Post by brianderson on Jun 26, 2019 3:02:15 GMT -5
I've been a political junkie since I was 10 years old, but I'm especially excited about the debates starting today and tomorrow in Miami. I think the Democratic National Committee did an excellent job in setting the qualifications for the candidates to appear, scheduling the debates for broadcast and choosing the line ups on both nights by random drawing. So much better than 2015 and 2016, when Hillary Clinton had the DNC schedule the debates on Saturdays or opposite football games, when fewer people would watch them.
My random thoughts about most of the 20 candidates scheduled to appear, in rough order of their ranking in the public opinion polls:
He didn't qualify, but I've watched several interviews of the Democratic governor of Montana, Steve Bollock, and I'm very impressed by him. He got his deep red state to accept federal Medicaid reimbursements. Took him years. My bones tell me that a Democrat who's been elected statewide in one of the Mountain states more than once -- like Bollock, Bennet or John Hickenlooper -- may possess the marrow to win the Electoral College. Some of those states used to be red -- they've been turning purple and blue. Others remain deep red, but their voters exhibit the kind of common sense that seems to elude Southern and Midwestern states ruled by Republican fetus fetishists. Remember, the cattle ranchers in Wyoming and Montana fought the corporate robber barons, and South Dakota gave us George McGovern.
My random thoughts about most of the 20 candidates scheduled to appear, in rough order of their ranking in the public opinion polls:
- I'm done with Joe Biden. The more he talks, the more people will join me. Norman Solomon is on a crusade -- he passed out flyers listing the worst decisions in Biden's 48-year-long political career at the state party convention in Sacramento this month -- and he writes articles slamming Joe like this one in LA Progressive. I posted a comment at the end.
- Bernie Sanders has redeemed himself by paying more attention to foreign policy since he ran last time, emerging as a leader in the Senate. I agree with almost everything he says, but I'm afraid that Democrats will lose the election in November 2020 if they nominate a socialist as the alternative to Trump. Who would sane Republican women and conservative Democrats choose between those two? Or would they just stay home?
- Elizabeth Warren seems to be the second choice of many Democrats. She's mine too.
- So far, Amy Klobuchar is my candidate. She's not as progressive as many of the contenders, but I think she could beat Trump.
- I'm simply not attracted to Pete Buttigieg or Kamala Harris.
- I love Tulsi Gabbard on every peace and justice issue, and hope she comes through strong enough in the seven minutes she will get to speak so she stays in the race.
- Among the rest, I'll be listening to Michael Bennet, Julian Castro, Cory Booker, Jay Inslee, Marianne Williamson and Eric Swalwell with particular interest.
He didn't qualify, but I've watched several interviews of the Democratic governor of Montana, Steve Bollock, and I'm very impressed by him. He got his deep red state to accept federal Medicaid reimbursements. Took him years. My bones tell me that a Democrat who's been elected statewide in one of the Mountain states more than once -- like Bollock, Bennet or John Hickenlooper -- may possess the marrow to win the Electoral College. Some of those states used to be red -- they've been turning purple and blue. Others remain deep red, but their voters exhibit the kind of common sense that seems to elude Southern and Midwestern states ruled by Republican fetus fetishists. Remember, the cattle ranchers in Wyoming and Montana fought the corporate robber barons, and South Dakota gave us George McGovern.