2020 US Elections | Biden certified as President | Dems control Congress

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roseguy64

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The progressive movement is still growing in America. Sanders is merely a harbinger of what's to come once the youth of today (teenagers/twentysomethings) begin to take voting a bit more seriously.
The best hope now is to get progressives into Biden's cabinet if he does win. I have little doubt he'll let people have influence on how things go considering his age and diminishing mental faculties. Get some in there to guide the policies.
 

Sweet Square

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Medicare for everyone but the people who voted for Bernie :lol:

The student debt stuff could possibly be something.
 

berbatrick

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Very predictably, the Trump line is that Biden is a socialist:

And then hits him with the dementia.

No point making any predictions while this lockdown is still on, it will be clearer in a few months, after running mates, what is going to happen.
 

berbatrick

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Medicare for everyone but the people who voted for Bernie :lol:

The student debt stuff could possibly be something.
Hillary's plan (this should be viewed with the same seriousness as that) was to lower it to 55; the party has moved to the right after Bernie.
 

Amarsdd

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Very predictably, the Trump line is that Biden is a socialist:

And then hits him with the dementia.

No point making any predictions while this lockdown is still on, it will be clearer in a few months, after running mates, what is going to happen.
who would ever have thought?
 

WPMUFC

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Hillary's plan (this should be viewed with the same seriousness as that) was to lower it to 55; the party has moved to the right after Bernie.
and keeping employer-based healthcare a tent-pole feature of their healthcare policy as 16.5 million lose their jobs :lol::(

democrats are so bad at politics.
 

WPMUFC

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- 52% of Americans under 45 have lost their job, had hours reduced, or been furloughed

-35% of Americans under 45 now say they don't have health insurance


Bidens plan "changed to attract Bernie voters" was to allow people 60 and over to access medicare, employer-based insurance is still a vital cog of his healthcare plan.

The people least effected by COVID-19 job losses just continue on not giving a damn about policy.
 

Eboue

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i think as leftists we have to acknowledge that our strategy isn't working. we can't change things from the outside, bernies defeats have made that clear. we have to get a seat at the table and find progress-based solutions for all stakeholders. revan and pogue once told me that its actually fine to donate to right wing politicians because that's how you get them to adopt your ideas. so with that im announcing that I have donated $2300 each to trump and biden. (can't max out my individual contributions until next month smh)
 

WPMUFC

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i think as leftists we have to acknowledge that our strategy isn't working. we can't change things from the outside, bernies defeats have made that clear. we have to get a seat at the table and find progress-based solutions for all stakeholders. revan and pogue once told me that its actually fine to donate to right wing politicians because that's how you get them to adopt your ideas. so with that im announcing that I have donated $2300 each to trump and biden. (can't max out my individual contributions until next month smh)
i still believe progressives should protest Biden on the campaign trail on key policies like healthcare/climate change, vote 3rd party in heavy blue states (democratic down ticket) whilst voting biden in swing/red states (democratic down ticket). There should be no easy ride for him. If folks are living in Cali or NY and are extremely progressive, you should be voting for minor parties to help boost their recognition.
 
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crappycraperson

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Very predictably, the Trump line is that Biden is a socialist:

And then hits him with the dementia.

No point making any predictions while this lockdown is still on, it will be clearer in a few months, after running mates, what is going to happen.
This shows that they did in fact want Sanders to win to hit with him similar ads. No reason to use Bernie in attack ads for Biden otherwise. Strategy is clear if Biden moves more to left to cater to Bernie's base then they attack him with this or he possibly loses some of that base.
 

berbatrick

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This shows that they did in fact want Sanders to win to hit with him similar ads. No reason to use Bernie in attack ads for Biden otherwise. Strategy is clear if Biden moves more to left to cater to Bernie's base then they attack him with this or he possibly loses some of that base.
The John Birch society was a far right conspiracy movement that believed literally everyone, including Eisenhower, was a Communist agent. They were on the fringes of the GOP of that time. It still exists today, and their memebers say that they are invited to local GOP events and agree with everything the party says.

Basically what I'm saying is that calling things socialist and far-left is like breathing oxygen and drinking water for the GOP. They can't not do it. They are doing it to Biden, would have done it to Amy and Pete, and *of course* would have done it to Warren and would have done that and only that with Bernie. Which was our argument all along. You aren't going to avoid GOP attacks of socialism by moving right.
 
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Raoul

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The John Birch society was a far right conspiracy movement that believedliterally everyone, including Eisenhower, was a Communist agent. They were on the fringes of the GOP of that time. It still exists today, and their memebers say that they are invited to local GOP events and agree with everything the party says.

Basically what I'm saying is that calling things socialist and far-left is like breathing oxygen and drinking water for the GOP. They can't not to do it. They are doing it to Biden, would have done it to Amy and Pete, and *of course* would have done it to Warren and would have done that and only that with Bernie. Which was our argument all along. You aren't going to avoid GOP attacks of socialism by moving right.
They may do it against centrists, but of course, it would have far less of an effect on them since the public wouldn't buy it. Doing it against Sanders on the other hand would've been very effective for them.
 

Raoul

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This shows that they did in fact want Sanders to win to hit with him similar ads. No reason to use Bernie in attack ads for Biden otherwise. Strategy is clear if Biden moves more to left to cater to Bernie's base then they attack him with this or he possibly loses some of that base.
100%. Sanders would've been far easier to vilify and make the entire election a referendum between capitalism and socialism. That obviously wouldn't be the case with Biden, so they will spend most of their time on questioning his health, digging further into Burisma, and carting out any accusers they can gin up to appear before cameras - just as they did with Hillary's emails, her health, and Bannon parading Bill's former accusers before cameras.
 

berbatrick

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They may do it against centrists, but of course, it would have far less of an effect on them since the public wouldn't buy it. Doing it against Sanders on the other hand would've been very effective for them.
The last Trump vtoer I spoke to said that, (paraphrasing) "Bernie and Biden I cannot vote for, obviously, they're far left. I haven't heard much about the others but I don't think so."
 

The Brown Bull

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I find it profoundly depressing that after 3 years of Trump tyranny the candidate the Democrats come up with to oppose him is Joe Biden.
WTF America.
 

Raoul

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The last Trump vtoer I spoke to said that, (paraphrasing) "Bernie and Biden I cannot vote for, obviously, they're far left. I haven't heard much about the others but I don't think so."
Possibly because most Trump voters are brainwashed by Fox. Independents and anti-Trump GOP refugees are going to be far more amenable to voting for Biden.
 

Sweet Square

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The John Birch society was a far right conspiracy movement that believedliterally everyone, including Eisenhower, was a Communist agent. They were on the fringes of the GOP of that time. It still exists today, and their memebers say that they are invited to local GOP events and agree with everything the party says.

Basically what I'm saying is that calling things socialist and far-left is like breathing oxygen and drinking water for the GOP. They can't not to do it. They are doing it to Biden, would have done it to Amy and Pete, and *of course* would have done it to Warren and would have done that and only that with Bernie. Which was our argument all along. You aren't going to avoid GOP attacks of socialism by moving right.
100% disagree with you here. It's clear Sanders is bringing on the socialist attack lines from the republicans onto Biden, which means Bernie Sanders should stop campaigning for Biden right now! In fact to put more distance between Biden, Sanders would be better suited running as a 3rd party candidate, that way no one will confused the two. The same should be said for Bernie voters, by campaign and voting for Joe Biden it will also increase the likelihood the Biden will be seen as a socialist.
 

Adisa

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Very predictably, the Trump line is that Biden is a socialist:

And then hits him with the dementia.

No point making any predictions while this lockdown is still on, it will be clearer in a few months, after running mates, what is going to happen.
Even Joe Manchin would be labelled a Socialist.
It's Biden's brain disconnecting that concerns me.
 

senorgregster

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i still believe progressives should protest Biden on the campaign trail on key policies like healthcare/climate change, vote 3rd party in heavy blue states (democratic down ticket) whilst voting biden in swing/red states (democratic down ticket). There should be no easy ride for him. If folks are living in Cali or NY and are extremely progressive, you should be voting for minor parties to help boost their recognition.
Exactly what I'm doing.
 

Revan

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i think as leftists we have to acknowledge that our strategy isn't working. we can't change things from the outside, bernies defeats have made that clear. we have to get a seat at the table and find progress-based solutions for all stakeholders. revan and pogue once told me that its actually fine to donate to right wing politicians because that's how you get them to adopt your ideas. so with that im announcing that I have donated $2300 each to trump and biden. (can't max out my individual contributions until next month smh)
No, instead you should bitch and moan how shit things are, and how GOP and Trump are destroying everything, to further continue by refusing to vote for the Democrats and mention it repeatedly with pride. Which in turn (if many like you do the same) results with GOP and Trump staying in power and continuing to destroy everything, with you continuing to further bitch and moan.
 

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Possibly because most Trump voters are brainwashed by Fox. Independents and anti-Trump GOP refugees are going to be far more amenable to voting for Biden.
You can't classify "independents" as a single group they are completely across the spectrum. And the anti-Trump GOP refugees are already "baked into the numbers" as you say as they all voted Clinton or stayed out in 2016 anyway.

The crucial swing blocks are the ones people like Michael Moore and Brad Parscale identified.
 

Silva

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in a few months time we're going to listen to trump shouting about making a vaccine and china paying for it as joe biden struggles to explain how the vaccine will be means tested
 

In Rainbows

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Why don't all the former Bernie supporters vote for the Green Party?
Because a lot of them realize the huge structural disadvantage that exists with that. It's the reason why there was a split opinion on whether progressives should run separate from Democrats or to try to change the Democrats from within. A majority decided on the latter, but this presidential election was a good wake up call on how tough it still is to do that. Well, not really a wake up call because most understand and knew full well going into things, but more of a better real time example to further their understanding of that.
 

Dante

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Because a lot of them realize the huge structural disadvantage that exists with that. It's the reason why there was a split opinion on whether progressives should run separate from Democrats or to try to change the Democrats from within. A majority decided on the latter, but this presidential election was a good wake up call on how tough it still is to do that. Well, not really a wake up call because most understand and knew full well going into things, but more of a better real time example to further their understanding of that.
I'm talking about the people who believed in Bernie or bust. The ones who refused to vote for Hilary and will now refuse to vote for Biden. The ones will willingly make the path clearer for a second Trump term.

Their argument appears to be about principles: only a candidate who fully represents their views is worthy of their vote, even if not voting means making an enemy of the greater good for sake of the perfect.

If principles are the guiding factor, they should vote Green. If they're choosing not to vote Green because it's tactically pointless, then they should make a tactical vote for Biden. Anything else is a bitter act of cutting off their nose to spite caged up children.
 

Adisa

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I sort of understand the people who do not want to vote but we are looking at a 7-2 disadvantage in the SCOTUS.
Only God knows what the GOP would do with that.
I really would hate voting for a guy that says those within his part that don't agree should vote for Trump or that he would block M4A if it got approved in Congress. Mere thinking about it would make my blood boil.


Dems really shouldn't go along with this argument.
 

Raoul

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I'm talking about the people who believed in Bernie or bust. The ones who refused to vote for Hilary and will now refuse to vote for Biden. The ones will willingly make the path clearer for a second Trump term.

Their argument appears to be about principles: only a candidate who fully represents their views is worthy of their vote, even if not voting means making an enemy of the greater good for sake of the perfect.

If principles are the guiding factor, they should vote Green. If they're choosing not to vote Green because it's tactically pointless, then they should make a tactical vote for Biden. Anything else is a bitter act of cutting off their nose to spite caged up children.
Even the Bernie or Bust crowd are factionalized by different gradations of extremeness. Some of them may actually vote Green, some may stay home and sulk, while others may actually vote for the Dem nominee.
 

Dante

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Even the Bernie or Bust crowd are factionalized by different gradations of extremeness. Some of them may actually vote Green, some may stay home and sulk, while others may actually vote for the Dem nominee.
I don't think you quite understood the 'or bust' part of 'Bernie or bust'.

The first faction is Bernie or Greens, the second faction is Bernie or bust, the third faction is democrats.
 

Raoul

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I don't think you quite understood the 'or bust' part of 'Bernie or bust'.

The first faction is Bernie or Greens, the second faction is Bernie or bust, the third faction is democrats.
Since there isn't an official Bernie or Bust movement that tracks its own adherence or loyalty, all we can do is go by anecdotal polls that are appearing here and there, which seem to suggest about half will vote for Biden, a quarter for someone else, and another quarter for no one at all. That someone else may well be the Greens or some other fringe option.
 

Raoul

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He's been in regular contact with both Sanders and Biden, and I wouldn't be surprised if he nudged Sanders to get out of the race as well, since staying in would be pointless in the absence of having actual primaries to vote in, at a time when Biden is beating him 2 to 1 in most state and national polls.
 

Dante

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Since there isn't an official Bernie or Bust movement that tracks its own adherence or loyalty, all we can do is go by anecdotal polls that are appearing here and there, which seem to suggest about half will vote for Biden, a quarter for someone else, and another quarter for no one at all. That someone else may well be the Greens or some other fringe option.
'Bernie or bust' means Bernie and only Bernie with no other options acceptable.

It's a faction that defines itself.
 

Raoul

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'Bernie or bust' means Bernie and only Bernie with no other options acceptable.

It's a faction that defines itself.
That it does, but there is no such organized faction other than various random twitter people claiming to want to vote Green or stay home. Other than that its just an amorphous concept with no structure, plan, or leader.
 

Dante

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That it does, but there is no such organized faction other than various random twitter people claiming to want to vote Green or stay home. Other than that its just an amorphous concept with no structure, plan, or leader.
What are you struggling to understand?

I'm talking about the people who would only ever vote for Bernie, and will now instead sit at home on election day.
 

Raoul

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Because a lot of them realize the huge structural disadvantage that exists with that. It's the reason why there was a split opinion on whether progressives should run separate from Democrats or to try to change the Democrats from within. A majority decided on the latter, but this presidential election was a good wake up call on how tough it still is to do that. Well, not really a wake up call because most understand and knew full well going into things, but more of a better real time example to further their understanding of that.
Another reason is because it would result in defeat, nothing gained, and having no seat at the political table. At least working from within the Dem party affords them a glimmer of a chance to be politically relevant.
 
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