2020 Presidential Election 2: The Primaries are upon us

[Rachel333]

And endorsing Biden

I'm so relieved. It's amazing how much differently I feel about the race than I did a week ago.

[SassyPants]

42 minutes ago, Rachel333 said:

And endorsing Biden

I'm so relieved. It's amazing how much differently I feel about the race than I did a week ago.

Just as long as people show up in November. I want to know who the candidates would choose as a VP. 

[HerNameIsBuffy]

15 minutes ago, SassyPants said:

I want to know who the candidates would choose as a VP. 

This.  Because with the youngest guy in the race at 76 the VP is pretty damn important this time out.

My guesses based on absolutely nothing is that Joe will pick a woman.  Amy Klobachar, Stacy Abrams, or maybe even Elizabeth Warren.

Edited March 4, 2020 by HerNameIsBuffy

[TuringMachine]

I want the VP to be Warren, though I also like Stacy Abrams

Edited March 4, 2020 by TuringMachine

[PreciousPantsofDoom]

I know she's irrelevant and all, but Tulsi, Dude, if you get beaten by Bloomberg in Samoa, that's your people telling you its over. Seriously, call the Kremlin and tell them the deal is off. 

[fraurosena]

27 minutes ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

This.  Because with the youngest guy in the race at 76 the VP is pretty damn important this time out.

My guesses based on absolutely nothing is that Joe will pick a woman.  Amy Klobachar, Stacy Abrams, or maybe even Elizabeth Warren.

Although I'd like to see Warren as veep, I don't see that happening unless it's dangled in front of her as incentive to bow out of the race -- and not team up with Bernie. Also, Warren isn't such a spring chicken either (she's 70).

Amy would be a good choice, but somehow I think Biden will choose Buttigieg (even though he semi-denied it yesterday).

[SassyPants]

Beto or Kamela?  Julian Castro?

Women seem to be the death knell for US presidential candidates.

Edited March 4, 2020 by SassyPants

[Destiny]

Beto or Kamela? 

Kamala would be my choice. But then, a Harris / warren ticket in any combination was my first choice so I’m biased.

[HerNameIsBuffy]

9 minutes ago, Destiny said:

Kamala would be my choice. But then, a Harris / warren ticket in any combination was my first choice so I’m biased.

Ngl gonna have a fucking hard time voting at all if Harris is on the ticket.  My gut feeling screams that's she's more dangerous than Trump.

[anaandrade]

My top 3 for VP are Warren, Buttigieg, and Klobuchar. If it's Buttigieg, I would love to see him take down Pence in the VP debate.

[nausicaa]

9 hours ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

I hope you get some sleep if you're driving on your trip tomorrow.

 

No worries! I don't mess with fatigue and long drives, even for Super Tuesday.

I took a sleeping pill at 3 am and got up at 11am. Just going to arrive later than expected but work doesn't start until tomorrow.

[formergothardite]

52 minutes ago, anaandrade said:

My top 3 for VP are Warren, Buttigieg, and Klobuchar. If it's Buttigieg, I would love to see him take down Pence in the VP debate.

Buttigieg debating Pence on Jesus and family values would be amazing. 

[nausicaa]

1 hour ago, SassyPants said:

Beto or Kamela?  Julian Castro?

Women seem to be the death knell for US presidential candidates.

Beto is so unprepared for national politics. He was disastrous in his debates. He'll also freak out Blue Dogs and mobilize conservatives  with his "yes I am coming for your guns" stuff.

Biden does need someone younger and more progressive. If only Warren were a bit younger, she'd be an excellent pick. And her witty sound bites could counteract whatever gaffes Biden is going to inevitably make.

1 hour ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

Ngl gonna have a fucking hard time voting at all if Harris is on the ticket. 

I've heard this from a lot of progressives. I'm kind of meh on her personally, but worry the "she's a cop" stuff could further alienate the hardcore Sanders crowd.

Edited March 4, 2020 by nausicaa

[HerNameIsBuffy]

18 minutes ago, nausicaa said:

Beto is so unprepared for national politics. He was disastrous in his debates. He'll also freak out Blue Dogs and mobilize conservatives  with his "yes I am coming for your guns" stuff.

Biden does need someone younger and more progressive. If only Warren were a bit younger, she'd be an excellent pick. And her witty sound bites could counteract whatever gaffes Biden is going to inevitably make.

I've heard this from a lot of progressives. I'm kind of meh on her personally, but worry the "she's a cop" stuff could further alienate the hardcore Sanders crowd.

Agreed on the first two.  On the last - to me she's Trump-like but intelligent, attractive, and verbally skilled.  Scares the hell out of me.

[nvmbr02]

My first choice would be Harris as VP. But Harris as AG wouldn't be bad either... Maybe with Stacy Abrams as VP. 

I'm not a big fan of Beto. 

Then again I am not really a "progressive". Warren would have been my first choice for President but I just don't see her being viable in two weeks when my state's primary finally happens.  But I am not a huge Sanders fan.

That being said, I will be voting in the next election and I will be voting against Trump, so it really doesn't matter who the nominee is in the end. After not having my vote count in the last election there (as a resident of a US territory) there is absolutely nothing that would make me not vote in this next election. 

 

 

Edited March 4, 2020 by nvmbr02

[fraurosena]

37 minutes ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

Agreed on the first two.  On the last - to me she's Trump-like but intelligent, attractive, and verbally skilled.  Scares the hell out of me.

I don't get that vibe from her at all. But then, I don't really know her other than what I've seen in Senate hearings in the Trump-era. I have no idea how she was before Trump or how she was as CA's AG. 

So, serious question. What makes you feel she's Trump-like? Is she power hungry? Narcissistic? Corrupt? Steeped in nepotism?

[HerNameIsBuffy]

Just now, fraurosena said:

I don't get that vibe from her at all. But then, I don't really know her other than what I've seen in Senate hearings in the Trump-era. I have no idea how she was before Trump or how she was as CA's AG. 

So, serious question. What makes you feel she's Trump-like? Is she power hungry? Narcissistic? Corrupt? Steeped in nepotism?

I loved her in the senate hearings - she was amazing.  She's very skilled and very verbally adept and I'd love to see her one on one with Trump so she could skewer him.

I wrote a detailed post about my reservations with her in another thread, I'll try and find it but the tldr is her deliberate, calculated lying in order to hoodwink the public.  When Trump does it it's obvious and he's bad at it.  When she does it she's engaging and it's easy to buy what she's selling.  ('That little girl was me' schtick was a load of crap, for one, and absolutely disingenuous on the topic of busing back in the 70s.)

Idk if she's as toxic under the surface, TBH it would be hard to be as toxic as Trump...and without the sexual assaults she's certainly a better human being on that front.  But the ease with which she lies and pushes a false narrative - and the harm she's caused as California AG to certain demographics is very Trump like to me.  

But disclaimer - I think all politicians are lying narcissists (esp those running for President) so I'm just looking for one who is a narcissist with a little n, not a malignant Narcissist, and one whose lies are kept in the normal political realm.

 

 

[HerNameIsBuffy]

@fraurosena found the post.

FTR I know I'm quick to hate on politicians and if she is picked as VP or AG I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Alisamer]

On 3/2/2020 at 2:40 PM, Rachel333 said:

But waiting to vote until you know that the person you're voting for is still in the race is something that you can do now, unlike ranked choice voting.

I'm not trying to chastise anyone who did vote early (who knows, I might have done the same if I were in a state that allowed it), I just wish there weren't so many votes already set for candidates who aren't even in the race.

I really think ranked choice is a better idea than no early voting. I voted early, because I was going to be out of state on Tuesday. I vote early in all elections, TBH, because the one time I didn't the line was hours long and outdoors where it was unexpectedly chilly. I waited, but I think a lot of people wouldn't. And if it's on a weekday? If I don't work, I don't get paid. Going after work is iffy, if traffic is bad I simply won't get there in time. Before work is a guarantee to be late for work. The easier it is to vote, the more people will vote.

But I also think voting day should be a holiday. 

17 hours ago, Smee said:

I’m sad Warren also appears to be going nowhere and it will come down to two old white men. But that’s what’s happening, and at least both are miles better than Trump. 

Same. I voted for Warren. I feel like she has actual thought out plans for so many things, and is likely t o actually get things done. And I'm absolutely DONE with the old white men leading everything. But blue no matter who, in the end. 

2 hours ago, SassyPants said:

Women seem to be the death knell for US presidential candidates.

I am really hoping for a female VP. With how little Pence has actually done, maybe one will be able to slip in. I'm blown away by discussing politics with my friends over the weekend - they're women, younger than me so early-mid thirties, and all Bernie fans. And the reason they prefer Bernie to Warren? They think that most Americans are too sexist to ever vote for a female president, and think having Warren as the nominee would be handing the win to Trump.

I hope they are wrong. 

I hope that since we will be having another old white guy as presidential nominee, that we get something else as VP. Female, a person of color, gay, any combo of those. But at this point? Whatever will beat Trump.

 

I'm really not terribly disappointed with the prospect of Biden getting the nomination. I think there are a lot of people who aren't terribly politically informed who might find it comforting to vote for him. He's been Vice President, he's experienced, his gaffes are no covfefe, and he's not Trump. He's more of a known quantity, and after all the chaos of the Trump administration, I can see some people (even some Republicans, potentially) being willing to go for safe Biden over the potential upheaval of a Sanders presidency. 

But honestly? The dems could run a houseplant and I'd vote for it, at this point.

[JenniferJuniper]

3 hours ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

Ngl gonna have a fucking hard time voting at all if Harris is on the ticket.  My gut feeling screams that's she's more dangerous than Trump.

Hyperbole!

(but yeah, she's scary)

[HerNameIsBuffy]

23 minutes ago, Alisamer said:

But I also think voting day should be a holiday. 

Absolutely!  How is this not a thing?  Don't want another holiday, give up President's Day.  Done.

[JenniferJuniper]

1 minute ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

Absolutely!  How is this not a thing?  Don't want another holiday, give up President's Day.  Done.

Columbus Day.  Should not even be day. 

[nausicaa]

I try to avoid anecdotes because I know the plural isn't data but I was really surprised to have two Trump-hating moderates, including one who I would have described as a firm Democrat, confide in me today that they were not only not going to be able to vote for Sanders, but would have voted Trump in November to avoid him.

Damn. Even my crazy ass would have left it blank before ever voting for Trump. We underestimated this.

And as always, so many white liberal strategists are so clueless about black voters and how dismissive their messaging can be to them. So many people still don't get that it's older black women who are the backbone of the Dem coalition in the South and many other places. I'm interested to see what goes down in Michigan and Pennsylvania.

 

P.S. @HerNameIsBuffy I am not texting and driving. I am at a rest stop!

[AuntK]

2 hours ago, formergothardite said:

Buttigieg debating Pence on Jesus and family values would be amazing. 

I would pay to see that!

But, TBH, Pence is barely better than Trump when it comes to public speaking and answering questions from the press. I think just about anyone chosen as the Dem VP candidate could wipe the floor with him! And it might be the only debates we see. I have a feeling that Trump is going to do everything he can to avoid debates. 

His recent public appearances have shown him repeatedly slurring his words and using the wrong word. Whatever is wrong with him is only going to get worse. 

[HerNameIsBuffy]

2 minutes ago, JenniferJuniper said:

Columbus Day.  Should not even be day. 

That was my first example, but Idk if that's even a thing anymore here.  So I went with the next useless holiday.