.

Says quite alot about you.

Wow. I get it almost every day since I moved to the USA. Ohhh geee I love your accent. Oh god you have a really cute accent etc. if I was that sort of a person, which I am not, I could have slept with many many American women. Sorry, but it is the way it is.

 

[C J Snarzell]

@Bantamzen
No I do not support Trump!
A sleepy slow person does less harm, I am a bit sleepy myself, retired but younger than Joe
..
I did read there is talk of Trump running again in 2024. I would bet a few dollars against that, but who knows?

I should like to hear the flotus speak, bet she has a cute accent

I've heard this too about Trump possibly standing again at the next presidential election in 2024. I wouldn't put it past him.

Grover Cleveland is the only US president to do two non-consequtive terms in office way back in the 1800s.

CJ

 

[RichT54]

I've heard this too about Trump possibly standing again at the next presidential election in 2024. I wouldn't put it past him.

Grover Cleveland is the only US president to do two non-consequtive terms in office way back in the 1800s.

CJ

Would it depend on whether he's convicted of any of his alleged crimes?

Is a convicted criminal allowed to stand for President?

 

[nlogax]

He is one of the richest people,

He's a billion dollars in debt and once Deutsche Bank finishes with him as well as the ton of legal cases he'll be fighting financially he'll be toast.

Is a convicted criminal allowed to stand for President?

Surprisingly, yes. There's nothing stopping a criminal standing for the presidency. Nothing in the constitution that prevents it.

 

[Cowley]

Surprisingly, yes. There's nothing stopping a criminal standing for the presidency. Nothing in the constitution that prevents it.

Is there any chance of criminal charges being bought for some of the baseless claims he’s been making this week do you know?

 

[nlogax]

Is there any chance of criminal charges being bought for some of the baseless claims he’s been making this week do you know?

Thankfully I'm Not A Lawyer but I highly doubt it. As far as the last few days have been concerned it's just been dire, terrible Presidenting.

 

[jfollows]

Fortunately Trump is cunning and self-obsessed but stupid, as in the quote I gave back in #813 . A logical person would go about this differently, he's going at it from the wrong end completely - he wants to remain being President so he concludes that he has to get some or all of the current election reversed. So how to do this? Mount legal challenges all over the place. Make wild accusations in the hope that some of it will stick. What's currently working against him? The late results from postal voting - so get this stopped. And so on.

The problem is that any tactic with even a slight chance needs to start from the bottom and work up, not the other way round. Start with evidence of something real happening, rather than look for evidence to fit his particular desired outcome.

Basically looking for something to "disallow counting of votes in Pennsylvania but not in Arizona" isn't going to be possible. I think we all know that. The 50% of Republicans who publicly walk away from him today get some respect from me. The 50% who feel no alternative but to stick with him regardless don't.

 

[FrodshamJnct]

More wild Twitter action from Trump going on at the moment, with more unsubstantiated claims and bizarre rants.

 

[C J Snarzell]

Would it depend on whether he's convicted of any of his alleged crimes?

Is a convicted criminal allowed to stand for President?

George W Bush was convicted of drink driving in the 1970s which is a criminal offence.

CJ

 

[edwin_m]

I think it has a lot with not listening to advise, extending to sacking any advisor that provides advice you don't want to hear. Someone could have pointed out, for instance, that (I believe) the votes that would be disallowed if the Supreme Court took up the Pennsylvania case again would still leave Biden in the lead.

I've also read a view that Amy Coney Barratt would have to recuse herself from any decision on the election, because the fact Trump admitted she was being appointed to vote on that issue creates an unacceptable conflict of interest.

 

[birchesgreen]

More wild Twitter action from Trump going on at the moment, with more unsubstantiated claims and bizarre rants.

Yes more rantings in crayon, unfortunately his base will believe it... but then again some of them think he faked catching covid so he could do an undercover mission for QAnon...

 

[43096]

Has anyone else noticed how unhappy and fed up Trump's wife looks? I always suspect that their marriage has been based on his bank balance not his good looks or charm.

To borrow a phrase from the late, great Caroline Aherne, "So Melania, what first attracted you to the billionaire Donald Trump?"

It was widely reported four years ago that she really, really didn't want him to win the election. Presumably she'll be happy with the predicted outcome now. I wonder if she voted for Biden?

 

[birchesgreen]

CNN are calling it, Biden has won.

 

[C J Snarzell]

To borrow a phrase from the late, great Caroline Aherne, "So Melania, what first attracted you to the billionaire Donald Trump?"

It was widely reported four years ago that she really, really didn't want him to win the election. Presumably she'll be happy with the predicted outcome now. I wonder if she voted for Biden?

To be fair to Melania Trump, she speaks multiple languages and has done alright for herself considering she comes from quite a humble background - there is more to her than meets the eye. I just get the impression she never embraced her role as First Lady and would much have preferred a far more private lifestyle for them and their teenage son.

CJ

 

[Trackman]

CNN are calling it, Biden has won.

So are Sky News.
Edit: Biden has 273 (so they say)

 

[A Challenge]

So are Sky News.

Edit: Biden has 273 (so they say)

I make it 284? The AP have called it as well, with it at 284 to 214

 

[birchesgreen]

I think they have judged that Biden can't be caught in Pennsylvania no matter what the outstanding votes say.

 

[D365]

So are Sky News.
Edit: Biden has 273 (so they say)

BBC are calling 273 also.

 

[Domh245]

Those calling 273 are still holding off on calling the remaining states other than Pa. It'll inevitably go higher, but 270 is the magic number

 

[A Challenge]

Those calling 273 are still holding off on calling the remaining states other than Pa. It'll inevitably go higher, but 270 is the magic number

I've just noticed that BBC, who are quoting 273 seats, haven't yet called Arizona, whereas the AP (whose data I am using as that is displayed on Google when you search for the results) have (for Biden), which explains why I was getting different numbers.

 

[jfollows]

It'll end up 306, which is an exact mirror of the electoral college "votes" Trump got in 2016 [Trump lost 2 of them from Texas because of faithless electors, but we can't know yet how many of these there'll be in due course]. (Add 16 Georgia and 6 Nevada which haven't been called yet either)

Biden took 75.5% of the votes tallied in Pennsylvania since I started tabulating them at 09:43 UK time on Thursday. His lead over Trump is now in excess of the 0.5% threshold forcing a recount there, and it's only going to get larger.

 

[hexagon789]

Those calling 273 are still holding off on calling the remaining states other than Pa. It'll inevitably go higher, but 270 is the magic number

306 is my reckoning.

I've just noticed that BBC, who are quoting 273 seats, haven't yet called Arizona, whereas the AP (whose data I am using as that is displayed on Google when you search for the results) have (for Biden), which explains why I was getting different numbers.

It's probably safe enough to call but the BBC has a 99.5% certainty threshold before they'll call a state.

 

[jfollows]

(The only real unknown, I suggest, is that Arizona may still go to Trump, although the odds are against this, but it's all noise now)

 

[hexagon789]

(The only real unknown, I suggest, is that Arizona may still go to Trump, although the odds are against this, but it's all noise now)

Georgia is also very close and once counting is finished because the margin is less than 0.5% they go straight into a recount.

 

[Domh245]

Georgia is also very close and once counting is finished because the margin is less than 0.5% they go straight into a recount.

Even then, recounts have historically moved tallies by hundreds at mists, unlikely to be enough to suddenly flip it

 

[jfollows]

Even then, recounts have historically moved tallies by hundreds at mists, unlikely to be enough to suddenly flip it

Biden has won 69.1% of the votes counted (in Georgia) since Thursday morning (mail-in and provisional votes), and if my estimate of 17,000 remaining is correct this win rate would increase his margin over Trump by ~6,500 votes, adding to the current margin of 7,248 to get to between 13,000 and 14,000. Not the sort of margin overturned by a recount indeed, unless there's a very large sofa with a lot of paper hidden inside it.

 

[hexagon789]

Even then, recounts have historically moved tallies by hundreds at mists, unlikely to be enough to suddenly flip it

Oh I've no doubt that the overall results will stand after a recount, I was just illustrating that Georgia was also pretty tight