The Politics Thread

[Juliajms]

Good Lord. The Saudi government actually crucified someone.

 

(CNN)Saudi Arabia has executed 37 men convicted of terror-related crimes, the kingdom's official news agency said Tuesday.

One of the convicts was crucified, according to an interior ministry statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

[JaneAusten]

I don't watch any cable news anymore but I have been paying attention to the debates

 

1. Buttigieg getting a lift out of the last debate was not a surprise to me. He was on point and sounded refreshing for a change.  Obviously the fresh face was going to get tainted as he started rising in the polls.

 

2. Warren was EXCEPTIONAL last night. All the criticism falls to the side. Despite the white male pundits and journalists, she still HAS charisma, shes still authentic, and she's on point with every answer.  I feel like the media is starting to pay attention a bit more to her since so much has been talked about in the past couple of weeks regarding her depth in policy and lack of attention.

 

3. I thought Harris was good. I think her problem is not being enough of a known entity and on occasion, a little uncertainty, but I expect with more appearances she'll get better.

 

4. Sanders - pass no comment. He never changes IMO  take that how you will.

 

5. Klobuchar - She was fine. Its clear she's smart and I'd say more direct.  But policy wise she's a bit too moderate for me. And I am no leftist.

 

6. Buttigieg  He was good but he's going to need to start rolling out detailed positions and  policies soon and stop with the platitudes.

Whoever runs against Lindsey in SC or is the national candidate - needs to include these clips in commercials.

[Juliajms]

Not more power to them. More like this is why they are like Trump voters and haven't we had enough of people who just want to destroy?

https://twitter.com/NateSilver538/status/1120807544300158976 https://twitter.com/NateSilver538/status/1120807544300158976

[ReddFoxx]

In the last primary they lamented the fact that many of them couldn't vote in the New York primary because it is closed and only Democrats can vote. Of course New York does have a very early close of registration to change your party, but a lot of these independents and others who support Sanders didn't even want to join the Democratic Party at all because they do not like it. They really have no good ideas or plans other than ranting about the establishment.

 

After the 2016 election a lot of them took over the delegate spots for the state convention and seats for the boards that help decide strategy at local levels. All they did was create tension and after last years delegate elections most of them lost or didn't run because they were in over their heads. One of them ousted the head of a Democratic club that I used to belong to and she was quite difficult to work with and she is no longer leading the club as of last year. She actually was so horrible that the Sanders group had thrown her out. Lots of bad tempered and negative people support Sanders.

[DRW50]

It's interesting to see some bigger voices saying what Buttigieg was flayed for - Trump and Sanders supporters really aren't that different. Many Sanders supporters support him because they hate everything of the establishment and want to tear it apart piece by piece. They have no logic or plans otherwise. They resent the idea of logic or plans. They just assume Bernie has them because he's so damn awesome. 

 

If Bernie ever does become establishment, they will likely begin to resent him as well. Luckily for them, I doubt he will, because he's likely more interested in being seen as a martyr - and in grifting, of course - to want the mainstream. 

Edited April 24, 2019 by DRW50

[DramatistDreamer]

 

Last year, FrontlinePBS did a very in-depth investigation inside the KSA and it was brutal.  It made for some tough viewing but it was very informative of how oppressive the government is and how brutally dissenters are put down.  

 

Under the Trump administration, ties to KSA have become deeply entwined, one could say the two governments are now as 'thick as thieves'.

Speaking of Trump, when will folks finally admit that this charlatan is a lousy deal maker?

 

[DRW50]

What a surprise to learn one of the leading voices at The Intercept was a Ralph Nader supporter. 

 

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/04/24/the-intercept-greenwald-grim-profile-media-politics-left-liberal-226710

[DramatistDreamer]

Remember the Bridgegate scandal with Chris Christie and his cohorts?  Sentencing, or re-sentencing for one of his former aides, Bridget Kelly occurred today. Kelly was (re)sentenced to 13 months in prison for her part.  She had words afterward.

 

[Khan]

Oh, how I love my brothers and sisters in the African-American community -- they know a con artist and a narcissist when they see one, lol!

[DramatistDreamer]

[Khan]

YES! LOL!

[Chris B]

She the People is giving me life! Bernie, as usual, looks incredibly uncomfortable and is getting groans and boos. The moderators keep telling him he’s dodging their questions. A total mess. In addition, I think Biden pushed back his announcement to avoid going to this event and coming out the gate with gaffes. 

[Khan]

 

In that case, he could push it back all the way to the morning after Election Day.  ;)

 

But seriously.  These privileged white males should have known better than to bring their usual shuck-and-jives to a forum led by WOC.  They are ESPECIALLY not here for their bullshit.

[Vee]

Uh-oh!

 

 

My mother was there, and this is how white str8 male organizers essentially behaved during the antiwar movement when Bernie came of age. Women shut up, black people were ancillary, the gays were beneath concern - it was always about the passionate, virile white guy with the megaphone who, if you really understood his rap, would sleep with you.

 

That paradigm has not changed much on the far left for fifty years. When it began to in 2008 and a black guy took over the party and didn't listen to them, most of the latest generation of passionate white guys (Matt Taibbi, Greenwald, Scahill, etc.) proceeded to lose their fuckíng minds. Then, they began to do what a lot of their predecessors had done in the 70s and 80s - drift towards the enclaves of the right or right-adjacent or at least sympathetic, spaces where their voices are still heard first and loudest. The history of our ego is cyclical.

 

Now, is Bernie those guys? Not exactly. I believe he means well. I also believe he's ultimately very privileged and self-absorbed. Take away a microphone and funds from him now, after he's had more than he dreamed, and I will wager $100 he will be on Fox in five years.

[DRW50]

Bernie will get a lot of cookies and tummy rubs for even going to event at all - especially since most of his supporters have no use for women of color (beyond tokens) - but I'm glad he is getting more focus for his lack of real plans. Only Buttigieg is getting knocked for this. I agree with those criticisms, but then I think he is a vanity candidate anyway, not likely to last. Sanders has a real chance of getting the nomination.