2020 Democratic presidential primary thread, pt 3: life is very long

biden had a speech the other night. I didn't see it but yeah, I'm not following him on FB where I am following Sanders, AOC, etc, so when Bernie does these things it just launches automatically.

Whatever your inclination -- even if you're the brass-collared for Biden -- if you don't admit that Sanders is doing the right thing in the crisis in the pure political sense -- sitting behind a desk and hammering like hell -- then you're being dishonest.

— Richard M. Nixon (@dick_nixon) March 23, 2020

That is a good tweet and you should share it with an audience that isn't 100% in agreement with it.

argh I wish we had an edit function

there should be an "also" after "should"

re Joe dyin — that’s when it’s definitely going to go sideways bc the party will 100% just coronate

words that look weird, now

Joe dying and being replaced by Bernie >>>>> Joe dying and being replaced by almost anyone other than Buttigieg > Joe living

this is the more salient followup, djp

I don't mean it's going to make a difference for Sanders. I mean Biden has given Sanders a vacuum, and Sanders has filled it. That's not good politics.

— Richard M. Nixon (@dick_nixon) March 23, 2020

Joe dying and being replaced by almost anyone other than Buttigieg

Who's your money on for if this happens?

Klobuchar's husband has been hospitalized for Covid

Shit that really sucks

is he though? I know we all get spoonfed Bernie’s speeches via social media, but I thought Biden was giving updates frequently too?

As someone whose friend group is mixed between Sanders & Biden supporters but which was hugely behind Warren when she was in, I can attest that I see a lot about what Warren is saying about COVID and somewhat less of what Sanders and Biden are saying, but I'm aware they're all putting stuff forward (Biden is using Richard Kleon (sp.?) as his Fauci)

I don't mean it's going to make a difference for Sanders. I mean Biden has given Sanders a vacuum, and Sanders has filled it. That's not good politics.
— Richard M. Nixon (@dick_nixon) March 23, 2020

totally agree with this - I know a lot of people ITT don't think there's any reason for Biden to be out there right now, but people are scared and current leadership is laughably incompetent - if there was ever a time for a presumptive nominee to go "step aside, I'm the president now", this is it

the problem is, sanders is someone america knows and looks to in these times in a way biden isn't...

My position is less "Biden doesn't need to be visible" and more "Whoever wants to win the Democratic nomination needs to tap into and mobilize angry governor energy; more power to whomever that person is."

the problem is, sanders is someone america knows and looks to in these times in a way biden isn't...

I'm going to ask again, on what evidence are you basing this assertion?

lol

at this point sanders staying in is just a cruel joke on his fans

the problem is, sanders is someone america knows and looks to in these times in a way biden isn't...

For certain definitions of "America"

just sucks that the "safe" choice we ran with is a 77 year old centrist who can barely speak right now

Biden is right-wing.

is he though? I know we all get spoonfed Bernie’s speeches via social media, but I thought Biden was giving updates frequently too?

Biden is not giving frequent updates. His senior adviser used his account to post a single thumbs-up emoji on an Instagram story (by a DJ who 35 years ago was in a band that called for violent revolution in America, and now calls himself a "brand") the other day and then screen-shotted it and posted it to celebrate how engaged and alert and down with the kids her candidate is.

biden had a speech the other night. I didn't see it but yeah, I'm not following him on FB where I am following Sanders, AOC, etc, so when Bernie does these things it just launches automatically.

You also didn't see it because it didn't exist. A week ago he gave a few minutes' livestream in which he mostly asked if people could hear him, frequently spaced out and stopped talking for 5-10 seconds, then got confused and literally wandered off camera for so long that they had to throw a campaign logo up onscreen until someone herded him back into place, pointed him forward, and got out of shot.

His campaign have responded to several days of questions about why he is not addressing the public by saying that he has had two non-public conference calls, one with CEOs of health care companies, and that they are busy setting up livestreaming equipment at his house, but it's hard because it is thirty years old and therefore does not have high ceilings.

Today they released a 90-second video address of him standing at a podium in front of a green-screened bookshelf, in which Biden visibly gestures around the podium for a teleprompter to be rolled further, then gives up on trying to read it and changes the topic. One might conclude that this was the best take they could get after several days of trying, or that Biden can currently only stand and focus and speak for two minutes at a time, or that this is not indicative of anything to do with his fitness and is nbd.

at this point sanders staying in is just a cruel joke on his fans

I don't agree. If nothing else it forces Biden to do the bare minimum when it comes to appearing "presidential".

Biden is right-wing.

This is nonsense, despite his heinous votes.

he has to compete w/ a dude hosting a coronavirus variety show w/ musical guests
xp

Shouldn't Bernie be in DC casting votes instead of live-streaming btw?

c'mon man, he's not missing any votes.

I think he figuratively missed the one last night

Was this right?

Who's your money on for if this happens?

but no real scissors or rocks allowed near Klob obv

Over 70s should not be going to work in a pandemic.

This is nonsense, despite his heinous votes.

votes speak louder than words imo. Albanese gave up any claim to be called left-wing in 2015, too.

biden sounds how I feel, i.e. completely exhausted

rock paper scissors between Harris, Booker and Klobuchar

You can get 250/1 on Harris or Klobuchar. Forgot about Booker

(Amend: you can vote for bad legislation as a compromise, or along party lines, and explain the reason why. Doubling down, or denying it, later is still bad.)

votes speak louder than words imo. Albanese gave up any claim to be called left-wing in 2015, too.

― Dollarmite Is My Name (sic),

I didn't claim Biden was left wing; I dismissed the claim he's right wing. He's a weather vane.

doesn't really matter what he Is, we know how he will govern

I'm hearing some Cuomo talk in the more feverish parts of the Twittersphere. maybe I'm in too deep myself but it sounds terrifyingly plausible.

He's a weather vane.

I bet he thinks this thread is about him

are you sure that's not just people talking about the Mario Cuomo alternate universe xp

I didn't claim Biden was left wing

Nor did I mean to imply that you did - apologies for the lack of clarity in comparison.

all good

iatee you really are fucking pissing me off -- "staying in" is the only option when dorks like you want to render him invisible if he 'withdraws'

boom

dang this is the third time I've agreed with Morbs today, what is goin on

the only people still watching the bernie sanders variety show right now are the members of the fanclub. he has been rendered invisible by a global pandemic that isn't going anywhere.

i want bernie's solutions and think he's still the best candidate on positions. but if suppporters don't recognize what the fuck is up when a person runs twice for prez and has a dedicated base but STILL can't get over.... he cannot get over as he's doing it, at least yet.

i mean as a shit-opinionated observer who _is not popular in the real_, i can say that the best thing i ever came to comfort with (at about age 28) was "hunt3r, you will never be 'popular guy.' if you will succeed, you will need to learn just enough of suck-up to not compromise your core." this is not rocket science. every politician does this dance, tho some start at "quite popular."

it is true that being popular enough to win a prez nom is not the same as being "popular guy." but bernie is old as dirt. his ideas are correct. why is biden seeming more popular? is it _only_ the media? if it is only the media, should bernie work harder with the media without compromising his core? is that possible? what is wrong with his candidacy?

Iatee otm

Bernie Sanders was just on with Chris Hayes railing against the Reublicans' proposed bill and advocating, passionately and intelligently, for a package that benefits workers and low income families.

He was on TV because he's running for president.

Would you prefer this messaging just stops?

I think this rules, if that’s at me.

no, to shakey

I’m pretty sure Chris Hayes would still have Bernie on even if he wasn’t running for president

yes