The question was whether hatred of Hillary tipped the election. By making the case that enough people hated her that they voted for NeverHillary (Republicans) or didn’t show up (Dems) that it was enough to decide the election, I am implicitly making the case that hate Trumped desperation (I’ll hold my nose and vote for this guy because we have to try something). Then you have your lunatics like Tenny that just love everything about him.
Also, if you don’t think that we are an incredibly hateful nation when it comes to our politics you aren’t paying attention. It has defined the discourse. I wasn’t brought to the polls in Nov 16 out of hatred for Trump. It was more of embarrassment of him. However, I have big decisions personally to make about how far I will allow my hatred of his approach and rhetoric to drag me into the game. I’ve traditionally voted back and forth on state and (mainly) non-presidential national candidates. What I have to answer is whether I’ll let myself be sucked into the hate game and vote the opposition.
This is why I didn't vote for Hillary, either. They were both so bad, in my opinion, that to vote for one over the other was being morally apathetic. I just couldn't do that.
I used to think that, but now do not. There was clearly a better option than trump, even if flawed. And in the end there are two choices, unfortunately.
This is where I’ve been. When a viable 3rd party candidate presents him/herself I’ll look. But today there are two choices. Not voting for either one of them will have no real impact that is any different from just not voting. I’m not willing to not vote. So I will choose.
It’s the best call (other than the no shot perhaps as I just posted) - but the temptation is strong to go opposition even though I know it throws us further into the abyss.
This is the thing that I find so disheartening. I get disagreeing with someone for their politics, but hating a whole group of people because they are "democrats" or "republicans"? Maybe I just don't understand because I'm an old man, or how I was raised or maybe because I have been a registered Independent (unaffiliated) for over 30 years. I've tried to vote for who I think is the most qualified for the job and will lead the country not a tribe.
Many Republicans voted for Trump simply because of Hillary. Others voted for him because they were unwilling to stomach another 4 years of Obama’s policies / direction. Most hardcore GOPers voted for Trump with their fingers on their noses. Hillary’s rigging the DNC to job Bernie subdued, if not largely killed, much of the enthusiasm and boots-on-the-ground work that campaigns must have, and where the Dems normally crush it. But Trump had the best message, too, and which the originally posted video so accurately and perfectly states. As to the “Tenny loves everything about Trump”: you are Fake News.
If a viable third party candidate didn’t emerge in 2016, given the nominees of each Party, they never will. A third party could only be viable if one of the two current Parties sizably fractured and split.
I agree 100% regarding other parties. It's tribal nature. We've painted the other side as the enemy who is going to take away our rights. Hillary, different story. She made it way, way, way too easy to be painted the villain and just has always come across as so smug and elitist. That's a no brainer.
Doesn’t this discourage people from attempting future runs? People that would be qualified? People that might see that they got 12%, maybe if they had some better funding, they could make a real run a few years later?
As long as people front run, there will never be a viable nth party. It isn’t due to a lack of competent people, it is due to a lack of compentent people voting for competent people, despite no shot.
