Breaking Beto

Yea I don't think Beto is the right fit for the Dems in 2020.

The search for the "perfect candidate" continues...

Hickenlooper still your front runner Ned?

I don't think we really know if Trump is going to run in 2020.

If he does, I think Biden is the best person to go toe to toe with him.

If he doesn't run...well, I don't know who would be best.

>> I think Biden is the best person

Didn't he plagiarize JFK speeches or something?

we can't have nice leaders.

Biden may garner some votes.

But President? When this may be the only time to get shit done for everybody.

Throw him a bone VP?

Biden is another neo-liberal, corporate whore.   Fuck him.  Progressives will not vote for him and Trump will win.

Bernie is the best bet to beat Trump or any other Republican, just like in 2016.

Richie you think an Independent can win the Presidency?

>> Progressives will not vote for him and Trump will win. <<

That lesson was learned in 2016. 2020 will be a mandate on Trump. However, if he gets voted out, Bryen will say it was a coup driven by the media and he will be sad.

We need somebody not as old and not as tied to Wall St. and neo-liberal ideas as Biden or other "regular" Dems, but not so left as to scare off the independents. Merkley's looking better and better.

And he likes kittens!

Washington (CNN)

Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley is joining forces with a Republican congressman to stop Agriculture Department researchers from euthanizing kittens used in their work.

Merkley told CNN he introduced on Wednesday a Senate version of the KITTEN Act -- officially, the "Kittens in Traumatic Testing Ends Now Act of 2018."

"The USDA breeds up to 100 kittens a year, feeds them parasite-infected meat in order to have the parasite's eggs harvested for use in other experiments, and then kills the kittens," Merkley said. "This bill would essentially stop this process."

Any message for the working class voters other than the caddie code? 

Biden should run on a 1 term pledge. A vote for Biden will kick the Orange Bum out, and him declaring a 1 term limit will enable him to steer the country in the right direction (read: health care, pharma reform, etc) and not have to worry about getting re-elected.

Caddie Code...

And to think, you still got it wrong Slack.

You ready to take your mulligan yet?

>>but not so left as to scare off the independents

The independents are left.

bernie would have won in 2016

Surf - I like Merkely for alot of reasons. I like what he's been doing on the border also.

He would do great in a cabinet position.

Ateix, What's your idea of an ideal candidate?

It's cool if they have a sweet vinyl collection, but besides that.

Merkeley is great. He needs to be better known before expecting to win.

I think T.O.D.'s meme or whatever it is, is right on; there will be no unsullied candidate and none that I like everything about. Pick your battle(s).

Bernie might win, I guess, and I would like that. It may be a matter of how much time/energy/money gets spent finding the best candidate.

Good luck to the planet in 2020!

Yes, Merkley doesn't have the name rec, but neither did Obama at first.

How do they get name rec? 

Beto polled higher than Obama did in first Iowa caucus.

>Biden should run on a 1 term pledge. A vote for Biden will kick the Orange Bum out, and him declaring a 1 term limit will enable him to steer the country in the right direction (read: health care, pharma reform, etc) and not have to worry about getting re-elected.<

dude, upgrade to a glass pipe.

Why can't we use the same healthcare and pharma reform proposals from 2016? What are they? 

Who will lift affordable housing restrictions? 

A non vote(including 3rd party and write ins) in a state that had traditionally voted blue has been justified by many here. Understood.  BUT Bernie would have by some miracle won the electoral college? He would have carried FL, PA, WI, TX...what state would he have won that Clinton didn't?  

>>> Who will lift affordable housing restrictions? <<<

No Republican ever.

I really hope this helps.

I'm not voting for anyone who doesn't have ideas or plans anymore. I need to hear more reasons than they're not Republicans. 

My vote won't matter anyway so I won't get what I'm looking for. 

This exact conversation is the problem.

At this point, I'd take Biden in a heartbeat.  It'd be gravy if he made a one year pledge or any other overtures to reform.

While I'm sure he's got plenty of baggage re: special interests, I can't help but believe he'd try to do the "right thing" first and foremost; even if it's based more in his ego's desire to be noted in history as helping to "save nation".    In light of his son's death and watching his speech at McCain's memorial, I think he'd have enough of a moral compass and general "calming influence" across the aisle to at least give us a chance to dig out of the hole we're now in; even in spite of his being VP with Obama and the GOP spin machine's best efforts.

Yeah we need a President to chill shit out.

Fuck that. We need someone to handle this shit (everything) aggressively from top to bottom.

Not sit around and wait for their oatmeal to cool off.

Definitely not saying aggressive reform is not needed, just that Biden would not alienate 1/3 of the country right out of the gate ... without hope of ever winning them back.

If it were up to me, I'd start with laying the groundwork for a major bi-partisan Constitutional overhaul from top to bottom.  As much as it's a pipe dream, it'd at least be a way to lay the cards on the table face up to illustrate the problem of how our system is currently being "gamed".

As much as I agree with you, the "realist" in me sees how meaningful reform might necessitate an incremental approach.

... and as much as that 1/3 are totally off their rockers as to how they view Trump, let alone how we're STILL in the midst of "aftershocks" from the Civil War re: racism and voting, I do believe they have legitimate concerns underneath all of it. 

well. you people could concentrate your energies locally and maybe would see some results.

waiting for some president to "right the ship" is a fucking pipe dream fucking hippies.

I'm hoping Tulsi Gabbard runs with Sanders. Now THAT would be awesome, unlikely though it may be.

^ Tulsi was on Joe Rogan about 6 months or so ago- I enjoyed their conversation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIb2lmHgd5s

I like centrism, which is electable.

But greens gonna green, with delighted support from the GOP....same as it ever was.

Jeff Merkley is a solid dude and would make a great president.   Not sure if he will run though.  He is up for reelection in the Senate and Oregon has a rule that you can only run for one office at a time.    If he does throw his hat in the ring, he will need to shine at the debates to stand out in what is sure to be a crowded and colorful stage full of contenders.   

But technically, I don't have a dog in that fight.  As an independent, I can't vote in Oregon's closed primaries.

You can re-register as a D. if you want to vote in their primary.

>>He would have carried FL, PA, WI, TX...what state would he have won that Clinton didn't?  

PA, WI and MI, states where people drive to their low paying jobs past shuttered factories where they used to have good paying jobs until the jobs moved to Mexico under Clinton's NAFTA.   Bernie also would have campaigned there, Clinton ignored those states in her quest for money from the hoi polloi.   He might have won Florida as well.   Lot's of Brooklyn Jews down there.

>PA, WI and MI, states where people drive to their low paying jobs past shuttered factories where they used to have good paying jobs until the jobs moved to Mexico under Clinton's NAFTA<

Given the choice between a Socialist or a Businessman to fix the economy,  i believe working class white folks in these states will pick the Businessman most times.

Richie,

Bernie ran as a Democrat in the 2016 Primary.

He can't run as one in 2020.*New DNC Rule will not allow him to run as an Independent in the 2020 Dem Primary*

He'll have to change his party to Dem.

He also voted against implementing sanctions on Russia for attacking our Election, along with only one other person,

good ol' Rand Paul.

Bernie's 2016 Campaign manager was Tad Devine, who was Manafort's business partner.

So do you think an Independent can win the Presidency?