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

Poland has a large catholic constituency and enough people for PiS to win elections, do you think the ‘elites’ live in such a vacuum?

Poland has a large catholic constituency

Yes. Now contrast that with your previous statement: "... the evangelical vote, which is a massive voting bloc, proves my point. Other countries who do not have that specific population do not see the rights to abortion as threatened quite like in the US.Other countries who do not have that specific population do not see the rights to abortion as threatened quite like in the US."

do you think the ‘elites’ live in such a vacuum?

Again... "a combination of activism and political leadership."

If the Democratic political leadership endorses an idea, any idea at all - it becomes the ride or die position for about a quarter of the country automatically, because their team endorsed it. Likewise, if leadership actively rejects and ridicules the Green New Dream Or Whatever, that quarter of the country also rejects and ridicules it, making it harder for the activists to make inroads.

Well other that in Poland they are mainly catholics and that in the US you have a mix of different christians it doesn't really refute my point that politicians are not going to contradict what their electorate is asking for.

If the Democratic political leadership endorses an idea, any idea at all - it becomes the ride or die position for about a quarter of the country automatically, because their team endorsed it. Likewise, if leadership actively rejects and ridicules the Green New Dream Or Whatever, that quarter of the country also rejects and ridicules it, making it harder for the activists to make inroads.

Up until the GND is so popular the democratic leadership has no choice but to position itself for it, Biden has been elected to his position by being able to ignore the GND, hence, not enough people are for the GND for it to be yet a game changer.

Well other that in Poland they are mainly catholics and that in the US you have a mix of different christians

it doesn't really refute my point that politicians are not going to contradict what their electorate is asking for.

Up until the GND is so popular the democratic leadership has no choice but to position itself for it, Biden has been elected to his position by being able to ignore the GND, hence, not enough people are for the GND for it to be yet a game changer.

I really just meant that countries without a christian block of anti-abortion fanatics don't face the same pressure over women's rights.

That's not true - perhaps you've heard of... Saudi Arabia? - but also irrelevant? Again - "a combination of activism and political leadership."

The idea that a politician's only role is to rubber stamp a proposal that has now reached some magical number of public support bears no relation to reality.

The discussion is about democracies, outside of them it’s indeed different, everything that I’ve said was framed with the notion of elections. In Saudi Arabia it’s indeed not christiannity nor a country with many elections, good job on picking that up, but let me guess that abortion rights policies wouldn’t be too popular among a famously religious saudi population, and that even if the leadership suddenly believed it was the right thing to do, the prospect of it ever happening would be slim. Hence my point again, politicians with an electoral imperative aren’t too keen on going against what is popular with the base.

Aimless, twice, has said it better than I did, at this point we are just repeating ourselves. I just think we have fundamentaly different views of how democracy works and that’s quite okay.

The idea that a politician's only role is to rubber stamp a proposal that has now reached some magical number of public support bears no relation to reality.

Just because you can poorly paraphrase someone's clearly stated position to make it sound idiotic doesn't address their position or make it idiotic.

Up until the GND is so popular the democratic leadership has no choice but to position itself for it, Biden has been elected to his position by being able to ignore the GND

Yes. That quote does not misrepresent VHS's thinking. Good for you. Now you might contrast and compare it with "only", "rubber stamp" and "magical number".

no choice but to position itself for it,

Man why don't y'all cool out, listen to some Teddy Ruxpin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJ5cD9xvqew

I'm not going to shut down the country.

I'm not going to shut down the economy.

I'm going to shut down the virus.

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 30, 2020

which requires shutting down the country

I'm with Milo here, unsurprisingly, because something can't be so popular that a party has to position itself for it, but not popular enough that it can get shit on by the asshole corporatist racist running for president.

I'm not trying to be a simp, but really, it doesn't make sense.

GND, medicare for all, legalized weed... obviously nowhere near issues of the same importance, but when such issues have broad-based support, even among voters of the opposing party, and the Dems just blithely roll along bailing out banks and speaking idpol bromides to blue checkmarks while planning to bomb kids in Yemen? You have to wonder who these people are actually serving. It is not, alas, the American people.

I'm going to shut down the virus.

This is one promise that Joe isn't going to keep, because he can't. The virus is too entrenched now and everyone still has to breathe.

I think he can fairly claim that he will do a better job of tackling what's needed than the incumbent has.

He can shut down the virus without shutting down the economy, if he bails out all individual residents and physical businesses. He can't do it without shutting down the country. And he can't do anything until he becomes President in three months time, after the huge winter spike in infections and deaths.

Although Biden found time to twice condemn protestors against Pittsburgh police brutality this week (and did not speak out against the Pittsburgh police subsequently literally stealing a child), and has repeatedly called for protestors against murdercops to be shot, he does not seem to have said anything critical of the pro-Trump protestors who literally tried to run him off the road (killing him?) yesterday.


I did find this on his twitter, though:

Let’s put dogs back in the White House. pic.twitter.com/7pBihksfXT

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) November 1, 2020

Still, have some bubbly in the fridge to hopefully toast his electoral majority on Tuesday.

Sic, beware that I am forgiving, but many Philadelphians are not.

As in, the events and outrage of the past week have occurred in Philadelphia, not Pittsburgh.

mea culpa, it was late and I haven't slept in a few years - obv I cited the case properly the other day

All good! I just wanted to point it out, because I was confused at first, and then I was like, "oh sic means Philly."

TBH I wouldn't be surprised to hear the cops pulled an identical stunt in Pittsburgh

They did in 2018 with Antwon Rose.

congrats, asshole

lol

15 years and 7000 posts later

that's the most posts a democratic candidate has ever received

hate this guy

wb

Fingers crossed that he's forced to leave office by April.

Went to bed at 3:00 feeling like the closeness itself, regardless of the winner, was a sobering loss--I wanted the blowout that was dangled before me--and even though it is disturbing, I'm feeling happier than I thought I would eking one out. (Maybe a bit better.) Not to over-dramatize, but I genuinely wondered how your country would get through a second Trump term. Not violence or anything, just the emotional toll. I think I would have tuned out completely myself.

I'm glad his victory is imminent so that I'll have the opportunity to absolutely loathe every president I've ever been conscious and alive for.

And I mean, I'm a pretty loving guy.

presidents of this country: they suck ass generally

even though it is disturbing, I'm feeling happier than I thought I would eking one out

😏

Are you still thinking Biden will take PA?

— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) November 5, 2020

Sry

Joe, you used images of me getting beaten up in Charlottesville over and over and I have to tell you that those people beating me up were in fact my enemies. https://t.co/qtEz8iXxA8

— Emily of the State (@EmilyGorcenski) November 4, 2020

Btw I will call Joe Biden good if he somehow secures 900 billion dollars or so for Amtrak

we have to stop treating our opponents as emilies

That Biden tweet is exactly why I can't stand the guy. Someone who wants to kill me and my partner is my enemy, white supremacists are my enemy, the police are my enemy. Enough with this namby-pamby "I can work with Strom Thurmond" crap.

Btw I will call Joe Biden good if he somehow secures 900 billion dollars or so for Amtrak

― all cats are beautiful (silby), Wednesday, November 4, 2020 9:03 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

the fact that he likes trains is cool.

PLUR for white supremacists and active fascists, cabinet positions for billionaires, shoot protestors against police brutality, concoct fake charges to permanently imprison people who create a fun and inclusive environment for dancing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF1FrKkRRek

yes Joe's earnest and abiding love of trains is his only redeeming quality AFAICT (not counting "not being trump")

but offset by his sinister love of ice cream

I hope he doesn't make raves a priority on Day 1.