All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[Zauriel]

The Trump campaign is broke

Ouch, it's not surprising, given his 5 or 6 bankruptcies.

Oh ye of little faith

Gravel was never going to join whoever won the primaries that wasn't Bernie Sanders. It's like appealing to Tulsi, an utter waste of time.

Not that Biden hasn't done more than enough to get progressives win board. He's reached out but if they don't want that it's on them for not standing up against Trump when it matters.

Don't worry about us. Biden has got enough votes from Republicans disenchanted, disillusioned and dissatisfied with Trump. Biden doesn't need Bernie Bros. Biden can win the election without Bernie Bros. Do not blame Bernie Bros if Biden loses the election. It is the Democratic Party's fault for not choosing Bernie Sanders over Joe Biden or Hillary Clinton.

[Jack Dracula]

Don't worry about us. Biden has got enough votes from Republicans disenchanted, disillusioned and dissatisfied with Trump. Biden doesn't need Bernie Bros. Biden can win the election without Bernie Bros. Do not blame Bernie Bros if Biden loses the election. It is the Democratic Party's fault for not choosing Bernie Sanders over Joe Biden or Hillary Clinton.

Bye, Felicia.

[PwrdOn]

I still don't get people who hate Trump, but won't vote for Biden unless he "excites" them. This isn't a rock concert. It's your civic duty! And please stop pretending like there's some magical third choice that will get you everything you say you want. It's not happening. Either Donald Trump or Joe Biden will be President on January 20th, 2021. And guess what? If not enough of us vote for Biden, Trump will win, even if only 40% of eligible voters actually vote. We don't get to install "None of the Above" into office.

But this is basically what happened in 2016, progressives were told to eat shit and shamed into voting for Clinton even though she wasn't offering anything policy-wise that we agreed with, and most of us ended up following along only to get blamed when she ended up losing anyway. Now the Democrats are poised to repeat all those mistakes this time around, except with a much weaker candidate at the helm and facing an incumbent president not afraid to abuse his office to manipulate the election, and we can be pretty sure that progressives will be blamed if Biden loses regardless of what the turnout numbers say.

[Malvolio]

But this is basically what happened in 2016, progressives were told to eat shit and shamed into voting for Clinton even though she wasn't offering anything policy-wise that we agreed with, and most of us ended up following along only to get blamed when she ended up losing anyway. Now the Democrats are poised to repeat all those mistakes this time around, except with a much weaker candidate at the helm and facing an incumbent president not afraid to abuse his office to manipulate the election, and we can be pretty sure that progressives will be blamed if Biden loses regardless of what the turnout numbers say.

I'm not blaming progressives. I'm blaming the so-called independents who vote for fools like Gary Johnson, just so they can have a bumper sticker that reads, "Don't blame me, I voted for Gary Johnson." They say they're voting their conscience, but they're really voting their pride. You want a third party Presidential candidate? Work for it! But understand that it will take at least 20 years to happen. In the meantime, vote with your head, not your ass!

[PwrdOn]

I'm not blaming progressives. I'm blaming the so-called independents who vote for fools like Gary Johnson, just so they can have a bumper sticker that reads, "Don't blame me, I voted for Gary Johnson." They say they're voting their conscience, but they're really voting their pride. You want a third party Presidential candidate? Work for it! But understand that it will take at least 20 years to happen. In the meantime, vote with your head, not your ass!

I would wager that most people who are protest voting or abstaining are living in safe states where their vote would be of no consequence anyway. The nature of our system makes it pretty impossible to have a result like Brexit where enough people troll voting would actually swing the outcome. In the meantime, rather than reaching for that tiny slice of still-undecided voters, the Democrats should really be focusing on turning out the base, and that includes appealing to progressives wherever possible. The Republicans understand this, which is why they've made practically no effort to court moderates over the last two decades and have a long list of improbable election victories to show for it, why can't the Democrats understand?

[Robotman]

But this is basically what happened in 2016, progressives were told to eat shit and shamed into voting for Clinton even though she wasn't offering anything policy-wise that we agreed with, and most of us ended up following along only to get blamed when she ended up losing anyway. Now the Democrats are poised to repeat all those mistakes this time around, except with a much weaker candidate at the helm and facing an incumbent president not afraid to abuse his office to manipulate the election, and we can be pretty sure that progressives will be blamed if Biden loses regardless of what the turnout numbers say.

The Democrats aren’t offering you anything? Well then you lead a charmed life because you can afford to play the all or nothing game. You’re life may not change at all if Trump is re-elected but millions of other Americans will lose their right to vote, lose their reproductive rights, and it could literally be a death sentence for countless others.

We’re not just voting for Biden. We’re voting against the horrible scenario in which Trump gets to choose RBG’s replacement. I’m sorry that Clinton supporters were mean to you but our freaking democracy is on the line here.


Bernie actually helped put together the party platform.

The platform does nod to "Medicare for All," the policy backed by Sanders, saying: "We are proud our party welcomes advocates who want to build on and strengthen the Affordable Care Act and those who support a Medicare for All approach."

The platform also sets aggressive goals for combating climate change, including making all American power plants carbon neutral by 2035 and adding 500 million solar panels and 60,000 wind turbines to the country's electricity grid within the next five years.

It also calls for a $15 minimum wage, mandatory paid family leave, more federal gun control, and broad changes to federal sentencing guidelines and drug laws.

None of that appeals to you?

[Gray Lensman]

The Trump campaign is broke

Ouch, it's not surprising, given his 5 or 6 bankruptcies.







Don't worry about us. Biden has got enough votes from Republicans disenchanted, disillusioned and dissatisfied with Trump. Biden doesn't need Bernie Bros. Biden can win the election without Bernie Bros. Do not blame Bernie Bros if Biden loses the election. It is the Democratic Party's fault for not choosing Bernie Sanders over Joe Biden or Hillary Clinton.

You mean the Democratic voters, simce.they were the ones who broke for Biden in such overwhelming numbers the primary was effectively over far earlier than normal this year.

[PaulBullion]

If there are a segment of Bernie supporters who vote Trump because they wont vote for Biden how can they say they even agree and support anything Bernie is for if they vote for a man who goes against everything he is.

They are not rational. Johnny Graz says he won't vote for Biden because he does nOt VoTE fOR rAPiSTs but hints that he will vote for Trump.

Spot the error.

[Zauriel]

The Democrats aren’t offering you anything? Well then you lead a charmed life because you can afford to play the all or nothing game. You’re life may not change at all if Trump is re-elected but millions of other Americans will lose their right to vote, lose their reproductive rights, and it could literally be a death sentence for countless others.

We’re not just voting for Biden. We’re voting against the horrible scenario in which Trump gets to choose RBG’s replacement. I’m sorry that Clinton supporters were mean to you but our freaking democracy is on the line here.

If Biden loses but the Dems get the Senate, they can deny Trump's choice of RBG's replacement. But if Biden wins and the Dems lose majority in the senate, Biden can't choose who will replace RBG until the midterms.

It is important that the Democrats win BOTH the White House and the Senate.

[Zauriel]

You mean the Democratic voters, simce.they were the ones who broke for Biden in such overwhelming numbers the primary was effectively over far earlier than normal this year.

The Establishment probably fixed the primary election results to deny Bernie Sanders the nomination. Forget the botched Iowa Caucus. Overwhelming numbers for Biden... yeah, Biden won 46 contests and his popular vote was twice that of Bernie's.

[numberthirty]

The Democrats aren’t offering you anything? Well then you lead a charmed life because you can afford to play the all or nothing game. You’re life may not change at all if Trump is re-elected but millions of other Americans will lose their right to vote, lose their reproductive rights, and it could literally be a death sentence for countless others.

We’re not just voting for Biden. We’re voting against the horrible scenario in which Trump gets to choose RBG’s replacement. I’m sorry that Clinton supporters were mean to you but our freaking democracy is on the line here.


Bernie actually helped put together the party platform.

The platform does nod to "Medicare for All," the policy backed by Sanders, saying: "We are proud our party welcomes advocates who want to build on and strengthen the Affordable Care Act and those who support a Medicare for All approach."

The platform also sets aggressive goals for combating climate change, including making all American power plants carbon neutral by 2035 and adding 500 million solar panels and 60,000 wind turbines to the country's electricity grid within the next five years.

It also calls for a $15 minimum wage, mandatory paid family leave, more federal gun control, and broad changes to federal sentencing guidelines and drug laws.

None of that appeals to you?

While I guess it's all well and good that it's in the platform...

Biden literally just said "I Am Not Banning Fracking..."

You really don't see where someone would hear that, and have their doubts about it?

If it looks like the best that I can get is "Well, At Least It's Not The 'Completely Insane' Version Of Fracking...", you can't see where I've got to start asking myself how serious Democrats actually are about the what's in blue?

[Tendrin]

The Establishment probably fixed the primary election results to deny Bernie Sanders the nomination. Forget the botched Iowa Caucus. Overwhelming numbers for Biden... yeah, Biden won 46 contests and his popular vote was twice that of Bernie's.

Oh brother.

This is complete nonsense, not to mention kind of racist. Racist because it's a narrative that requires you to deny the agency and preferences of the African American voters who delivered Biden his wins in favor of a grand conspiracy that invests the DNC with powers over vote-counting and polling decisions it does not have, frequently in states where it doesn't have control of those decisions as a party in the first place.

[Gray Lensman]

The Establishment probably fixed the primary election results to deny Bernie Sanders the nomination. Forget the botched Iowa Caucus. Overwhelming numbers for Biden... yeah, Biden won 46 contests and his popular vote was twice that of Bernie's.

Black voters broke for Biden in overwhelming numbers, largely due to his association with Obama, and the fact that he never tried to distance himself from the man when so many others were.

This is in addition to Bernie no longer being the only alternative like he was on 2016 - that served to inflate his numbers last election.

Both of those are more probable than a conspiracy theory.

[Tendrin]

Black voters broke for Biden in overwhelming numbers, largely due to his association with Obama, and the fact that he never tried to distance himself from the man when so many others were.

This is in addition to Bernie no longer being the only alternative like he was on 2016 - that served to inflate his numbers last election.

Both of those are more probable than a conspiracy theory.

As a wise person once put it: They saw what happened when they sent their best. Now, they're settling for what white voters will allow.

[PwrdOn]

The Democrats aren’t offering you anything? Well then you lead a charmed life because you can afford to play the all or nothing game. You’re life may not change at all if Trump is re-elected but millions of other Americans will lose their right to vote, lose their reproductive rights, and it could literally be a death sentence for countless others.

We’re not just voting for Biden. We’re voting against the horrible scenario in which Trump gets to choose RBG’s replacement. I’m sorry that Clinton supporters were mean to you but our freaking democracy is on the line here.


Bernie actually helped put together the party platform.

The platform does nod to "Medicare for All," the policy backed by Sanders, saying: "We are proud our party welcomes advocates who want to build on and strengthen the Affordable Care Act and those who support a Medicare for All approach."

The platform also sets aggressive goals for combating climate change, including making all American power plants carbon neutral by 2035 and adding 500 million solar panels and 60,000 wind turbines to the country's electricity grid within the next five years.

It also calls for a $15 minimum wage, mandatory paid family leave, more federal gun control, and broad changes to federal sentencing guidelines and drug laws.

None of that appeals to you?

The only reason the Supreme Court is in the sorry state it’s in is because the Dems assumed they would win in 2016 and didn’t fight to get Merrick Garland seated while Obama was still in office. And there is absolutely no reason that so many critical issues should hinge on the health of a woman pushing 90, RBG had her chance to retire with a Democrat in the White House and spare us all this hand wringing. And of course even if Biden wins the Democrats will need to win the Senate as well or it’s likely that the Republicans will come up with some excuse to block any and all judicial nominations indefinitely.

And yeah some parts of Biden’s platform have promise, but I don’t really trust him to actually follow through on any of it. Most likely he’s just trying to use them as bargaining chips to sacrifice to get the GOP to agree on walking back Trump’s legislation, though once again I doubt they will play ball. The Democrats will need to win commanding majorities in both houses to get anything done, but this is unlikely to happen unless they have an inspiring candidate at the top of the ticket to drive turnout down ballot, and is that what they have?