2020 Presidential Election

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Who would have thought a black man with the name Barrack Hussein Obama could have been electable? Twice?

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[Primula Baggins]

Whut he sed.

[Frelga]

His name was brought up a lot, though.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

It was. And he still won.

Harris has many of the same qualities that made Obama successful; she is young, attractive, very well-spoken, and charismatic. And she has some different qualities as a former prosecutor that I think will be helpful in this election cycle. She is also Asian-American as well as African-American. And she is a woman, which I believe in this election will be as much a strength as a liability from the perspective of electability.

[Frelga]

I hope you are right, V. I highly dislike the electability narrative that is being used to discourage anyone not white male from running.

[yovargas]

Yeah.... using that logic because of the last presidential election while ignoring the 2 before that seems.... convenient for white guys.

[Túrin Turambar]

I don't doubt that Harris is a formidable candidate. I have to wonder, though, whether her message would cut through as well as the economic populist message of someone like Sanders.

[Primula Baggins]

Sanders is an old white guy at a time when old white guys are old hat. Nominating him would sap the enthusiasm of exactly the young and/or female and/or nonwhite electorate that just turned out big-time to vote against Trump's agenda. It would not win back any of the uneducated white men who still back Trump-right-or-wrong. My two cents.

[elengil]

He is an "old white guy" but was an exceptionally popular one, especially with the younger voters.

[Primula Baggins]

True, but four years of Trump later those same voters may choose differently—especially if, as seems likely to me, the younger and less white alternatives are also progressives.

[yovargas]

Damn, Sanders is 77 years old. It may be macabre to say but I'd genuinely be worried about whether he could survive long enough to finish the next term as president.

[elengil]

Ruth Bader Ginsburg is 85. Just sayin'

[Frelga]

Well, Bill O'Reilly said Harris lost his vote, so I guess it's all over. /s

[Túrin Turambar]

When I say "someone like Sanders" I don't necessarily mean "Sanders", but someone who has a similar agenda. The Democrats are already very strong among minorities and urban progressives - their challenge (and opportunity) is more in working-class voters.

[Frelga]

Speaking of Sanders.

https://twitter.com/mgranville1/status/ ... 9477459975

BREAKING: @SenSanders like you’ve never seen him!!

Bernie and Jane on their honeymoon in Russia singing “This land is Your Land” with their Russian comrades!!

Trigger Warning: Bernie is sitting at a table shirtless in his briefs. So are most of the rest of the men...

[Primula Baggins]

Not sure I'm ready to see that. . . . At least at this hour.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Time for some strong leadership from the middle

It should be but I doubt it ever will be.

Well Howard Schultz, former CEO of Starbucks, says he is considering an independent run for president from the middle. Would you (either of you, or anyone else looking for strong leadership from the middle) support that, even though it almost certainly is true that the result will be a much, much greater likelihood of Mr. Trump being reelected?

Here's a good article from NPR on the possibility: https://www.npr.org/2019/01/29/68953681 ... dical-idea

[Primula Baggins]

I can't believe this might happen. Again. No no no no no no no. Please, God.

[Frelga]

A billionaire is not representative of a "middle" of anything.

I've asked this above and didn't see any answers - how do people define middle these day?

[yovargas]

For me, it's not about the "middle" per say. It's about someone who can think and act outside of party ideology. About actual indepence. Someone who, for example, supported a border wall (a typically right idea) and also supported single payer health care (a typically left idea) is likely a true independent. I don't know if they would be considered "middle". The term is somewhat meaningless if you are a true independent.

And yes, I would support the running of any actual independents regardless of who it helped. Because I believe the long term damage being caused by our two party system is even greater than that being caused by Trump. Unless we can find a way to break the two party system, and somehow remake our election process, I see plenty more Trumps in our future, regardless of who wins the next election.