+1

@mattbbpl: Well Cruz is so far right that everyone else seems moderate in comparison.

I love the OT political desk.

Democrats have a potential “golden ticket” this year, what with the possibility of not only taking back the White House, but also the 10-12 Senate seats up for grabs, and Scalia’s vacant seat on the Court is likely going to go to a liberal as well (or a moderate at worst). Assuming that Hillary or Sanders is elected President, there has been talk that Justices Ginsberg (83) and Kennedy (80) will be stepping down, allowing Dems to nominate and control the Court for the next thirty years, potentially.

On the flip side, if you’re a Republican, you need a win badly. This means that the conservative base, who may not like Trump, would most likely vote for him anyway simply because of his ability to put a W on the board. Let’s assume you don’t buy into Trump’s, “Mexicans love me!” rhetoric and you don’t want to support him. That’s fine, but who else have you got, really? Ted Cruz is a smart cookie, but he’s so conservative that it’s really difficult for anyone that doesn’t lean to the extreme right to take him seriously. Marco Rubio, who may be a moderate, has little to no experience and is about as charismatic as a stone table. Kasich seems the most likable of the GOP candidates, though apparently likability is only worth about 6% to voters in South Carolina.

Possibilities: Hillary Clinton selecting Elizabeth Warren as a running mate, versus Trump (and almost assuredly a male running mate) leading to a veritable “Battle of the Sexes,” this November?

What do you think, OT?

@NathanDrakeSwag: at least in a Trump vs Hillary general election, there are clear choices. There are no similar policies or ideological crossovers or anything like that; there would be clearly drawn lines, where voters know exactly who and what they are getting.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a classic.

and have an open mind, ideally.

I've heard the belief that geniuses aren't unnaturally smart, per se, they just manage to have lived so many past lives and acquired so much knowledge in the process, that they can recall a good deal of what they've learned when they are young and thus new to their present life, that people just assume that they are quick learners or gifted at certain areas.

@br0kenrabbit: Cool story, bro.

It's funny because Trump lived out here in Cali for years and was a liberal and now he's a moderate, but the conservative base doesn't like him, and neither do most democrats. Even as a moderate he has a few liberal viewpoints. The idea of trying George W Bush as a war criminal isn't exactly a conservative idea.