2020 Democratic Party primary thread

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Independent: Liberal on social policy and middle of the road on other things like economics, foreign policy, etc.

When it comes to the presidency, I've voted most of my life for Democrats. But I feel free to switch teams if the price is right. Like I said, I like my politics spicy. Bread and circus, as they say. I've always disliked Trump, but I have to admit that he's a fun ride. He brings the spice.

Oh, I get it. A neoliberal. Yawn.

I'm perfectly fine making folks like you have to choose between the lesser of two evils. You'll survive.

 

[Tennessee Jed]

Oh, I get it. A neoliberal. Yawn.

I'm perfectly fine making folks like you have to choose between the lesser of two evils. You'll survive.

Definitely. I'll do fine with whoever makes it in. I'm just saying: I'm having fun with these populist nutcakes like Trump and Bernie. This is my kind of political circus. Bring on the clowns.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Definitely. I'll do fine with whoever makes it in. I'm just saying: I'm having fun with these populist nutcakes like Trump and Bernie. This is my kind of political circus. Bring on the clowns.

As for me, I will feel free to take a third option if this person with most delegates doesn't win the nomination. Or if it's Bloomberg.

In that case, it's not about choosing the lesser of two evils but about not having any choices at all. Even if Trump loses, I feel like we could no longer make any claim to being democratic in our political system in those scenarios. I'd vote for a biden who won more delegates than anyone else, although I think he'd take a beating from Trump.

I'm not Bernie or Bust, but I'm not "Vote Blue No Matter Who" either.

 

[Tennessee Jed]

As for me, I will feel free to take a third option if this person with most delegates doesn't win the nomination. Or if it's Bloomberg.

In that case, it's not about choosing the lesser of two evils but about not having any choices at all. Even if Trump loses, I feel like we could no longer make any claim to being democratic in our political system in those scenarios. I'd vote for a biden who won more delegates than anyone else, although I think he'd take a beating from Trump.

I'm not Bernie or Bust, but I'm not "Vote Blue No Matter Who" either.

You're too sincere for me.

If I lived in a battleground state, I might actually put some thought into my choice. But I've always lived in strongly partisan states on one side or the other, so I'm effectively sidelined when it comes to national politics. So it's just entertainment for me.

But that's the nature of politics anyway. Nothing much changes from one administration to the other. About the best one can do is send a signal when the politicians get too far out of line. Hence, protest votes for populist nutcakes like Trump and Bernie. Populist nutcakes don't get anything accomplished either, but they at least steal power from the mainstream parties and make them reconsider their ways.

 

[Tomb1]

I want to see douchecanoe Bloomberg come away with 0 delegates.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

I want to see douchecanoe Bloomberg come away with 0 delegates.

He won American Samoa.

As for me, I'm just waiting for Biden to faceplant in November. Not that I want it to happen; it's just that it's what I think will happen.

 

[highlander]

The guy's an 80-year-old nutbag. (78 actually, but who's counting.) He's been a crackpot all his life, and he's a crackpot now. He's the news announcer on "Network" who goes insane and shouts "We're made as hell and we're not going to take it anymore" as his coworkers gleefully keep their cameras trained on him and enjoy the high viewer ratings that ensue.

One way or the other this is the end for Bernie. It's his swan song. So I'm hoping for a roller coaster ride and maybe a big finish. Maybe he'll catch coronavirus on the campaign trail and do a big poetic death scene.

Or maybe he'll even be elected to the presidency. But don't expect much from him if he's elected. He was a big nobody as a senator from Vermont. He just occupies a post, makes some noise, but otherwise fades into insignificance. He's held lots of power in his life, and he has done absolutely nothing with it. Expect more of the same if he somehow makes it into the presidency. (I suppose the same could be said of Biden by the way, but at least he's a team player who wouldn't actively obstruct better people around him.)

But I'm definitely feeling the Bern. I like my politics spicy, and Bernie's good for drama and ratings. (But not much of anything else during his long life in politics).

Agree with the sentiment, but I actually think it's helpful if we have someone who defeats Trump and then after that actually gets something done. It's why I prefer Bloomberg and Biden.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Agree with the sentiment, but I actually think it's helpful if we have someone who defeats Trump and then after that actually gets something done. It's why I prefer Bloomberg and Biden.

I'd put money on Biden getting destroyed by Trump in a general election. Like $100. And I never gamble.

 

[SearchingforPeace]

Agree with the sentiment, but I actually think it's helpful if we have someone who defeats Trump and then after that actually gets something done. It's why I prefer Bloomberg and Biden.

Neither will beat Trump. The oligarchs of the Democratic Party would rather have 4 more years of Trump than the risk of Bernie disrupting their control.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

I wish the Democrats would have poured the same energy and coordination into stopping Sanders into stopping Trump. That's why I don't trust them. They seem to find healthcare for everyone scarier than kids in cages.

 

[highlander]

I'd put money on Biden getting destroyed by Trump in a general election. Like $100. And I never gamble.

You might be right. I think Bloomberg would stand a better chance. Bernie won't win because there are enough people like me who will never vote for someone like that. I would oppose him as I oppose Trump - just for very different reasons.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

You might be right. I think Bloomberg would stand a better chance. Bernie won't win because there are enough people like me who will never vote for someone like that. I would oppose him as I oppose Trump - just for very different reasons.

We don't know that he'd lose because we've never tried it. On the other hand, Biden will run the exact same campaign as Hillary, and we know how well that worked.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

I'm just going to become more enmeshed with the DSA stuff as a result. Maybe it's better for the movement as a whole if the Democrats fuck up another election and get Trump re-elected. A lot of people will suffer in the process, but it's not like that's the way I wanted to do things.

 

[SearchingforPeace]

The youth vote didn't turn out. I saw one exit poll showing only 13% of the electorate was under 30. I guess Bernie couldn't bring out the youth vote after all.

Bernie's ceiling is real. The panic over Bernie was overblown.

Oh, well, it's Biden vs Trump....

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

The youth vote didn't turn out. I saw one exit poll showing only 13% of the electorate was under 30. I guess Bernie couldn't bring out the youth vote after all.

Bernie's ceiling is real. The panic over Bernie was overblown.

Oh, well, it's Biden vs Trump....

I'm sure they'll fumble and give the thing to Trump again. You can relax. Your guy will win again.

 

[highlander]

I'm sure they'll fumble and give the thing to Trump again. You can relax. Your guy will win again.

I hope not!

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

I hope not!

Democrats are only competent at screwing over progressives. Trust me on that.

 

[Tennessee Jed]

Agree with the sentiment, but I actually think it's helpful if we have someone who defeats Trump and then after that actually gets something done. It's why I prefer Bloomberg and Biden.

Well, Biden's in a position now to enunciate some policy positions that might attract some of the disaffected voters who are currently supporting the populists (Bernie and Trump). But if he just plays it safe, takes his talking points from the DNC, and acts like Hillary 2.0, then the protest/populist vote looks increasingly attractive (to me personally, anyway).

Meantime, Bloomberg seems out of the running, for now anyway. I think he was just a white-knight candidate: He was supposed to salvage the Dem primary in the event that the existing field of candidates was so weak that none of them could gain traction. But based on tonight's results it seems the Dem voters don't need a white knight at this point. Personally, I never liked the guy for reasons of my own. But it's probably a moot point now.

Anyway, it's still early in the primaries. There could still be some twists and turns along the way. Some more intrigues and drama. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I like my politics spicy.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Well, Biden's in a position now to enunciate some policy positions that might attract some of the disaffected voters who are currently supporting the populists (Bernie and Trump). But if he's just going to play it safe, take his talking points from the DNC, and act like Hillary 2.0, then the protest/populist vote looks increasingly attractive (to me personally, anyway).

Criswell predicts the latter. He was doing that early in primary season. Why wouldn't he continue doing that? His whole schtick is going to be going to some bullshit golden age before Trump, vote for me if you want Obama's third term crap.

 

[Tennessee Jed]

Criswell predicts the latter. He was doing that early in primary season. Why wouldn't he continue doing that? His whole schtick is going to be going to some bullshit golden age before Trump, vote for me if you want Obama's third term crap.

Yeah, probably. But again, it's still early. The general election is still many months away. I usually don't even pay attention to politics this early in the election cycle. Things sometimes shift around as the primary season grinds on, and I like to keep an open mind. That's the way us independents like to think.