11/08/2022, The Midterms, aka build on 2020 aka The Election Thread

[Swykk]

Not this shit again.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/0...legates-110083

[Deacon Blackfire]

Even more rich is Perez claiming that this absolutely won't happen and that they "will not change (their) rules" right on the heels of the DNC drastically overhauling its debate requirements (eliminating the individual donor threshold) so that fucking Bloomberg can participate.

[versusreality]

Not this shit again.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/0...legates-110083

sadly not surprised.

[allegate]

Is it an overstatement to say that this impeachment is the greatest loss for the Democrats that could happen in an election year? and here they are trying to outdo that by shooting themselves in the foot?

[versusreality]

Is it an overstatement to say that this impeachment is the greatest loss for the Democrats that could happen in an election year? and here they are trying to outdo that by shooting themselves in the foot?

no, it's not.

have to ask the question now...does anyone think Bloomberg can beat Trump? can he surge up to win the nomination? just throwing it out there- not a fan of his but wanted some opinions. ANYTHING or ANYONE to beat Trump. sadly that sounds desperate because it kinda is at this point.

[theimage13]

Is it an overstatement to say that this impeachment is the greatest loss for the Democrats that could happen in an election year?

Yes, it's completely wrong.

Every Democratic candidate could be dragged through the ringer with accusations of sexual assault.

Trump could start a full war to pull the "wartime presidents get re-elected" shit.

Bernie could get the nod, only to have a heart attack right before the election.

Warren could get the nod, only to not garner enough votes in certain states because she doesn't have a dick.

Democratic candidate could win the election by a narrow electoral margin, only to have it overturned by the courts that Trump himself has stacked.

I could go on, but my point is this: "losing" a fake trial is far from the worst thing that could happen. NO ONE who is a true independent voter will see this as Trump being vindicated, so it's not going to win him any votes from people who might have voted for the left. The outcome of this trial is only a victory for the cultists, and they alone are not enough to re-elect him as long as enough other people show up to vote. And after such a blatant miscarriage of justice, that should HELP motivate people to get off their asses and vote for literally anyone else.

So yes, I think it is absolutely an overstatement to say that this is the greatest loss for Democrats that could happen in an election year. Things are awful, but there's room to get a lot worse.

[allegate]

well I feel a lot better now, thanks.

[SM Rollinger]

Sadly, the Dems will nominate Biden and loose the election. We all know this.

[theimage13]

Sadly, the Dems will nominate Biden and loose the election. We all know this.

I'm not convinced. Would I be surprised if this happened? Of course not. But I have the smallest glimmer of hope that there's a different outcome ahead.

[ltrandazzo]

Sadly, the Dems will nominate Biden and loose the election. We all know this.

Sure don't. If you're feeling hopeless, go to votesaveamerica.com and sign up for notifications for when the "Adopt a District" feature goes live. This way you can do something if you feel like your current area is blue and doesn't need attention.

[Sarah K]

I actually think that Biden has the highest chance of winning - BY FAR, despite my dislike of him.

[SM Rollinger]

Sure don't. If you're feeling hopeless, go to votesaveamerica.com and sign up for notifications for when the "Adopt a District" feature goes live. This way you can do something if you feel like your current area is blue and doesn't need attention.

I live in South Dakota, it's about as red as it gets...

I actually think that Biden has the highest chance of winning - BY FAR, despite my dislike of him.

He is too soft, Trump will trounce him. Not to mention the majority of people view him as a corporate Democrat. Sanders is the only one imo who won't go easy on Trump and stands a chance of winning, especially now that the Republicans has came out and shown their true colors (party over country).

[Sarah K]

If you think the vast majority of folks who actually vote give a single shit about the cOrPoRaTe DeM talking point, I don’t think you’re very in touch with who votes. A return to the status quo is exactly what the majority of voters want. Ones that will go out and vote no matter who the nominee is, anyway. Not the ones who will throw a tantrum and refuse to vote if someone they don’t like for ambiguous reasons gets the nod.

[allegate]

2018 election results say it's somewhere in between the status quo and let's try something new and actually radical. we'll see where 2020 comes down.

[allegro]

I actually think that Biden has the highest chance of winning - BY FAR, despite my dislike of him.

I know that Twitter represents only about 2% of the voting population, but the KHive on Twitter has actively switched to Biden; ESPECIALLY if Biden continues to hint that he’d choose Kamala as his running mate. He still has a WIDE lead in SC. For Obama-lovers, and there’s a LOT of them, Biden is seen as Obama II.

Republicans are going to fuck with the Democratic primaries in open primary states, they’re saying so publicly and there’s not one thing anyone can do about it (e.g. voting for Gabbard or even Sanders, whom Hugh Hewitt says he’s voting for in the primary and then he says he’s voting for Trump in the General).

I think the BEST chance of Trump losing right now is a really or fairly respected moderate Republican jumping in as an Independent, stealing a lot of Trump votes. Maybe Justin Amash, dunno. A way for Republicans to vote, not for Trump and not for a Democrat (because many of them would rather be set on fire than vote for a Democrat).

[allegro]

2018 election results say it's somewhere in between the status quo and let's try something new and actually radical. we'll see where 2020 comes down.

To be fair: Congress is a different animal than the Presidential election. A lot of 2018 was local.

Also, what you described above is a scale of several different things. Going “back to status quo” would be “liberal” compared to sticking with current status quo.

https://www.businessinsider.com/obam...ids-2017-1?amp

[Deacon Blackfire]

I actually think that Biden has the highest chance of winning - BY FAR, despite my dislike of him.

I get where you're coming from but I'm far from convinced with what we've seen from him and his camp thus far. Biden would definitely do better than Buttigieg, I think, and maybe even Warren, but everything about him and his whole approach to this leaves serious doubt that he'll manage to beat Trump. He has proven to be almost Trump-level incoherent, increasingly so as the campaigning has ratcheted up, and every time he has faced any kind of serious or difficult questioning from voters he just loses his shit and usually tells them to vote for someone else - a very Clinton/Kaine style "we don't want/need your help" approach that would be foolish to emulate. I wince just imagining a debate between him and Trump, it has the potential to resemble a Spitting Image sketch. Even with Trump fatigue and everyone desperate to change things up, it's hard for me to see him as a reassuring prospect.

Because even if he is the safest choice, which I doubt, where does a Biden presidency get us, as a nation? It's sad but I have my doubts that President Biden would even see the end of immigrant children in cages, let alone manage any kind of meaningful response to the climate catastrophe. Obviously I will vote for whoever is on the Democratic ticket like I did in 2016 but my fear about a Biden candidacy is that, even if he wins, the resulting presidency effects despairingly few changes outside of not-being-Trump and the dejected and disillusioned electorate clear the way for another Republican presidency - someone who is an extension of Trump's agenda but considered more superficially palatable by the media, like Nicki Haley. Not to mention the climate crisis going full steam ahead with woefully inadequate efforts made to address it, if any at all...

A return to the status quo is exactly what the majority of voters want.

There is definitely a sizable portion of Democratic voters who just want a president and a presidency that lets them not have to worry about politics, but I think you may be overstating their numbers. Anyone who just wants Trump to go away and has no investment beyond things seeming more normal isn't just insulated from the consequences of Trump's presidency - they're insulated from the consequences of Obama's presidency as well, and the status quo that it represents isn't one that I would be so assured the majority of people want back, especially young people. They are facing environmental devastation and the potential for complete social and economic collapse, not to mention the givens of nothing being remotely affordable. It's go big or die for them, basically, and I think they and the less wealthy Americans want someone who will walk the way Obama talked more than they want someone who will return a status quo that never worked for them anyway.

[Jinsai]

no, it's not.

have to ask the question now...does anyone think Bloomberg can beat Trump? can he surge up to win the nomination? just throwing it out there- not a fan of his but wanted some opinions. ANYTHING or ANYONE to beat Trump. sadly that sounds desperate because it kinda is at this point.

anyone who carries the primaries has a great chance at beating Trump, I see Bloomberg as a long shot to take the primary, but if he did he would obliterate Trump in the general

[allegro]

leaves serious doubt that [Biden will] manage to beat Trump.

A potted plant can beat Trump. Even in a debate.


Trump made a crack about Bloomberg’s height (Bloomberg is 5’8”).

Former White House photographer Pete Souza commented on IG by posting a photo of the Trumps and the Obamas on Inauguration Day 2017, saying Obama is just under 6’2” and Trump claims to be 6’3” yet is obviously shorter than Obama. Also, it’s pretty common knowledge that Trump wears lifts in his shoes to make him appear taller.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8E1qUsl...d=hzczw53y0xu4

Also, note that Melania Trump claims to be 5’11”.

So does Michelle Obama.

[allegro]

[binaryhermit]

Trump made a crack about Bloomberg’s height (Bloomberg is 5’8”).

Well, IIRC, average height for a man is about 5'9" so he is (slightly) below-average in that (not important) aspect.

Not surprising for a guy who bragged about the size of his penis during a Republican Presidential debate.


And the current status of the Iowa Caucuses is a bad look.

[Wretchedest]

The idiocy and the hubris of the DNC right now is only exceeded by their irresponsibility going into facing trump.

It's unimaginable to me. Unbelievable.

[richardp]

Last night just solidified another 4 years I think.

It's fucking embarrassing.

[tony.parente]

At least Buttgag won though right?

[allegate]

[ickyvicky]

Just announced they should have most results by 4:00pm CT.

[chuckrh]

[allegro]

NOBODY cared about Iowa until Walter Mondale. Republicans never care about Iowa, they don’t campaign there. Caucuses are NOT primaries. It’s horse-trading, NOT voting.

This isn’t the first time this clusterfuck has happened in Iowa. Caucuses are THAT fucked up.

Iowa is a totally-white Republican State, Democrats should not waste one single fuck or carbon unit on it. Democratic candidates should make South Carolina the 1st of the primaries.

What MORON at the Iowa DNC decided to rely 100% on an APP without an adequate Plan B? There were precinct captains on hold for TWO HOURS last night, trying to report their caucus delegates by phone. Then someone hung up on them.

I’m GLAD this happened in Iowa, so that Dems will stop putting so much fucking attention on Iowa: A solid-White REPUBLICAN STATE.

Don’t even focus on New Hampshire (solid white, less people than in Chicago). Just go right to Super Tuesday.

I remember when Chris Rock was covering the Presidential primaries for Comedy Central’s “Politically Incorrect” and was in NH, and said:

“I’m having a real hard time finding hair-care products up here.”

[Sarah K]

I enjoy the caucus format, so I’m sad to see this!

While the conspiracy theories are funny, an app was never a good idea. Even if it had worked perfectly, who actually thought a bunch of senior midwesterners would execute the use of new, unfamiliar technology in a stressful situation well?

[allegro]

Rachel Maddow spent 30 minutes gleefully extolling the hometown virtues of the high school gym camaraderie of the caucus last night.

Sounded interesting, right up until Claire McCaskill eloquently blasted it into the stratosphere.

I could see Maddow’s point of “everyone getting along” but I’ve grown up with the idea that a vote is a vote, I don’t have a “number 2 choice” until the GENERAL election, and some of these people in the caucuses are moving around in number 3 or 4 choices. And there are no state rules, at all, to make sure it doesn’t go off the rails. If you grew up with that, I suppose that’s a tradition for you, though, so I understand.

It’s REALLY hard watching the Iowa caucuses in real time and trying to determine wtf is going on.

Weirder yet, there sure were a lot of corn-fed teen moderate Democrats on TV. I really give all those kids credit for getting so involved. When I was in college in 2007, most of the students didn’t know who the fuck the candidates were.

But, yes. AN APP??? I don’t even think the USERS were the problem. I think the app being a piece of shit and being completely overwhelmed was likely the problem. Some idiot bought a bad app is likely the issue, then they weren’t ready for a real Plan B. But, again, even without an app to blame, this HAS happened before. The good thing is that they want to be sure it’s all correct.

I am SOOOOOOO GRATEFUL that Lake County Illinois uses PAPER BALLOTS AND MAGIC MARKERS AND SCANNERS for primaries and the general.