How to Select an American President: Donald requests debate topics

How to Select an American President: Donald requests debate topics: Donald Trump solicited input for the next debate in an email sent this morning. He wants to know how to clobber Hillary with something that ...

Donald requests debate topics

Donald Trump solicited input for the next debate in an email sent this morning. He wants to know how to clobber Hillary with something that his audience will love.

Anticipated from this analyst is that his audience will want him to pound her for pay-to-play, quid pro quo access to government via the Clinton Foundation. Or, maybe he can hit her one more time about 33,000 deleted emails. Ouch, ouch.

What will she do?

Hillary might want to play to the entire audience of US voters and not just to her loyal followers. Her theme is accomplishing things together, united and not divided. She should commit loyalty and devotion to the American Middle Class and poor. "Let's do this, together," she might appeal.

Then again, the entire mess might end up with allegations that Donald Trump is unfit and his actions are ugly. Then, Trump shouts, "You are fat and ugly too." And Hillary exclaims the truth, "We both are."

"Friend, 

When you watched the last debate, was there one single moment that you loved?

Is there something you want me to say when I face Hillary for the last time in just 3 days?

I’m asking you to provide your input as I prepare for the FINAL debate with Hillary Clinton.

Please take the Final TRUMP Debate Preparation to have a say in our campaign’s debate preparation.

You can weigh in on what you thought worked during this last debate and what we still need to do win over the hearts of undecided voters during this final stretch of our campaign.

This is your chance to have a voice in the most critical election of our lifetime.

After this debate, there will be no turning back.

We only have this one last night to make the case to America that we are ready to lead our country back to greatness.

I want to be sure we hit every single important point. And I need your help weighing in to ensure that NOTHING is left out of our debate preparation.

Please take the Final TRUMP Debate Preparation Survey immediately.

Thank you,

Donald J. Trump" 

Via email

Image Credit: Very Angry Bird

How to Select an American President: Partisan ideological divide

How to Select an American President: Partisan ideological divide: One scholarly paper explains that the ideological divide in American that inhibits collaboration and consensus can be breached when "p...

Partisan ideological divide

One scholarly paper explains that the ideological divide in America that inhibits collaboration and consensus can be breached when "partisan identity and identity-related convictions are made salient." Otherwise, leaders must place greater emphasis on achieving desired outcomes and addressing priority needs than upon their particular political identity. 

What about "identity-related convictions"? Such beliefs are manifest in party platforms and politicians' manifestos.

Ability to move forward following the outcome of Election 2016 depends on upon which political party and winning candidate can demonstrate the most flexibility, adaptability, and agility. The most rigid of choices will not be the best for American progress.

"Bridging the partisan divide: Self-affirmation reduces ideological closed-mindedness and inflexibility in negotiation. 

Cohen, Geoffrey L.; Sherman, David K.; Bastardi, Anthony; Hsu, Lillian; McGoey, Michelle; Ross, Lee 

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol 93(3), Sep 2007, 415-430. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.93.3.415 

Abstract 

Three studies link resistance to probative information and intransigence in negotiation to concerns of identity maintenance. Each shows that affirmations of personal integrity (vs. non-affirmation or threat) can reduce resistance and intransigence but that this effect occurs only when individuals' partisan identity and identity-related convictions are made salient. Affirmation made participants' assessment of a report critical of U.S. foreign policy less dependent on their political views, but only when the identity relevance of the issue rather than the goal of rationality was salient (Study 1). Affirmation is increased concession making in a negotiation over abortion policy, but again this effect was moderated by identity salience (Studies 2 and 3). Indeed, although affirmed negotiators proved relatively more open to compromise when either the salience of their true convictions or the importance of remaining faithful to those convictions was heightened, the reverse was true when the salient goal was to compromise. The theoretical and applied significance of these findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)" 

(With copy edits from J. George) 

http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/psp/93/3/415/

An old story illustrates that the fix is not yet in.

“Post-Partisan: Fixing our ideological divide 

By Jonathan Soros    October 28, 2013

As Americans examine the astounding dysfunction of their government, gerrymandering is usually cited as the prime culprit. This narrative offers a compelling villain: venal politicians who draw district boundaries for partisan advantage or to protect their own incumbency. 

On the surface, it makes sense that manipulating district lines could be responsible for the increase in non-competitive, non-diverse congressional seats and the rise of ideologues who take radical positions without fear of voter retribution. But this ignores evidence that gerrymandering is only partly responsible for the current partisanship — and that eliminating it will not address the calamity we are witnessing. 

No one disputes that congressional districts have become less competitive. During the last government shutdown in 1995, 79 of the 236 House Republicans represented districts that supported President Bill Clinton in his 1992 election. Today, only 17 of the 232 House Republicans represent districts that backed President Barack Obama — demonstrating more partisan consistency at the district level.” 

http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2013/10/27/post-partisan-fixing-our-ideological-divide/ 

Reuters Image

How to Select an American President: Could the UN have prevented Aleppo?

How to Select an American President: Could the UN have prevented Aleppo?: Critics of the UN, including Donald Trump and his supporters, question the value of the United Nations at every turn. They wonder why the US...

Could the UN have prevented Aleppo?

Critics of the UN, including Donald Trump and his supporters, question the value of the United Nations at every turn. They wonder why the US is host to the organization, and why we fund the institution.

The organization is all about advancing human rights, deterring war, and helping people who are in desperate need of assistance.

Of course, its operations are political. The rules that are intended to ensure equality may also undermine attaining explicit goals. When that happens, and the organization becomes dysfunctional, world leaders must advance to tip the balance to keep progress advancing.

"The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945.  It is currently made up of 193 Member States.  The mission and work of the United Nations are guided by the purposes and principles contained in its founding Charter.
Preamble

WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED
to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

AND FOR THESE ENDS
to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples,

HAVE RESOLVED TO COMBINE OUR EFFORTS TO ACCOMPLISH THESE AIMS
Accordingly, our respective Governments, through representatives assembled in the city of San Francisco, who have exhibited their full powers found to be in good and due form, have agreed to the present Charter of the United Nations and do hereby establish an international organization to be known as the United Nations. 

http://www.un.org/en/sections/about-un/overview/index.html

"Syrian government preventing aid from reaching Aleppo, U.N. official says" 

Washington Post

The Syrian government is the problem and the UN must address it.

Could the Aleppo disaster have been prevented? The answer is a resounding yes. Member states failed in their responsibilities and should be called out for that.

How to Select an American President: Enough talking about Russia

How to Select an American President: Enough talking about Russia: It is probably necessary to explain that Russia and WikiLeaks have teamed to interfere in US elections. That is cyber warfare and an attack...