The 2020 Presidential Election Primary Thread

[SeattleUte]

Yeah. It would really suck to have a president in place that can't acknowledge when he is wrong, or evil or stupid or whatever.

it's hard to match a wrong so big as being wrong about the Soviet Union. Even Emma Goldman figured it out by the 1920s.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Sanders is so bad it is hard to believe that so many people are willing to consider him seriously. He is Trump level dumb with the added desire to destroy the economy. He has no idea how he is going to pay for anything (or even how many trillions his programs will cost) but justifies it all because we are one of the richest nations in the world, which is true, and his minions cheer all while ignoring that almost all of his social and economic plans are intended to replace the very engine that created such wealth. Moreover, he essentially wants to turn our military into a unicorn and daisy farm, so if you have been unhappy how Trump has treated our traditional security partners just wait until Sanders does more of the same AND eviscerates our ability to support them in the event of an actual threat.

I am going to be so angry if this clown is the democratic candidate. I am not on board with any of the democrats across each of their policy boards, but there are several of them who would be so easy to vote for compared to Trump. But Sanders? Are the democrats really that stupid? They are gifted one of the worst incumbents in American history, an imperial wannabe who spends more time tweeting than he does governing and the best option the democrats can proffer might be a geriatric communist with a bad heart who lauded the USSR for most of his life? Something is profoundly wrong with us.

tooblue is laughing at you right now!

[BigFatMeanie]

I want Bloomberg to be the nominee because I could probably vote for him. But even if I was a Trump guy, I would not want Sanders. He has a greater than zero chance of being elected President and probably more like 35 or 40%. Apart from the clear dangers of a Sanders administration, the Dem coalescing around him and going full communist permanently is not a good thing for the country.

I never thought we would see a worse general election choice than Trump v Hillary. But here we are staring down Trump v Sanders.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

I would make my first ever vote for a Democrat presidential candidate if Bloomberg was the nominee.

[creekster]

tooblue is laughing at you right now!

I like tooblue and I love Canada (I fondly recall my two years slogging across the frozen landscapes of Quebec) but that nation is a mere pimple on America's economic butt. Everything Canada has and does is a function of sharing the longest undefended border with the greatest economic engine in the world's history. If you took all of Canada and dropped it into the middle of Eastern Europe or Asia it would be a forgotten land and a forgotten people. And I say that with nothing but love in my heart for the place. I realize Canadians have done a lot for the world yadda yadda, but the fact is they are only able to achieve and maintain any economic and social success because they are perched on our shoulder. And they know it and it corrodes them deep inside to admit it.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I like tooblue and I love Canada (I fondly recall my two years slogging across the frozen landscapes of Quebec) but that nation is a mere pimple on America's economic butt. Everything Canada has and does is a function of sharing the longest undefended border with the greatest economic engine in the world's history. If you took all of Canada and dropped it into the middle of Eastern Europe or Asia it would be a forgotten land and a forgotten people. And I say that with nothing but love in my heart for the place. (I realize Canadians have done a lot for the world yadda yadda, but the fact is they are able to achieve and maintain any economic and social success because they are perched on our shoulder. And they know it and it corrodes them deep inside to admit it.

One of your best posts ever.

[creekster]

it's hard to match a wrong so big as being wrong about the Soviet Union. Even Emma Goldman figured it out by the 1920s.

It's not just that he guessed incorrectly, as you know. It's more that he actively supported and promoted the USSR WHILE IT WAS ENGAGING IN THE GREAT EVILS OF ITS SYSTEM. And to this very hour, he has refused to admit that he was promoting a place that was a living hell for millions of millions of people. ANd remember, that Bernie honeymooned there not as a troll, or with a sense of irony, or for a reality TV show, but because he wanted to show what a great place the socialist workers paradise could be. It was no tongue in cheek flight of fancy; he was deeply committed to pursuing a soviet friendly set of policies. And he still refuses to allow that this was an error. Talk about bad judgment.

[Northwestcoug]

I like tooblue and I love Canada (I fondly recall my two years slogging across the frozen landscapes of Quebec) but that nation is a mere pimple on America's economic butt. Everything Canada has and does is a function of sharing the longest undefended border with the greatest economic engine in the world's history. If you took all of Canada and dropped it into the middle of Eastern Europe or Asia it would be a forgotten land and a forgotten people. And I say that with nothing but love in my heart for the place. I realize Canadians have done a lot for the world yadda yadda, but the fact is they are only able to achieve and maintain any economic and social success because they are perched on our shoulder. And they know it and it corrodes them deep inside to admit it.

LOL.

I know there's some hyperbole there, so I won't argue too strongly against your Canadian stereotype. I know there's truth in it. But c'mon, the US also benefits significantly from the fact that they share a border with Canada. Something about trade and commerce, yadda yadda.

[LVAllen]

It's not just that he guessed incorrectly, as you know. It's more that he actively supported and promoted the USSR WHILE IT WAS ENGAGING IN THE GREAT EVILS OF ITS SYSTEM. And to this very hour, he has refused to admit that he was promoting a place that was a living hell for millions of millions of people. ANd remember, that Bernie honeymooned there not as a troll, or with a sense of irony, or for a reality TV show, but because he wanted to show what a great place the socialist workers paradise could be. It was no tongue in cheek flight of fancy; he was deeply committed to pursuing a soviet friendly set of policies. And he still refuses to allow that this was an error. Talk about bad judgment.

Whether it's Trump or Sanders, either way America will be Mother Russia's political bitch for the next 4 years. So take Russia out of the equation. Can't change it, so it's not relevant.

Do I want Sanders? Not particularly. Do I think he can beat Trump? Yes. There's no question at this point that Sanders is the candidate to beat, his idiocies and health issues notwithstanding.

Between two idiots, I'm voting for the one who isn't Trump. And this is coming from a life-long Republican.

[falafel]

Once upon a time, Trump supporters argued that his more idiotic aspects would be tempered because he'd be surrounded by good people. The best people. That those people could strengthen the areas where he would be cartoonishly ignorant.

How has that worked out?

At least with Sanders we have a better-than-even chance of regaining some normalcy. Is this good? Of course not. There is no good. It's what there is.

I was one of those people or argued (or at least thought and hoped) that Trump would surround himself with qualified people. Once that was disproved, I'm not sure why I will expect that Bernie would do it this time around.

[PaloAltoCougar]

The more I think about Bernie's promises, the more I'm amazed that this guy even has an audience. Among my faves:

--National rent control (to help solve the housing crisis--putting a nationwide lid on rents should give housing construction a real shot in the arm
--No firing or laying off any employee other than for "just cause" (bill will probably be titled The Plaintiff Lawyers Relief Act of 2021)
--Free tuition for all public universities, colleges and trade schools
--All student loan debt cancelled
--All medical debt cancelled
--No deductibles, copays, or premiums for healthcare (this should lead to responsible medical decision-making)
--Create 20 million jobs needed to solve the climate crisis (how does one do that, exactly?)

Fortunately, the chances of any of these things coming to pass can be illustrated with a snowball and acetylene torch, but why even consider nominating a person with such looney proposals?

[myboynoah]

The more I think about Bernie's promises, the more I'm amazed that this guy even has an audience. Among my faves:

--National rent control (to help solve the housing crisis--putting a nationwide lid on rents should give housing construction a real shot in the arm
--No firing or laying off any employee other than for "just cause" (bill will probably be titled The Plaintiff Lawyers Relief Act of 2021)
--Free tuition for all public universities, colleges and trade schools
--All student loan debt cancelled
--All medical debt cancelled
--No deductibles, copays, or premiums for healthcare (this should lead to responsible medical decision-making)
--Create 20 million jobs needed to solve the climate crisis (how does one do that, exactly?)

Fortunately, the chances of any of these things coming to pass can be illustrated with a snowball and acetylene torch, but why even consider nominating a person with such looney proposals?

They think they are calling our bluff.

[falafel]

LOL.

I know there's some hyperbole there, so I won't argue too strongly against your Canadian stereotype. I know there's truth in it. But c'mon, the US also benefits significantly from the fact that they share a border with Canada. Something about trade and commerce, yadda yadda.

I think the U.S. benefits more from having California as a state than it does sharing a border Canada.

[creekster]

Whether it's Trump or Sanders, either way America will be Mother Russia's political bitch for the next 4 years. So take Russia out of the equation. Can't change it, so it's not relevant.

Do I want Sanders? Not particularly. Do I think he can beat Trump? Yes. There's no question at this point that Sanders is the candidate to beat, his idiocies and health issues notwithstanding.

Between two idiots, I'm voting for the one who isn't Trump. And this is coming from a life-long Republican.

Russia isn't in the equation. You are missing my point. He wanted to adopt Soviet models as he saw them while the soviets ran one of the most oppressive, dark and economically disastrous systems the world has ever seen. This is, at base, how he still sees the world. Moreover, by nominating him, not to mention electing him, you are normalizing an economic approach that will spell disaster of r the economy. the vert best case is that his presidency will result in some sort of unpredictable legislative miasma leading to dead or declining markets, lower growth, and a loss of capital investment. Nothing about his approaches will be good for the country.

Is Trump better? In many ways, no. But at least he knows enough to get out of the way of the economy. At this point I have seen three plus years of trump idiocy. It isn't good. But it isn't all bad. I am afraid that four years of Bernie, given his unrepentant taste for government control of everything, will be all bad.

[swampfrog]

I was one of those people or argued (or at least thought and hoped) that Trump would surround himself with qualified people. Once that was disproved, I'm not sure why I will expect that Bernie would do it this time around.

If I'm lucky, Bernie will win and fill all staff positions with government officials from Seattle and Portland. Then maybe Washington and Oregon would have a chance (however small) of not crumbling further into the cesspool.

[ERCougar]

I really really want to link this thread for my Democrat friends, who all seem to believe there are no Republican votes up for grabs, so why not? Creekster has some gold in here.

I'll vote for Bernie if it comes to it, but I so hope it doesn't.