Democratic Primary Season 2020

[phillipj]

I do think "Neither" or "None of the Above" should be an option. I also think that option would've had the majority of votes in the last election.

[phillipj]

I am very curious about your definition of "spin on socialism " what that might be.....

An article like this gets at what I was hitting on: "Socialism" Has Lost All Meaning in American Politics

... People these days are confused, no one knows how to use it, people propagandize and misuse it

Beyond that Donald Trump, who weaponizes that word daily, is an unbelievable hypocrite on "Socialism" given his presidency's own actions

[mbonder]

The prior poster talked about a "viable candidate that will be supported ... by a majority of the voting public against Trump." I was just underscoring that Trump "won" without "a majority of the voting public" - and so it makes the potential matchup in certain states highly critical to truly "winning."

Washington Post Article on Sander's Support: https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...pares-his-run/

At this point it just depends on what poll you are subscribing too. There are polls that show Trump beating all candidates in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Wisconsin, all battleground states that tipped by small margins for Trump and essentially made him President. There are other polls that show Sanders winning in these same states, or Biden, or Warren. As we all know, the same polls said Hillary would easily win even the night of the election.

Right or wrong, a portion of the population wants nothing to do with Sanders because he lost to Hillary last time and he's been labeled as a radical socialist. How do you reconcile these points so that a majority of the population would support him? I just don't see a way to do that. Do you?

[z31maniac]

Washington Post Article on Sander's Support: https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...pares-his-run/

At this point it just depends on what poll you are subscribing too. There are polls that show Trump beating all candidates in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Wisconsin, all battleground states that tipped by small margins for Trump and essentially made him President. There are other polls that show Sanders winning in these same states, or Biden, or Warren. As we all know, the same polls said Hillary would easily win even the night of the election.

Right or wrong, a portion of the population wants nothing to do with Sanders because he lost to Hillary last time and he's been labeled as a radical socialist. How do you reconcile these points so that a majority of the population would support him? I just don't see a way to do that. Do you?

Agreed. Although I think at this point, his health will be the most under attack. The guy is nearly 80 and just had a heart attack on the campaign trail.

[mrsleeve]

An article like this gets at what I was hitting on: "Socialism" Has Lost All Meaning in American Politics

... People these days are confused, no one knows how to use it, people propagandize and misuse it

Beyond that Donald Trump, who weaponizes that word daily, is an unbelievable hypocrite on "Socialism" given his presidency's own actions

Oh I am fully aware that many people "dont know what socialism is". The author of that article is among them.

[phillipj]

Agreed. Although I think at this point, his health will be the most under attack. The guy is nearly 80 and just had a heart attack on the campaign trail.

I'd agree that age (but more accurately appearance) is the biggest Achille's heel here; the collective we & our media all care about looks so much - more than anything, actually.

Trump & Biden are also terribly old, with no good health prospects, and when you hear them discuss anything they regularly come off as uninformed or senile ... but, so very importantly [sarcasm], Biden and Trump have: doctored hair, heavy duty tans, make-up, fitted suits, hyper whitened teeth... etc.

It's too easy to look up any given interview with any one of these old men, then ask yourself, who seems more "with it"? I am not worried about a past heart attack as much as if this person adept & lucid.

[z31maniac]

I'd agree that age (but more accurately appearance) is the biggest Achille's heel here; the collective we & our media all care about looks so much - more than anything, actually.

Appearance? Looks? What are you on about?

The guy LITERALLY just had a heart attack. So I'm not sure it's a "the media only cares about looks."

[phillipj]

Appearance? Looks? What are you on about?

The guy LITERALLY just had a heart attack. So I'm not sure it's a "the media only cares about looks."

Hey I'm just alleging that specifically looks may be a bigger deal than the actual heart attack. Bernie brought himself into the hospital and had a routine procedure. He didn't almost die with his heart out on an operating table. I think Cheney had 5 heart attacks all before he was ever VP and no one talked about that as a disqualifier. Eisenhower and Johnson also had much more severe heart procedures before or while in office. Regardless, though, any potential president should be super transparent about their health status, and not run at all if it was an issue.

Sort of on-topic, there was a lot of news coverage this week on a rumored 'One Term Pledge' by Biden

[phillipj]

Does anyone think there's any merit to a one term pledge?

On one hand it comes off as sort of weak to me, you are basically admitting that you are not 100% confident you'd be up to the job in 4 years. You also almost begin your presidency as a lame duck.
On the other hand, it's kind of a selfless act, maybe you frame it as putting the country ahead of your own ambition. You are the transitional response/recovery from a truly selfish presidency. IDK...

[MrBurgundy]

Based on that article, his one term pledge is a combination of him being old as shit and him just being a "place holder" to get trump out of office until someone else can fill in his shoes.

[z31maniac]

I bet he would do just like the Oklahoma Representative did with his pledge...........completely ignore it and run again.

[mbonder]

Julian Castro drops out of the race

[mbonder]

Cory Booker Drops out

[2mAn]

so whos actually left besides the Senior Citizens (Biden, Bernie and Warren)...

BTW Who the F actually wants Biden in there?... so stupid, nobody wants him. Its a guarantee that he would lose to Trump

[Victell]

BTW Who the F actually wants Biden in there?

Older voters mostly. Older voters are more likely than younger voters to answer their phones for political polls. This is why polls are showing Biden as the frontrunner. I think there's a huge amount of younger votors who would never vote Biden and dont answer their phone.

Its a guarantee that he would lose to Trump

Biden would probably lose worse than Hillary.

If Bernie and/or Warren were the nominees they would win.