Jump to content

2020 Democratic Debates Watch Thread


bad_teammate

Recommended Posts

A big chunk of this board isn’t going to like what I’m about to type.

Having Trump for four more years would be really tough for this country in multiple ways. The Democrats have to figure out a way to beat him. However, there is a huge problem lurking.

The country is roughly 40% Democrat, 40% Republican, and 20% is up for grabs. I know the party affiliations don’t exactly align to that but when it comes to actual voting, that’s roughly what happens. So you have to win over 11% of the 20%.

Some of the biggest policies being touted over the last two days are going to scare a significant piece of that 20%, including at least the 3 below:

1. Medicare for all
2. Free college
3. Student loan debt cancellation.

These are such lightning rod issues it could sway a big chunk of the 20%, losing the election and keeping Trump in office. You can say polls show overwhelming support for these policies but I don’t believe it. You have to isolate the 20% in those polls. What do the Democrats do?

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A big chunk of this board isn’t going to like what I’m about to type.

Having Trump for four more years would be really tough for this country in multiple ways. The Democrats have to figure out a way to beat him. However, there is a huge problem lurking.

The country is roughly 40% Democrat, 40% Republican, and 20% is up for grabs. I know the party affiliations don’t exactly align to that but when it comes to actual voting, that’s roughly what happens. So you have to win over 11% of the 20%.

Some of the biggest policies being touted over the last two days are going to scare a significant piece of that 20%, including at least the 3 below:

1. Medicare for all
2. Free college
3. Student loan debt cancellation.

These are such lightning rod issues it could sway a big chunk of the 20%, losing the election and keeping Trump in office. You can say polls show overwhelming support for these policies but I don’t believe it. You have to isolate the 20% in those polls. What do the Democrats do?


Counterpoint:

(1) Possibly retarded

(2) Probably a rapist

(3) Definitely a traitor
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nothing groundbreaking with this post, but it's good to gain some clarity so we can begin the clear the field. As I said earlier, right now is a process of elimination. After these first two debates, I think we can safely cross out half of the candidates as just pretenders. Here's my top ten as the stand right now:

1-2. Harris/Warren

3. Buttigieg

4-6. Sanders/Booker/Biden

7. Castro

8-9. Inslee/O'Rourke

10. Klobuchar

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After the debate, Bernie's National Co-Chair spoke to TYT (basically a Bernie Sanders media outlet) and agreed with Swalwell that Buttigieg should fire the police chief, even though the actual investigation hasn't been completed yet. She also joins in with mischaracterization of Pete telling a black woman "I'm not asking for your vote" to mean he doesn't care about the black vote, when he clearly meant he was at the march in his capacity as mayor, not a presidential candidate. 

The desperation is pretty off putting. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Mojo Hand said:

IMO the contenders for president are Warren, Harris, Biden, Bernie, and Booker (longshot).   The VP candidates are Pete, Booker, Beto, Harris, and Castro.  Pete doesn't cross over without getting some traction with black voters. 

So your VP candidates are all, and wisely so, minorities or gay?  Except one.  Robert O'Rourke who is whiter than even Bernie Sanders.  A Sanders/O'Rourke or Biden/O'Rourke ticket (which I think is likely) would be the whitest ticket the Democrats have trotted out since Dukakis/Bentsen.  Maybe since the Civil War.  

Edited by Lobo
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Lobo said:

So your VP candidates are all, and wisely so, minorities or gay?  Except one.  Robert O'Rourke who is whiter than even Bernie Sanders.  

VPs can also come from outside the candidate field, so there are plenty of other options who are not in the debates right now. Like Stacey Abrams for Biden, or generic white guy for anyone. 

Edited by Mojo Hand
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, Mojo Hand said:

VPs can also come from outside the candidate field, so there are plenty of other options who are not in the debates right now. Like Stacey Abrams for Biden, or generic white guy for anyone. 

Hahaha Stacey Abrams does not like Joe Biden.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:


Strike that, reverse it

Agreeing with Mojo that Veep candidates can come from outside the existing field, I think the following would probably be the pairs from the conventional-thinking and punditry perspective (race, age, ideology, demeanor) among the current contenders:

Harris/Buttigieg

Warren/Castro

Sanders/Booker

Biden/Castro

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agreeing with Mojo that Veep candidates can come from outside the existing field, I think the following would probably be the pairs from the conventional-thinking and punditry perspective (race, age, ideology, demeanor) among the current contenders:

Harris/Buttigieg

Warren/Castro

Sanders/Booker

Biden/Castro

 

Harris and Warren in either order would be kickass too. And if Biden wins Harris would be a wise choice for VP, if she wants it.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After sleeping on it, I think Biden is pretty far down the list of who the best president would be out of this group. At the same time, I feel like he is the best candidate from a “guarantee Trump doesn’t get re-elected” standpoint. I don’t think he’ll make it to the general election though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The entire raison d'etre for Joe Biden's campaign is "I can beat Donald Trump."  That is 100% the basis for his current support.  Nobody loves Joe Biden because his policy positions.  He doesn't have any.  Nobody loves Joe Biden because of his intense personal charisma.  He doesn't have that.  

They'll vote for him because they think he is the best chance to beat Trump.

Did he look like he would beat Donald Trump last night?  

He couldn't put together a cogent two-minute thought.  On two separate occasions, he had to bail out of his own rambling with "oh, my time is up, ok."  No, Joe--your time isn't up.  Keep going.  Oh, you can't?  Ok, then.

Harris just gutted a septuagenarian in front of a national audience.  Does anybody think she wouldn't do the same to another septuagenarian if she got the nomination?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

They're far from the winners of the debate, but I was pleasantly surprised with the performances of Tim Ryan and Eric Swalwell. Kamala obviously tore Biden to shreds but I thought Swalwell had the zinger of the night when he got Biden on the "we need to pass the torch" line from 32 years ago. 

Ryan was super unpolished and fumbled a bit but I liked what he had to say. I really knew nothing about him coming into the debates and while he's nowhere near a contender for the nomination, I think he could be a darkhorse for the VP spot, depending on the nominee.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Ghost of LL said:

The entire raison d'etre for Joe Biden's campaign is "I can beat Donald Trump."  That is 100% the basis for his current support.  Nobody loves Joe Biden because his policy positions.  He doesn't have any.  Nobody loves Joe Biden because of his intense personal charisma.  He doesn't have that.  

 They'll vote for him because they think he is the best chance to beat Trump.

Did he look like he would beat Donald Trump last night?  

He couldn't put together a cogent two-minute thought.  On two separate occasions, he had to bail out of his own rambling with "oh, my time is up, ok."  No, Joe--your time isn't up.  Keep going.  Oh, you can't?  Ok, then.

 Harris just gutted a septuagenarian in front of a national audience.  Does anybody think she wouldn't do the same to another septuagenarian if she got the nomination?

Joe Biden's most memorable moments:

"I'm still holding on to that torch."

Later, makes an argument in favor of state's rights.

"Anyway, my time is up. I'm sorry."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Dbeasy said:

A big chunk of this board isn’t going to like what I’m about to type.

Having Trump for four more years would be really tough for this country in multiple ways. The Democrats have to figure out a way to beat him. However, there is a huge problem lurking.

The country is roughly 40% Democrat, 40% Republican, and 20% is up for grabs. I know the party affiliations don’t exactly align to that but when it comes to actual voting, that’s roughly what happens. So you have to win over 11% of the 20%.

Some of the biggest policies being touted over the last two days are going to scare a significant piece of that 20%, including at least the 3 below:

1. Medicare for all
2. Free college
3. Student loan debt cancellation.

These are such lightning rod issues it could sway a big chunk of the 20%, losing the election and keeping Trump in office. You can say polls show overwhelming support for these policies but I don’t believe it. You have to isolate the 20% in those polls. What do the Democrats do?
 

Stated another way, I'm amazed how setting it out like this makes me think I'd vote for a decent Republican, if such existed.

I think whoever wins the nomination is going to moderate these approaches -- they just need to be careful and start setting the stage now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, longhornmatt said:

True.  In 2016, the media chatter would be about how Chris Christie or Rubio or Carly Fiorina was the big debate star - all probably true by how the media and people on this board judge - and then Trump would have the exact same lead in the polls.

Like Trump, Biden is drawing his support from old people.  Old people don’t give two shits about these debates, or if they do, they’re not so bothered by watching an old guy say things old people would say.

the olds go to bed about the time the debates begin. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, Pig Bellmont said:

Everyone is too quick to write Biden’s epitaph based on this one debate, but I don’t see that yet.

I will say one thing, however, he looked old

yep.  sounded old too.  reminded me of Lee Corso trying to get through a two-sentence thought coherently.

Link to comment
Share on other sites



×
×
  • Create New...