the other half is about how we need to stop talking about people's policies because criticizing Democrats is akin to supporting Donald Trump. This has probably been the most disheartening part of all of this for me. The idea that Democrats cannot be scrutinized for fear of aiding the other side is a dangerous one, and it removes any incentive for them to improve in a meaningful way.
New tensions are flaring on the Senate Judiciary Committee over plans by newly minted Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) to dig into Obama-era scandals.
Graham, a close ally of President Trump’s, has outlined several areas he wants to probe now that he has the Judiciary Committee gavel.
They include the FBI’s handling of its investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email server and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant applications targeting former Trump campaign aide Carter Page.
I didn't say Clinton lost because of Sanders voters staying home. Or Johnson voters. Or Stein voters. Or those who voted for Trump because whatever, they're all the same.The percentage of Clinton primary voters who refused to vote for Obama in 2008 was significantly higher than the percentage of Sanders voters who refused to vote for Clinton in 2016. Her loss to Trump was not because of Sanders supporters, and it would be ill-advised to go into 2020 thinking the issue was a lack of willingness on the part of those on the left to support a centrist like Clinton. That only leads to everything continuing to move to the right.
AbsolutelyThe more I see of Beto O'Rourke, the less I like him to be honest. I think that people should be able to say that without criticism. It should be understood that any final nominee should receive full support from all sane people in America who are able to cast a vote.
I generally agree with this sentiment. It is how I proceeded with my voting in 2016. And while I think it is bad practice for any candidate to proceed as if they are entitled to votes, or that being better than the Republican candidate is all that is required to deserve victory, as a voter I understand how one needs to approach a presidential general election. Full stop.This is why we have primaries. To figure this stuff out.
But if anyone thinks we have the luxury of flattering ourselves with some kind of vanity vote that is for anyone other than the Democratic nominee in order to underscore our own virtue, then go fuck yourself.
A good example is with Kamala Harris' announcement yesterday. Harris has a terrible record as a prosecutor. If you removed references to her name and just looked at which did as attorney general, you would likely assume she was a Republican. And yet I see people saying that it is a smear campaign to bring this up. This visceral defense of anyone with a "D" next to their name frightens me.
Bernie is soft on the NRA.She was not a progressive prosecutor (I don’t know that such a thing exists to be honest). In terms of prosecutors she was about middle of the road. If that alone is disqualifying to some people, fine. But criminal justice is just one issue of many. If we’re disqualifying Dems on single issues then how many are out already? Biden and Bernie for sure.
Bernie is soft on the NRA.
We're eliminating him from consideration now, right?
I suppose it depends on the issue. Any Dem who won't run on Medicare for All is pretty much out in my book. "Affordability" and "access" are not things that drive people out to the polls, and they don't help nearly enough people. Similarly, any Dem who won't take climate change seriously is also out.She was not a progressive prosecutor (I don’t know that such a thing exists to be honest). In terms of prosecutors she was about middle of the road. If that alone is disqualifying to some people, fine. But criminal justice is just one issue of many. If we’re disqualifying Dems on single issues then how many are out already? Biden and Bernie for sure.
The two biggest issues with Sanders in his record/platform are his shitty record on guns, and his lack of a really defined foreign policy viewpoint (though his stance on Palestine is encouraging). That said, I don't see Sanders nominating any Supreme Court justices that would further entrench the gun lobby's position, so it's not a dealbreaker for me. Still, his record is very cowardly and a definite negative that he should have to continue to answer for.Bernie is soft on the NRA.
We're eliminating him from consideration now, right?
Fresh blood is badly needed, but as I outlined, seemingly the whole of Generation X in Democratic politics abandoned the left. What they need is to start finding more Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's to start building a strong, left coalition of young, energetic Democrats who have an eye on the future. There is a major appetite for many of the policies she is championing. That's the sort of thing that can drive out young voters, instead of desperately vying for some mythical batch of independents.
I did see upthread someone say that independents decide every election. I very much disagree with that, or at the very least would argue that it's a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The Medicare for all would be great