Also what the **** is Illinois doing in there? Has Schumer even seen an electoral map since 1988?

Random, but why has closing Guantanamo not been an issue of late when it was a major Obama promise? Just better to run on social issues?

The Clinton campaign spent a **** ton of money on polling and statistics and got *everything* in this respect wrong. That those people are all still working in politics is amazing.

- It's not like they're still putting people away without trial afaik, it's just legacy detainees.
- There are 55 people there most of whom are probably scumbags, not saying that makes it OK, but compared to "let's give millions of people healthcare" it's not something even I particularly care about.
- Obama found it difficult to actually do and people don't want to campaign on things that are hard to do, that nobody cares about, and that aren't even a huge deal in the scheme of things.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/be...020-2019-02-20

Candidates teaming up seems like a really good idea--like, if Bernie brought Stacey Abrams on board as VP right now I think that'd be brilliant-- but the Beto/Biden tag team seems completely ****ing useless.

That is probably the nut low combination of candidates, in terms of helping out the campaign.

Ugh, now i’m reminded why i never read this thread.

I really hope bernie doesn’t win the nomination.

This is true of hillary supporters



And this is 2016 bernie broism

Can’t wait to hear about how sanders would’ve won michigan for another 4 god damn years when biden loses in a farce election

I take your point but it's not like financial market forecasters (for example) leave the industry when they get everything absolutely wrong, which happens like at least 50% of the time.

Predicting the aggregate outcomes of complex systems is hard/impossible. I don't think the political consultants are particularly bad in this respect, but I agree with your overall point which is they probably get paid a lot to not deliver anything of value. Similar to other insider-type professionals that get paid a lot to sell the idea that they have an predictive insight on a complex system that is actually the interaction of several random variables.

Great Article about the Delusional Premises the 2020 Democratic Primary is being run under.

https://crooked.com/articles/democra...on-filibuster/

Why are people splitting hairs about the filibuster years before it will even become an issue?

The following requirements need to be met before there will be a serious attempt to overturn it: One party controls the presidency and both houses of congress, they have a majority but not 60 member super majority in the senate and they have a politically important piece of legislation they want to pass.

Worry about it when it happens and don't try to use this litmus test to disqualify candidates. If the Dems actually do fulfill all those requirements I'm pretty sure there will be enough pressure to cause President Sanders to cave on his "I'm not crazy about getting rid of it" so he can put in universal health care or the green new deal or whatever.

General anti-imperialism anti-Patriot Act certainly should be a core platform for any good candidate. Shows how far we have to go and how much people suck. MSNBC/CNN have no problem with Guantanamo/forever wars.

Bernie addresses the middle eastern wars at least in his latest book, perhaps when he starts getting questioned he'll have a uniquely left position that makes him stand out. Not holding my breath tho.

Where do you get such bad takes from, like are you a 24/7 MSNBC watcher, read all opinion pieces in the NYT/WaPo, follow Neera Tanden on Twitter?

Biden is a bad person with a morally reprehensible record and platform by any sane metric. Compared to Trump of course he's better. But you cannot blame people for not wanting to go to bat for the guy when push comes to shove, and your shaming isn't going to work any better in 2020 than it did in 2016. Don't nominate the guy, don't nominate a bad candidate.

This is the correct general election take for people on the [actual] left, but I have no quarrel with you if you'd rather work an extra shift or watch a movie than go vote for Biden: https://www.currentaffairs.org/2016/...illary-clinton

Can't wait for centrists like jmakin to constantly dismiss the views of POC and other marginalized groups who are Sanders supportes as "bernie bros."

I don’t know how you’re reading from what I said that I’m endorsing biden. I’m saying if you can’t bring yourself to vote against trump, in 2016 or 2020, because of these high minded lofty ideological vomit think pieces, then i think you’re a **** person.

But good for you anyway, being so idealistic.

I can't tell what's going on here. You seem to acknowledge Biden is a trash candidate who won't win, and yet you...still want him and not Bernie?

I think biden is an ok candidate. Not my first choice but none of them are. I only care who has the best chance of beating trump. I don’t think bernie is a good choice for the democratic party as a whole, and 2016 left an extremely bitter taste in my mouth.

If you are not seeing things in terms of who is best to beat trump and not doing everything you can humanly do to get him out of office I think you’re really not seeing the scope of how fcked we are and how loseable this election is. Enough of these stupid litmus tests about who is really the ONE TRUE LIBERAL/PROGRESSIVE and just rally around WHOEVER can win.

That’s the difference between bernie bros and hillary supporters - the bernie bros have a tendency to stomp their feet and threaten to take their ball and go home when they dont get their way

Idealistic for posting an article from a leftist magazine advocating voting for [Biden/]Clinton, exactly what you're advocating for? (Note this is when we still have 1.5 years to ensure a trash candidate with a bad platform doesn't get nominated.)

lol yea, 12+ months before a single primary vote will actually be cast.

The #neverBernie hashtag people say otherwise bro.

Women are going to beat misogynist and serial sexual assaulter trump by coming out to vote for a woman and it's going to be glorious. Pink wave 2020 mother****ers!

Anyone the dems nominate will be a favorite. The difference between Bernie, Harris, Booker, Warren or w/e is like, 3-5%. Given that, why not nominate one that actually has good policies and won't just waste what might be the best/only opportunity you have for a decade for progressive policy?

Jmakin sounds like every wine mom on twitter. Fwiw literally double the Bernie supporters voted for Clinton in 16 than Clinton supporters voted for Obama in 08.

A metric asston of people posting under that hashtag (and some others) are trolls looking to divide us. I think it was Politico who had an article about it earlier this week.

I’m not engaging anyone on Twitter or elsewhere about it this cycle. If Bernie wins the nom, he’s my guy without hesitation, same with anyone else.

bernie is easily the best candidate. hes the most left and has the best chance to beat trump. like, biden is about the woat candidate of my lifetime. hes even worse than kerry and hillary in terms of electability and policy.

warren is ok too but that pocahontas thing is gonna hurt her and some of her policies are way too corporate.

LOL what an idiotic metric.

I get a feeling of deja vu

What you think are "good policies" may be the exact policies that turn off moderate Dems and independents, while also driving Trump turnout.

Medicare for all is a good example. A dem running on that platform is a gift to Trump.