Political Hippo Circle Jerk - America, farg YEAH!

[Munson]

One last tweet for now...Dem energy is just at ridiculous levels right now:

https://twitter.com/staceyabrams/status/1235233843445149697

Yeah but part of that just reinforces how dumb caucuses are.  They function as a way to depress voter turnout because of the time commitment.   The fact that our system is still so farged up that you have to wait hours to vote is a separate issue and problem.

True. And it's all on purpose too, it's why the black and Hispanic precincts in Texas last night were completely farged. That story just dropped early in the day yesterday about how Texas closed a whole bunch of voting precincts in black and Hispanic areas. Something they wouldn't have been able to do before the Voting Rights Act got gutted

[Munson]

The Biden surge gives me hope.  People aren't voting for Bernie.  He's that dislikable.   Biden, on the other hand, is likable.  He's Obama's buddy.  He's a touch crazy but just enough to be endearing without being scary. 

In short, farg Bernie.  His minions can stay the farg home just like they did yesterday.   It's all about the moderates now.

Can't wait for the excitement of not making life marginally better for most people in the country that comes with a centrist like Joe. No much needed GND, no wealth tax, no student loan forgiveness—-basically the stimulus needed that would kick the economy into overdrive.

[Rome]

We had eight years of centrist policy.  They were referred to as the Obama years. 

Not everyone needs free shtein, Munson.  To a large percentage of Americans, the idea of socialism is abhorrent. They're farging idiots, of course, because duh but there's already a loud angry guy shouting bullshtein that turns off moderates. 

He's the guy we're trying to vote out, right? 

Well to do that you'll need middle class whites in Ohio, PA, Texas and Florida to come to the polls.  They won't for Bernie.  I mean I'm sorry but they just won't. 

[General_Failure]

The US is a shtein ocean right now, and you're celebrating because Biden is snorkel.

[Eagles_Legendz]

So, here's my perspective on all of this, not that it was requested. 

I wish we were in an era where we could debate the merits of policy positions in the Democrat party.  I'd happily discuss Warren's tax proposals (which I largely support), Bernie's cancelation it student debt (which I do not), and the like.  But I think the (generalizing) vocal left portion of Sanders' support and the progressive caucus misunderstands the threat we all face (or doesn't care because of their obstinance).  This isn't McCain.  This isn't Romney.  This isn't a campaign to enact various policies.  I truly believe that the damage Trump has done to undercut the foundation of our democracy is going to take decades to repair.  The first, second & tenth priority should be preventing another 4 years of this because I honestly don't know what America looks like. 

Part of why I get so pissed off about Bernie / a portion of his contingent, isn't the policies that he advocates for (which I disagree with mostly but agree with in part).  I think the left should be discussing some of the things he brings up.  But it's that they willingly tap into the same bullshtein dangerous lies Trump traffics in.  This isn't rigged.  Someone dropping out and endorsing someone else is called a primary.  That's what it is.  And he's willing to destabilize the future of our country to make his point.   Unlike what Shaun King says, not everyone in the Democrat party is the devil. 

I don't know whether Biden would be a good President.  He's not what he was in '08 and even then he was flawed.   But I truly think the bulk of his supporters (and the other more centrist candidates) have the right priority: e.g Trump, when the same isn't necessarily true for Bernie's supporters, who certainly are comprised of a larger % willing to burn the house down to make a point. 

[Munson]

The problem is, with a Biden especially, you're just going to get more the same exact policies that created the environment for fascist like Trump to rise in the first place. Turning harder into plutocracy isn't gonna solve the Trump problem, and you're just going to get a way more capable, better at lying Trump in 2024 or 2028 in Hawley or Cotton or etc. They will have the same lack of regard for norms and constitutional principles as Trump does, but they'll be much better at executing it.

Electing joe Biden doesn't solve or stop the Trump problem with our government. It just slightly slows it down for maybe only 4 years. Hell, a good chance it's only 4 years because Joe is obviously mush brained now and ain't gonna last

[Munson]

Also of all the ideas of Bernie and Warren, college loan forgiveness is probably the best one. A 1. One time expense that 2. Would have a good chance for generating enough economic activity to pay for itself by 3. Freeing up an entire generation to start families and buy homes would be huge. And it would be hugely popular and cement millennials and older GenZ kids as Dems for life the way FDR was able to solidify a whole block of New Deal Dems

[Eagles_Legendz]

Also of all the ideas of Bernie and Warren, college loan forgiveness is probably the best one. A 1. One time expense that 2. Would have a good chance for generating enough economic activity to pay for itself by 3. Freeing up an entire generation to start families and buy homes would be huge. And it would be hugely popular and cement millennials and older GenZ kids as Dems for life the way FDR was able to solidify a whole block of New Deal Dems

I have 7 years of debt from school.  I understand the economic burden it puts people under.  Part of why I went to Bama for law school rather than Emory was minimizing to whatever degree I could my debt coming out after paying for 4 years at Wake Forest.   I agree that the cost of education in this country is disgraceful.   Just wiping it as they posit is not the answer. 

What if you're an electrician?  A plumber?  What if you paid your loans off early because your dad died and you got some money and paid for it that way?  If you're going to do anything, I'm wholly unconvinced that this is more meritorious than a generic credit or payment for all people. 

[Munson]

The answer to a policy that will help a whole bunch of people is not "well it didn't help these people who didn't go to school" or "no one thought to do this early enough to benefit me." Those are bad reasons to fight any policy and will be countered quite easily on the trail IMO. "Wait my dad had to pay for his health care after He retired so why should people over the age of 65 get Medicare now"-some idiot in 1965 I'm sure.

UBI would be nice as well of course but you'd never get it passed in a large enough amounts to make a difference that student loan forgiveness could in peoples lives right now (and, rumor is, you can do student loan forgiveness through the executive branch only, unlike a UBI)

Just on a basic economic level it makes huge amounts of sense to do. (Then you pass free college and trade schools so the trades don't feel left out )

[Munson]

Also, the next time some douche says "I paid for my kids college why should people get free college now?!"....think of your grandkids, dude. Either your kid gets their loans forgiven which allows them to give your grandchildren a better life, or your grandchildren benefit from free public higher education when they come of age.

[General_Failure]

Id much rather my money went to pay for farmer and industrial bailouts than you people with your student loans.

[ice grillin you]

theres little chance biden gets much done without a dem house and senate

theres zero chance bernie gets anything done WITH a dem house and senate

america isnt ready for socialist policies and we are probably multiple generations from being there if ever...and even if we were there an 80 year old dickhead with a bad ticker and a cult icehole following is not the one to do it...when and if it ever happens it will be a beto type

but sure lets get four more years of trump by running someone who cant win a general and has zero chance of passing anything if he did

i dont know if bernie supporters are bigger iceholes or idiots...its a coin flip

[Munson]

Igy continuing to ignore the data/polls aside...

https://twitter.com/sharnaaisha/status/1235049620767555585


I've told people to go back and watch vintage Biden footage from Obama's second term but I haven't done so myself in months because frankly it's depressing and sheeeeesh. Seriously I think Trump could just put ads of footage of Biden speaking from 5 years ago next to Biden speaking now and spook people off because of how obvious the decline is. And this was 2016! I said back then that Biden appeared to be slowing down after Beau died. The difference is even worse if you go back before this.

[Eagles_Legendz]

The answer to a policy that will help a whole bunch of people is not "well it didn't help these people who didn't go to school" or "no one thought to do this early enough to benefit me." Those are bad reasons to fight any policy and will be countered quite easily on the trail IMO. "Wait my dad had to pay for his health care after He retired so why should people over the age of 65 get Medicare now"-some idiot in 1965 I'm sure.

UBI would be nice as well of course but you'd never get it passed in a large enough amounts to make a difference that student loan forgiveness could in peoples lives right now (and, rumor is, you can do student loan forgiveness through the executive branch only, unlike a UBI)

Just on a basic economic level it makes huge amounts of sense to do. (Then you pass free college and trade schools so the trades don't feel left out )

I don't understand the justification for wiping student debt versus other stimulus ideas.  Well, I understand it (I think), I just don't agree with the policy.  Like I said though, I'd love to have conversations about things like this, but my concern is a greater existential threat to combat authoritarianism.  Not saying you aren't concerned with that, but Bernie people taking their ball and going home is missing the point.  Then again, I just completely disagree with an idea that Trump/Biden are the same candidates.

[Munson]

Hey I'm sure I'll be getting bitched at in my twitter mentions in 7 months when I'm telling people online they need to vote for Biden. I'm in a safe blue state and even I'm gonna still vote for him because he's a local boy and because I wanna run up the popular vote score on Trump badly. They are certainly not the same and the court picks alone will hopefully be worth it.

But...Biden just ain't gonna fix the problems that turned people off from the Dem party in the first place. Which means those people are going to be vulnerable to another scapegoating campaign in 4-8 years from a candidate who can sell their white supremacy in a much more easier to digest wrapping paper, and who will also flout the rule of law now that they've seen that they can get away with it and corporate sponsored Dems are too afraid of their donors and the polls to do something about it.

And it's rough knowing how mush brained he is. It's hard to watch.

Edit-I wanted to add that, all that being said, asking young and first time voters to come out and vote for more of the same of pre-2016 Dem politics is not really a great strategy both in the near term or the long term. Yes some people like me think you need to vote no matter what because of how god awful Trump is. But for a lot of people--especially people from marginalized communities--you might want to actually give them something to vote for.