2020 Democratic Presidential Nominees

[HuskyDeac]

You underestimate the politics of fear and hate. Take a look around the world. We've entered a phase where democracies are under attack by folks in favor of totalitarianism.

But the same could be said about hope and enthusiasm. Voter turnout will be important and its imperative the Democrat candidate gets people excited to vote. Maybe Trump alone is enough to get people voting but I'd rather we have someone that people truly believe in rather than just someone they've heard of. That might still be Biden, but I'd rather all the candidates had their say before it was decided he's the best chance of winning an election.

 

[cville deac]

I don't underestimate it. Hell, Yoda explained the process years ago.

But focusing solely on horserace politics won't address the problem.

Dude, I think our shallow media reflects our shallow public and always has. I also think you're exaggerating when you say solely. Pete's policies are getting some play today, at least in the print media, for example. But you're going to get more shallowness from cable news channels, which is why no one should ever watch cable news.

 

[DeacMan]

I think it's a dangerous cycle of people believing he'll beat Trump because they see him polling well. And the polling stays high because people think he's the best chance of beating Trump (people like to support the winner). He might be the best option, but I'd rather we talked about policies now and waited to claim who is the best option to win later. And I mean that at a national level rather than this message board. The media is already focusing on "who can win" rather than what do these people believe in.

I don't think it is very dangerous. If anything it makes a lot of sense. Biden is the most known candidate in the race. And make no mistake there are a lot GOP and independent voters who will gladly just ship to get rid of Trump so long as the alternative looks like a centrist. That's Biden. He will have appeal with the blue collar voters who abandoned the Dems in the last election. And he's someone the country already knows well. I think he will be extremely hard to beat and if he gets the nomination he cleans house on Trump easily.

 

[DeacMan]

But the same could be said about hope and enthusiasm. Voter turnout will be important and its imperative the Democrat candidate gets people excited to vote. Maybe Trump alone is enough to get people voting but I'd rather we have someone that people truly believe in rather than just someone they've heard of. That might still be Biden, but I'd rather all the candidates had their say before it was decided he's the best chance of winning an election.

People will believe in Biden because he will look both sane and safe. The nation is really tired. Seems to me the pulse of the country is just for some sanity. You may call it a collective pause. Call it a safe date. Whatever. But I think the country as a whole is really looking for something like Biden right now. Relative to all the other candidates he's like an old pair of comfortable jeans. Sure, it isn't very inspiring. But it fits the current time pretty darn well.

 

[Gooner]

Reading this thread back a number of pages just makes me think that none of this shit matters. It’s not like a Democratic President would get anything done without a requisite victory in the Senate. All the rest is pretty much bullshit.

 

[ConnorEl]

Yep

Still better than an absolute idiot with despotic inclinations in the WH.



Also, take the freaking senate.

 

[IamThunderbolt]

But the same could be said about hope and enthusiasm. Voter turnout will be important and its imperative the Democrat candidate gets people excited to vote. Maybe Trump alone is enough to get people voting but I'd rather we have someone that people truly believe in rather than just someone they've heard of. That might still be Biden, but I'd rather all the candidates had their say before it was decided he's the best chance of winning an election.

This. Turnout wins elections for Democrats. They need a candidate that excites people, as there is more to be gained both in the election and down ballot than [safe white guy who the right doesn't loathe (oh yeah, they'll loathe him too]. Besides, I don't think Biden is all that strong of a candidate once we get past his image of Obama's bestie.

 

[JuiceCrewAllStar]

I don't think it is very dangerous. If anything it makes a lot of sense. Biden is the most known candidate in the race. And make no mistake there are a lot GOP and independent voters who will gladly just ship to get rid of Trump so long as the alternative looks like a centrist. That's Biden. He will have appeal with the blue collar voters who abandoned the Dems in the last election. And he's someone the country already knows well. I think he will be extremely hard to beat and if he gets the nomination he cleans house on Trump easily.

kinda like Hillary was the most recognizable, electable, etc.

Bernie would have won

 

[IamThunderbolt]

People will believe in Biden because he will look both sane and safe. The nation is really tired. Seems to me the pulse of the country is just for some sanity. You may call it a collective pause. Call it a safe date. Whatever. But I think the country as a whole is really looking for something like Biden right now. Relative to all the other candidates he's like an old pair of comfortable jeans. Sure, it isn't very inspiring. But it fits the current time pretty darn well.

I kind of get what you saying.

I think it's a discussion of which motivates people more - fear of how much harm a government can do (I think this is primarily the Biden supporters as a reaction to Trump - needing a "safe" choice as a shield against what could be), or a vision for the good that government can do for the people (which I feel more younger voters gravitate toward and moves toward Warren, Harris, etc.) and the burn it all down Bernie folks (who may not be wrong).

 

[cville deac]

Reading this thread back a number of pages just makes me think that none of this shit matters. It’s not like a Democratic President would get anything done without a requisite victory in the Senate. All the rest is pretty much bullshit.

I've been saying this for a few months now. Most of the Dems, save Biden and Klobuchar, are coming out with bold proposals, whereas I thought the campaign theme should be to steal Harding's "a return to normalcy". And even if you wanted bold action, you ain't getting much of anything through a Pub senate - and that is the likely result for the next president's 1st term. In terms of laws being passed, the most we can hope for is an ACA patch and some criminal justice reform. But without enacting laws, a president can have a yuge effect on foreign policy, trade, climate change and especially judicial appointments. And remember that the general public is pretty stupid. By saying you're going to get all these bold and shiny things done, you're also setting yourself up for failure. If you promise things like M4A, which you won't get through, you could be suppressing your vote in 2024 and the midterms because folks may stay home because you aren't delivering on what you promised.

 

[cville deac]

kinda like Hillary was the most recognizable, electable, etc.

Bernie would have won

Keep lying to yourself. Hillary was a shitty candidate, but because she was an entitled Clinton, she elbowed other legit candidates out of the race. Bernie is not electable at a national level. Please recall that the Russians were also helping Bernie in the primary and that the Pubs wanted to run against Bernie. And while Clinton and her thugs like DWS engaged in some shady primary tactics, she never hit Bernie with some hard punches, which the Pubs would have. And if he wins the primary this year, you'll see tons of commercials with him singing "This Land Is Your Land" with Soviets in the former USSR and partying with Daniel Ortega.

And as I've said before, pretty much any Dem can get to 220 or so EVs. But the election will be decided by 10 or so states: NH, PA, MI, WI, IA, VA, NC, FL, NV and AZ. Tell me which of those states Bernie will prevail in. Normally, I'd say states like CO and VA would be light blue for a generic Dem, but Bernie isn't generic, and he'd put VA in play for a Pub. He'd guarantee you wouldn't turn NC, FL and AZ and would probably lose NV. I'm not as sure about the midwestern states.

 

[DeacMan]

I kind of get what you saying.

I think it's a discussion of which motivates people more - fear of how much harm a government can do (I think this is primarily the Biden supporters as a reaction to Trump - needing a "safe" choice as a shield against what could be), or a vision for the good that government can do for the people (which I feel more younger voters gravitate toward and moves toward Warren, Harris, etc.) and the burn it all down Bernie folks (who may not be wrong).

My point is voters don't need to be "motivated" in this election. We had the Bush II election (contested) and re-election (shit show). We had the hope and change campaign - a big perceived pendulum swing. We had the knee jerk election of Trump - populism run amok. This election isn't going to be won on the backs of idealistic 20 year olds or the burn it all down populist a-holes. Fuck, it was the burn it all down crowd that helped elect Trump (and who Bernie courts as well).

This election is screaming for a candidate like Biden to just step in and clean house. He'll win in a landslide. He has good approvals. He isn't facing a single institutional candidate this side of Amy Klobuchar. He's experienced. He's popular. He can appeal into the base that got Trump elected. And a lot of GOPer's will plug their nose and view him as preferable - by a lot - to Trump.

In short his very appeal is the fact he looks like the most rational and safe choice in the room.

 

[PhDeac]

Democrats always need to be motivated to win. Gore and Kerry didn’t motivate them. This is definitely a motivation election. Defeating an incumbent is very much about motivation. Do they want 8 years of Biden or can they stomach through 4 more years of Trump? If there is no definitive answer, they’ll stay home.

 

[DeacMan]

I've been saying this for a few months now. Most of the Dems, save Biden and Klobuchar, are coming out with bold proposals, whereas I thought the campaign theme should be to steal Harding's "a return to normalcy".

BINGO.

And to be clear, candidates like Booker, Bernie, Warren and Harris are NOT going to win states like Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Arizona or Nevada. They won't win in Iowa or Missouri. They could easily lose Wisconsin again and could even put Minnesota in play (Trump damn near won it last election). The Democratic party is really lost if someone like Biden or Klobuchar is not their nomimee. It would be a LANDSLIDE if they go with a candidate perceived as centrist - the return to normalcy.

 

[DeacMan]

Democrats always need to be motivated to win. Gore and Kerry didn’t motivate them. This is definitely a motivation election. Defeating an incumbent is very much about motivation. Do they want 8 years of Biden or can they stomach through 4 more years of Trump? If there is no definitive answer, they’ll stay home.

The economy is always issue one for most voters. The economy on almost all measures is doing well. Wages are rising. Companies are having to compete for labor. There is nothing about this election that screams some unique motivation to vote is required. It is a referendum on Trump's character. That's the election as things stand today in a nutshell. So the more "normal" the Dem. candidate, the easier the path to win. Bright shiny things won't fucking matter once you get to the general election this go round if the economy is still doing well. Bright shiny objects when the economy is doing ok look risky. There are a lot of voters who went populist last go round who will walk away from Trump. But if their choice is Trump or Elizabeth Warren they'll either stay home or vote for him again. If their choice is Trump or Biden, that seems like a no brainer. This election hinges on the middle, not the fringe, because Trump's character puts the middle up for grabs.

 

[WFFaithful]

Maybe the specter of Trump has folks more focused on who can win more than policy discussion. If we had a McCain or Romney as president, and things were more normal, we might have been more inclined to entertain more of an emphasis on policy debates.

That said, our media has always appeared to be more interested in things like attractiveness, style and speculation as to who can win over serious policy discussion. If a cable news network started having shows where folks just discussed policy positions, that network would be firing a lot of folks a few months later.

Attractiveness, style, and speculation are easy to digest. Complex policy is not.

Americans don't have the skills to research, analyze, and draw conclusions.

 

[JuiceCrewAllStar]

BINGO.

And to be clear, candidates like Booker, Bernie, Warren and Harris are NOT going to win states like Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Arizona or Nevada. They won't win in Iowa or Missouri. They could easily lose Wisconsin again and could even put Minnesota in play (Trump damn near won it last election). The Democratic party is really lost if someone like Biden or Klobuchar is not their nomimee. It would be a LANDSLIDE if they go with a candidate perceived as centrist - the return to normalcy.

then they might as well just run as Republicans

 

[Strickland33]

then they might as well just run as Republicans

BINGO.

 

[ConnorEl]

Wrong.

Republicans have crossed the line of sanity.

You have to be batshit crazy and utterly dishonest now to win an election as a Republican presidential candidate.

 

[Strickland33]

Wrong.

Republicans have crossed the line of sanity.

You have to be batshit crazy and utterly dishonest now to win an election as a Republican presidential candidate.

Joe Biden is basically running as a Republican. Why not change the letter and make it official?