11 thoughts on “Friday Open Thread”

1. Democrats need to unite to win. Does that mean that the Democrats and the independents who may vote for team blue have to pretend we do not have different ideas and preferred candidates?

   Some voters want this to be all about defeating Trump. The thing is that really is the mirror reverse (in a bad way) of one of the things wrong with the Republican party at present. Win at any cost and f— the future. Get that brass ring even if it means blowing up the carousel and all the other riders.

   The choice of candidates, for offices low and high is also about governing. What a Democratic president can do will be limited by the nature of the American governmental system, but it also will set up or hinder the future of the Democratic party and the country.

   If the wrong candidate is picked it will give the Republicans a great candidate to run again in the midterms. Every voter is going to have a different idea of what “wrong” means, but to figure out where the majority stands we need to actually fight about the ideas for at least the nominations if not all the way to the Democratic convention.

   In this everyone is going to feel hurt and insulted because we hold our ideals so close to our hearts. Your favorite candidate is going to take hits, fair and unfair. And the press would love nothing better than for everyone to take part in a big Jerry Springer type brawl. We need to compete like teams who love the sport as much as the outcome of the game.

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   1. Win or shut up.

      You make fine points relevant to engaged voters. 
      But we can all unite around the best  candidate, worst candidate, tallest candidate, most female, most diverse, most wealthy, most able to govern, whitest, non-whitest, and on and on and on.

      If all voters vote D – D wins!
      If D voters don't unite, 4MORE MAGA!

      Sure the R strategy – assisted by Russia and others – is divide and agitate the Ds. 
      It's even easier – convince the underemployed of Pennsyltuckey that coal will come back BIGly if only ____ (insert talking point of choice) and Trump knows it and wants it and the Ds want them to die clinging to their stoopid guns and religion.

      Just lose PA and Trump wins.
      But wait! shout well intentioned Ds – Florida!  

      Ok – 4MORE MAGA!

      Hey- we could get Texas if we would just nominate ____ (insert preferred candidate)

      Shut up and vote blue. No matter who, no matter what, no matter which.
      Unless it's a candidate you don't like -t hen vote your heart.
      4MORE MAGA!

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   2. I think the key here Den is don't demonize another member of your own party.  Unity means respect.  You don't earn respect by demonizing another candidate of your own party.

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      1. “Exactly!”, . . .

         . . . said Mitch McConnell, Cory Gardner, Moderatus, . . .

         . . . and every other despicable Ttump toadie . . . 

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2. There are a number of people who have variations on "Democrats in Disarray" explanations with small variations from what I see as a common theme:  people are looking for candidates sharing their preference for policies AND for candidates who can win.  At different moments, even the same person can waffle back and forth between which one of those approaches is most important.

   My sense of the challenge:  a sizeable number who tightly bind the two, emerging with the belief that "only my candidate and his or her policies can win."  Another group say "neither that candidate or his or her policies can win."

   Rachel Bitecofer was pretty successful in predicting 2018 with an alternate approach — "modern American elections are rarely shaped by voters changing their minds, but rather by shifts in who decides to vote in the first place."  And as she looks at the 2018 results, her main claim is results "had nothing to do with Democrats luring swing voters with savvy messaging, and everything to do with a bunch of people, who were appalled by the president, showing up at the polls, wanting to make their feelings known."  She's now saying " the key … to a 2020 Democratic victory will lie less in who is at the top of the ticket than in who gets chosen as veep. A good ticket-mate would be a person of color like Stacey Abrams or Julián Castro, she suggests, someone who can further ignite Democratic partisans who might otherwise stay home."

   I'm buying into that approach — I'm willing to vote for everyone in the field, including Sanders, Biden and Bloomberg (all are too old).  I'm willing to vote for Buttigieg (too inexperienced, too disconnected). I'm willing to vote for Klobuchar or Warren (who may not have enough money and may be too disconnected).  As long as someone emerges and can portray themselves as an anti-Trump and has demonstrated an ability to listen to others and occasionally change their mind to accept compromise (and I think every Democrat still in can), Democrats have a reasonably good chance. 

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   1. smh 

      Let me help you JID – 

      I'm willing to vote for everyone in the field. , including Sanders, Biden and Bloomberg (all are too old).  I'm willing to vote for Buttigieg (too inexperienced, too disconnected). I'm willing to vote for Klobuchar or Warren (who may not have enough money and may be too disconnected).  As long as someone emerges and can portray themselves as an anti-Trump and has demonstrated an ability to listen to others and occasionally change their mind to accept compromise (and I think every Democrat still in can), Democrats have a reasonably good chance if we all vote D

       

       

      I'm willing to vote for everyone in the field anti-Trump. 
      Democrats have a reasonably good chance if we all vote D.

      or

      Vote Blue. (ht Duke)

       

       

       

       

      The minute voters start qualifying the unity vote by – well, yeah I can't understand why we nominated such a bad candidate but I'm gonna vote for them anyway, we increase disunity and encourage 4MORE!

       

       

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   2. I'm hoping for a Bloomberg/Harris ticket.  Maybe a pipe dream but it would be a potent combination.

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      1. Now, you are just trolling us.

         (Edit… Got it. the clue was the pipe dream as in hash-pipe.)

         To go along with your little joke, explain why Harris would work with Bloomberg. What does she get out of it? What does he get?

         Most importantly, How would that be a winning combination for running against Trump?

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3. A very thoughtful and insightful thread like this one is a foundational reason I have been hanging around here for sooo long.

   Thanks, ya'll.

   Don't get me wrong…troll bashing is fun, too.😎

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4. Well, at least she's not your former Democratic congresswoman…

   FBI Arrests Hacker Linked to Former Rep. Katie Hill’s Campaign

   During the campaign, the websites of Hill’s opponents, Democrats Jess Phoenix and Bryan Caforio, who was supported by Justice Democrats, were both attacked, though Hill’s never was, raising suspicions at the time that Hill’s campaign was behind them. One major attack on Caforio’s campaign website came at a crucial moment, just an hour before the biggest debate of the primary, the complaint notes. Hill eventually won the California primary by fewer than 3,000 votes.

   The FBI launched a probe that zeroed in on the Hill campaign in 2019, according to FBI correspondence reviewed by The Intercept. Hill did not immediately respond for comment.

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5. Bernie Sanders briefed by U.S. officials that Russia is trying to help his presidential campaign

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