Democratic Primaries
Related: About this forumAs all this begins to unfold, I think it looks more and more like
Senator Sanders missed his best shot at becoming President. The political scene has shifted since Trump got into the White House. It doesn't seem to me that Bernie Sanders is who people are looking for for 2020.
Now, I could be wrong, of course, but that's my take on it at this early point.
So, I am changing my preference from Undecided to Biden, officially. If he chooses not to run, I'll revert back to Undecided, but I think he's going to announce this week.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
TheCowsCameHome
(40,168 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
MineralMan
(146,329 posts)This is the Democratic Primaries Forum, so any comments I make here have to do with that.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
melman
(7,681 posts)OP is playing an obvious game here. This is what is meant by "as this begins to unfold"
Of course they then deny implying what is clearly implied. But that's the game.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
R B Garr
(16,975 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
MineralMan
(146,329 posts)I'm offering up my opinion. Isn't that what we do here?
I do not thing that Bernie Sanders has a strong chance of emerging as the Democratic nominee. I think he had a better chance in the last election, but didn't quite get there. I don't see his chances as being stronger for 2020. In fact, given the pretty exciting field of potential candidates, I think his chances are even less.
You might not agree with that opinion, and you're welcome to say so, but I'm not playing any games. I'm never playing a game here.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Maru Kitteh
(28,342 posts)But yeah, I agree that ship has left the dock, and it ain't coming back.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
MineralMan
(146,329 posts)That shot missed the mark, though. The target has been moved, now.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
shanny
(6,709 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
MineralMan
(146,329 posts)The chance we missed was having Hillary Clinton as President. She was the nominee in 2016, as you might remember. Somehow, we failed to put her in the White House. Bernie Sanders was not on the ballot in November of 2016.
Every once in a while, I think about what we'd be talking about right now had Clinton won the Electoral College vote. Don't you?
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
shanny
(6,709 posts)we had at the time showed Hillary in a close race with tRump (i.e. ahead but never outside the margin of error)...and Bernie beating him by a mile. Since we don't currently have access to multiple universes and/or dimensions, we can't test the validity of that data.
However, by any standard, Bernie would have been better than what we got.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
MrsCoffee
(5,803 posts)There fixed it for you.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
shanny
(6,709 posts)and what, exactly, have we done to address that? we have no agency in what happens? how comforting that must be.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)He's a real centrist now because he is truly representative of most Americans. Those liberal progressives he was deriding as centrists before are now not centrists but fakes.
He's taken a lock on the white hair and age also, and I've heard is being coached on projecting a new, warm "Uncle Bernie" persona, making Uncle Joe sadly redundant.
Sorry, MM. Keep looking.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
WeekiWater
(3,259 posts)It has actually dramatically changed what I had thought. I thought Sanders had an easy path. Now thinking I was really wrong on that.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Garrett78
(10,721 posts)What tells us Sanders has no path is the primary schedule, and the competition he faces. If Beto runs, there goes Bernie's hope of dominating among millennials.
Those who insist that Sanders has a path (much less an easy path) seem to be flat-out ignoring the primary schedule. And the fact that there will be far fewer caucuses this time around. It's entirely possible that Vermont is the only state he'll win.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
exboyfil
(17,865 posts)and I am all in favor of that. The largest state should have the biggest voice.
I wish we would change how we did primaries. Break it up into five week rotating schedules based on roughly equivalent electoral votes. I live in Iowa, and I really don't want to be first all the time.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Garrett78
(10,721 posts)I do think, though, we'll know who all is out of the running by the end of March 3.
I'm all for having a handful of individual contests prior to having a series of 4-5 Super Tuesdays. I think those opening contests provide a valuable service; they winnow the field. And they give more candidates the opportunity to make themselves a contender. If we start off with 10 states voting on the same day, the vote-splitting could be ridiculous. I just wish those opening contests took place in states that better reflect our electorate.
Anyway, I'm guessing we'll be down to 2-4 candidates after Super Tuesday. In terms of delegates, we'll be more than 60% of the way through following the March 17 primaries.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
melman
(7,681 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
MineralMan
(146,329 posts)It doesn't matter at this stage, anyhow.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
R B Garr
(16,975 posts)on your thread think there is some conspiracy/game with noticing that Sanders has missed his shot.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
MineralMan
(146,329 posts)I'm just analyzing what I see, as best I can. My opinion only, of course.
There's plenty of time to be wrong yet.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
honest.abe
(8,685 posts)His role should be more of a sage adviser to the Democratic nominees on issues he is strong on.. like income inequality and campaign finance reform.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Turin_C3PO
(14,047 posts)I was a Sanders supporter last primary season but his decision to not remain a Democrat afterward made me lose a little respect from him. Plus, I dont like the Bernie or Bust attitude that some have.
So, my choice is Joe Biden. I think hell play well in the swing states and possibly win in places like Arizona and Ohio.
Id love to see Kamala Harris as his running mate. Shes my second choice in the primary.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
MineralMan
(146,329 posts)I think it has appeal across a broad spectrum of Democrats, and offers an interesting mix of personal characteristics to boot.
It's a real possibility. Looking at the preferences here on DU, it looks like we're not the only ones who think so, either.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Perrenial Voter
(173 posts)progressives in the race. The thing is, no one else has a long consistent record of promoting progressive policies, so people like Harris, Warren and Booker need an authentic narrative about their evolution that pulls people in. I think Harris has done the best, so far. Biden is not as progressive, but has the most relevant experience and at least has not forgotten his working-class roots, which would serve him well with the white working class. Harris is the most forceful of the candidates at this point, and I think this quality is essential for a candidate to win. One reason I think we have not had a woman president is that Americans tend to feel we need someone strong and uncompromising as President and women have not been socialized to exhibited these traits (Clinton tried, but it often was interpreted as arrogance rather than strength--and yes I know this is a double-bind that women face). In terms of winning, then, a Biden/Harris ticket would probably have the best shot, though I would really love to see Harris as attorney general.
So why am I tagged as saying I support Sanders? The same reason I supported him in 2016: because I like his policy proposals and want to signal that support to the party. I never expected him to win, and am not sure that he has the set of skills that would make him an effective president. However, I think he makes a terrific gadfly, and he would probably wield more power as a movement leader than as president, anyway. But I also like Elizabeth Warren's domestic policy proposals, and some of Harris's as well. My hope is that as, as the primary progresses, Warren and Sanders will get behind one the younger candidates and become part of his/her policy team. That would add intellectual heft and progressive credentials to that campaign, while uniting the progressive wing of the party.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
shanny
(6,709 posts)Biden's definitely has. Anita Hill, the crime bill, the bankruptcy bill--all of those issues are firing up our party, and Biden was on the wrong side of all of them. Want to depress turnout, even in the Time of tRump? Choose Biden.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
R B Garr
(16,975 posts)Theres plenty of stuff about Bernie that can be put on blast mode like you are trying with Biden.
Bernie didnt win liberal progressive California or New York, and his groups attacks on popular Senator Feinstein didnt pan out. Now people are looking at the divisiveness and what it got themTrump. No thanks.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Amimnoch
(4,558 posts)Really want to be a part of the movement that ousts tRump.
For right now Im with Beto. However, once it starts, Im 100% supporting ANY candidate that is beating or closest to beating Sanders.
NO BS in 2020.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Awsi Dooger
(14,565 posts)Fear of Trump vs. Fear of Socialism. It would have been very simple for them to exchange emails for socialism so anyone who thinks Sanders would have maintained similar popularity throughout is nuts.
But he might have gotten over the line. Sanders would have been extremely aggressive in the debates. He might have known to actually campaign in those upper midwestern states.
There is no question that was his best opportunity. I always feel sad for an Olympian who barely missed 4 years earlier and then tries again. Much more often than not there's a new hungry crop and the second time is worse.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
democratisphere
(17,235 posts)Welcome aboard.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Response to MineralMan (Original post)
Gothmog This message was self-deleted by its author.