Someone Has To Do It: US Elections 2020

[Nocturnal Submission]

They think the GOP moderates who didn't vote for HRC will vote for Biden, forgetting that this just ensures that tons of Bernie voters stay home.

Will they, though? Unless Biden alters his platform to accommodate his new-found Republican supporters, who don't appear to be asking that he do so and are merely signalling their unhappiness with Trump, surely the left will just see their new temporary bedfellows as a handy electoral advantage?

[anton pulisov]

They think the GOP moderates who didn't vote for HRC will vote for Biden, forgetting that this just ensures that tons of Bernie voters stay home.

But won't the swathes of young voters be energised by Joe Biden's proposal to lower the qualification age for Medicare to 60?

[Flynnie]

Will they, though? Unless Biden alters his platform to accommodate his new-found Republican supporters, who don't appear to be asking that he do so and are merely signalling their unhappiness with Trump, surely the left will just see their new temporary bedfellows as a handy electoral advantage?

His platform is already Republican.

[That Night In Barcelona]

His platform is already Republican.

But if the media that they consume is screaming from the rooftops that he wants to institute godless communism and instigate a race war, it doesn't matter. Part of the problem with running on the vague policy of 'being anyone but Trump' means the media get to fill in the blanks about what Biden's presidency would look like.

At least when Bernie was running, he had a very clear set of policies and that meant he could, for instance, do a town hall meeting with a Fox News audience and win them over because he could clearly explain what he wanted to achieve in power.

[Nocturnal Submission]

His platform is already Republican.

There you go, then. There's no downside to having Kasich, Powell and the others providing testimonials.

[San Bernardhinault]

If anybody is offended enough by Colin Powell endorsing Biden that they’re going to sit at home and help keep Trump in office, they were never going to vote for Biden in the first place.

I think the DNC may be over-egging the “Joe is the bipartisan choice” thing, and have a few too many ex-Republicans on show at convention, but I don’t think it’s going to make people stay home who weren’t already staying home.

[DCI Harry Batt]

Right-wing Democrats' losing is always, always always the fault of people to their left, and never, ever ever their fault for being horrific right-wing shits. Them's the rulez.

[Flynnie]

There you go, then. There's no downside to having Kasich, Powell and the others providing testimonials.

I kind of agree, I don’t see how this would be the tipping point versus all the stuff Joe has said and done that has been pandering to the centre-right Never Trump Republican.

But Joe’s emailed today about being out-fundraised by Trump, so maybe the problem is the progressive left aren’t jumping off the ship but rather they haven’t gotten on the ship in the first place.

[ursus arctos]

No one except political junkies, political professionals and journalists actually watches the conventions.

This has been true for several cycles, but is especially true given the pandemic.

This convention exists primarily to produce one to three minute clips that can be used to target specific audiences over the next three months.

[Flynnie]

No one except political junkies, political professionals and journalists actually watches the conventions.

This has been true for several cycles, but is especially true given the pandemic.

This convention exists primarily to produce one to three minute clips that can be used to target specific audiences over the next three months.

it’s awful. I watched some on the Chapo Twitch stream, and even accounting for the fact there’s not much the DNC could do to impress Matt Christman and Felix Biederman, it’s awful. Jimmy Carter sounded like he was dead in his speech, Bill Clinton sounds like he’ll be dead sooner rather than later*, everything is an empty platitude, most of the state officials doing nominating look embarrassing more than anything. It sucks.

*say what you want about Clinton and his politics, but he used to be a hell of a public speaker capable of just eviscerating the Republicans. Baptist preacher, fire and brimstone Bill was just not on show last night.

[Nefertiti2]

"There's no point voting Democrats and Republicans are exactly the same"

"No they're not- here's John Kasich and Colin Powell to explain why"


meanwhile in important matters the Democrat leadership are kicking their supporters, their voters, and the planet in the teeth.

https://twitter.com/jamieclimate/status/1296074584152616961?s=20

[Nefertiti2]

If anybody is offended enough by Colin Powell endorsing Biden that they’re going to sit at home and help keep Trump in office, they were never going to vote for Biden in the first place.

I think the DNC may be over-egging the “Joe is the bipartisan choice” thing, and have a few too many ex-Republicans on show at convention, but I don’t think it’s going to make people stay home who weren’t already staying home.

Wow- you can watch the centrist Democrats moving to the right in real time.

[San Bernardhinault]

But Joe’s emailed today about being out-fundraised by Trump, so maybe the problem is the progressive left aren’t jumping off the ship but rather they haven’t gotten on the ship in the first place.

Possibly. But never, ever believe fundraising emails. They always want to tell you how urgent it is to raise money right now, and how they're being outraised by their opponents. Also look at the polls they advertise. They tell you they're just behind or just ahead in basically every state, to try and give the impression that your $50 will push them over the edge.

[San Bernardhinault]

Wow- you can watch the centrist Democrats moving to the right in real time.

Are you referring to me "moving to the right" because I don't think much harm is done by having Colin Powell - who endorsed Democrats in 2008, 2012 and 2016 - give a speech at the convention?

[ursus arctos]

I was just thinking yesterday that I need to set up a burner account for political contributions, as the filters are no longer efficacious

[Incandenza]

It's still depressing seeing as many high-profile Republicans being picked by the Democrats to represent their party at the convention as Latino politicians have been invited to speak.

On the Powell invite, the Onion once again predicted history:

[URL="https://twitter.com/MaxKennerly/status/1295867232476684289"]https://twitter.com/MaxKennerly/stat...67232476684289[/URL]

[Nefertiti2]

Are you referring to me "moving to the right" because I don't think much harm is done by having Colin Powell - who endorsed Democrats in 2008, 2012 and 2016 - give a speech at the convention?

It was more this bit actually

I think the DNC may be over-egging the “Joe is the bipartisan choice” thing, and have a few too many ex-Republicans on show at convention, but I don’t think it’s going to make people stay home who weren’t already staying home.

I think the absolute inability to read the room, or to do anything towards change, is risking the election.

it was Hillary Clinton's "business as usual" that lost the election to Trump and "back to business as usual" is likely to be just as dangerous- the utter contempt shown for those who need change.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Forgive me for asking OTF for a precis rather than, you know, doing any actual reading (although I'd trust what I read here more anyway) but is there a summary of what either candidate is going to actually do yet, other than "not be Trump" or "not be Biden"?

[DCI Harry Batt]

Do you mean "say they are going to do"? Or are you asking what they will actually do?

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Either, at this point. I suppose we have to start with the "what they say they will do" before further speculation.

[Sporting]

---

Hopefully, Biden will renew or strengthen ties with organisations such as WHO. And block nonsensical drilling in places like Alaska. There's so much more, I know.

[San Bernardhinault]

I think Biden's main pitch is that he won't be Trump, and Trump's main pitch is that he'll continue being Trump.

I don't think Trump has actually proposed any extension at all on his current agenda. I can't recall seeing a single new proposal.

Biden's messaging is mostly about a "return to normal". Having a government that's boring and that most people can ignore for long periods. It's not exactly going to get the juices flowing, but I do think that it's what a lot of people want. But if you thought the pre-Trump status quo entrenched monstrous wealth indifferences, left power in the hands of corporations and their lawyers, did very little to help the poor, to help immigrants, to help minorities that have structurally entrenched problems created by society, did nothing to prevent environmental catastrophe, and allowed the massively over-funded military-complex to run wild with extra-judicial, extra-legal foreign engagements, or you aren't going to be very excited.

There are some specifics in Biden's agenda - for example creating a public option for the healthcare exchanges, which is obviously necessary and should have happened under Obama, but is tinkering at the edge of the healthcare problems in America. But most things that Presidents propose as policies at this point don't, won't and can't get enacted because the President would need a veto-proof majority of Senators (not just in their own party, but in their own party and not trying to protect themselves in upcoming elections)

[Diable Rouge]

A very plausible scenario that could cause an Electoral College tie:

[Incandenza]

Is it better that we just ignore Laura Loomer, or should we mention her primary victory?

[ursus arctos]

A question I've been asking myself.

I am curious about the extent to which the nomination of QAnon believers and the likes of Loomer as official GOP Congressional candidates is getting attention outside of the US