Election 2020

[GwynnInTheHall]

I think you guys might be minimizing Identity politics just a bit, there are no doubt people who will vote Biden because of his connection to Obama, whatever the ethnicity (but I'm sure there are those in the AA community who indeed will vote Biden because of Obama) I also think should Warren endorse Bernie, you'll see quite a few women jump onto his campaign simply because of his connection to Warren. Are either enough to shift the balance? We shall see, but it does exist and in a tight race (which this is shaping up to be) It just might be what makes it so.

[Gregg]

If you look back, you can see that Sanders was my answer to nots' question about who we thought would win the Democratic nomination. (This was before South Carolina and Super Tuesday. I now suspect Biden will win.) I listed Biden as my least favorite among the top five. But since I now expect him to win, I'm preparing myself to get excited about him and do what I can to support him through to victory should he be the nominee, even though I'm still likely to toss a vote to Sanders in New Jersey if he's still competing at the time.

Thank you.

This is exactly what die hard Repubs did when faced with Trump. Notice I said die hard.

This is not a condemnation. Die hards on either side are going to believe their worst candidate is better than the best on the other side.

One of the problems that I had with my Repub friends was watching them go from primary Trump is a buffoon to nominated Trump is fantastic. I called them out on it. In the last election I believed there was no good candidate.

I also believed that the Dems in here really liked Hillary. Not so much now.

I am probably more involved with politics now than ever before. Other than immediate access to information seems like the age old Dems vs. Repubs nasties.

[onejayhawk]

I think Buttigieg had the definitive statement in the Nevada debate, "Let's nominate a Democrat."

The point has been validly made that this consolidation amounts to throwing in the Presidential towel, because there is zero reason to believe that Biden can defeat Trump in the general election. However, his affect down ballot is much more palatable. Warren may endorse either candidate, but she and Sanders have never been friendly, nor have their bases overlapped much. My guess is that she closes ranks with Biden in an attempt to save the House.

J

[Sour Masher]

Thank you.

This is exactly what die hard Repubs did when faced with Trump. Notice I said die hard.

This is not a condemnation. Die hards on either side are going to believe their worst candidate is better than the best on the other side.

One of the problems that I had with my Repub friends was watching them go from primary Trump is a buffoon to nominated Trump is fantastic. I called them out on it. In the last election I believed there was no good candidate.

I also believed that the Dems in here really liked Hillary. Not so much now.

I am probably more involved with politics now than ever before. Other than immediate access to information seems like the age old Dems vs. Repubs nasties.

Ok, but there are big differences between republicans deciding to back Trump and dems deciding to back Biden. Trump was an extreme in every sense. He catered to the worst, most extreme elements of the base. He was a complete and utter political novice. A massive risk politically, because you had no idea what you would get. Biden is the opposite. He is melted vanilla ice cream. He plays much more to the center, where most people reside. Nothing about his agenda is all that edgy. Settling for someone more center than you are is very different than settling for someone who is on a whole other plane of existence than you are. I get what you are saying in a general sense, but the specific case of Trump is just such an outlier to me it is not a fair comparison.

Likewise, I don't think anyone here who did not support Biden before is now saying he is the best candidate ever. On the other hand, aside from TW, I don't think anyone in here said he was the worst (I still can't believe he rated him lower/tied with Bloomberg), or particularly bad, even. Most dems like Biden just fine, to steal a line from Obama about HRC. Only TW has played up the mental decline angle, and I think I am the only one who has bought into that even a little bit here. So the rest of folks who fall in line under Biden are doing something very different than the GOPers who called Trump a dangerous bafoon (like Lindsey Graham did) and then became his cheerleader. Again, Biden and Trump are just very different political animals, and human beings. He will be a better president and is a much better person than Trump.

ETA: I was wrong--Biden was B-Fly's least favorite too, but my point still stands. B-Fly still said he liked Biden well enough. Very different from GOPers calling Trump a deranged, dangerous hack, and then taking it all back.

[Gregg]

Ok, but there are big differences between republicans deciding to back Trump and dems deciding to back Biden. Trump was an extreme in every sense. He catered to the worst, most extreme elements of the base. He was a complete and utter political novice. A massive risk politically, because you had no idea what you would get. Biden is the opposite. He is melted vanilla ice cream. He plays much more to the center, where most people reside. Nothing about his agenda is all that edgy. Settling for someone more center than you are is very different than settling for someone who is on a whole other plane of existence than you are. I get what you are saying in a general sense, but the specific case of Trump is just such an outlier to me it is not a fair comparison.

Likewise, I don't think anyone here who did not support Biden before is now saying he is the best candidate ever. On the other hand, aside from TW, I don't think anyone in here said he was the worst (I still can't believe he rated him lower/tied with Bloomberg), or particularly bad, even. Most dems like Biden just fine, to steal a line from Obama about HRC. Only TW has played up the mental decline angle, and I think I am the only one who has bought into that even a little bit here. So the rest of folks who fall in line under Biden are doing something very different than the GOPers who called Trump a dangerous bafoon (like Lindsey Graham did) and then became his cheerleader. Again, Biden and Trump are just very different political animals, and human beings. He will be a better president and is a much better person than Trump.

I was speaking in a general sense. I also did not say that anyone thinks Biden is the best candidate ever. There is no best candidate ever in this election.

[Sour Masher]

I was speaking in a general sense. I also did not say that anyone thinks Biden is the best candidate ever. There is no best candidate ever in this election.

Is there ever a really super awesome, perfect candidate? I guess I saw Obama like that--might be the only candidate I saw that way in my lifetime, and even he, in reality, was far from it. One man's perfection is another man's flaws.

[Ken]

Is there ever a really super awesome, perfect candidate?

A Sour Ken candidate doused with Ken's Lite Caesar about halfway up Rainier sounds pretty ideal.

[The Feral Slasher]

A Sour Ken candidate doused with Ken's Lite Caesar about halfway up Rainier sounds pretty ideal.

I....ummm....Disagree

[Sour Masher]

I....ummm....Disagree

Lol, I don't know if I should take offense or not, especially since I agree with your disagree :P.

[Ken]

I agree with your disagree :P.

What??? You disagree with a SourKen candidate? That's a full loaf, what's not to like?

[B-Fly]

Is there ever a really super awesome, perfect candidate? I guess I saw Obama like that--might be the only candidate I saw that way in my lifetime, and even he, in reality, was far from it. One man's perfection is another man's flaws.

Yep, Obama was that for me. I'm pretty sure I'll never love a candidate like I loved Obama.

[Sour Masher]

Yep, Obama was that for me. I'm pretty sure I'll never love a candidate like I loved Obama.

Can we get him again?!? Maybe Biden is a secret puppet candidate, and Obama will be controlling him from behind the current.

[Sour Masher]

What??? You disagree with a SourKen candidate? That's a full loaf, what's not to like?

Haha, well, if it's a full loaf, that is really compelling. I also now think we should start a line of candy called SourKen kids.

[Ken]

I also now think we should start a line of candy called SourKen kids.

If you'd stop mashing them we could try....

[GwynnInTheHall]

How would a Biden/Obama vs Sanders/Warren battle royal sound?