Election 2020

[madducks]

Thanks for thinking of my family Bob, its 11 PM here if things and if dont change in the next couple hours we are likely going to take my youngest to the ER at 1, her stomach is distended yet again causing extreme pain, and she can't pass anything normally (well she hasn't had a solid stool her whole life due to her condition). For the last several weeks we have been getting up every couple hours in the night to check on her - most of the time she has soiled her bedding because she has no control over it for the last 3 weeks. We think she may have another blockage, which she had at 3 days old right after birth and had surgery to remove 2/3 of her large intestine. This will be the 4th time this year to go to the ER. We gave her an enema and a suppository already and hoping we aren't causing more harm than good. Sometimes that causes it to pass, and sometimes it causes more pressure which is even worse. I have Friday and Monday off so hopefully this time I can spend more time with her, rushing off to work each morning and then rushing back as soon as I'm done with work ( because I have no PTO left ), while she is still checked into the hospital is one of the hardest things to do as a parent. It fills me with a lot of guilt thinking I should try harder to find a better job where I can have more time off.

She's so smart, she's already reading, and she's just starting kindergarten this month, and it breaks my heart to see her already missing classes. If she can get the teaching she needs she could do well, she's a lot smarter than I was at that age, that's for sure. We are filling out a 104 form for her for school so that she can be excused from certain activities and get up to go to the bathroom when she needs to. She is the most unique kid I can imagine, she has this disease but it doesn't phase her she just keeps on trucking - she's so much better at that than I am. Thank goodness she was born with the ability to handle that without it phasing her, my other daughter is much more sensitive and if you switched their personalities it would be even worse.

I'm sure everyone has an excuse for their stress, we all live hectic lives. Trying to keep the 5 year old out of the hospital is my lame excuse but I know others have it worse off (we pass the cancer part of the childrens hospital every time we go so I see it first hand). And then there's the guy down the street with the daughter in my kids' school who shot himself last week after getting caught posting inappropriate pics of his daughters online (both under 6) - can you imagine being in HIS family.

But regardless, you are unequivocally right, my family does deserve better than me. A LOT better. I love them to death, and they deserve a lot better. I do appreciate you thinking about them, and thanks for mentioning them.

Wow, that sounds pretty rough. I hope your daughter gets better soon. Kids are often tougher than we give them credit for. And i think they also appreciate good parenting more than we realize. Sounds like you're doing a great job. So, i'm sure she appreciates that.

[nots]

Ken, I am sorry your daughter (and the entire family) is going thru that. I hope she recovers quickly and can go off to school ASAP and make a million news friends. God Bless all of you in this difficult time.

[Teenwolf]

Thanks for sharing, Ken. Provides a lot of added perspective.

I'm hoping your daughter finds a treatment method that helps alleviate her pain. Good luck to her and your entire family. Be well.

[revo]

Damn, sorry to hear that Ken. There’s nothing worse than when there’s little you can do for your child. Heartbreaking.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In ‘20 election news, since the one poll TW highlighted, Biden has regained his dominance in 6 others polls, coming in with a 31% average and far distancing himself from the field.

In addition, he had a very successful 90-minute private meeting with African-American journalists where he received widespread praise (and apparently didn’t make any gaffes).

With Harris faltering and Bernie idling, Warren is Biden’s only real competition. And with the deadline for the next debates close (or today?), we should see the field winnow down further very soon.

[Teenwolf]

90 minutes?! No gaffes?! Must have been an afternoon thing.

Alright, I give up. If Biden can make it 90 whole minutes without calling minority kids inferior to whites, forgetting which state 2 mass shootings were in, forgetting which state he's in, confusing Theresa May and Margaret Thatcher, or musing about an imagined Obama assassination, then he must be the best bet against Trump.

[DMT]

I think it will come down to Biden vs Warren. Hopefully Bernie can set aside his ego and throw his support toward her. And I'm sure I'll get pushback but, other than misogyny, I can't think of any other reason why Sanders supporters would choose Biden over Warren as she is very similar to Sanders from a policy standpoint.

[Teenwolf]

I think it will come down to Biden vs Warren. Hopefully Bernie can set aside his ego and throw his support toward her. And I'm sure I'll get pushback but, other than misogyny, I can't think of any other reason why Sanders supporters would choose Biden over Warren as she is very similar to Sanders from a policy standpoint.

It's a very common misconception that Warren and Sanders are courting the same voters. While Warren is attempting to make herself appear to be progressive, she's attracting the most educated, most wealthy, and most white base. Bernie has the most ethnic diversity and poorest supporters, with Walmart employees a top donor pool.

Bernie is actually able to draw from any Biden deserters, as people view them as the working class advocates in the race. So I like his chances.

As 1 example, Elizabeth Warren was reassuring DNC elites that she's "on their team" this week. She's also backed away from Medicare 4 All in answers twice in the last week, saying "I think we need to set Medicare for all as the goal, invite the insurance exec's yo the table, and see how close we can get." That wishy-washy BS will be exposed soon enough. I can see a more equitable split (maybe 60/40) moving from Biden to Sanders vs. Warren, but I dont see her cutting much into the progressive base Bernie has built.

Oh yeah, I'll go into this in more detail if i get time, but compare their climate change plans. Warren's is attacking the margins, costs $2 Tn. Sanders envisions the type of overhaul recommended to reach the 12 year target to avoid total devastation. His plan costs $16 Tn. They're extremely different candidates.

[Ken]

** Off topic ** thanks for all the notes (madducks, nots, TW, revo), every one of them is appreciated. Won't be posting much for a few days obviously but really appreciate it. CT scan didn't show anything, tried 3 times to put in an NG tube and it worked on the 3rd time, this is her 1st time to have a tube and if you can avoid it do so, it's horrific for them to put it in while the kiddo is awake (screaming/crying/begging). Stable right now and the plan right now is *bowel rest*, which is frustrating b/c that's not a long term solution. General concern is that her bowels are not functioning correctly and pushing things along and may need more surgery. More general concern, that wasn't the case 2 months ago, so is this progressing and getting worse over time and when does it stop? Sorry to be a downer and off topic! Despite my terrible attitude sometimes you guys are really great, even those that I clash with over silly trivial petty stuff like yesterday. Carry on!

[DMT]

That's awful Ken, hope she gets better soon.

[DMT]

It's a very common misconception that Warren and Sanders are courting the same voters. While Warren is attempting to make herself appear to be progressive, she's attracting the most educated, most wealthy, and most white base. Bernie has the most ethnic diversity and poorest supporters, with Walmart employees a top donor pool.

Bernie is actually able to draw from any Biden deserters, as people view them as the working class advocates in the race. So I like his chances.

As 1 example, Elizabeth Warren was reassuring DNC elites that she's "on their team" this week. She's also backed away from Medicare 4 All in answers twice in the last week, saying "I think we need to set Medicare for all as the goal, invite the insurance exec's yo the table, and see how close we can get." That wishy-washy BS will be exposed soon enough. I can see a more equitable split (maybe 60/40) moving from Biden to Sanders vs. Warren, but I dont see her cutting much into the progressive base Bernie has built.

Oh yeah, I'll go into this in more detail if i get time, but compare their climate change plans. Warren's is attacking the margins, costs $2 Tn. Sanders envisions the type of overhaul recommended to reach the 12 year target to avoid total devastation. His plan costs $16 Tn. They're extremely different candidates.

Yep she's just another phony, probably a trojan horse considering she used to be a Republican. Too bad no one but Bernie can actually be a "true" progressive.

[GwynnInTheHall]

Yep she's just another phony, probably a trojan horse considering she used to be a Republican. Too bad no one but Bernie can actually be a "true" progressive.

I don't agree with TW about Warren, though I do have concerns regarding how she'd fare vs Trump, he'd hammer home the Pocahontas thing and I don;t know if she's ballsy enough to smash him back. That's what I feel will need to happen in the General debates--Soomeone who will pull no punches, not sink to a Trump level low, but play hardball. And I am just not sure Warren will do that.

[nots]

Kristen Gillibrand is ending her campaign as a result of failing to qualify for the next debate. Neither of her supporters seemed surprised by the decision.

[DMT]

I don't agree with TW about Warren, though I do have concerns regarding how she'd fare vs Trump, he'd hammer home the Pocahontas thing and I don;t know if she's ballsy enough to smash him back. That's what I feel will need to happen in the General debates--Soomeone who will pull no punches, not sink to a Trump level low, but play hardball. And I am just not sure Warren will do that.

I'm absolutely certain she would pound him back. She's a fighter.

[GwynnInTheHall]

I'm absolutely certain she would pound him back. She's a fighter.

I'd like to see some of that in the next debate. She is, and I say this as a Bernie guy, the most intelligent and articulate of the bunch, I just want to see more passion from her. Hopefully, I will.

[Teenwolf]

Yep she's just another phony, probably a trojan horse considering she used to be a Republican. Too bad no one but Bernie can actually be a "true" progressive.

Hey, dont let me get in the way of your low standards.