Comments

1

Oh please Jeebus, not Biden.

He’s Al Gore, John Kerry, and Hillary Clinton all rolled into one; a milquetoast status quo candidate that people think other people want to vote for. He’s a daily gaffe machine running an uninspiring campaign and compromised by the billionaires, the banks, and the credit card companies to a comical degree. We’re gonna have to relive every detail of his sleazy, sordid political career between now and forever.

Vote blue no matter who, but we’ve seen how this movie ends in 2000, 2004, and 2016. Given the choice between a “centrist” Dem and a lying, fascist Republican, our despicable system installs the moronic right-winger each time. Ugh, just no.

2

@1 absolutely, and Sanders can't possibly win without a deep turn out from his base, and his base didn't turn out. That also projects to another big L for us D's.

5

@1 It was a nice democracy while it lasted!
And as far as Seattle being a ghost town - tell that to the renters paying $2K per month for their tiny apartments!

6

I'd say Biden's victories in Massachusetts and Minnesota pretty well wrap things. The west coast is an afterthought.
"close your eyes and think of England" pretty much sums up the challenge for progressives this cycle.
Lack of enthusiasm for Hilary was crippling in 2016. Gotta start seeing Biden bumper stickers and yard signs soon or we're doomed.

7

Sorry, Bernie Bros. Your software has too many bugs.

8

@6,

Yeah, I think you may be correct. Also think @2 could actually be onto something w/ the importance of the VP selection. If Castro could be seen as being likely to bring Florida, I don't see how he doesn't get serious consideration. Guess the same could be said of Klobuchar and whatever upper midwest states are swingin'.

Also, illustrative of just how colossally fucking backward and stupid our system is that I'm as much or more concerned with where a potential candidate resides as I am their actual agenda and policy positions.

10

"Who brought Uncle Joe's campaign the defibrillator?"

Why, the whole of the "D"NC.
Not to mention 'our' wholly-Corps-owned
mass media pro-War machine.

Here's a great comment from today's NYT:

"Many, like me, progressive in outlook and cautious about the likelihood of positive change emerging from a Biden presidency, will support him as he campaigns against the vile Trump administration.

But it will be unenthusiastic support. Biden is tied to militarism, thoughtless and reflexive support for an increasingly authoritarian Israel, and he gives every indication of indifference to the rapid spread of despotism and environmental collapse around the globe.

He has never demonstrated much of an intellect or political courage; still, he isn't gleefully malevolent, as Trump and his Vichy enablers are, and he would form a businesslike administration capable of making sensible comments as the world burns." --John Briggs, Ann Arbor, Michigan

IS Biden the 'safe' bet?
CAN he defeat trumpfy?

He carried the (Super Tuesday) South
but the South Loves them some trumpf
and will (likely) keep it that way.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/04/us/politics/joe-biden-super-tuesday.html#commentsContainer

12

Biden is going to be eviscerated by Trump. Brought to you by the same fucking morons give us Hillary, John Kerry, Michael Dukakis and Walter Mondale.

(sigh.) This sucks.

13

Biden' that time,
Drinkin' that wine,
Casey Jones you better
Watch your speed
Trouble ahead,
Trouble behind
And you know that notion
Just crossed my mind

14

Women's (men's, too) Soccer to get new (levelish) playing field:
"Currently, soccer teams in Tacoma play on a baseball field."
That must get confusing:
Whotf's on first?

15

So one old white guy quit, and the race is now mostly between a couple of other old white guys to see who can run against the old white guy who is now president.

16

For over a year, I've been saying "no way is Joe Biden going to be the nominee". This has not been in the sense of "In accordance with the fundamental principles of politics-knowing", rather its been the sense of "you gotta be kidding me, Joe Biden?". Nevertheless, that's what I thought. And now its looking a whole lot more likely I was wrong about that.

But! the lesson one should take from being served a big surprise is to become less certain they know what the future holds, not more.

17

The Democratic party has the absolute right to choose a senescent, handsy old man with a lacquered smile as its candidate. I'm not voting for him, though. Fuck it. I'm not willing to participate in the hostage crisis calculations of a bunch of fucking neoliberals. I'll write in Bernie. I think Warren supporters should do the same. Nothing would say "FUCK YOU" to the Democratic establishment like breaking the party.

18

kallipugos @6: "I'd say Biden's victories in Massachusetts and Minnesota pretty well wrap things." Yup. Game over. Not exactly thrilled that Joe Biden will be the nominee, but hey, at least I can console myself that it's not going to be Kamala Harris.

mike blob @8: "If Castro could be seen as being likely to bring Florida, I don't see how he doesn't get serious consideration."

If the bashing Bernie received for pointing out Cuba's high literacy rate is any indication, no way Cuban Americans in Florida are checking a box that says "Castro." And I don't care that it's not Fidel Castro. As they say in politics, any time you're explaining, you're losing.

Signed,
Just being a little bit facetious, I think

20

"The Democratic party has the absolute right to choose... "

The so called 'Democratic' Party is a private Corporation currently quite beholden to Corporate interests (think/thank the Clintons et al) and unwilling to embrace a social Democracy -- one that frees its Citizenry from the insidious grip of increasing Corporate Rule -- Corps are their Sponsors and they're pretty fucking Comfortable, right where they are -- even if it means another Horrific trump term.

Corporate control of
our Government
IS Fascism.

23

On the new soccer stadium in Tacoma: "It would be built for professional women's soccer (go Reign). The Seattle Sounders and the Tacoma Rainiers would also get to use it."

The Rainiers are the baseball team. I see they're part of the stadium partnership, but that still doesn't mean they're going to start playing baseball on a soccer pitch. That should read "Tacoma Defiance."

24

Biden's certainly a problem, but Bernie's core constituents stayed home. He's a turn out candidate who's not been able to turn 'em out, probably because young voters have a short attention span and the burn has burned out.

The DNC did not kick in the doors of cheap apartments to sabotage the pens while the residents were at the Billie Eilish show. The under 35's just never got around to checking the box and putting the fucking ballot in the mail.

I would have been happy if Bernie would have won, but he needs to fucking win to win, and he did not win. And that not style of not winning would get worse in the general election, not better. That's on him and his campaign, not the DNC.

So Biden kind of sucks, but that doesn't mean that your wet dreams about a Sander's ground swell mean fuck-all as we're staring out at a pancake flat ocean.

25

@17- well that's a whole lot of attitude I don't think reason can penetrate.
However I will counsel you to meditate upon Justice Ginsburg before you vote and ask yourself if your hatred of the Democratic Party is as deep as you profess.
This is not an abstract crisis, it will become very real soon enough.

26

17: From Wikipedia: “"Cutting off the nose to spite the face" is an expression to describe a needlessly self-destructive over-reaction to a problem: "Don't cut off your nose to spite your face" is a warning against acting out of pique, or against pursuing revenge in a way that would damage oneself more than the object of one's anger.”

29

"Also, illustrative of just how colossally fucking backward and stupid our system is that I'm as much or more concerned with where a potential candidate resides as I am their actual agenda and policy positions."

It has always been that way. If anything, it is less that way than ever. When Clinton picked Gore as his running mate, it baffled the experts. Why pick two people from the same region? They basically ignored regionalism, and had plenty of success. I personally think that is the right approach. When Gore almost won the presidency, he lost Tennessee. People just don't care that much about where your from (Warren got trounced in Oklahoma yesterday, and would likely get trounced in a general election, even if she won). As far as possible running mates for Biden, here is who I would consider:

Castro -- Balances the ticket in terms of age, ideology, ethnicity and region. He supported Warren, so he could unite the party. He probably brings Texas and Florida into play. But with voter suppression big in both states, it may not matter. He hasn't been a good debater, or campaigner in general. I fear another big win in terms of overall vote (with huge Democratic numbers in California) but an electoral college loss (with squeakers in Florida, Texas and several Midwestern states).

Klobuchar -- Younger (although still 60 by the election) and should be popular in the Midwest. But I doubt she excites anyone. You would have a woman on the ticket (for only the third time) but it didn't work very well for Mondale (he was crushed). I think regionalism is overrated as a strategy. Hillary Clinton picked Kaine, and did manage to win Virginia. But she still lost Florida, and several Midwestern states. Someone like Klobuchar could easily do something similar (but in reverse).

Warren -- Balances the ticket ideologically. I would love to see her debate Pence (she taught Sunday school, so she could hit him with serious scripture). She is the only candidate still running that is younger than Trump, but not much younger. The optics don't look good (Gramma and Grampa for president). One of my hopes is that the she would win the presidency, and people would actually get to know her story (because voters are too fucking lazy to read a few paragraphs on Wikipedia). I don't see that happening for Vice Presidential candidates. Her biggest strengths would be uniting the party and thus increasing excitement for the ticket.

Steve Bullock -- Democratic governor of Montana. Sends a strong "we want to unite America" message. It worked for Obama, and I could see Biden pulling it off (especially against a fundamentally unpopular man like Trump) but all the excitement would be for beating Trump, not getting that ticket elected.

Kamala Harris -- Doesn't seem like a good pick. I don't particularly like her. Seems to have too much baggage considering her experience.

Sherrod Brown -- Says he doesn't want to be V. P., otherwise an excellent choice. Unites the party, and would probably help pickup Ohio and Pennsylvania.

I think if Biden wins, I would go with Castro or Brown. If Sanders wins, then everything changes, and Klobuchar would make a solid choice (to balance the party ideologically along with the other benefits).

30

@29 -- I meant to write about Warren:

One of my hopes is that she would win the nomination. Obviously if she wins the presidency, her life story doesn't matter.

31

@28 -- in case you missed it:

"Biden is in. Trump's re-election is all but guaranteed." --Shorline Dave, elatedly overjoyed with Biden's reserrection below the Bible Belt (pro-trumpers, pretty much the entire lot of 'em), declaring the Election no longer necessary.

trumpfy obviously concurs.

32

@18,

Ha, I've thought the same! That the name Castro could legitimately be a hindrance to his electability. Though we did elect a black guy named "Hussein" President, which I'd previously thought would be comparable to trying to get a Hitler in there, so who knows.

33

@29 The fact that you can write that Kamala Harris has too much baggage without an ounce of irony regarding the fact that fucking JOE BIDEN and BERNIE SANDERS are the front runners in this is beyond my comprehension. Old White Men in this country can do anything (or more importantly do fucking NOTHING) and be given great power. Women on the other hand, especially non-white women, well they have too much baggage and can't be trusted with any power. FUCK YOU. Kamala Harris was a prosecutor. Kamala Harris was an AG for the second largest population to the entire country. What, exactly, is her baggage that she brings? That she upheld the law as it is written and people don't like that? I mean, plenty of people seem to love Trump and his total and complete refusal to obey any and all laws and have embraced all of his crimes and think he's doing a great job as he robs the country blind and destroys everything! Biden is not Barack Obama and he is not to be given credit for Barack Obama's presidency as he insists. And he lies and makes up shit and people laugh and say oh crazy old Joe! And Bernie, what exactly has Bernie done? What is his record that makes him so baggage free? Please, do tell. Jesus fucking christ I am going to eyeroll myself into another dimension listening to white men talk about how much baggage women have and how they are unfit to lead when all white men have done is fuck this country beyond belief in literally every possible way. Next up: Kavanaugh and Gorsuch and their cronies make abortion illegal.

34

'Healthcare' stocks UP!

Thanks, Uncle Joe!

35

@34 -- "Stocks ran higher Wednesday morning, as global coronavirus concerns at least briefly took a back seat to the strong showing by moderate Joe Biden over progressive Bernie Sanders in Tuesday's Democratic primary elections.

United Health Group (UNH) led the Dow Jones today,

Anthem (ANTM) and Humana (HUM) topped the S&P 500, as election results drove advancing health care issues."

WHO needs Medicare for ALL?
WE the People do.
Fascism comes
to America.

https://www.investors.com/market-trend/stock-market-today/dow-jones-today-futures-rocket-as-healthcare-gets-a-big-biden-boost-unitedheath-cvs-health-lead-rally/

37

@20 -- Oh come on. That is a great oversimplification. There is corporate influence, definitely, but that doesn't mean that Biden's victories last night, for example, were due to that. There are a number of reasons, such as:

1) Sanders has not been able to appeal to that many old people. His support is enthusiastic, but not broad. It works great for caucuses, but not primaries.

2) The winnowing process is fucked up, and benefited both candidates. There is no second choice voting. The debates were ridiculous (ten people on a stage) which meant that lots of decent candidates never had a chance to make their case (including Inslee and Castro). The order of the primaries helped both of them. Sanders does well in caucuses, hence the wins (or close to it) in both Iowa and Nevada. He has good name recognition, and is popular in the Northeast, hence his win in New Hampshire. Having South Carolina after those three was a godsend for Biden. He is extremely popular there. The sudden turn of events created what was a seven person race into a two person race -- without any chance for the remaining candidates to state their case (thus essentially eliminating Warren).

3) Rightly or wrongly, a lot of Democrats fear losing with Sanders, and they really don't want to lose. To be clear, they aren't too thrilled with Biden, but they feel like he is the best choice to beat Trump right now. If the Republican party wasn't so fucked up right now -- if President Ford was in office, for example -- there would be more enthusiasm to "take a chance" with Sanders or Warren. (Warren because people fear nominating a woman). Speaking of which...

4) America is racist, sexist and intellectually lazy. I've never quite figured out why Sanders has more support than Warren, other than "I supported him last time" and "he is a dude". It is rarely explicitly stated that way, of course, but that seems to be the argument. Oh, and then there is the circular argument ("she hasn't done that well, so I won't support her") which almost killed off Biden (and would have, if the order of the primaries were different).

It is worth noting that Biden spent very little in states where he did really well. It was more the media narrative. Of course that is influenced by corporations, but not that much. Mostly it is just like the way the Democrats ran the debates: they are trying to be fair, but it benefited a couple old white dudes.

40

@33 -- I never said Sanders or Biden didn't have baggage. They have shitloads of baggage. That is why neither is a good candidate. I said Harris has a lot of baggage for how inexperienced she is. I never said she had the most baggage.

"Kamala Harris was a prosecutor. Kamala Harris was an AG for the second largest population to the entire country. What, exactly, is her baggage that she brings?"

Exactly what you said! Holy shit -- prosecutors have baggage! Jesus, just Google that shit:

https://www.npr.org/2019/01/22/687527811/kamala-harris-enters-2020-race-with-political-baggage-from-her-time-as-calif-a-g

Being younger usually means you have less baggage. Yet Warren (for example) has less baggage, despite being way more accomplished. Maybe you should calm down and not jump to conclusions about what I write.

41

Kamala Harris has a likeability problem. Not her fault, but if nearly everyone, including most black people, report no thanks to the have a beer with question, ya ain't gonna win Presidential elections.

43

@33: Bad manners. That's the baggage that Kamala has. It unraveled her campaign.

44

From Democracy Now!: "You know, Biden, very early, when he announced, it was clear he was going to end up being the front-runner. Obviously, he was not only the vice president, a sort of traditional passing of the torch from the previous popular president, and that he was inheriting that popular support, but also he was a guy, similar to Clinton in 2016, who has a lot of intraparty support.

And, you know, I felt, if people are going to vote, they should probably be aware of his record, particularly African-American voters, who, I argue in the book, Biden has really systematically betrayed, even though he’s gained their support year after year, election after election.

I think the main thing that people need to know about Biden is his approach to politics, which is very much based on his 1978 reelection campaign, which came at the sort of conservative shift in U.S. politics, is based on appeasing the right and sort of taking the platform of his Republican opponent and trying to make it his own and kind of siphon away support like that.

And that’s really been the case in every election and really how he’s governed. So that’s why, in the ’80s and the ’90s, you see Biden going actually further on the tough-on-crime and tough-on-drugs messaging than even Reagan and Bush were calling for.

Biden was constantly saying that they were not going far enough. He was pushing for a drug czar, when Reagan and even Rudy Giuliani, if you can imagine that, were saying such an idea was insane, pushing for expansion of civil forfeiture and that kind of thing."

--Branko Marcetic, staff writer at Jacobin magazine, reporter at In These Times, author of a new book called 'Yesterday’s Man: The Case Against Joe Biden.'

More at:
https://www.democracynow.org/2020/3/4/branko_marcetic_joe_biden_super_tuesday?utm_source=Democracy+Now%21&utm_campaign=44318f87b0-Daily_Digest_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fa2346a853-44318f87b0-192105685

46

@33 Oh, and as should have been obvious from the very beginning, I never supported Biden or Sanders. I supported (and still support) Elizabeth Warren (my ballot has been sent, and if I voted today, I would still vote for her). How you interpreted my comment as a support for Biden or Sanders is baffling.

Warren is the strongest candidate still in the race. She is the most accomplished, smartest, has the best personal story and yes, has the least amount of baggage. I just think it is highly unlikely that she will get the nomination, and if Biden does get the nomination, I think Harris would be a bad choice. Even if you were determined to pick a woman of color, there are better choices.

49

If Biden is the Dem nominee, I'm writing in Warren.
Do the Dems ~want~ Trump to win? Seems like it.
I can't take 4 more years of this horseshit horrorshow.

51

The best part of 2020. NO anti-vaxxers. No conspiracy theorists debating each other on stage. I only have to listen to the resident weirdo at my job to hear that this time around.

57

@49 Do what you like, but if Sanders or Warren is the nominee, a Trump win is guaranteed under current conditions. Biden is the Dems only viable candidate.

59

@Swifty -- "... a Trump win is
guaranteed under current conditions."

Sounds remarkably like
any trump 'guarantee':
All hot air and
No substance.

60

@blip A recession and runaway COVID-19 might not combine in the way that seems most obvious.

"It's the economy, stupid" isn't about assigning blame to whoever is in office, it's about more people feeling grouchy, and grouchy people being more likely to kick over the anthill out of sheer pique.

If they're grouchy but also terrified, though-- that might be a different calculus. Terrified people are more likely to seek protection, and a lot of people feel protected by someone who talks tough and lashes out at any convenient target that doesn't look like it will put up a fight.

For all he lacks as an administrator, Trump can beat his chest and throw poo with the best of them.

61

@59 Where is your socialist candidate now? Losing.

62

Gonna Gaurantee that too, @swifty?

65

@62 I guarantee Sanders is a loser, now and in the future.

67

Joe Biden was about my fifth choice a week ago from among the Democratic candidates---and I would still prefer him to Trump. Trump is a quasi-dictator without due respect for the rule of law and the political ethics of a mafia don. He ignores facts and science, cultivates the pettiest grudges imaginable, and seems incapable of basic empathy. He interprets disagreement as disloyalty and imagines himself an incomparable genius. I deeply hope disaffected progressives understand just what is at stake if Trump wins. And, yes, #57, Biden at this point seems the most electable Democrat. I'm not thrilled about it, but I'd prefer him to Trump. And more righteous blaming and shaming and disdain about Biden and the DNC will do nothing to defeat Trump in November. You hate Biden and wouldn't for him? Absolutely, follow your heart and your principles and do what you think best. Personally, I'd vote for Biden, and I'd be glad if he beats Trump. And victories in some Southern states will be essential: North Carolina, Virginia, Florida, Georgia. Biden is far more likely to win there than is Sanders or, really, any other Democrat who had been running. Just look at the numbers he posted all over the South. Don't vote for him if your principles impel you so---but, personally, defeating Trump for me remains paramount. Better a flawed Democrat than Trump, even though I respectfully understand many disagree. Last point: many seem to forget Stacey Abrams from Georgia as a potential VP candidate. The Democrats will win in California, no matter who runs and is the VP candidate. Stacey Abrams could genuinely help the Democrats win key, closely contested Southern states. And coalitions, especially led by black moderates like Obama and Abrams, will be necessary for a Democratic victory. That will be true for Biden or Sanders. Just look at what James Clyburn's endorsement did for Biden. Ignore the South at your peril.

69

@67 Well said.

71

@68 Were the rest of the students tested for the virus after their contact with the exposed student, and prior to their visit with Pence? (Hint: no, they were not)

74

@39 - Wouldn't the same be true of the flu, that most people don't seek medical attention for it? And if more people have died of the flu in Seattle wouldn't that be because hundreds of times more people have it?

But let's say every person who has the flu seeks medical attention to be counted in mortality figuring and only 20% of covid-19 patients do. If the death rate of the flu is 0.1% and covid-19 3.4%, by your own "logic" wouldn't the death rate for covid-19 still be about 7 times higher than the flu instead of what appears now to be 34 times higher?

Someone better at math than me (which would be just about anyone) can check my math. In any case, I think I'll trust what scientists, the CDC and the WHO are saying about it over some random commenter on The Stranger.


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