Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Democratic Primaries
Related: About this forum
Congratulations to our presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden!
Michael Bennet, Mad as Hell
The AtlanticIts almost a journalistic requirement to use mild-mannered to describe the 54-year-old senator from Colorado. Bennet comes off as the standard guy in a suit with the standard guy-in-a-suit haircut. He has a calm smile and a voice that creaks through conversations about provisions of bills hes helped write. Hes sober. Hes serious.
But now, the prep-school and Yale Law graduateand the man who is in elected office only because of a surprise appointment to the Senatetells me,I gotta live off the land. He wants to be part of a revolution, he says: Make the presidency normal again.
Last Saturday, Bennet and I ducked into the coffee shop of the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco. Bennet sipped tea and nibbled on a croissant. (He couldnt believe that the two items together had run him $12.96.) The day before, hed trashed the Democratic National Committee and what he referred to as its stupid and self-defeating rules about polling and online donors for qualifying for the September debates. Hes one of the 11 candidates who failed to register at 2 percent or higher in four different polls and hit 130,000 donors, thus preventing him from participating in the next debate. He likely wont make the cutoff for the October debate either, but he says it doesnt matter. Hes going to keep going: TV ads are in the works; hiring is under way. Hes flying to Iowa over Labor Day weekend, and in a minor coup, his wife will be campaigning with Christie Vilsack, the wife of the states popular former governor. Hes staying in the race, he told me, at least through the Iowa caucuses on February 3, 2020, and the New Hampshire primary a week later. I would never have gotten in the race if I didnt think I could win, he said. And when I think I cant win, I wont be in the race.
This is the man whose presidential run started as an intellectual curiosity, a rolling revelation he had while finishing a book last year called The Land of Flickering Lights. He went to Iowa in February, and officially declared his candidacy in May. (In between, he underwent surgery for prostate cancer that was diagnosed at the beginning of this year.) His curiosity became a mission, and those classic politician lines about really wanting to run got sucked up into Bennet actually wanting to run.
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
6 replies, 879 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (7)
ReplyReply to this post
6 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Michael Bennet, Mad as Hell (Original Post)
brooklynite
Aug 2019
OP
Response to brooklynite (Original post)
LincolnRossiter This message was self-deleted by its author.
madamesilverspurs
(15,811 posts)2. Uh, no.
Bennet is many things, whiny is not among them.
.
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Response to madamesilverspurs (Reply #2)
LincolnRossiter This message was self-deleted by its author.
question everything
(47,544 posts)3. I wish him luck
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Green Line
(1,123 posts)4. I like him
Wish he could make the debate
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
lunasun
(21,646 posts)6. he says: Make the presidency normal again.
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided