Bloomberg out, according to CBS
Bloomberg out, according to CBS
Bloomberg endorsing Biden
I think that’s fair (despite seeing a lot of pro Sanders out of black Twitter users) but damn, I really want a unified progressive base. I realize I’m beating a dead horse on that point. I thought Killer Mike and Ariana Grande might’ve helped those numbers grow.
I don’t think Biden is going to be as Obama like as they believe, though.
I’m tired of the infighting too. If we could join forces, we’d have a better shot at winning. I think Sanders has a better shot at Trump than Biden does. The establishment centrists understand this need to be unified. Progressives need to do the same and take our best shot.
You all know I’m voting for the nominee.
Last edited by Swykk; 03-04-2020 at 09:51 AM.
Man I have so many jumbled thoughts after the last 72 hours.
1. I don't want to watch good old uncle Joe get bullied by Trump on the debate stage. It would be an absolute disaster. I reflexively cringe thinking about watching these two incoherent men try to out alpha each other in a debate.
2. I'm a Sanders supporter all the way. Done the canvassing and the whole bit both elections now, and been pretty far left most of my adult life and very politically active with groups like the JBGC/Redneck Revolt and the IWW. Something that worries me about the current influx of new Sanders supporters is that I don't think anybody has really prepared them for what left-leaning political activism looks like in the long haul. It looks like a LOT of losses. Those are just the straight facts. I see all these 18-24 year olds who are really excited by Bernie and watching lefty youtube channels for the first time and showing up to protests: it's a good thing. I'm glad they are here. But I also saw a lot of them fall into serious despair this morning when they realized that Bernie didn't sweep last night. It's very easy for youthful exuberance to take a quick turn into total disenfranchisement and their activism grinds to a halt. My hope for them is that they keep knocking on doors well into next week, and if Bernie still can't pull it off: take a day to be sad and angry, but then fix your face and get back to work. Put pressure on Biden's team and the DNC to earn your November vote and force them to the left as much as you can. Advocate for a progressive VP. Campaign for local election options and so on. If you really believe in some of the ideas that Bernie may have brought to your attention, then you should know that the work doesn't stop if he doesn't get the nomination.
There are a lot of politicians, corporations and organizations who are counting on you to give up if Bernie doesn't get the nomination. They want you to feel hopeless and stop trying. Don't give them the satisfaction.
3. I'm not gonna dunk on Liz and her supporters for not dropping out. I wish she would have dropped out on Monday or whatever, but it might not have had the effect people hoped for anyway and the snake emoji shit make Berners look unhinged. All that time spent shitposting can be better used having a conversation with somebody about Bernie's ideas. Liz supporters are human beings, if you want to fight for the rights of Liz supporters then a great place to start is by acknowledging their humanity and dignity and quit being a dick on twitter.
4. It gives me a little bit of joy to know that a woman who lives in a tax bracket that is often afraid of progressive candidates would not only vote for Bernie, but would in fact be open about it. I remember back when people online accused Trent and Mariqueen's work for Eric De La Cruz as being somehow crooked or just for show. All of those motherfuckers are pretty quiet ten+ years later when Mariqueen is STILL trying to help people get healthcare, huh? Good for her.
Last edited by eachpassingphase; 03-04-2020 at 11:07 AM.
Brown, not so sure. Latino votes largely went to Sanders in Nevada and Texas, but a lot of them were younger voters (wherein the remaining demographic did not bring in a very large group of younger voters).
Black, absolutely the majority, 100% proven, undisputed, not based on Twitter, based on outcome so far, including half of the youngest demographic of voters in SC, to Biden. He beat Obama’s black turnout in South Carolina. He’s pretty much matched Obama’s black support in other states so far.
Rep. Jim Clyburn’s endorsement made the difference, then South Carolina made the difference, then it was like a big wave of black voters. Which evidently influenced white voters. Which ain’t a bad thing.
I watched Joy Reid last night and she said that a LOT of blacks in the south were going to Bloomberg, until Warren eviscerated him. Then they were waiting. Then Rep.Clyborn spoke, “Joe knows us.” And she said even her two young sons said they are voting for Biden, which she said surprised her.
Last edited by allegro; 03-04-2020 at 01:02 PM.
Also this assumption that the vast majority of Warren will go to Sanders I think is not reality. I can see it being a bit over half, 55 - 60% but not the 98% they seem to think it will be. It wouldn’t help him make up that much ground.
I voted Sanders, but I do not agree. The time for young & progressive voters to show up was yesterday and they just didn't (but they never really do). Because of that, there will be no progressive nominee this time around. Bloomberg will throw all his ad support behind Biden. Extending this battle will just make things more and more contentious between the different factions of the democratic party, which is exactly what we don't need.
I see no pathway to a plurality of delegates for any progressive candidate. Liz and Bernie should both drop out. Biden should choose Liz as his VP.
FWIW, I don’t think know there is going to BE a debate with Trump.
But, Trump is fucking senile. The guy stumbles over everything. Seriously, have you SEEN him speak lately? There are experts analyzing his speech and saying he’s showing signs of dementia. Weird “accordion hands,” slurring, Adderral sniffing, wrong words, and the guy is A MORON.
Stacey Abrams would be good too. That said, he's not really struggling with the black vote. He's going to struggle with the progressive wing, that's why I think Liz might be a better strategic move. Plus, she could probably deeply influence the direction his administration would go in considering she has actual plans for things.
EDIT: He'll also struggle with Hispanic and Latinx voters due to Obama's deportations. So, maybe even Julian Castro?
I don’t think Biden can beat Trump so this is becoming more and more frightening as the day goes on.
I don’t think Biden’s mind is quick enough anymore to keep up with what Trump will say. Don’t mistake this for me saying Trump is wittier or especially smarter than Biden—he isn’t. Trump doesn’t have to come with anything resembling truth or sense. He just will attack. Relentlessly. His base will eat it up as they always have. Biden will slip up once (that’s all it’ll take) and it’ll be a meme Fox, Breitbart and the mouth breathers/trolls will spam it until the election. They’ll full force hit the “HuNtEr BiDeN iS cOrRuPt.” thing too.
I hope I’m wrong. Very wrong.
Last edited by Swykk; 03-04-2020 at 11:45 AM.
Okay, man, but let’s really analyze this fear.
A HUGE voter turnout went for Biden in SC, even having to defy deliberately-placed obstacles to votes (like drastically-reduced number of polling locations).
Same thing in Texas, a HUGE reduction in polling locations in black and brown areas with increased populations and people waited FIVE HOURS to vote.
Tennessee, hit by a tornado that killed dozens of people and they had to sue to keep the polls open longer, and Biden won.
This same scenario repeated in many areas. Right now, in this very moment, anyway, this shows a huge base of Democratic voters who show up and drag themselves through and over every obstacle thrown at them to get rid of Trump.
But, then we see this “well, gee, I dunnooooooo, Trump can bully Joe and call him names and Joe can say some wrong words (even though Trump is a fucking brain salad of wrong words) ...”
And, what?
All those people who waited five hours or had to go through hell to get to a polling place nowhere near them etc. are so flaky or dumb or unreliable that Biden will fuck up in a debate and then those voters will ... what?
Change their minds? Then what? They are gonna stay home? Vote for Trump?
This is how black people see this:
Black people see this as fear that’s based on zero confidence in black voters and zero commitment from white voters.
Last edited by allegro; 03-04-2020 at 12:28 PM.
Pretty much, yup. The only difference is that one of them at least KNOWS the Constitution and Law.
The other one, not at all.
Course, don’t ask me. I’m just a lyin’ dog-faced pony soldier.
Re VP choices: I like Liz (obviously). But not sure VP is necessarily the best place for her?
She doesn’t really LIKE Biden OR Sanders. Sure, she SAYS she does but it’s obvious she has issues with both of them (for good reasons).
There are other cabinet positions she may want a lot more?
If he picks Michelle Obama, omg ...
Last edited by allegro; 03-04-2020 at 03:39 PM.
In regards to Joe (and I'll preface this by saying I'm not a doctor or a therapist, just a guy watching him talk on tv) it seems like his speaking gaffes in a teleprompter setting are a product of 1. his stuttering and 2. he's trying to talk too goddamn fast. Slow the fuck down, man, and don't get quite so yelly**. Now that doesn't mean there aren't also brainworms but if i have a choice between Biden's worms and Trump's worms I'm taking Joe every day of the week and twice Sunday. It's a fucking shame it's come to that.
Edit: I'd also like to clarify this isn't a question of passion or temperament...just, I dunno, volume.
Last edited by cdm; 03-04-2020 at 12:31 PM.
@allegro It’s the fence riding white folks that’ll either stay home or be swayed by a poor performing Biden that concern me.
^^^ YES!
I have a degree in Communication and I want to COACH that guy!
He needs to:
* Temper his volume, stop sounding like he’s berating his own voters (firing up doesn’t mean yelling)
* Watch his TIME! He needs someone to provide a “wrap it up” signal
* REHEARSE!
Positive things I notice that are difficult with public speaking (but he masters it):
* He doesn’t forget original points
* He returns to key points or important people, for emphasis or as highlights to fire up crowd
* He doesn’t totally go off the rails with lost train-of-thought and can’t recover
* He doesn’t digress beyond the point of no return
His speech disorder DOES affect his speech stumbling. He has to constantly be careful, it’s a lifetime thing, and that makes you overly conscious, which leads to all kinds of other stumbling.
It’s obvious that he does great at extemp thought once in a while (last night, he suddenly quoted poet Seamus Heaney), but other times he starts to speak and then edits himself. This is likely because he’s trying to stay on track, NOT digress so far that he can’t recall the original points, or perhaps say stuff he’ll have to issue statements for, later. But the BETTER way is to not START saying these things; stick to your mental bullet points, speak slowly, calmly.
He just needs more practice, again, that’s all.
Public speaking is an art, a learned and practiced art.
But, this election won’t be about the Democratic candidate; it’ll be strictly against Trump.
Because any vote that is not deliberately placed for the Democratic candidate in November will in effect be a vote for 4 more years of Trump. A “poor-performing Biden” will be 100% the fault of lazy white people who don’t care about POC.
I really believe that Bloomberg is going to spend a fucking FORTUNE on anti-Trump ads that will fire up the Democratic base.
Last edited by allegro; 03-04-2020 at 05:21 PM.
Bloomberg should just offer Trump $5 billion to walk away.