Capitol Hill Blue Forums Political Issues The Trump Administration The Impeachment of Donald trump

This got me thinking, “And this is who the idiots picked.” Acknowledging that our presidential election is basically nothing more than a beauty contest along with the nomination process since we went to the modern primary system in 1976. This got me thinking, old vs. new. The previous era, pre-1976 you had 10-15 primaries, some of those non-binding. Which candidate a state supported was pretty much decided by the state political party leaders.

The old system gave us FDR, Truman, Eisenhower, JFK, LBJ and Nixon. Historians rank them, 2, 9, 6, 10 and 29. The new, Carter, Reagan, Bush I, Bill Clinton, Bush II, Obama, Trump. Their ranking, 26, 13, 21, 33 with Obama and Trump not ranked or rated. Historians will tell you it takes around 20 years after a president leaves office for them to see how a president’s policies effect this nation in the long term. It also gives it time for the partisan effect to die down some.

I left out Ford as he wasn’t elected and appointed by the congress as VP who latter became president. 4 top 10 presidents under the old system, although it did give us Nixon. Verses no top 10 with the best is 13 and 16 under our new primary system.

Okay, coincidence perhaps as the old system did basically give us every other president prior to FDR. Then I got thinking about charisma in a presidential beauty contest. I’d say neither Trump nor Hillary Clinton had charisma. Trump had something that made his supporters willing to go to the four corners of the earth for him. Hillary, as far as I’m concern came across as a wet mop, aloof and an elitist. So perhaps the charisma meter would nudge toward Trump.

Obama had Charisma out the ying yang. Neither McCain nor Romney could match Obama in the charisma department. G.W. Bush didn’t have much charisma, but he came across as a down home boy. But G.W. was more charismatic than either Gore, the statue and Kerry, perhaps statue II. Now Bill Clinton had charisma, tons of it. He also was able to connect to the voter like no one else other than Reagan and FDR. Dole and G.H.W. Bush, really none.

G.H.W. vs. Dukakis, the presidential battle totally lacking charisma. Dukakis made the huge mistake of downing a helmet and riding around in a tank looking like an idiot. Reagan, lots and lots of charisma over both Mondale and Jimmy Carter. Carter was another down home boy vs. Ford the stoic Midwestern Republican.

I’m not sure what point I’m trying to make here, just some thoughts put on paper. Or maybe our beauty presidential contest comes down to charisma, personality, likableness. Over substance, visions, ideas at times. This doesn’t really explain Trump who was obnoxious, uncouth and had a persona more fit for the WWE than politics. But perhaps that is what made him stand out, to grab all the attention, to take everyone else’s air out of the room.

Maybe the above explains why I want the democrats to nominate a fresh young face instead of some tired, old politician from the northeast. I wouldn’t classify none of the democrats top three as charismatic although Sanders seems to have the most energy of the three. Something Hillary lacked. Okay, thinking done. Thoughts?

Many blue-collar workers he stiffed after they worked on his many properties would disagree.

Many businesses stiffed and sued them to get out of paying their invoices would disagree.

All of his wives who he has cheated-on would disagree.

Ambassador Youvanovitch would disagree.

They would disagree that he was a rich assh0le?

He aint The Joker and he aint The Penguin, they were criminals with class. He's a rich creep from New York City, the type we were all taught not to trust and tried to teach our daughters to steer clear of.

Sounds accurate to me. Presidential elections have become beauty pageants, though Trump proves beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

A really excellent leader would have charisma and smarts. Maybe the answer is another amendment to the Constitution?

Way early on I was thinking Beto O'Rourke might be that face. The centrist choice between Biden and Bernie. He failed to seize the moment though.

Buttigieg is trending right now so maybe there's still a little excitement to be had in this primary season. I could comfortably vote for him. Maybe not my ideal candidate but I wouldn't have to hold my nose.

Yes they would disagree. Only sociopaths act like that.

That we know of...

I will vote for ANY Dem, but Hillary.

What I truly wish conservatives would come to understand is, in reality even if we DID wind up with a Sanders presidency, people's TV sets are not going to suddenly blare some EAS Emergency Alert:

"United States of America Converting to Socialism"



Sanders will have to do what EVERY president has had to do, adapt and compromise.

How we choose our candidates is left to the political parties. The Constitution has nothing to do with it. I don't think Trump qualified as a beauty. He had the largest faction in the Republican Party, roughly 35% which was enough to win since everyone else, the other 65% couldn't decide on a candidate in their extra large field back in 2016.

There were no beauties in 2016. You had 38% of all America viewing Hillary favorably or positive vs. Trump at 36%. Assuming those folks voted for the candidate they viewed positively, there were a whole lot of folks voting for the lesser of two evils or the candidate they wanted to lose the least, not win, but lose the least.

How unique was 2016, both Trump and Hillary set the record for the lowest favorable's ever, also for the highest unfavorable's. What are the odds of having the most disliked candidates in our history facing off against each other?

Here's the favorable/unfavorable list if you're interested. One thing is for sure, Barry Goldwater can now rest in peace. He is not longer the record holder.

Highest to lowest favorable/unfavorable ratings of each major party presidential candidate.
Favorable/unfavorable
1956 Eisenhower 84/12%
1964 LBJ 81/13%
1976 Carter 81/16%
1960 JFK 80/14%
1960 Nixon 79/16%
1968 Nixon 79/22%
1976 Ford 79/20%
1972 Nixon 76/21%
1968 Humphrey 72/28%
1984 Reagan 71/30%
1980 Carter 68/32%
1984 Mondale 66/34%
1980 Reagan 64/31%
1992 Bill Clinton 64/33%
2008 Obama 62/35%
2012 Obama 62/37%
1956 Stevenson 61/31%
2004 G.W. Bush 61/39%
2008 McCain 60/35%
1992 G.H.W. Bush 59/40%
2000 G.W. Bush 58/38%
2004 Kerry 57/40%
1996 Bill Clinton 56/42%
1988 G.H.W. Bush 56/39%
2000 Gore 55/45%
2012 Romney 55/43%
1972 McGovern 55/41%
1996 Dole 54/45%
1988 Dukakis 50/45%
1964 Goldwater 43/47%
2016 Hillary Clinton 38/56%
2016 Donald Trump 36/60%