2020 Democratic presidential primary

all the good will he seems to inspire at the moment seems like 50% something that rubbed off from obama and 50% those onion articles. he's a sack of shit.

He said “this is a big fuckin deal” on a hot mic at the ACA signing ceremony, that’s like 4% right there

there won't be an ACA left by the time the next president takes office so the very concept of incremental fixes to it are irrelevant nonsense https://t.co/wVZyrCHqKv

— Bill Humphrey 🌳 (@BillHumphreyMA) March 27, 2019

squishy moderation on healthcare should not be tolerated for lots of reasons, but this is an especially solid and pragmatic one.

not sure about that

I had an ACA plan for a couple of years. I don't think it was ever supposed to be a longterm solution. Why keep fixing something that kind of sucks when there is a much more obvious, better solution. So I get Bernie there.

i'm on it right now, and may be living in my sister's spare room by 2021 as a result

It turned into a completely ridiculous, convoluted shitshow.

And there is no reason the catholic church should be allowed to buy up so many hospitals and clinics in the US and be able to deny services. It's so messed up.

RIP

Beto O'Rourke's wife works for an education reform organization that aims to expand charter schools in El Paso. Teacher unions didn't press him on charters when he ran for senate, but say things will be different now https://t.co/zkXbVHiNXO

— Rachel Cohen (@rmc031) March 27, 2019

I've been wondering about this because it's mentioned in every recent longform profile of him.

Beto married into a family that is extremely wealthy. He can stand on a dirt road but at the end of the day he comes home to a world where the first reaction to getting into a fender bender would be “oh let’s just buy a new car”

rich people thinking they are inherently qualified to "remake" public education, smdh.

Anyone else think Mayor Pete looks straight off a Kraftwerk sleeve?

Autobutt

Autobuttigieg for the People, surely

Seems canny of Buttigieg to be building a profile before announcing officially, means the announcement might get covered as something other than News of the Weird

Beto married into a family that is extremely wealthy. He can stand on a dirt road but at the end of the day he comes home to a world where the first reaction to getting into a fender bender would be “oh let’s just buy a new car”

― Karl Malone, Wednesday, March 27, 2019 10:09 AM (five hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Inequality is a huge problem in the US and I stand with you in that I have no trust Beto is going to vastly improve the lives of the middle and working classes of the US. However I don't think his wealth should be a disqualifier, both Roosevelts were filthy rich and they helped the cause of the poor in tremendous ways.

eh alternately: wealth is disgusting

wealth shouldn't necessarily be "disqualifying" but it should definitely be a source of much more direct derision and mockery

Not when properly redistributed.

doubling down, inherited wealth is disgusting.

FDR had the lord of the manor's compassion that comes harder to a piece of beef jerky like Beto.

The people of Egypt were divided into 3 classes: the Priests, the
Warriors and the work people. The land was divided between the
Warriors, the Priests and the Kings and each had a 3rd of it. The
working people had nothing. They lived in the porches of the temples
or in little straw huts. The kings made them work so hard and gave
them so little that by wingo! they nearly starved and by jinks! they had
hardly any clothes! So they died in quadrillions!

(fdr age 9)

fdr was widely reviled as a class traitor

quadrillions of rich people hated him!

doubling down, inherited wealth is disgusting.

― Yerac, Wednesday, March 27, 2019 3:44 PM (twenty-one minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I learned of this the other day:

One example that Leonard Burman of Syracuse University and the Urban Institute has suggested is to eliminate a provision of current law in which assets that increase in value can go essentially untaxed across generations.

If you start a company and its value appreciates over your lifetime, then it is transferred to a family member upon your death, no capital gains taxes are collected on those decades of appreciation. The family member gets to start over at its current valuation for capital gains purposes.

This “step-up” provision is one of numerous ways that families can accumulate great wealth with minimal taxation. It could be eliminated. Laws could be changed to make it harder to avoid the estate tax, which currently kicks in at about $11 million for an individual and about $23 million for a married couple

Needs to be eliminated asap.

exception proves the rule iirc
beto's exceptionalism quickly waning

It wouldn’t be disqualifying if the number of wealthy populations was anywhere near the rate of wealthy people. But as it stands, almost all politicians are very wealthy compared to the people the represent. If Beto was just an outlier (among politicians) it would be one thing, but instead he’s just yet another super wealthy guy who is supposed to care about the economic problems of people he’s been out of touch with since he got married

Being rich doesn't give you any insight into public life or policy; I would argue the opposite. in terms of political engagement, it would make roughly as much sense if the only people who could take part in the process were 6'10" or taller.

we could have a yearly political draft based on their ability to get shit done. it couldn't be worse than the current system, except new york would still be run by de blasio.
SELL THE TEAM

I thought Beto's own family was definitely upper middle class (if not wealthier)?

I’m sure they are. Otherwise he wouldn’t be in a position to marry someone with even more of a shit of money

a shit ton. Gotta get my units right

Not saying wealthy is good! Just that good policy making is good policy making (et vice versa) and I don't care if the person is rich or poor all I want is good policy.

Beto ain't running up the score there either tbh

which means we should also clown him for being married to a charter school pirate

and I stand with you in that I have no trust Beto is going to vastly improve the lives of the middle and working classes of the US

― Van Horn Street, Wednesday, March 27, 2019 3:41 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Ok totally on board with the clowning if one believes the policies are terrible.

Is his spanish better or worse than Tim Kaine's?

Can there be a Spanish-language primary debate this cycle, and can there be a high school Spanish teacher there to say "en español, por favor" whenever someone messes up

there are no latinxs running for the dem nomination right?

(kind of prefer latin@s but that seems to have gone out of style)

2020 Democratic Primary Candidates as @dril tweets:

— Mayor Senator Meow🎩 (@SenatorMeow) March 26, 2019

Siéntate, BETO! Siéntate!

(because he's always captain, my captaining even thought he's seven foot tall)

Beto O'Rourke https://t.co/M8Fw1i2FDg

— Mayor Senator Meow🎩 (@SenatorMeow) March 26, 2019

McAuliffe reportedly circling

he can circle into a drain

a world where the first reaction to getting into a fender bender would be “oh let’s just buy a new car”

That's a lot tamer than what his reaction is to slamming into a truck while on a 0.13 bender.