I'm a Democrat and I don't want Hillary to win anymore.

[Antonio the Sixth]

The idea of wanting to lose the current election for hopes of better prospects in upcoming ones is pure and utter folly, plain and simple. 

[Dr. Arch]

The idea of wanting to lose the current election for hopes of better prospects in upcoming ones is pure and utter folly, plain and simple.  

This.

[Virginiá]

You would really risk the well-being of this country for partisan gain? I'll be honest, I've pondered what you're saying, and lots of it are likely imo - Millennials hardening as Democrats en masse, large gains in 2018 (maybe not enough to flip the House, or even the Senate right away, though), and recession blamed on Trump/Republicans, 2020 election as 2008 all over again, and so on...

But those spectacular gains are not guaranteed. And even at that, it's reckless as hell to risk a Trump presidency just so you can reap partisan windfalls. What if Trump starts trade wars? What if he destroys delicate foreign relationships that would take many years to rebuild? What if he deports millions of otherwise hard-working families? What if Trump himself prompts a mini-recession due to stock market turmoil? What if he starts going hard after the press, as he has said? The list goes on and on.

Risking all that to win some elections is awful and something I'd fully expect from Republicans, but not Democrats. These elections are not games without consequences.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

I would not trust a kindergartener to pilot a spaceship full of people.

Voting for Trump is basically the same thing, except the kindergartener is a hotheaded spoiled child who has also expressed that he gleefully wants to throw half the passengers into the abyss.

Enabling this is any way, shape, or form is disgusting and irresponsible.

[Dr. Arch]

You would really risk the well-being of this country for partisan gain? I'll be honest, I've pondered what you're saying, and lots of it are likely imo - Millennials hardening as Democrats en masse, large gains in 2018 (maybe not enough to flip the House, or even the Senate right away, though), and recession blamed on Trump/Republicans, 2020 election as 2008 all over again, and so on...

But those spectacular gains are not guaranteed. And even at that, it's reckless as hell to risk a Trump presidency just so you can reap partisan windfalls. What if Trump starts trade wars? What if he destroys delicate foreign relationships that would take many years to rebuild? What if he deports millions of otherwise hard-working families? What if Trump himself prompts a mini-recession due to stock market turmoil? What if he starts going hard after the press, as he has said? The list goes on and on.

Risking all that to win some elections is awful and something I'd fully expect from Republicans, but not Democrats. These elections are not games without consequences.

A very important point. Assuming the position of the OP is likely indicator of a position of privilege, where the person does not feel immediately threatened by any of Trump's potential policies even though they find those policies objectionable. Therefore, even though there are deep objections, they would prefer a Trump presidency, regardless of the consequences to those who can't feel as comfortable with such a thing, to advance a partisan agenda.

It's a morally bankrupt position to take. The equivalent of a moderate Republican saying: "Oh, well, I guess it's okay if the Alt-Right takes over our party for one cycle because that will validate my views, and we will bounce off of that next cycle."

[emailking]

The idea of wanting to lose the current election for hopes of better prospects in upcoming ones is pure and utter folly, plain and simple.  

This.

Yeah. It's like running back with the ball in football. Sometimes you find a hole and make a a big gain. Most of the time you end up losing yards.

[Lyin' Steve]

You sound like one of Bernie's people.  I thought they were all purged from the forum?

"I want Hillary to lose because me and my friends don't like her, and I'll justify it by saying that the party needs a shock to get out of its slump anyway.  This is ok because I don't really give two f**ks about policy, even though I pretended I did all the way through the primary so I could justify my support of Bernie with something other than the real reason, which is that he gave my ego a handjob and told me what I wanted to hear and I just don't like Hillary.  So because I don't care about policy I don't see anything wrong with electing Trump president -- it's just a 'shock to the system', right?  I mean UncutUSA told me Hillary is a corrupt warmonger/secret Republican anyway so really there's no difference between her and Trump."

[anthonyjg]

If Trump wins I'll tell this to myself to remain optimistic, but I don't see it as rationale for electing him.

[Xing]

I would urge you to rethink what you've said here. Trump could do a great deal of damage, and if this past year is any indication, Republicans in Congress will not be able to put a leash on him (frankly, many might not even try.) The map in 2018 is ugly for Democrats, and even a massive landslide would only yield a whopping two Senate seats, probably not enough for a majority if Trump is president. The gerrymandered House would still make it virtually impossible for Democrats to retake it, and while Democrats could clean up in statehouses, and guarantee that when the districts are redrawn again in 2020, they're not as massively unfair as they are now, that would mean maybe Democrats get the House in 2022. Any gains at all would be uncertain, though.

Also, what message would a Trump victory send Trump's most ardent supporters? Best case scenario, it would prove that if you scream loudly enough, and constantly degrade and attack people who disagree with you even slightly, you get what you want. Worst case scenario, people become more openly racist and hostile, common decency goes out the window, and America will become the laughing stock of the world.

This is the equivalent of saying "maybe if I stab my eyes out, they'll eventually grow back and I'll see better than ever!" No, the damage of even a brief Trump presidency would be long-term.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Remember when Bush narrowly won in 2000: the 6 following years have been great for progressive politics, haven't they?

[Maxwell]

no offense but don't be a moron. look at the 2018 map. very few potential pick-ups.

Remember when Bush narrowly won in 2000: the 6 following years have been great for progressive politics, haven't they?

also this.

it seems to be "progressives" who always undermine left-wing policy with their backward logic.

[dead0man]

Remember when Bush narrowly won in 2000: the 6 following years have been great for progressive politics, haven't they?

You got a damn good boogieman out of the deal.  Still using him!

[Mr. Smith]

To all the naysayers, go look at 1976 and 1980.

There's a damn good reason there are lots of red avvies that wish Ford won, with Reagan hot on the tails to take 1980.

Also, let's say Hillary does win. The continued backlash could make 2018 even worse than '14 or '10, and 2020 is almost certainly a death sentence.

@Virginia: As for the:
 
"Risking all that to win some elections is awful and something I'd fully expect from Republicans, but not Democrats. These elections are not games without consequences."

We tried being better for the last 8 years, and all it's lead to are stymies and giveaways. There are just as many consequences by letting someone unpopular in and keeping the status quo. We elect Hillary, we elect our Bush Sr...look what happened to him.

The choice is clear: Risk 2020 in the hopes of everything falling out, or play it safe now and get the blame with anything going bump in the night, and thus losing 2020 inevitably.

[SATW]

lol

[Attorney General, Senator-Elect, & Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Setting themselves up for an even more GOP senate and congress!

This doesn't even make sense. Do you think it makes more sense for Democrats to throw the presidential election and potentially risk a right-wing majority on SCOTUS, repeal of most legislation passed during the Obama presidency, forfeiting all executive power, etc. for the sake of MAYBE winning Congress in 2018?

How much is hillary going to pass when the GOP supermajority going to come around?

First of all, I highly doubt there will be a GOP "supermajority" (either 66% or 60%) in the House or Senate even after 2018. Secondly, even if there was, it still makes no sense whatsoever to throw a presidential election and hand the GOP a trifecta on a silver platter for a MINIMUM of 2 years. Dems gain nothing in this scenario. There's only two possible Senate pickups for Dems in 2018, even in a massive wave. Assuming they win the presidential election, the GOP probably has 52 seats or more after 2016. So taking back the Senate is likely a nonstarter. The House is gerrymandered to hell, but in a wave Dems could take it back. But it's no sure thing that 2018 would be a Democratic wave even if the incumbent Republican is unpopular, particularly because of turnout issues which plague Democrats in midterms. So the stategery here is apparently to throw a presidential election, hand the GOP all the executive power, let them possibly replace Ginsburg and some of their own justices on the SCOTUS, let them repeal countless pieces of legislation passed since 2009, all for...an outside shot at taking the House? Uh, no thanks on that deal.

[Frodo]

I did not know Mr. Phips had a sock. 

[Seneca]

NO, and listen up. A Trump victory doesn't mean we can just come back and win the next election. A Trump victory means NO MORE ELECTIONS EVER! He has to lose and lose badly.

Were it not for this, OP might have a point. But Trump, and more importantly the people Trump surrounds himself with, have signaled that they are in broad agreement with the white supremacists and neo-fascists who are coming out of the woodwork after decades in the closet. If these people get there way, and with complete control of Congress and the Supreme Court they will, we can look forward to mass detention and deportation of hispanics, arabs, and political dissidents. There is no reason to expect that if Trump wins this year the 2020 elections will be free and fair (relatively speaking, of course the present system is corrupted but at least the votes are counted and there are no scary armed men at polling places presently).

[DINGO Joe]

Trump is a bigot and an idiot.  You don't want bigots and idiots running anything.

[Antonio the Sixth]

To all the naysayers, go look at 1976 and 1980.

There's a damn good reason there are lots of red avvies that wish Ford won, with Reagan hot on the tails to take 1980.

Right, because Drumpf is just like Ford... 

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Keep heightening those contradictions.

[Mr. Smith]

To all the naysayers, go look at 1976 and 1980.

There's a damn good reason there are lots of red avvies that wish Ford won, with Reagan hot on the tails to take 1980.

Right, because Drumpf is just like Ford...  

No, but Hillary clearly could be (except for personality, which is Nixon...ironically Obama is more like Ford, while his policies almost foil Nixon). The fact that Reagan and Bernie both got 45% of the vote in the primaries.

The fact that Jimmy Carter, just like trump came out of nowhere and garnered a YUGE  and futile establishment movement to be stopped (ABC/ NeverTrump), also only in the 40's of the whole primary electorate ftr.

"Basket of Deplorables" could very well be the "No Soviet Domination" this cycle.

EDIT: Of course Hillary could attempt and fail at a "zinger" in the debates, and that could be the "No Soviet Domination" instead.

[Chunk Yogurt for President!]

EDIT: Of course Hillary could attempt and fail at a "zinger" in the debates, and that could be the "No Soviet Domination" instead.

I think its Trump that should be more worried about making a major gaffe in the debates.

[Maxwell]

Assuming Trump is going to lose in 2020 is god damn idiotic. WE DIDN'T THINK HE WAS GOING TO WIN IN 2016 FOR CHRIST SAKES.

[Classic Conservative]

Yes good sir, vote for Trump!

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

What in the name of tap-dancing baby Jesus was that post?

It's hysterical and shows no understanding.