If American - which presidential candidate will you vote for?

[TwoCitiesCapital]

What's with Trump always saying America gets killed on trade due to trade deficits with Mexico and China? Like having a 50 billion trade deficit translates into losing 50 billion dollars and you are not importing an extra 50 billion in goods.

 

Yea - an unfortunately, as the reserve currency of the world, the U.S. will generally always run a deficit. To be the reserve currency, other people have to hold our currency for use in global transactions. How do foreign countries get that money?

 

Either via trade deficits OR lending. American's don't save enough to satisfy their dollar needs AND the dollar needs of other countries so it has to be via trade deficits.

[rkbabang]

What's with Trump always saying America gets killed on trade due to trade deficits with Mexico and China? Like having a 50 billion trade deficit translates into losing 50 billion dollars and you are not importing an extra 50 billion in goods.

 

Yea - an unfortunately, as the reserve currency of the world, the U.S. will generally always run a deficit. To be the reserve currency, other people have to hold our currency for use in global transactions. How do foreign countries get that money?

 

Either via trade deficits OR lending. American's don't save enough to satisfy their dollar needs AND the dollar needs of other countries so it has to be via trade deficits.

 

It's either economic ignorance or pandering to some group of voters by telling them what they want to hear.  With Trump (and most other politicians) you never know which one it is.

 

I'm starting to get so cynical I wonder if any politician at the national level believes even 5% of what they say.  That is what was appealing about Sanders I think, his naivete. Yes he's a socialist, but he really is a socialist.

 

[vox]

I think that, like in many occupations, the skills required to get hired/elected are distinct from the skills required to perform well at that job.

 

Perhaps Google should just create an algorithm to determine the next Commander-in-chief.

[rkbabang]

I think that, like in many occupations, the skills required to get hired/elected are distinct from the skills required to perform well at that job.

 

Perhaps Google should just create an algorithm to determine the next Commander-in-chief.

 

Perhaps they already have one.

 

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/08/how-google-could-rig-the-2016-election-121548

[Mephistopheles]

The people who are actually gifted enough in business and economics (unlike Trump) have better things to do with their time than become President (because they are so gifted). Gates and Buffett come to mind.

[rkbabang]

The people who are actually gifted enough in business and economics (unlike Trump) have better things to do with their time than become President (because they are so gifted). Gates and Buffett come to mind.

 

I agree and nothing would be a greater tragedy than someone who is so gifted gave up creating wealth and helping mankind to get involved in something like politics, where the best you can hope to do is not cause as much harm as someone else would have.

[vox]

I think that, like in many occupations, the skills required to get hired/elected are distinct from the skills required to perform well at that job.

 

Perhaps Google should just create an algorithm to determine the next Commander-in-chief.

 

Perhaps they already have one.

 

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/08/how-google-could-rig-the-2016-election-121548

 

That author seems to have a personal axe to grind with Google. His dispute with Google over their security warning doesn't reflect positively on him.

[DTEJD1997]

In my group of family, friends & associates I don't know a SINGLE person who is actively supporting Hillary.  Many are supporting Trump, some Bernie Sanders.  A few said they MIGHT vote for Hillary, but really don't like her & the associated scandals & sleaze....

 

I think Bernie is a fool when it comes to economics, but at least he is honest....

 

I think a lot of things are going to change when it is Trump vs. Hillary in the debates.  He is the only candidate that will go after her for the scandals.  If Bernie was more effective in attacking her, he very well might have won the nomination.

 

There is also a chance (small) that Hillary is indicted over her server.  There is also a small chance that an indictment comes over the Clinton foundation.  I've been hearing rumors about that for a while now...

 

We'll see.  This is going to be the most interesting race in many, many years!

 

Hah, you could replace Clinton with Trump and vice versa and your have my situation, but I live in the NYC bubble so I don't know what the rest of the country is thinking. But seriously, what are you fucking thinking? The man referenced the size of his penis in a speech. He hinted that a moderator was on her period when she challenged him in a debate. He basically called Ted cruz's wife ugly in public. That's your leader? Jesus...

 

What the fuck am I thinking?  What the fuck are you thinking?

 

Hillary is an absolute toxic candidate.  What kind of example is she for young women?  What kind of example is she for feminists?  If she is so smart & capable, why didn't she kick Bill to the curb?  Why didn't she go out on her on own?  Instead, she sticks with Bill to get ahead.  In fact, it is worse than that.  She actively enabled his behavior!  She was in charge of going after several of the women that accused Bill.  She knew what was going on...but she compromised her feminist principles in order to get ahead.

 

Further, how much money has she & Bill accepted from the Saudis?  I have no idea, but it is in at least the tens  of MILLIONS.  How can she be for "womens rights" & gay rights yet she is accepting all that money from these guys?

 

How can she be "for" gay rights, when it is punishable by death in Saudi Arabia?  Saudi Arabia is one of her major sponsors!  If you accept the idea that Saudi Arabia is NOT for women's rights & gay rights....why are they donating money to somebody who ostensibly is?  I don't know...could it be buying influence?

 

What is Hillary even doing accepting money from foreign governments/entities?

 

Her "charity" has been the subject of NUMEROUS articles questioning it's finances.  In 2013, it took in $140MM and spent $9MM in direct aid...

 

What is Hillary even doing setting up a server in her bathroom?

 

What about the Arab Spring?

 

What about the death of Americans & the embassy being overrun in Libya?

 

This could go on & on.

 

No wonder Bernie is doing well!  Go Bernie go!

[rkbabang]

I think that, like in many occupations, the skills required to get hired/elected are distinct from the skills required to perform well at that job.

 

Perhaps Google should just create an algorithm to determine the next Commander-in-chief.

 

Perhaps they already have one.

 

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/08/how-google-could-rig-the-2016-election-121548

 

That author seems to have a personal axe to grind with Google. His dispute with Google over their security warning doesn't reflect positively on him.

 

Just to be clear the author isn't saying that Google is doing this, just that his small study shows that they could.

[LC]

The people who are actually gifted enough in business and economics (unlike Trump) have better things to do with their time than become President (because they are so gifted). Gates and Buffett come to mind.

 

What? His net worth is 10+ Billion. Not gifted enough in business or economics?

 

[Mephistopheles]

The people who are actually gifted enough in business and economics (unlike Trump) have better things to do with their time than become President (because they are so gifted). Gates and Buffett come to mind.

 

What? His net worth is 10+ Billion. Not gifted enough in business or economics?

 

Or so he says. Forbes says he's worth $2.9, I'm inclined to side with Forbes. He's also had a nice boost from his wealthy dad.

 

Though yes he's a master brander, I'll give you that, and that's how he took the nomination.

 

Still, with issues of economics, trade policy, taxation, healthcare and the things it take to be a good president, he sucks.

[LongHaul]

Some of you are commenting on Hillary's staying with Bill.  That is a complex personal decision and I would not be quick to judge her on that.  I dated a girl and her mom was an intern at the whitehouse when Bill Clinton cheated on Hillary.  On the day when Hillary apparently heard the news she cried a lot and was very shaken and upset.  I was surprised to learn later in life that some marriages actually do quite well after 1 spouse cheats and the couple stays together.  Not an easy decision to ditch the father of your child and divorce is almost always a mess.   

[rb]

I am really confused by this idea in the US that is someone is wealthy or has been successful in business then naturally he or she is naturally qualified to be president or have a leadership position in an administration. A job that requires to craft policy and represent ALL the people.

 

A short list that comes to mind of successful business people that had leadership positions in the executive branch: Robert McNamara, Robert Rubin, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, John Snow, Hank Paulson. Not exactly a distinguished list of political leaders.

 

 

[Otsog]

The people who are actually gifted enough in business and economics (unlike Trump) have better things to do with their time than become President (because they are so gifted). Gates and Buffett come to mind.

 

What? His net worth is 10+ Billion. Not gifted enough in business or economics?

 

Or so he says. Forbes says he's worth $2.9, I'm inclined to side with Forbes. He's also had a nice boost from his wealthy dad.

 

Well Trump's net worth can fluctuate from $3 to $10 billion depending on his mood. 

 

 

How does Trump calculate his own net worth? In a deposition he gave in a 2006 lawsuit, here’s what he said:

 

Q. Let me just understand that a little bit. Let’s talk about net worth for a second. You said that the net worth goes up and down based upon your own feelings?

 

A. Yes, even my own feelings, as to where the world is, where the world is going, and that can change rapidly from day to day. Then you have a September 11th, and you don’t feel so good about yourself and you don’t feel so good about the world and you don’t feel so good about New York City. Then you have a year later, and the city is as hot as a pistol. Even months after that it was a different feeling. So yeah, even my own feelings affect my value to myself.

 

Q. When you publicly state what you’re worth, what do you base that number on?

 

A. I would say it’s my general attitude at the time that the question may be asked. And as I say, it varies.

[TwoCitiesCapital]

The people who are actually gifted enough in business and economics (unlike Trump) have better things to do with their time than become President (because they are so gifted). Gates and Buffett come to mind.

 

What? His net worth is 10+ Billion. Not gifted enough in business or economics?

 

Or so he says. Forbes says he's worth $2.9, I'm inclined to side with Forbes. He's also had a nice boost from his wealthy dad.

 

Well Trump's net worth can fluctuate from $3 to $10 billion depending on his mood. 

 

 

How does Trump calculate his own net worth? In a deposition he gave in a 2006 lawsuit, here’s what he said:

 

Q. Let me just understand that a little bit. Let’s talk about net worth for a second. You said that the net worth goes up and down based upon your own feelings?

 

A. Yes, even my own feelings, as to where the world is, where the world is going, and that can change rapidly from day to day. Then you have a September 11th, and you don’t feel so good about yourself and you don’t feel so good about the world and you don’t feel so good about New York City. Then you have a year later, and the city is as hot as a pistol. Even months after that it was a different feeling. So yeah, even my own feelings affect my value to myself.

 

Q. When you publicly state what you’re worth, what do you base that number on?

 

A. I would say it’s my general attitude at the time that the question may be asked. And as I say, it varies.

 

Trump, by another name, is Mr. Market.

[nikhil25]

 

How did it come to this where we have to choose between a cartoon character and criminal for the highest office in the country?

 

 

Couldn't have said it better!  :-\

[augustabound]

 

How did it come to this where we have to choose between a cartoon character and criminal for the highest office in the country?

 

 

Couldn't have said it better!  :-\

 

Kind of makes George Dubya look not so bad...................kind of.

[Graham Osborn]

Somewhere I read that 4B or so of Trump's net worth was goodwill attribute to his name.  Of course there is at least some original grain of truth to this in that the name is licensed to 3rd-party developers etc, but please.  No wonder he doesn't want to disclose his tax returns - then he'd have to reconcile some of it.

 

I have to hedge an earlier post where I claimed Trump's election would be bearish for the market.  Hillary's election would be perhaps more bearish in some sectors particularly pharma.  I guess that's fairly obvious given what her Tweet did to Valeant.  But my guess is the market has already priced this in relative to her nominal probability of winning.  What was important was rather that Trump actually moved towards her in his attitudes toward that sector.  Trump has possibly less loyalty to partisan principles than any candidate I have recently witnessed, making him a threat not only to Hilary but to the parties themselves.

 

People have historically adopted a heaven-vs-hell mentality on election outcomes, but this time I think many realize that we are in for some very challenging times regardless of who gets elected.

[DTEJD1997]

Some of you are commenting on Hillary's staying with Bill.  That is a complex personal decision and I would not be quick to judge her on that.  I dated a girl and her mom was an intern at the whitehouse when Bill Clinton cheated on Hillary.  On the day when Hillary apparently heard the news she cried a lot and was very shaken and upset.  I was surprised to learn later in life that some marriages actually do quite well after 1 spouse cheats and the couple stays together.  Not an easy decision to ditch the father of your child and divorce is almost always a mess. 

 

Yes, it is a deeply personal decision to stay with a cheating spouse.  HOWEVER, there had been numerous reports, stories, rumors, HECK, even a 60 minutes interview about "Bill's cheating ways".  Bill has/had been unfaithful to Hillary on NUMEROUS occasions.  Why would she stay with a serial cheater?  Yes, everybody might have an error in judgement, a lapse, a temptation.  Heck, maybe even twice...but how many times with Bill?

 

As to Hillary being upset, that was surely not the first time.  She may have been upset because she feared the gravy train was over.  She may also have been upset because there some semblance of deniability with Bill's affairs previously, now that was all over with.

 

Yes, it is Hillary's decision to stay with Bill.  Color me skeptical though.

 

Finally, are these the type of characters we want in the White House?  In addition to Bill, Chelsea & her husband are up to all sorts of hijinx.

[vox]

In the 20th century, the U.S. Presidents that are known to have had affairs include Harding, FDR, Eisenhower, LBJ, JFK, and Bill Clinton. There have undoubtedly been many other Presidents that had mistresses before then, when the press was willing to keep Presidents' secrets. I would guess that in total, between 1/3 and 1/2 of U.S. Presidents have had affairs. To me, there seems to be no correlation between a President having an affair and being a good President. It seems odd to claim that not leaving a spouse who had an affair is indicative of whether someone would be a good President.

[rb]

Some of you are commenting on Hillary's staying with Bill.  That is a complex personal decision and I would not be quick to judge her on that.  I dated a girl and her mom was an intern at the whitehouse when Bill Clinton cheated on Hillary.  On the day when Hillary apparently heard the news she cried a lot and was very shaken and upset.  I was surprised to learn later in life that some marriages actually do quite well after 1 spouse cheats and the couple stays together.  Not an easy decision to ditch the father of your child and divorce is almost always a mess. 

 

Yes, it is a deeply personal decision to stay with a cheating spouse.  HOWEVER, there had been numerous reports, stories, rumors, HECK, even a 60 minutes interview about "Bill's cheating ways".  Bill has/had been unfaithful to Hillary on NUMEROUS occasions.  Why would she stay with a serial cheater?  Yes, everybody might have an error in judgement, a lapse, a temptation.  Heck, maybe even twice...but how many times with Bill?

 

As to Hillary being upset, that was surely not the first time.  She may have been upset because she feared the gravy train was over.  She may also have been upset because there some semblance of deniability with Bill's affairs previously, now that was all over with.

 

Yes, it is Hillary's decision to stay with Bill.  Color me skeptical though.

 

Finally, are these the type of characters we want in the White House?  In addition to Bill, Chelsea & her husband are up to all sorts of hijinx.

Ok, yes, everyone knows that Bill cheated on Hilary multiple times and she stuck with him. Whatever her reasons are are hers.

 

On the flip side you have Trump. He cheated on his wife. While he cheated on his wife he had at least another girlfriend. So he cheated on his wife with let's say his mistress, and then at the same time he cheated on his mistress with another woman. Then according to him he cheated on both of those women with a whole slew of other women because apparently he was irresistible to the fairer sex, like a gift to women from God, whatever

 

Now your choices for president are Hilary Clinton or Donald Trump. I don't care what your fantasies may be. Those are your choices and one of those two will be the next president. You point out the fact that Hilary stood by her philandering husband. Ok. Is Donald, the master philanderer a much better choice from your righteous point of view? I'm not even going to touch all the other blaring facts about his ridiculous attitude towards women that have been thoroughly documented.

 

Having said all that, this whole attitude is ridiculous. You're electing a presidents. Whom he or she fucks or doesn't or stand by or doesn't is irrelevant. The job of the President of the United States does not have anything to do with fidelity or attitude towards a spouse. The president is supposed to do right by the people. Why do you people obsess so much about who blew who instead of focus about who will do right to the American people?

 

Did Bill Clinton do right by the American people? Was he a good stewart of the country? Are Hilary's policy proposals good?  Are Trump's policy proposal's good (does he have any?)? Aside from this, why does it matter who blew whom and who did whom, and who stood by whom? You are electing a president, not a spouse!

 

 

[DTEJD1997]

Some of you are commenting on Hillary's staying with Bill.  That is a complex personal decision and I would not be quick to judge her on that.  I dated a girl and her mom was an intern at the whitehouse when Bill Clinton cheated on Hillary.  On the day when Hillary apparently heard the news she cried a lot and was very shaken and upset.  I was surprised to learn later in life that some marriages actually do quite well after 1 spouse cheats and the couple stays together.  Not an easy decision to ditch the father of your child and divorce is almost always a mess. 

 

Yes, it is a deeply personal decision to stay with a cheating spouse.  HOWEVER, there had been numerous reports, stories, rumors, HECK, even a 60 minutes interview about "Bill's cheating ways".  Bill has/had been unfaithful to Hillary on NUMEROUS occasions.  Why would she stay with a serial cheater?  Yes, everybody might have an error in judgement, a lapse, a temptation.  Heck, maybe even twice...but how many times with Bill?

 

As to Hillary being upset, that was surely not the first time.  She may have been upset because she feared the gravy train was over.  She may also have been upset because there some semblance of deniability with Bill's affairs previously, now that was all over with.

 

Yes, it is Hillary's decision to stay with Bill.  Color me skeptical though.

 

Finally, are these the type of characters we want in the White House?  In addition to Bill, Chelsea & her husband are up to all sorts of hijinx.

Ok, yes, everyone knows that Bill cheated on Hilary multiple times and she stuck with him. Whatever her reasons are are hers.

 

On the flip side you have Trump. He cheated on his wife. While he cheated on his wife he had at least another girlfriend. So he cheated on his wife with let's say his mistress, and then at the same time he cheated on his mistress with another woman. Then according to him he cheated on both of those women with a whole slew of other women because apparently he was irresistible to the fairer sex, like a gift to women from God, whatever

 

Now your choices for president are Hilary Clinton or Donald Trump. I don't care what your fantasies may be. Those are your choices and one of those two will be the next president. You point out the fact that Hilary stood by her philandering husband. Ok. Is Donald, the master philanderer a much better choice from your righteous point of view? I'm not even going to touch all the other blaring facts about his ridiculous attitude towards women that have been thoroughly documented.

 

Having said all that, this whole attitude is ridiculous. You're electing a presidents. Whom he or she fucks or doesn't or stand by or doesn't is irrelevant. The job of the President of the United States does not have anything to do with fidelity or attitude towards a spouse. The president is supposed to do right by the people. Why do you people obsess so much about who blew who instead of focus about who will do right to the American people?

 

Did Bill Clinton do right by the American people? Was he a good stewart of the country? Are Hilary's policy proposals good?  Are Trump's policy proposal's good (does he have any?)? Aside from this, why does it matter who blew whom and who did whom, and who stood by whom? You are electing a president, not a spouse!

 

RB:

 

I think you are missing the whole point of what I am saying, and trying to bring across.

 

Yes, Donald Trump has had affairs & such.  He is not a saint.  HOWEVER, to my knowledge, he has never been pushing an agenda of "fidelity" in the past...

 

Contrast that to Hillary Clinton.  In the past, she has held herself up a feminist.  She has stated time & again that she believes in those ideals.  Fine.  HOWEVER, read & listen to her words and then look at her ACTIONS.

 

Her actions go totally AGAINST what she has held herself out as, and claimed to be a member of (feminist movement).

 

While I would argue that "cheating" is a problem for BOTH Trump & Hillary, it is doubly so for Hillary.  Her actions go against her "principles".

 

Trump has probably always been a "cad".  I don't think he has EVER said that he wasn't.

 

Bill being a philanderer is a problem...but that is not the point I'm bringing across.

 

Hillary has claimed to be a feminist, but her actions are anything but....She is therefore a hypocrite and an especially poor example for young women...Couple this with her taking in the massive foreign donations.  What does this woman stand for? 

 

And I further disagree with you that the race will be between her & Trump.  I will concede that is the MOST LIKELY result...but not 100% certain.  Further, I think it not a 0% or 1% chance that she is indicted.  While I think it is small, I don't think it is insignificant.  Maybe a 10% to 20% chance?  Hard to say...

 

That may be one reason why Bernie is staying in till the convention....

 

 

[Palantir]

http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/16/news/economy/hillary-bill-clinton-economic-job-growth/index.html?iid=hp-stack-dom

 

Why not a third term for Obama while we are at it?

 

And regarding some WWIII with Trump, who is pushing Chinese buttons so hard in the South China Sea right now?

 

And I have never seen Russian planes harassing U.S. navy vessels like we have seen in recent times. Never!

 

Sometimes I wonder if Obama is not trying to make things so bad so that a state of emergency is declared in the Fall and that no U.S. election can be held. This way he could do his third term a la Roosevelt. Is that not his hero by the way?

 

Cardboard

 

You need to catch up on history if you don't think China and Russia have behaved like this before. And if you mean the bolded, you are one crazy mofo.

 

I would love a third Obama term. The American people should thank God that they were lucky enough to have Obama as their president and be building statues of him everywhere. If they can fund it by raising taxes, even better!

[RichardGibbons]

Her actions go totally AGAINST what she has held herself out as, and claimed to be a member of (feminist movement).

 

While I would argue that "cheating" is a problem for BOTH Trump & Hillary, it is doubly so for Hillary.  Her actions go against her "principles".

 

I get it.  If you are a feminist, and your spouse cheats, you must immediately and irrevocably divorce your spouse because feminism is all about who sleeps with whom. 

 

Judgement and rational thought are absolutely forbidden to feminists. Feminists should never decide for themselves what sort of life they want to lead.  Rather, they have to always follow feminist ideals (as interpreted and dictated by a man) because doing otherwise would be hypocritical.

 

What's more, if you're a feminist, the ideals of feminism must be the most important issue to you, to the exclusion of everything else you might care about.  Feminism is everything--compromise and thought are off the table!

 

Got it.

 

[rkbabang]

http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/16/news/economy/hillary-bill-clinton-economic-job-growth/index.html?iid=hp-stack-dom

 

Why not a third term for Obama while we are at it?

 

And regarding some WWIII with Trump, who is pushing Chinese buttons so hard in the South China Sea right now?

 

And I have never seen Russian planes harassing U.S. navy vessels like we have seen in recent times. Never!

 

Sometimes I wonder if Obama is not trying to make things so bad so that a state of emergency is declared in the Fall and that no U.S. election can be held. This way he could do his third term a la Roosevelt. Is that not his hero by the way?

 

Cardboard

 

You need to catch up on history if you don't think China and Russia have behaved like this before. And if you mean the bolded, you are one crazy mofo.

 

I would love a third Obama term. The American people should thank God that they were lucky enough to have Obama as their president and be building statues of him everywhere. If they can fund it by raising taxes, even better!

 

YES!  Better yet I think we should enslave a bunch of israelites to build a giant pyramid, the largest the world has ever known, to serve as his final resting place for when he passes on to take his place next to Osiris someday.  All hail the mighty Obama, drone killer of many children, he who calls forth death from the skies!