The Race For 2020: Democratic Candidates

I’ll go first.

My pick so far is Elizabeth Warren.

Top issues are:

Healthcare/ Economy/ Environment

She seems to be the most experienced and sound one of the bunch.

More info.

This one has a link to each of their direct websites and platforms. Very helpful.

Please forgive the hideous cover photo.

Well?

I'm supporting Pete Buttigieg (buddha-judge) because he would make the best president. Something about his candidacy reminds me of Barack Obama's candidacy. His presence reassures and his intellect shows. He's the candidate most antithetical to Trump. I also noticed, that as of this post, he's winning our DataLounge primary.

This is interesting to me so even if no one comments, this could be our early tracking poll.

I support Beto O'Rourke because I think he has the best chance of winning against Trump and that is the MOST important thing right now. Maybe Biden could too but I seriously think he's too old to be president.

Agree that regardless of the candidate, that is certainly the most important thing.

I have my favorite(s), but honestly I would vote for any of them.

I would say my least favorites are Tulsa Gildabrand.

Beto is closing in.

What an original topic OP. Did you get the idea from the 10O+ plus related threads?

This is a unique thread. None of them asked the same question.

They were either right wing troll threads or “who will win?” threads.

My choice

I'm not excited about any of them. Klobucher is the closest to my views, but she's horrendous.

With the exception of Yang and LooperDooper, this is the same bunch of bigots and geezers from the last 5 threads.

It’s good to talk about issues too.

But to be honest, the biggest issue is getting to 46. That’s the goal.

Beto is getting out front in our tracking poll.

How could you not have Joe Biden on the list? Andrew Yang—wtf, I don’t even know who that is. He’s another candidate?

I don't think any of the candidates differ drastically in policy and any one of them would be better than Trump -- which is why I've committed to not tearing down any of the Democratic candidates. One of them will eventually be the nominee and I'm hoping all the Dems and at least most of the moderates will be able to rally behind him/her. That said, Beto is my top choice. He authentic, he listens to people, he has youth on his side (and by that I mean not only is he young, he has a lot of youth support), and he's left-leaning while still moderate enough not to scare off independents. He's also very charismatic, which goes a long way in electability these days.

My other favorites are Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg (sp?).

Interesting that other is in 4th place.

Who do you mean when you select other?

Biden has not been officially announced yet.

[QUOTE]Biden has not been officially announced yet.

Lol.

For me, it’s all about cock size. So Kamala Harris has my vote.

Who cares that Biden hasnt been "officially" announced ? He is the front runner and should be in the poll. This thread could have been interesting but instead is a big fat fail because of this ridiculous ommision on a technicality. Instead we get Andrew Yang as a choice? Next!

Will Andrew Yang even make the debates?

This is yet another Beto thread. He’s not that hot DL.

Who’s Kamila?

R28 Kamila is Senator Kamala’s twin sister.

Beto looks like Bobby Kennedy.

I don't know how Beto can recover from this, he should drop out of the race.

“One day, as I was driving home from work, I noticed two children crossing the street. They were happy, happy to be free from their troubles. ... This happiness was mine by right. I had earned it in my dreams,” he wrote, according to Reuters. “As I neared the young ones, I put all my weight on my right foot, keeping the accelerator pedal on the floor until I heard the crashing of the two children on the hood, and then the sharp cry of pain from one of the two. I was so fascinated for a moment, that when after I had stopped my vehicle, I just sat in a daze, sweet visions filling my head.”

No one gives a crap about a work of fiction Beto wrote as a teenager.

I would choose Beto. He's articulate, young-ish, and leftish enough. I could see American suburbia (and independents) voting for him over Trump. With him at the top of the ticket, even Texas would be in play. He'd need Ms. Harris as his VP to get African-Americans enthused about 2020. No more super old people, please.

If it’s just about picking a young person, then Mayor Pete is much more impressive than Beto.

Who do you think will be the eventual VP pick? Will it be one of these people, or will it be someone picked from out of left field?

What a shit storm. Have any of them ever 'ran' anything? A business? A town? A state?

Seems like anyone who got their name in the headlines recently is running.

Beto has created and run his own successful business.

Yes, r37, the business of wedding a billionaire. He's a regular Melania.

[QUOTE]The authorities sure are eager to establish that there are no mob motivations at play here.

😂 This fucking guy would be on a computer somewhere writing about more dead kids if it wasn’t for his looks which landed that rich wife and her family and propelled him to where he is today.

No r38, his OWN business. Go Google it and STFU.

R36: No business person should ever be President. Castro is a former mayor, Buttigieg is a current mayor, Hickenlooper is a former mayor and Governors, Inslee is an incumbent Governor. Sanders is a former mayor as was Booker. So there you go.

And hopefully Biden NEVER announces.

How can you leave off Biden? He's leading in actual polls.

Things will get shaken up as soon as Hillary jumps in.

Have we seen the video of Bernie in Nicaragua yet, when he’s smiling and marching with Sandinistas as they chant “death to Yankees everywhere”?

Most Americans today probably think “Sandinista” is either a drink, an entree at Olive Garden or a vacation resort.

r40 in a pique of dilettantism, he "ran" a business where his billionaire wife served as president until 2017. Melania had a small business too, but—unlike Beto's benefactor—Donald didn't feel the need to supervise it.

Obama never ran anything and we did just fine under him. I think the rules of the game changed ever since his election.

Tracking poll check

R34 I agree. Mayor Pete is far more impressive than Beto. The more I see him in interviews or read about him, the more I like him.

Jay Inslee. Governor of Washington state. Global warming. He's great. I'll canvass for the primary winner. It won't be Bernie, he's a Russian asset.

Mayor Pete has no chance; he's too young and too....well....you know....

Light on the loafers?

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock

r50 Jay Inslee will be in May or June's "Race for 2020: Democratic Candidates". What I wonder is whose name from this poll will be left off to make room for his?

I’m so excited that there is even a possibility of ending our long national nightmare.

Whoever the nominee is, there will be lines a mile long to vote for anybody but who we have now. I’m thinking it’s going to be a Jimmy Carter 2.0 complete wipeout for republicans.

No openly gay man with the name "booty-gig" will ever be president.

Get real and get serious about someone who can actually beat Trump or go home.

Jesus fucking Christ.

I picked Buttigieg solely based on his name.

No one actually thinks Pete is going to be the nominee. He’s just been very impressive so far and has shown more substance than Beto. I’d love to see him be Elizabeth or Kamala’s running mate (my top 2).

Kristen Gillibrand just lost my vote. She wants a bill that forces chronic pain patients to travel to the doctor every 7 days to get a refill on their painkillers. Forever.

She says people who got a wisdom tooth out don’t need unlimited pills. Apparently she’s living on some other planet where dentists hand out unlimited pills. People on twitter are letting her have it. One guy sent a picture of his abdominal incision ripped open.

It’s going to be Hillary.

Apparently Bernie's staff, advisers and campaign managers are from Jill Stein's camp.

Link r61?

[quote] Apparently Bernie's staff, advisers and campaign managers are from Jill Stein's camp.

Is that bad?

Probably not true since no link.

Nina Turner was a Jill Stein supporter and she's working for Bernie.

[quote]Kristen Gillibrand just lost my vote.

She had up until she said she wants to take your opioids away?

R1 ...... Is it really necessary to state [bold] " I'LL GO FIRST "

You will have to substantiate that, r61. I’m not a Bernie fan, but he did at least hire a mainstream Democratic campaign manager this cycle.

Biden, Jay Inslee, Pete, and Andrew Yang are my picks so far. Everyone else either says dumb shit that will turn off voters - Warren, Booker, and Harris - or is Beto who seems like he's manic and fueled solely by his internal high.

Bernie is terrible, his surrogates are terrible, he surrounds himself with terrible people, and his supporters are hot garbage.

Fuck Bernie and Fuck anyone dumb enough & gullible enough to support this fraud.

That goes double for Tulsi.

I'm down with anyone else on the list though. Anyone else is fine.

But there is no power in the Universe that could ever get me to vote for Bernie or Tulsi.

R68, no he did not. Nina Turner is neither Mainstream nor a Democrat. what the fuck are you even talking about?

R63, yes, it's bad. It's terrible. It's why we have Trump.

The DL wants Beto and Pete. Quelle surprise!

Ok here's an article about sanders team. Someone someone left to work for Beto? Looks like the same people from 2016.

Anyway, i answered Inslee before, but I do like Mayor Pete and I need to learn more about the Montanan who's running.

Buttigieg just because

I'm a Canadian and I can be more objective. The more I see and hear of Pete Buttigieg the more I can see that he's a big, rising star. At only age 37 he's got the goods already and is better than all the current candidates.

To be on the safe side I would like to see Beto O'Rourke as the Presidential candidate with Pete as his VP choice. Near perfection.

Unless something happens that Pete picks up so much steam that he can be the Presidential candidate this time around. Stranger things have happened (like the current man in the White House).

R68 do you think Nina Turner wasn't a Stein supporter? Just curious.

Bernie Sanders just hired David Sirota as speechwriter and senior adviser.

Bernie and his team are running a dirty race filled with misinformation.

I think a Kamala/Pete team can't be beat!

Is anybody really surprised Bernie Sander is doing this again?

He gave interviews on Russian propaganda TV.

He hired a campaign manager with decades long ties to Russia.

He refused to release his taxes.

His campaign was aided by dirty Russian money.

He repeatedly voted to block Russian sanctions.

His staff stole Hillary Clinton voter data from the DNC servers.

He refused to step down after it was clear he couldn't win the primary anymore.

Oh God R78. Sirota is the worst. I loved it when he got busted on twitter lying about his smear against Beto.

Bernie can't even manage a shower. How's he going to manage the country?

r73 Pete because he's gay duh. They want Beto because he's DL's type

R71/R77, Faiz Shakir is Bernie’s campaign manager. He’s an alum of Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, and Center for American Progress. All mainstream Democratic offices and organizations.

I don’t like Bernie, but I do like that there’s a sane person at the helm this cycle. Hillary Clinton might have won if Bernie conceded before the convention, and a competent campaign manager would’ve forced the issue and resigned if he didn’t get the candidate to act responsibly.

As for this thread, I’m voting for Mayor Pete in the primary and whoever gets the nomination in the general.

Canadian here. Donald Trump is a formidable power with great popularity no matter what happens to him so therefore the Dems should NOT be idealistic and nominate a woman or a person of color to run against him (which means that you automatically throw out Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, and Corey Booker). Fight fire with fire and have 2 white males be the Presidential nominee as well as the VP nominee. Anything else is an exercise in futility.

Everybody (including Trump) thought that Hillary Clinton had the last election sewed up to become the next President, and you know what happened.

Don't repeat history in an unfortunate way, especially now that Trump is firmly in the White House.

His press secretary is a former senior editor at intercept.

Joe Biden is “other”?

The Sanders campaign just hired Briahna Gray, an Intercept “journalist” who voted for Jill Stein and claimed that the Democratic Party is making up the Russian interference story out of thin air.

R66, I have a family member who is disabled. She had an operation years ago that was very painful and she took months of opioids before the pain stopped. She never got addicted and the first operation didn’t do well.

She needs it re-done and refuses to do it because the recovery is excruciating and takes months of physical therapy. The only way she was able to get through the p.t. last time was to take painkillers a half an hour before physical therapy. The p.t. was so painful she would vomit in fear sometimes before she went in. The drugs would finally really hit halfway through. I would take her to eat afterwards and she was so doped up she would practically be falling into her food.

I read the replies on Kristen Gillibrand’s feed and they were all saying the same thing I’d seen with my own eyes. I spent months driving my person to p.t., she couldn’t drive like that. I met other patients and talked to them, we made friends and visited some of them in the hospital. People were depressed and overwhelmed from months of painful therapy, many with conditions that would only get worse. Without painkillers they would have either refused procedures or killed themselves. I’m not joking.

When you go through a painful surgery, months of horribly painful physical therapy, and know you have a medical condition that’s going to require one procedure after another, it’s easy to just lay down and quit. I saw someone do that. She became a recluse and just stopped seeing anyone.

Gillibrand, like you, thinks it’s all a big joke and the only people that take painkillers are scum. She thinks no one ever gets sick with an incurable disease and nobody ever suffers for years with chronic pain. That is the exact opposite of the people I met. Most were middle aged or older, had jobs and decent insurance, and their lives were ruined by pain and illness. They weren’t scum. They were decent people that had bad luck. Fuck her.

Of course Bernie wants to bury the Mueller investigation. His campaign was aided by Putin.

Indictment: Russians also tried to help Bernie Sanders, Jill Stein presidential campaigns

It turns out Donald Trump wasn’t the only candidate the Russians allegedly tried to help during the 2016 presidential campaign.

A 37-page indictment resulting from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation shows that Russian nationals and businesses also worked to boost the campaigns of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Green party nominee Jill Stein in an effort to damage Democrat Hillary Clinton.

The Russians “engaged in operations primarily intended to communicate derogatory information about Hillary Clinton, to denigrate other candidates such as Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, and to support Bernie Sanders and then-candidate Donald Trump,” according to the indictment, which was issued Friday.

The Sanders fans posting here seem to be two types:

the other side of the [italic]deza[/italic] horseshoe

Media-illiterate millennials ignorant about their candidate's voting history and think anyone old enough to remember 2016 is too old to vote, yet Bernie is not too old to run for President

The pundits are starting to rail against Bernie. Hiring Sirota was a big mistake. He is well known and universally despised. And another BernieBro started a conspiracy theory that Beto's fundraising was just the Texas Democratic Party giving him back the money he donated to them. This is getting called out by a vast array of progressive websites.

Kirsten Gillebrand is the scum of the earth. How she even thinks her campaign will get legs is insane. No one cares about her and the only people that feel passionate about her are those that hate her. That opiod proposal is absolutely ridiculous and ignorant as is she

I'm not particularly excited about any of them but Beto has the best chance of winning.

Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren. They are the only one with the experience and intelligence to handle the job.

I think people who are in pain and are prescribed an opioid or another drug that can be addicting should have independent education and counseling through the government. This way they can be involved in the drug the are on, they can pick the one that is the least addictive, or get medication and treatment when they are getting addictive base on their medical conditions. This can be done via a phone call and on line videos, in addition to the medical office/hospital visits.

People like Kristen Gillibrand does not understand the complexity of the medical conditions that cause pain. She seems to want to attack the person who is sick and vulnerable. Pharmaceutical companies are the ones to blame, and she be more responsible for the addictions that their drug cause.

Giving people who are in pain more doctor visits is fine. I think in these visits and telephone checks, the medical doctor and pharmaceutical companies are more on the hook.

R96, Harris was the AG for the 5th largest economy in the world. Tell me again Abu Russian asset Bernies experience?

Yang is in the debates. He has more donors than Buttigieg.

I'll be happy with anyone - other than Tulsi. I like all of them for different reasons.

My favorites right now are Yang and Buttigieg, but I predict it'll be Harris/Beto (Beto as VP). That'd be an awesome ticket.

My current favorite is Sanders but I'd happily look across the border to you Americans with one of at least a few others in that list.

My least favorite are Harris, Beto, Kloubuchar, Biden. All hold-the-nose-and-vote candidates to me. I'm not sure why I even put Beto in a list because I can't obtain anything of substance from him yet. Harris is utterly fake to me and I think anything progressive she says is a campaign lie, though I think she'd run very-moderate left (and sometimes right) as a president. Kloubuchar sounds horrid and not for the rumors/leaks stuff, but just her overall approach towards politics. Biden is not nearly the savior some seem to suppose, he's just emblematic of 'Better Then Trump' as well as bringing up the Obama Era nostalgia.

My most favorite are Sanders, Warren, Buttigieg. All flaws, all with potential drawbacks, but all reflecting major parts of my political beliefs. I think Sanders is the best campaigner of the three, Warren the potentially better wonk, and Buttigieg with the best potential but I think him running now is probably silly.

Whatever towards Booker and Yang. In different ways.

Don't know who Hickenlooper is.

R85, no, he's hired Nina Turner and David Sirota. You're not paying attention. He's staffing up with anti-Democratic extremists and trolls.

STOP FUCKING DEFENDING THAT TWO-FACED BACK-STABBING PARASITE.

R96 is fucking delusional. #NeverBernie

R103, why the fuck is an intellectually dishonest empty suit, raging sexist, and casually racist octogenarian fraud like Bernie your favorite? He's got a shitty voting record (especially on guns, Russian sanctions, etc), an extremely thin resume of actual accomplishments, and is completely lazy, unkempt, disheveled, and gruff/prickly.

He's terrible in every way it's possible to BE terrible. Why the FUCK would you consider him "your favorite"?!?

I agree, Bernie is the absolute worst. Loving Gillebrand's 0% in that latest poll. No traction whatsoever, no one likes her, shes delusional to think she could pull this off, especially after what she did to Franken. Bye gurl.

Let's not forget Bernie's press secretary: Briahna Joy Gray … another Dem-bashing steinbot who is just absolutely terrible. Her twitter stream is hot garbage.

Don't know if it was Seth Myers or Trevor Noah who said: "The top 3 candidates are Sander, Biden and Beto. Only one is certain to alive by 2020."

Bernie Sanders hired three people who worked hard to make sure Hillary Clinton was not elected President in 2016.

For those living under a rock, that also means helping to elect Donald Trump.

I anxious to hear his explanation about how they'll help elect a democrat in 2020.

The more I think about it, the more I think BIden vs Trump in the General Election in 2020 will just be another version of Hillary vs Trump; Mainly because if Bernie loses the nomination again, his minions will take it even worse than they did in 2016, and a small but significant amount of them will take it out on the Democratic party by not voting for the party nominee again and Trump will squeak through to another term.

Biden is seen by the Berniebots as the ultimate "establishment" candidate just like Hillary was the last time around. The media is once again acting like this is Biden's race to lose, and they keep waiting for him to join the race as if the race won't be worth anything into he's in it. This is very similar to what happened with Hillary back in 2016; she was seen as the candidate who was just waiting for her coronation as the Dem nominee in 2016 and Biden will be seen the same way.

We all saw what they were capable of back in 2016, Bernie included. If it reaches the point where he simply does not have the numbers to win the nomination, he will refuse to get out of the race, and will go on bad mouthing the Dem party and the party's presumptive nominee, who will probably be Biden at that point. His supporters will act like children again at the party convention and he won't do anything much to stop them. Biden will go on into the fall without the full support of his party and Trump will be re-elected.

We've seen this movie before, please don't let it happen again.

So Bernie has hired some Jill Stein voters for his campaign?

Why am I not even a little surprised?

Warren and Harris have eliminated themselves with their idiotic stand on reparations. They have also endangered the Dem chances for anyone to be elected. Now, each of the candidates will have to answer questions on reparations. If they say "Yes," they lose. If they say," No," they will lose the vote of a number of PC, SJW, and black voters. The party cannot go socialist or too much to the identity politics of the past. As of now, the only people with a remote chance of beating Trump and his hateful minions are Biden, Sanders ( slim), and O'Rourke ( personality). Other than that, they can all go home.

CNN:

Beto O'Rourke reveals to supporters in NH that he had 128k unique contributors for an average of $47 a person in the first 24 hours.

By comparison - Bernie Sanders had $5.9 million from 223k donors for an average of $27 a person in the first 24 hours.

[quote]Kristen Gillibrand just lost my vote. She wants a bill that forces chronic pain patients to travel to the doctor every 7 days to get a refill on their painkillers. Forever.

She's been walking this back -- "The prescription limit wouldn’t apply to the treatment of chronic pain." "This proposal also would not apply to pain being treated as part of cancer care, hospice care, end-of-life care, or palliative care."

Of course, that still means that people in other sorts of pain have to pay a doctor's visit fee every seven days, and an insurance co-pay every seven days, not to mention somehow making it to the doctor's office every seven days when they're in excruciating pain.

I think this probably closes the door on her presidential aspirations.

She’s an idiot. Lots of people with severe chronic pain don’t have cancer and aren’t dying.

One of the people who tweeted a response to her was a vet with a missing leg, talking about phantom pain in his missing leg area. That had been going on for years.

I'm going to get shit for this. But here goes.

I despise Gillibrand mainly for the Al Franken bullshit, but she's right about opioids.

Most people claiming chronic pain are simply addicts. And we need to start pulling back from that to see who legitimately needs the drugs.

The thing about addiction is--people aren't "faking it" to get the meds. No one is saying that. But part of being addicted to a drug is feeling like you physically need it.

I had a benzo addiction for years. I had legit anxiety and insomnia and every pill I ever took was prescribed and legal. But I was still an addict. Yes, taking away my xannies and klonopin made me an irritable, insomniac asshole for a while. But that wasn't because I needed the drugs. It was because I was addicted and many doctors would rather just throw pills at you than do the hard work to make it so you don't need them.

Same thing with this "chronic pain" nonsense. Cancer patients or terminal illnesses aside, strong opioids should be for short term pain management only. No one should be taking that shit indefinitely. No one.

You're addicted. Just own it.

There’s a big difference between you’re feeling anxious and your leg is cut off. Nothing you do is going to make your leg grow back.

As long as we have a for-profit medical system in the U.S., no one is incentivized to help people with non-medication-based treatments. So don’t punish people who have no other help available and never will.

As the Democrats move ever leftward and associae with anti-Semites et al. I am moving more toward voting for Trump as the lesser evil. Last time I voted Libertarian.

On twitter, Beto's feed is overrun by BOTH Trump trolls and Bernie trolls. None of the other Democrats are being trolled by the Republicans. Ergo, Beto is the Democrat who scares them the most.

Beto was arrested twice. He is not a good choice at all.

He's also a bit dim and has the rockstar thing going for him for now since he hasn't been vetted yet. He will sink around debate time.

R119, like the Trump side doesn't have its fair share of anti Semites.

Who shot up a synagogue over George Soros and shouted Jews will not replace us? Those are Trump MAGA wingnuts.

Get back to me when one if the Trump anti-Semite is a Congressman, R122.

[quote]The more I think about it, the more I think BIden vs Trump in the General Election in 2020 will just be another version of Hillary vs Trump; Mainly because if Bernie loses the nomination again, his minions will take it even worse than they did in 2016, and a small but significant amount of them will take it out on the Democratic party by not voting for the party nominee again and Trump will squeak through to another term

They will probably do this no matter who the nominee is, if Bernie loses. r/politics on Reddit has pretty much tarred ANYBODY who isn't Bernie as a corporatist Neoliberal Dem establishment shill. This group is even more toxic and bitter last time around. Their main target is Beto (who they must see as their biggest threat) but they also aggressively go after Harris, Biden and Booker as well.

From both the Bernie and Repub side, Beto is the one they are most afraid of.

Biden is the front runner based on name recognition but he's already afraid he won't be able to raise money.

R123, did Ilhan Omar shoot worshippers at a synagogue?

Ilhan also slammed Saudi Arabia for their "evil actions" in Yemen and corrupt bribery of President Trump . I guess she's Islamophobic as well.

White nationalists and anti-globalist conspiracy nuts that Trump refuses to denounce unless forced to (like Steve Bannon for instance) are the biggest danger to Jewish Americans. Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, AOC, and the rest of the far left people are simply flukes. The right wing racists actually have guns and want to kill

I'm so tired of the Middle East warring peoples stuff. I don't care. The future doesn't lie there. It's in the Pacific.

Biden has led almost every national poll out there. A bit odd not to include him.

I'm with Harris.

My top issues:

Russia

Voting rights

Climate change (may still be a bit weak here)

R128, he's old! He has to step aside!

I just want to say Yangmania is sweeping the nation!

I'm the poster who pointed out that Bernie hired a mainstream campaign manager, which I thought was a good sign that he wasn't going to play a spoiler role this cycle. That he's also hiring objectionable staffers is a horrible sign and one that shows he's in control and hasn't changed (and has maybe gotten even worse).

R131, he'll end up being a frontrunner. It will be a slow burn because the media isn't paying attention to him right now.

[quote]Get back to me when one if the Trump anti-Semite is a Congressman, [R122].

Steve King.

R121 Beto is the ONLY Democrat who has actually been vetted. Ted Cruz and his campaign manager ran the dirtiest campaign in history in Texas. In case you've forgotten, Trump only insulted Cruz's wife after Cruz had circulated the lesbian porn pics of Melania.

None of the other candidates have been eviscerated by the GOP like Beto was - and he survived.

That's some pretty contorted logic, R135 -- "the only candidate that's been vetted is the one who lost."

I think it's safe to assume that any Democratic candidate for any office anywhere has been slimed by his or her opponents.

Beto probably has the highest chances of a campaign-defining negative incident, either something he's already done or will do. Just his spontaneous notion of removing boarder fencing probably is enough to keep many otherwise-moveable Trump voters firmly in Trump's camp. That was an unforced error.

Bernie also has similar liabilities, especially in his past. This cycle includes opponents who will utilize their opposition research. Clinton ran against him in good faith. He failed to return it and continues to run in bad faith.

Watch this space--I predict Bernie and Beto are going to have issues with their tax returns. It'll be nothing compared to Trump, but it will be enough to help the media negate the issue into a net wash for Democrats. We can't afford that. Both may even try to release information other than their official returns including spouses in order to, as they'll argue, keep their families out of vicious state of politics. Don't buy it.

R136 Kamala Harris didn't even run against a Republican in her Senate race.

The Republicans have only one goal now: take Beto down. Cruz couldn't dig up enough shit to hurt him. They have plenty of ammo against the others.

In an unforced error of my own at r137, I misspelled border in the same way as Trump.

r136, except for Kamala Harris, who had no Republican opponent in her race.

Kamala has already shown she can't think on her feet when asked unexpected questions. I expect many a gaffe from her in the coming months.

Beto, but a lamp with a D behind its name would do if necessary.

Did anybody else see that feminist woman writer on one of the news channels today (can't recall which one, CNN or MSNBC). She penned an article basically saying that all the white men in the presidential race should step aside and let the qualified women be the only ones to run for the nomination! Because the women don't have a chance of getting noticed with all these white men in their way or some such nonsense. She was actually advocating that white men shouldn't be allowed to run this time around!

Can you imagine if someone said that black women or black men, or Jewish men or whatever shouldn't be allowed to run this time around? The uproar there would be? Yet this woman is seriously suggesting this about white males.

Equal opportunity does not necessarily mean equal results. Women (black or white), Black men(or any other color), or any other kind of minority have every right to run for president if they wish to, but as always, people either will vote for them or not, we are not going to "level the playing field" just so a woman, or a POC, or whatever has a better chance to win.

Sorry.

Mayor Pete has taken the lead in our tracking poll.

R143 it was in Daily Beast. She's an idiot.

[QUOTE]Mayor Pete has taken the lead in our tracking poll.

But it’s not long. Only about 4.

[quote] As the Democrats move ever leftward and associae with anti-Semites et al. I am moving more toward voting for Trump as the lesser evil. Last time I voted Libertarian.

Many feel that way, R119.

I’m 64 and it’s Biden all the way. I could live withBiden/Harris. Or Biden/Klobuchar. Warren is a great Senator but sullied. Beto has no distinguishing record.

This morning:

I want Bernie Sanders. I love Elizabeth Warren too. Everyone else is an audition for VP.

[quote]I think a Kamala/Pete team can't be beat!

I like this idea. I’d definitely like to see Pete as the VP just so Pence would have to debate him. Two Indianans...one an out gay man and one a closeted Fundie.

I hate Schultz. So annoying today in MSNBC. He's a fool.

How is Schultz polling? Is he tied with Gillibrand at 0% ?

Folks, I am seriously getting worried. The MSM are using kid gloves for every woman candidate, every candidate of color, Mayor Pete and Bernie. The BernieBros are attacking non-stop and the new 'feminists' coalition' is attacking every man.

If 2016 was a shitshow with Bernie creating mayhem, this is gonna be Armageddon. The allegedly liberal media is too woke to vet Bernie & the ladies... the GOP won't be. They'll rip 'em to shreds and Purity Politics will ensure Trump gets in. We won't have to worry about politics after that. The Republic'll be finished, killed off Trump, Bernie and the 'liberal media' who are too afraid to vet candidates who don't have White Male Privilege.

We're fucked. I'm moving back to Europe....

I hate Bernie. He is an old man who may not make it through 2020 and doubt he would finish his term. These old men need to give it up.

I wish both Bernie and Biden would just drop dead. They probably will.

Weekend at Bernie's --they already made a movie of what his supporters will do if Bernie drops dead in 2020.

Biden will probably live to be 100. Preferably at home.

Bernie, I wonder. There’s a big difference between sitting the Senate on your ass all day, having lunch with all your pals, and tiresomely pontificating about how special you are, and living on the road, eating road food and getting very little sleep. It really takes it out of you.

At his age, people get worn out easily, I don’t care how healthy he thinks he is, the stamina is just not there. If he claims it is, he’s lying.

I think the campaign will kill off both Bernie and Biden. They both look like shit. Hell, they'll make Trump look vigorous and spry.

Trump? Trump is a fat fuck over eating in bad shape mess! He SHOULD be the FIRST one to die!

Warren needs to make a big splash about her record. She has a lot of great new ideas for the future but she needs to remind people of her past.

She was progressive before it was cool. She has worked hard to earn my vote.

Warren is a liar.

The reason I am not for Harris is because she just joined the Senate. I don’t like it when ppl run after just winning something. Finish your term at least. It reminds me of Sarah Palin.

Bernie misses his chance in 2016.

Klobuchar is too mousy to be the president. At least as far as I can tell.

I think what’s her name is a spy. Tulsi?

Gillibrand is DOA.

Booker is all bark and no bite.

But don’t get me wrong, I’d walk across hot coals to vote for anyone of them over a repug.

Are you assigned to me? Give it a rest.

r163, Obama ran for president before he even completed one term in the Senate.

Yeah, and I didn’t like that either.

I didn’t think he was ready to be pres. I was going to vote for Hillary and after 8 years he would have been primed and ready.

My wife and I are well educated professionals and are financially middle middle class. We got killed as a result of the Trump tax cut and our medical insurance is $1200 a month. Take a look at what the stock market did last Friday and the potential for a nasty recession in the next year or so. I would happily vote for Warren, Harris, Buddha-Judge, Booker, Sanders, etc. I don't care. Hell, I would vote for that decrepit gas bag Biden! All of the GOP are killing us financially while they gleefully destroy the planet. Britain is on the brink. Germany's economy has taken a dive. Never seen anything like this. Trump is the worst president ever, but he isn't the only one who has to go! I pray the Democrats do not engage in a circular firing squad.

R119, don't kid yourself. You're always voting for the greater evil. Libertarians are evil selfish shallow privileged morons, and Republicans are even worse.

The only person on the "Dem" stage I couldn't and wouldn't vote for is Bernie... becaues he's just the flip side of Trump, and if the choice ever comes down to Trump or Bernie, this country is doomed either way.

(I don't say Tulsi, because there's no way she's viable anyway, but yeah, I wouldn't vote for her fascist dictator-loving genocide-excusing ass either)

R150, why do you want an intellectually dishonest empty suit and fraud who exhibits blatant sexism and casual racism, who centers straight white men in all things, and who has proven he has no clue how to implement anything he talks about? Why do you want a guy who is so fucking old he's likely to die before he even takes office, and if not, then definitely WHILE in office (should he win)? What the fuck is wrong with you that you'd support such a completely unaccomplished, lazy, old failure?

How is Bernie anything like Trump?

Bernie is a socialist far left progressive- the farthest thing from Republican.

Joe Biden is the closest one to Trump- gaffes and all

Anybody but Plump!

R148, so you're with the sexist handsy guy in the "mee-to" era? The guy who shit on Anita Hill during the Clarence Thomas hearings? Never mind the guy who voted for the crime bill and created the patriot act? Seriously? THAT guy? HE'S your pick out of all these other qualified candidates? The guy who constantly puts his foot in his mouth, and who has flamed out early in every other attempt to run for President? The guy so old that there's no way he could possibly run for a second term? THAT guy is the only one you want??

WTF is wrong with you?

The next president has to be fit and in shape. No more huge grotesque men.

Fat slobs need not apply.

[quote]How is Bernie anything like Trump?

Let's see... extremely old white guy with a cult of followers that descends on anyone who says anything bad(i.e. true) about their beloved leader, who center straight white men in all things. who are dismissive of issues important to women, people of color, and LGBT people, who refuse to release their taxes, and who spend all their time attacking Democrats and Hillary? Who claims to have all the answers and insists ONLY HE can solve the problems, even though he's demonstrated he has no clue?

Yeah, you have no idea who I'm actually describing there, because it works equally well for both Bernie and Trump.

R171 never heard of horseshoe theory.

Bernie is the flip-side of the Trump coin. And Berners are just the flip-side of Trumsters. They're all the same. They're all deplorable.

R5, I feel the same way you do about Buttigieg. He seems like the type who would be able to bridge some of the divide between republicans and democrats. I mean, he is from Indiana--the armpit of the Midwest and the South. He managed to turn South Bend, Indiana completely around. I respect anyone who manages to be gay and/or progressive in Indiana AND make things happy. I'm also optimistic about O'Rourke. I don't give a rat's ass about the other candidates.

Bernie will also die in office if elected. There is no way I am voting for him.

That should say, " and make things happen".

Bernie is Bizzarro World Trump. The same guy, but with opposite political views.

Why settle for Mirror Trump when you can have somebody decent?

I mean, who really cares who it is. Nobody can be as bad as what we have now. This is the easiest election for me because I will vote for ANYBODY but the criminal godfather we have now.

[quote] I don't give a rat's ass about the other candidates.

Sexist much? There are far more qualified and experienced candidates running... but they're women so you don't give a rat's ass about them? Seriously? That's the hill you're going to die on?

Mr. Magoo is less of a fumbling idiot than our current prez. Any one of these people will be an improvement.

Bernie would not be an improvement. Neither would Tulsi.

Anyone else, sure.

I will vote for whoever carries the day and I am not going to over invest in any candidate, because 2016 showed us where that gets us;

I think Bernie and Warren have a lot of baggage. I fear Beto is turning into Hamlet. Klobuchar may very well be a dark horse.

I think the leaders of the pack are Kamala and the undeclared Biden. I think Biden may throw the race into the air by declaring himself a one term right the ship candidate, which actually then makes the race for VP because Biden's VP would be the heir. I would slightly prefer Biden over Harris.

Bernie and Tulsi would absolutely be an improvement

R183, triggered much?

R187, they absolutely would not.

Every time I think of Bernie as President I imagine him on the North Portico shouting: Get off my lawn!

R190, exactly. Bernie, like Alexandria Cortez, knows how to say the right things but when it comes to economics, he is dumb. He acts as if we are still living in the same society we lived in during the 60s. Times have changed, Bernie.

Until the Dems focus on what is really important to the American people, Trump will be re-elected. Instead of focusing on impractical stances on reparations, and far left social justice shit, or accusing Trump of not being a moral person, they need to go to issues such as prescription costs and issues that are not identity politics. That;s a sure loser. Biden should be the choice, but the SJW crowd could select a person most Americans think is radical.

R192, you're a fucking moron. I don't even know where to fucking start with you.

Trump is NOT a moral person. Or ethical person. He's not even a smart person. What the fuck is wrong with you?

IDENTITY POLITICS = CIVIL RIGHTS = VITALLY IMPORTANT IN THIS COUNTRY YOU DUMBASS WHITE RACIST SEXIST PICE OF SHIT.

R192 the backbone of the Democratic Party is Black women. This conversation about reparations is bigger than you understand. It is a conversation about the truths of racial inequality in this country. You know how some people watch " The handmaids tale" and are outraged women could be treated as brood mares and slaves, forbidden to learn to read?

That's not sci fy for Black women in this country; that's their historical reality.

But, back to topic. Mayor Pete, I like him.

Demanding reparations for blacks would be a big LOSER for the Democrats in 2020.

You want Trump re-elected? Talk about reparations, go on.

BREAKING: Mayor Pete coming in third place nationwide.

“Emerson has Pete Buttigieg in third place. Absolutely astonishing”

And it would be even MORE astonishing if the vote was tomorrow, but it's not, it's NEXT YEAR.

A LOT could happen between now and then.

He’s winning this poll as well.

We will see tomorrow (Monday) in next weeks DL tracking poll.

I've been impressed by Pete B. after watching his interviews. He's very talented and articulates his policies so well. I was a big fan of Beto but he is just too nice. We need a Grade A Pit-bull to fight against the GOP machine and Trump and I sense he can do that.

He would be the ideal candidate if he wasn't gay. I can see some people, especially the Evangelicals, seeing above that. The GOP will use that to their opportunity.

r197 We all understand that but you can't stop companies from conducting polls. They're doing them because there's obviously a demand for them.

correction: I can see some people like Christian Fundies unable to get pass his sexual orientation.

R196 “BREAKING: Mayor Pete coming in third place nationwide. “Emerson has Pete Buttigieg in third place. Absolutely astonishing”

No wonder he’s in third place. Mayor Pete is the smartest of them all. Wait until he takes the lead.

R193 , sweetie, are you okay? Pills wearing off? Your hysteria is precisely what the deplorables are depending on to win again. Dems need to get to the fundamental issues that everyone is concerned about - the issues that made the backbone of the party what it used to be- working people. Harping on Trump ain't gonna do it, especially now that no collusion has been found. Everyone knows he's scum, but as long as the market is strong and there have been no attacks, he's escaped His base is strong; the Dems can't afford to splinter theirs by identity politics exclusively. The Republicans are in the pocket of oil, big pharma, etc, so they won't dare look to reform. This is what the Dems need to focus on, not reparations ( which is mere pandering) or what pronouns to use - these are LOSING issues. Go back to the fundamentals. It can't be plainer.

Which Pete? What Pete?

R189, they absolutely would. They are anti-war, anti-Pentagon, anti-CIA interventions, and actually want to invest money in national infrastructure, single payer, and a living wage.

They'd be a dream.

Apparently nobody noticed that r196's poll was just for the Iowa Caucuses? Still a good result, but he's going to have to raise a shitload more money to be taken seriously. Frankly, I'm still on the fence. Maybe while he's busy sucking up to Muslims he might consider saying something to them about their homophobia?

R199 What about Pete Buttgiek makes you think he’s a pittbull? He seems just as nice as Beto.

At this point, he seems much more substantive than Beto. I agree, there's lots of time yet, but there's also a risk you get branded early too. Buttawhatever is establishing a perception of substance. Beto seems a bit busy with earnest platitudes and listening. He needs to start taking some definitive stands or he runs the risk of being all talk and most of that millennial speak.

R207, Pete seems to be quick with a response and able to give an intelligent answer. He's nice and isn't afraid to talk about things like making the case for a younger POTUS.

I haven't seen Beto in the debates with Ted Cruz yet. But in his recent campaigns in Iowa, he was talking too much about the border and immigrants. Nobody wants to hear about helping immigrants. He needs to focus on Health care and the immediate economic needs of people.

r207, I agree. I keep hearing that Pete is such a nice guy and suddenly he can be a pitt bull too? Huh? I don't see it.

Pete is a very nice guy; so is Beto, but neither one of them are pitt bulls.

I'm not even sure a pitt bull is what we need next year. Going around and bashing Trump endlessly, especially after what happened this weekend, might be a real losing strategy.

Not being from Texas, I didn't know that much about Beto except what I had read. He sure sounded good on paper, plus the man is purdy. Now that I've seen him in action, I'm seriously wondering what drugs he is on, or else what the fuck is wrong with him. Did he act that manic/hyper in the Texas Senate race?

Some people are already calling Beto "Beta male O'rourke". I hate to say it but that's how he's going to come across against Trump. Biden, however, will not.

If Beto can put Texas in play, game over. Is Texas a pro-Trump state? I heard a lot of people hate him there.

[quote] Going around and bashing Trump endlessly, especially after what happened this weekend, might be a real losing strategy.

No, I meant, fighting back in a dignified winning way to not look like a pushover. The GOP/Trump machine will fight dirty. Remember John Kerry? He didn't fight back. Clinton was able to survive the Gennifer Flowers scandal because he fought back.

r213, and a lot of people see Biden and say "fucking old man". In fact that's what I say when I see him. I also say, "not you again?!?" since this isn't his first time at this particular rodeo, and he went away empty handed the other two times he tried.

So did Hillary. So did a few former presidents. It isn't always first time Obama. Who cares if they've got the ideas and the ability to get elected? I agree Joe's old but there's a lot about him that very well may make him the right man to defeat Trump without it being a bloodbath. That is more necessary than anything anyone is talking about, in my view. It just is.

R217, apparently you haven't seen the video compilation of him being extremely handsey and inappropriate with dozens of young women. In this "MeToo" era, Biden is a non-starter. Sorry.

He's too old. He's past his sell-by date. He's of a different age, and isn't the right choice for today's issues, problems, and challenges.

I just disagree, R218. He's not running against the Democratic voters, he's running against Trump. I think he's genuine and warm and experience in a way none of the other candidates are and that is a powerful force in the present climate and I think he's more accessible to more Democrats than most candidates in the race.

Besides he's already sending out the message that he's the breather candidate - one term to begin correcting the mess. We disagree and that's fine, but I think Biden is exactly what the country needs in the next president and I don't see anyone else who offers what he does. Hardly anybody buys what they're selling as a platform anymore, any of them. Who believes it? It's all who do you want to have a beer with bullshit. Biden passes that test pretty easily.

Anyway, whoever it turns out to be, I'll vote for them.

Beto is garbage. Empty suit, votes with Repugs. Cannot believe the support he has. Fucking morons.

R211, careful, or you will incur the wrath of R 193. And he's eloquent.

[quote]He's not running against the Democratic voters, he's running against Trump

No, he's running in the Democratic primary, against a crowded field, all vying for Democratic votes. No one is 'running against Trump" until they win the Democratic nomination through the primary process.

Does no one here understand primaries? Democrats will vote to pick the nominee. Biden won't win because no women and no one under 50 wants to vote for him.

^ LOL

It's called the big picture, R222. Google it.

Once you calm down.

At this moment, I'm pro-red state Dems. Blue state Dems can stay entrenched in positions that won't attract moderate Republicans who hate Trump. Red State Dems (Beto, Pete) have to convert fence sitters. Blue state Dems come off as arrogant. Winning elections for them is too easy. We can't just win blue states and take the Presidency.

Beto just visited Nevada and he is quietly winning over Kamala's territory. Beto is also going to visit Los Angeles and Southern California later in the year. He will absolutely be received as a king, but I understand that Kamala needs to remain in the East to make up ground on Biden and Bernie. Ack, so many great mathematical options on the table.

I read some pro-Kamala analysis of how she could win Texas. That she was going to get all the black (OK) and all the Latino vote. No way.

Dems have to think strategy. It's that damn Electoral College that will determine the outcome of 2020, no matter if a Dem wins the popular vote.

I'm a woman and I won't necessarily vote for a woman simply because it's a woman. I'll vote for whoever can win and kick Trump out. And make Congress blue.

r228, that's what we have to do now, pick the best candidate to take Trump out.

R227, that sounds wishful thinking from someone's blog. There's no way Kamala's going to get all of the black and Latino vote in Beto's own state.

[quote] but I think Biden is exactly what the country needs in the next president

You probably think that because you're an old straight white guy. Because I cannot imagine how you can think that otherwise. You're so desperate to preserve straight white male patriarchy at any cost, that you over-look everything else.

[quote]You probably think that because you're an old straight white guy.

Yeah. On Datalounge.

Is it tough being a genius?

R232, you didn't read past that, did you? Your reading comprehension sucks. You have no understanding of rhetorical devices, do you?

It's not difficult being smarter than you, that's for sure.

Yeah, I read the whole thing. Your accusations would be offensive for being unfounded if they weren't plain just nuts. You are not smarter than me. You may actually be dumber than yourself.

Sucks, man. I'm a fuckin' genius!

R234, so you're doubling down on being stupid, Gotcha. Not surprised at all.

Now I'm just laughing at you. Your limited mentality is probably why you think Biden is the best option. You can't even understand something as simple as what I was saying. You're too fucking literal.

Oh, Christ, R233 is cray! It's this maniac:

R192, you're a fucking moron. I don't even know where to fucking start with you.

Trump is NOT a moral person. Or ethical person. He's not even a smart person. What the fuck is wrong with you?

IDENTITY POLITICS = CIVIL RIGHTS = VITALLY IMPORTANT IN THIS COUNTRY YOU DUMBASS WHITE RACIST SEXIST PICE OF SHIT.

I'd get back to your room before the orderly finds you, R233. You don't want them to strap you down again.

For the slow people: "I can only assume you're X, because only X people would be dumb enough to believe that" is NOT saying you are X. It's making a point.

Seriously, this isn't rocket science.

R237, so you're defending Trump as a moral person? You think it's crazy to call out anyone who tries to defend Trump as a moral person? Seriously?

Yeah, you're making MY point, not yours.

You're a fucking idiot.

"R192, you're a fucking moron. I don't even know where to fucking start with you.

Trump is NOT a moral person. Or ethical person. He's not even a smart person. What the fuck is wrong with you?

IDENTITY POLITICS = CIVIL RIGHTS = VITALLY IMPORTANT IN THIS COUNTRY YOU DUMBASS WHITE RACIST SEXIST PICE OF SHIT."

You're totally a voice of reason. Keep on. You're just so smart and articulate.

Latest Emerson Iowa Poll: Biden 25, Burnie 24, Buttigieg 11, Harris 10, Warren 9 etc....

We know already.

And r243, you know what that means today March 24, 2019?

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

r244 Well in my defense it's an Iowa poll not a national poll as was mentioned upthread so i gave you new information.

r245 Oh i agree it means nothing but if you're pete and you're unknown to 90% of the public getting your name out is very important so it's good for him that his message is registering.

R237, read this article, you POS.

DEMS CARE MORE ABOUT VICTORY THAN IDEOLOGY IN 2020 NOMINEE - EYE ON THE PRIZE

In that case, we withdrawal the complaint r246.

As you were.

WASHINGTON – As the 2020 presidential field takes shape, Democratic voters by double digits say they are more interested in nominating a candidate who can defeat President Trump than one they agree with most on the issues, a new USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll finds.

By 55-35 percent, the Democrats surveyed endorse electability over ideological purity even though they also embrace progressive priorities such as the Green New Deal. They are even inclined to be open to a nominee who espouses socialism.

The debate over balancing policy positions with electoral appeal is always part of the calculation in campaigns. Almost a year before the Iowa caucuses open the nominating contests, it has taken on particular intensity as a sprawling field jockeys to challenge a Republican president who inflames the opposition.

Pete is getting very popular very quickly.

How about Pete and Warren.

Why Warren? She's barely polling.

If there is going to be a white guy on top of the ticket, than they need to put Kamala Harris as VP, not another white person female or male.

I think there will be a rather large backlash if a more experienced, competent, qualified woman is forced to play second fiddle to someone who's main qualification is "I'm a white guy".... A Beto/Harris or Pete/Harris ticket is rather problematic in that way. In both those cases, Kamala belongs at the top of the ticket.

Kamala has to win to get the top of the ticket.

^^^ That's why I think Biden will be at the top of the ticket.

They were interviewing some black people (a man and 2 women) the black man liked Biden and one woman liked Bernie, another liked Kamala. They all said, whoever can beat Trump.

If the voters choose a white guy, they choose a white guy. TBH i think Kamala is overrated as a candidate.

When will the Berine supporters start going after Pete. He's clearly rising.

Yeah I hear a lot of people say that. They don’t care who it is. Anybody with a pulse will do.

Pete is rising because no one is criticizing him so far. There's not too much to criticize about him except will Middle America really accept a gay POTUS? I don't think so. We're not there yet. We haven't even gotten a female POTUS.

Beto was arrested twice for DUI and burglary in the mid 90s.

His drunken frat boy antics and airhead rockstar demeanor will eventually do him in.

Anyone who says they "like Bernie" -- especially any woman or person of color -- obviously has terrible judgement and shouldn't be listened to.

What has Beto done as far as experience?

How is he even qualified?

By the way, not that I care one iota. If Beto is on the ballot then I will happily vote for him. But I was just curious.

He was in Congress for a couple of terms, so he's not inexperienced in the system. But he's outranked in experience by any number of the other candidates.

Ok. I’ll take it.

Anybody but the monster in chief.

Several well-regarded poll nerds have claimed that the Iowa poll result (specifically Mayor Pete's third place) was due to a weighting error and is incorrect. I have to admit that a jump like that seemed insane - relatively few people who aren't political junkies are following the race yet, and the political junkies have their minds made up already for the most part.

And there will almost certainly never be an all white-male ticket again on the Dem side, unless the political landscape undergoes some kind of earthquake. If Biden wins the nomination (please God please), it's almost guaranteed he will pick a woman, and probably a woman of color. For as much as people say Kamala Harris doesn't want to be second banana, her campaign hasn't gotten off to a good start and a VP to an old guy would be ideal on-the-job training for her own run. Like it or lump it, there are still people out there (including a surprising amount of women) who don't think a woman is capable of being President and won't vote for one. Having a female VP, especially if she gets a lot of projects/initiatives/etc to do, will help people see a woman as Commander-In-Chief.

I've also heard that Biden may want to check multiple boxes and go with Senator Tammy Duckworth (disabled Asian-American vet). How fun would VP Kyrsten Sinema be? As nice as a lesbian VP would be, Tammy Baldwin has zero charisma. Klobuchar maybe, depends on how she does in this race. Abrams frankly seems out of her depth. Let her take another crack at Georgia and see if her first result was a fluke or not.

Beto served 3 terms in Congress, 3 terms on the El Paso City Council. He started a small business which was very successful. And he got 4 million+ votes running for Senate in Texas.

[quote]If Biden wins the nomination (please Dear God NO!)

Fixed it for you.

Anyone who would refuse to vote for a woman for President purely because she's not a man should never be allowed to vote for anything again.

Completely agree with you r270. Unfortunately those idiots who don't may just be enough to swing states that may just put tRump over the top again.

You got me, r269. Let's have Bernie running on a platform of slavery reparations, neutering the police, abandoning Israel, shenises flopping around in women's locker rooms and everything else on the SJW wish list. I smell a landslide!!!

For Trump.

[quote] Like it or lump it, there are still people out there (including a surprising amount of women) who don't think a woman is capable of being President and won't vote for one. Having a female VP, especially if she gets a lot of projects/initiatives/etc to do, will help people see a woman as Commander-In-Chief.

Agree with this. The top ticket is for the best qualified person, not based on sex or race. I don't see Mayor Pete as the top ticket, too young, inexperienced and gay. However, the VP should be Kamala Harris--- female and minority. .

Two white people on the ticket is a slap on the face to the minorities who reliably vote with Democratic, 99% of the time.

Biden would be a slap in the face for women.

Bernie would be a slap in the face to anyone who isn't a straight white male Bernie-bro moron.

That leaves … Beto? Asking Kamala Harris to be subordinate to HIM is beyond disrespectful and sexist.

R273, most women are pragmatic. They will vote for whoever can beat Trump ---who is abhorrent to females.

I'm from California. Kamala is a Freshman Senator for less than 2 years and before that was Attorney General for about 4 years. She has as much experience as Beto who served as a Congressman for 2 terms. And he ran a successful business.

correction: 3 terms.

Kamala is far more experienced in every way that matters, with far mroe concrete policy positions, and is far more polished on stage and in front of cameras.

Beto is all nervous energy and overly-sweaty to the point of being gross. He's unpolished, and lacks a lot of relevant experience.

Kamala kicked ass on the hearings, during questioning, and has been great in interviews. Beto cannot say the same.

But can she beat Trump?

Do people not understand that the top of the ticket is the person who WINS THE MOST DELEGATES IN THE PRIMARIES? The VP position is what you get asked to accept or decline, not the top slot. If Harris doesn't want to be subordinate to (horrors!!) a white male, then she needs to WIN THE DAMNED VOTES.

Frankly this idea that people are "owed" things based on the color of their skin is creepy and ridiculous. Should the Dems promise reparations or cash payouts to get blacks to the polls? And then what do you do about the Hispanics and the Asians? Actually I don't see Harris being VP because she won't bring anything to the ticket. California is going Dem regardless, and if she didn't win the primary, then it stands to reason that she wasn't able to pull black and/or female votes. The main function of a VP is somebody who can get their home state, or at the very least make it competitive.

I will always be grateful to Harris for how she stood up for us in the marriage fight in California. But all the hype about how she would be unbeatable as a multi-racial woman seems to have been just hot air. She doesn't (yet, at least) look competitive at all. For all the hype around other candidates, the race still looks like it looked a year ago - a showdown between Bernie and Biden.

If all those people who would vote for Biden just to get rid of trump would vote for her, then yes.

If those people wouldn't vote for her over Trump, then they're fucking monstrous hypocritical morons, and we fucking DESERVE Trump... seriously, if we can't elect someone competent and amazing like Hillary or Kamala, then this country deserves to go right down the fucking tubes (as it's doing under Trump).

[quote]Frankly this idea that people are "owed" things based on the color of their skin is creepy and ridiculous.

Nobody is saying this, jackass. In fact, it's quite the opposite: they're saying that if someone like Kamala Harris were a white man, she'd be the clear on favorite. The WHOLE POINT is that Beto, Biden, and Buttigieg aren't OWED the top spot based on the color of their skin or what they have between their legs. People like Kamala Harris should be able to win the votes even though she's not white, and not male.

How do assholes like you get it so wrong and backwards?

[quote] Two white people on the ticket is a slap on the face to the minorities who reliably vote with Democratic, 99% of the time.

[quote] I think there will be a rather large backlash if a more experienced, competent, qualified woman is forced to play second fiddle to someone who's main qualification is "I'm a white guy".... A Beto/Harris or Pete/Harris ticket is rather problematic in that way. In both those cases, Kamala belongs at the top of the ticket.

Gosh, r281. I don't know how a jackass like me could have EVER gotten the idea that there are Dems who think people are owed places on the ticket based on skin color.

R282, let me guess. You're a white male. Because only a white male blinded by his own privilege could say something so appallingly stupid.

You cannot even see that YOU are saying that white males are OWED a position on the ticket because of THEIR skin color and sex... while poo-pooing it for anyone who isn't white male. You fucking hypocritical racist sexist moron.

I'm saying that the person who WINS THE FUCKING PRIMARIES is owed a position on the ticket, moron. Frankly, if all the SJW bullshit hype is true and blacks are the backbone of the party, it shouldn't be a problem, n'est-ce pas?

But whoever wins, I can only hope you spend a lot of quality time out knocking on doors. A charmer like you is bound to win over shitloads of votes.

poor Krissy Gilibrand didn't even make the poll.

(Don't you think she acts more like a Krissy than a Kristen?)

Kamala has only been a senator for two years. I don't really see her as being so accomplished.

And studies always so that people don't vote based on the Veep. It has very little influence. Probably why Hillary picked the blandest most forgettable guy imaginable.

Beto couldn't beat Ted Cruz. He won't beat Trump.

Maybe if Kirsten does all her rallies in front of Trump buildings her poll numbers will go up. It would be genius!

Kamala was AG for a state that is bigger and more complicated than most countries. She's worked in the trenches and gained a lot of practical experience.

Reminder: Obama was only a first term Senator when he won. So.....

My pick is Mayor Pete. I wrote him off until I saw him speak. He doesn't fall for bullshit Republican talking points. He doesn't play their game. He's worldly and eloquent. He has that calming Obama quality and Bill Clinton's policy smarts. He's genuine and not shrill.

R282, you are a fucking asshole. Or Are you just plain stupid?

[quote] Frankly, if all the SJW bullshit hype is true and blacks are the backbone of the party, it shouldn't be a problem, n'est-ce pas?

The top of the ticket will probably be a white male. However, the VP should be female and minority like Harris. She's the most competent person.

Yes, the VP pick is important and it does help the ticket. And get this, R282, the Democrats have always relied on the Black vote, the Asian and Hispanic voters. Hispanics will soon be the largest minority in 20 years so yes, a minority as the 2nd slot would be nod to the huge non-white populace who've been loyal Democrats for years. America is changing and it's not totally white anymore. You were not there in 2018 or did you have your blinders on?

It would be an honor for Harris to accept the VP slot. It would be stupid not to offer it to her. She's the most talented and smartest politician I've seen. If it's Biden or Bernie, she could actually become POTUS as they're closer to death than the rest of the crowd.

Bill Clinton was the first black president so Pete won't have any problem getting the black vote. He's that genuine.

Harris would never accept the #2 slot. If she loses the primaries, she'll stay in the Senate.

I doubt it, R292. She'll take it. Can Biden or Bernie really survive 4 years?

Mayor Pete went on Fox News. He has guts. I respect that what he said about having to go to the other side to convince people of your ideas.

What show did he do? Anyone know?

Harris is Type A. They don't settle for 2nd.

r292, Bill Clinton was a very special kind of pol. Pete is very smart but he's no BIll Clinton.

R296 watch him more closely.

Clinton was pre-social media. Anyone remotely charismatic could capture the imagination back then.

[quote]I think Biden is exactly what the country needs in the next president

Because you're conservative without even knowing it, over 50, gay and likely completely disinterested in women or their experiences, and you've probably never spoken to a non-white person for more than 10 minutes.

[quote]Beto couldn't beat Ted Cruz. He won't beat Trump.

The second doesn't follow from the first because your basis for comparison isn't uniform. Texas isn't the 50 states.

Follow up question: Who of the Dem candidates for sure would've beaten Cruz IN TX?

The Democrats are happily ripping each other apart, aided and abetted by the BernieBros. Yes, let's give Trump 4 more years and we won't ever have to worry about voting "for the lesser evil" again after 2020.

Based solely on personality & perceived moral values and from the little I know about him, I would definitely prefer very intelligent, compassionate, savvy, aware, non-braggart Mayor Pete as POTUS. Love that his partner is a schoolteacher.

However I'd be very curious to see polls if sectors of the electorate would support an openly gay president. Or if they would claim to do so, and then actively look for faults re reasons to oppose him. Likely most today don't know enough about him to accurately vote in such a poll.

Cannot believe any aware Democrat would back Biden knowing full well opponents would broadcast the White House Press Corps filmed his mass molestation video 24/7 in retaliation. See James Woods Twitter page as an example. Honestly it makes whatever Trump and many other accused sexual offenders of children appear to be more restrained strictly by comparison. Yes the videos of Biden are that horrifyingly disgusting.

I don't think Middle America is ready for a young gay mayor. Why didn't he run for Congress or Senate first?

Congressman Eric Swalwell was talking about running. He is also 37 years old, goes on Fox News and is very articulate and smart. He's very much like Mayor Pete, only he's married to a woman with kids.

R302: We do not promote racist bigot James Woods' ramblings on here. And no, Biden, as much as he sucks, does not pale in comparison to what Trump has done.

Swalwell has the type of inauthentic-sounding politicanspeak that people are sick of.

Swalwell was on Bill Maher last week. Maher was talking about Beto getting attacked for 'white male privilege' and having to apologize for it. Swalwell said he's friends with Beto and his wife but didn't mention running himself. The 'white male privilege' thing is probably gonna prevent him from entering the race. And Mayor Pete's gonna get attacked for it soon - all the feminist trolls on twitter are spoiling for a fight.

I'd love it if one, just one, Democrat would tell all these people screaming about race and gender at every turn to go fuck themselves.

Beto O'Rourke just announced he's hired Jennifer O'Malley Dillon as his Campaign Manager - she's an Obama insider and the first overt sign the Obamaites are supporting Beto, not Joe.

Or, maybe he's paying her a lot of money.

Nah, Dillon can pick and choose. Becky Bond who worked for Bernie in 2016 is rumored to also be going to work for Beto - which resulted in her getting hounded off twitter by insane BernieBros.

Uncle Joe doesn't seem to be getting a lot support from Obama people. Some ex-Obamaite was interviewed on MSNBC about Joe and said something about working in the White House with him and that Joe 'he's always surrounded by his old cronies', etc.

[quote]Harris would never accept the #2 slot. If she loses the primaries, she'll stay in the Senate.

This.

[quote]Harris is Type A. They don't settle for 2nd.

Also this.

Will she settle for not being the nominee? Because that's what's going to happen.

Harris doesn’t seem like she’s really that interested in being in the Senate. She’s always had higher aspirations, and planned to use her Senate seat as a springboard to higher office.

If she doesn’t win the Primary, she’s going to angle to be Attorney General.

I think the ticket should be Harris, with one of the younger white guys as VP... either Beto or Pete.

I'm still pulling for Beto. I like Kamala but I think Beto has a better chance of courting the swing states in middle America. I'd dig a Beto/Kamala ticket. I like Mayor Pete a lot too, but I wonder if some of the old farts will be too scared to vote for the young gay guy. And I think Warren has some great ideas but she plays into Trump's hands too easily. (See DNA ancestry test.) Beto could go toe to toe with Trump because he doesn't let Trump (or any of the Republicans) get under his skin.

I don't really hate any of the Dem candidates but I'm starting to get pissier with the Sanders camp. Too many "Bernie or Bust" assholes running the show over there. And yes, Bernie and Biden are both too damn old. And Yang's kookiness will tank him if it hasn't already. (Who the hell would debate a right-wing nut on circumcision when the country is going to hell in a handbasket?)

Beto has a chance of turning Texas blue. He was able to lure people who hardly vote-- the Huge Hispanic population--and get them to the polls. When a candidate speaks fluid Spanish, that's very attractive.

Beto/Castro?

Castro's a nonentity. He was the mayor of San Antonio years ago and the mayor's job doesn't have any responsibilities. He served as Obama's 3rd Secy of HUD for the last 2 years of Obama's admin.

He should have run for a statewide job last year. And he can't speak Spanish. His bro Joaquin is claiming he's going to oppose Cornyn for the Senate, but who knows. They're both scared shitless of losing statewide in Texas.

R319, but they're Latino! That's all we need, right?

Bernie Sanders is publicly speaking about public policy. Elizabeth Warren is putting out policy too. While everyone one else guessing what is in the Mueller Report.

Why the fuck won't corporate media cover Sanders and Warren? The media is going to get Trump elected again, if they keep pulling this shit. Who the fuck wants Trump for 4 more years?

Andrew Yang was talking about policy, too, and looked incredibly promising. Unfortunately, he veered into a ditch when he started talking about circumcision. I don't get why some of these candidates are so myopic.

There's a thread on LSA if they would vote for an openly gay candidate. No names are mentioned. Interesting & wide variety of responses and explanations.

R322, were they generally in favor of, or against, a gay candidate?

Not 322, but I went to check out the thread. About 70-30 in favor, although a couple of the negatives were because he is white. Unfortunately we're still 20 years or so from a gay candidate (unless they have some other completely compelling reason to vote for them) being viable. Most people think that Mayor Pete has been running for a cabinet position from day one, anyway.

Harris has 0 chance at the nomination. Get behind someone who can actually win the election.

The Dems are going to be destroyed by the very PC culture that they have fostered. White men - out ( white male privilege). Moderate-out ( need to adopt radical policies such as guaranteed income). experienced - out ( too old). The candidate must pass the PC SJW test. And no one passes everything. Sorry, unless they come to their senses and stop all of this radical shit, they will be humiliated by the most corrupt and evil asshole in the history of politics.

R326, we need to make sure the middle aged and elderly vote in the primaries.

[quote]Congressman Eric Swalwell was talking about running. He is also 37 years old

Eric Swalwell is 38, a young GenXer. He is extremely intelligent, not afraid to get on a one on one with Republicans, and even more qualified than Beto and Pete combined.

R326 is right

I will vote for any Democrat.

I will never vote for Bernie or Tulsi.

But I will vote for ANY other Democrat, against ANY Republican.

Since August of 2018, Swalwell was considering running and said in February, he would make a decision before April. Well, April is almost here. If he ran, he'd have to give up his seat. IMO, I think he'll probably run for Senate when Feinstein retires or croaks.

R331 He'll have to fight off Adam Schiff then.

R323, R324, There are over 50 posts on that LSA thread, and it's rapidly growing. Love the LSA bold, honest comment about VP Pence.

Swalwell doesn't have a chance. He's too strongly identified with the Russia committee investigations which is a disadvantage in attracting the moderate and independents.

[quote]I will never vote for Bernie or Tulsi.

Tulsi is going nowhere.

As to Bernie, if he ends up being the nominee, I'm holding my nose and voting for him against the Orange Blob.

I don't think we have the luxury of being principled where Trump is involved. The prize now is to fucking win in 2020, and a vote for 3rd party or staying home is a vote for the Orange Turd.

If Bernie's the nominee, he'll name Tulsi as his VP. And they cannot be elected - so voting for him is pointless.

The DL: getting behind the Butt gig

[quote]And they cannot be elected - so voting for him is pointless.

People thought Trump can't be elected and we know how that turned out. I'm not going to waste even a 0.01 chance of getting rid of Trump and we're not getting rid if him if grudgy Dems stay home.

Bernie and his toxic minions have alienated most Democrats and if through some trickery he gets the nomination, Democrats will stay home in droves.

Luckily he won't get the nomination and with any luck, will kick the bucket before 2020.

LSA has over 90 responses on the thread asking if they'd vote for an openly gay man. There are questions of how an openly gay or woman would handle the increasingly in your face trans movement. Meaning that it's one thing for Middle America to accept adults transitioning, and likewise the presence of drag queens in adult nightclubs. Quite a different story to see young boys dressing up in drag and imitating popular adult female singers known for their sexuality.

By the same token there are those that approve of Queen Elizabeth's standard, followed by William & Kate, that much more than hand holding is not appropriate in public, and especially not for public figures.

[quote]if through some trickery he gets the nomination, Democrats will stay home in droves.

Then they deserve the 4 more years of Orange Turd they'll be getting.

BernieBro Greenwald's Intercept is currently defending Trump!

Hinkenlooper excites me with all of those syllables.

Kloubucher has some delicious guttural beauty there

Pete says why Hillary and the Dems lost. Don't repeat this error:

We spent, I think, way too much time on our side talking about him," Buttigieg said in an interview with "The Breakfast Club," a New York City-based radio show, which ran Tuesday morning. "Our whole message was don't vote for him because he is terrible. And even because he is, that is not a message."

"Our whole message was don't vote for him because he is terrible. And even because he is, that is not a message."

OK that made me laugh. It's true. But for some reason I found it really funny.

The following was posted on a pro-Trump online site, and DL should read it as well. Surprising results.

[quote]As to Bernie, if he ends up being the nominee, I'm holding my nose and voting for him against the Orange Blob.

Not me. Trump is no worse than Bernie. Bernie is no better than Trump. They both suck. If that's our choice, I'll vote for every other Dem on the ballot, leave the POTUS blank, then go home, and put a bullet in my brain, because we will hopelessly fucked no matter what if that's our choice.

R349 those are the Dems the GOP wants us to pick.

I just saw Zuckerberg in that grid of pictures. Can you imagine that freak as President? He'd be his own CIA and FBI director.

I saw my accountant yesterday to do my taxes, and she's the same as many - Harris/O'Rourke would be a good combo.

Harris/O’Rourke would be a strong ticket with wide-ranging appeal.

Harris/O'Rourke would get trounced.

Reparations is a guaranteed loser. Many Dems would sit out the election . Anyone who supports reparations cannot be nominated and it must not be the litmus test question.

New Quinnipac poll: Biden's on top, Bernie's down, Beto's up, Pete's up and most of the candidates can't get any traction.

Anyone who says Kamala would be a great choice at the top of the ticket is completely out of touch and living in an impenetrable t blue bubble. She will not appeal to flyover country and enough independents to make any noticeable difference. Not only that, but she'd be disastrous for down ticket races as well. This is the same reason why I don't want Pete to run for President for another 15-20 years.

I read Kamala claiming that she could do well in Texas because she'd get all the black vote and the Hispanic vote. Why would she get the Hispanic vote? She's nuts. Beto's got the Hispanic vote locked up.

Not to mention that Texas is Beto's state. There's no compelling reason for most Hispanics to go for Kamala, or any of the current candidates, over Beto.

Quinnipiac has Kamala about tied with Beto with white voters but way behind with African Americans.

[quote]Trump is no worse than Bernie. Bernie is no better than Trump.

I'll take this as a serious comment although it is pure crap.

And I will give only one reason among thousands why a hypothetical vote for Trump over Bernie has shit consequences - the next Potus is guaranteed to appoint at least one new Scotus justice and it will be to replace a Dem judge like RBG who is hanging by a thread with a 40 yo right wing fundie.

Dems should finally figure out what strategic voting and party discipline means when you're faced with existential threats like Trump.

R300 not an apologetic whiner look Beto.

[quote]Is Pete Buttigieg Just Another White Male Candidate, or Does His Gayness Count as Diversity?

I have a feeling we'll see a tipping point in the run up to the election where more liberals are going to tell people who dismiss white men because, well, they're white men, to shut up and go fuck themselves.

The idea of 'privilege' is that somebody is automatically seen to be 'inferior' - a woman, a person of color. Being gay doesn't really count as it's so easy to hide (huh, Hollywood).

Pete's parents were upper middle-class so he definitely has white male privilege.

The Quinnipiac poll is an eye-opener. Black people prefer Beto to Kamala or Cory.. and they don't like Pete (may not know who he is). And Beto's just as popular with women as Kamala is.

I've got a feeling Kamala's not going anywhere. And Booker, Gillibrand, Castro, Klobuchar, Hickenlooper, etc. should just go home - nobody's interested.

R367, Guaranteed if you took a poll re which candidate is perceived to be the most honest & trustworthy the Quinnipiac poll's results would show the same results, especially with women & minorities who are particularly attune to these personality traits.

For a very long time I've been warning DL that falsely assuming Harris & Booker et al would automatically appeal to Blacks (and women) was beyond offensive as well as extremely inaccurate. The former's obvious pandering is so insulting.

Agree that Mayor Pete does not yet register with a majority of the electorate, while Biden definitely does as elder statesman. Skews poll numbers.

Booker's gotta be kicking himself for inventing a girlfriend when Pete's doing better than he is in the polls! Come out, Cory!

Now Cory can't come out for at least 10 years after he "dumps" Rosario. Any earlier and it would be obvious to everyone they were a fake couple. With enough time he can get away with saying he came to the realization late in life that he's gay.

So Rosario has dumped Bernie for Cory? This is so pathetic.

Harris is DOA, which is good.

Who in the hell started the talk about reparations? Harris? That's the last thing the American taxpayer wants to do since Trump took away our tax deductions.

Not only is Harris talking about reparations, she wants to give every teacher in the country a $13,500 raise.

Speaking of reparations, Beto O'Rourke got asked about this in South Carolina.

Ugh, the reparations question is going to be a issue. It's going to be asked again and again this election. Some brave Democrat needs to flat out say they're against it, which I don't see happening because they'll be too scared to offend anyone.

[quote]Anyone who says Kamala would be a great choice at the top of the ticket is completely out of touch and living in an impenetrable t blue bubble.

Anyone who says she wouldn't be and isn't, is just a sexist, racist fuckwad.

Kamala seems on paper like the ideal candidate but like all California Dems, they don't travel well. Imagine her in the Rust Belt or Texas. Nope. Don't see her (or any of the blue state Dems) being able to win any purple and certainly no red states. We can't win with just the West Coast, Illinois and the North-East.

r378 I think Pete would be a good candidate for the rust belt

[quote]I'll take this as a serious comment although it is pure crap.

R362, it IS serious, and it's NOT pure crap. Bernie and Trump are two sides of the same damn coin. Two way-too-old mediocre white guys, both sexist, both racist, both refusing to release their taxes, both ideologues and demagogues, Both egotistical narcissists, both insisting they alone can "solve" the problems, neither actually able to answer any questions about HOW. Both center straight white men in all things, and both inspire abusive bullying cults of hateful bigoted assholes.

If that's our choice, it doesn't matter who wins. We're in civil war. Democracy is dead. The American experiment will have failed. The fall of America will be complete. There will be no hope.

R377 sees racists and sexists at every turn and yet thinks Kamala would be a great candidate. I pray your brain becomes fully functional one day.

Kamala IS a great candidate.

Only one better than her is Hillary and she's not running.

Stop this SJW talk about white male privilege. Where is the social scientific data to prove that something like this exists?

No wonder why Trump is going to win a second term. Ugghh! SJW's are so inane.

[quote] It's going to be asked again and again this election. Some brave Democrat needs to flat out say they're against it,

Mayor Pete was asked about reparations and he gave the most eloquent answer. He said the sins of the fathers are carried into the injustices against black people happening right now and we need to fix that first, over reparations. In other words, fixing the problems today is more immediate and satisfying than paying out money. (He said it better than what I wrote).

SJWs are mostly young white women.

Rust Belt Trumpers hate women, hate POC and they really, really hate gay people - stop dreaming.

[quote]Kamala seems on paper like the ideal candidate but like all California Dems, they don't travel well. Imagine her in the Rust Belt or Texas.

The tough-on-crime stance she adopted as a DA would actually play well in the Rust Belt and Texas -- but she's actively disavowing that now.

Obama lost Texas by 16% so a black woman isn't going to do any better - probably a lot worse. And Hispanics liked Obama - Kamala has nothing to attract them. A lot of Texas Hispanics vote GOP too.

[quote]the injustices against black people happening right now and we need to fix that first, over reparations.

That's what Beto said too in R375, only in a more flowery delivery.

I've seen Beto speak several times and take questions from the audience - even hostile questions. He never needs notes to respond, never makes a speech with a teleprompter.

R387, Both Kamala Harris & Beto have said they advocate Open Borders. Many Black voters are opposed to that policy as it means greater competition for low paying jobs, subsidized and low income housing, general strain on Social Services. In most cities disabled veterans wait years for Section 8 housing but have seen new arrivals from the Mid East get priority. So how will Harris & Beto deal in the Rust Belt, big cities in PN, where poor and low income voters don't want any more competition for jobs & cheap housing? Don't most SJW who want Open Borders live in solid Blue states?

You are an idiot R391.

R391 is a patalogical liar.

R391, Go ahead and call me an "idiot." However I hope you recall that I was a lone voice on DL who said Kamala Harris would never fly with the majority of Blacks, despite assertions to the contrary from clueless DNC advocates. Most Blacks, legal immigrants to the US who've spent years and $$$$ to come here, and plenty of Mid Westerners and those from Purple States are adamantly against Open Borders. Expect a lot of potential voters to stay home if these issues aren't solidly addressed.

LMAO! 😂

R395, Love that clip, and some of it is so very true.

Beto is not for open borders. He is for rehauling the immigration system, granting a path to citizenship for DACA and has presented a detailed plan on how to do it.

R197, Not exactly sure which media sources DL approves. Many require financial contributions before reading the entire article. Hope the local TX paper I linked is OK.

Bottom line, every other week there are reports of increasingly large caravans coming to the US from South of the Border and US Border Patrol Agents complaining of being overwhelmed. Now there's a desperate call for bilingual Peace Corps volunteers to assist in processing, college education not required.

Not saying the wall as designed is worth the $$$$ expenditure. Beto has repeatedly stated he's against building a border wall but I haven't heard him discuss valid alternatives. Guarantee Trump supporters will be bringing up this issue if Beto and/or Harris are chosen as the nominee.

Of course footage of the massive homeless problem in CA will also be prominently featured, along with questions of why aren't our scarce Social Service resources going to help elderly, disabled, and poverty stricken but still working Americans.

I'm with Mayor Pete and his cool, calm intelligence. I think he's the only one who doesn't need to stoop to the Orange Idiot's level to make his points.

I think a Biden / Beto ticket has potential - IF Biden made it clear he would be a one-term president. Biden would get elder to middle age / middle class / middle America voters. Beto would gain experience and credibility as VP to allow him to run at the tp of the ticket in 2024.

R398 I have always found these 'caravans' highly suspicious. In Mexico people are more than aware of the hatred Trump has inspired. They suddenly decide to move en masse to the US in the midst of the mid-terms when Texas was threatening to turn blue? I bet we'll discover the Koch Bros were behind the caravans.

R401, same here. It's too coincidental that he talks about a wall and suddenly there are caravans when there haven't been before.

R401, R402, There's never been any proven links between the Koch Brothers and the many huge caravans. In fact the only time I've ever heard the Koch Brothers brought up is on DL. Well known fact that the Koch Brothers do not like Trump.

However there have been documented assistance to the caravans from student groups in San Diego, and TX and a network of other Catholic churches. Someone has been paying for their bus transport, brand new clothes, meals.

Independent Spanish-speaking journalists have been filming and reporting on the multiple huge & growing caravans for many months. Check out their online YouTube videos. (No, they are not pro-Trump either.)

R399, Americans are seeking workable, practical solutions to real-life problems.

Would like to learn how Mayor Pete would deal with CA massive homeless problem. Please don't tell me it would not be his issue to solve as POTUS. We all know that many states including NY and NV have given one-way bus tickets to CA as a way of reducing their chronically homeless & mentally ill populations.

Savvy of Mayor Pete to take about his Episcopalian faith and church attendance. Blue State DL should be aware that many, many Rust Belt and flyovers solid Democrats want to hear about a candidate's values including belief in God.

Now how will Mayor Pete handle the hot bed issue of gun control? DL, Do you actually have personal contact with families who for generations have used hunting as a means of survive, and see any potential threat to their loss of weapons as a "no-go" for a candidate? Welcome to the Bible Belt, rural and small town America, and much of flyover country.

R404 Hillary was a devout Methodist and Trump's an atheist. Didn't do her any good.

People won't care about Pete's stance on the homeless issue in California, not enough to make a difference anyway. Red states and some independents are gleeful of anything that makes California look bad. They don't care.

[quote]Stop this SJW talk about white male privilege.

Funny. Only privileged white males want us to stop talking about it.

[quote]Where is the social scientific data to prove that something like this exists?

Are you fucking KIDDING ME? Do you deny climate change and that the world is round too?

[quote]Americans are seeking workable, practical solutions to real-life problems.

If that were true, Hillary would be President right now

(Well, she DID win, but … )

R391 is a fucking pathologically lying moron.

Uh-oh X 2

Mayor Pete just had a quote trashing Hillary. That's not gonna help.

And Joe Biden just got outted as a creeper by a woman who ran for Lt Gov. in Nevada...

There is not one white person anywhere in this country who is going to vote for a Reparations candidate.

Democrats need to drop that shit right now.

What did Mayor Peter just say "trashing" Hillary? Is it more intense than a criticism of the 2016 campaign?

I think the #metoo hysteria has died down. No one is making headlines with their "allegations" at this point. Unless he pulled out his dick and showed it to her. Then Biden would be in trouble.

ANY candidate trashing Hillary or Obama has no chance of winning the Primary, period.

R397 Correct. Beto is not for open borders. In fact, unless I'm overlooking something, I'm not aware of any Democratic candidates being for open borders. Most Dems agree that the wall is a colossal waste of money and we'd be better off simply hiring more officers to patrol the border. The "open borders" claim is a myth spread by Republicans in an attempt to smear Democrats.

[quote]The "open borders" claim is a myth spread by Republicans in an attempt to smear Democrats.

Exactly. Unfortunately, none of our candidates understand it's an effective tool being used by the right. They need to come right out and say, "I'm not for open borders." At least go on record about it. I worked with a someone who voted for Bernie and said one of the reasons he didn't vote for Hillary was because she was for open borders. These are the kind of people we're dealing with.

R415 Good point. Agreed.

This is thoroughly damning. But it is the underlying point about Joe Biden that is so incisive: that much about what’s wrong about America today is the fault of Guys like him. The very same Guys who tell us we need him now.

Joe Biden isn't the answer.

R405, You don't get it. Go back and listen to how Mayor Pete addresses his faith, states that he's an Episcopalian, naturally uses the phrase, "What would Jesus do" in conversations. In contrast many do/did not believe HRC when she talked about church attendance.

Those who voted for Trump all said he had clear character flaws, and plenty said he'd be more humble if he regularly went to church. He was very lucky to run against a candidate who many also disliked personally, especially when she called them, "Deplorables." Well the very poor still vote, as do those who are no longer poor but remember their roots. I'll make a billion dollar bet Mayor Pete would never call a potential voter a "Deplorable" even in private. It's not what Jesus would do.

My BFF lives in a very small town in AR and there's a completely different thought process. Yes she's from a solid Blue heritage like me.

[quote]Mayor Pete just had a quote trashing Hillary. That's not gonna help.

It's actually a quote from a January 2019 Washington Post article. But for some reason, longtime Clinton advisor Nick Merrill tweeted about it yesterday.

"Funny. Only privileged white males want us to stop talking about it."

Keep up with that shit and you will be responsible for the Trump landslide.

R418, you keep talking about Hillary like she's unpopular... even though her approval ratings were routinely in the 60s when she was at State, and when she announced her run for POTUS... even though she has NEVER lost the popular vote in any election she's run in... even though she had a best selling book and sold out book tour....

And if people didn't BELIEVE her religion, that's THEIR fault and problem. She's always been genuine on that front, and has worked her entire life to help the dispossessed, the downtrodden, women and children, the oppressed and forgotten.

And her "deplorable" comment was actually quite charitable. She never said EVERY Trump supporter was deplorable. But note how quickly Trump supporters were to jump right into that basket... they truly were and are the worst of humanity.

So seriously, fuck off with your smearing of Hillary. It's unwarranted and unjustified, and just perpetuating the lies and anti-Hillary propaganda that the GOP, RWNJs, and now Russians have been spewing for years. And decades. The real bottom line is that they fear a strong, competent woman. It's pure sexism & misogyny. And that is NOT Hillary's fault.

R420 = racist sexist supremacist asshole.

"You must kow-tow to racists sexist white supremacists OR ELSE!"

Just more bullshit that needs to die.

R422. WTF are you talking about?

R423, if you're too stupid to understand the obvious statement being made in response to R420's idiocy, then no wonder you're fine with coddling racist sexist white male supremacist bigots.

I want to know each candidate's stand on the Student Loan crisis.

R421, That's exactly why my initial strong support for HRC turned to the opposite. Claims of "sexism & misogyny." If Mayor Pete lost the DNC primaries and/or national election then would he be constantly encouraging his supporters to cry about an anti-gay backlash? Or would he very quietly accept reality, and try harder next time hoping the electorate's views have changed?

R421, Please go back a generation or two and read about the constant struggles of women, Blacks, and other minority group members in their aims to break the constantly discussed "glass ceiling" of politics and business. Yes it existed and was a million times tougher than anything HRC faced. Did they and their supporters encourage whining about it? No, they knew they had to be trailblazers and had to be that much better than everyone else, even if they didn't meet their objectives. They were tremendously admired by many their entire lives.

[quote]That's exactly why my initial strong support for HRC turned to the opposite.

So you turned against Hillary because she was the victim of misogyny R426 ??

Well that makes a lot of sense ...

[quote]That's exactly why my initial strong support for HRC turned to the opposite. Claims of "sexism & misogyny."

See, I really don't get this shit. TRUTH is pointed out to you, and what do you do? Go in the opposite direction. What the fuck is wrong with you?

R426, the only WHINER here is you.

R427, NO, I hate HRC because she encourages whining about her loss, claiming it's a result of sexism and misogyny. Proves HRC is extremely emotionally immature and totally unfit to be POTUS.

Did I ever think Trump was a paragon of maturity? Of course not. Except hardly any of his former aids and associates have committed suicide. Luckily I was way, way too sick to vote, so didn't have to make a choice that Nov.

Again I will guarantee that if Mayor Pete doesn't win the Primaries and/or the General Election that homophobia will be one of the factors. I seriously believe Mayor Pete has the emotional maturity as a true leader that he will be very low-key about bitching about that fact in public and in front of the media. Mayor Pete has been in the armed forces, he's seen worse.

It's too hard to tell at this point. We definitely need someone who is tough and who will not back down and I don't see that in many of the candidates.Democrats have been nice for too long and I am tired of us "losing" all the time to these corrupt assholes in office.

Democrats really need to get their shit together and toughen up if they plan to win.

R427, "Mayor Buttplug" comments have already started online, and I'm going to be attuned to watching how the seemingly very diplomatic, truly strong in the face of direct adversity "Budda-Judge" is going to handle it. Both he and his partner seem to have an excellent sense of humor & irony. Love super savvy trailblazers.

[quote]NO, I hate HRC

So someone who is the victim of discrimination, of which you were a witness, does not deserve your vote?

Let's be honest here R426, you were probably part of the mob that were bullying her.

[quote]NO, I hate HRC because she encourages whining about her loss, claiming it's a result of sexism and misogyny.

What a ridiculously absurd assertion. Utterly stupid. No, she does no such thing. She never ONCE encouraged ANYONE to whine. But the fact remains: misogyny and sexist double-standards are part of the reason for her loss, and it's ridiculous NOT to acknowledge that fact.

You're a fucking asshole. What the fuck is WRONG with you?

Kamala needs to get in touch with her inner blackness and kick some ass. She is my pick at this point.

R431, I agree with you that I want to see strength & toughness in a politician. I also want to see extreme diplomacy and true leadership with no hints of alcoholism or any other addictive behavior. (I'll accept workaholism.)

R431, Hillary didn't and doesn't take shit. Kamala doesn't take shit, and SHE sure as hell won't back down.

R434, MSM REPEATEDLY quoted HRC speaking about misogny & sexism. So did Michele Obama & Oprah Winfrey after HRC's loss. WHY did it take so long for HRC to come out and publicly congratulate Trump on his win, like previous presidential candidates of both parties have always done?

Go ahead and call me extremely immature names. Proves your own lack of emotional strength. I've talked with many, many Secret Service Agents and others hired to personally guard HRC. All praise Bill Clinton even if they dislike his politics and personal habits. In direct contrast none of them liked working for HRC. Now go ahead and call me more very childish names. WHY didn't HRC ever publicly praise her security staff & the Secret Service like Trump? Think about it. Demonstrates emotional maturity, once again. Sorry you don't like what I'm saying.

R435, Kamala will never win the Primary. Go to LSA and see the mixed reaction to her candidacy and her subsequent actions. If she can't get solid support among hard working, educated, Black women on LSA then what exactly is her road to victory?

R407 still hasn't provided any evidence of white male privilege and has to resort to saying the earth is round as his evidence.

His arguments are based on emotion and not on solid evidence and argumentation.

Another crazy SJW.

[quote]WHY did it take so long for HRC to come out and publicly congratulate Trump on his win, like previous presidential candidates of both parties have always done?

Because the was a cloud over the election. Both campaigns had been briefed about Russians trying to collude with Republicans.

Nothing explains your lack of knowledge of what took place just a few years ago. Where you in a coma?

R408, Why do you and other posters on this thread not see the strong negatives about HRC's personality that turned off voters in certain states? Yes I was originally for HRC, and wanted her to be POTUS over Obama solely because I believed Barack was still to inexperienced.

Actually I thought Hillary as POTUS and Obama as VP would be an ideal combination. HRC made some very serious errors during the campaign. No, I didn't like Trump's emotional immaturity either. Too sick to vote, I didn't have to make a choice that election day.

[quote]We definitely need someone who is tough and who will not back down and I don't see that in many of the candidates.Democrats have been nice for too long and I am tired of us "losing" all the time

Yet Kamala is constantly is constantly being bashed on these threads for being too angry and too much of a bitch. "No one wants to vote for an angry black woman". "She was too tough as a prosecutor". Etc...

Democrats have no idea what they want. So they will get Trump.

Why do you guys argue with obvious trump supporting trolls?

[quote]They need to come right out and say, "I'm not for open borders." At least go on record about it.

None will say that, because every one of them is for open borders.

[quote]She never ONCE encouraged ANYONE to whine.

She does enough whining herself.

R441, BS. Al Gore, whom I strongly supported, lost a much, much closer election. There was a massive amount of press attention at the time of extremely serious voting machine fraud particularly in FL. Bush appointee certified the election. Al Gore didn't react the same way as HRC even though the public complaints of his being shafted lasted for an extremely long time. This isn't about misogyny or sexism.

Former Pres Jimmy Carter conceded the election way too early, before even CA polls had a chance to close. Talking about being screwed. One of my fav female politician lost her election in part due to Carter's serious mistake. Did she encourage the whining of her supporters? No, she came out and made a statement saying Carter's actions were unfortunate but that it was time to go on with life and work harder for the next election cycle.

[quote]WHY did it take so long for HRC to come out and publicly congratulate Trump on his wi

Because he fucking STOLE the election, and his 'win' margin was one of the narrowest on records (only Dubbya had him beat): a paltry 78k votes spread across three states. And those votes were HIGHLY QUESTIONABLE. Seriously, what the FUCK is wrong with you?

R445 is a liar.

[quote]Why do you and other posters on this thread not see the strong negatives about HRC's personality that turned off voters in certain states?

Why do you and other posters on this thread not see that that's utter bullshit, that her "negatives about her personality" are 1) not only irrelevant in the face of fucking TRUMP, but 2) are completely driven by sexist perceptions and misogyny, and are NOT REAL?

Goddamn, there are none so blind as those who will not see. You can't whine about Hillary's personality and then turn around and say "that's why we got trump" because Trump is worse in every way... seriously, what the fuck is wrong with you?

R450 et al, Are you now going to falsely accuse me of being racist (as well as sexist) because I am saying Kamala Harris will never win the Primary? I said that she doesn't have the Black, minority, women et al support DL & DNC was claiming she had a long, long time ago. All I got for my efforts was a nasty name-calling session in response.

Go ahead with all of your delusions, and keep losing elections. Or wise up and face reality and win. By the way Trump may not be in good enough health to actually run in 2020. Do you really want Pence as POTUS? If you thought Trump was bad . . .

R450, Again I will not resort to your extreme emotional immaturity & name calling. I NEVER called Trump emotionally mature. However I'd like to know how many private security guards surrounding HRC that you've talked to recently. Ask why all Christian-identifying Secret Service Agents REFUSED to accompany her to Los Angeles and to other cities.

Why did Trump make a point to thank his Secret Service Agents & security and HRC never has done so? Bill Clinton also highly praised by his personal security & Secret Service Agents as well. Sorry but that point alone, of all the actions I honestly, really don't like about Trump, speaks volumes to me. Now go ahead and LIE and say it's because I'm sexist & misogynist against other women. Right.

R451, there are several unhinged fools posting on these threads. They are probably Republican plants; ignore them, especially the psycho who keeps calling everybody assholes. He's either a complete mental case, incapable of listening to anything remotely counter to his small mind, or a plant. Don't waste your time on fools like that.

Can we move on from Hilary? She's not running in 2020 and talk about her has become boring.

Has she said she's not running?

[quote] Democrats have no idea what they want. So they will get Trump.

I know. Especially now that Fox news is all over this Biden sexual misconduct BS. He hasn't even announced running yet and he's already over. Now, more than ever, the Democrats have to step up their game and come up with a plan that is going to be fair for all Americans. I think unity is something they will have to work on as well as healthcare.

[quote] Has she said she's not running?

yes. Let's move on.

R452, you're such a fucking liar I don't even know where to start with you.

R453 is describing Republicans, not people defending Hillary from ridiculously baseless and sexist smears, or asking Democrats to embrace white male supremacy by categorically rejecting all people of color and women from their candidates, and to refuse to even discuss the very real problems of toxic masculinity, white supremacy, sexism, racism, and misogyny.

Seriously, fuck you assholes. YOU are the reason we have Trump. You and people like you that can't handle the truth, and just love bashing strong women and minorities.

[quote] [R452], you're such a fucking liar I don't even know where to start with you.

then finish it and move on.

[quote]Unfortunately, none of our candidates understand it's an effective tool being used by the right. They need to come right out and say, "I'm not for open borders."

Which is one of our central problems. Too many Democrats - especially the centrist candidates - are always trying to make everybody happy with every fucking sentence they say and they wind up saying nothing or sounding insincere.

I disagree on reparations, but I admire Harris and Warren for just saying it. It's honest and it's respectful. Like I say, I don't agree but I respect them back, for being clear. Beto is driving me nuts lately with his imprecision and general trying too much to please. I really want Beto to be the newcomer I back but I'm kinda starting to wonder where he's coming from and what motivates him.

He'll always be hot, tho.

I wonder how much homophobia will surface with Buttegig in the running?

This and all of the other threads on this topic underlie the fundamental problem that the Democratic party has. The Republicans basically have to appeal to two groups - social conservatives who vote solely on abortion and guns, and the well-to-do (whether truly rich are not) who are afraid of the government taking their money and giving it to those they see as less deserving. The Democrats have to put together a coalition of everybody else, who often are against another group in that coalition. So, when one of those groups' favorite isn't on the ballot, they stay home. Neither side is rational in their thinking, but I think that's where we're at.

That's kinda the problem... or maybe we're arguing the same thing R463... but I would argue conversely too many Democratic candidates are afraid to stake out ground and there's not a lot of pressure on Dem voters (or in Dem 'culture') to put contests behind them and turn out for a nominee (though I hear more and more this go around people saying they are voting for the nominee, no matter who they back.)

The Dotard has a base of what... 30 - 32%. His share of the popular vote was slight over 46%. So he managed through or as a result of other factors to acquire fourteen to sixteen per cent of his vote from swing voters. You can't believe surely that all those people were loyal like the base? No, the found something or held their nose or what have you, but they went there.

The point being, Democrats don't have to be all things to all people and the base, whatever it is, isn't enough to win the election. You have to appeal to swing voters. There's no one formula, except to clearly and sincerely stand up and say what you believe as a candidate and what you intend to do in office and trust that in there lies enough that resonates with enough people to carry you over the line.

R463 defines the Republican base but ignores the middle.

Hillary Clinton promised a third term of Obama. If you were already suffering economically, what was there to look forward to? Four more years of economic hell with no relief? Apparently 14-16% of swing voters said, fuck that, and they jumped into the unknown abyss of Trump.

Now rising interest rates are putting the squeeze on consumers. Farmers and manufacturers are being squeezed by tariffs. So my guess is 14-16% of swing voters are looking around. They're probably ready to say fuck you to Trump, but they need something positive to jump to. What kind of future are the Democratic Candidates offering to those swing voters?

[quote]Hillary Clinton promised a third term of Obama.

Which would have been awesome.

[quote]If you were already suffering economically, what was there to look forward to?

Duh, things getting CONSISTENTLY AND CONSTANTLY BETTER OVER TIME.

[quote]Four more years of economic hell with no relief?

The Economic Hell was the 2008 GOP Economic collapse. Obama brought us out of it, against unprecidented obstruction and lack of cooperation by the GOP Congress. There was CONSTANT relief under Obama... from the ACA, to cutting unemployment in half, to dramatically raising consumer confidence.

[quote]Apparently 14-16% of swing voters said, fuck that, and they jumped into the unknown abyss of Trump.

The notion that "economic anxiety" had ANYTHING to do with Trump's win has been debunked endlessly, so it'd be nice if you'd stop parroting that nonsense. He appealed to their racism, and/or their own sexism made it impossible for them to vote for a woman. It was clear to anyone that Hillary would have been far better economically for most Trump voters than Trump (minus the 1%).

[quote]Now rising interest rates are putting the squeeze on consumers.

Again, thank Trump & the GOP.

[quote]Farmers and manufacturers are being squeezed by tariffs.

That's 100% Trump.

[quote]What kind of future are the Democratic Candidates offering to those swing voters?

A far better one... as they ALWAYS have going back a hundred years. Why can't people see the fucking obvious?

When in the last 50 years has any Republican done ANYTHING for the working person?

Never, that's when.

So the only reason any working person would vote Republican is because they're a brainwashed moron, or so racist that they don't mind suffering themselves as long as the GOP hurts black people and gay people more.

If we want to kick Trump out and get a Blue Congress (kick that son-of-a-bitch McConnell out too) The Dems need to emphasis the tax cuts for the Rich and the Middle class are paying MORE in Taxes all because of Trump. People at work were complaining they never paid taxes before and this pisses them off. One lady said I voted for Trump because I wanted change but I'm NOT going to vote for him again.

Less focus on Russia and what immediately impacts the middle and working classes -- Taxes and Health-care. We also need the Youth Vote badly-- address student loans and Climate Change.his This time, policy matters more.

R462, Agree with you that Mayor Pete's prominence on the national stage will potentially result in a rise in homophobia. However the reverse may also be true. Talked last night to my BFF in an extremely small, rural area of AR. Described Mayor Pete. She was surprised his profile is so against the stereotypes recently pushed in the media.

Obama's candidacy initially also surprised many because he was the polar opposite of what some expected when they heard, "Black politician," especially as he's always been relatively reserved and professional in style. (Yes, racists always claimed that's because he's 1/2 White. What do you expect?)

Women have long known that if they want to reach the top of the corporate ladder they have to figure out about the expected negative stereotypes, and then act the complete opposite.

What R467 said.

Beto is an empty tool, the perfect president for the current corrupt system. Enamoured with prestige, easily manipulated, no core values.

Mayor Pete is the best candidate, with a spine, no nonsense, but I don't think they'll allow that. I sure hope I'm wrong.

Interviewers initially are so baffled by his lack of emotional pandering, and then are quickly impressed.

The majority of voters are emotional voters, R472, so I give a huge advantage to Beto there.

R473, Initially yes, you are correct about Beto. However I can easily see his support eroding over time. Every candidate of both parties makes serious gaffes, it's inevitable. The one most ready for the world stage will have the biggest cajones and be able to successfully deal with it and move on.

My ears are suddenly pricked up. This will be the most fascinating election season ever.

People may like Mayor Pete but if he becomes a serious candidate, the thought of Pete and his hubby greeting world leaders in the WH, and the first hubby greeting the wives of world leaders and giving a tour of the WH may be something they're not ready for.

Pete will never have a chance with middle american voters.

[quote]Kamala will never win the Primary. Go to LSA and see the mixed reaction to her candidacy and her subsequent actions. If she can't get solid support among hard working, educated, Black women on LSA then what exactly is her road to victory?

I didn't know this. So who are the ones who are championing her? Is it mostly SJWs just because she's a woman and a POC?

As for Beto, I hope is non-stance of everything is a strategy for now. If he doesn't take any stances on anything it will be harder for people to call him out. Of course, he can be called out for not taking any stances, but that can be remedied in the primary by unveiling his platform. It looks like his momentum will carry him until then.

R476, I do remember hearing that same statement about Obama countless times. Personally I think you'd be surprised at Middle America once they got to know more about Mayor Pete. Elections aren't always about who you like the best. More often the real choice is who turns you off the least versus who's more trustworthy.

Warning America is predicted to follow the world into a recession/severe economic stress. That's going to change everyone's game plan. Meanwhile there will be an uptick from those South of the Border trying to come to the US. Trump has just cancelled aid to 3 Latin/South American Countries.

"I think people criticizing Democratic candidates are REPUBLICANS and TRUMPERS because I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW PRIMARIES WORK. Now here's a dozen pictures of Donald Trump!"

"I am so [italic]concerned[/italic] about Mayor Pete, because homophobia exists. Middle AmericaTM is not going to like that, tsk, tsk!!"

R480, I always wonder exactly how much contact the majority of DL has with what they call "flyovers."

The notion that black people, and black women in particular, wouldn't support Kamala Harris if she won the primary, is laughably ridiculous.

John Hickenlooper is not doing well in this poll.

Once again, the typical coastal arrogance coming through. " Middle America will never embrace Pete." Of course, you are the only enlightened ones. Anyone in the Us, including your provincial coasts who are going to go for Trump will vote for him, even if the opponent is Jesus; that's why it's a cult. But once again, you presume to speak for the 'flyovers" that you so gleefully disparage at every opportunity. Cities in the Midwest are overwhelmingly Democrat, the rural areas and wealthy suburbs not so much. So, there is the divide. Smugness about all residents only makes you look like fools.

R482, Of course Blacks and Black women would support Kamala Harris IF she won the Primary rather than see Trump get a 2nd term.

However I predicted from Day-1 against constant dissing from DL that Blacks, Black women, minorities and women in general would not automatically choose Harris as their #1 choice in the Primaries, given a more viable alternative.

Pete's getting attacked for stuff he did against black people in South Bend. This is the problem with not vetting people before they get too much attention.

R486, Please read the linked article. Thank you.

R486, Please listen to this video and then read the Comments below it.

I'm listening to Mayor Pete on Van Jones (I wish!) and he's articulate, clear, thoughtful... he's compelling. I think Mayor Pete may be Beto2.0, new and improved. I advocated upstream for not over investing etc and I meant it... so I really want to learn more about what he has to say and offer, but to my real surprise this guy can command attention. It's quite surprising. I assumed he was just doing it build profile for something else.

Um, gays, we need some advice about interview techniques. PM us, please.

He met his other half on Hinge.

Beto just had a rally in Houston at Texas Southern U, a black college. Kamala had a rally there a couple of weeks ago and was crowing she was taking Texas - she had 2,000 people show up.

10,000 just showed up for Beto.

[quote]and was crowing she was taking Texas

Interesting choice of words, R492? Surely you can provide a link of Kamala "[bold]crowing she was taking Texas[/bold]".

I read some of the comments from R488's link and this is pretty moving.

[quote] Here's a story you'll never hear him tell on the campaign trail because of his modesty. When a Somali immigrant was in the ER, he didn't speak English. The doctors put out a call for an Arabic translator. Mayor Buttigieg heard it, drove over to the hospital, and served as the translator. His presence enabled the doctors to provide the care that the patient needed and he spent an hour talking to the mother and her child.

I think Mayor Pete is a kind of prodigy or genius. He's so good at everything.

Of course Beto will draw a bigger crowd in Texas than Kamala. This isn't saying anything.

R496 at a black college? The rally took place at Texas Southern U.

Honest to god I don't give a good goddamn who wins the primary as long as it's not Bernie or Tulsi.

I will GLADLY vote for any one of the fuckers running in November of 2020 as long as it's not Bernie or Tulsi.

I wonder how many are going to drop out before the Iowa primary. Most of them can't fundraise. Elizabeth Warren is in dire financial trouble. Julian Castro is begging non-stop for donations.

All the Democratic candidates are copying Bernie's 2016 run and Beto's 2018 Senate race by disavowing PAC money. Problem is both Bernie and Beto had extensive donor contacts from their previous races and were able to rapidly hit up donors. The others all took PAC money in the past - Harris, Gillibrand, Booker (king of Big Pharma and Wall Street), Klobuchar. How are they going to survive if they don't take PAC money?

In any case, Harris, Booker and Buttgieg - who all claim no PACs - have all already been to fundraisers in California. That's going to backfire on them. But without PACs, most of these candidates won't be competitive. Biden knows nothing but corporate donors and he knows them all. He's going to come in for criticism as the 'corporate Dem'.

I figure there'll be only 3 or 4 still standing by March 2020.

It seems laughable that people on here--probably from the coasts--are saying middle America will never vote for mayor Pete when they already have--he won re election in Indiana with 80% of the vote after coming out as gay!

Yes there are some people who will not vote for him because he's gay, the real question is how many, and whether those are mostly people already in Trump's base anyway.

I think in some ways being a woman is more of a handicap than homosexuality for 2020 because people who just can't envision a woman president (and as we learned in 2016 that includes many women as well as men) are visually confronted with the indisputable fact that a woman is a woman whereas in Mayor Pete's case his gayness is easier to minimize or "forget" since it's a more ethereal aspect of him that has to be actually thought about intellectually, it's doesn't necessarily evoke a visceral reaction as some voters might have to a woman, a person of color or a stereotypical gay man or woman.

r475 If they can get behind a literal and actual prostitution whore greeting world leaders and their spouses, I'm sure they'd be fine with Chasten as well.

I still think that Pete's intelligence is a bigger handicap than his sexuality. Seriously, so many americans have absolute contempt for intelligence. Which is why we have a complete moron like Trump in charge.

I like Beto (I started the original BETO 2020 BETO 2020 "I want his dick" thread, and I wanted his dick), but I'm not a fan of his bilingual, open borders where the cities on either side of the border are basically the same city stuff. He's so soft on immigration (welcome all asylum seekers like Trudeau, etc.). Not a fan of that, and I don't think I'm alone.

Yes to comprehensive reform, but at its center should be a path to citizenship in exchange for tougher enforcement moving forward and a strong border, with physical areas in populated areas, and virtual borders elsewhere.

Is Buttegieg or anyone else tougher on illegal immigration?

I'll vote Dem regardless. I like all of them in different ways except Tulsi, who I'd even still vote for. But I really want one who'll say he/she will deport illegals, crack down on employers hiring illegals, and will enforce the border aggressively.

Is it just that we're in the primary process, and the base has moved left, so no candidate is going to espouse any sort of deportation/strong borders policies? Maybe the actual candidate move towards the center in the general election?

And it's not just deplorables either. Up to this point, I've only seen other liberals on Twitter mocking him for learning Norwegian. They're using Norwegian flags, as if to say "Go back where you came from", like that makes any sense. Anti-intellectualism is a cancer on both sides.

[quote] I haven't seen Beto in the debates with Ted Cruz yet. But in his recent campaigns in Iowa, he was talking too much about the border and immigrants. Nobody wants to hear about helping immigrants. He needs to focus on Health care and the immediate economic needs of people.

+1, R209.

The bilingual stuff. To anticipate being called-out: some of us aren't a fan of having a bilingual society, for various reasons.

Why this anti-immigration sentiment? You realize you can't possibly have the strongest army in the world without a constant influx of new people, right? To say nothing of low-paying jobs these people take on.

So many western countries are dealing with a demographic bomb of a rapidly aging population. You either accept immigration or you accept the slow decline of your country over the coming century. It's as simple as that.

r506 And what could those reasons possibly be? Too lazy to learn Spanish?

Right now Pete just has that feel about him that Obama had around this point in 2008. You think no, he hasn't got a chance, he's out and has "butt" in his name, but the more you hear from him the more you think he might actually be the president we really need right now, especially after what's shaping up to be a full term of that incompetent senile old fart Trump.

Buttegieg talks about immigration from 30:00 on the Ezra Klein podcast from today.

Definitely want to keep people coming in, but legally. Increase legal immigration if needed by industry and for family reunification (close family including first cousins). Fine with birthright citizenship. I don't like that there's a huge population who are unknown to our systems. I want order and total awareness on the part of the state. Everyone having ID, everyone being legally present, everyone properly taxed. It's both a practical policy-oriented position and even an aesthetic value (orderly, technocratic state - more Singapore, less Wild West).

I also resent, but understand the necessity of, providing healthcare and free public education to illegal immigrants (the latter is required under a Supreme Court ruling), the former is just good public policy). My insurance is $400+ a month out-of-pocket, post-tax income (Kaiser platinum, Southern CA).

Absolutely agree that until AI becomes really advanced, we need to keep our population growing. Don't want to end up dying like Europe or East Asia (well, not just yet until AI can allow for UBI). And I love that newcomers' rates of reproduction decrease in one generation after becoming Americans; it contributes to limiting population growth overall, which is good for the planet. But keep immigrants coming, with a healthy regulated balance of people from Asia, Africa, and Latin America. As long as the melting pot or the more contemporary less-assimilative acculturation process keeps working, I'm happy to keep immigration going. Increase legal immigration, especially those with needed skills, including farm labor and low-skill service skills (e.g., elder care).

The Spanish thing:

I'll admit that in part it's aesthetic (the mediocrity/failure of Spanish-speaking countries for reasons including American interference and colonialism; subjective repulsion at the sound of the language, as spoken by white Spaniards and Latin Americans and everyone else (yes, I know there's a difference, but I still don't like Spanish aesthetically as spoken by anyone; yes, I find nonwhite languages beautiful (e.g., Japanese, Korean). Another part is that I don't like the possibility that the acculturation process (the best from newcomers mixed into the national fabric, but with their integration in larger society) will start failing (see, e.g., Koreatown in LA; there are students who graduate from UCLA who've been here almost all their lives but who can barely speak English, and that often leads to their not meeting others outside the Korean/Korean-American community). I have a fear that acculturation failing will mean the closing-off of entire communities from being acculturated into American society, which is informed by aesthetics (how I want a national cultural system to work) and practical policy and security concerns).

Just being honest here. Dialogue is welcome, critical to the process. Please change my mind, etc.

My dream ticket: Adam Schiff and Ted Lieu.

Given current candidates I prefer Buttigieg and Harris.

[quote]some of us aren't a fan of having a bilingual society, for various reasons.

Yeah, and none of you are actual Democrats, so STFU. I've never met a Democrat who was a "speak English, this is America" type. You're just xenophobic and racist, and incredibly ignorant. Many countries are bilingual and there is no reason that the US isn't. The western 1/3 of this country used to belong to Mexico and, before that, Spain. If Canada can be bilingual there is no reason the US can't.

R512, you're in a bubble. There are plenty of Dems who would like everyone to speak English. You seem to think all Dems are necessarily not in the least bit "xenophobic and racist," as you put it.

You're clearly above everyone, surely, and so you must realize that many Democrats are "xenophobic and racist." Or do you actually think that all Democrats are angelic multiculturalists?

For clarity, I don't actually believe that insisting on everyone learning/speaking English is necessarily "xenophobic and racist." I'm just going along with your labeling, in that your framing of the position necessarily ascribes virtue to the opposing position — and in turn, I'm able to ask you whether you think most Dems are particularly virtuous (i.e., if institutional racism is a thing, it's surely not a product solely of Republicans).

Sometimes, even often, demanding that others speak English is racist and xenophobic, e.g., aggressively demanding someone new to the country speak it when they're clearly unable. For others, though, tweaking policy to encourage English learning is about ensuring a common tongue and equal access to opportunities without special expenditure of resources by the collective to make everything accessible by translating each and every thing in other languages (Which languages? how many languages? At what cost?). If you insist that it's purely a racist thing, then you're being reductive and aren't interested in productive dialogue, which includes actually listening to what those who disagree you are telling you, and considering it in good faith.

Plenty of good people volunteer to teach others English, in part to make sure doors are open to newcomers, and in part to contribute to a cohesive national community.

BTW, Canada isn't the US, either. We're not a gentle, cooperative society. The US is Rome. Canada is Athens. Not saying this means anything in particular, except that to say "Canada has done it, so the US can" is too simplistic.

POC here, BTW. Grateful my parents insisted on my learning English.

The trolls here get dumber by the day.

R512/R514. you're like the "honey" "sweetie" troll. "I'm a progressive. Everyone else here who's not trolling is a progressive. Everyone who says something I don't understand and/or disagree with is a troll."

R512, are you in college or high school? You haven't seen much, have you? Or is it that you have only a BA?

Spanish IS the lingua franca of South Texas and the border towns. It has been for like 300 years. Anglos like Beto who grow up in El Paso have to learn Spanish or have no contact within the community. 85% of the population is Hispanic. Did you see Beto's speech in El Paso? They all went crazy when he broke into Spanish.

My ex bro-in-law comes from the Rio Grande Valley. He's an Anglo whose parents moved to Texas from Indiana. He grew up bilingual like Beto, is called Carlito not Charles and even has a little bit of a Spanish accent in English.

R500 calm down, dear. Pete won re-election in a small, liberal college town. The one time he ran statewide in Indiana, he lost by 40%. The day Deplorable rednecks in the Rust Belt will vote for a gay man as President has not yet arrived.

[quote]How are they going to survive if they don't take PAC money?

Forget the primaries, how are they going to survive the general without PAC money? Democrats in all races will be steamrolled by Republicans taking PAC money.

[quote] there are students who graduate from UCLA who've been here almost all their lives but who can barely speak English

how can that be? Maybe they speak in broken English or have a very deep accent but that is ridiculous.

None of the above because the bitches and cunts at #MeToo will destroy every single candidate because they can't pass #MeToo's litmus test, including the female candidates, because they don't fit the idiotic, ideological mold that has a strangle hold on Democrats..

Democrats will snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by bowing to the #MeToo/Pussy Power/Tranny Power movements. Might as well save our time, effort and money between now and November 2020 because Trump will trounce any weakling opponent the lame ass Democrats choose to sacrifice at the altar of political correctness. Sad.

Go Mayor Pete Buttigieg!

We shouldn't coddle racists, sexists, xenophobes, or anti-intellectuals. Such people should be shamed into silence. They're fucking horrible.

You all know that all this divisiveness and smearing democrats is just to split votes and discourage people from voting. The Russian succeeded in 2016 and now that China is in on the act there will be a onslaught of tactics to destroy democratic candidates.

I have said this before, the best thing candidates can do now is show a united front to make sure that Trump will be defeated in 2020. This is not time to fight each other but to fight against a common enemy. I think Kamala, Amy and Liz might get this, Biden probably too, at least to an extend - Bernie, Beto and Buttigieg are on a male ego trip, again using toxic 'Hillary was bad' talking points to get themselves some undeserved press headlines.

This race isn't about candidacy but about party and ultimately about the survival of democracy, rule of law, humanity in the US and the western world.

[quote] Bernie, Beto and Buttigieg are on a male ego trip, again using toxic 'Hillary was bad' talking points

I haven't heard Beto or Buttigieg acting like they're on a male ego trip and nothing about Hilary, they only reply when asked. You're delusional. Now the Bernie Bros are a different matter.

R519 No, It is not a small liberal college town. In fact Notre Dame is not in the city limits. AND his state run was as State Treasurers , a straight, down-ticket item in a very conservative state. Get your facts in order , please

DO you even know who your state treasurer is or care?

Beto got hooked on the fame and the cheers, his 3 minute introduction video was beyond stupid and yes he badmouthed Hillary, which was totally unnecessary. I just hope he and Bernie will cancel each other out and make way for the real candidates. Buttigieg piled on Hillary as well. He is even less qualified than Beto, he is a mayor, he has no idea how Washington works. He can never be an effective president.

Bernie is a Russian stooge.

Beto made a 45 minute speech in El Paso on Saturday. He spoke without notes or a teleprompter - made perfect sense, soaring rhetoric, discussed relevant issues, segued seamlessly from English into Spanish. It was a helluva speech and I cannot remember any politician - even Obama - matching him. Especially as Obama had speechwriters and used a teleprompter.

He made 2 more speeches that day in Houston and Austin - different speeches entirely, touching on other issues. He is however very long-winded. He never relies on sound bytes or slogans so it will be interesting to see if he can reduce his comments to the short segments allowed in debates. He had some problems with that debating Cruz. Though Cruz's idea of debating is to tell a big, fat lie and oblige his opponent to spend all the response time correcting the lie and not presenting his case. His experience with Cruz should be useful for the Dem debates. As Cruz's old debate opponent at Princeton Austan Goolsbee, said 'Ted is a total asshole but a frighteningly good debater'.

Whooooooo the fuck owns that hot ass in the khakis in R503's pic?

his son R530?

[quote]He is however very long-winded.

Yes he has a problem with that and he rambles and gets too agitated. He is a born preacher in a way, a firebrand. But this all is not what I want from a president mostly. I prefer somebody cool and calculated, who can counterattack when faced with an opponent. It's easy to preach to the converted.

R532 I saw Kamala get preachy at the El jibbity gathering in California. It seems impressive at first but then the words are just repeated slogans uttered in ever increasing intensity. Nah!

I hope Beto doesn't get it. "Born to run" my ass. Bernie or Pete are the only ways to go

R528, are you the same loon that goes on and on how people are insulted Hilary? I voted for her but even I don't like her. Her slogan, "I'm with Her" was just stupid, why not, "She's for me." But nah, it was her TURN and speaks to her entitlement.

So STFU and move on . It's 2020.

[quote]He made 2 more speeches that day in Houston and Austin - different speeches entirely, touching on other issues.

I think the El Paso and Austin speeches were the same in large part. The Houston one was different.

Pete is taking away some of Beto's lustre. I like Beto but if he doesn't get in, he should run for governor or Senate again.

Donna Lemon, who I cannot stand, to my astonishment devoted most of his show to the idea that

a) progressives threaten to destroy the Democrats chances and hand the election to Trump with the insane purity attacks

b) Biden's sins need context... not all touch is equal

c) Republicans need do nothing if Democrats manage to eat themselves

A mixed panel of Rick Wilson, Alice Stewart and Parson Frank Bruni were all more in agreement than not.

If this keeps up, I dunno... not good.

I feel the Progressives like The Young Turks will castrate the other Dems if they're not Bernie Sanders. They've already kicked Beto in the shins..

The only criticism they can find of Pete is that he's "too centrist." or he's like Biden. The thing Pete has going for him is that he's smart, articulate and connects with people. His message and his youth is a real advantage for him compared to old frail Bernie. I notice that the videos where they criticize him are met with a lots of comments supporting him, stating their opinions are stupid.

^ Bruni said on Donna Lemon tonight there is an actual debate in the hard left of the Dems as to whether Mayor Pete is gay enough or if the fact he's white and a Rhodes scholar negates any suffering he's felt as gay man. I don't think Parson Bruni would make it up and I wasn't surprised. The SJW shit is out of control. Nancy Pelosi, or somebody, save us! At some point somebody needs to tell the children to settle down.

I took some time the other day to watch and read what a lot of progressives are saying. They're all railing against corporate and establishment Democrats, which is pretty much all of them. It's something that sticks, unfortunately, and will get the attention of a lot of young voters. I don't know know to counteract that but it's something we should be thinking about.

Mayor Pete. And please, not Biden.

R526, let me share with you a post I saw from a woman and Hillary supporter in response to Pete's comments re: Hillary and her campaign last week:

"Wow shocked to see Pete love in this group. Dude swipes at Hillary repeatedly and uses racist dog whistles to imply that:

1) Hillary never talked about issues like the economy (that’s a lie),

2) poor white working class people in the Midwest are hurting and just need someone to talk to them about the issues (lol nope), and

3) if only Hillary had talked to them about the issues, they would have voted Blue.

Again, nope.

He talks about the Midwest like POC don’t live there. Not interested in a pasty white dude who spends all his time pandering to racist white people. And who has literally no relevant experience. Nope. Next please."

R526, from another woman on Twitter:

"Hey, @PeteButtigieg I am not even interested in hearing one more word from you. Thanks for making it so much easier to winnow the wide number of candidates. You can fuck right off with your coastal elites bullshit. It shows you're an ignorant bigot”

R534, just say "fuck no" to Bernie. Seriously, why the FUCK would you want that dishonest incompetent ancient old fraud to be our candidate? Jesus Christ, what is wrong with you?

#NEVERBERNIE

R544 that woman on twitter is angry and unstable

One Sanders supporter said that the Vermont Senator had released his tax returns. Stellar intellectual and political news whiz that he is, he didn't give me a URL but said I could google it. I read on Twitter by investigative journalists that Sanders is still "working on releasing them"

r545 This is what I don't get: people rah-rah support someone and when asked for reasons why, don't deliver.

"I think [terrible incompetent old white man] is doing a good job."

'Tell me, what are his successes, in your mind?"

"...."

I'm thinking now Americans have devolved to the point where a 70-somethiing doddering dude on Russia's pay roster is doing a good job inhaling, and exhaling, and anything controversial out of an intelligent woman's mouth, especially if she identifies as a person of colour, removes her from eventual ascendancy to higher office. Willing to descend to depths of puerility, and aid the ruin of their country, because candidates are evaluated on how entertaining they are as antagonistic buffoons and lechers, and not on anything too taxing to the coddled mind, like accomplishments or a broadly acceptable and understood platform to better the status and welfare of the 99%.

Some people are still living in 2016. Get over it already. That woman sounds bitter, she must not be a happy person. They will find anything negative if they search long and hard enough.

We need to find the person who can reach enough voters to end Trump's reign of terror. End of story, Period.

Not Bernie

or Tulsi Gabbard

I consider any Democrat (and many Republicans) better than Trump though, so I'll vote for the nominee. (Just...please let it not be Bernie.)

I'm loving Mayor Pete right now. He's probably my top choice.

[quote][R528], are you the same loon that goes on and on how people are insulted Hilary?

Well it's stupid to insult the candidate who won the popular vote by 3 million and who had as many votes as Obama in 2012. But I guess you're stupid too because her slogan was not 'I am with her' but 'Stronger Together'.

Kamala Harris reported $12 million donations for the quarter. Mayor Peter reported $7 million. This is the first quarter. The article said the second quarter will tell us who will be the frontrunners. Biden didn't enter the race because of this or lack of an online base which Bernie and Beto already have to their advantage.

If Bernie wins the nomination the elites will most likely steal the election from him just like they did in 2016. Ether that or he'll mysteriously be found dead shortly before taking office.

Oh fuck right the hell off, R552. Nothing was stolen from Bernie in 2016. He lost all on his own, in a landslide, by four MILLION popular votes, and a THOUSAND delegates... under the exact same rules that Obama won against Hillary in 2008. Fuck you for clinging to that utterly ridiculous, completely debunked nonsense sore-loser bullshit.

r553, Did you sleep through that fuckery at the Nevada caucus or when the DNC got caught emailing Hllary the debate questions ahead of time?. Donna Brazile's book is very informative and I suggest you read it.

Donna Brazile has zero credibility, LOL, she's shilling her stupid book to the alt right crowds.

r555, Her book isn't for Clinton loyalists. I'll agree with you there. It's not true that she has no credibility though.

R554, did you sleep through Donna Brazil's recanting of that and both her AND Bernie's admissions that he wasn't robbed and it wasn't rigged?

And the only bullshit that went on in Nevada Caucus was the fucking spoiled entitled asshole Bernie Bros throwing tantrums.

You're a dumbshit, brainwashed by propaganda, and a sore-loser on top of it. Sorry, no. It's an absolute FACT that Bernie wasn't cheated or robbed, and nothing was rigged or stolen from him. He lost all on his own, in a fucking landslide, because he was a terrible candidate. And he's still a terrible, sexist fraud and sore-loser asshole who only seems to inspire a cult of bullying sore-loser 'bros'.

Get over it. You're wrong. Your guy lost fair and square. BIGLY. Deal with reality and stop pushing this sore-loser lie.

r557, Everyone who s not a Clinton loyalist knows he got robbed.

R558 = troll . Just block this troll.

Biden should have run in 2016 (instead of now) ----but the Clinton machine prevented it. I remember hearing that Biden's son, before he passed, had urged his father to run then. Maybe he had a premonition...

Stark difference in support of Sanders vs. Biden by age of voter:

Pete is getting 24/7 publicity from MSNBC and the 'coastal elite' media. OK, most of it being pushed by gay journalists. But I don't see him actually getting support from the Dems' core groups: women (all that trashing of Hillary is frankly stupid), blacks (his record in South Bend is really bad and starting to come out), Latinos. He seems to be - like Bernie but without Bernie's far-left policies - sucking up to the white working class which is pointless: they'll never vote for a gay man, particularly not one whose resume is so thin.

R562 You're nuts and making shit up

Anyone who embraces reparations will never be elected. Give it up and talk about expanding opportunities. No one, other than some blacks, will vote for a candidate who thinks money should be spent paying descendants of slaves. I don't know why some Dems are bent on self-destructing.

So Biden is preferred by the age groups that have higher propensity to vote.

I think it is too early to make a choice, even though I am following all this very closely I can't say I know where all the candidates stand on the issues. I am in no hurry to make a selection. I did donate to Buttigeig because I wanted an intelligent gay person in the debate but I do have my doubts, not about him, but about American's willingness to accept a gay man as President. Most important thing to me is someone who can beat Trump badly enough that Russian interference is a non issue.

I will support the Democratic nominee, who ever it is though.

A-freakin'-men, R566. I don't care who the nominee is, from Biden to Harris to Buttigeig. If their name is at the top of the ticket with a (D) next to it, I'm voting for them.

I donated to Mayor Pete too. I think he's smart. I have no rose colored glasses that we can elect a gay man, though, but I hope he lands somewhere in higher government.

I'm tepid about Booker and Klobuchar, and to a degree about Warren (great person and candidate, but the failure to nip the Pocohantas thing should be ignored at our peril).

I am currently neutral about Beto and Harris.

I'm kinda warming to Hickenlooper, if the plan is to try a centrist Dem to win over independents and disillusioned GOPers.

I'll vote for any one of them - and do it for Ruth Bader Ginsburg - but I do have concerns about Biden, as well.

Buttigieg/ Hickenlooper

Lickinbutt/who's ta judge?

Mayor Pete is starting to be on tv too much. The media needs to bring on the other candidates because it looks like they're pushing him down people's throats.

The first primary is a year away. It'll be a marathon and plenty of people will fall by the wayside. I don't think more than 3 or 4 candidates will be left by then.

R570 yeah - all that publicity is gonna backfire - it did with Beto

[quote] Mayor Pete is starting to be on tv too much. The media needs to bring on the other candidates because it looks like they're pushing him down people's throats.

Yes that was such a problem for Trump, he was on TV so much he just barely won. (Sarcasm Alert)

Pete's newfound fame means he will become a target for the BernieBros. They'll have to stop harassing Beto for a while if they're gonna troll Pete properly!

Castro was on Rachel tonight. He's just such a complete non-entity.

I had completely forgotten Castro was in this thing, so yeah.

Among the Democratic candidates who released at least ten years of tax returns: Elizabeth Warren, Jay Inslee, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Amy Klobuchar.

Not that tax returns seem to mean much to American voters. I wondered why Americans would talk about tax returns release as if it were expected of candidates, then give to someone too contrarian and inept to release his tax returns four years' residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

[quote]Everyone who s not a Clinton loyalist knows he got robbed.

No, R558... everyone who's not a Berner Cultist knows he just lost because he was a terrible candidate, and more voters wanted Hillary. It's really that simple. He was robbed of nothing, nothing was rigged, he just lost. And even BERNIE HIMSELF admits that. But his sore-loser, sexist 'bros' can't handle the fact he lost to a girl, so they invent tin-hat conspiracy theories that he was somehow "robbed"... while ignoring the fact that the general election really WAS stolen from Hillary. Such dumbasses, and it's why "The Left" will always lose. They're no better than Trumpsters.

[quote]Castro was on Rachel tonight. He's just such a complete non-entity.

And yet, he released/introduced a comprehensive immigration overhaul plan that is excellent, and way better than anything any other candidate has proposed. I hope whoever does eventually win the nomination adopts it, with credit given.

Kamala Harris' strongest support comes from college educated white liberals, women, and African Americans.

Her largest pool of backers are white women, who make up 38 percent of all her supporters.

Compared to Biden and Sanders, a larger proportion of her base is black women.

Still kinda hoping for a Harris/Buttigieg ticket at this point, but again, anything could change in the next year. And it's very rare that one of the losing primary candidates gets offered the VP slot.

I'm also still kinda hoping Bernie just has a sudden massive heart-attack in the next year and becomes a non-issue, because he's just so divisive and scorched-earth against Democrats that he'd rather help a Republican win than lose to a Democrat (let alone lose to a GIRL). He did it in 2016, and he'll do it again. I don't trust him, I don't like him, and his cult of supporters are just the worst.

Harris/Buttigieg is the best ticket.

Tom Nichols:

I always assumed Bernie ran in 2016 to cover Hillary's left flank, and when she gave him the Full Clinton f-you instead of a unity breakfast, he drank his own Kool-Aid and now really believes he should be POTUS after an undistinguished career. (I was one of his VT constituents.)

R521, I'm trying to find it, but there was a Korean girl on Bobby Lee's podcast who'd just finished UCLA and could barely speak English. It was a special episode. She worked at the Korean Air counter at LAX, too.

Decriminalize undocumented immigration.

+1

Take action!

[quote]and when she gave him the Full Clinton f-you instead of a unity breakfast

Um... when was that? That seems like the opposite of what happened. She treated him with kid gloves, and he went scorched earth on her AFTER he was mathematically eliminated and had no road to the nomination.

Gentrification is the next litmus test.

R578 Beto already published a comprehensive immigration reform policy back in February.

R588, I love that he never mentions deportations as a legitimate method of addressing those in the US illegally.

Bernie Sanders is doing a Fox News town hall on April 15th, hosted by Martha MacCallum and Bret Baier.

Men competing in athletics as women. Decriminalizing undocumented immigration. Decriminalizing prostitution. Reparations. 2020 should be a slam dunk for us but i'm beginning to wonder.

If that's the Democratic platform next year r591, I'm out. Period. Schultz or Bloomberg or a write-in has my vote.

Part 2.

CNN's latest hit job on Harris. Like she did a bad thing lol.

I'm not rooting for Kamala in the least. However, I don't see anything wrong with wanting higher bail for gun crimes.

CNN is picky picky.

Yeah, cause that’s so awful to make it more difficult for those who commit gun crimes to get out of jail.

Just it was so awful of her to tell parents that their kids need to be in school.

She’s a terrible American.

It’s not her fault that these policies disproportionately affected blacks.

Most Americans understand that they shouldn’t commit gun crimes and should send their kids to school. Apparently that is too difficult for blacks to understand.

It's like the most radical progressives don't want law enforcement at all. I mean, don't they have law enforcement in Europe's social democracies? Or are they taking as a model for the future the lawless parts Latin America? I mean, WTF do they want?

The fact is, R598, that legalization and decriminalization have been shown to reduce crime. Maybe doesn't work in all cases but there's enough evidence of lowering crime rates compared to hard core Law and Order.

R598, that's because the more radical progressives only see the skin color of those who commit crimes and see they're mostly POC. They automatically assume law enforcement is racist and ignore inconvenient truths like Chicago crime stats.