The Politics Thread

[Khan]

 

Joe Biden haters/Bernie Sanders supporters: "If he can stay awake long enough!"

[JaneAusten]

Bernie just like Trump in that respect. Projection. He still hasn't released his medical records.

[Roman]

I'm voting for Biden. he's the only one left who can compete and win states Sanders couldn't win even if he became a republican.

[JaneAusten]

Obama working his magic

 

Looks like Steve Bullock is going to run for that senate seat in Montana.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/04/us/politics/steve-bullock-montana-senate.html

[DRW50]

 

I have. It feels like Roberts, who is an old conservative strategist (and a good one, unlike many now) pushing buttons. I'm sure he genuinely cares about his safety and the safety of other justices, but he had much less to say about other threats. And of course many are lapping it up, and McConnell is exploiting it. 

 

Frankly, it was a very stupid thing for Schumer to say, even if he clearly did not intend a violent threat. I could sort of understand at that point why some have been saying for years he's not that good a leader. He's lucky that the climate has been so numbed thanks to Trump that no one but those who are already voting hard right anyway will pay much mind. 

 

In other news, former Congressman Aaron Schock, who has gone from splurging money on a Downton Abbey style office to showing his hole (I'm not kidding), has come out. And, not that he has a career in elected office in his future anywhere anyway, he is still up to his old tricks (no, not those tricks - well, maybe those too...).

 

 

 

Edited March 6, 2020 by DRW50

[Khan]

 

It might have been stupid -- or, "inappropriate" and "dangerous," to quote the GOP -- but so were B**** K********'s words at his SCOTUS confirmation hearing, which I believed Schumer was echoing.  (Especially the part about "reaping the whirlwind," or whatever).  Yet, because it was a Democrat saying those things this time around, of course, the Republicans want to accuse him of making a deliberate threat on individual's lives.  (And Schumer, like all purity-striving Democrats before him, caves almost immediately and apologizes, even though he did absolutely nothing wrong.)

 

Meanwhile, Donald Trump accuses the left-leaning justices of political bias on little more than his legendary golden gut, and John Roberts remains silent.

 

I'm so damn tired of this country.  Too damn tired, in fact, even to CARE about Aaron Schock.  So, the bastard's out.  Congratulations, Aaron.  You're still not invited to Pride Week.

[DRW50]

 

I agree. Sadly there are always double standards. The best solution is to thread the needle, if possible...I guess. 

[Khan]

 

Yes, and it's precisely those double standards that continue making the Democrats look like pencil-necked geeks to the Republicans' bullying jocks.

[DRW50]

 

I agree overall - it's just this particular instance is so easy to avoid and doesn't really do much good (the people who are most motivated on that type of talk despise Schumer and the "establishment"). Pelosi tends to be better at striking the balance, even if so much still ends up feeling pointless in the current climate. Either way, I agree he should have just stuck to his guns.

[DRW50]

There's a lot more of course, on other topics, like the awful Trump handling of the Corona virus and the economy. 

[Khan]

Guess this means she won't be officially endorsing Bernie Sanders?

Edited March 6, 2020 by Khan

[DRW50]

 

Unless Bernie turns things around I think she will go with Biden as it will be easier to get concessions, but Bernie does share more of her core beliefs than Biden does. The problem is it's clear that she is disgusted by much of his 'movement' and wants him to do something to address the toxicity, which he never really does. That's what happens when you don't have anyone at the top who is not a cultist. The only one I saw sort of trying to stop the bile was AOC, and rumor has it she has become somewhat distanced from his group as of late. 

[Khan]

 

And why should he?  The truth is, before 2016 (or so), hardly anyone outside of Vermont had heard of Bernie Sanders, much less took him seriously.  Why should he do or say anything to upset that apple-cart now?

 

I believe there was a time when Sanders had the best of intentions for his country and would not have tolerated the level of abuse coming from his supporters.  But, I also believe there came a point when he grew frustrated with not being taken seriously; and so, in that moment, Bernie the Demagogue was born.

 

Perhaps he does agree with the racist, misogynistic, xenophobic and other deplorable things his supporters are saying and doing online and in public.  But, if he doesn't, then I have to believe he's allowing it all to continue, because to him, the "revolution" is what matters.

Edited March 6, 2020 by Khan

[ReddFoxx]

He clearly has admiration for Cuba and Nicaragua's communist regimes, so he's not going to worry about his supporters being toxic. Those were people who pushed revolution by any means necessary and while the governments they overthrew were terrible they ended up being not much better. If it takes bullying to takeover the party and win the nomination then Sanders is for it, but it isn't working because there aren't enough far left voters to put him over the top.

 

With that said, he gave props to George Wallace for building a movement and has said things about most drug dealers being black, that class is a bigger issue than race, etc. Sanders has race issues.

[Chris B]

At this point, Bernie is 100% done in my mind and it's due to what yall are talking about, which is an arrogance that he and his followers have and a lack of desire to work with others. I've been saying you can't threaten people to vote for you. You need to reach out and ENGAGE. On Rachel Maddow last night, she had to re-direct him THREE TIMES to speak about black voters, not generalized "POC." In the end he conceded that Hillary and Obama (with Biden getting an Obama bump) were too popular with black voters so he couldn't compete with them. He knew this in 2016, so it amazes me he has not tried to reach out to the black community since then. He wouldn't even meet with Jim Clyburn to try and spread his message to black voters. 

 

I feel the media, as always, gave him a pass and reported on him and his movement in a way that made it seem like he was the sure bet. Everybody is shocked he did so poorly on Super Tuesday, but this was always obvious if the people reporting on it were more diverse. Most of the current shocks are only because the black community has largely been ignored by the media. We spent so much time on interviewing Trump supporters and focusing on the midwest and they forget their main constituency. 

 

Right now Bernie has canceled a rally in Mississippi because he has given up on trying to gain the black vote and his Castro comments have killed him in Florida. In a poll with Bloomberg, Sanders and Biden, he got 12% of the vote! He's toast. My biggest question now is when he will drop out, if Biden continues stacking up these wins. He says he'll bow out if Biden gets a majority, but that is so hard to believe given his history.