Current Affairs 2020 Democratic Primary

[abelard]

Hard to get the full national picture given that he's most recently been canvassing in Texas. His economic approach was soft left, or raging socialist if you're a Republican. I don't think I can recall a Senate race where a democrat didn't just play the centrist game in Texas. Beto ran an overtly liberal campaign.

He's pretty much on message with the Democrats on key social issues, gun control, education etc. Immigration will be a key battleground and his Texas campaign was quite astute on that - humane and unhysterical. And unlike many Dems, he seemed to strike a chord with rural voters.

I'm just surprised he's got fewer votes in our poll than Oprah Winfrey.

Along with Biden, Booker, Klobuchar etc., he'll be on the right of the field (in terms of policy, though not narrative).

Medicare For All (or, something vague to be referred to as 'Medicare For All', in the hopes that nobody looks for details or holds you to it should you win) will likely emerge as a minimum requirement for the Democrat base. Beto has not yet been willing to go even that far, though he may yet be compelled toward the latter.

I suspect he'll also struggle with the fact that many voters no longer think it appropriate for the Democratic Party to be led by someone second only to Ted Cruz in terms of patronage by fossil fuel corporations.

The Obama/Clinton people and their donors could certainly live with him, but they clearly prefer Harris, mostly because her gender and skin colour allows them to craft a narrative which they think will more effectively lure under-40s away from policy socialism

 

[ilikecheese]

Hard to get the full national picture given that he's most recently been canvassing in Texas. His economic approach was soft left, or raging socialist if you're a Republican. I don't think I can recall a Senate race where a democrat didn't just play the centrist game in Texas. Beto ran an overtly liberal campaign.

He's pretty much on message with the Democrats on key social issues, gun control, education etc. Immigration will be a key battleground and his Texas campaign was quite astute on that - humane and unhysterical. And unlike many Dems, he seemed to strike a chord with rural voters.

I'm just surprised he's got fewer votes in our poll than Oprah Winfrey.

If it makes you feel better I haven't voted yet. I want to vet the candidates more before committing.

 

[BirkenheadBlue]

I bet by this December most of these candidates won't be in the race. I say December but that is being generous most will be done before then.

It will likely be four or five going into the primary next year.

Sanders, Harris and Warren will be three of them. It's a crap shoot on the rest of them. I don't think Biden will run. he hasn't even announced if he will yet has he?

I really hope Warren is told to sit down and forget about it. The whole native American thing is embarrassing and it's mad after all of it she thinks she is a viable candidate.

Sanders isn't a democrat and some of his ideas are too far left for some of the Democrats. I personally think Trump will beat him. We will have a Clinton style division again if he is the candidate. Now that's not to say i don't like him i actually do and would probably vote for him unless there is someone better.

Harris has a real shot in my opinion.

Disagree massively on Warren.

Yeah it was dumb, but as has been highlighted by almost every (non hysterical) commentator, loads of families - particularly in certain regions - hand down stories of having some Native American ancestry, and as with most family yarns, they get altered and morphed over time. Was she daft to believe it? Sure. Should it be in any way disqualifying? Absolutely not. Embarrassing? Sure maybe a bit, but Christ I think there’s a rather higher threshold for what we call embarrassing in politics these days, don’t you??

She’s also got (for my money) the best policy platform, and by far the most compelling narrative of the candidates to declare so far. She’s spent a lifetime talking about and working towards her main policy goals of “unrigging the system” - which is a message that will/should strike a chord, and not just with the Dem base.

 

[ilikecheese]

Disagree massively on Warren.

Yeah it was dumb, but as has been highlighted by almost every (non hysterical) commentator, loads of families - particularly in certain regions - hand down stories of having some Native American ancestry, and as with most family yarns, they get altered and morphed over time. Was she daft to believe it? Sure. Should it be in any way disqualifying? Absolutely not. Embarrassing? Sure maybe a bit, but Christ I think there’s a rather higher threshold for what we call embarrassing in politics these days, don’t you??

She’s also got (for my money) the best policy platform, and by far the most compelling narrative of the candidates to declare so far. She’s spent a lifetime talking about and working towards her main policy goals of “unrigging the system” - which is a message that will/should strike a chord, and not just with the Dem base.

Personally, regardless of policy and platform, Trump won this one in a whole native Americanism thing. If she can change the conversation, maybe. Until then she is a fake native American with a massive bag of that carried around her neck. She is a non factor in my eyes.

Sadly I think she is sound on policy.

Unelectable on a national level due to the Native thing that will never go away.

 

[SteveSC]

Personally, regardless of policy and platform, Trump won this one in a whole native Americanism thing. If she can change the conversation, maybe. Until then she is a fake native American with a massive bag of that carried around her neck. She is a non factor in my eyes.

Sadly I think she is sound on policy.

Unelectable on a national level due to the Native thing that will never go away.

This. I couldn't have said it better than this really.

Disagree massively on Warren.

Yeah it was dumb, but as has been highlighted by almost every (non hysterical) commentator, loads of families - particularly in certain regions - hand down stories of having some Native American ancestry, and as with most family yarns, they get altered and morphed over time. Was she daft to believe it? Sure. Should it be in any way disqualifying? Absolutely not. Embarrassing? Sure maybe a bit, but Christ I think there’s a rather higher threshold for what we call embarrassing in politics these days, don’t you??

She’s also got (for my money) the best policy platform, and by far the most compelling narrative of the candidates to declare so far. She’s spent a lifetime talking about and working towards her main policy goals of “unrigging the system” - which is a message that will/should strike a chord, and not just with the Dem base.

See above.

 

[BirkenheadBlue]

Putting aside the Native American bit (which I just don't think is as impactful as you guys are saying - on anyone other than those who would never vote for a Dem anyway - but this is worth a watch. Christ, the contrast between how she talks about issues (level of engagement, knowledge and you know... ability to construct and hold a coherent train of thought) and how Trump does.

 

[Prevenger17]

Hard to get the full national picture given that he's most recently been canvassing in Texas. His economic approach was soft left, or raging socialist if you're a Republican. I don't think I can recall a Senate race where a democrat didn't just play the centrist game in Texas. Beto ran an overtly liberal campaign.

He's pretty much on message with the Democrats on key social issues, gun control, education etc. Immigration will be a key battleground and his Texas campaign was quite astute on that - humane and unhysterical. And unlike many Dems, he seemed to strike a chord with rural voters.

I'm just surprised he's got fewer votes in our poll than Oprah Winfrey.

I think he's incredibly unlikeable, and as petty as that sounds, I reckon that matters a lot in a national election.

 

[BirkenheadBlue]

I think he's incredibly unlikeable, and as petty as that sounds, I reckon that matters a lot in a national election.

?? Harsh lol

 

[Prevenger17]

Christ, the contrast between how she talks about issues (level of engagement, knowledge and you know... ability to construct and hold a coherent train of thought) and how Trump does.

It would be great if all that good stuff mattered to the American electorate. I think the elections of the last 30 years have more or less pointed to the fact that the winning candidate is usually the most charismatic one. Clinton, Bush, Obama and Trump were in different leagues to their opponents in terms of aura and their ability to deliver a message. Warren is clearly one of the most capable and smart politicians in the country, but does she have that x factor? (hate to use that term, but it fits here)

 

[Prevenger17]

?? Harsh lol

No idea what it is. Every inch of me wanted him to beat Cruz (who I utterly loathe), but I there's something about him I don't like. He's got a real bang of Trudeau about him

 

[Deleted member 48881]

LOL at some seeing Sanders as far left candidate, they would be terribly suprised if they come Europe and see what actually left is all about here.

Them Americans pay $2000 in hospitals even in case of emergency, and now that Sanders say it should be free, all of a sudden he is a commie haha

 

[Ron Swanson]

I think he's incredibly unlikeable, and as petty as that sounds, I reckon that matters a lot in a national election.

It does. But based on the surge of public support for him in the Senate race, I'd say he's fairly well liked by a lot of Americans.

 

[Prevenger17]

It does. But based on the surge of public support for him in the Senate race, I'd say he's fairly well liked by a lot of Americans.

They like weird stuff tbf

 

[sdk]

Trump won, not because huge numbers turned out to vote for him but because of apathy on the part of Democratic voters.
Clinton didn't ignite any passion and there was a really low turnout (she still got more votes).
This changed during the mid terms. And given that most Americans are sick of trump, I'd say who ever runs against him has a very very good chance of winning.
For Trump to win, he has to count on independents and a turn out to match the dems, for this to happen he needs to go crisis free for the next year and a half.
I honestly cant see him going scandal free.
Then there's small things like ex felons in Florida getting the vote.
I think Trumps goose is cooked, but I thought that in 2016 too!

Clinton’s “low turnout” won her more votes than any Democratic presidential candidate ever, excepting Obama. So much of what people take as given about her is the result of 25 years of right wing propaganda.

 

[abelard]

Clinton’s “low turnout” won her more votes than any Democratic presidential candidate ever, excepting Obama. So much of what people take as given about her is the result of 25 years of right wing propaganda.

the US population grows by about 10 million people every 4 years

it takes exceptional, staggering ineptitude NOT to break the record for turnout each time, which Clinton of course managed

she is the worst Democratic candidate since Mondale, but even that is unfair to him because he at least actually believed in something other than his own divine personal right to be the President