politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » Seven weeks to go before Iowa and Trump remains totally dominant
Seven weeks tomorrow the first state to decide in next year’s White House Race will choose which of the Democratic and Republican Party hopefuls will be their choice as nominees.
Trump is almost worth it for the reactions of the left here.
I think there's a general fear that it's utterly unpredictable what Trump would actually do. I'm not convinced he'd necessarily be especially right-wing - he seems to adopt whatever positions make a catchy line for the audience he's speaking to. From a left-wing perspective I'd prefer Trump to someone like Cruz, who we KNOW would be right-wing - with Trump we're just rolling the dice and might come up lucky. The problem, not just for left-wingers, is that rolling the dice for the President of the USA is a rather scary thought.
You'd think everyone from Bush downwards would have the sense to call it a day to allow some coalescence of the sane around a suitable candidate. Have they not seen what the UK Labour party has done to itself?
Rubio looks like he would make a dull careerist centrish president, a bit like Hilary (A sort of Blair/Cameron choice I guess). Cruz, the modern embodiment of Reaganism and would be my favoured choice if the USA was to go with a "c"onservative president.
A Carson presidency I think could work well actually, sure he's not the usual candidate but he is interesting.
Trump worries me, but would be great for my betting if he can get the nomination
I think Chris Christie would have been a good president, but his bridge hit some troubled waters a while back...
Is that because of your betting position, your political opinions, or just outright fear?
All three.
Especially the last one though.
This is one of the reasons why we should all fear Donald Trump, From a week ago
Real estate mogul and reality television star Donald Trump on Sunday tweeted a chart of racist and wildly inaccurate crime statistics, just a day after supporters physically assaulted a Black Lives Matter protester at one of his rallies.
I see the Heathrow decision is being kicked down the road again, perhaps to next autumn. Not being political or anything, but isn't this getting silly? Is the Government's strategy to bore us into submission so that when they eventually make a proposal we all accept it in sheer relief?
Is that because of your betting position, your political opinions, or just outright fear?
Cruz is actually the most scary, whilst the term can be overused when we describe modern day politicians there is little doubt in my mind that he is a sociopath. As his roommate at Stanford put it - "I would rather have anybody else be the president of the United States. Anyone. I would rather pick somebody from the phone book".
GRRM's description of the Machiavellian Littlefinger also comes to mind, "He would see this country burn if he could be king of the ashes". If nuking Iran, Syria and/or the Former Soviet Republic of Russia meant a second term for President Cruz I wouldn't trust him to refrain from pushing that button.
Rubio looks like he would make a dull careerist centrish president, a bit like Hilary (A sort of Blair/Cameron choice I guess). Cruz, the modern embodiment of Reaganism and would be my favoured choice if the USA was to go with a "c"onservative president.
A Carson presidency I think could work well actually, sure he's not the usual candidate but he is interesting.
This is Ben, "Joseph built the pyramids to store grain" Carson? It is a choice between hazelnuts and almonds, it really is.
Rubio looks like he would make a dull careerist centrish president, a bit like Hilary (A sort of Blair/Cameron choice I guess). Cruz, the modern embodiment of Reaganism and would be my favoured choice if the USA was to go with a "c"onservative president.
A Carson presidency I think could work well actually, sure he's not the usual candidate but he is interesting.
This is Ben, "Joseph built the pyramids to store grain" Carson? It is a choice between hazelnuts and almonds, it really is.
I think he could potentially sort out black on black crime issues better than any other of the candidates.
I am sure if I claimed a white man attempting to murder someone was black there would be howls of derision on here when I was proved wrong, so, just for the record, here is the accused of Leytonstone...
Rubio looks like he would make a dull careerist centrish president, a bit like Hilary (A sort of Blair/Cameron choice I guess). Cruz, the modern embodiment of Reaganism and would be my favoured choice if the USA was to go with a "c"onservative president.
A Carson presidency I think could work well actually, sure he's not the usual candidate but he is interesting.
This is Ben, "Joseph built the pyramids to store grain" Carson? It is a choice between hazelnuts and almonds, it really is.
The same Ben Carson whose support dropped when it was shockingly revealed that he probably *didn't* stab somebody as a child.
I see the Heathrow decision is being kicked down the road again, perhaps to next autumn. Not being political or anything, but isn't this getting silly? Is the Government's strategy to bore us into submission so that when they eventually make a proposal we all accept it in sheer relief?
Do you have a link for that, Nick? I can't see anything on the Beeb or Guardian
Edit: There's something on the Guardian live blog, but it's unclear quite what it means.
Paul Kirkby This is a staggering map. Net worth of individual adults, by European country. This is private wealth, not GDP data https://t.co/XCGCS94RuL
I see the Heathrow decision is being kicked down the road again, perhaps to next autumn. Not being political or anything, but isn't this getting silly? Is the Government's strategy to bore us into submission so that when they eventually make a proposal we all accept it in sheer relief?
Completely agree Nick. Personally I would let both Heathrow and Gatwick build an extra runway. We will need them both by the time either is finished.
Hard to think that the London Mayoral election has not played a disproportionately large part in this.
Rubio looks like he would make a dull careerist centrish president, a bit like Hilary (A sort of Blair/Cameron choice I guess). Cruz, the modern embodiment of Reaganism and would be my favoured choice if the USA was to go with a "c"onservative president.
A Carson presidency I think could work well actually, sure he's not the usual candidate but he is interesting.
This is Ben, "Joseph built the pyramids to store grain" Carson? It is a choice between hazelnuts and almonds, it really is.
The same Ben Carson whose support dropped when it was shockingly revealed that he probably *didn't* stab somebody as a child.
Yeah, normally that would be a good thing in someone aspiring to have a bright red shiny button on his desk, right?
I see the Heathrow decision is being kicked down the road again, perhaps to next autumn. Not being political or anything, but isn't this getting silly? Is the Government's strategy to bore us into submission so that when they eventually make a proposal we all accept it in sheer relief?
Completely agree Nick. Personally I would let both Heathrow and Gatwick build an extra runway. We will need them both by the time either is finished.
Hard to think that the London Mayoral election has not played a disproportionately large part in this.
Every decision or choice would be the wrong one. So easy to see why no one wants to take it. I would extend one Heathrow runway but not increase capacity much and build runways at Gatwick and Stanstead. ... and let them all fight it out.
Paul Kirkby This is a staggering map. Net worth of individual adults, by European country. This is private wealth, not GDP data https://t.co/XCGCS94RuL
Shows the staggering amount of house price inflation we've had.
Paul Kirkby This is a staggering map. Net worth of individual adults, by European country. This is private wealth, not GDP data https://t.co/XCGCS94RuL
That's what you get for renting your houses, I suppose.
Rubio looks like he would make a dull careerist centrish president, a bit like Hilary (A sort of Blair/Cameron choice I guess). Cruz, the modern embodiment of Reaganism and would be my favoured choice if the USA was to go with a "c"onservative president.
A Carson presidency I think could work well actually, sure he's not the usual candidate but he is interesting.
This is Ben, "Joseph built the pyramids to store grain" Carson? It is a choice between hazelnuts and almonds, it really is.
The same Ben Carson whose support dropped when it was shockingly revealed that he probably *didn't* stab somebody as a child.
Yeah, normally that would be a good thing in someone aspiring to have a bright red shiny button on his desk, right?
You're right, America deserves a decisive leader. I expect Trump to announce he actually stabbed 4 of his childhood friends, and his poll numbers to rise further.
Paul Kirkby This is a staggering map. Net worth of individual adults, by European country. This is private wealth, not GDP data https://t.co/XCGCS94RuL
Can see why former Soviet Republics are so desperate to be with the EU not Russia.
NH Ballot Commission refuse to intervene over Rubio, Cruz NBC challenge, although, intriguingly, they express the desire that the Supreme Court should...
Paul Kirkby This is a staggering map. Net worth of individual adults, by European country. This is private wealth, not GDP data https://t.co/XCGCS94RuL
Rubio looks like he would make a dull careerist centrish president, a bit like Hilary (A sort of Blair/Cameron choice I guess). Cruz, the modern embodiment of Reaganism and would be my favoured choice if the USA was to go with a "c"onservative president.
A Carson presidency I think could work well actually, sure he's not the usual candidate but he is interesting.
This is Ben, "Joseph built the pyramids to store grain" Carson? It is a choice between hazelnuts and almonds, it really is.
The same Ben Carson whose support dropped when it was shockingly revealed that he probably *didn't* stab somebody as a child.
Yeah, normally that would be a good thing in someone aspiring to have a bright red shiny button on his desk, right?
You're right, America deserves a decisive leader. I expect Trump to announce he actually stabbed 4 of his childhood friends, and his poll numbers to rise further.
On reflection Barack "can't make an instant decision to save his or anyone else's life" Obama is by no means the worst choice for that job.
Paul Kirkby This is a staggering map. Net worth of individual adults, by European country. This is private wealth, not GDP data https://t.co/XCGCS94RuL
I see the Heathrow decision is being kicked down the road again, perhaps to next autumn. Not being political or anything, but isn't this getting silly? Is the Government's strategy to bore us into submission so that when they eventually make a proposal we all accept it in sheer relief?
Completely agree Nick. Personally I would let both Heathrow and Gatwick build an extra runway. We will need them both by the time either is finished.
Hard to think that the London Mayoral election has not played a disproportionately large part in this.
Yes - build both & start consultations on 3rd & 4th.....I expect we'll find out mid-May.....
Rubio looks like he would make a dull careerist centrish president, a bit like Hilary (A sort of Blair/Cameron choice I guess). Cruz, the modern embodiment of Reaganism and would be my favoured choice if the USA was to go with a "c"onservative president.
A Carson presidency I think could work well actually, sure he's not the usual candidate but he is interesting.
This is Ben, "Joseph built the pyramids to store grain" Carson? It is a choice between hazelnuts and almonds, it really is.
The same Ben Carson whose support dropped when it was shockingly revealed that he probably *didn't* stab somebody as a child.
Yeah, normally that would be a good thing in someone aspiring to have a bright red shiny button on his desk, right?
You're right, America deserves a decisive leader. I expect Trump to announce he actually stabbed 4 of his childhood friends, and his poll numbers to rise further.
On reflection Barack "can't make an instant decision to save his or anyone else's life" Obama is by no means the worst choice for that job.
Translation "can't make an instant decision to save his or anyone else's life" "thoughtful"
Trump is almost worth it for the reactions of the left here.
From my perspective as human being, and asking the question "who would I find most frightening"?
I'd say Ted Cruz would be the one who would scare me the most. Donald Trump, I suspect, is more of a pragmatist than most people realise. I suspect he would turn out to be a lot more moderate than most people expect. I think Marco Rubio is by far the best candidate for the Republicans. I think he'd waltz to victory next November, and would be quite an effective President.
I see the Heathrow decision is being kicked down the road again, perhaps to next autumn. Not being political or anything, but isn't this getting silly? Is the Government's strategy to bore us into submission so that when they eventually make a proposal we all accept it in sheer relief?
Do you have a link for that, Nick? I can't see anything on the Beeb or Guardian
Edit: There's something on the Guardian live blog, but it's unclear quite what it means.
The VW scandal is contributing to this - the air quality argument should rule out LHR.
Do either Zak or Khan have an opinion on whether there should be an extra runway anywhere ?
Paul Kirkby This is a staggering map. Net worth of individual adults, by European country. This is private wealth, not GDP data https://t.co/XCGCS94RuL
That's what you get for renting your houses, I suppose.
Hold on. Surely the rented houses must belong to someone, so why is that not averaged out? Is it that the Germans missed out on the phenomenal house price inflation so that a London flat that used to cost double the average income now costs 15 times that.
Paul Kirkby This is a staggering map. Net worth of individual adults, by European country. This is private wealth, not GDP data https://t.co/XCGCS94RuL
Hard to believe that that UK net worth is almost twice that of Germany ($320,000 vs $177,000). Possibly due to house prices?
The heathrow decision being kicked along the road makes Zac an absolute lock (Barring actuarial events) for the Tory mayoralty.
It is the last thing that could have scuppered this particular contingency.
================
Too true !....Khan will be handicapped by the Three stooges Corbyn Macdonnel and Livingstone ...he rose to victory in the Cornyn surge last summer and as the Corbyn ship sinks he will be pulled down in its vortex ...the Blairites will be happy to sacrifice Khan as a way to topple Corbyn from his perch
Furthermore , we Brits are a tolerant bunch with a pronounced sense of ''fair play ''but there are in fact limits to tolerance and electing a Muslim for Mayor after the London tube bombings , Tower Hamlets and the Paris massacre is clearly beyond the pale
Most folks are willing to go along with the charade of political correctness (against their better instincts) but NOT when their lives could be in danger ...London is the obvious target for a Paris-like massacre and as such sober minded folks will not be willing give Sadiq Khan the benefit of the doubt that he is the best candidate to protect them from radical Islam ; they simply will not take that risk no matter what the polls may say
31% of Londoners claimed they felt ''uncomfortable voting for a Muslim '' ( they were the ones who actually admitted it ) and that was BEFORE the Paris massacre ...you can be certain the real numbers are somewhat higher
Any polling of the London Mayor's race needs to be ''read between the lines ''
Paul Kirkby This is a staggering map. Net worth of individual adults, by European country. This is private wealth, not GDP data https://t.co/XCGCS94RuL
It's worth noting that those numbers also correlate very strongly with private sector debt: i.e. Swedes, Brits, Danes owe lots of money (150-250% of GDP), while Italians and Germans have very low levels of household debt (c. 45-60% of GDP).
The high "wealth" countries are also the ones which have had housing booms. Therefore, there is a degree of risk associated with high asset prices at the same time as high debt loads.
I'd also note, that our numbers are boosted by the appearance of $750-1,200bn of assets of Russians in London. (This deducts from the Russian number and adds to ours.)
Paul Kirkby This is a staggering map. Net worth of individual adults, by European country. This is private wealth, not GDP data https://t.co/XCGCS94RuL
The German number is very low because house prices are low in Germany. The result is that people have very little of their wealth tied up in bricks and morter.
(You can still buy a 700sq ft apartment in a nice part of Berlin for £100,000.)
If you go by median wealth, which seems like it'd be more representative of the average citizen, then a UK adult is more than twice as wealthy than one from Germany or the USA.
Paul Kirkby This is a staggering map. Net worth of individual adults, by European country. This is private wealth, not GDP data https://t.co/XCGCS94RuL
The German number is very low because house prices are low in Germany. The result is that people have very little of their wealth tied up in bricks and morter.
(You can still buy a 700sq ft apartment in a nice part of Berlin for £100,000.)
Paul Kirkby This is a staggering map. Net worth of individual adults, by European country. This is private wealth, not GDP data https://t.co/XCGCS94RuL
That's what you get for renting your houses, I suppose.
Hold on. Surely the rented houses must belong to someone, so why is that not averaged out? Is it that the Germans missed out on the phenomenal house price inflation so that a London flat that used to cost double the average income now costs 15 times that.
But if the market for buyers is so much smaller than it is here the laws of supply and demand mean prices are lower, much lower. Here houses are a very successful source of capital wealth. In Germany they are a source of rent, mainly for insurers etc.
Our hyper competitive property market drives prices ever upwards, especially in London.
That'd be worth half a million anywhere in the UK. And probably alot more.
I think the best examples are in Berlin or Hamburg. Two major cities, one the capital. Both with excellent public transport and essentially zero unemployment.
A family sized apartment (say 1,200 square feet; 120 square meters). In London, you'd be lucky to find something in a nice area (and I'm not talking Chelsea, where you'd be paying £2.5m) for less than £500,000.
In Germany, you'd be paying £150,000. And interest rates are near zero.
You can get one of those apartments for £500/month including principle repayment. Unbelievable.
Paul Kirkby This is a staggering map. Net worth of individual adults, by European country. This is private wealth, not GDP data https://t.co/XCGCS94RuL
The German number is very low because house prices are low in Germany. The result is that people have very little of their wealth tied up in bricks and morter.
(You can still buy a 700sq ft apartment in a nice part of Berlin for £100,000.)
Is that an investment tip or an observation ?
Nothing I write on pb is investment advice.
However, I would note that the firm at which I work, has funds which have significant exposure to German residential property.
If you go by median wealth, which seems like it'd be more representative of the average citizen, then a UK adult is more than twice as wealthy than one from Germany or the USA.
I'd like to see figures on net wealth. A lot of my contemporaries are asset rich, but still have eye-wateringly large mortgages and personal debt.
Paul Kirkby This is a staggering map. Net worth of individual adults, by European country. This is private wealth, not GDP data https://t.co/XCGCS94RuL
The German number is very low because house prices are low in Germany. The result is that people have very little of their wealth tied up in bricks and morter.
(You can still buy a 700sq ft apartment in a nice part of Berlin for £100,000.)
Is that an investment tip or an observation ?
Nothing I write on pb is investment advice.
However, I would note that the firm at which I work, has funds which have significant exposure to German residential property.
Paul Kirkby This is a staggering map. Net worth of individual adults, by European country. This is private wealth, not GDP data https://t.co/XCGCS94RuL
So the 3 richest contrary's are, Switzerland, Iceland and Norway. Best stay in the EU so we don't end up like them!!!
If you go by median wealth, which seems like it'd be more representative of the average citizen, then a UK adult is more than twice as wealthy than one from Germany or the USA.
I'd like to see figures on net wealth. A lot of my contemporaries are asset rich, but still have eye-wateringly large mortgages and personal debt.
If you go by median wealth, which seems like it'd be more representative of the average citizen, then a UK adult is more than twice as wealthy than one from Germany or the USA.
I'd like to see figures on net wealth. A lot of my contemporaries are asset rich, but still have eye-wateringly large mortgages and personal debt.
That describes the UK perfectly.
Or as my Granny would put it, all fur coats and no knickers .
The heathrow decision being kicked along the road makes Zac an absolute lock (Barring actuarial events) for the Tory mayoralty.
It is the last thing that could have scuppered this particular contingency.
================
Too true !....Khan will be handicapped by the Three stooges Corbyn Macdonnel and Livingstone ...he rose to victory in the Cornyn surge last summer and as the Corbyn ship sinks he will be pulled down in its vortex ...the Blairites will be happy to sacrifice Khan as a way to topple Corbyn from his perch
Furthermore , we Brits are a tolerant bunch with a pronounced sense of ''fair play ''but there are in fact limits to tolerance and electing a Muslim for Mayor after the London tube bombings , Tower Hamlets and the Paris massacre is clearly beyond the pale
Most folks are willing to go along with the charade of political correctness (against their better instincts) but NOT when their lives could be in danger ...London is the obvious target for a Paris-like massacre and as such sober minded folks will not be willing give Sadiq Khan the benefit of the doubt that he is the best candidate to protect them from radical Islam ; they simply will not take that risk no matter what the polls may say
31% of Londoners claimed they felt ''uncomfortable voting for a Muslim '' ( they were the ones who actually admitted it ) and that was BEFORE the Paris massacre ...you can be certain the real numbers are somewhat higher
Any polling of the London Mayor's race needs to be ''read between the lines ''
If you go by median wealth, which seems like it'd be more representative of the average citizen, then a UK adult is more than twice as wealthy than one from Germany or the USA.
I'd like to see figures on net wealth. A lot of my contemporaries are asset rich, but still have eye-wateringly large mortgages and personal debt.
On the Topic of Donald Trump ; I have bet heavily on Rubio becoming president and don't lose any sleep over a goon like Trump ...he is just a political version of the WWF , a Hulk Hogan or a Jesse Ventura and the folks who support him to be to a WWF-like audience of low information voters He never intended to be the nominee , he 's just an ego manic loving the limelight and attention ...the folks in the GOP will never allow this creep to ruin the best chance they have of not only winning the WH but the House and Senate too ...sooner or later he will push his luck too far and self destruct or they will find a way to get rid of him Furthermore , America with its fascination with guns, does not suffer fools and demagogues lightly ...both Huey Long and George Wallace found that out ! Trump is an antagonistic rabble rouser who had best be careful what he is saying ...if some whack job takes a shot at him he will panic and then like most bullies he will fold
"I still find it hard to see Trump doing it but his position gets stronger as each day goes by and none of the other contenders have got near."
We're at the stage now where we should take it very seriously. Trump has sat at the top of the polling for long enough to demonstrate considerable resilience in the face of negative campaigning. What's surprising to me is how well Carson's held up, though his star does look to be on the wane.
It's far from sewn up though. Were the campaign calendar the same as last time, with Iowa in early January, it might be done and dusted but there's a lot of campaigning still to be done after the festivities. Even so, he ought to be a clear favourite.
One question I've struggled to answer is how realistic is the prospect of a Trump win in November? On the one hand, the overall figures are close; on the other, Trump's scores with some demographics are dire - though Hillary's strengths and Trump's weaknesses are almost an exact overlap so may reinforce existing intention rather than swing votes.
My instinct is that Trump will simply scare too many moderate horses but if that is the case, why aren't the polls further apart now - it's not as if either is an unknown quantity. Very confusing.
"I still find it hard to see Trump doing it but his position gets stronger as each day goes by and none of the other contenders have got near."
We're at the stage now where we should take it very seriously. Trump has sat at the top of the polling for long enough to demonstrate considerable resilience in the face of negative campaigning. What's surprising to me is how well Carson's held up, though his star does look to be on the wane.
It's far from sewn up though. Were the campaign calendar the same as last time, with Iowa in early January, it might be done and dusted but there's a lot of campaigning still to be done after the festivities. Even so, he ought to be a clear favourite.
================== Only a bloody fool would bet on Trump ...sometime in the future when Trump goes back to reality TV, the folks who have been spooked by his campaign will look positively daft
Nate Silver gives him about a 5% chance and he is being generous
My instinct is that Trump will simply scare too many moderate horses but if that is the case, why aren't the polls further apart now - it's not as if either is an unknown quantity. Very confusing.
If you're disgruntled with career politicians, telling a pollster you'll vote for Trump is a free hit. Being faced with the actual, imminent prospect of him being in the White House, and Commander in Chief of a military with unimaginable destructive power, is another matter.
Paul Kirkby This is a staggering map. Net worth of individual adults, by European country. This is private wealth, not GDP data https://t.co/XCGCS94RuL
So the 3 richest contrary's are, Switzerland, Iceland and Norway. Best stay in the EU so we don't end up like them!!!
Alternatively, all three countries are part of Schengen! We need to join Schengen!
More seriously, I think Switzerland is a good compare for what we want our economy to be like. I'm not sure either Iceland or Norway - which are basically utterly dependent on primary industries - are that great comparisons.
Paul Kirkby This is a staggering map. Net worth of individual adults, by European country. This is private wealth, not GDP data https://t.co/XCGCS94RuL
Cool - i'm way above the average for everywhere in Europe - think i'll have an extra biccy for tea
On the Topic of Donald Trump ; I have bet heavily on Rubio becoming president and don't lose any sleep over a goon like Trump ...he is just a political version of the WWF , a Hulk Hogan or a Jesse Ventura and the folks who support him to be to a WWF-like audience of low information voters He never intended to be the nominee , he 's just an ego manic loving the limelight and attention ...the folks in the GOP will never allow this creep to ruin the best chance they have of not only winning the WH but the House and Senate too ...sooner or later he will push his luck too far and self destruct or they will find a way to get rid of him Furthermore , America with its fascination with guns, does not suffer fools and demagogues lightly ...both Huey Long and George Wallace found that out ! Trump is an antagonistic rabble rouser who had best be careful what he is saying ...if some whack job takes a shot at him he will panic and then like most bullies he will fold
Jesse Ventura ended up Governor of Minnesota so you're doing little to assuage my fears.
"I still find it hard to see Trump doing it but his position gets stronger as each day goes by and none of the other contenders have got near."
We're at the stage now where we should take it very seriously. Trump has sat at the top of the polling for long enough to demonstrate considerable resilience in the face of negative campaigning. What's surprising to me is how well Carson's held up, though his star does look to be on the wane.
It's far from sewn up though. Were the campaign calendar the same as last time, with Iowa in early January, it might be done and dusted but there's a lot of campaigning still to be done after the festivities. Even so, he ought to be a clear favourite.
================== Only a bloody fool would bet on Trump ...sometime in the future when Trump goes back to reality TV, the folks who have been spooked by his campaign will look positively daft
Nate Silver gives him about a 5% chance and he is being generous
Of the nomination or of the general election? I'd make him around evens for the nomination, if only because if there was a decent challenger in the pack then they'd have already shown.
On the Topic of Donald Trump ; I have bet heavily on Rubio becoming president and don't lose any sleep over a goon like Trump ...he is just a political version of the WWF , a Hulk Hogan or a Jesse Ventura and the folks who support him to be to a WWF-like audience of low information voters He never intended to be the nominee , he 's just an ego manic loving the limelight and attention ...the folks in the GOP will never allow this creep to ruin the best chance they have of not only winning the WH but the House and Senate too ...sooner or later he will push his luck too far and self destruct or they will find a way to get rid of him Furthermore , America with its fascination with guns, does not suffer fools and demagogues lightly ...both Huey Long and George Wallace found that out ! Trump is an antagonistic rabble rouser who had best be careful what he is saying ...if some whack job takes a shot at him he will panic and then like most bullies he will fold
Jesse Ventura was Governor of Minnesota. And in an election where all the candidates are pigmies strange things happen
One question I've struggled to answer is how realistic is the prospect of a Trump win in November? On the one hand, the overall figures are close; on the other, Trump's scores with some demographics are dire - though Hillary's strengths and Trump's weaknesses are almost an exact overlap so may reinforce existing intention rather than swing votes.
My instinct is that Trump will simply scare too many moderate horses but if that is the case, why aren't the polls further apart now - it's not as if either is an unknown quantity. Very confusing.
If it's Trump vs Clinton, then Bloomberg could be in the race too...
I see the Heathrow decision is being kicked down the road again, perhaps to next autumn. Not being political or anything, but isn't this getting silly? Is the Government's strategy to bore us into submission so that when they eventually make a proposal we all accept it in sheer relief?
Do you have a link for that, Nick? I can't see anything on the Beeb or Guardian
Edit: There's something on the Guardian live blog, but it's unclear quite what it means.
The VW scandal is contributing to this - the air quality argument should rule out LHR.
Do either Zak or Khan have an opinion on whether there should be an extra runway anywhere ?
Anywhere outside the inner/outer London boundaries
"I still find it hard to see Trump doing it but his position gets stronger as each day goes by and none of the other contenders have got near."
We're at the stage now where we should take it very seriously. Trump has sat at the top of the polling for long enough to demonstrate considerable resilience in the face of negative campaigning. What's surprising to me is how well Carson's held up, though his star does look to be on the wane.
It's far from sewn up though. Were the campaign calendar the same as last time, with Iowa in early January, it might be done and dusted but there's a lot of campaigning still to be done after the festivities. Even so, he ought to be a clear favourite.
================== Only a bloody fool would bet on Trump ...sometime in the future when Trump goes back to reality TV, the folks who have been spooked by his campaign will look positively daft
Nate Silver gives him about a 5% chance and he is being generous
Of the nomination or of the general election? I'd make him around evens for the nomination, if only because if there was a decent challenger in the pack then they'd have already shown.
I think Trump could really struggle in Iowa. And if he takes a tumble there, he will never recover.
Don't forget, Iowa is all about organisation. You need to have people corralling supporters. And the discussions and arguments can really count against someone who seems un-Presidential (see Howard Dean).
I would sell Trump in Iowa (with maybe a covering bet for the nomination).
The Tories have already won two mayor races and that was without the benefit of a ''national security risk ''...Boris Johnson's donut strategy worked insomuch the Tory suburbs outvote the Labour centre but mayor's races tend to suffer low turnout ..when Lynton Crosby frames Khan as both a Corbynista and a Muslim ....a financial risk and a security risk , the voters in the suburbs will be spooked into turning out
Furthermore , Londoners like their mayors to be mavericks of sorts ; while Zac is no ''big personality ''like Boris ,he is still a maverick with his keen environmentalism that is sure to appeal to lots of young voters ...Khan , on the other hand , seems like a rather typical orthodox leftist MP
Paul Kirkby This is a staggering map. Net worth of individual adults, by European country. This is private wealth, not GDP data https://t.co/XCGCS94RuL
So the 3 richest contrary's are, Switzerland, Iceland and Norway. Best stay in the EU so we don't end up like them!!!
Alternatively, all three countries are part of Schengen! We need to join Schengen!
More seriously, I think Switzerland is a good compare for what we want our economy to be like. I'm not sure either Iceland or Norway - which are basically utterly dependent on primary industries - are that great comparisons.
If you go by median wealth, which seems like it'd be more representative of the average citizen, then a UK adult is more than twice as wealthy than one from Germany or the USA.
I'd like to see figures on net wealth. A lot of my contemporaries are asset rich, but still have eye-wateringly large mortgages and personal debt.
That describes the UK perfectly.
Goodness - I just assumed it must mean net wealth - I don't owe a penny to anyone - can't see the point of paying debt interest if you don't need to.
Comments
A Carson presidency I think could work well actually, sure he's not the usual candidate but he is interesting.
Trump worries me, but would be great for my betting if he can get the nomination
I think Chris Christie would have been a good president, but his bridge hit some troubled waters a while back...
It baffles me that anybody could see Trump as anything other than a loud mouthed clown.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/12036681/Who-said-it-Stop-the-War-Coalition-or-Isil.html
Real estate mogul and reality television star Donald Trump on Sunday tweeted a chart of racist and wildly inaccurate crime statistics, just a day after supporters physically assaulted a Black Lives Matter protester at one of his rallies.
http://huff.to/21ciD3j
That's something you'd expect from MikeK, not someone who might be President of the United States of America.
Whoever wins, we lose.
GRRM's description of the Machiavellian Littlefinger also comes to mind, "He would see this country burn if he could be king of the ashes". If nuking Iran, Syria and/or the Former Soviet Republic of Russia meant a second term for President Cruz I wouldn't trust him to refrain from pushing that button.
Rubio/Clinton wouldn't make much odds who wins.
A Cruz presidency would be fascinating.
https://twitter.com/standardnews/status/673849621957873665
Edit: There's something on the Guardian live blog, but it's unclear quite what it means.
This is a staggering map. Net worth of individual adults, by European country. This is private wealth, not GDP data https://t.co/XCGCS94RuL
Hard to think that the London Mayoral election has not played a disproportionately large part in this.
Cheers for that. Received.
I would extend one Heathrow runway but not increase capacity much and build runways at Gatwick and Stanstead. ... and let them all fight it out.
It is the last thing that could have scuppered this particular contingency.
http://www.wmur.com/politics/elections-panel-allows-cruz-rubio-to-appear-on-primary-ballot/36641254
Challengers offer USSC case law in support of their claim, Cruz offers two talking heads...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35027951
http://www.bloomberg.com/energy
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-35027559
Looks like appropriate concern for environmental impact issues fannying around until after the London Mayor election....
"can't make an instant decision to save his or anyone else's life"
"thoughtful"
I'd say Ted Cruz would be the one who would scare me the most.
Donald Trump, I suspect, is more of a pragmatist than most people realise. I suspect he would turn out to be a lot more moderate than most people expect.
I think Marco Rubio is by far the best candidate for the Republicans. I think he'd waltz to victory next November, and would be quite an effective President.
Do either Zak or Khan have an opinion on whether there should be an extra runway anywhere ?
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/overseas-property/property-52062940.html?showcase=true&premiumA=true
6 bed mansion.
That'd be worth half a million anywhere in the UK. And probably alot more.
Possibly due to house prices?
Too true !....Khan will be handicapped by the Three stooges Corbyn Macdonnel and Livingstone ...he rose to victory in the Cornyn surge last summer and as the Corbyn ship sinks he will be pulled down in its vortex ...the Blairites will be happy to sacrifice Khan as a way to topple Corbyn from his perch
Furthermore , we Brits are a tolerant bunch with a pronounced sense of ''fair play ''but there are in fact limits to tolerance and electing a Muslim for Mayor after the London tube bombings , Tower Hamlets and the Paris massacre is clearly beyond the pale
Most folks are willing to go along with the charade of political correctness (against their better instincts) but NOT when their lives could be in danger ...London is the obvious target for a Paris-like massacre and as such sober minded folks will not be willing give Sadiq Khan the benefit of the doubt that he is the best candidate to protect them from radical Islam ; they simply will not take that risk no matter what the polls may say
31% of Londoners claimed they felt ''uncomfortable voting for a Muslim '' ( they were the ones who actually admitted it ) and that was BEFORE the Paris massacre ...you can be certain the real numbers are somewhat higher
Any polling of the London Mayor's race needs to be ''read between the lines ''
http://www.cityam.com/218067/sadiq-khan-we-need-better-heathrow-not-bigger-heathrow
I think Zac doesn't really like airports at all but particularly not Heathrow.
Clinton: 46.8%
Trump: 43.6%
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/
The high "wealth" countries are also the ones which have had housing booms. Therefore, there is a degree of risk associated with high asset prices at the same time as high debt loads.
I'd also note, that our numbers are boosted by the appearance of $750-1,200bn of assets of Russians in London. (This deducts from the Russian number and adds to ours.)
Heathrow is awful and 3 runways will surely only make it worse ?
(You can still buy a 700sq ft apartment in a nice part of Berlin for £100,000.)
Our hyper competitive property market drives prices ever upwards, especially in London.
Gatwick would also affect some areas of unspoilt countryside, which are scarce enough as it is in SE England.
Disclaimer: I live in Sussex, so I might not be entirely free of interest in this!
A family sized apartment (say 1,200 square feet; 120 square meters). In London, you'd be lucky to find something in a nice area (and I'm not talking Chelsea, where you'd be paying £2.5m) for less than £500,000.
In Germany, you'd be paying £150,000. And interest rates are near zero.
You can get one of those apartments for £500/month including principle repayment. Unbelievable.
However, I would note that the firm at which I work, has funds which have significant exposure to German residential property.
He never intended to be the nominee , he 's just an ego manic loving the limelight and attention ...the folks in the GOP will never allow this creep to ruin the best chance they have of not only winning the WH but the House and Senate too ...sooner or later he will push his luck too far and self destruct or they will find a way to get rid of him
Furthermore , America with its fascination with guns, does not suffer fools and demagogues lightly ...both Huey Long and George Wallace found that out ! Trump is an antagonistic rabble rouser who had best be careful what he is saying ...if some whack job takes a shot at him he will panic and then like most bullies he will fold
We're at the stage now where we should take it very seriously. Trump has sat at the top of the polling for long enough to demonstrate considerable resilience in the face of negative campaigning. What's surprising to me is how well Carson's held up, though his star does look to be on the wane.
It's far from sewn up though. Were the campaign calendar the same as last time, with Iowa in early January, it might be done and dusted but there's a lot of campaigning still to be done after the festivities. Even so, he ought to be a clear favourite.
http://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/29/opinion/why-i-m-for-the-brady-bill.html
My instinct is that Trump will simply scare too many moderate horses but if that is the case, why aren't the polls further apart now - it's not as if either is an unknown quantity. Very confusing.
Only a bloody fool would bet on Trump ...sometime in the future when Trump goes back to reality TV, the folks who have been spooked by his campaign will look positively daft
Nate Silver gives him about a 5% chance and he is being generous
Stranger things have happened. That horse becoming pope. Or Corbyn becoming Labour leader.
More seriously, I think Switzerland is a good compare for what we want our economy to be like. I'm not sure either Iceland or Norway - which are basically utterly dependent on primary industries - are that great comparisons.
http://www.thameslinkrailway.com/your-journey/thameslink-programme/
This is about twenty minutes quicker than you can get from Cambridge to Heathrow at the moment, and with no changes.
And, unlike Trump, he is genuinely rich.
Don't forget, Iowa is all about organisation. You need to have people corralling supporters. And the discussions and arguments can really count against someone who seems un-Presidential (see Howard Dean).
I would sell Trump in Iowa (with maybe a covering bet for the nomination).
Furthermore , Londoners like their mayors to be mavericks of sorts ; while Zac is no ''big personality ''like Boris ,he is still a maverick with his keen environmentalism that is sure to appeal to lots of young voters ...Khan , on the other hand , seems like a rather typical orthodox leftist MP
Like banking and houses?