Well if you're going to commit electoral suicide, you may as well turn it into the biggest spectacle you can.
Jesus Christ, you'll be able to teach whole semesters of political theory with the material of the 2016 and 2020 elections.
Well if you're going to commit electoral suicide, you may as well turn it into the biggest spectacle you can.
Jesus Christ, you'll be able to teach whole semesters of political theory with the material of the 2016 and 2020 elections.
Oh, it's been a Republican M.O. for many decades to moralise and condemn the left for hostility and divisiveness whilst hurling every insult under the sun.We are, yet again, back to the overlooked truth. Donald Trump doesn't play by Republican rules. Donald Trump follows the Democrat playbook.
I know this is a right wing/dirtbag-left fantasy, but the idea Clinton will be the nominee in 2020 has almost no basis in reality. I say "almost" because I can imagine a unicorn existing, which is about as likely.
No, no it hasn't. Any right-wing people hurling insults at Democrats is a fairly recent phenomenon, and it tends to come specifically from party flipfloppers like Trump or "independents" like Micheal Savage (ugh, blech!). Historically, the M.O. of the Republican Party has been to take the moral high ground and then not talk about it. It's a very Christian attitude.Oh, it's been a Republican M.O. for many decades to moralise and condemn the left for hostility and divisiveness whilst hurling every insult under the sun.
Having grown up and am still living among Texas-style conservatives, I can only say this statement is false, and on the border of delusional. I've seen O'Reilly Factor and other conservative news pundits, I've heard Rush Limbaugh and other talk radio hosts, I've been at church and at dinner with conservative table talk. The idea that Republicans are a gentleman's party is simply untrue.No, no it hasn't. Any right-wing people hurling insults at Democrats is a fairly recent phenomenon, and it tends to come specifically from party flipfloppers like Trump or "independents" like Micheal Savage (ugh, blech!). Historically, the M.O. of the Republican Party has been to take the moral high ground and then not talk about it. It's a very Christian attitude.
Oh abso-fucken-lotely not. The republicans have been doing this shit since at least the 80s. Rush limbaugh has been a major voice for them for a very long time and his favorite insult was to call people 'bleeding heard liberals.' To the point there it took while for liberal to stop being an insult, keep in mind that liberal meant something different in the states then it did Europe. Here it just meant left wing.No, no it hasn't. Any right-wing people hurling insults at Democrats is a fairly recent phenomenon, and it tends to come specifically from party flipfloppers like Trump or "independents" like Micheal Savage (ugh, blech!). Historically, the M.O. of the Republican Party has been to take the moral high ground and then not talk about it. It's a very Christian attitude.
a) Those people aren't politicians. Bill O'Reilly isn't. Rush Limbaugh isn't. The people around your dinner table aren't. What matters here is the people they support. Think Ted Cruz, he's not throwing slurs around. Think John McCain, he famously scolded people for what they said about Obama.Having grown up and am still living among Texas-style conservatives, I can only say this statement is false, and on the border of delusional. I've seen O'Reilly Factor and other conservative news pundits, I've heard Rush Limbaugh and other talk radio hosts, I've been at church and at dinner with conservative table talk. The idea that Republicans are a gentleman's party is simply untrue.
What is true is that certain wings of the Democrat party use demagoguery as a preferred tool, to the detriment of political discourse, and that Trump's almost exclusive use of it has steered conservatives further towards it. But conservatives have never been above demagoguery, insults, or even moral panics, as exemplified by the panics of D&D and rock and roll (and that's not even beginning to dredge up the rhetoric of segregationists).
Oh Sanders is going to be absolutely phenomenal at energizing voter, republican voter that is. Counter productive. It's crazy, but for a large swath of the american public, socialist is a slur word and communism is just the worse version. So having someone who went on an "honeymoon" (wasn't actually the case, but that doesn't matter) to the soviet union and who unironicly talk about learning from it (much to is credits, but republican won't see it that way) is not going to help the left.The idea that they're not worth courting is absolute bunkum.
About 38% of American adults identify as "independent". Over 40% of those will vote-- which is lower than the average for party-identifiers, but not by a huge amount, and more than enough to decide an election.
To write off a chunk of the electorate that's larger than your own party faithful or your opponent's party faithful is absolutely nonsensical.
Nobody is claiming that. But when you talk about passion, and an energised electorate, what world are you living in in which Biden energises people more effectively than Sanders? Even Biden's own voters are holding their noses.
I really don't know. Clinton is touted as having beaten Trump in the popular vote. She is also thought to have incredible power in the Democratic Party Establishment. Were she to run and beat Trump this time, the sweetness of her revenge would be enough to give diabetes to the continent. But the rank and file of the party may be outraged beyond words. She could do much worse this time.I know this is a right wing/dirtbag-left fantasy, but the idea Clinton will be the nominee in 2020 has almost no basis in reality. I say "almost" because I can imagine a unicorn existing, which is about as likely.
The Clintons do remain relatively popular both with leadership and with most of the democratic electorate. But people liking you and people saying the party should break just about every internal norm (Running someone who didn't contest the nomination, has no delegates, Democrats don't nominate those who had a chance and lost, etc.) are two very different questions.I really don't know. Clinton is touted as having beaten Trump in the popular vote. She is also thought to have incredible power in the Democratic Party Establishment. Were she to run and beat Trump this time, the sweetness of her revenge would be enough to give diabetes to the continent. But the rank and file of the party may be outraged beyond words. She could do much worse this time.
I don't see them replacing Biden for several key reasons, most notably that he was the candidate who most quickly unified the largest and most influential block within the party, black voters, and that I would put money down that, dollars to donuts, the Reade allegations will eventually become a non-issue for most voters, possibly before the convention. Biden, to his credit, is keeping his head down as much as he can, trying to create a Trump versus generic Democrat for most general election voters and making it a referendum on Trump. This is, for the most part, a good political strategy to maximize Trump's negatives, which have remained stable in terms of polling for most of his presidency. If Biden can make the whole election about Trump's handling of the presidency, then that will likely repeat the 2018 congressional map, where swing suburban districts broke for Democrats.ITMT: I do think many believe Tara Reade but will vote Biden anyway. Hence, why would he drop out? Example https://dnyuz.com/2020/05/06/i-believe-tara-reade-im-voting-for-joe-biden-anyway/ This was also published in the NYT.
I wanted no rapists in power, that is why I voted for Hillary. But that wasnt good enough for you apparently.I thought one of those "moral high ground" things about Democrats was pushing people with sexual misconduct allegations against them out of public service? I remember you ranting about absolutely definitely a rapist Kavanaugh and how he shouldn't be allowed into office on the basis of the allegations against him. I guess it's #BelieveWomenWhoHarmRepublicans rather than #BelieveWomen?
I wonder if they'd still try Cuomo? He seems like a tonedeaf choice.Obviously they wouldn't just move to second place - to abuse lil devil's analogy, that would allow Bernie Baggins to bring the ring to Mt. Doom. They can't have that.
Realistically, they'd find a different "safe" neoliberal who won't get much done to replace him with. Who will utterly fail to inspire turnout, and thus probably lose.
That is not Plan B. Nor Plan C, D, E or F. At most it should be Plan Z.
I think you misunderstood me. Sanders had won the popular vote in the last 3 states and was 10 points ahead of Biden in the national average. 3 candidates then drop out right before Super Tuesday and all of them endorsed Biden. Given how many voters were suddenly undecided and how little time there was, most of them chose what they percieved to be the safest choice. They voted Biden.On one hand you claim that the media constantly hammer Sadners, on the other you claim that voter have just never heard of him and so can't vote for someone other than Biden.
Increasingly, I'm thinking you are right. Unless there is a health issue... or, erm, incident... it is really going to be Biden. I just can't believe it. This is going to be an interesting general election if Biden is well enough to see it.That is not Plan B. Nor Plan C, D, E or F. At most it should be Plan Z.
Of course it's ideology.Conservative isn't an ideology.
All demagogues represent popular opinion, it's basically what demagoguery is.Democrats demagogue because their idea of governance is to represent popular opinion.
There's a certain degree of hypocrisy throughout politics. Politicians of any stripe have overwhelmingly been above undignified name-calling in public themselves, but that has to be put in context that at the same time they have been paying campaign teams to come up with appalling mud to throw at their enemies, and happily letting their media allies run riot without so much of a hint of criticism. It was I suspect inevitable that the rancour they set loose in general society would eventually emerge in politics as well.a) Those people aren't politicians. Bill O'Reilly isn't. Rush Limbaugh isn't. The people around your dinner table aren't. What matters here is the people they support. Think Ted Cruz, he's not throwing slurs around. Think John McCain, he famously scolded people for what they said about Obama.
It isn't. An ideology has fixed principles. Conservatism can be slapped onto any set of ideals you prefer under the right circumstances. If you are a proponent of the status quo, you are the conservative side of the argument, no matter what that status quo is. It's not a ideology.Of course it's ideology.
Yes, Democrats are demagogues. That's the defining feature of the party that transcends era.All demagogues represent popular opinion, it's basically what demagoguery is.
The other day, a talking points memo leaked out from the Republicans that basically said "don't defend Trump, focus on China." Which reddit being reddit, people took to mean that condemning China is a Republican conspiracy, even though the same people had spent the previous month not defending Trump and condemning China. The Republican establishment can put out a memo saying "don't defend Trump" and left-leaning people take that to mean they're Trump puppets. (in before someone quotes me and says "you don't understand, they are defending Trump by not defending Trump.")Trump is simply exceptional and a whole new level in pouring out gratuitous abuse. However, I cannot help but note senior Republican politicians make nothing more than token objection to it on occasion, and Republican voters are solidly behind him. I'm aware a lot of Republican voters don't like that he's so petty, mean, crude and vindictive, but... they put him there in the first place and stuck with him for four more years of it. Actions speak louder than words.
Belief in the superiority or desirability of the status quo is a form of ideology. There will be times when the status quo is hopelessly broken, and yet a big chunk of conservatives still believe in it: that's not going to be "pragmatism".It isn't. An ideology has fixed principles. Conservatism can be slapped onto any set of ideals you prefer under the right circumstances. If you are a proponent of the status quo, you are the conservative side of the argument, no matter what that status quo is. It's not a ideology.
And yet it's the Republicans voting for one now. And they've had form too: remind us all, which party did McCarthy stand for? Don't blind yourself to your own party's rich history of flaws.Yes, Democrats are demagogues. That's the defining feature of the party that transcends era.
No, I think the worst thing is watching your country already failing, and refusing to accept it because it means Trump might not get re-elected.The exceptionally vile thing going on are the people who would rather see the country fail than Trump succeed.