The Race for the 2020 POTUS elections

[Peaches LaTour]

How about Michael Avenatti? He expressed an interest, seems sharper than most progressive candidates, and had 100+ appearances on CNN/MSNBC where he was held in high esteem.

He was known on the right as the creepy porn lawyer.

Well, the right knows a lot about creepy porno characters.

I am really disappointed in Avenatti. At least he brought Trump's porno scandal to light.

Maybe someday they will share a cell in NY state.

 

[ballettmaus]

Buttigieg on boycotts of companies like Chick-fil-A for political reasons: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/03/27/politics/pete-buttigieg-opposes-boycotts-chickfila/index.html

I really like this guy and wish he were less of an outsider.

 

[ballettmaus]

Op-Ed from a son who was surprised when his Fox News watching and Trump excusing Dad told him that Pete Buttigieg had impressed him https://www.dailykos.com/stories/20...What-he-said-about-Pete-Buttigieg-stunned-me?

 

[Vash01]

Watched Cory Booker’s townhall meeting in SC, on CNN. I was impressed by his passion, sincerity, and message of love and unity. I thought the CNN analysts were Luke warm toward him. The townhall did not address ALL the issues but he handled the ones he was asked about.

I get the impression that he loves to talk directly to people. In a one on one interview on msnbc I felt that he was lacking in passion. Not so tonight. I think he did very well.

No matter what the polls say, he is in my top three.

 

[ilovepaydays]

The first Democratic Presidential Primary debate has been announced!

June 26 & 27, 2019
Miami, Florida
NBC/MSNBC/Telemundo

Some known details:

• Two debates - one each night
• Up to 20 “qualifying” candidates allowed with half chosen to debate each night.
• Lineups for each debate will be chosen at random
• In order to “qualify”, the candidate must either have:
  • At least 1% support in at least three qualifying nationwide polls. OR
  • 65,000 total donors WITH 200 donors in at least 20 states EACH.

 

[Vash01]

Adam Schiff for POTUS.

He is a fighter.

 

[Andora]

Op-Ed from a son who was surprised when his Fox News watching and Trump excusing Dad told him that Pete Buttigieg had impressed him https://www.dailykos.com/stories/20...What-he-said-about-Pete-Buttigieg-stunned-me?

Are the main arguments against him that he was only a mayor (of a "decaying" city he did plenty for) and that he's gay? I wonder if those things aren't as much of a hindrance as one would expect. Trump changed everything - maybe one of the upsides is someone like "Mayor Pete" getting in.

The Daily Show had a segment on him that painted a super-rosy picture, and they claimed they couldn't find anything really negative to say about him. That's... pretty impressive if it holds true. It's a BIG edge over pretty much everyone else running.

 

[BittyBug]

It's a BIG edge over pretty much everyone else running.

Maybe a boot-edge-edge.

 

[ballettmaus]

Are the main arguments against him that he was only a mayor (of a "decaying" city he did plenty for) and that he's gay?

And that he's so young. But yes, as far as I know, that's it.

 

[clairecloutier]

So in the spirit of looking at all sides, here is a (long) Current Affairs article about Pete Buttigieg. Let’s just say the author really doesn’t like Pete Buttigieg. (He does like Bernie Sanders, a lot.) His lengthy argument is that Mayor Pete isn’t really any different than Clinton or Obama or any other centrist meritocrat Democratic leaders, because he went to Harvard and Oxford and worked at McKinsey. (The author’s comments about McKinsey are so scathing that I couldn’t help but giggle, wondering how Jackie Wong would respond.) Anyhow I think he goes a bit over the top in his criticism (and if this is what he’s done to Mayor Pete, I can’t wait for his Beto article). he even says toward the end that Buttigieg may wind up endorsing leftie positions during the campaign but that this doesn’t really matter because Pete hasn’t shown a deep and abiding anger about social and racial inequality and justice. (He talks about the importance of being angry and his preference for “messy” politicians like Omar and AOC.) Anyhow, it’s interesting as a different perspective on Buttigieg. The one criticism that probably caught my eye the most was he calls Buttigieg out for being critical of Trump immigration policy but notes that he hasn’t pushed to make South Bend a sanctuary city. My own city is about the same size as South Bend and there was a big push here from the mayor and community to make us a sanctuary city. (To be fair, we also have a lot of immigrants in our city, which might have made it a more pressing issue than in South Bend.) Anyhow here’s the article, I’d be curious to hear other people’s thoughts on it.

https://www.currentaffairs.org/2019...dshK-ut7Ipp4rnv-wYQRD-rDLZh_-hO_qrAIPPPU-CDeM

 

[BittyBug]

I found that piece to be quite thought provoking. What I took away from it was a warning: pay as much attention to what Buttigieg is not saying as to what he's is saying, and pay even more attention to what he is and is not doing.

 

[ballettmaus]

So in the spirit of looking at all sides, here is a (long) Current Affairs article about Pete Buttigieg. Let’s just say the author really doesn’t like Pete Buttigieg. (He does like Bernie Sanders, a lot.)

Knowing that makes it very difficult for me to take the author seriously because now I consider the author biased and am not surprised that he is highly critical and said what you said he said. I'm assuming he says it about everyone who isn't Bernie. Maybe not Warren but she's a woman, so who knows.

The one criticism that probably caught my eye the most was he calls Buttigieg out for being critical of Trump immigration policy but notes that he hasn’t pushed to make South Bend a sanctuary city. My own city is about the same size as South Bend and there was a big push here from the mayor and community to make us a sanctuary city. (To be fair, we also have a lot of immigrants in our city, which might have made it a more pressing issue than in South Bend.)

I was going to say: the question is, how many undocumented immigrants end up in South Bend, Indiana?

 

[Buzz]

Rep. Seth Moulton is considering a run for president. I like this guy. His resume is impressive. But in such a crowded field is running for the DNC nomination really where he can do the most good?

 

[BittyBug]

Rep. Seth Moulton is considering a run for president. I like this guy. His resume is impressive. But in such a crowded field is running for the DNC nomination really where he can do the most good?

Was Moulton one of the ones leading the charge to stop Pelosi from being speaker?

 

[clairecloutier]

Was Moulton one of the ones leading the charge to stop Pelosi from being speaker?

Yes. He was one of the main drivers behind that whole thing.

Because of that, I'm not sure now is the right time for Moulton to run for President. I think he lost a lot of support among committed Democrats with that adventure, because Pelosi has been very, very popular with Dems since winning the House back.

Seth is my district's representative in Congress, so I've been aware of him for a while. I like him and think he has a lot of potential, but my personal feeling is he needs to bide his time a bit and rebuild his cred among rank-and-file Dems with some actual policy work.

I'd like to see him run for governor of Mass. We have some really big problems with infrastructure, mass transit, and commuting travel in the Boston area. Someone needs to come in with energy and determination to tackle these issues IMO. But, the problems are not going to be at all easy to solve ... and he knows that, I'm sure. Which is perhaps why we haven't heard anything about a gubernatorial run. But I would respect a run for governor on his part, moreso than a Presidential run at this point.

He is often accused of being sort of emptily ambitious, and a run for President would only further that perception. That's why I feel like he needs some more substantive accomplishments before going national, so to speak.

 

[topaz]

I was going to say: the question is, how many undocumented immigrants end up in South Bend, Indiana?

Actually, quite a bit.

https://www.southbendtribune.com/ne...cle_00de91da-7d15-58c8-9ff1-598ad5ca080b.html

https://www3.nd.edu/~kbuckles/Final_Report.pdf - study from 2007.

 

[topaz]

Tulsi Gabbard interview with TYT

 

[clairecloutier]

Biden accused of unwanted hugging, kissing: https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...2f46684196e_story.html?utm_term=.0aa94dfe4cbd

Ugh. You know there's probably more where this came from. I mean, he's from an era where these kinds of things were perceived as somewhat acceptable--or at least not totally unacceptable. There's probably other instances where he thought he was behaving appropriately but wasn't.

I just really want him to go away and not run.

 

[ilovepaydays]

Biden accused of unwanted hugging, kissing: https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...2f46684196e_story.html?utm_term=.0aa94dfe4cbd

Ugh. You know there's probably more where this came from. I mean, he's from an era where these kinds of things were perceived as somewhat acceptable--or at least not totally unacceptable. There's probably other instances where he thought he was behaving appropriately but wasn't.

I just really want him to go away and not run.

I’m calling it: Biden’s best day during his 2020 Presidential campaign will be his first day. It will go downhill from there.

I know I’ve already posted this point earlier in this thread, but I’m still as to why so many Democrats are convinced that Biden is going to be so great at running for President this time around.

 

[ilovepaydays]

THIS guy is now leaning towards running.....

Well, he is the most ethical Governor that I’ve had in the last ten years......this still going to make me want to scream.......

 

[BittyBug]

I agree. While Biden may at one time have been a good President, I think whatever opportunity he may have had has passed.

I'm keeping my eye on Warren, Harris, Booker, and Buttigieg (although the opinion piece @clairecloutier provided has made me a bit more skeptical about who he is). I also like Castro but he seems to be fading.

 

[Vash01]

Biden accused of unwanted hugging, kissing: https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...2f46684196e_story.html?utm_term=.0aa94dfe4cbd

Ugh. You know there's probably more where this came from. I mean, he's from an era where these kinds of things were perceived as somewhat acceptable--or at least not totally unacceptable. There's probably other instances where he thought he was behaving appropriately but wasn't.

I just really want him to go away and not run.

I wouldnt believe every accusation that comes out. What I read about the incident was that he kissed her on the head, like a grandpa. That could be true. We don’t need to jump at every accusation and say the man is guilty. The woman may have a motive that cannot be ruled out without corroborating evidence. Trump has gotten away a lot, so Biden deserves at least some benefit of doubt.

I’m calling it: Biden’s best day during his 2020 Presidential campaign will be his first day. It will go downhill from there.

I know I’ve already posted this point earlier in this thread, but I’m still as to why so many Democrats are convinced that Biden is going to be so great at running for President this time around.

Biden has never been a strong campaigner and I suspect he knows it. Perhaps that is why he is recruiting a partner from day one. His lack of confidence bothers me because it will show up during the campaign. He was a good attack dog as Obama’s VP candidate, but he may not be the leader we need. Time will tell. I won’t rule him out on day one (although personally I have removed him from my list and posted about it too).

I think Biden is seen as a strong candidate by democrats because he is a white male, tough against Trump, has extensive foreign relations experience, served as VP of a very popular president. Biden was generally loved as VP. He is viewed as a sympathetic figure due to the tragedies in his life. At this point he is the most qualified candidate, like it or not. He is more qualified than the other white old man Sanders who has experience running as a candidate but always comes across as angry. I don't want more anger and hatred. Trump has given me enough to last 10 lifetimes. Biden is a moderate and that is attractive to some people, including me.

I am not going to vote for Biden in the primaries for reasons of my own, but I have answered your question - why do so many democrats believe he is going to be so great at running for president “this time around”. Biden never ran against Trump, so you cannot use that phrase against him. When he ran earlier, it was the pre-Obama era. A lot has changed since. Trump has changed the way we view candidates and almost everything else.

 

[ballettmaus]

and Buttigieg (although the opinion piece @clairecloutier provided has made me a bit more skeptical about who he is).

I wish a more neutral source had written this. After what went down in 2016 and the fact that a(n unofficial) Sanders advisor was attacking Democrats left and right makes me more skeptical of the author than Buttigieg at the moment. (Although I highly doubt that Buttigieg is perfect. It would be good if someone asked him about the immigration issue and/or if someone analysed the issue in South Bend (how undocumented immigrants are treated, what, if anything Buttigieg has done for them, are there reasons he's not pushing to make it a sanctuary city etc))


Interestingly, he's written an essay on Bernie Sanders back in 2000 and then, at least, he seems to have been an admirer. http://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/edu...-essays/2000-winning-essay-by-peter-buttigieg

 

[BittyBug]

@balletmaus, I too read it with a healthy bit of skepticism due to the author's Bernie Bro status (the author even overtly stated in the article that he thinks there's a conspiracy to prevent Bernie from becoming the nominee), but there were a few points that seem difficult to dismiss:

The Harvard Square vignette and the author's observation about Buttigieg's complete absence of any commentary about the ubiquitous homeless population there or the enormous gulf between the downtrodden right in Harvard's back yard and the enormous privilege afforded to Harvard and its students.

Buttigieg's choice to work for McKinsey given that he could have probably done anything. I don't expect everyone to be born an activist or to completely eschew any kind of corporate job, but I agree with the author that McKinsey is one of the engines that fuels heartless capitalism. And while Buttigieg's job there might have involved something relatively innocent like analyzing supermarket pricing tactics, I do wonder what it says about him that out of all possibilities he chose to work for a firm that fuels so much evil.

To quote Jack Lemmon in Some Like It Hot, nobody's perfect. But there were more than a few things in that article that made me look at Buttigieg in a different light. I still like him, but I would say I'm over my crush.

 

[ballettmaus]

Buttigieg's choice to work for McKinsey given that he could have probably done anything. I don't expect everyone to be born an activist or to completely eschew any kind of corporate job, but I agree with the author that McKinsey is one of the engines that fuels heartless capitalism. And while Buttigieg's job there might have involved something relatively innocent like analyzing supermarket pricing tactics, I do wonder what it says about him that out of all possibilities he chose to work for a firm that fuels so much evil.

There might be a reason for his choice. There might also be a reason for the lack of commentary. Or there might not be. I know it's probably impossible but I'd love for every candidate to be able to comment and get a chance to tell their side.

 

[clairecloutier]

I'm not fazed by Buttigieg's lack of commentary on homelessness in Harvard Square. First of all, I disagree with the author of that article about it being the most noticeable thing in Harvard Square. There's a lot going on in Harvard Sq, I could easily see how it wouldn't be necessarily the thing that you focused on.

Working at McKinsey is something I would question a little ... But it's also not something unusual for an Ivy League grad. I've read that something like 30 percent of Harvard grads go into investment banking or management consulting out of college. It's a way to make good money, and these firms recruit heavily at Ivy League schools. In your twenties, you may not necessarily be aware of all the social/political implications of working for McKinsey or that type of firm. According to Wikipedia, he worked there for 3 years, which isn't that long. He might have also had school debt to start paying off. His working there wouldn't cause me to write him off. Although I don't consider it a positive. (What *is* interesting is that he was hired at McKinsey despite lacking, as far as I can tell, any business education or experience.)

 

[Andora]

I'm not fazed by Buttigieg's lack of commentary on homelessness in Harvard Square. First of all, I disagree with the author of that article about it being the most noticeable thing in Harvard Square. There's a lot going on in Harvard Sq, I could easily see how it wouldn't be necessarily the thing that you focused on.

Working at McKinsey is something I would question a little ... But it's also not something unusual for an Ivy League grad. I've read that something like 30 percent of Harvard grads go into investment banking or management consulting out of college. It's a way to make good money, and these firms recruit heavily at Ivy League schools. In your twenties, you may not necessarily be aware of all the social/political implications of working for McKinsey or that type of firm. According to Wikipedia, he worked there for 3 years, which isn't that long. He might have also had school debt to start paying off. His working there wouldn't cause me to write him off. Although I don't consider it a positive. (What *is* interesting is that he was hired at McKinsey despite lacking, as far as I can tell, any business education or experience.)

I agree with the above - nothing has come up for Buttigieg that's a deal-breaker YET. But it's good to temper any overwhelming fervor at this point regardless.

Warren, Booker, Harris are still the lead-three, imho. Gillibrand or Klobucar could step forward, but on a general stage they may cancel each other out despite being two completely different women with different ethics, etc, in looking at it a bit like an Oscar campaign. So I'm hoping that changes soon.

Biden be Biden. I wish he wasn't running. I'd love to keep him in my mind as Obama's affable but gaffe-prone VP/sidekick. To me, if he was fired up and wanted to be the lead candidate, he should have made it more clear and been running a better campaign by now. He's just getting more and more behind, and imvho, it would be best if the candidacy race moved on without him.

 

[ballettmaus]

Buttigieg has raised $7 million in the first quarter. (And I didn't know O'Rourke out-raised Sanders on his first day) https://edition.cnn.com/2019/04/01/politics/pete-buttigieg-fundraising/index.html

 

[Fan123]

I wouldnt believe every accusation that comes out. What I read about the incident was that he kissed her on the head, like a grandpa. That could be true. We don’t need to jump at every accusation and say the man is guilty. The woman may have a motive that cannot be ruled out without corroborating evidence. Trump has gotten away a lot, so Biden deserves at least some benefit of doubt.

But sniffing a woman's hair doesn't seem creepy to you?

 

[demetriosj]

I wouldnt believe every accusation that comes out. What I read about the incident was that he kissed her on the head, like a grandpa. That could be true. We don’t need to jump at every accusation and say the man is guilty. The woman may have a motive that cannot be ruled out without corroborating evidence.

Just curious if you gave this benefit of the doubt to Brett Kavanaugh?