The 2016 US Election

[Alatar]

So, Jeb Bush versus Hilary Clinton? Any takers?

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Chris Christie versus Andrew Cuomo (aka "the Sandy war").

[The Watcher]

Rick Santorum against Tammy Baldwin

[River]

No. Please. Just stop. This is like my worst nightmare come to life. Can we at least get through Inauguration Day before talking about this??

Oh frak it. I doubt Hillary will make a Presidential run. I think she'd rather take some time recovering from being Secretary of State.

Watcher:

[axordil]

If there's going to be someone from Florida on the GOP ticket, it will be Marco Rubio. They're already trying to walk back the nativist BS from this cycle.

[Frelga]

Joe Biden made some noises about voting for him in 2016. To which Jon Stewart quipped, "What, on Dancing with the Stars "

[Holbytla]

My dream election would be Condoleezza Rice vs Hillary Clinton.
It won't ever happen, but it would potentially rid us of so many stereotypes and create the perfect storm of elections, that maybe, just maybe, we could grow into the realm of voting for individuals rather than ideological perceptions.

[Alatar]

Surely in a President you should be voting for their policies (which are ideological and party based) rather than their personalities? I'm a perfectly nice fella but I don't think that makes me a good candidate for President!

[Túrin Turambar]

Surely in a President you should be voting for their policies (which are ideological and party based) rather than their personalities?

Policies are changeable, to a large degree collective and depend on events. Personality, in so far as an aptitude for leadership, an ability to communicate and sound judgement are personality traits, is critical.

[Alatar]

Still, if your leanings are generally to the Right, you'd be insane to vote in a Democrat just cause he's charismatic, or vice versa.

[Túrin Turambar]

True.

[axordil]

Many people here convince themselves they're not affiliated with a party, or interested in ideology. For them it's all about personality, certainly at the Presidential level. I know more than one person who voted for George W. Bush the first time because he came off as "a regular guy."

Absurd as the notion of the son of a CIA director and US President, a Yale grad and multimillionaire who owned a pro baseball team and former Governor of Texas being a "regular guy" may be, it worked for him. Me, I think "regular guys" have no business in the White House, but the US has always had an anti-intellectual strain to its collective character.

Bill Clinton beat W's dad with personality as much as position. Mondale lost to the more charismatic Reagan less because of policies than because people *liked* Reagan.

It's part of the price tag for a non-parliamentary democracy.

[Holbytla]

I did say individuals, not personality. I can see how people vote based on perceived ideologies, but not every republican or democrat is created with a cloning device.

Is it really sound to vote for someone who has an "r" or a "d" next to their name, or to vote strictly on party lines, even if that person appears incompetent or less fit for the job?

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I would definitely support Hillary Clinton, should she decide she is healthy enough to run at the age of 69. My opinion of her has improved dramatically over the past 4 years.

[Primula Baggins]

I vote for competence and on issues regardless of party, but I generally find that leaves me voting for local or at most state-level Republicans. Beyond that point they have to be very much the products of their party's platform to get the chance to run, and at this point there are some Republican platform elements I oppose so strongly that I am unable to vote for anyone who supports them (even if I'm no fan of the Democrat I end up voting for).

[Lalaith]

I wouldn't be surprised to see Paul Ryan in the running.

[Primula Baggins]

I would have agreed strongly before the election. But the outrage and blame-seeking among Republicans who weren't expecting the outcome has been so strong that I wonder if the lingering shadow will stick to Ryan as well.

[Frelga]

Has a VP of a losing candidate ever run successfully?

Too lazy to look up.

[Holbytla]

Has a VP of a losing candidate ever run successfully?

Too lazy to look up.

Since the 12th Amendment was passed, FDR was the only unsuccessful VP to win a presidential election. I think he was the only one anyway.

[Túrin Turambar]

Many people here convince themselves they're not affiliated with a party, or interested in ideology. For them it's all about personality, certainly at the Presidential level. I know more than one person who voted for George W. Bush the first time because he came off as "a regular guy."

Absurd as the notion of the son of a CIA director and US President, a Yale grad and multimillionaire who owned a pro baseball team and former Governor of Texas being a "regular guy" may be, it worked for him. Me, I think "regular guys" have no business in the White House, but the US has always had an anti-intellectual strain to its collective character.

Bill Clinton beat W's dad with personality as much as position. Mondale lost to the more charismatic Reagan less because of policies than because people *liked* Reagan.

It's part of the price tag for a non-parliamentary democracy.

And Parliamentary democracy as well.

Obviously 'regular guy' is an impression rather than a biographical fact. FDR drew enourmous support from people who felt, based on his personality or his policies, that he empathised with them in spite of his very privileged background.