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

ah shaun king, the integrity and honesty expert has logged on.

Time to drag out 87-year-old Mark Russell to reprise his "Is it Joe Biden, or is it Memorex?" zing

lol, cold-blooded

I asked Biden what he sees as his biggest contrast with Buttigieg. He replied: “You guys have seen pete, he’s a good guy, you’ve seen bernie, you’ve seen me. Some things are just a self-evident contrast. I’ve gotten more than 8,600 votes in my life.”

— Alexandra Jaffe (@ajjaffe) January 30, 2020

Delaware is the South Bend of states tho

rip big man, heaven needed a steroidal bill dauterive

John Delaney says he’s dropping out of presidential race https://t.co/BAbRmwoXq8

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 31, 2020

he met the chapos and realized he'd hit bottom

ah yes, the 'chapo crap out' manouevre

bad day for us Delaniacs

too bad I liked Dhalgren

who?

So who else will be out of the race two week from now?

Bennett and Patrick surely, but maybe Klobo?

When Klobuchar drops out, Chuck Todd's gonna look the way Walter Cronkite looked announcing JFK's death.

too bad I liked Dhalgren

― Muswell Hillbilly Elegy (President Keyes), Friday, January 31, 2020 8:39 AM (two hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

who?

― Swilling Ambergris, Esq. (silby),

you know Dhalgren, the one with the really long arms

my wife asked me who I was excited about/who I would vote for in the CA primary and my answer to the first was "nobody" and to the second "probably Bernie, if he's ahead of Warren in the polls". We lamented the old-white-man triumvirate likely to dominate the primaries from here on out. We'll both vote for whoever the Democratic nominee is, of course, but for her part my wife is pretty resentful of the Berniebro army (perfectly understandable imo) and Biden is obviously a doddering bozo, but Warren's support seems to be cratering. I don't think any of them are ideal candidates - I think possibly Warren is the one who would actually make the best/most effective President but this country apparently hates women too much. If Bernie manages to pull it off I think we'll be looking at a Carter-type scenario and possibly a major schism in the party that cripples any major legislation; Biden will probably get us into a stupid war and won't pass anything remotely as dramatic as current crises require. Warren could possibly thread the needle, but if she doesn't take any of the first three primaries she's done. The Dems are going to really have to hope that anti-Trump animus is enough to drive turnout and overcome any factional distastes for various candidates, and I dunno maybe that will be enough - the prospect does not fill me with hope though. The fact is none of the field is capable of motivating a majority of the party/its voting coalition, and that's bad.

increasingly I wonder if we are likely to see a scenario where the nominee is decided by multiple rounds of balloting at the convention - if no one comes in with a majority it seems at least possible. Back-room power-brokering/delegate-trading would essentially decide the nomination.

that sounds like my take at this point. illinois primary isn't until march 17 so things should be clearer by then. bleh.

I won't comment until after lunch.

I feel bad about this but I'm sort of glad my primary is late and a lot will be decided by then; it feels like a lot of responsibility! (And it's a responsibility that the same few people shouldn't have to shoulder every time.)

none of the field is capable of motivating a majority of the party/its voting coalition

seems premature to assume so; what about the polls that show popular support for the policies of the 'progressive wing'? just stay on message.

Biden or Bootyjudge can't of course

what about the polls that show popular support for the policies of the 'progressive wing'?

people don't vote based on policies, is the problem

which is part of Bernie's problem - he has policies that a significant chunk of the party thinks are legit scary, and as a messenger he can be (how to put this diplomatically) less than appealing. Not everybody loves an angry Jewish grandpa.

this year I'm voting on policy (and I actually get to vote this time, because WA Dems switched away from caucuses, thank god) and that policy is Medicare For All, Motherfuckers

okay maybe I should've said "most people"

Sanders will have wingppl (AOC) who i'm convinced can turn out the under-35s

Isn't his weak spot more with older and centrist voters?

well, we'll drive them to the wrong polling places

Not everybody loves an angry Jewish grandpa.

Who loves Biden?

This is playing motherfucking Family Feud again. Stop trying to predict what other ppl will like and work yr asses off.

everyone fucking remembers that about Biden and Shaun King is awful, I'd blocked him everywhere and managed to forget he existed until just now. thanks.

Who loves Biden?

my mom lol

also my situation very similar to Shakey's. I'm voting for Sanders in CA, but mainly because he's leading so significantly here. I would have voted Warren otherwise. My wife can't deal with Sanders for the same reason many can't (bros, lecturing, she's annoyed by Larry David too) A few weeks ago (while high) I was absolutely convinced Sanders was going to win against Trump. Again, granted, stoned, but it seemed inevitable to me. Now I'm not so sure. But I can't see anyone else beating him frankly. And as exciting as many of Sanders' policies are, I'm concerned he won't be very successful as a President. Basically we're doomed. Thanks.

Stop trying to predict what other ppl will like and work yr asses off.

I'm not gonna work my ass off for Bernie at this point, sorry. Simply because I don't think he's suited for the Presidency - he's too old, too combative, and I'm a little leery of who he would bring into his cabinet/team. I am clearly not alone among Democrats with these concerns. I'm also genuinely leery of anybody that inspires this kind of cult of personality that he's got, it isn't healthy and its outcomes are never good.

For my part, I like the large majority of his policies. I find his cantankerous bluntness charming. But I don't really find him inspiring. I'm not particularly EXCITED to vote for him, primarily because I don't think he'll be able to deliver on a lot of his proposals.

xp

otoh always cuet to see some Morbzian optimism

if there's any candidate I out-and-out hate it's Mayor Pete.

I'm not inspired by Sanders but you shouldn't be inspired by presidential candidates!

well, we'll drive them to the wrong polling places

also I know this was a joek but it is emblematic of the kind of thing v online Berniebros are willing to engage in - intimidation/being dismissive of others within the party, voter suppression is hilarious when we suggest it but evil when the GOP does it etc. Always a cool dynamic to reinforce

I'm not inspired by Sanders but you shouldn't be inspired by presidential candidates!

whether or not one should be is immaterial - it's how the voting populace functions. Inspiration drives turnout.

like, I agree, ideally the voting populace would be made up of dispassionate, rational actors voting to achieve concretely expressed goals, but that isn't the voting populace we have.

That voting populace has never existed anywhere AFAICT

exactly

agree w/ silby

always cuet to see some Morbzian optimism

My last post was p optimistic. I think you mean akm. Re my joek, oh fuck off, worry about the lunatic Clinton cultists who are never voting for sanders.

no I meant yr post about under-35s delivering a presidential nomination/presidency, which has literally never happened in the history of this country.

Or the lunatic Sanders cultists who are never voting for Biden.

The whole my candidate or bust mentality is going to kill us all.

xp

idk i find the idea of a presidential candidate who aligns with most of my values pretty inspiring. can't speak for the entire electorate feeling that way. and i even share the exhaustion regarding bros cf. the events of last week

lunatic Clinton cultists who are never voting for sanders

not convinced these people exist outside of twitter

also not convinced those people wouldn't be convinced by someone like aoc

lunatic clinton cultists who didn't vote for obama were a thing so...

Miraculously didn't hurt him too bad

a thing would've presumably had some impact on him getting elected

it was a thing, he just did fantastically well with so many types of voters so it wasn't an issue.

sanders won't do anywhere as near well as obama, in 08, so it could conceivably hurt his chances at victory.

It was a thing, but not an issue. Clinton voters were not 100% behind Obama, lord have mercy!

The whole my candidate or bust mentality is going to kill us all.

def agree about this