2016 Presidential Horse Race

[zelezo vlk]

And that is saying a lot as we have had some real stinkers in our 200 year history.

Could be worse. You could have Illinois politicians.

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[RDU Irish]

Pence is one of the worst governors in IN history. The Rs around him here in Indy don't even like him. He may come off as a true conservative to people who don't really know him, but he has lead the fight against public education, LGBT rights, and women's rights to such an extreme manner that he's turned off his R partners in the capital. His approval ratings in a red state isn't great. To top it off, he's a Koch Bros golden boy (along with Scott Walker). Sigh....

I am going to guess he fought the teacher union, overstepped on social conservatism just like North Carolina and is wildly pro-life to make you think he is horrible.

I heard him claim to have fewer government employees while private sector jobs expanded by 150,000 while pounding home the need to cut our bloated federal government. Sounds good to me. He cut taxes and built a $2 billion surplus while earning the highest credit rating amongst states. Sounds like someone interested in addressing our $19 trillion debt to me.

So you vote social issues and as such were never in play for Republicans. I vote economic issues, a more strict interpretation of the Constitution and a smaller Federal government. He presented me a very clear choice and expanded more on the topics important to me while glossing over some of the social issues I take exception to within the party platform. Conservative judges are more likely to happen with him in the ticket in Trump's ear - which is a positive to me too.

Negatives - Military Industrial Complex is probably salivating, school choice is a state issue -I would disband FEDERAL department of Education, high potential that political capital gets wasted on some dumb social issue.

Abortion is not getting outlawed in my lifetime - as awful as I think it is, I find it economically beneficial to keep its legal status where it is. Issue of morality and legality need to stay separated on this one, IMO.

 

[Buster Bluth]

Just the thought of it gives me a "shiver up my leg!" I can't wait to hear him just hammer her on national TV with pointed questions (that the MSM certainly won't ask her) about her lack of character & ethics, then watch her lie and claim she's Mother Theresa being hounded by a "vast right-wing conspiracy" while the whole nation watches. I could live with four years of Hillary's policies. I can't live with four years of her complete lack of character, integrity, honesty and ethics.

That slinging is going to go both ways and I'm so pumped for possibly a whole season of debates.

Though I expect them to not want to debate very often because Hillary would destroy Trump on policy and probably get a draw on ethic's and she is so unlikeable that she has chosen to avoid press conferences and debates as a strategy.

 

[wizards8507]

That slinging is going to go both ways and I'm so pumped for possibly a whole season of debates.

Though I expect them to not want to debate very often because Hillary would destroy Trump on policy and probably get a draw on ethic's and she is so unlikeable that she has chosen to avoid press conferences and debates as a strategy.

I'd set the over/under at 1.5.

 

[pumpdog20]

Say what you will about Ted Cruz, but he stood up to every other sellout Republican last night by refusing to endorse Donald Trump and I'm damn proud of him for it. I keep reading idiotic commentary about how he put himself and his career before his country, but exactly the opposite is true. He refused to play party politics and probably sabotaged his career by standing by the principles in which he believes.

Ted Cruz's Convention Speech Didn't Endorse Donald Trump | National Review

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Yep, Cruz is the man.

 

[NDinL.A.]

They all calculated wrong - they gave Trump zero chance of winning the nomination and wanted to hedge the third party risk. Played safe instead of playing to win. I think they had enough data to know Trump was going to lay waste to traditional decorum and ramp political mud slinging to a new high.

Don't hate the player - hate the game.

Nah, you can hate the player, especially when he's a POS. High comedy this morning to wake up to Trump and his supporters talking about honoring your word - tell that to the thousands of people Trump has scammed over the years. Tell that to all the small business owners that Trump completely raped (Trump's favorite word, so why not?), refusing to pay them their agreed upon price and low-balling them beyond comprehension, begging them to sue him so they could lose even more money. Trump U anyone? 'Nuff said there. And I'm sure this has been linked several times already, but once again here's a great insight to that lying POS.

Trump’s Boswell Speaks - The New Yorker

The dude lies more than any politician in the history of fact-checkers, and he wants to talk about “Lyin’ Ted”??? His supporters are so blind and so far up his ass that they don’t even see the irony in Trump calling Ted that.

I loved what Ted did last night. I'm no fan, but good on him for giving a speech that talked about inclusiveness to everyone, something the Republican party strayed far away from with their party platform. And anyone who sticks it Donald is alright by me lol. And LOL to anyone who believes Donald when he said he read his speech. He has the attention span of a toddler...you think he's going to take the time to read a 25 minute speech and really dissect it? He wasn't the bigger man last night - he just lacked the patience to read a speech and got played by a man who just didn't give a fuck. And when it started to go bad, his team had him come out and try to steal his thunder, but by then, it was too late. Damage done...Pence's big speech now an afterthought.

 

[pumpdog20]

I think Ted Cruz was in a lose-lose situation. If he endorsed Trump he loses all credibility as a man of principle and becomes associated with Trump's rhetoric, racist policies, etc. And if Trump fails in his bid for the presidency or has a failed presidency, Cruz would go down with the ship along with everyone else who supported Trump. And considering the gridlock in Congress, the next president is doomed to a failed presidency, because both parties will do whatever they can to undermine whoever wins the 2016 election. The Republicans set a precedent for undermining a sitting president of the opposite party, and the Democrats will be only too happy to return the favor.

If Cruz doesn't endorse Trump, he maintains his dignity but alienates a large part of the Republican party. His best bet in 2020 would be to run as an independent candidate. He is too disliked in his own party to ever win its nomination. His speech last night was the beginning of his 2020 campaign.

I'm a Progressive and would never consider voting for Cruz due to our differences on social policy, but I respect Cruz's commitment to his beliefs. He can hold his head high, and his children will be able to look back with pride on their father's principled stance. The same can't be said of Rubio, Christie, Carson, and many of the others.

Go ahead... say it... or... Bernie.

 

[RDU Irish]

So playing chess here - does demonizing Cruz win Trump support from independents and anti-wingnut types out there? Those wingnut folks have no choice but to hold their nose or stay home and they know both benefit the greater evil in their mind. Easy bluff to call, IMO, which is why I thought Pence was not a worthwhile pick to pander to these folks.

Have to admit - a lot of folks dislike Ted Cruz especially non-Republicans. Not like Trump is alienating himself with anyone in DC by punching him in the mouth. Perception is king and the perception will be Rs did not "honor the pledge" consummating the position as ultimate outsider fighting both sides. For the 90% that still haven't plugged in yet that could be gold.

 

[Bishop2b5]

That slinging is going to go both ways and I'm so pumped for possibly a whole season of debates.

Though I expect them to not want to debate very often because Hillary would destroy Trump on policy and probably get a draw on ethic's and she is so unlikeable that she has chosen to avoid press conferences and debates as a strategy.

I don't like either of them (though I admittedly despise Hillary even more). This cycle's debate season could be epic and a win/win for all of us. Sorta like watching Kim Kardashian and Miley Cyrus in a skank fight, Cowherd and Stephen A duking it out over who's the biggest troll, or Auburn & Michigan fans just beating the crap out of each other. Something we can all get behind and enjoy!

 

[Legacy]

Trump needs to distance himself from Baldasaro and any talk of imprisoning or executing Clinton. That's the kind of stuff that goes on in third world countries dominated by brutal dictators, not in the world's greatest democracy.

Trump and His Enemies: He’s a modern-day Joseph McCarthy — for good and for ill.
(National Review)

 

[BleedBlueGold]

I am going to guess he fought the teacher union, overstepped on social conservatism just like North Carolina and is wildly pro-life to make you think he is horrible.

I heard him claim to have fewer government employees while private sector jobs expanded by 150,000 while pounding home the need to cut our bloated federal government. Sounds good to me. He cut taxes and built a $2 billion surplus while earning the highest credit rating amongst states. Sounds like someone interested in addressing our $19 trillion debt to me.

So you vote social issues and as such were never in play for Republicans. I vote economic issues, a more strict interpretation of the Constitution and a smaller Federal government. He presented me a very clear choice and expanded more on the topics important to me while glossing over some of the social issues I take exception to within the party platform. Conservative judges are more likely to happen with him in the ticket in Trump's ear - which is a positive to me too.

Negatives - Military Industrial Complex is probably salivating, school choice is a state issue -I would disband FEDERAL department of Education, high potential that political capital gets wasted on some dumb social issue.

Abortion is not getting outlawed in my lifetime - as awful as I think it is, I find it economically beneficial to keep its legal status where it is. Issue of morality and legality need to stay separated on this one, IMO.

I said he doesn't have the support of a lot of his Republican counterparts. I made no mention to myself not liking him, as that is blatantly obvious. Pushing back against unions is common practice for conservatives. Not a big deal to me. But you're right, he so wildly over-stepped the social issues that even Republicans didn't fully support him. Many thought he was far too extreme. You mention the issue of morality vs legality as it pertains to abortion, and this where Pence went full church-mode and lost support of a lot of people who like you, feel it sure be separated. He did cut taxes...to the tune of like 0.1%. Thanks Mike! His surplus came by making huge cuts in spending, not by reducing taxes. Which is fine with me, BUT, a big portion of those cuts came at the expense of maintaining our roads and bridges. The I-65 bridge in Lafayette, IN (a major highway connecting Chicago to Indy) was completely shut down because Mr. Pence failed to allocate the funds to maintain it. This is not the only example...just a very big one. It was a huge deal here, not just locally, but in Chicago too. Again, outsiders are seeing Pence as a true conservative. People in IN, Rs included, seem to have buyer's remorse. Approval ratings in the 40s (in a red state) doesn't seem that great to me.

 

[RDU Irish]

I said he doesn't have the support of a lot of his Republican counterparts. I made no mention to myself not liking him, as that is blatantly obvious. Pushing back against unions is common practice for conservatives. Not a big deal to me. But you're right, he so wildly over-stepped the social issues that even Republicans didn't fully support him. Many thought he was far too extreme. You mention the issue of morality vs legality as it pertains to abortion, and this where Pence went full church-mode and lost support of a lot of people who like you, feel it sure be separated. He did cut taxes...to the tune of like 0.1%. Thanks Mike! His surplus came by making huge cuts in spending, not by reducing taxes. Which is fine with me, BUT, a big portion of those cuts came at the expense of maintaining our roads and bridges. The I-65 bridge in Lafayette, IN (a major highway connecting Chicago to Indy) was completely shut down because Mr. Pence failed to allocate the funds to maintain it. This is not the only example...just a very big one. It was a huge deal here, not just locally, but in Chicago too. Again, outsiders are seeing Pence as a true conservative. People in IN, Rs included, seem to have buyer's remorse. Approval ratings in the 40s (in a red state) doesn't seem that great to me.

Great term - I am going to plagiarize that one. I would have rather seen a more moderate and accomplished VP but I appreciate what they are trying to do with the R base that views Trump as a Dem in sheeps clothing. I disagree with the move and would have run to the middle but I see what he is trying to do. I think those appreciating "full church mode" would have held their nose and voted for Trump - a bluff worth calling.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

Great term - I am going to plagiarize that one. I would have rather seen a more moderate and accomplished VP but I appreciate what they are trying to do with the R base that views Trump as a Dem in sheeps clothing. I disagree with the move and would have run to the middle but I see what he is trying to do. I think those appreciating "full church mode" would have held their nose and voted for Trump - a bluff worth calling.

Trump is probably trying to save face and bring Pence on to shore up some of the #neverTrump base within the conservative party. To me (a non-supporter), I found it to be desperate. I felt he should've went full on outsider and damn the Establishment. Meanwhile, HRC seems to be entertaining the idea of a VP who's further right than she is. GASP! While she's chasing the #neverTrump crowd, she's further alienating the #neverHillary crowd. It's comical really. I don't think you could script a reality tv show any better....well, maybe Donald could.

 

[Irish#1]

Pence is one of the worst governors in IN history. The Rs around him here in Indy don't even like him. He may come off as a true conservative to people who don't really know him, but he has lead the fight against public education, LGBT rights, and women's rights to such an extreme manner that he's turned off his R partners in the capital. His approval ratings in a red state isn't great. To top it off, he's a Koch Bros golden boy (along with Scott Walker). Sigh....

And that is saying a lot as we have had some real stinkers in our 200 year history.

I am going to guess he fought the teacher union, overstepped on social conservatism just like North Carolina and is wildly pro-life to make you think he is horrible.

I heard him claim to have fewer government employees while private sector jobs expanded by 150,000 while pounding home the need to cut our bloated federal government. Sounds good to me. He cut taxes and built a $2 billion surplus while earning the highest credit rating amongst states. Sounds like someone interested in addressing our $19 trillion debt to me.

So you vote social issues and as such were never in play for Republicans. I vote economic issues, a more strict interpretation of the Constitution and a smaller Federal government. He presented me a very clear choice and expanded more on the topics important to me while glossing over some of the social issues I take exception to within the party platform. Conservative judges are more likely to happen with him in the ticket in Trump's ear - which is a positive to me too.

Negatives - Military Industrial Complex is probably salivating, school choice is a state issue -I would disband FEDERAL department of Education, high potential that political capital gets wasted on some dumb social issue.

Abortion is not getting outlawed in my lifetime - as awful as I think it is, I find it economically beneficial to keep its legal status where it is. Issue of morality and legality need to stay separated on this one, IMO.

I'm not so sure Pence is against public education. Given his wife is a former teacher, I think she has his ear when it comes to education and how it should be run. Indiana as a state is in very good shape, but as I've stated before, I wonder how much of that is from the policies put in place when his predecessor Daniels was in office? Daniels would have my vote for Prez and/or VP in a heartbeat.

Maybe you can, but not sure you can really blame Pence for the bridge fiasco. That thing didn't just deteriorate over night. You'd really need to know the history. When was it inspected that it was noted it should be repaired, O'Bannon, Kernan, Daniels or Pence? Maybe Harrison? lol

 

[RDU Irish]

Trump is probably trying to save face and bring Pence on to shore up some of the #neverTrump base within the conservative party. To me (a non-supporter), I found it to be desperate. I felt he should've went full on outsider and damn the Establishment. Meanwhile, HRC seems to be entertaining the idea of a VP who's further right than she is. GASP! While she's chasing the #neverTrump crowd, she's further alienating the #neverHillary crowd. It's comical really. I don't think you could script a reality tv show any better....well, maybe Donald could.

I think this plays into Trump's decisions substantially. Win the ratings and you win the polls has to be something driving his campaign substantially and it has worked so far.


As for the bridge issue - it was on a federal highway so wasn't funding technically on Obama to some degree? Entirely possible they were playing games to exhibit need and get more federal money or directing funds to state roads- or they were flipping the bird at a particular district. Transportation projects are highly politicized in states - which should be embarrassing as a course of basic public safety.

 

[GoIrish41]

Go ahead... say it... or... Bernie.

Bernie pushed for and received a ton of platform changes that would never have been there if not for his efforts. And when Hillary's platform became more in line with his own (maybe more his than hers when it was all said and done) he endorsed her. What did Rubio and Christie gain by backing Trump? How did their policy positions shape the message?

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Bernie pushed for and received a ton of platform changes that would never have been there if not for his efforts. And when Hillary's platform became more in line with his own (maybe more his than hers when it was all said and done) he endorsed her. What did Rubio and Christie gain by backing a Trump? How did their policy positions shape the message?

Reprieve from a life sentence in the salt mines.

 

[GoIrish41]

Reprieve from a life sentence in the salt mines.

For now ....

 

[IrishJayhawk]

Reprieve from a life sentence in the salt mines.

Rura Penthe, the alien's graveyard.

 

[phgreek]

I don't like either of them (though I admittedly despise Hillary even more). This cycle's debate season could be epic and a win/win for all of us. Sorta like watching Kim Kardashian and Miley Cyrus in a skank fight, Cowherd and Stephen A duking it out over who's the biggest troll, or Auburn & Michigan fans just beating the crap out of each other. Something we can all get behind and enjoy!

Yea...still would have been better if Chris Christie was the VP nominee. He had me howling at his Hillary prosecution...the guy is comedic gold, and you give him Hillary to savage all day everyday...THAT would be fun.

 

[phgreek]

Bernie pushed for and received a ton of platform changes that would never have been there if not for his efforts. And when Hillary's platform became more in line with his own (maybe more his than hers when it was all said and done) he endorsed her. What did Rubio and Christie gain by backing Trump? How did their policy positions shape the message?

I'm not sure...but I keep hearing the platform is the most conservative in a generation...honestly I hadn't really seen it...just telling you what is being said of it. So, did those two guys contribute...IDK. Certainly not to the degree Bernie did because neither had the collection of voters Bernie did...no cache no play I guess.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

I'm not sure...but I keep hearing the platform is the most conservative in a generation...honestly I hadn't really seen it...just telling you what is being said of it. So, did those two guys contribute...IDK. Certainly not to the degree Bernie did because neither had the collection of voters Bernie did...no cache no play I guess.

Who is saying this? Because they're wrong. It's arguably the most progressive it's been in the last 4 cycles.

I agree, Bernie had a lot more clout and leverage.

 

[NDinL.A.]

Who is saying this? Because they're wrong. It's arguably the most progressive it's been in the last 4 cycles.

I agree, Bernie had a lot more clout and leverage.

I believe he is talking about the Republican platform, which was the most conservative in quite some time.

 

[woolybug25]

Yea...still would have been better if Chris Christie was the VP nominee. He had me howling at his Hillary prosecution...the guy is comedic gold, and you give him Hillary to savage all day everyday...THAT would be fun.

It was even funnier when Hillary tweeted something about "having a bridge to sell you" regarding his credibility in regards to scandal.

As a vp, he would have fit in nicely with the other scandalous bastards running.

I actually used to like him, but the last couple years showed his true colors. Just another crooked politician.

 

[GoIrish41]

Who is saying this? Because they're wrong. It's arguably the most progressive it's been in the last 4 cycles.

I agree, Bernie had a lot more clout and leverage.

Wrong platform ... wrong party.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/19/opinion/the-most-extreme-republican-platform-in-memory.html?_r=0

 

[RDU Irish]

Wrong platform ... wrong party.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/19/opinion/the-most-extreme-republican-platform-in-memory.html?_r=0

"Platforms are traditionally written by and for the party faithful and largely ignored by everyone else. "

At least I can agree with how the article opens up. Which is why Hillary letting Bernie do whatever he wants with the party platform kind of like me letting my kids color whatever they want on a piece of paper.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Politico claims that it has a full text draft of Trump's upcoming speech:

Friends, delegates and fellow Americans: I humbly and gratefully accept your nomination for the presidency of the United States.

Together, we will lead our party back to the White House, and we will lead our country back to safety, prosperity, and peace. We will be a country of generosity and warmth. But we will also be a country of law and order.

Our Convention occurs at a moment of crisis for our nation. The attacks on our police, and the terrorism in our cities, threaten our very way of life. Any politician who does not grasp this danger is not fit to lead our country.

Americans watching this address tonight have seen the recent images of violence in our streets and the chaos in our communities. Many have witnessed this violence personally, some have even been its victims.

I have a message for all of you: the crime and violence that today afflicts our nation will soon come to an end. Beginning on January 20th 2017, safety will be restored.

The most basic duty of government is to defend the lives of its own citizens. Any government that fails to do so is a government unworthy to lead.

It is finally time for a straightforward assessment of the state of our nation.

I will present the facts plainly and honestly. We cannot afford to be so politically correct anymore.

So if you want to hear the corporate spin, the carefully-crafted lies, and the media myths the Democrats are holding their convention next week.

But here, at our convention, there will be no lies. We will honor the American people with the truth, and nothing else.

These are the facts:

Decades of progress made in bringing down crime are now being reversed by this Administration’s rollback of criminal enforcement.

Homicides last year increased by 17% in America’s fifty largest cities. That’s the largest increase in 25 years. In our nation’s capital, killings have risen by 50 percent. They are up nearly 60% in nearby Baltimore.

In the President’s hometown of Chicago, more than 2,000 have been the victims of shootings this year alone. And more than 3,600 have been killed in the Chicago area since he took office.

The number of police officers killed in the line of duty has risen by almost 50% compared to this point last year. Nearly 180,000 illegal immigrants with criminal records, ordered deported from our country, are tonight roaming free to threaten peaceful citizens.

The number of new illegal immigrant families who have crossed the border so far this year already exceeds the entire total from 2015. They are being released by the tens of thousands into our communities with no regard for the impact on public safety or resources.

One such border-crosser was released and made his way to Nebraska. There, he ended the life of an innocent young girl named Sarah Root. She was 21 years-old, and was killed the day after graduating from college with a 4.0 Grade Point Average. Her killer was then released a second time, and he is now a fugitive from the law.

I’ve met Sarah’s beautiful family. But to this Administration, their amazing daughter was just one more American life that wasn’t worth protecting. One more child to sacrifice on the altar of open borders. What about our economy?

Again, I will tell you the plain facts that have been edited out of your nightly news and your morning newspaper: Nearly Four in 10 African-American children are living in poverty, while 58% of African American youth are not employed. 2 million more Latinos are in poverty today than when the President took his oath of office less than eight years ago. Another 14 million people have left the workforce entirely.

Household incomes are down more than $4,000 since the year 2000. Our manufacturing trade deficit has reached an all-time high – nearly $800 billion in a single year. The budget is no better.

President Obama has doubled our national debt to more than $19 trillion, and growing. Yet, what do we have to show for it? Our roads and bridges are falling apart, our airports are in Third World condition, and forty-three million Americans are on food stamps.

Now let us consider the state of affairs abroad.

Not only have our citizens endured domestic disaster, but they have lived through one international humiliation after another. We all remember the images of our sailors being forced to their knees by their Iranian captors at gunpoint.

This was just prior to the signing of the Iran deal, which gave back to Iran $150 billion and gave us nothing – it will go down in history as one of the worst deals ever made. Another humiliation came when president Obama drew a red line in Syria – and the whole world knew it meant nothing.

In Libya, our consulate – the symbol of American prestige around the globe – was brought down in flames. America is far less safe – and the world is far less stable – than when Obama made the decision to put Hillary Clinton in charge of America’s foreign policy.

I am certain it is a decision he truly regrets. Her bad instincts and her bad judgment – something pointed out by Bernie Sanders – are what caused the disasters unfolding today. Let’s review the record. In 2009, pre-Hillary, ISIS was not even on the map.

Libya was cooperating. Egypt was peaceful. Iraq was seeing a reduction in violence. Iran was being choked by sanctions. Syria was under control. After four years of Hillary Clinton, what do we have? ISIS has spread across the region, and the world. Libya is in ruins, and our Ambassador and his staff were left helpless to die at the hands of savage killers. Egypt was turned over to the radical Muslim brotherhood, forcing the military to retake control. Iraq is in chaos.

Iran is on the path to nuclear weapons. Syria is engulfed in a civil war and a refugee crisis that now threatens the West. After fifteen years of wars in the Middle East, after trillions of dollars spent and thousands of lives lost, the situation is worse than it has ever been before.

This is the legacy of Hillary Clinton: death, destruction and weakness.

But Hillary Clinton’s legacy does not have to be America’s legacy. The problems we face now – poverty and violence at home, war and destruction abroad – will last only as long as we continue relying on the same politicians who created them. A change in leadership is required to change these outcomes. Tonight, I will share with you my plan of action for America.

The most important difference between our plan and that of our opponents, is that our plan will put America First. Americanism, not globalism, will be our credo. As long as we are led by politicians who will not put America First, then we can be assured that other nations will not treat America with respect. This will all change in 2017.

The American People will come first once again. My plan will begin with safety at home – which means safe neighborhoods, secure borders, and protection from terrorism. There can be no prosperity without law and order. On the economy, I will outline reforms to add millions of new jobs and trillions in new wealth that can be used to rebuild America.

A number of these reforms that I will outline tonight will be opposed by some of our nation’s most powerful special interests. That is because these interests have rigged our political and economic system for their exclusive benefit.

Big business, elite media and major donors are lining up behind the campaign of my opponent because they know she will keep our rigged system in place. They are throwing money at her because they have total control over everything she does. She is their puppet, and they pull the strings.

That is why Hillary Clinton’s message is that things will never change. My message is that things have to change – and they have to change right now. Every day I wake up determined to deliver for the people I have met all across this nation that have been neglected, ignored, and abandoned.

I have visited the laid-off factory workers, and the communities crushed by our horrible and unfair trade deals. These are the forgotten men and women of our country. People who work hard but no longer have a voice.

I AM YOUR VOICE.

I have embraced crying mothers who have lost their children because our politicians put their personal agendas before the national good. I have no patience for injustice, no tolerance for government incompetence, no sympathy for leaders who fail their citizens.

When innocent people suffer, because our political system lacks the will, or the courage, or the basic decency to enforce our laws – or worse still, has sold out to some corporate lobbyist for cash – I am not able to look the other way.

And when a Secretary of State illegally stores her emails on a private server, deletes 33,000 of them so the authorities can’t see her crime, puts our country at risk, lies about it in every different form and faces no consequence – I know that corruption has reached a level like never before.

When the FBI Director says that the Secretary of State was “extremely careless” and “negligent,” in handling our classified secrets, I also know that these terms are minor compared to what she actually did. They were just used to save her from facing justice for her terrible crimes.

In fact, her single greatest accomplishment may be committing such an egregious crime and getting away with it – especially when others have paid so dearly. When that same Secretary of State rakes in millions of dollars trading access and favors to special interests and foreign powers I know the time for action has come.

I have joined the political arena so that the powerful can no longer beat up on people that cannot defend themselves. Nobody knows the system better than me, which is why I alone can fix it. I have seen firsthand how the system is rigged against our citizens, just like it was rigged against Bernie Sanders – he never had a chance.

But his supporters will join our movement, because we will fix his biggest issue: trade. Millions of Democrats will join our movement because we are going to fix the system so it works for all Americans. In this cause, I am proud to have at my side the next Vice President of the United States: Governor Mike Pence of Indiana.

We will bring the same economic success to America that Mike brought to Indiana. He is a man of character and accomplishment. He is the right man for the job. The first task for our new Administration will be to liberate our citizens from the crime and terrorism and lawlessness that threatens their communities.

America was shocked to its core when our police officers in Dallas were brutally executed. In the days after Dallas, we have seen continued threats and violence against our law enforcement officials. Law officers have been shot or killed in recent days in Georgia, Missouri, Wisconsin, Kansas, Michigan and Tennessee.

On Sunday, more police were gunned down in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Three were killed, and four were badly injured. An attack on law enforcement is an attack on all Americans. I have a message to every last person threatening the peace on our streets and the safety of our police: when I take the oath of office next year, I will restore law and order our country.

I will work with, and appoint, the best prosecutors and law enforcement officials in the country to get the job done. In this race for the White House, I am the Law And Order candidate. The irresponsible rhetoric of our President, who has used the pulpit of the presidency to divide us by race and color, has made America a more dangerous environment for everyone.

This Administration has failed America’s inner cities. It’s failed them on education. It’s failed them on jobs. It’s failed them on crime. It’s failed them at every level.

When I am President, I will work to ensure that all of our kids are treated equally, and protected equally.

Every action I take, I will ask myself: does this make life better for young Americans in Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, Ferguson who have as much of a right to live out their dreams as any other child America?

To make life safe in America, we must also address the growing threats we face from outside America: we are going to defeat the barbarians of ISIS. Once again, France is the victim of brutal Islamic terrorism.

Men, women and children viciously mowed down. Lives ruined. Families ripped apart. A nation in mourning.

The damage and devastation that can be inflicted by Islamic radicals has been over and over – at the World Trade Center, at an office party in San Bernardino, at the Boston Marathon, and a military recruiting center in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Only weeks ago, in Orlando, Florida, 49 wonderful Americans were savagely murdered by an Islamic terrorist. This time, the terrorist targeted our LGBT community. As your President, I will do everything in my power to protect our LGBT citizens from the violence and oppression of a hateful foreign ideology. To protect us from terrorism, we need to focus on three things.

We must have the best intelligence gathering operation in the world. We must abandon the failed policy of nation building and regime change that Hillary Clinton pushed in Iraq, Libya, Egypt and Syria. Instead, we must work with all of our allies who share our goal of destroying ISIS and stamping out Islamic terror.

This includes working with our greatest ally in the region, the State of Israel. Lastly, we must immediately suspend immigration from any nation that has been compromised by terrorism until such time as proven vetting mechanisms have been put in place.

My opponent has called for a radical 550% increase in Syrian refugees on top of existing massive refugee flows coming into our country under President Obama. She proposes this despite the fact that there’s no way to screen these refugees in order to find out who they are or where they come from. I only want to admit individuals into our country who will support our values and love our people.

Anyone who endorses violence, hatred or oppression is not welcome in our country and never will be.

Decades of record immigration have produced lower wages and higher unemployment for our citizens, especially for African-American and Latino workers. We are going to have an immigration system that works, but one that works for the American people.

On Monday, we heard from three parents whose children were killed by illegal immigrants Mary Ann Mendoza, Sabine Durden, and Jamiel Shaw. They are just three brave representatives of many thousands. Of all my travels in this country, nothing has affected me more deeply than the time I have spent with the mothers and fathers who have lost their children to violence spilling across our border.

These families have no special interests to represent them. There are no demonstrators to protest on their behalf. My opponent will never meet with them, or share in their pain. Instead, my opponent wants Sanctuary Cities. But where was sanctuary for Kate Steinle? Where was Sanctuary for the children of Mary Ann, Sabine and Jamiel? Where was sanctuary for all the other Americans who have been so brutally murdered, and who have suffered so horribly?

These wounded American families have been alone. But they are alone no longer. Tonight, this candidate and this whole nation stand in their corner to support them, to send them our love, and to pledge in their honor that we will save countless more families from suffering the same awful fate.

We are going to build a great border wall to stop illegal immigration, to stop the gangs and the violence, and to stop the drugs from pouring into our communities. I have been honored to receive the endorsement of America’s Border Patrol Agents, and will work directly with them to protect the integrity of our lawful immigration system.

By ending catch-and-release on the border, we will stop the cycle of human smuggling and violence. Illegal border crossings will go down. Peace will be restored. By enforcing the rules for the millions who overstay their visas, our laws will finally receive the respect they deserve.

Tonight, I want every American whose demands for immigration security have been denied – and every politician who has denied them – to listen very closely to the words I am about to say.

On January 21st of 2017, the day after I take the oath of office, Americans will finally wake up in a country where the laws of the United States are enforced. We are going to be considerate and compassionate to everyone.

But my greatest compassion will be for our own struggling citizens. My plan is the exact opposite of the radical and dangerous immigration policy of Hillary Clinton. Americans want relief from uncontrolled immigration. Communities want relief.

Yet Hillary Clinton is proposing mass amnesty, mass immigration, and mass lawlessness. Her plan will overwhelm your schools and hospitals, further reduce your jobs and wages, and make it harder for recent immigrants to escape from poverty.

I have a different vision for our workers. It begins with a new, fair trade policy that protects our jobs and stands up to countries that cheat. It’s been a signature message of my campaign from day one, and it will be a signature feature of my presidency from the moment I take the oath of office.

I have made billions of dollars in business making deals – now I’m going to make our country rich again. I am going to turn our bad trade agreements into great ones. America has lost nearly-one third of its manufacturing jobs since 1997, following the enactment of disastrous trade deals supported by Bill and Hillary Clinton.

Remember, it was Bill Clinton who signed NAFTA, one of the worst economic deals ever made by our country.

Never again.

I am going to bring our jobs back to Ohio and to America – and I am not going to let companies move to other countries, firing their employees along the way, without consequences.

My opponent, on the other hand, has supported virtually every trade agreement that has been destroying our middle class. She supported NAFTA, and she supported China’s entrance into the World Trade Organization – another one of her husband’s colossal mistakes.

She supported the job killing trade deal with South Korea. She has supported the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The TPP will not only destroy our manufacturing, but it will make America subject to the rulings of foreign governments. I pledge to never sign any trade agreement that hurts our workers, or that diminishes our freedom and independence. Instead, I will make individual deals with individual countries.

No longer will we enter into these massive deals, with many countries, that are thousands of pages long – and which no one from our country even reads or understands. We are going to enforce all trade violations, including through the use of taxes and tariffs, against any country that cheats.

This includes stopping China’s outrageous theft of intellectual property, along with their illegal product dumping, and their devastating currency manipulation. Our horrible trade agreements with China and many others, will be totally renegotiated. That includes renegotiating NAFTA to get a much better deal for America – and we’ll walk away if we don’t get the deal that we want. We are going to start building and making things again.

Next comes the reform of our tax laws, regulations and energy rules. While Hillary Clinton plans a massive tax increase, I have proposed the largest tax reduction of any candidate who has declared for the presidential race this year – Democrat or Republican. Middle-income Americans will experience profound relief, and taxes will be simplified for everyone.

America is one of the highest-taxed nations in the world. Reducing taxes will cause new companies and new jobs to come roaring back into our country. Then we are going to deal with the issue of regulation, one of the greatest job-killers of them all. Excessive regulation is costing our country as much as $2 trillion a year, and we will end it. We are going to lift the restrictions on the production of American energy. This will produce more than $20 trillion in job creating economic activity over the next four decades.

My opponent, on the other hand, wants to put the great miners and steel workers of our country out of work – that will never happen when I am President. With these new economic policies, trillions of dollars will start flowing into our country.

This new wealth will improve the quality of life for all Americans – We will build the roads, highways, bridges, tunnels, airports, and the railways of tomorrow. This, in turn, will create millions more jobs. We will rescue kids from failing schools by helping their parents send them to a safe school of their choice.

My opponent would rather protect education bureaucrats than serve American children. We will repeal and replace disastrous Obamacare. You will be able to choose your own doctor again. And we will fix TSA at the airports! We will completely rebuild our depleted military, and the countries that we protect, at a massive loss, will be asked to pay their fair share.

We will take care of our great Veterans like they have never been taken care of before. My opponent dismissed the VA scandal as being not widespread – one more sign of how out of touch she really is. We are going to ask every Department Head in government to provide a list of wasteful spending projects that we can eliminate in my first 100 days. The politicians have talked about it, I’m going to do it. We are also going to appoint justices to the United States Supreme Court who will uphold our laws and our Constitution.

The replacement for Justice Scalia will be a person of similar views and principles. This will be one of the most important issues decided by this election. My opponent wants to essentially abolish the 2nd amendment. I, on the other hand, received the early and strong endorsement of the National Rifle Association and will protect the right of all Americans to keep their families safe.

At this moment, I would like to thank the evangelical community who have been so good to me and so supportive. You have so much to contribute to our politics, yet our laws prevent you from speaking your minds from your own pulpits.

An amendment, pushed by Lyndon Johnson, many years ago, threatens religious institutions with a loss of their tax-exempt status if they openly advocate their political views.

I am going to work very hard to repeal that language and protect free speech for all Americans. We can accomplish these great things, and so much else – all we need to do is start believing in ourselves and in our country again. It is time to show the whole world that America Is Back – bigger, and better and stronger than ever before.

In this journey, I’m so lucky to have at my side my wife Melania and my wonderful children, Don, Ivanka, Eric, Tiffany, and Barron: you will always be my greatest source of pride and joy. My Dad, Fred Trump, was the smartest and hardest working man I ever knew. I wonder sometimes what he’d say if he were here to see this tonight.

It’s because of him that I learned, from my youngest age, to respect the dignity of work and the dignity of working people. He was a guy most comfortable in the company of bricklayers, carpenters, and electricians and I have a lot of that in me also. Then there’s my mother, Mary. She was strong, but also warm and fair-minded. She was a truly great mother. She was also one of the most honest and charitable people I have ever known, and a great judge of character.

To my sisters Mary Anne and Elizabeth, my brother Robert and my late brother Fred, I will always give you my love you are most special to me. I have loved my life in business.

But now, my sole and exclusive mission is to go to work for our country – to go to work for all of you. It’s time to deliver a victory for the American people. But to do that, we must break free from the petty politics of the past.

America is a nation of believers, dreamers, and strivers that is being led by a group of censors, critics, and cynics.

Remember: all of the people telling you that you can’t have the country you want, are the same people telling you that I wouldn’t be standing here tonight. No longer can we rely on those elites in media, and politics, who will say anything to keep a rigged system in place.

Instead, we must choose to Believe In America. History is watching us now.

It’s waiting to see if we will rise to the occasion, and if we will show the whole world that America is still free and independent and strong.

My opponent asks her supporters to recite a three-word loyalty pledge. It reads: “I’m With Her”. I choose to recite a different pledge.

My pledge reads: “I’M WITH YOU – THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.”

I am your voice.

So to every parent who dreams for their child, and every child who dreams for their future, I say these words to you tonight: I’m With You, and I will fight for you, and I will win for you.

To all Americans tonight, in all our cities and towns, I make this promise: We Will Make America Strong Again.

We Will Make America Proud Again.

We Will Make America Safe Again.

And We Will Make America Great Again.

THANK YOU.

 

[Wild Bill]

Ivanka is the real deal.

 

[NorthDakota]

Trump is killing it. I love this guy.

 

[wizards8507]

This is how liberty dies... with thunderous applause.