JoeOtterbein
JoeOtterbein's JournalIt's Biden vs. Bernie as war bursts into presidential race
The Democratic primary could come down to a simple question: Do voters want Biden’s promise of a steady hand, or Bernie’s revolutionary zeal?
By RYAN LIZZA
01/10/2020 05:08 AM EST
Last Saturday in Iowa, the day after an American MQ-9 Reaper dropped its ordnance on Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad, Joe Biden moved quickly to make himself the face of Democratic opposition to Trump’s drone strike. It was early evening at a Des Moines elementary school gymnasium, and despite the dip in temperature and the long lines to get inside, a larger and more engaged audience than the ones he attracted over the summer and fall was waiting for the former vice president.
It was a white-collar crowd—Des Moines-area lawyers and insurance industry professionals and a smattering of D.C. Obama veterans now in town to help Biden in the homestretch. The top lawyer at ICE under the last administration was there, and told me it was the first time he’d ever canvassed Iowa for a candidate.
ran had heightened the stakes. “#WWIII” was trending online and predictions of an all-out war were commonplace. Trump might now benefit from the halo that glows atop all wartime leaders, at least for a time. And the importance of the outcome of the Democratic primary—to say nothing of the country and the world— had suddenly ballooned. Would voters want an experienced hand whose position on world affairs is basically, “Trust me, I know what I’m doing” (Biden) or would they gravitate toward someone like Bernie Sanders, whose ringing calls to get the U.S. out of Middle East quagmires have the benefit of clarity, but make many a D.C. foreign-policy hand queasy? The answer may help determine who wins over the Democratic base, and perhaps the country, come November.
While waiting for Biden that evening in Des Moines, one of the pre-program speakers led the crowd in singing “God Bless America.” When he arrived, Biden the candidate still winked and shot finger guns at well-wishers and hugged them afterwards, but it was Biden the commander-in-chief that his advisers wanted on display. The former veep pilloried what he viewed as Trump’s recklessness and called for congressional authorization of any further military engagement with Iran. His aides began planning a major speech on the issue in New York for the following Tuesday.
snip
more at link
Elizabeth Warren's surprising closing argument
A candidate known for battling Bernie Sanders for the hearts of progressives is pitching her electability in the weeks leading up to Iowa.
By ALEX THOMPSON
01/09/2020 08:06 PM EST
Elizabeth Warren is often portrayed in media as a figure of the left-wing, locked in a battle with Bernie Sanders for the progressive base of the party. In fact, polling frequently shows she's the second choice not just of Sanders voters, but of Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg supporters, too.
Seeking a spark heading into the Iowa caucuses, Warren and her allies are making a surprising closing argument: That she’s best positioned to unite and excite the party — and is therefore the most electable.
It’s the first time Warren’s orbit has made the electability pitch so overtly. But the campaign has been quietly implementing that strategy since 2018, when Warren raised or donated $11 million to Democratic candidates and began drawing subtle distinctions with Sanders (She described herself as a "capitalist to my bones,” in contrast to Sanders preference for democratic socialism). Warren has also mostly abstained from attacking other Democrats in an attempt not to alienate supporters of other candidates. Her campaign staff reflects the approach, with a mix of officials from Sanders, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton’s past campaigns.
“She has gone above and beyond to convince establishment types that she is a team player and a Democrat,” said Ian Sams, the former national press secretary for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. “I don’t think they see her as a left-wing extremist, and they respect her seriousness and policy chops.”
snip
more at link
Bernie emerges as growing threat to Biden
The former veep is more concerned about Sanders than he lets on.
By NATASHA KORECKI
01/09/2020 05:08 AM EST
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — When Bernie Sanders attacked Joe Biden recently, the former vice president dismissed his former Senate colleague with a contemptuous brush-off.
“You guys expect me to take Bernie’s comments seriously? Come on,” Biden told reporters as he left an Iowa campaign event last week. “I don’t respond to Bernie’s ridiculous comments.”
But that’s Biden’s public posture.
Both in tactics and rhetoric, there are growing signs he takes his rival very seriously — and that he increasingly views Sanders as his most formidable opponent in Iowa and beyond.
The Biden campaign has specifically courted the endorsement of community leaders in Iowa who backed Sanders in 2016. They’ve sought to combat Sanders’ recent habit of rolling out star surrogates like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez with their own A-list surrogates. And last week, Biden’s five-day Iowa bus tour heavily concentrated on the eastern part of the state — the biggest regional battleground between the two candidates because of its concentration of working-class voters.
snip
more at link
This is Why Bernie will Beat Trump like Many Hammers on Many Piano Strings!
Day after day we see proof right here on DU from a very unlikely source; Dems who are solidly against Bernie.
Almost everyone of us on DU have proclaimed, like me to vote for whoever wins our Primary. But many of us who oppose Bernie will often post positive support from non-Dems about what they like about Bernie.
This is a great thing for Bernie. Not a bad thing.
It's hard for most of us political junkies, like myself, to imagine that most people don't care or even hear what we think about any of our candidates. What they do hear is when say, a former supporter of Trump, or even worse to some a Jill Stein supporter, proclaim they like Bernie or Joe or whoever.
Night after night I read posts here on DU extolling some actress or other Bernie supporter who vocally voted for someone other than a Dem in 2016.
Thanks all! This is why I know Sen. Sanders will be our 46th POTUS!!!!
Now, please have fun today and tomorrow my dear Dem friends. Because I know I will!!!!!!!!
Trump more distrusted than Putin, Xi: poll
Only 29 percent of people worldwide are confident in US president to do the right thing.
By LAURENZ GEHRKE 1/8/20, 8:58 PM CET Updated 1/8/20, 9:03 PM CET
Donald Trump is more distrusted worldwide than Russian President Vladimir Putin or China’s Xi Jinping, according to a new poll.
The survey of people in more than 30 countries by Pew Research Center showed the U.S. president had the most negative ratings out of five world leaders when participants were asked whether they trusted them to do the right thing in world affairs.
Sixty-four percent said they had no confidence in Trump, compared with 57 percent for Putin and 43 percent for Xi. Just 29 percent had confidence in Trump.
“As has been the case throughout his presidency, U.S. President Donald Trump receives largely negative reviews from publics around the world,” the report said.
snip
more at link
Trump is clearly snorting something...
...that he loves the taste of. Likely cocaine.
Any other possibilities?
ELECTIONS The little-noticed change that could boost Biden and hurt Bernie in 2020
(Disclaimer: the following article is written by the DU poster's daughter)
Several states are ditching caucuses, which tend to benefit candidates with smaller but more fervent bases of support.
By HOLLY OTTERBEIN 01/03/2019 05:07 AM EST
Bernie Sanders’ surprise performance against Hillary Clinton in 2016 was fueled by his dominance in a slate of states that voted by caucus, a format that allowed the Vermont senator to capitalize on his smaller but more fervent base of supporters.
In 2020, Sanders will lose some of that edge.
Several states that caucused in 2016 will hold primaries instead in 2020, potentially dealing a blow to Sanders and other Democratic hopefuls with zealous followings.
snip
Sanders’ allies aren’t buying that it will be hurt his chances if he runs for president again, though.
Jeff Weaver, Sanders’ 2016 campaign manager, said “the practical effect on a Bernie Sanders 2020 run is — I don’t think there is any.”
Weaver agrees with the premise that passionate voters can have an outsized effect in low-turnout caucuses: “If you have a dedicated group of folks, because the number of people at caucuses is generally lower, they can have a bigger impact.”
But there’s a flip side, he said: It’s easier to persuade infrequent voters to show up to a primary than a caucus — and “Bernie Sanders and other progressive candidates will disproportionately get the votes of people who are not consistent voters.”
Read More:
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/03/2020-elections-caucuses-democrats-primaries-bernie-sanders-1078031
I have to shamefully admit that my paternal ancestors were from a S***hole country.
They fled a country that in the first half of the 1900's killed at least 6 million people because of their race, religious beliefs or any insane reason they could needlessly come up with.
I'm still often brought to my knees in tears thinking of the pain and suffering they wrought upon our fellow humans.
I will remain ashamed of that horrible "heritage" the rest of my life.
In so many ways, we are the children of evil humans.
Now is the time to pile on the GOP Corp Stimulus. Because they gave us the case for spending more.
The so called GOP "deficit Hawks" have turned out to be fat cat Turkeys who agree that deficit spending is great as long as the spending "promotes growth."
Remember, that is their central argument. We may know that is wrong, but as Dems we do know proper deficit spending, like universal healthcare will promote growth by freeing everyone from the CEO to the pot-washer from paying and worrying about healthcare cost
You could start your own business along the new road and the rapid transit station that was built with increased infrastructure spending that we can now afford because companies are now free to add jobs and, well, something wonderful, we have plenty of money.
If it makes sense to them today, make sure they know it makes sense to them again tomorrow.
P.S Does anyone else wonder why no one has asked Trump how many jobs his hotels/clubs will add because of the cuts? I've heard all his kitchens need help and maintenance.
I called my Republican Congressman & Senator, here's my short message to both:
I told my PA Rep. Scott Perry and Senator Pat Toomey that I was distressed to hear that such a fiscal hawk who vote to add at least a Trillion in debt for no apparent reason. And that my only conclusion was that they have to vote for the bill to pay back their donors.
I got to Perry's York office on first try. The woman who answered the phone was very polite as was the gentleman who answered at Toomey's office in Allentown after about 5 tries.
Everyone please keep calling!
Profile Information
Name: Joe OtterbeinGender: Male
Hometown: DelMarVa & PA (heading to PNW soon!)
Home country: United States
Current location: York County, PA
Member since: Sun Oct 28, 2012, 09:54 AM
Number of posts: 7,841