Not a single thread on the US election?

[AGTDenton]

The silent majority rising up on both sides...
I'm guessing Germany is next, quite possibly a scarier prospect with the Neo Nazi's & extreme far right gaining momentum all the time.

I guess this is too soon?

[g8ina]

Guys - just be aware that some comments may be taken as libel/slander - I can never remember which is which, Im sorry but I have had to delete one comment, just be careful please !

[SeriousSam]

Guys - just be aware that some comments may be taken as libel/slander - I can never remember which is which, Im sorry but I have had to delete one comment, just be careful please !

AFAIK - Libel = published / written and Slander = Spoken

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

The silent majority rising up on both sides...
I'm guessing Germany is next, quite possibly a scarier prospect with the Neo Nazi's & extreme far right gaining momentum all the time.

I guess this is too soon?

You should have added the picture of Putin smirking in the back too!

Russia has essentially benefited from the fact that the US and the UK,who are among their biggest detractors,will probably now have a softer stance towards them.

[TooNice]

I suppose that unlike a certain Farage, I expect that Trump won't run away from the results ("tis ain't over... oh we won? lol gg kthxbye"). If he messes up royally, he'll be remembered for it. I am of course assuming that the earth isn't going to self-destruct under his term and we'll be able to look back in 4 years time and see if he has really made the US "great again". And what cost (or, benefit ) to the rest of the world.

[The Hand]

I'm wondering when the other powers of the world will move to test President Trump's mettle? I doubt it will come from Russia, who is hankering to start talks on their sanctions.. More likely China in the South China Sea or maybe North Korea with further nuclear saber rattling. One thing is for sure, defence budgets are being revised in allied capitols across the world as we speak.

[Galant]

Maybe I'm just clueless but although I disliked Trump (and Hillary) as a candidate, once it came down to the two of them, well... I am glad it's Trump rather than Hillary mainly because of her seemingly 'above the law' mindset and this very 'top-heavy' approach, nearly dictatorial. People talk about Trump not being a nice guy and him being a liar, but Hillary seems about the same, but more dangerous. I mean the allegations directed at the Clinton Foundation and the email server scandal - those are hugely serious. Whatever character flaws Trump has he's still, technically, got a clean sheet politically. Had I been able to vote I suspect I would have voted for Trump for these reasons. I'm not scared that he's going to go nuts. I don't think he's deeply principled enough to push for some horrific vision. I've often thought that he plays for the crowd and the camera, but that, ultimately, any possible Presidency may be more about the team around him than just him. He could prove to be quite balanced, or at least, many are hoping the gravity of the situation, the responsibility of the office, will steady him. I sincerely hope so.

But there's more going on here than just that. What has just happened is truly historic. Trump, as 'unpopular' as he was, has achieved what no other Republican candidate has done in years - swinging major battle-ground states, and doing it with almost total enmity from the mainstream media. This has to be a massive wake-up call for American politics and politicians. I suspect it was more about voting for a "non-politician" than anything else. Democrats could have gone with Bernie Sanders, a principled candidate albeit further to the left than most. They didn't, the elected a candidate with a seemingly worse character and reputation. Republicans had a chance to vote in more 'normal' candidates from their sphere of right-wing politicians, but they didn't. So this seems to be an election that was less to do with character and principles, and more to do with two opposing world-views, heavy-handed politics and more of the same or, seemingly, more 'power to the people'. The proof of the pudding is, as they say, in the eating, so we'll see what sort of man, and President, Trump will be.

But this election result is truly stunning.

There was a short piece from a conservative writer who didn't like either candidate. I thought it was an interesting quick look at what this all might mean - Guy Benson on Townhall.com

[opel80uk]

The proof of the pudding is, as they say, in the eating, so we'll see what sort of man, and President, Trump will be.

I don't think I could have ever voted for a man running for elected office who says he grabs women by the 'whatever'. I'm sure it makes me a fuddy duddy, but I think that just about sums up what 'sort of a man' he is. Still, each to their own.

[Bagnaj97]

https://www.groupon.co.uk/deals/buyplanetmars-com-2 Might be a prudent investment given Trump's beliefs on man-made climate change.




Yes, I'm aware this sort of thing is technically meaningless!

[Galant]

I don't think I could have ever voted for a man running for elected office who says he grabs women by the 'whatever'. I'm sure it makes me a fuddy duddy, but I think that just about sums up what 'sort of a man' he is. Still, each to their own.

"..will be..."

Plus, Trump was a man caught saying it. And a man who once said it in the past. Worth remembering those. Maybe he still talks like that. But if we do a quick poll on who else has said something horrible as an adult, I suspect Trump won't be in the minority.

I think I maybe be sounding like a Trump supporter here. I'm not. Not really. My ideal for a candidate wouldn't look like Donald Trump. However, what mystifies me, is that all the criticism thrown at Trump often is done as though there was a better alternative. There wasn't. So it's not like we had someone who had said nasty things vs. someone who hasn't. Or someone who lies vs. someone who doesn't.

We had two choices who were regrettable at best. Americans need to look to their own country and culture(s) to see why that might be.

[mycarsavw]

Listening to his speech, he is saying absolutely nothing. Its all spin and BS, no policies, no numbers, just empty rhetoric.

Pretty sure nothing has changed since he started his campaign.

He says the same thing over and over, using basic monosyllabic words.

Lots of people have picked apart the bile he spews, this guy does it with pretty graphics - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aFo_BV-UzI

[opel80uk]

"..will be..."

Plus, Trump was a man caught saying it. And a man who once said it in the past. Worth remembering those. Maybe he still talks like that. But if we do a quick poll on who else has said something horrible as an adult, I suspect Trump won't be in the minority.

I think I maybe be sounding like a Trump supporter here. I'm not. Not really. My ideal for a candidate wouldn't look like Donald Trump. However, what mystifies me, is that all the criticism thrown at Trump often is done as though there was a better alternative. There wasn't. So it's not like we had someone who had said nasty things vs. someone who hasn't. Or someone who lies vs. someone who doesn't.

Yeah the thing is, for me personally, once someone does or says certain things that crosses one of my red lines, then I'm done with them, which actually takes quite a lot for me to ever reach that stage. If one of my friends told me that he goes up to women and grabs them by the **** they'd no longer be my friend, ever. I'd be really happy for him if he came up to me years later and told me that he doesn't grab women anymore, but I still wouldn't want anything to do with him. And likewise, someone like that would never, ever, get my vote if they were looking for it – even if they had undergone a conversion of damascene proportions, and even if I was unable to vote for the other candidate(s), which may have been the case if I had of had a vote in this election.

I guess the long and short of it is advocating grabbing women's genitals whilst seemingly disregarding of whether they want you to or not is crossing one of my red lines, and the timeline of when someone advocated that doesn't really matter. That, to me, isn't 'saying something horrible' which at times all of us are guilty of; it's reprehensible. But like I said, each to their own.

[Corky34]

Plus, Trump was a man caught saying it. And a man who once said it in the past. Worth remembering those. Maybe he still talks like that. But if we do a quick poll on who else has said something horrible as an adult, I suspect Trump won't be in the minority.

Sorry but other adults weren't running to be president, and to claim that bragging about grabbing women's gentiles is not just saying something horrible, it's admitting to sexual assault.

I think I maybe be sounding like a Trump supporter here. I'm not. Not really. My ideal for a candidate wouldn't look like Donald Trump. However, what mystifies me, is that all the criticism thrown at Trump often is done as though there was a better alternative. There wasn't. So it's not like we had someone who had said nasty things vs. someone who hasn't. Or someone who lies vs. someone who doesn't.

Again it's wasn't just someone who had said nasty things or someone who lies vs. another who does the same, I'm not claiming the alternative was white as the driven snow or perfection personified but based on Trumps past he (IMO) is by far and a way the worst choice of two bad choices, he's shown himself to be a xenophobic, misogynistic, lying narcissist who has scant regard for the rule of law and an awful grasp of finances.

[Galant]

Yeah the thing is, for me personally, once someone does or says certain things that crosses one of my red lines, then I'm done with them, which actually takes quite a lot for me to ever reach that stage. If one of my friends told me that he goes up to women and grabs them by the ****, they'd no longer be my friend, ever. I'd be really happy for him if he came up to me years later and told me that he doesn't grab women anymore, but I still wouldn't want anything to do with him. And likewise, someone like that would never, ever, get my vote if they were looking for it – even if they had undergone a conversion of damascene proportions, and even if I was unable to vote for the other candidate(s), which may have been the case if I had of had a vote in this election.

I guess the long and short of it is advocating grabbing women's genitals whilst seemingly disregarding of whether they want you to or not is crossing one of my red lines, and the timeline of when someone advocated that doesn't really matter. That, to me, isn't 'saying something horrible' which at times all of us are guilty of; it's reprehensible. But like I said, each to their own.

Please understand, I'm not dismissing Trump's words as irrelevant or acceptable. You're right, that sort of attitude is reprehensible. However, for a great many people words spoken casually, in private, in the past, like that, don't weigh heavily enough against the sort of on-the-record lies and irresponsibility shown by Hillary.

These facts about both candidates are why a number of my friends in the USA voted for third parties/independents. Others chose to vote Trump because, despite his failings, they believed Hillary guilty of far worse and with the potential for far worse. That might have been my reasoning to, had I had vote. Maybe not, I don't know. But that was my point. If you don't mind me asking, what might have been your rationale had you had to vote and make that decision?

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

It makes me wonder if Bernie Saunders had got the Democrat nomination instead of Clinton. He actually seemed quite reasonable compared to her and Trump.

But I think people need to consider the US has gone through 1000s of dead in the ME and 10s of 1000s more injured,so she looked more hawkish in that regard than him and it makes me wonder whether people were also secretly worried of getting dragged into another costly conflict.

Putin must be doing a victory jig around the Kremlin now!!

[Galant]

Sorry but other adults weren't running to be president, and to claim that bragging about grabbing women's gentiles is not just saying something horrible, it's admitting to sexual assault.

Not necessarily. These are words spoken in private in a boastful manner. It's not the same as admitting to sexual assault. If he were definitely guilty of sexual assault that would have removed him as an option for me if I were voting. However, I don't believe that has been demonstrated and I'm careful with stories arising during political campaigns because they are known for throwing out as much crap as possible and hoping something sticks.

Again it's wasn't just someone who had said nasty things or someone who lies vs. another who does the same, I'm not claiming the alternative was white as the driven snow or perfection personified but based on Trumps past he (IMO) is by far and a way the worst choice of two bad choices, he's shown himself to be a xenophobic, misogynistic, lying narcissist who has scant regard for the rule of law and an awful grasp of finances.

I don't see that he's shown himself as xenophobic, I don't believe he's racist. He's been painted that way. I think, most likely, he's a guy who talks and brags too much and tries to make himself look like the boss. I don't think he's principled in good or bad ways. So I don't think he's a racist or xenophobe.

Misogynist, maybe, but I very much doubt that'll see the light of day during a presidency. I hardly think misogynistic legislation is going to be forced through by him. I'd rather have a principled and moral candidate, but I think in this instance there just wasn't one on the ballot, so whichever choice was made, something ugly wasn't going to show up.

Narcissist? Seems so. As above.

Scant regard for the rule of law? Do you have something in mind here? I haven't seen that, apart from him trying to play loopholes with tax etc. Was there something else? How do you see Hillary in this light, because it seems clear to me that she has shown MASSIVE disregard for the rule of law. If this is important for you then were you okay with Hillary in this matter?

Awful grasp of finances? Possible, however Hillary hasn't shown herself brilliant, and she hasn't got a business record to compare with Trumps. For me this is a lesser issue when faced with two undesirable candidates. I think the greater landscape of American government, the three branches, the team the successful candidate surrounded themselves with, has to factor in here.