Hot takes on the Democratic frontrunners

[BigV]

first time reader, second time poster

[BigV]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

I like Pete Buttigieg.

Me too.

Having just finished watching the first half of the second round of (almost half of) the Democratic candidates for the nomination for President... jeeeeeeze.

Honestly, sincerely, bottom of the heart, etc., etc. You could throw a dart. Three darts. Any of them that bounced into the dirt.. they're included. *Any* of them would select a better choice than Trump.

HAVING SAID THAT, and restricting my conversation to the members of the most recent debate....

Any/all/wet paper bag could execute the responsibilities of the Office of the President of the United States better than the squatter-in-residence. Sorry, my partisanship is showing. Let me tuck in my U-S-A fervor for the duration of this one post, at least.

[BigV]

As I said, almost half of the current crop of candidates for the nomination for the Democratic candidate for President just finished their collective turn on the CNN stage in Detroit.

TL;DR

***************
Warren / Buttigieg
2020
***************

My new bumpersticker.

Elizabeth Warren's display of actual facts and details and the NOTABLE absence of populist/racist pandering (Cf. Trump) is a breath of pure oxygen to my asphyxiated sense of democratic responsibilities. I do still have hope for America, I do still feel patriotic, I am (slightly) surprised and (inexpressibly) relieved to find the nation still *singular*, despite Trump's narcissistic spasms to the contrary.

He's loud, he's amplified, he's wrong and deafeningly and blindingly so, so, so wrong...

Tears to my eyes, from the optimism expressed by *every* *single* *one* of these people exhorting me to choose *them* to be the candidate for the Democratic Party candidate for President.

Every one stunningly overqualified compared to Trump.

But what about in the Charisma dept? We'll see.

What about in the media narrative domination department. We'll see.

These things matter in an election and much less so in governance. But of course, one must be elected before one can govern. Hmmm?

[Griff]

Liz kicked ass last night. Of the center right group, only Ryan seemed in touch with reality the other ones were just rolling GOP talking points which no longer hold up.

[Clodfobble]

I don't know anything about Ryan except he's getting wasted on Twitter this morning for one particular interaction with Bernie:

Ryan: Bernie, you don't know that--
Bernie: I DO know that, I wrote the damn bill!

[Griff]

Ha!

Biden seemed more with it last night. Neither he nor Harris seemed to do all that well. CNN seemed a lot more fair than the train wreck on MSNBC. Although, at times, they seemed locked into the Joe / Kamala show, air time and their questions showed that they actually were familiar with the other candidates policy positions. Jay Inslee may have moved into a legit progressive contender slot. Yang did okay, drawing some lines between UBI and and various issues it would actually address. I thought the MLK link was well timed. He would still likely do better in the general than the primary.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Likely he'd capture the anybody but Trump vote.

[Griff]

That's the interesting part, on reddit he seems to have a fair amount of support from Trump voters who've gone soft on Trump.

Yang called out the debate process in his closing remarks.



He does better in longer formats.

[Clodfobble]

Here's my unhelpful hot take on Andrew Yang: everyone's all, "ooh, he won't wear ties, he's hip and an independent thinker"... Bullshit. He won't wear ties because he has an insanely thick neck and would look ridiculous, assuming he could get the top button closed at all.

[Griff]

[Flint]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

Here's my unhelpful hot take on Andrew Yang: everyone's all, "ooh, he won't wear ties, he's hip and an independent thinker"... Bullshit. He won't wear ties because he has an insanely thick neck and would look ridiculous, assuming he could get the top button closed at all.

I mean, he does look like he has a powerful neck, but.. men's dress shirts come in sizes based on two dimensions-- arm length and neck circumference.

(which are independently variable)

[Urbane Guerrilla]

BigV's assessment of "who's better" is most exceedingly poor, with a nice radioactive dust of cobalt-60 sterility sprinkled on top.

Trump's trump card is he knows how an economy works -- better than the total sum of all the anti-trumpkins taken together in a dumptruckload. He knows the worth of our would-be ruling/political club class -- and sets it at its correct value, to their hourly discomfiture.

They ain't worth much, and certainly not worth what they say they are.

This pack of primarians, if I may coin a term, hasn't any idea of economics, and they are between them not worth a vote consequently. The ones that aren't fascists are fantasists.

[BigV]

Hey UG

This country is not the economy, stupid.

It's the people. And the people who are devoted to the ideals that inspire and sustain this country. Look to our motto, "E Pluribus Unum". We are the many; Trump is Unum.

Trump is the alpha and the omega of his universe. He is literally one. He sees everything around him in the context of himself. His narcissism makes him incapable of comprehending, much less serving the public good--even for your touted economy.

He is unfit.

I do not seek to persuade you. I would guide you and teach you by example and instruction, but any gains accrued by you must be earned by you. I can't do it for you.

Right now, you are cold iron and I will not hammer on you.

[henry quirk]

"This country is not the economy, stupid."

No, but the economy (its essential workings) is a damned good measure of liberty.

That is: does the bulk of my money go where I choose, or where technocrats tell me it should go? Can I choose how to attempt to make a buck, or am I regulated out of choice? Can I transact freely, or am I managed?

#

"It's the people. And the people who are devoted to the ideals that inspire and sustain this country."

Yeah, which ideals? Right now, there's two distinctly opposite ideals grindin' up each other: a broad *libertarianism vs a broad **communitarianism. Both lay claim to bein' foundational and both can't be right.









*the individual is sovereign

**the community is sovereign

[tw]

Originally Posted by henry quirk

Right now, there's two distinctly opposite ideals grindin' up each other: a broad *libertarianism vs a broad **communitarianism.

How curious that you ignore the only patriotic Americans. The moderates.