Khan

Instead of cancelling all or a portion of student loan debt, why not reduce or even eliminate the accrued interest and other fees that often send the debts into the financial stratosphere? Same thing with healthcare: instead of figuring out how to pay for Medicare 4 All (Who Want It), why not take a closer look at the hospitals, the drug manufacturers and whoever else and figure out how to reduce the costs for these services (which might, in turn, reduce the costs of insurance premiums, thereby making health care more affordable to the working class)? Agree. Defeating Donald Trump means nothing if the GOP retains control of the Senate and/or regains control of the House. IMO, one of the Democratic Party's biggest problems is that they're letting too many outside forces -- Trump, the GOP, Bernie Sanders and his followers, even the right-leaning media (both mainstream and fringe) -- dictate the narrative for them. When Obama left the WH, they automatically shifted into some weird defeatist mode; and until they stop acting so damn gullible, they're gonna be exactly where they are now, which is nowhere. More and more, I think it'll be the Democratic Party, and NOT the Republican Party, which will end up splitting into two separate parties: one, made up of far-left progressives; and the other, of centrists and moderates who still believe in good, old-fashioned compromise and consensus.

Better yet, suppose Jill had begun a relationship with him in order to stay in Gary's life? (I don't like the idea of him not liking Val, though. I'd like to think he and Val would have developed a sort of surrogate mother and child bond over time. Especially if his mom -- Gary's long-ago ONS -- turned out to be a Mother from Hell.) I think Gary and Val were always meant to be endgame, no matter who was in charge. David Jacobs (and others) kept them apart for so long, though, because their NOT being together generated more story (which it did).

With that attire, they're less like cult members (and leader) and more like residents of a subterranean planet.

I can see why OLTL hired her to succeed Katherine Glass. With that haircut, Thayer bears more than a passing resemblance to her.

Agree. I, too, am backing Mike Bloomberg (again, for now). Is he perfect? Hell no, lol. But, the Democrats' primary objective should be to defeat Donald Trump. From where I stand, Bloomberg's the best guy to do just that. Bernie Sanders might not be the most evil man ever to walk on the face of the earth. However, the fact that he isn't doing a damn thing to stop his supporters from continuing with their malicious and offensive behavior speaks volumes. (Same goes for Donald Trump. I don't want him gone, because he's so divisive. I want him gone, because he refuses to do anything to stop it.) I've had time to think about this, and I've realized that, should Sanders win the nomination, I will either vote third party or (if allowed) write in another candidate. Will I be throwing away my vote? Perhaps. But, I cannot, in good conscience, vote for that man. I feel as if a Bernie Sanders presidency would prove to be just as destructive to the health of this country as Trump's presidency has been.

Regardless of the outcome of November's election, the biggest question of 2020 will be, "What happened to Elizabeth Warren?". To go from virtual front-runner (next to Joe Biden) to where she is now is baffling. I think @JaneAusten was correct in her assumption that Warren fell into too many of the GOP's and others' traps for her. I also think she's encountered the same issue with many voters that Hillary Clinton did. In their eyes, being female and qualified for the job of president isn't enough; she has to be more pure than even the Virgin Mary! I do believe there are limits as to how much Mike Bloomberg and Tom Steyer could spend on any given candidate's campaign; whereas, if they, themselves, were to run, there are no limits as to how much of their money to spend. To Bloomberg's credit, however, he has pledged the use his money, staff and whatever else for the duration of the campaign, whether or not he wins the nomination. So, I'm praying it won't be a situation where he loses and then all those resources just magically disappear.

Yeah, it's strange how no one showed up in Knots Landing claiming to be the result of a drunken ONS Gary had with somebody back in his late teens or twenties. I think Gary learning he had a grown-up son might have been a great story, especially if that son had become in a love triangle between Paige and Olivia.

Granted, I watched MP only occasionally, but even I thought that pairing was wrong.

TBH, I don't believe Jane Elliot cared much for her KL role either, lol. I think Gary and Val's problem was that they were attempting to recapture what they had had when they were teenagers, without accepting the fact that a lot of time and a lot of life had passed. Even at their relatively younger ages, Val and Gary weren't as innocent as they had been at 15 and 16 years old. (Plus, Gary was out to prove he was as good at business as Bobby and J.R. It would take some time for Gary to accept he didn't have the same instinct for that stuff as his father and brothers did.) No, it won't be mentioned again, lol.

Michael Bloomberg must be doing VERY well in the polls for the media to spill tea like this. I can't believe it either, @Juliajms. That's why I'm not confident that Donald Trump won't be re-elected. Four years ago, millions of Americans (such as yours truly) prayed that God would deliver them from having to choose between Trump and Hillary Clinton. I'm afraid the anxiety will be much worse if it comes down to Trump and Bloomberg, or Trump and Bernie Sanders. Probably. People are the same, whether they bleed red or blue. That's why Mark Twain referred to it as "the damned human race."

"Michael Bloomberg Buys the Presidency," Chapter 27: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/13/us/politics/bloomberg-campaign-cash.html?action=click&module=Top Stories&pgtype=Homepage

As Maude Findlay would say, God'll get you two for that, lol. It's a shame that so many in this country view homelessness as a moral failing or personal decision rather than the consequence of rising prices and unstable employment. A damn shame. Same. I mean, a Russian bot over Donald Trump? Couldn't I "write in" someone instead? Please?

Exactly. We have to remember this is just one primary (and caucus). Yes, I include myself. For all we know, by this time next month, we could be looking at Tom Steyer or even (GOD! NO!) Tulsi Gabbard as the front-runner. That probably won't happen, lol, but you never really know.

Agree. Last night, as I drifted off to sleep, I made up my mind to back Mike Bloomberg, at least for now; but not because I'm enamored with any policies or agendas he has laid out thus far. As I've said, I don't think any potential successor(s) to Trump will have time enough to enact even a fraction of what they're promising constituents. He (or she) will be far too busy simply cleaning up the mess the Trump administration has made of our country to institute real change. As a matter of fact, I think we'll be blessed if he/she is able to restore us to where we were even pre-Trump. I'm getting behind Bloomberg, however, because I believe he has the best shot at defeating Trump in the election -- which, for me, is the only thing that counts. Like Joe Biden, he has the potential to rally the centrists, the moderates, the Independents and the disenchanted Republicans/"never Trumpers." (POC haven't forgotten his expansion of Giuliani's stop-and-frisk policy as NYC's mayor, but I would hope even they can recognize what's really at stake here). Unlike Biden, though, Bloomberg also has the financial firepower to take on Trump and the rest of the GOP; so that, even if he doesn't ultimately land the nomination, the longer he can stay in the race and specifically go after Trump without becoming another, unnecessary drain on the whole process, the more delegates he can pick up and hand over to another candidate (please, God, let it be Joe Biden!) come convention time. Of course, I'm prepared for Bloomberg not making it to the proverbial finish line; in which case, I will back Biden. He, too, stands to form the right coalition of voters to defeat Trump. But, my point is, it HAS to be with someone who can unite the many factions within the Democratic party, something I don't believe the other candidates -- Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, Tom Steyer and Elizabeth Warren -- can do, or do as effectively. (Warren might, if the pressure were turned up on voters. Klobuchar might also, although she would have to work fast to reach POC. Buttigieg and Sanders, on the other hand, are lost causes where non-white voters are concerned. Sanders might have a slight edge over Buttigieg, but I think either guy would be a surefire path to defeat.) I feel like I could afford not to vote for Sanders, too, since I don't live in a battleground or swing state. However, I feel I've come so far from where I was in 2016, when I just sat home (again) and didn't gaf, that I'm afraid of giving myself that "out" again in November. (Does that make any sense, lol?). At the end of the day, I want to feel good that I did what I could -- even voted for a racist, misogynistic, homophobic demagogue like Bernie Sanders -- to stave off another four years of Donald Trump. (...Or am I just being stupid as usual?) I see it as the NYT trying this time to direct us toward an ultimate "Showcase Showdown" between Donald Trump and either Joe Biden or Bernie Sanders. Ergo, if Pete Buttigieg continues on this upward trajectory -- and dear God, I hope not -- then I expect to see the headlines become ever more savage (and yes, ever more homophobic, too). Besides, as repugnant as stop-and-frisk was for NYC and its' African-American and other, ethnically/racially diverse neighborhoods, it now seems almost quaint compared to Trump literally throwing black and brown people in cages and dismissing places like Baltimore as rat-infested hellholes. (Yup, that's where we are today in this country, where "racist" is the more acceptable alternative to "REALLY racist.")

Meanwhile, this NYT headline -- "Pete Buttigieg can compete (in very white states)." -- is shady as all get-out. But, I love it.

When I'd first heard this story, my first thought was, "How was he able to move into his daughter's dorm room without anyone at the university catching on?." Then, I thought, "Hmmm...a parent moving into his kid's college dorm room...there's a series in there, somewhere." Yeah, I'd agree that what Ray was disgusting.

Removing Donald Trump from office means so much to me that I'll probably vote for whoever ends up being the Democratic nominee. Even if it turns out to be Bernie Sanders or Pete Buttigieg, I'll vote for them. Mind you, I won't feel proud about it. In the past day or so, however, I've decided that my disgust for our current administration is simply too great for me to "sit it out," like I always do. This time, I just HAVE to vote, regardless of the candidate, or the outcome. Of course, like you, @DRW50, I live in a state (in my case, Oklahoma) that isn't going to matter in the election. Although the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metropolitan areas tend to vote Democrat, the GOP has a stronghold on the rest of the 77 counties. Meaning, even in elections where we've had high voter turnouts for both parties, we STILL vote Republican; and even when voting Republican clearly means voting against our best interests, like it did in the last gubernatorial election, we STILL vote Republican. We vote Republican. No. Matter. What. Therefore, because Oklahoma is in no "danger" of "turning blue" very soon, I think most left-leaning voters who DO vote go into the polling places knowing they're casting ballots for the losers. As the friend and former high school classmate I've mentioned upthread said, we are a bad electorate.

Both the NYT and WaPo are reporting that Bernie Sanders has won the NH primary. However, as @DRW50 has pointed out, Sanders' lead was much narrower this time around. In 2016, Sanders beat Hillary Clinton in NH by twenty points. Tonight, only a point or two separated him from second-place finisher Pete Buttigieg. Oh, and earlier today, the Senate voted down three election security bills. G'night!

According to the Washington Post, Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren praised each other in their speeches before voters tonight. This has me imagining what it would be like to have a Klobuchar/Warren administration, with Kamala Harris as U.S. Attorney General. Man, it would be awesome! If that isn't Pete Buttigieg in a nutshell, what is? Apparently, promising "free college and legal weed" (tm @marceline) goes a long way with millennials. Meanwhile, has anyone in the press attempted to figure out which candidate(s) us Gen-X'ers lean toward? Or are they still pretending we don't exist?

That, too. Pete Buttigieg's disposition is a perfect tonic after four years of narcissistic Donald Trump. But...is he electable? I'm not so sure. I've always thought, if Pete Buttigieg were heterosexual, he'd be a Republican. I really, really, REALLY don't want this to come down to a contest between Bernie Sanders (or Mike Bloomberg) and Pete Buttigieg. "Baby Boomers vs. Millennials" cage matches never end well.

I think Pete Buttigieg's supporters are more enamored with the idea of making history than anything else.

At the VERY least, I'm hoping Biden will recover in other states and blow Pete and maybe Bernie out of the water. I'm good as well, but that's because I've learned that no candidate will ever have a clean record.

Not necessarily. We haven't exactly forgotten about stop-and-frisk. I'm learning very quickly to expect the unexpected, so I'm not ready to count out Elizabeth Warren just yet. But, yeah, she is having a rough time of it. Perhaps, like with Biden, her chances will improve once the primary season moves out into the more racially and ethnically diverse parts of this country. Where else? FOX News.

I'll be glad the day CNN ceases to exist.

A "disaster"? Perhaps. But, as we know already, Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren were looking ahead of NH. So, the results aren't entirely unexpected.