Your next 2020 Democratic presidential primary thread: Now we're serious

It's the 'figuring out the details' part I'm wondering about, since the details seem very subject to factors outside the candidate's control, as man alive notes. That said, comparing their websites, I'm not really seeing how e.g. this is more detailed than this.

which is to say positioning oneself as the competent/technocratic/wonky/intellectual candidate (e.g. by talking a lot about numbers that will never be realized or perhaps by speaking Norwegian well enough to read a book but not well enough to ever use it in negotiations with the Norwegian PM) often seems to me to be itself about a kind of ideological branding as anything else.

warren didn't put on some glasses and position herself as a 'wonky politician' for branding purposes. she was an acclaimed academic who happened to get into politics.

ice-cold rick perry shade

shall I link to that NRO column

That thing the other day where Warren said she'd "lead the parade" if someone else adopted her policy positions -- that is a humane thing to do. It is not a political thing.

— Richard M. Nixon (@dick_nixon) February 12, 2020

which is to say positioning oneself as the competent/technocratic/wonky/intellectual candidate (e.g. by talking a lot about numbers that will never be realized or perhaps by speaking Norwegian well enough to read a book but not well enough to ever use it in negotiations with the Norwegian PM) often seems to me to be itself about a kind of ideological branding as anything else.

― With considerable charm, you still have made a choice (Sund4r), Wednesday, 12 February 2020 15:43 (twenty-five minutes ago) link

OTM -- it signals that you're "one of the smart kids" and therefore appeals to people whose identities are wrapped up in being "one of the smart kids."

she’s gonna endorse the klob, ensuring that the bros have another good betrayal narrative to work with

xp

i hope that fantasy works out well in yr dreamlife

have to say, of all the female candidates we initially had, I did not expect Klobuchar to be the last one standing.

she's the Pet Shop Boys candidate

"being boring"

Bernie 2020: I love you, you pay my rent

Klobuchar is an excellent avatar for the party of “no, we can’t”

since the media treats politics as sports now anyway, I think maybe you could say Warren simply peaked too early.

Klobuchar did well in the debate. I said so. I have some understanding of what the press eat with spoons. She's also inconsistent, boring, and third place.

— Richard M. Nixon (@dick_nixon) February 12, 2020

Are there any people who've moved from Warren to Sanders here? If so why?

Why fuck around, I asked myself

my primary vote is strategic and I want the most viable lefty candidate to get the nomination. So in all likelihood that means Bernie, at this point.

I went from soft-Warren to firm-Sanders because she got timid on M4A.

I didn't know what M4a was, so i googled. And it's a file extension? :P

M4A = medicare for all = the most important policy meme to me of the moment.

hmm yeah that’s the spot

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/482607-klobuchar-we-need-to-build-a-big-tent-for-anti-abortion-democrats

Antiabortion Democrats can vote for a Republican, eat shit

Including you morbs.

wha?

I am 100% fine with str8 ppl keeping reproduction to a minimum

Misremembering a comment or two I guess, also how dare I imply you’re “a Democrat” right

ie i am neither antiabortion OR a Democrat

tho if i had to choose one...

lol xp

oh i have 'evolved' since i started posing here

after all i usta be a Catholic who believed we had souls

Meanwhile in Nevada:

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders would “end Culinary Healthcare” if elected president, according to a new one-pager the politically powerful Culinary Union is posting back of house on the Las Vegas Strip.

The new flyer, a copy of which was obtained by The Nevada Independent, compares the positions on health care, “good jobs” and immigration of six Democratic presidential hopefuls who have come to the union’s headquarters over the last two months to court its members. But the primary difference outlined in the document, which is being distributed in both English and Spanish, is in the candidates’ positions on health care, taking particular aim at the Vermont senator over his Medicare-for-all policy, which would establish a single-payer, government run health insurance system.

The flyer says Sanders, if elected president, would “end Culinary Healthcare,” “require ‘Medicare For All,’” and “lower drug prices.” The language it uses to describe the position of Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who also supports Medicare for all after a transition period, is much gentler: “‘Medicare for All,’” “replace Culinary Healthcare after 3-year transition or at end of collective bargaining agreements,” and “lower drug prices.”

An interesting thread from Rachel Bitecofer, the "there are no swing voters" lady:

Here is the basic fact of where Sanders is in the race. He has won NH by a narrow 2pts, can claim a partial (total vote) win in IA primarily due to no results being reported. These were in 2 overwhelmingly white states. IOW: these were weaker than expected performances. HOWEVER,

— Rachel "The Doc" Bitecofer 📈🔭🍌 (@RachelBitecofer) February 12, 2020

the ever-glorious commenters

I like to think that's the only tweet, with no followups, as a tribute to this:

STEPHEN A: Skip I want to ADDRESS this issue.
[BAYLESS nods]
You KNOW I am sensitive to the Holocaust
BAYLESS: Absolutely
STEPHEN A: BUT!

— Yakuza boss rewatching doraemon (@Hegelbon) July 25, 2014

Deval Patrick out!

what a bloodbath

I basically agree w/ the bitecofer thread and I also can't imagine how anyone thinks that sanders is gonna be in a strong position to actually win the general election if it does play out that way

listen to "The Doc"

I also can't imagine how anyone thinks that sanders is gonna be in a strong position to actually win the general election if it does play out that way

"Sanders 2020: It's Me Or Donald Trump. You Pick."

I’d have more confidence in that strategy had it worked in 2016

Re the bitecofer thread: this is why I'm terrified of Warren dropping out and immediately being courted by a moderate campaign offering VP and they start campaigning with her front and center (or straight up announcing it in the primary a la fiorentina)

That could be all it takes to ultimately tank bernie

Hilary Clinton had negative sentiment around her that we all brushed aside for its absurdity, and also she got more votes

I think Sanders has a decent shot of making a hopeful emotional appeal, not just being the Anti-Trump. eg, "do this for someone else." Which most people won't do, but they might think they are.

Confirmed via Klobuchar spox @carliewaibel: It's "Klomentum" not "Klobmentum"

— Nick Corasaniti (@NYTnickc) February 12, 2020

https://www.dict.cc/?s=klo

i certainly feel some klomentum after my morning coffee

Its funny to me she had to mention how white the two states sanders has won are as if he doesn’t have an incredibly diverse coalition polling very well with latino and black voters. While his main rival so far for older black voters just completely collapsed.

I’d have more confidence in that strategy had it worked in 2016

In 2016 there was a plausible (if you'd been struck on the head by falling masonry) "maybe he'll rise to the office, maybe an outsider is just what we need" argument. And, as has been mentioned ad fucking nauseam, he lost except for 77,000 votes sprinkled across three Midwestern states that nobody is taking for granted this time. Trump 2020 is not Trump 2016, and the only way to completely doom yourself is to act like this is a rerun of four years ago.

But in general I don’t think we can just add up all the centrist support and compare it Bernie’s many people arent really aware of the ideological breakdown in stark manichean contrast. They are just as likely to be voting because they like a candidate’s personality or think they are Electable.

Absolutely the case, think Bernard does well as second choice for Biden voters in particular

Centrist candidate doesnt necessarily mean centrist voter, its more complex than that

I’d have more confidence in that strategy had it worked in 2016

― iatee, Wednesday, February 12, 2020 11:50 AM (eight minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

The trick, as I recall, is largely about encouraging voters to actually cast votes.

I mean there's an argument to be made that non-voting dems pretty much handed Trump the election. Turnout was not great.

In 2016 there was a plausible (if you'd been struck on the head by falling masonry) "maybe he'll rise to the office, maybe an outsider is just what we need" argument. And, as has been mentioned ad fucking nauseam, he lost except for 77,000 votes sprinkled across three Midwestern states that nobody is taking for granted this time. Trump 2020 is not Trump 2016, and the only way to completely doom yourself is to act like this is a rerun of four years ago.

it’s not a rerun because we’re running against a very strong economy, an incumbent w/ strong party support, all of his scandals have already ‘broken’ and can’t pierce his floor. trump’s awfulness has been normalized for a lot of America.

very strong economy if yer in the stock market

but keep spreading that sunshine

a very strong economy

A very strong stock market. These are not the same thing.

an incumbent w/ strong party support

The remaining Republicans are a death cult, yes. But the number of people willing to identify themselves as Republicans has been spiraling downward since January 2017.

all of his scandals have already ‘broken’ and can’t pierce his floor

This is simply not true.

trump’s awfulness has been normalized for a lot of America.

People are booing this motherfucker at sporting events. Donald Trump doesn't just have a low approval rating. People hate him.

Yes, I think it's more correct to say that Trump's behavior has normalized the behavior of aberrant people who already pretty much behaved like Trump and now just feel that their id has been unleashed.