US Politics Mega-thread - Page 3862

Barack Obama said on Sunday his visit to Hiroshima, the first city to suffer an atomic bombing, would emphasize friendly ties between former enemies. But the US president reiterated he would not apologize for the devastating attack.

Obama will become the first sitting US president to tour the site of the world’s first nuclear bombing this Friday, accompanied by Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe.

In an interview with Japanese national broadcaster NHK, Obama said the reality is that leaders often have to make hard choices during times of conflict and no apologies would be included in brief remarks he is expected to make in the western Japanese city.

“It’s important to recognize that in the midst of war, leaders make all kinds of decisions, it’s a job of historians to ask questions and examine them,” Obama said.

“But I know, as somebody who’s now sat in this position for the last seven and half years, that every leader makes very difficult decisions, particularly during wartime.”

The bomb dropped on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 killed thousands instantly and about 140,000 by the end of the year. Nagasaki was hit on 9 August and Japan surrendered six days later.

A majority of Americans see the bombings as having been necessary to end the war and save US and Japanese lives, although many historians question that view. Most Japanese believe the bombings were unjustified.

On May 23 2016 00:39 SK.Testie wrote:
That same old attack by these regressive groups. I wonder what progressives think of women and minorities that support Trump? Do they write them off because they are the minority of minorities? "Ha, only 20% of X minority supports him. Clearly they're wrong."

Do they go with the "They're voting against their own self interests! They've been conned!" What best describes them I wonder from their perspective?

Hillary Clinton's advantage over Donald Trump has narrowed to just three points — resulting in a dead-heat general-election contest with more than five months to go until November, according to a new national NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

Clinton, who remains a heavy favorite to win the Democrat nomination, leads the presumptive GOP nominee 46 percent to 43 percent among registered voters, a difference that is within the poll's margin of error of plus-or-minus 3.1 percentage points. In April, Clinton held an 11-point advantage over Trump, 50 percent to 39 percent, and had led him consistently by double digits since December.


In a more hypothetical matchup, Democrat Bernie Sanders leads Trump by 15 points, 54 percent to 39 percent.


Looking inside the numbers of her race against Trump, Clinton holds the edge among African Americans (88 percent to 9 percent), Latinos (68 percent to 20 percent), women (51 percent to 38 percent) and those ages 18 to 34 (55 percent to 32 percent).

Trump, meanwhile, is ahead among whites (52 percent to 36 percent), seniors (52 percent to 41 percent), men (49 percent to 40 percent) and independents (42 percent to 37 percent).

The NBC/WSJ poll — conducted May 15-19 — comes after Trump became the Republican Party's presumptive presidential nominee, but also as the ongoing Clinton-vs.-Sanders Democratic race has become more contentious in recent days.

Republicans are now supporting Trump over Clinton by an 86 percent-to-6 percent margin, which is up from 72 percent to 13 percent a month ago, suggesting that GOP voters are consolidating around their presumptive nominee.

Complete Coverage: Decision 2016

While Democrats are backing Clinton by an 83 percent-to-9 percent clip, just 66 percent of Democratic primary voters preferring Sanders support Clinton in a matchup against Trump (compared with 88 percent of Clinton primary voters who favor Sanders in a hypothetical general-election contest). Those numbers underscore Clinton's challenge in winning over Sanders voters once the Democratic primary contest concludes.

Mr. and Mrs. Unpopular

Trump and Clinton are currently the two most unpopular likely presidential nominees in the history of the NBC/WSJ poll.

Thirty four percent of registered voters have a positive opinion of Clinton, versus 54 percent who have a negative opinion (-20) — a slight uptick from her minus-24 score last month.

Trump's rating is even worse than Clinton's: Twenty nine percent have a positive opinion of him, while 58 percent have a negative opinion (-29) — an improvement from his minus-41 score in April.

"This has never been matched, or even close to being matched," Democratic pollster Peter Hart, who conducted the survey with Republican pollster Bill McInturff, says of these negative ratings for Trump and Clinton.

By contrast, Sanders is in positive territory. Forty-three percent have a positive view of the Vermont senator, versus 36 percent who have a negative view (+7). One difference Clinton and Sanders: Clinton's rating among Democratic voters supporting Sanders is 38 percent positive, 41 percent negative (-3); Sanders' rating among Clinton supporters is 54 percent positive, 23 percent negative (+31).

President Obama's overall score in the current NBC/WSJ poll is at 49 percent positive, 41 percent negative (+8).

Forty Seven Percent Would Consider a Third-Party Candidate

Asked if they would consider a third-party candidate if Clinton and Trump were the major party nominees, 47 percent of registered voters say yes -- a higher percentage than those who said yes on a similar question in 2008 and 2012.

Fifty percent of voters say they would not consider a third-party candidate.

On May 23 2016 03:02 On_Slaught wrote:
Why do people keep posting match up polls like they matter at this time? The general literally hasn't even begun. A significant portion of the Democratic base isn't exactly in the mood to vote for Hillary in such polls. Wait until Hillary has handled Sanders at least, if not until the first debate.

On May 23 2016 03:19 Nebuchad wrote:


Some of us are not very impressed with your country's inability to oppose a clear no to someone like Trump...

On May 23 2016 03:21 Sermokala wrote:

Beacuse I'm sure your country (whatever it might be) doesn't also have a clear no someone like trump in their history or in their politics today.

On May 23 2016 03:02 On_Slaught wrote:
Why do people keep posting match up polls like they matter at this time? The general literally hasn't even begun. A significant portion of the Democratic base isn't exactly in the mood to vote for Hillary in such polls. Wait until Hillary has handled Sanders at least, if not until the first debate.

On May 23 2016 03:21 Sermokala wrote:

Beacuse I'm sure your country (whatever it might be) doesn't also have a clear no someone like trump in their history or in their politics today.

On May 23 2016 03:46 Velr wrote:
On pure assholeness Trump outshines them easily.


Now on politics, hard to tell, has Trump said anything clear yet?

On May 23 2016 03:38 GreenHorizons wrote:


The old throw away line about general election polls doesn't apply here. There is not another candidate in the last 30 years that could have said a fraction of what Trump said and still be competitive. If Trump can say Hillary is only where she is because she's a woman, otherwise she would have 5%, and still be statistically tied that means Hillary is a terrible candidate not that the left is just waiting to support her. This "oh just wait until the left coalesces" reminds me of the "But Trump isn't going to be the nominee" it's not true no matter how hard you wish it.

And yes Moo Hillary isn't going to win WA in the general is what I'm saying. Trump, Gary Johnson, and Bernie as a write in all have a better chance. Every super delegate (supporting Hillary) was greeted at the caucuses by chants of Bernie and every caucus had a majority of Bernie or bust. The people being dismissed as immature, and other slights, aren't like they are described by Hillary supporters, They are veterans, immigrants from the middle east, Latinx's from places like Honduras, families destroyed by welfare reform and the crime bill, and on and on...

Though with how easily vaporizing 100k civilians seems to go over in Hillary's camp I guess I can't really be surprised that her and Trump both planning on going to Kissinger for FP advice doesn't bother her supporters either.

On May 23 2016 03:42 xDaunt wrote:

I wonder how many of our European friends would prefer Trump to Le Pen or Hofer.