All Purpose News and Politics Thread Part IV: The Center Cannot Hold

[numberthirty]

She's Dennis freakin' Kucinich compared to Biden or anybody in the GOP.

So, gimme someone who is to the left of "Dennis Kucinich Compared To Biden Or Anybody In The GOP..." and let's make this happen.

Just don't try to hit me with a bunch of bunk about how somebody is "Hard Left..." compared to stuff that starts at "Actually, Right-Of-Center..." like it's something I should do anything except laugh at.

[PaulBullion]

Harris's biggest problem will always be that she's a cop. That's a tough sell for a lot of people.

That line is so ridiculous. Attorneys are not cops.
You do realize that fascist web sites sell "Kamala is a Cop" t-shirts? Please stop echoing that bullshit.

[PaulBullion]

This is accurate:

Welcome to Twitter, have a seat, we'll introduce you to the 23-year-old who will lecture you about how Democrats didn't try hard enough to improve the ACA, and once that's all set up you'll be assigned a socialist who supported Ron Paul up to 2015 to harass you forever.

[PaulBullion]

Suggestions for more T-Shirts to be sold by the Federalist:

Liz Warren is an Injun.

Joe Biden is rapey and you know it.

Mayor Pete likes Buttsecks.

Castro: Do we even have to go there?

de Blasio is a Race Traitor

Tulsi Gabbard: Wait a minute, we kind of like her.



Once they do, you can all feel free to echo those sentiments to further your own favorite candidate for the Dem Primaries

[PaulBullion]

This world.

Sadie Roberts-Joseph, Founder Of African American Museum, Found Murdered In Car Trunk

[JCAll]

That line is so ridiculous. Attorneys are not cops.
You do realize that fascist web sites sell "Kamala is a Cop" t-shirts? Please stop echoing that bullshit.

The fascists just wanna start ****, getting people infighting serves their ridiculous politics. Don't worry, I think we're all too level-headed to fall for their bait. At least I hope I am...
Anyway, I have my own reasons for not really trusting law enforcement. It has nothing to do with my politics, but I'll try to keep it down if only so as not to help the fascists.

[Tendrin]

Dude, come on.

We are talking about someone who very clearly said "It's ridiculous." about Prop K.

Now that there's something in it for her if she pulls a U-turn? No longer ridiculous.

Let alone Herbalife.

That play doesn't even make it into "Not So Progressive..." It's strictly "I'm Out To Get Mine."

Which isn't even the worst thing ever. It's about par for the course for a "Business As Usual..." Democrat. It's just going to be a hard sell for folks that are actually left of center.

If you want things like Ponzi schemes being run out of business, you don't have any real reason to believe that Harris is even remotely serious about doing so.

Meanwhile, Madigan actually got extra money out of Herbalife pretty easily. Never mind just taking a run at them.

Where's that eyeroll emoji? Literally none of what you said is relevant to whether or not Kamala Harris is progressive on /some issues/. Your inability to get out of your own political way isn't anybody's issue but your's.

Anyway, it's good to know we'll get a multi year campaign of 'but herbalife' while Trump locks kids up in cages in their own **** should Harris be the nominee.

[worstblogever]

It's almost like 'being left' consists of more than just whatever Bernie says and that people can be progressive on a whole host of some issues and not so progressive on others.

I mean, unless you want a narrative set up so you can dismiss any candidate that isn't that one. The same one who isn't a part of the Democratic Party.

And the person doing the hatchet job of consistently misrepresenting the issue positions of the actual Democrats in the primary on the forum always reminds everyone that they aren't a Democrat either.

Strange, isn't it?

[numberthirty]

Where's that eyeroll emoji? Literally none of what you said is relevant to whether or not Kamala Harris is progressive on /some issues/. Your inability to get out of your own political way isn't anybody's issue but your's.

Anyway, it's good to know we'll get a multi year campaign of 'but herbalife' while Trump locks kids up in cages in their own **** should Harris be the nominee.

If you've got a really good reason why any of that went down the way it did, let's hear it.

Otherwise, it's most likely exactly what everyone can see that it looks like.

If you are running on being a prosecutor, that you just let crooks slide when they were represented by a firm your husband works for should be an issue.

[Tendrin]

If you've got a really good reason why any of that went down the way it did, let's hear it.

Otherwise, it's most likely exactly what everyone can see that it looks like.

If you are running on being a prosecutor, that you just let crooks slide when they were represented by a firm your husband works for should be an issue.

I'm just gonna say this: if this was the only difference between candidates it might be worth investigating. But right now, as usual, we have kids being locked in cages and you're busy crying about what Harris decided not to do while tacitly acknowledging you'll cry about it for years if she winds up the nominee, just like you did last time. We all already know you've learned nothing but now you've gone and proved it again.

[PaulBullion]

If you've got a really good reason why any of that went down the way it did, let's hear it.

Otherwise, it's most likely exactly what everyone can see that it looks like.

If you are running on being a prosecutor, that you just let crooks slide when they were represented by a firm your husband works for should be an issue.

Her husband woks for a lawfirm that also at one point represented herbalife. You make it sound as if he walked door to door selling diet shakes.

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

It's almost like 'being left' consists of more than just whatever Bernie says and that people can be progressive on a whole host of some issues and not so progressive on others.

The general misconception about this is (and there have been other discussions in this thread along this line) is that there is a difference between the word progressive, which can be very broad and encompass a variance of topics, and the progressive movement in politics.

Typically when a politician is trying to label themselves as progressive in politics it is in the service of garnering the favor of that more left leaning wing of the Democratic Party that self identifies as progressive. So yeah in that context it does matter where you stand on some specific policies more than others. People like Booker and Gillibrand aren't calling themselves progressive for the sake of it. They are clearly doing it because to them it is a buzzword and they want to resonate with a group that identifies as such. And if that's the goal, then yeah it does matter if you are actually politically compatible with the ideologies and stances that group holds.

So it's kind of a fruitless effort to circle the wagons and try to push hard to identify someone as progressive because technically they fit within a very broad term. Like you're not actually going to get members of that group to concede and say "you know you're right, this person isn't really for all the policy points I find important, but they can technically call themselves progressive, so I guess I'll throw all my support behind them". Like it's not going to resonate and I think everyone should probably realize that it's a waste of time trying it.

[numberthirty]

Her husband woks for a lawfirm that also at one point represented herbalife. You make it sound as if he walked door to door selling diet shakes.

First of all, it is actually more than "At One Point..."

Second, think about when her husband moved up the chain at the outfit in question.

[worstblogever]

Plus, the idea that someone would want to hold someone's feet to the fire for an issue stance from over a decade ago that they've been able to evolve on, clearly... While simultaneously asking people to ignore the votes from more than that time ago from the candidate they like on other issues... Well, that would be a double standard.

But there's another thing on this Democratic primary I want to bring up.

Like, I remember in the 2008 election, seeing one CBR poster absolutely torch people for supporting Barack Obama because he wasn't as gay-friendly as Hillary Clinton. He was ready to hitch his wagon onto Sarah Friggin' Palin for a while as a positive influence, because he was still salty about the primary and she was a female VP candidate to be excited about (who also isn't at all what you'd ever want on LGBTQ issues).

Fast forward a few years, and the "anti-gay" Barack Obama's administration was fighting for the rights of transgender kids to use the bathroom of their sexual identity, and lit the White House in rainbow colors to celebrate Obergefell v. Hodges. And declared Stonewall a historical site. Etc. Etc.

So when I'm seeing people go after candidates in this primary, We need to see not just who they were then, we need to see who they are now, and who they will be. We want to see what actual results they've produced as politicians in their time in office. We want to see them inspire the people, and speak truths about this country. And ask yourself, in the moment, are they actually going to be able to accomplish what they're talking about, or is it just empty bulls***?

We got a lot of primary ahead of us. But we should at least be wise enough to not get gaslit by the same people who helped that happen four years ago.

[worstblogever]

Her husband woks for a lawfirm that also at one point represented herbalife. You make it sound as if he walked door to door selling diet shakes.

Remember how four years ago there was this guy on CBR's political discussion who couldn't let go of the fact that Hillary Clinton once was on the board of Wal-Mart in 1990, and raved about that quarter-century year old business arrangement as if it should disqualify her in the Democratic Primary?

I wonder who that was.

It's not the same person who keeps bringing up that Kamala Harris' husband once did legal work for Herbalife, is it? (Or for that matter, that her husband's work... his work as a lawyer representing a client is suddenly the "shady connection" to beware.)