2018 Democrats thread

[caulfield12]

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/political-parties-rejecting-capitalism-145632855.html

Both political parties are rejecting capitalism 

 

In summation, the Republicans have pulled the country to the right over the last 40 years, and that’s not working well for approximately 55-65% of Americans.  The progressive/socialist side is merely taking the extreme position it is in order to restore the balance.  By being so extreme, it will eventually allow moderates/centrists to get something done...but it also keeps those centrists honest, or from becoming too complacent (see Crowley, Feinstein or even Blum’s attitude, the guy running against Reddy).  If the country has shifted 10-15 degrees to the right, the natural balance should be restored in order for America to reach its full potential.  While it’s extremely difficult for any candidate to succeed without a traditional party’s support, the Democratic Party desperately needs to convert that enthusiasm among young people for actual votes when their progressive “first choices” are eliminated.  It can’t just merely rely on suburban moms and African American voters (see 2016.)  They have to fight for every vote...the elderly, independents, Hispanics, Asians, farmers, former union members turned GOP, etc.

[Dam8610]

1 hour ago, Reddy said:

 

 

Yes, it's not going to happen overnight, but that looks like progress to me. I'd be shocked if that percentage wasn't a higher number in 2016.

[Jack Parkman]

On 8/14/2018 at 5:06 PM, caulfield12 said:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/political-parties-rejecting-capitalism-145632855.html

Both political parties are rejecting capitalism 

 

In summation, the Republicans have pulled the country to the right over the last 40 years, and that’s not working well for approximately 55-65% of Americans.  The progressive/socialist side is merely taking the extreme position it is in order to restore the balance.  By being so extreme, it will eventually allow moderates/centrists to get something done...but it also keeps those centrists honest, or from becoming too complacent (see Crowley, Feinstein or even Blum’s attitude, the guy running against Reddy).  If the country has shifted 10-15 degrees to the right, the natural balance should be restored in order for America to reach its full potential.  While it’s extremely difficult for any candidate to succeed without a traditional party’s support, the Democratic Party desperately needs to convert that enthusiasm among young people for actual votes when their progressive “first choices” are eliminated.  It can’t just merely rely on suburban moms and African American voters (see 2016.)  They have to fight for every vote...the elderly, independents, Hispanics, Asians, farmers, former union members turned GOP, etc.

10-15 degrees to the right? I think it is more like 20-25 but that is just me. I can live with the 15 number. 

Edited August 15, 2018 by Jack Parkman

[GoSox05]

On 8/10/2018 at 12:52 PM, StrangeSox said:

Guess which party!

 

I forget how many open Nazis are running as Republicans this cycle, it's hard to keep track.

Nazi fan wins Republican primary in Missouri

Uh, this guy won his primary. 

I love that there are like 40 articles written everyday about the Dems being too radical or extreme because they want people to have healthcare.  Meanwhile the other party is like "you know Hitler was kinda right about a lot of things."  Crickets.

[StrangeSox]

listen, buddy, we must hear out both sides of the "hitler was right/kill all jews and minorities" debate until the end of time in the name of Free Speech, but I will NOT have any of this discussing insane radical ideas like "not letting people unnecessarily suffer and die in the wealthiest country on the planet. we must have boundaries for reasonable discourse.

I was curious to see how many of my IL-3 neighbors voted for a literal Nazi in this year's primary: slightly more than 20,000!

 

anyway it's gotta just be a really, really weird coincidence that all of these open Nazis keep running as Republicans, and also that the Trump admin seems to be packed to the brim with insane racist conspiracy theorists. can't possibly say anything about the underlying ideology though.

Edited August 15, 2018 by StrangeSox

[GoSox05]

Elizabeth Warren Demands in Letter That U.S. Military Explain Its Role in Yemen Bombings

This needs to be a growing movement in the Democratic Party.  I will not be voting for or supporting any candidate that doesn't call for the absolute end of this. 

United States needs to end it's relationship with Saudi Arabia. 

Edited August 15, 2018 by GoSox05

[bmags]

So kind of an article without a place, didn't want to make it it's own thread, but highly highly recommend this piece on unmoderated online forums. Will probably resonate with quite a few:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/15/magazine/twitters-misguided-quest-to-become-a-forum-for-everything.html

[caulfield12]

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-08-13/china-needs-to-understand-trump-s-not-alone

Here we have the quintessential centrist Democrat saying we have to do something about China...and the Sanders wing has been saying the same thing for year now.

So Reddy, what is the current Dem strategy against Trump vis a vis tariffs and trade?  Just to undo everything Trump has put in place and let things return to their “natural order”?

I’m starting to see this 2020 election in a different way...Trump isn’t smart enough to work together WITH Japan, South Korea, Vietnam (needs US protection in South China Sea), Germany, India (will tend to US side, also resistant to Chinese Belt & Road Initiative), Netherlands, UK, Singapore, Taiwan, Australia, Malaysia, etc.

The current policy is weakening the RMB and strengthening the dollar, which is only going to widen the trade deficit or gap.  On the other hand, there’s increasing pressure on Chinese leadership to back down (fwiw, the local stock market has been hammered since the fall of 2015, there’s also a huge debt overhang/shadow banking defaults galore)...just as there’s mounting political pressure on Trump due to the November elections and the specific targeting of the Trump voting states for Chinese import tariffs.

I just think it’s curious the Dems themselves don’t have a coherent plan of their own in terms of confronting China...because we’re equally split (trade unionists vs. corporatists), too.

Unless a better one is presented in two years’ time, Trump will win again.

Edited August 15, 2018 by caulfield12

[StrangeSox]

Georgia GOP planning on closing 7 of 9 polling places in majority minority county

 

https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/08/15/us/ap-us-polling-places-proposed-closures.html

 

If Roberts and the rest of the conservatives on the court hadn't gutted the VRA back in 2013 with one of the worst rulings in generations, this wouldn't be possible. But they had no problem enabling the conservative movement's goal of suppressing as many voters as possible. Looking forward to decades more of these rulings from an increasingly illegitimate court.

[StrangeSox]

WV GOP is currently impeaching their whole Supreme Court, which many/most may or may not deserve it, but they're timing it so that the current 3-2 democratic majority is fully replaced by the Republican governor after they'd have to put the positions on the 2018 ballot.

 

NC GOP says "hold my beer"

 

 

[Reddy]

 

Icarus.

[caulfield12]

2 hours ago, Reddy said:

 

Icarus.

And yet we’re nominating geriatric Joe Biden?  He’s the best they can come up with?   He wasn’t even close to winning in 1988, when he was in his prime years...

Glad Reddy is on the same side as Kayleigh McEnany https://mobile.twitter.com/kayleighmcenany/status/1030496721569280000?ref_src=twsrc^tfw|twcamp^tweetembed|twterm^1030496721569280000&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Freason.com%2Fblog%2F2018%2F08%2F17%2Falexandria-ocasio-cortez-bans-reporters

Edited August 18, 2018 by caulfield12

[Reddy]

12 hours ago, caulfield12 said:

And yet we’re nominating geriatric Joe Biden?  He’s the best they can come up with?   He wasn’t even close to winning in 1988, when he was in his prime years...

Glad Reddy is on the same side as Kayleigh McEnany https://mobile.twitter.com/kayleighmcenany/status/1030496721569280000?ref_src=twsrc^tfw|twcamp^tweetembed|twterm^1030496721569280000&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Freason.com%2Fblog%2F2018%2F08%2F17%2Falexandria-ocasio-cortez-bans-reporters

Broken clocks and all that.

[The Beast]

18 hours ago, Reddy said:

 

Icarus.

Why is she doing that? She may not even win.

[southsider2k5]

18 hours ago, Reddy said:

 

Icarus.

If this is supporting your party's candidate...

[Reddy]

5 hours ago, southsider2k5 said:

If this is supporting your party's candidate...

Are you still here? I'm not in her district, and a Dem will win there regardless. Dems shouldn't be blocking the press from their town halls. Not a fan of anyone who does that.

[caulfield12]

She needs to spend a month just studying national and international issues in depth...and step out of the public eye for awhile.

It’s like the Sarah Palin phenomenon (too much exposure, too quickly..media eventually turns on everyone), although I personally believe Ocasio-Cortez is much smarter and has more empathy towards her constituents.

 

The only winning argument that supports socialism is the parallel with China’s 30 years of economic growth, but I don’t think any politician in the country can pull that one off.

Trump has actually made a lot of headway with the “these Crazy Dems want totally open borders!” and abolish ICE argument.  Somehow, that’s helping him more than some of the most outrageous abuses along the border or in Puerto Rico after the hurricane are hurting.

 

[StrangeSox]

On 8/17/2018 at 10:54 PM, Reddy said:

 

Icarus.

Campaigns have private, closed door events all the time.

Usually they're $10k/plate fundraisers for their wealthy donors, though, and the press doesn't get in a big tizzy over that.

[BigSqwert]

2 hours ago, StrangeSox said:

Campaigns have private, closed door events all the time.

Usually they're $10k/plate fundraisers for their wealthy donors, though, and the press doesn't get in a big tizzy over that.

Alos pretty funny that this is what is getting people riled up.  

[caulfield12]

32 minutes ago, BigSqwert said:

Alos pretty funny that this is what is getting people riled up.  

That’s exactly what got Hillary (Goldman Sachs), Romney (47% don’t contribute) and Obama (cling to guns and religion)  in trouble...miked comments from private fundraisers that leaked out.  

One key difference is this was a meeting with constituents about district issues.

[StrangeSox]

Yeah, that's what makes it completely different.

 

Maybe you can disagree with the approach, but the intention was to offer her constituents a place they could feel comfortable sharing personal issues with her. It wasn't an anti media move.

[caulfield12]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/commentary-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-becomes-the-sarah-palin-of-the-left/

Ocasio-Cortez already getting compared to Sarah Palin...oh well, it was fun while it lasted

[caulfield12]

1 hour ago, StrangeSox said:

Yeah, that's what makes it completely different.

 

Maybe you can disagree with the approach, but the intention was to offer her constituents a place they could feel comfortable sharing personal issues with her. It wasn't an anti media move.

Personally, I think it was 50% exactly what she said (sensitivity, allowing constituents to speak freely), but the other 50% was protecting her from yet another PR gaffe with the national media and especially GOP waiting to pounce.

Taking her soundbites and throwing up an image of Pelosi alone might be enough to hold some right-leaning GOP House districts.

[GoSox05]

On 8/18/2018 at 11:11 PM, caulfield12 said:

She needs to spend a month just studying national and international issues in depth...and step out of the public eye for awhile.

It’s like the Sarah Palin phenomenon (too much exposure, too quickly..media eventually turns on everyone), although I personally believe Ocasio-Cortez is much smarter and has more empathy towards her constituents.

 

The only winning argument that supports socialism is the parallel with China’s 30 years of economic growth, but I don’t think any politician in the country can pull that one off.

Trump has actually made a lot of headway with the “these Crazy Dems want totally open borders!” and abolish ICE argument.  Somehow, that’s helping him more than some of the most outrageous abuses along the border or in Puerto Rico after the hurricane are hurting.

 

Why?  Because she had a couple of slip ups on TV.

Have you seen some of the people this country elects?  Jim Inhofe once brought a snow ball into the state building to prove global warming was fake.  Steve King wants a white ethno state.  Ben Sasse promotes Jordan Peterson, who thinks that we should have government issued wives and that women who wear make up to work are asking for it. 

I could probably go on with at least another 50 republicans who are straight up bat shit crazy.  I'm sick of the Democrats and AOC are "crazy and dumb" and "far left" for wanting things that radical socialist countries like Canada and France have.  Meanwhile the other party continues to slide into the abyss and we don't get any "maybe they should rethink that and spend a month in a  psychiatric hospital."

[StrangeSox]

Paul Ryan regularly gets lauded and even got some sort of fiscal policy award for his complete nonsense budgets that rely heavily on Heritage Foundation magick to come into any sort of balance and are still primarily aimed at harming as many poor people as possible in service of the rich.

The difference in tone of the media coverage between the Serious Republicans and AOC is pretty telling.

 

e: Paul Ryan also revealed last year that he does not understand the fundamental concept of insurance when he complained that "healthy people shouldn't have to pay for the sick," but he still gets treated as a Very Serious and Smart Policy Wonk.

Edited August 20, 2018 by StrangeSox