Campaign 2020

[Big Magilla]

Just announced: Klobuchar to suspend her campaign, fly to Biden rally (in Dallas?) tonight and endorse him there.

[Sabin]

OscarGuy wrote
Warren has said she's in it all the way to the convention and I don't deny her sincerity.

I think she probably thinks she's in it for the long haul. If she loses Massachusetts, she'll face a lot of pressure to drop out. I think her plan right now is stay in, collect delegates, and jockey to become the unity candidate or play kingmaker. But the convention is about five months from now and that's a long time to stay in the race if you haven't won a state.

OscarGuy wrote
As to Buttgieg coming in second in Iowa, they have canvassed and re-canvassed and Buttgieg is still in first for number of delegates even if Sanders barely beat him in number of overall votes.

Agreed. I was just using brevity to get my point across that he was a major player for first or second in the first two states both of which were very close.

[OscarGuy]

Warren has said she's in it all the way to the convention and I don't deny her sincerity.

As to Buttgieg coming in second in Iowa, they have canvassed and re-canvassed and Buttgieg is still in first for number of delegates even if Sanders barely beat him in number of overall votes.

[Sabin]

Big Magilla wrote
I'm not so sure about Bloomberg in California. Right now, he's ahead of Biden in the polls but that was before South Carolina so it's possible that Biden will surge ahead of him in which case they may not have to pressure him. The writing will be on the wall.

Latest CA poll has Sanders at 38%, Biden at 21%, Warren at 16%, and Bloomberg at 11%.

[Big Magilla]

He was pressured by the party. Whether they promised him anything or not, we don't know.

The thinking is that Klobuchar, Warren and Bloomberg can't hurt Biden tomorrow. They want them to win delegates in Minnesota, Massachusetts and California, respectively, to keep Sanders from taking all the delegates in those states after which they hope it will be a two-person race between Biden and Sanders.

Klobuchar will more than likely drop out for sure. The take on Warren is that she "doesn't listen" but if she doesn't drop out, she'll take more votes away from Sanders than Biden so they're not too worried about her. Bloomberg is the wild card. There will be tremendous pressure on him to put his money where his mouth is and throw his support behind Biden.

I'm not so sure about Bloomberg in California. Right now, he's ahead of Biden in the polls but that was before South Carolina so it's possible that Biden will surge ahead of him in which case they may not have to pressure him. The writing will be on the wall.

[Sabin]

Future Sec of Defense under Biden Administration Pete Buttigieg exits the race.

Yes, he cut a deal. Absolutely. No 38 year old, openly gay Major of a small town could possibly go from the kind of insane ambition to think “Yes, I can be President” to “Well, let’s come to our senses about how realistic this is...” before Super Tuesday when he’s well-funded AND came in a close second in the first two states. Inconceivable. He cut a deal. And good for him.

Pete’s candidacy was history, although he had a tendency for platitudes. He was a candidate who almost comically copied his voice patterns on Obama and spoke about togetherness. He succeeded where Harris, Booker, Castro, and O’Rourke failed bc they spoke openly about what makes us different and how institutions have failed us, while Buttigieg spoke openly about how we’re the same and how these institutions can bring us together. He (MOSTLY) ran as a post-homophobia gay candidate. His appeal can be broken off as such. The desire for: a Washington Outsider (goes to Bernie), brainy appeal (goes to Warren), and return to normalcy (goes to Biden). My gut tells me that this disproportionately helps Joe Biden. Even though Pete’s support is even across the board, Biden is fresh in mind right now. Pete’s 11% of the pop vote is no joke. That’s a lot. It could help Biden get over 15% in a lot of state and it could going to help Warren and Klobuchar keep MA and MN from Sanders.

You can basically hear the “wrap it up” music.

[Sabin]

Congratulations to Joe Biden. He's not my favorite candidate in the race but he's been running for President for over thirty years. He might be the most popular Vice President in history. He deserves to enjoy his first statewide victory.

Also, congratulations to Tom Steyer on his dance moves.

[Sonic Youth]

Bloomberg is an opportunist. Right now the opportunities are with the Democrats.

That says it all.

[Sabin]

Big Magilla wrote
Bloomberg is an opportunist. Right now the opportunities are with the Democrats. As his ads say, he'll get things done.

He is a scorpion. He’s on my back. But he says he won’t sting me while I’m swimming him across the water.

But that’s immaterial. He will get nothing done. He is the one candidate who guaranteed will lose the election. He can’t debate, he is uninspiring, he has no Midwest or Rust Belt appeal, he doesn’t inspire young people or people of color to support him, he has a history of racist policies, he has a history of sexism and workplace discrimination, he has authoritarian leanings, and his candidacy represents an undermining of our democracy process. I used to think it was inconceivable that the Democratic base wouldn’t turn out to support whomever we put up against Trump, then Bloomberg jumped in.

I’m not saying he won’t be the nominee (unlikely but possible). I’m just saying he cannot beat Trump.

[OscarGuy]

I'm sorry, Bloomberg is a con. He's using his wealth to try and buy and election. If you cannot see how dangerous that notion is, then I don't see how we can argue with you anymore about it.

[Big Magilla]

Wasn’t the top marginal tax rate 91% under Eisenhower?

A less sophisticated time. The rates for the top 2% clearly have to be higher than they are now but restoring them to Eisenhower levels would be nigh impossible.

Serious change under Bloomberg?

Biden and Buttigieg are to the left of Obama in 2008 and could only be considered moderate in our current era, but Bloomberg? In 2009, Bloomberg called social security a ponzi scheme? You get that this guy is terrible, right?

I get that Biden and Buttigieg are to the left of Obama in 2008 which is a good thing and yes, I have heard the Ponzi scheme quote but even if Bloomberg wanted to fuck with Social Security, Congress wouldn't let him.

Bloomberg is an opportunist. Right now the opportunities are with the Democrats. As his ads say, he'll get things done. Either Biden or Bloomberg for four years with Buttigieg or another younger candidate after that seems to me the best way to go right now.

[Sabin]

Big Magilla wrote
Warren is right abut the filibuster. It should go along with the windbags who use it. Jimmy Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington was of another time. She's wrong about the wealth tax. That hasn't worked in countries that have tried it. The rich will always find a way around it.

Wasn’t the top marginal tax rate 91% under Eisenhower?

Big Magilla wrote
Vote for one of the three B's - Biden, Bloomberg or Buttigieg if they're all still in the race when it's your state's turn and we'll be on the road to making serious change happen, but hopefully before very long we will have just one of the B's in the race against BS which stands for both the other candidate's name and his unrealistic ideas.

Serious change under Bloomberg?

Biden and Buttigieg are to the left of Obama in 2008 and could only be considered moderate in our current era, but Bloomberg? In 2009, Bloomberg called social security a ponzi scheme? You get that this guy is terrible, right?

[Big Magilla]

Article on social and political trust that I think speaks saliently to our times.

The crux of the problem is contained in this line:

"Republicans have become steadily more intractable and unhinged since 2010 and there’s no reason to think that will change any time soon. Just as Obama was confined to executive action for the last six years of his presidency, so too will any new Democratic president be barred from legislation if Republicans hold either house of Congress in 2020. There is no normalcy to return to. Four more years of fruitless partisan squabbling will do nothing to restore trust."

Democrats must keep control of the House, regain control of the Senate and install a Democratic President to undo the harm caused by McConnell over the last ten years. At the same time, expand health care, eliminate pharmaceutical price gauging, enact sensible and lasting gun control, invest in infrastructure and all the other things that need doing. Any of the Democratic candidates could do this, but trust in government will only return if there is tangible and sustained change for the better and that will take time.

For the Democrats to regain control, the candidates must appeal to the broadest electorate which means a moderate willing to work with Republicans but not one who will cower to them. They will have the votes, there will be no need to compromise key points to get one or two Republican votes so they can say the vote was bi-partisan. That's crap they should have learned in 2009 and had they, we might not be in the pickle we're in now.

Warren is right abut the filibuster. It should go along with the windbags who use it. Jimmy Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington was of another time. She's wrong about the wealth tax. That hasn't worked in countries that have tried it. The rich will always find a way around it. Free college is decades away but reduced fee colleges could be enacted within the decade if the economy remains strong.

Vote for one of the three B's - Biden, Bloomberg or Buttigieg if they're all still in the race when it's your state's turn and we'll be on the road to making serious change happen, but hopefully before very long we will have just one of the B's in the race against BS which stands for both the other candidate's name and his unrealistic ideas.

[OscarGuy]

Let's not count our eggs before they hatch, Sabin. Yes, a recession is the one thing that could destroy him, but he's got several months to turn it around.

[Okri]

Article on social and political trust that I think speaks saliently to our times.