Game of Thrones: How to win the White House

San Francisco, CA
June 15, 2016

Conduct and ethics of players
I had an interesting  discussion with some friends about the current political situation we were facing in the US.

I don't understand how this happened though, how is that we're having THIS discussion, and it's kind of disappointing to see that a few people I admire, support this man and what he stands for.

I always felt politics wasn't something I like, or want to talk about. But I live here, whatever happens here, it directly affects me and the people I love.

As a side note, I think it's important for me to encourage you, everyone, to vote. Many times someone we don't like gets into power because of indifference... I don't think you or I can afford 'indifference' this time... 

Since I arrived to the United States, twelve years ago, I was shown nothing but kindness towards me. Perhaps I was lucky to never run into 'hateful Americans' some like to talk about... I don't believe MOST people stand with hate, I don't believe MOST people stand with division, I don't believe it. 
Maybe is naivety, or ignorance" since I never experienced it or seen it myself. Ignorance is bliss, ans so I continue thinking this is just a lot of noise to make campaign.  

Taking a stand
Quoting Brendon Stanton, from HONY, "I’ve come to realize that opposing [Trump] is no longer a political decision. It is a moral one."
 
I stand for Timothy Goodman cause. "Kindness is an innate quality that we all possess as humans. Let's build kindness, not walls."

Chess Notation
Anyway, as I was saying, I had an interesting discussion with some friends about the current political situation we are facing in the US. The following are the comments that I found interesting:

Chessboard: "Unless a third party gets big enough to even have a chance to make it to the White House, the fight for it will be between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton."

Black: "[Hillary] has achieved something no one else in the history of American politics has even come close to doing, yet she is widely considered an inept, flawed candidate...." 

White: "If, as in this election, a man who spews hate and vulgarity, with no comprehension of how government works, can become presidentially plausible because he is magnetic ... perhaps we should reevaluate magnetism’s importance." 

Magnetic personlaity: A person with a sense of calm self-confidence and authenticity who others are drawn towards instinctively.

 Ranks & files: "And as they did with Obama, using the race-card (Black vs White, Poor vs Rich), they will use the gender-card for her. (Man vs Woman)"

Knight: "What about libertarian nominee, Gary Johnson? He's a good guy. Really well balanced and in the middle. Calm and not a dbag. He's weird but that isn't always a bad thing."

 Bishop "Bernie Sanders could still run still also. Historically, however, voting for a third party would be throwing your vote away. Also, running a parallel Democrat party would divide voters, strengthening Trump's chances to actually wining." 

Rooks: "Just like the Grand Old Party missed the chance to have a competent president with Mitt Romney, the democrats missed the chance of something different dismissing Sanders" 

Draw:"It is never 'throwing your vote away' to vote for someone other than the Republican and Democratic candidate. It indicates you don't like either of them. Asking me whether I'm going to vote for Trump or Clinton is like asking me if I'm going to vote for Stalin or Hitler. I'm not going to vote for either of them. I will vote for someone else on the ballot. ( I will not write anyone in because, by Utah State Law a write-in candidate has to file with the Lt. Governor 60+ days before the election, and so a write-in vote IS a throw-away vote--it's not counted.) Whoever wins the election is egotistical enough to think that all those who didn't vote would have voted for him/her. So you need to vote, if for no other reason, than to show that you would not have voted for him/her. Those who vote for whomever wins are responsible for that win. I refuse to be responsible for a win by Trump or Clinton."

Moves: "The following months will be "fun." From one side the Republicans will either try to discredit and demonize Hillary (which will not be hard), or try to credit and sanctify Trump. (which will be really really hard)... Democrats will do the opposite." 

En passant: "There's a conspiracy theory about this whole thing: It suggests that these two are in cahoot." 

Capture: "Smart move from Clinton's Campaign! Supporting someone attractive to the GOP mentality: 'I'm rich, you can be too.' AKA Donald Trump; but so far off from the democrats' or even libertarians' mentality that would just give the win to Hillary. 

 Pawns: "This sort of 'Greed' can silence and diminish any other rationale by fellow conservatives who are smart and/or are already 'rich,' and I bet they are thinking as I am, 'How did we get here? How did we get to the point that a character like Donald Trump got to be the only option we got to represent us as a party and possibly as a nation?'"

 Checkmate:"Just like a smart chess strategy, Hillary Clinton played politics well, positioning herself on a 'checkmate' corner. How can any rational thinking individual could even consider voting for Trump and what would the argument be to back up that decision? (We will find out in the following months... and believe me, it wont be pretty)" 

 Time control: "Unless, of course, Evan McMullin makes his move and takes the unexpected win. Don't forget that Hillary AND Donald are the most disliked nominees in the history of United States elections."

This conversation was based on this article circulating my social media feed:  http://www.vox.com/…/118797…/hillary-clinton-wins-nomination