Joe Biden, Senator from Citibank (oops, DELAWARE), to Run for President

^ manages at once to be both complimentary and stinging. mostly stinging.

Both about Biden and "traditional voters."

FWIW I don't think 'traditional voters' is a very good phrase here.

For lots of reasons -- for instance, as Dr Morbius would swiftly point out, most voters up to c.1980 were in many cases voting for things to the Left of what's on offer now.

Not that what I think of AOC's words matters but it's still an odd thing, politically, for her to say.

the tradition of cherishing white ascendancy has been pretty continuous since the USA began

1980 was 40 years ago.

pinefox helping make AOC’s point

manages at once to be both complimentary and stinging. mostly stinging.

I think it's mostly complimentary to Biden! She is saying he has an ability to present a progressive platform in a way that doesn't read as scary or radical, but as plain common sense. And not just because he's old and white -- Sanders is also old and white! Because of a skill he has.

I would say that Ocasio-Cortez has the same skill, and knows it, but has the good sense not to brag about it.

sounds more to me like she's saying that in a parallel universe, where Biden believed in those things, he could get them over just by being avuncular

She’s saying ideology and policy don’t matter and Biden could be a cardboard cutout that people associate with Obama and do just as well.

He’s a Thundershirt for liberals.

I think it's mostly complimentary to Biden! She is saying he has an ability to present a progressive platform in a way that doesn't read as scary or radical, but as plain common sense. And not just because he's old and white -- Sanders is also old and white! Because of a skill he has.

That's how I read it, with a cyanide capsule buried in the frosting.

Dolores Huerta (activist, co-founder of the UFW with Caesar Chavez) endorses Biden. She had previously been on team Kamala.

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/renowned-activist-dolores-huerta-endorses-joe-biden-for-president/

I think it's mostly complimentary to Biden! She is saying he has an ability to present a progressive platform in a way that doesn't read as scary or radical, but as plain common sense.

What? No. She doesn't say anything vaguely like that. She said Biden could adopt Bernie's agenda and it not matter.

AOC's not dumb enough to actually think Biden can be "pushed left."

I think maybe reread what you're quoting.

Sure he can. Garrulous hacks like Biden who slapped Good Ol' Strom's back are "transactional" to their core. The party's moved leftward, so will he (don't confuse moving left with becoming left, though). He and Elizabeth Warren published something under their own names on COVID-19 solutions, for starters. That's all it is -- a start. But it's a tremor.

xpost

eephus otm imo. the statement seems almost like an encouragement to Biden, saying that he could and should adopt some of Bernie’s positions

I think maybe reread what you're quoting.

Yeah, I did. She's not saying anything about Biden's abilities and she's certainly not suggesting he's going to "present a progressive platform" in any way.

I get that people are trying to divine tea leaves to make them feel better about voting for the senile sex criminal but it's real clear: "older white man" "Santa Claus soothing effect" "not be Trump."

You seem to be reading "has an ability" to mean something other than "could"?

Uh... could is the word I specifically used.

He ‘could’ take Bernie’s platform wholesale and it not matter because he’s a cardboard cutout that allows a lot of people to not think about politics for four years.

it would matter if he aggressively pushed for single payer and free college while in office

xp - word I specifically highlighted*

He ‘could’ take Bernie’s platform wholesale

see also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subjunctive_mood

If he took Sanders' platform (hooray!), then who cares if he's a cutout? And he wouldn't be -- he'd suddenly be a liberal. I'm not following you. You give politicians too much credit for integrity.

If he took Sanders' platform (hooray!), then who cares if he's a cutout? And he wouldn't be -- he'd suddenly be a liberal. I'm not following you. You give politicians too much credit for integrity.

She brings up Sanders's platform to highlight that ideology has nothing to do with Biden 2020 - he could take the platform wholesale and it not matter because he's the comforting old white man who can make everything normal because remember Obama? Conversely, he could adopt Mitt Romney's entire 2012 platform and have the same impact - because 'normal and remember Obama?'

Y'all glommed onto the mention of a progressive platform rather than all the words that followed.

I see we're all fans of English novels and their subtleties.

I'm not following you.

Two words: Biden bad. It's a belief system, not subject to change.

seems to contort all the information it receives until it resembles points he's already made 1000x on this thread

For the 1001st "we can make Joe Biden a progressive with the right pressure" jerk sesh, yep.

nobody here said that, or at least I didn't.

I thought the words that followed were acknowledging that he could allow for a progressive platform as a centrist and that his followers, centrists and older people, wouldn’t blink, because people for the most part are practical, not idealists

joe biden sucks

the AOC quote reads to me a comment on the electorate and how biden's success reflects his branding/package/narrative and not a groundswell of support for whatever is listed as his platform. i don't see any predictions there as to any platform biden might go on to adopt or be pushed towards or whatever, or his susceptibility to such pushing.

joe biden: empty santa claus suit

"she's saying he has an ability to do this thing"
"you idiot, she's saying he COULD do this thing"

More marvels from the nimble digital team at malarkey.no

this is a real gif from the biden campaign design geniuses pic.twitter.com/l503tDQB18

— SLUG (@generalslug) May 4, 2020

AOC quote is a clear-eyed, world-weary statement on white, male privilege. At best it is a neutral statement of an uncomfortable fact. It is in no way complimentary to Biden or his supporters/voters.

Pointing Johnny got into Princeton ONLY because he is white, male, and rich is not generally considered complimentary.

out

was not previously aware of this decades-long abusive slander by Joe Biden:

Biden lying about how his wife and daughter were killed is supremely, supremely fucked up beyond belief pic.twitter.com/HaL6A9kEBV

— Klaus Nomi Malone (@prokchorp) May 5, 2020

joe was just referring to people who drink smoothies in place of a proper lunch, he has been a leader on this issue for decades, lookit his record

oh yeah, i had forgotten about that

really insane. the guy went to the grave still asking biden to clear this up.

but joe refused to submit to the Naked Juice lobbyists

i mean, there is too much sugar in that punch, jack, come on.

jamba juice known to draw many a dogfaced pony soldier though tbf

it's comical what we will "forget" about people when they occupy somewhat of a similar worldview

All of Trump’s supporters forgot he was a Clinton donor and a Democrat for his entire pre-Obama life

Or the Bloomberg supporters who I guess forgot that he spoke at the 2004 RNC. The list of turncoats is glorious.

NEW: Progressive groups including @moveon, @pccc, @WorkingFamilies, @justicedems, @sunrisemvmt, @greenpeaceusa, @UltraViolet urge Biden to drop Larry Summers as an adviser, pointing to his record on economics, climate and gender issues. https://t.co/czhdZYvzTL

— Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) May 6, 2020

Lucy’s arms are gonna get tired yanking the football away.