2016 Presidential Race AND POLL

[natedagg]

How much security is zero security?

Let me put it this way. I know someone, I cant say who, who has a copy (as in PNG image) of every signature of every person who voted using these machines in 2 very important states. The votes are not secret, and there is no security on these machines. They can be rigged, they can break, they can glitch, and they aren't secure.

Paper ballots are far safer... and that's crazy when you consider how much bullshit goes on with paper ballots.

I'll answer questions about that via PM, but not in the open thread.

Ummmmmmmmm. What. The. Fuck. This is... pretty fucked up on so many levels.

 

[Jack Brickman]

What's kind of funny about this is that there were a lot of jokes about nobody ever wanting to off Obama because Joe Biden is so dumb that nobody would want to see him as President. And now he's being portrayed by some as the guy who may need to ride in and rescue the Democrats.

I don't think Joe Biden is dumb. He's more like your drunk uncle at Thanksgiving who has a few too many and says things he should have kept to himself.

 

[brownindian]

Lol.. He said she was "beautiful."

We won't know for at least 5 days, and even then it'll be another 10 before any reliable polling is out..

Preliminary polling looks like Fiorina came out ahead. But I don't think these polls are remotely indicative of the mood of the electorate a few days from now.

It will be super funny if Trump gets an even more gargantuan lead after this debate. I am rooting for a Trump vs Biden right now so that it will encourage more "entertainers" to jump into politics and in 2020 we get Kanye vs Caitlyn Jenner elections.

 

[Jack Brickman]

It will be super funny if Trump gets an even more gargantuan lead after this debate. I am rooting for a Trump vs Biden right now so that it will encourage more "entertainers" to jump into politics and in 2020 we get Kanye vs Caitlyn Jenner elections.

As I said, a Trump/Biden debate would be the greatest presidential debate in the history of American politics. Neither guy has a filter...Biden just seems comparatively sane because he's not a racist asshole.

 

[brownindian]

As I said, a Trump/Biden debate would be the greatest presidential debate in the history of American politics. Neither guy has a filter...Biden just seems comparatively sane because he's not a racist asshole.

So you are saying we need to get Biden drunk before the debate ? Got it !!!

 

[gourimoko]

Ummmmmmmmm. What. The. Fuck. This is... pretty fucked up on so many levels.

It is..

I'm all for advancement of voting technology, but the touchscreen machines used in many states are simply awful. They are insecure and they can even be rigged.

Until we get something more secure, we should stick with paper ballots.

In fact, I'd be more comfortable ditching the completely private ballot system if it meant for open online elections. You could vote online, from anywhere, and you'd know who your ballot was cast for. You'd know with certainty. Everyone would.

A crypto-voting system could be used where a single individual can't be looked up because his vote has been essentially encrypted with a key that only he knows. But, the votes can be aggregated, and independent audits would be possible to ensure 100% accurate voting.

 

[Jack Brickman]

So you are saying we need to get Biden drunk before the debate ? Got it !!!

That would be the only possible way to make the debate better.

 

[spydy13]

HBO did a great documentary about this a few years ago, I want to say relating to the Florida fiasco is 2000, but it featured how easily the diebold machines could be hacked and how cuyahoga county had just invested a ton of money in switching to them.

It's hilarious that no one brings this up when they talk about voter fraud. Nope, they only care if minorities and low income people are able to easily vote.

Hacking Democracy is the name of the doc if anyone is curious about the issue.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacking_Democracy

 

[gourimoko]

Hacking Democracy is the name of the doc if anyone is curious about the issue.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacking_Democracy

Yep.. It's a serious issue.

It's why I feel a similar to but distinctly different from Bitcoin/crypto-currency is a viable solution. It would end concepts like "voter registration" and "going to the polls."

People would essentially vote on a specific day, Tuesday, for whomever they wanted to vote for. They could validate that vote, and every vote they've ever made - ever. Anyone could, at any time, as the data would be public.

This would allow for same-day near-instantaneous audits of elections, and virtually eliminate voter fraud.

It would also increase voter participation as you could literally vote for President from your cell phone.

 

[spydy13]

Yep.. It's a serious issue.

It's why I feel a similar to but distinctly different from Bitcoin/crypto-currency is a viable solution. It would end concepts like "voter registration" and "going to the polls."

People would essentially vote on a specific day, Tuesday, for whomever they wanted to vote for. They could validate that vote, and every vote they've ever made - ever. Anyone could, at any time, as the data would be public.

This would allow for same-day near-instantaneous audits of elections, and virtually eliminate voter fraud.

It would also increase voter participation as you could literally vote for President from your cell phone.

Yeah, you would still need to have some kind of polling locations for those that don't have access to the internet, but I agree that this would be a far better solution than the half-measure we've taken now.

 

[Maximus]

@gourimoko, since you're the one with a huge amount of political experience... serious question here...

What would happen if one of the presidential nominees dies a few days before Election Day? Does Congress/SCOTUS postpone the election until that person's party can nominate a replacement and hold a few debates with the other party's candidate? Does Congress/SCOTUS even have the authority to do that? Or would that party simply be S.O.L. for that term's election? How would the country react to that? Obviously it's never happened before, but I'm curious to hear what you think would occur.

This may become an issue...with Bernie Sanders being 89 years old and all.

 

[gourimoko]

This may become an issue...with Bernie Sanders being 89 years old and all.

If he dies... he dies...

 

[Pioneer10]

I don't think either of those guys would actually make the top of the ticket as I don't see them able to win the primary.

1) Kasich is too willing to compromise. The conservative establishment is not remotely fond of him. He supports issues that are non-starters for the conservative movement, like the Iran deal, Obamacare, Medicaid expansion. He's also not hawkish when it comes to foreign policy, which is a criteria for winning this primary. He's a good man, and I think he might even make for a good President; but it's hard to think he'd be beholden to special interests given his track record.

2) Rubio. Under what scenario does Rubio come out ahead? I just don't see Republican voters nominating him as he doesn't really command a room, and he's never really been that popular among the national electorate.

He's very much like a poor man's Boobie.. I mean, a poor man's Paul Ryan. Republican strategists make the mistake that Rubio has a chance to win or even improve his standings with Latinos - simply by virtue of being Latino. It's the same silly argument for Ben Carson. It was the same silly argument for Paul Ryan; that he could somehow improve Romney's standing with evangelicals and Catholics who might feel he worshiped the devil.

Latinos aren't going to rally behind Rubio, and rather than flocking to the party, they're leaving it in droves. He has no political base outside of the Cuban community. That works in Florida, but not on a national stage.

Rubio would be a great VP pick, as would Kasich. But I still expect Bush to win the nomination, and I highly doubt Bush would pick Rubio as his running mate.

Bush/Kasich makes all the sense in the world. As would a that'd be their best shot from an electoral standpoint.

Maybe but Jeb! looks like he's become Al Gore'd even by fellow Republicans. Romney even when not polling well always projected intelligence and confidence. Meanwhile Jeb! is getting meme'd to death with his tip toes and low fives. Trump is painting him as a wimp and it's hard not to see it with his inability to even stand up for his wife

Kasich/Rubio gives them a ticket where each has a home base in a battleground state without Jeb's baggage and it defuses the ability for the Democrats to paint all Republicans as Trumps on immigration.

 

[Jack Brickman]

The tiptoe thing makes even less sense seeing as Bush was already the tallest guy on the stage. He just looks like an idiot.

 

[Jordan]

It's so tough to predict winners, though. For example, I think Rubio has done very well in both debates but it hasn't effected his poll numbers at all. Jeb, right now, isn't doing well at all in debates or polls (by this I mean he keeps dropping) but he has the most money. This isn't 2012 where the only seriously competitive candidate really was Romney. All these guys are competing. I'll be interested to see where it ends up. I do think it ultimately comes down to Carson, Rubio, or Bush.