The Politics Thread

[Khan]

Don't be surprised if Trump calls for the election to be cancelled in November "out of health and security concerns."

[Vee]

Another very pointed comment in this article worth reading, AOC defending Warren:

 

 

[Khan]

At this point, I doubt any endorsements from Elizabeth Warren or anyone else would make much of an impact upon Bernie Sanders' campaign.  It seems to me, at least, that he can't appeal to anyone who isn't already in his camp.

 

IMO, what the progressive movement lacks is a leader with broad appeal.  If Pete Buttigieg had pitched himself more as a progressive, for example, more would be on board with progressives' vision for this country.  But, as it is, most still reject progressivism because they simply are put off personally by Sanders and Warren.

Edited March 12, 2020 by Khan

[alphanguy74]

The progressive movement is plagued by modern day hippies who do a lot of complaining, but instigate very little action. The voting stats tell us all we need to know. I think Stacey Abrams would be a wonderful VP for Biden, she could very well bring a win in Georgia, and that would give much more leeway in the electoral college. 

[JaneAusten]

There is a lot of Bernie's platform I agree with(not abolishing all student debt) but he's not the right messenger. Whenever I hear Bernie supporters spout Bernie is just pushing FDR policies, I laugh. If FDR were alive today they would call him a sellout. He got tons done but he also did not push to abolish lynching, threw the Japanese Americans into camps out of fear, tried to stack the Supreme Court. He was an expert politician and came out of the NY Democratic Political machine. For that reason in itself they would hate him. LBJ was an SOB but an incredibly savvy politician. The lefties today would equate him to Mitch McConnell. They have no idea how to build coalitions,  win,  or how to enact legislation. 

[DramatistDreamer]

 

OMG.

[ReddFoxx]

Republicans don't have control of enough state elections for Trump to have any impact on elections being canceled. As long as there are enough states voting for a candidate to reach 270 then any cancellations that he could convince extremely red states to order would be rendered moot.

 

Elizabeth Warren was never going to endorse Sanders. She didn't endorse Sanders in 2016 and received some ire. They have some of the same ideas but is more pragmatic than him and that is why she didn't endorse him then and won't endorse him now. When they got into it that argument after that one debate it was clear that they clearly do not get along.

[JaneAusten]

So while I detest Bloomberg, at times like this it's nice having the 8th richest man in the world on your side.

 

 

[Juliajms]

^ Hell, yes. Now this is the lane Bloomberg should have stayed in all along, imo.

[Khan]

 

I must agree.  Michael Bloomberg's from NYC, which is like ground zero for the family Trump and their many, shady criminal enterprises.  If anyone knows where the (figurative and literal) bodies are buried....

[DRW50]

 

I agree, but I've decided Bernie isn't worth the energy. He's an old egomaniac grifter doing what he does best. I'm annoyed at the money that will have to be spent but at least his cultists will be able to spend time working for him (or being assholes on Twitter) rather than going around rioting the way they say they plan to do. I just wish these people could be purged from any role in the party or at the convention. 

 

(I will say it's been hilarious seeing them clutch their pearls over Biden's outburst a few days ago when it basically epitomized everything they've said Bernie is supposed to be)

 

 

I think Obama, like many of us, assumed a "safe" conservative was going to get the nomination - no one ever could have imagined Trump would be more than a vanity candidate. Beyond that, I think a fight against Hillary (who had supported Obama after their bitter primary and was seen as deserving her turn) would have been draining and vicious and would have torn the party apart. 

 

I've always been nervous about Biden running, then and even more now. I don't think I had anticipated just how shaky this year's slate would have ended up being. 

 

In an ideal world Kamala would have been given more of a chance, and had a different campaign, but of course that's not where we are.

[Khan]

 

Normally, I would be mad at NBC for normalizing this creature.  But, in a way, the Trump administration's very existence has helped to normalize Sarah Palin in ways that will never cease to astound me.

 

 

Exactly.  We just aren't in the mood these days even to entertain another woman, POC or WOC running for president (and probably won't be for a very long time).  The past four years, I'm heartbroken to say, have scared us back into "safe mode" -- which, in this case, is another old, white dude.

Edited March 12, 2020 by Khan

[Vee]

 

Like September 08, normal politics is now over. If Biden can seize the moment well today (he will be speaking at 1 EST) and not bring up Corn Pop or foxy ladies but do what he does well, things may coalesce in a new way.

 

Frankly, I don’t know why anyone’s still interested in this debate. Both Dem candidates should get up there and speak as one, as friends and colleagues with common cause, speaking as one to the public about this outbreak, prevention, safety, and Trump's poor response. No one electorally viable in this country is down to watch one loser haranguing the man who beat him about leftist policy right now. If Bernie doesn't realize this then he's a fool and has no business being up there on Sunday. This is so much more important than internecine policy debates or his ego. If he wants a remotely graceful and statesman-like finish, this is his answer unless he intends to stream his next ten stump rallies on Twitch ranting to dwindling viewership about the corporate Dems.

 

 

Edited March 12, 2020 by Vee

[marceline]

 

I honestly don't think anyone is still interested in the debates except the Berners. This thing is over for most others. We're sitting here in the middle of a pandemic and a stock market crash and Bernie's supporters are still trying to negotiate concessions for the fact that they lost. I think the debate is going to be a mess. Since there's no audience, the anticipated applause lines won't take and after last night's pathetic display by Toupee Fiasco people I think most of us are just like, "Can we focus on what matters now?"

[Vee]

Joe should approach him if he hasn't (and I'll bet he has) and say: Let's go there as friends and do a duet. Let's talk to the country together as allies about our shared causes, about the public's safety re: Corona, their prevention options, and why Trump and the GOP have failed in this global crisis on multiple levels that resonate across the first term of this administration. That's what statesmen do.

 

The public is not going to be here for Bernie trying to score points about progressive bonafides in a race he's already lost in the epicenter of a global pandemic. No mature person is going to be there for that by Sunday; I don't think many are now. He'd have to be insane.

 

 

Edited March 12, 2020 by Vee