2020 Democratic Primary

[Anya Ristow]

They stood in line up to seven hours to vote here in Texas. In a primary!

In Texas, where 750 polling places have closed since 2012, voters wait in line for hours

theweek.com

 

[Dakota Tebaldi]

Yes, I agree with you on that, but is it really all the non Trumpeteers can come up with? Two way past their time old-timers who have to fight over who becomes the nominee against another old-timer?
A bit poor if the USA hasn't any better, if you ask me.

Hey beggars can't be choosers, at this juncture. I can tell you for certain at least some of what a Biden presidency will look like:

No more Twitter

No more puerile name-calling of women and minorities who oppose his policies

Return of regular White House press briefings

No more Twitter

No more threats to leave NATO or the UN for not supporting a unilateral US military action

No more private luxury golf vacations literally every weekend

No enriching himself by charging the federal government hundreds of millions for his own legally-required government-provided security by forcing official functions to take place on his private commercial properties

No more Twitter

No executive positions and top secret security clearances for his family members

No more Twitter

No more Twitter

No more threats of "beautiful tariffs" or claiming that "tariff money" is being paid by other countries

No more using every single presidential appearance regardless of context as a de facto campaign rally

No more campaign rallies period outside of campaign season

No more Twitter

No more Putin-fellating

No more openly siding with the president of Russia against the assessments of America's intelligence and national security communities

No more attacks on the checks and balances, processes, and machinery of the US government and democracy in general when they don't accommodate his wishes

No more Twitter.



That's just what I could think of in five minutes.

 

[Salome]

Biden/Buttigieg would be a strong ticket IMO.

Buttigieg doesn’t get us anything. The best Biden ticket right now, just going by electoral math, feels like it would be Biden/Castro. Castro is a Warren-aligned progressive and he can help us with the Latino vote which has been a struggle. If Biden selects him and gives him a mandate to work on fixing the humanitarian crisis at our borders...god would that be wonderful.

 

[Shiloh Lyric]

4. You and Shiloh could be making big money, should you want to use your powers for either good or evi.

Thanks. I needed this shit today.

 

[Pamela]

Since I seem to be called upon to defend either my preferred candidate Bernie or my preferred candidate Biden, let me just say at one time or another I have supported and donated to almost all the candidates except the billionaire. I like them all and would be delighted for any of them to be elected.

I am a single issue voter, and like the vast majority of Democrats that one most important issue is Trump. I am not at all a policy wonk but I do know a bit of history and I do know when my democracy is being dismantled by the god damned crime family in the White House. That’s what I care about exponentially more than policy positions.

If everyone will just vote blue, which they will certainly not, thank you Bernie or Bust ppl, that’s enough.

 

[Pamela]

Thanks. I needed this shit today.

Sorry, no shit intended. I didn’t look up what she was referring to.

 

[Pamela]

Buttigieg doesn’t get us anything. The best Biden ticket right now, just going by electoral math, feels like it would be Biden/Castro. Castro is a Warren-aligned progressive and he can help us with the Latino vote which has been a struggle. If Biden selects him and gives him a mandate to work on fixing the humanitarian crisis at our borders...god would that be wonderful.

Could definitely help our Texas problem with Latinos voting R. But I think it has to be a non senator female of color.

 

[Salome]

In any case, I know what black voters expect and deserve.

Going by the activists I follow, not all black voters feel the VP slot is all that prestigious. Many of them regularly insist they’re more invested in getting diverse leadership in other key roles.

So you don’t think black voters deserve a black vp who may well end up pres. Because they voted for pandering.

Okay, I’m going to assume the pandering thing is addressing one of the muppets I have blocked, so let’s put that aside. There is a lot of reason to think many of the high profile black women that often get named as possible Biden VPs would prefer the more meaty roles. It’ll be up to them to accept if offered, obviously. I hope they do what is individually best to advance their leadership. VP isn‘t the most impactful office. They might decide Secretary of State, or even AG might be better fits for their career and skills.

I also think if Biden is nominee because of his age he needs to run with more on the table than just a VP pick. He should announce a few people that he’s intending for other roles so voters can feel like he has a good (and hopefully diverse) support base.

 

[Beebo Brink]

Two way past their time old-timers who have to fight over who becomes the nominee against another old-timer?
A bit poor if the USA hasn't any better, if you ask me.

We DID have better, from Warren and Harris and Buttigieg to Castro and Yang and Klobuchar. We had MANY solid, competent, younger, experienced candidates.

Not enough people voted for them, not enough people contributed to their campaigns. And you can't even blame that poor showing on the number of them because you could combine their entire support base into one faction and still not change the outcome.

I can't explain the lack of traction for everyone but Sanders, but it appears that the SC primary was the come-to-Jesus moment when rank-and-file Democrats who had been hemming and hawing and couldn't make up their mind suddenly realized that Sanders was winning but Joe was still alive. And apparently that shock was finally the key to getting them out to the voting booths on Super Tuesday, where an awfully lot of them flocked right to Joe Biden.

Sanders finally got that large turnout he's been predicting since 2016, only it wasn't for him. It was to vote against him. Go figure. It's hard to tell what makes people tick anymore.

 

[Sid]

That's just what I could think of in five minutes.

No doubt that even Bush jr's dog would be a better president than 45, but still,
Two guys who are showing to be past the expiration date is all the Dems can come up with, especially in these times with so much of fundamental things at stake world wide like the rapid climate change?

Heck the Dems delivered with Carter, Clinton and Obama president candidates that were in the best years of their life. Fit, healthy, ready to rule. Stamina enough.
When they came in they filled the room, there was the next president of the USA present.

Why isn't that possible now? There must be more than enough capable people around in the party from the right age, with the right appeal.
For the two nominees left it will be an accomplishment when they don't wet their trousers in public within a few years from now.
Nothing presidential to be seen at their appearances in this 2020 campaign so far.

As an outsider, I just don't get it that the Dem party let this happen.

Edit to add: Beebo's post explains a lot. I did not read that before I posted this one, because I was typing and translating and stuff while she pushed the publish button.

 

[Pamela]

Going by the activists I follow, not all black voters feel the VP slot is all that prestigious. Many of them regularly insist they’re more invested in getting diverse leadership in other key roles.


Okay, I’m going to assume the pandering thing is addressing one of the muppets I have blocked, so let’s put that aside. There is a lot of reason to think many of the high profile black women that often get named as possible Biden VPs would prefer the more meaty roles. It’ll be up to them to accept if offered, obviously. I hope they do what is individually best to advance their leadership. VP isn‘t the most impactful office. They might decide Secretary of State, or even AG might be better fits for their career and skills.

I also think if Biden is nominee because of his age he needs to run with more on the table than just a VP pick. He should announce a few people that he’s intending for other roles so voters can feel like he has a good (and hopefully diverse) support base.

Nominating a black VP doesn’t exclude nominating POC to anything else. Whatever they want, well earned.
,

 

[Salome]

We DID have better, from Warren and Harris and Buttigieg to Castro and Yang and Klobuchar. We had MANY solid, competent, younger, experienced candidates.

It makes me want to fucking cry. We had such a good crop if the old white dudes could have just fucked off.

I can't explain the lack of traction for everyone but Sanders,

He’s a cult of personality populist who doesn’t belong to the party and has never mentored others to come up after him. So his salt the earth campaigning doesn’t allow room for other progressives to challenge him in the minds of his base. Just look at how the Bros have attacked Warren for daring to remain in the race on Super Tuesday,

but it appears that the SC primary was the come-to-Jesus moment when rank-and-file Democrats who had been hemming and hawing and couldn't make up their mind suddenly realized that Sanders was winning but Joe was still alive. And apparently that shock was finally the key to getting them out to the voting booths on Super Tuesday, where an awfully lot of them flocked right to Joe Biden.

I think many were hoping one of the other candidates besides Sanders or Warren would get traction. When that didn’t happen, the only viable choice felt like Joe. For a lot of them it‘s “whoever isn’t Sanders.” Unfortunately for Warren she signed on to Bernie’s rigged narrative and that eliminated her for people like me, and, apparently, a significant portion of other voters.

Also, you know, the misogyny,

Sanders finally got that large turnout he's been predicting since 2016, only it wasn't for him. It was to vote against him. Go figure. It's hard to tell what makes people tick anymore.

The irony physically hurts.

 

[Brenda Archer]

I had been seriously tempted to direct message you on Twitter, but I didn't want to bother you in case you were ill or taking a break from the cray cray of the internets.

Well yes, but you know me. And it's still your fault because I've been your fangirl for over a decade.

Here's a thing from Vox media and how you can't lead a party you seem to loathe:

Sanders can’t lead the Democrats if his campaign treats them like the enemy

What Bernie needs to learn from Biden.

www.vox.com

I liked Harris, Castro and Booker, I just liked Warren more. Though the "choose your Primary Democrat" thingies matched me up with Yang the Nerd. I REALLY wanted a Warren-Harris ticket, though a Harris-Warren would have been just fine too. Mixing up, Booker and Castro with those two, also good.

Oh yes, very relevant, thanks for linking to it.

Hugs.

I can understand why, but I missed your wisdom.

Ditto, you can even find a post on my non-updated SL fashion blog where I posed with a Bernie-bear and did the Bernie-promposal meme with my SL avatar.

Perhaps, and you were doing so good and then:

If anyone want's to know what I meant in one of my previous posts about "autistic-tech-bros" supporting Bernie...well that's a perfect example. A "bubblesort" is a type of sorting algortithm used in computer programming.

You have got to be kidding. Both Warren AND Clinton in 2016 were better at the wonky details than Sanders.

Wouldn't a real racist not serve as vice-president to Barack Obama?

Bernie Sanders isn't a saint, he's intractible and rigid among other things. He used to be all about bringing people together, even Republicans and business leaders, when he was Mayor of Burlington or in the House. Now he bases any sort of bi-partisanship or coalition building as treason to the cause


Like I said, coalition building is something he hasn't had to do much of in recent years, his seat was safe. And before any of the usual suspects go "Vermont is Rural" and hasn't been gentrified. Oh yes it HAS and Bernie himself was one of the early Burlington gentrifiers from NYC. Vermont is like Illinois, where over 5 million people are in Cook County alone, not even taking into account the collar counties. Over one third of Vermont's population is in the Burlington metropolitan area! All he had to do was win Burlington metropolitan area and Montpelier and he was good.


I think the problem is he fell for his own cult of personality and thought it would be enough. "Wow, those kids with their pumblrs, Flitters and Facingbooks really love me. They loved him because he was a funny old grandpa they could do memes about, who was funnier than Wonky Robot Hillary, the appeal to their wallets with "free college, pay off student loans and free medical care for those 20something about to be cut off from their parents insurance plans" didn't hurt either.

Again I'm going to post the Vox link:

Sanders can’t lead the Democrats if his campaign treats them like the enemy

What Bernie needs to learn from Biden.

www.vox.com

Sanders and some of this supporters treat other Democrats as the enemy, not as allies. It's Personality Politics, just like the Orange One.

I think his campaign staff are the biggest problem. They are the ones who probably made the decision to go all-in on doing little outreach to anyone but college kids and millenials with student debt, trying to take advantage of the cult-of-personality that built up around the "funny socialist grandpa talking about free college" I think they actually believe that they don't need anyone else.

I wouldn't say that myself, I'd rather have him be Secretary of Labor.

White progressive privileged college-kids and millennials gonna white progressive college-kid and millenial.

Yeah, and you can't trust online polling because of how the millenials and college-kids basically "live online" and screw the results.

I noticed this in particular because it shows a tendency towards "personalities" that I see in Bernie supporters. Youtube and twitter are about personalities. You want REAL information, go to the gray ladies of print. Hell, even Huffpo is a better source than Youtube or Twitter. The Youtube-ization and Twitter-ization and focus on particular pundits is part of the problem.

Lolwut? People were talking about that YEARS ago. We would have had the equivalent of M4A in the early 70's if not for Watergate! Damnit Nixon, you had to just try and cheat and you fucking RUINED everything by creating generations of cynicism. Fuck you, Tricky Dick!

Heck yeah, here in Illinois if you had enough brains you pretty much got an ISSC scholarship pretty much covering FULL tuition for a state university. It's the housing/books/misc that killed ya. (Pell grants didn't keep up with inflation)

You have to remember, Millienials and College-kids, they simply don't know what happened before and probably haven't seen a Youtube video or twitter thread about it. ;-) Perhaps if they had read Time/Newseek/US News and World Reports/Utne Reader or even Rolling Stone...they'd know.

CC sadface: Damned if she did, damned if she didn't. Same will apply to any endorsement she does.

Now you’re just talking out of your hat. Every county in VT went to Bernie:
https://apps.npr.org/elections20-primaries/states/VT.html#counties=true&office=P&date=3/3/2020&party=Dem

“Households in Vermont have a median annual income of $60,782, which is less than the median annual income of $61,937 across the entire United States.”
Vermont | Data USA

It’s as if you went to a resort or a college town and decided the whole state looked like that.

 

[Salome]

Nominating a black VP doesn’t exclude nominating POC to anything else. Whatever they want, well earned.

No one said otherwise? As I mentioned, many people who take politics seriously don’t see the VP slot as impactful as the general population seems to think it is. Having a black woman at the top of the ticket was more worth fighting for. Absent that, there are more significant roles that yield better experience for future runs at the big chair. And the women who are qualified to take over in the unlikely event Biden kicks might prefer those other roles is all I’m saying.

 

[Beebo Brink]

I think many were hoping one of the other candidates besides Sanders or Warren would get traction. When that didn’t happen, the only viable choice felt like Joe. For a lot of them it‘s “whoever isn’t Sanders.”

My best guess is that with so many good, solid candidates from which to choose, Dems became somewhat complacent. They sat back, waiting for other people to make the first move to crown the front-runner. And before they knew it, the other candidates were gone and time was running out.

 

[Brenda Archer]

“When I hear her talk, I want to slap her, even when I agree with her.”

America Punished Elizabeth Warren for Her Competence

The country still doesn’t know what to make of a woman—in politics, and beyond—who refuses to qualify her success.

www.theatlantic.com

This is exactly why we can’t have nice things .

America has plenty of tolerance for sexism. So we’re going to get our choice of old white men.

 

[Brenda Archer]

Buttigieg doesn’t get us anything. The best Biden ticket right now, just going by electoral math, feels like it would be Biden/Castro. Castro is a Warren-aligned progressive and he can help us with the Latino vote which has been a struggle. If Biden selects him and gives him a mandate to work on fixing the humanitarian crisis at our borders...god would that be wonderful.

Castro was my early favorite, until he dropped out. He’d be a good choice.

 

[Cristiano]

Elizabeth Warren Could Never Escape The Baggage Of Being A 'Female Candidate'

She was qualified. She persisted. But sexism still mattered.

www.huffpost.com

 

[Salome]

My best guess is that with so many good, solid candidates from which to choose, Dems became somewhat complacent. They sat back, waiting for other people to make the first move to crown the front-runner. And before they knew it, the other candidates were gone and time was running out.

I can only go by the people I follow and I’ve cultivated those voice to be a majority non-white. What I saw wasn’t complacency (quite the opposite to the point of near-panic and dread, tbh), but an impatience for white voters to pick a preference that never emerged. Most serious POC voters I follow don’t trust the white vote after 2016. Why would they? So when a clear candidate failed to emerge they went with the candidate with the most investment in their party and the best relationships with their networks and coalitions.

I don’t think it was complacency. I think it was frustration at Biden and Sanders not fucking off and confusion over how best to offset them.

 

[Beebo Brink]

So when a clear candidate failed to emerge they went with the candidate with the most investment in their party and the best relationships with their networks and coalitions.

Which described my choice now pretty well, too. Despite all his (many many) faults, Biden is the known quantity who is a solid Dem and team player. And when it comes to governance, "team player" is NOT a dirty word. He belongs to the group he is leading rather than being a hostile takeover.