Renzatic on 3/3/2020 at 07:30
We live in strange days, man.
Trump runs the country as if it's one giant PR event, and he is admittedly very, very good at it. Though this is a situation where his gamble could literally effect the everyday lives of every single person in the country. If he does something extreme, and it just happens to be the moment when his prodigious luck finally decides to run out on him, we could all end up paying the price.
Vae on 3/3/2020 at 07:31
Quote Posted by heywood
Now that Biden got a win, it looks like the DNC is really twisting some arms to get rid of his competition, I presume, to avoid the negative optics if Sanders wins a plurality but doesn't get the nomination. But if Biden falters, which I think he will, that leaves them with Bloomberg. Ugh.
Bloomberg was the alternate center-left moderate if Biden were to flounder...that is, until he royally blew it. The DNC knows that Bernie isn't a viable candidate for the General election, which is why they will rely on the superdelegates to prevent such a nomination, if that were to come to pass.
Once again, the problem with the Democrat party is that they don't have a viable candidate that can go head-to-head with Trump. Bernie is too far-left for the American public, and Biden, although technically more viable, simply does not have the competence and fortitude to go up against Trump...and he will make minced-meat of them both.
Renzatic on 3/3/2020 at 07:45
Bloomberg is pretty solidly center right. Really, of all the Democrats candidates, only Warren and Sanders could be considered truly in the left.
As for Sanders chances in going to head with Trump, I wouldn't have thought him electable. Hell, I wouldn't have thought him primariable. Yet here he is, seeing support from places I'd never expect.
Given who's president now, I'm not quite willing to discount anyone anymore.
lowenz on 3/3/2020 at 12:01
Quote Posted by Renzatic
Bloomberg is pretty solidly center right. Really, of all the Democrats candidates, only Warren and Sanders could be considered truly in the left.
As for Sanders chances in going to head with Trump, I wouldn't have thought him electable. Hell, I wouldn't have thought him primariable. Yet here he is, seeing support from places I'd never expect.
Given who's president now, I'm not quite willing to discount anyone anymore.
Have some good read!
(
http://news.mit.edu/2020/study-physics-democratic-elections-0121)
lowenz on 3/3/2020 at 12:02
Quote Posted by Renzatic
We live in strange days, man.
Trump runs the country as if it's one giant PR event, and he is admittedly very, very good at it. Though this is a situation where his gamble could literally effect the everyday lives of every single person in the country. If he does something extreme, and it just happens to be the moment when his prodigious luck finally decides to run out on him, we could all end up paying the price.
It's the final price of representative democracy.
Convergence to pseudotyrannical demagogy.
"Pseudo" cause you know, the real power is always in the Army, not in democratic processes.
demagogue on 3/3/2020 at 12:34
Yeah, nobody better be practicing actual tyrannical demagoguery but me! On hapless game AI. :mad:
heywood on 3/3/2020 at 12:40
Quote Posted by Starker
The writing was on the wall -- they were all trailing the frontrunners. Buttigieg was the only one who got even close to having a chance, but he never got any traction with black voters. Meanwhile, Biden, Bernie, and Warren all have consolidated a wide base of support. Especially Bernie who has been doing very well with Latino voters.
Frankly, I'm surprised they didn't drop out sooner. The only thing they would accomplish by staying is hurt the chances of Biden. And why Bloomberg is still staying after that humiliating first debate and a disastrous second one, I can't really fathom either. He must be a masochist or something.
Steyer's exit was somewhat understandable. He put all his eggs in South Carolina's basket and only got 11%. He was also self-funding most of his campaign.
I don't understand Buttigieg and Klobuchar. They had organizations big enough to compete in all the states. They were still fundraising well and hadn't run out of cash. Buttigieg's campaign finances were stronger than Warren's, and I think Klobuchar's finances were too (or close).
But mostly it's the timing. They were literally a day away from Super Tuesday. I just can't imagine the thinking. Suppose you're running for President and have been killing yourself on the campaign trail and fundraising circuit for the last year, you've built up a national campaign organization, people from all over the country have been sending you money and volunteering for you, you've spent time and money in all the Super Tuesday states and you're in your final push. Could you imagine going all-in right up to the eve of the biggest day in the whole primary campaign, and then at the last minute, Nah, Fuck it.
The main thing that bugs me about it is that they're kicking dirt in the face of their campaign staff and donors. Pete had some of the most enthusiastic campaign workers I've ever met. He owed it to them to carry on as long as he could.
lowenz on 3/3/2020 at 13:05
Quote Posted by demagogue
Yeah, nobody better be practicing actual tyrannical demagoguery but me!
On hapless game AI. :mad:
Well, it's not human so have no grudge/hard feelings, puny human! :D
Starker on 3/3/2020 at 13:17
Quote Posted by heywood
Steyer's exit was somewhat understandable. He put all his eggs in South Carolina's basket and only got 11%. He was also self-funding most of his campaign.
Imagine blowing hundreds of millions of dollars on ads and not getting a single delegate. Talk about bad ROI.
Quote Posted by heywood
I don't understand Buttigieg and Klobuchar. They had organizations big enough to compete in all the states. They were still fundraising well and hadn't run out of cash. Buttigieg's campaign finances were stronger than Warren's, and I think Klobuchar's finances were too (or close).
I don't know about finances, but in Klobuchar's case, I think she was a pretty strong candidate who just never got any traction in a very crowded field. I'm sure she will probably show up again in the future and make a much better showing. If her best result in states she claimed she'd be able to win in the general election was getting third place in New Hampshire, though, it was probably a pretty clear sign that the path just wasn't there.
Buttigieg was the one I thought had a real chance for president and he made a strong showing also -- nearly half the delegates the frontrunners got.
Quote Posted by heywood
But mostly it's the timing. They were literally a day away from Super Tuesday. I just can't imagine the thinking. Suppose you're running for President and have been killing yourself on the campaign trail and fundraising circuit for the last year, you've built up a national campaign organization, people from all over the country have been sending you money and volunteering for you, you've spent time and money in all the Super Tuesday states and you're in your final push. Could you imagine going all-in right up to the eve of the biggest day in the whole primary campaign, and then at the last minute, Nah, Fuck it.
The main thing that bugs me about it is that they're kicking dirt in the face of their campaign staff and donors. Pete had some of the most enthusiastic campaign workers I've ever met. He owed it to them to carry on as long as he could.
I agree, but only in that they should have left sooner. The earlier the Democrats consolidate their field, the better it is for them and the less hard feelings all around for the real showdown. If it was just Biden and Bernie running, I imagine it would be the best case scenario, as they would really have to show what they are able to do and there wouldn't be any blaming afterwards of other candidates leeching off votes. If, for example, Bernie were to win mano a mano against Biden, it would make for some very good pressure for the entire party to throw their fullest support behind him.
Really, I think a clear unambiguous win is in everyone's best interest here. I can't imagine a brokered convention would end up in anything else but lots of bad blood.