Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Biden wins White House, vowing new direction for divided U.S.

apnews.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

581–590 of 1001 posts

Re: Biden wins White House, vowing new direction for divided U.S.

#581

Post by jollofricepeas »

throwaway201103 wrote: post #411

To me what this election (as well as the 2016 election) illustrates, is what a poor set of choices we have had. In no sane world should it have been difficult for the Democrats to defeat Donald Trump in 2016. He had no history in political office, and he lost the popular vote to just about the worst candidate the Democrats could have put up. Had the Democrats put up anyone who was less divisive than Hillary Clinton t…

The problem is that even if you had “better”, the majority of voters wouldn’t vote for “better candidates.”

Voters like users of a software application are hostile, irrational and often unqualified to use the system.

The question is what will we do and how will we improve our form of government now that the stress test of Trump’s presidency is over?

How do we make a more perfect union in the face of often uninformed, unqualified voters?

How do we really ensure that our officials are ethical and responsible individuals seeking to serve?

I have no clue.

Re: Biden wins White House, vowing new direction for divided U.S.

#583

Post by cblconfederate »

jimnotgym wrote: post #479

Please permit me a ramble, there are too many points to fit in a hn box and I'm typing on a phone. I'm sure our stateside friends would be happy to acknowledge that US politics has a major effect on the whole world. I have had it pointed out to me before, however, that the USA can vote in whomever they please, and it is none of our business. But American companies sell us our books and films (understatement), take cu…

It's was not a secret that NATO's enormous expansion was dubious for the US or that european countries do not contribute nearly enough. trump 's opinion was just a rude way to say what everyone knew. Even Mitterand wondered what was the reason for NATO after the cold war ended.

> An insular US is a declining US

If EU did that, it would be an empty threat. The US is already realigning towards the ascending markets in Asia rather the aging Europe. There seems also to be very little interest from Europeans to act together as an alliance. Instead they are watching passively as a NATO member (Turkey) is actively threatening allies and other NATO members (cyprus, greece, france)

Re: Biden wins White House, vowing new direction for divided U.S.

#584

Post by sam0x17 »

throwaway201103 wrote: post #411

To me what this election (as well as the 2016 election) illustrates, is what a poor set of choices we have had. In no sane world should it have been difficult for the Democrats to defeat Donald Trump in 2016. He had no history in political office, and he lost the popular vote to just about the worst candidate the Democrats could have put up. Had the Democrats put up anyone who was less divisive than Hillary Clinton t…

We have fallen out of touch with working class voters. We need to reconnect with them and their needs.

We also need to undo the damage conspiracy theories have done in the red parts of this country -- many extremely blue collar meat and potatoes should-be-core-of-the-democratic-party people wince when they hear that you are a democrat because they have been taught by fox news and facebook that democrats are evil coastal elites who don't care about the working class and are part of the deep state.

Right now everything we say to them tends to push them further away (e.g. the voter fraud court cases getting immediately thrown out in court because they were without merit will be seen by these voters as PROOF of the deep state). To win over voters like this, we have to actually _watch_ the media they consume to figure out how to inoculate them from the cult-like conspiracy theories they have become vulnerable to.

Re: Biden wins White House, vowing new direction for divided U.S.

#585

Post by blantonl »

First thing I am going to do is submit my resume for open tech leadership and policy positions in the new administration. If you are in a position with experience and financial comfort to serve your country with regards to science and technology, the Biden administration will almost certainly be a great place to land. Look for policy and leadership positions in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

I'll be submitting my resume and cover letter just as soon as the transition team site opens.

Re: Biden wins White House, vowing new direction for divided U.S.

#587

Post by maerF0x0 »

throwaway201103 wrote: post #411

To me what this election (as well as the 2016 election) illustrates, is what a poor set of choices we have had. In no sane world should it have been difficult for the Democrats to defeat Donald Trump in 2016. He had no history in political office, and he lost the popular vote to just about the worst candidate the Democrats could have put up. Had the Democrats put up anyone who was less divisive than Hillary Clinton t…

> We need better candidates who generate real support and appeal other than just not being their opponent. Not sure how to get there.

IMO the democrats did themselves a big disservice by having such popular alternatives to both trump _and_ biden.

eg: yang was popular, sanders was popular, harris was popular. People wanted their candidate to be running for president, and were left with re-evaluating who they'd vote for (trump or biden) when their favorite was cut.

I really think the presidential election needs the following reforms:

Electoral votes map to popular vote in each state.

Runoff voting allowing parties to run multiple candidates without fearing the dilution of a "leader" (eg One could have voted "Yang, Sanders, Harris, Biden" and still be generally assured their vote benefitted their party.

Minor parties such as green + libertarian need to be invited to debates.

Re: Biden wins White House, vowing new direction for divided U.S.

#588

Post by stevespang »

No worries - - Trump is now VESTED just like Joe Biden will be, and all the decades of American Presidents before them. Trump will start "collecting" in January .

All of them grant favors in return for the moolah - - it's just they have to wait until after they get out of office to collect, speeches, book deals, highly questionable but all legal.

Actually though, Joe may not make it 4 years, very unlikely, he already has signs of dementia . . .

Re: Biden wins White House, vowing new direction for divided U.S.

#590

Post by rayiner »

throwaway201103 wrote: post #411

To me what this election (as well as the 2016 election) illustrates, is what a poor set of choices we have had. In no sane world should it have been difficult for the Democrats to defeat Donald Trump in 2016. He had no history in political office, and he lost the popular vote to just about the worst candidate the Democrats could have put up. Had the Democrats put up anyone who was less divisive than Hillary Clinton t…

You’re reading this wrong. Biden won because he was someone voters in suburban Atlanta could stomach. Any of the further left candidates would’ve seen Trump win. (The idea of a more left candidate juicing the base further is bananas. Democratic turnout in this election was pretty much maxed out.)

If you don’t know anyone who likes Biden you live in a bubble. My parents like Biden and they dislike the Squad. The riots scared them. They’re older, and immigrants, and they think Carter was really swell. Biden is exactly who they wanted. And there are a lot of people like them. They’re the kind of people that turned northern VA blue.

Post reply on HN