Democratic Primaries
Related: About this forumOne thing is pretty obvious right out of the gate regarding Bernie...
The corporate media's coverage of him is a lot more biting than it was in 2016. He's not the funny uncle any more. His core positions are largely unchanged since 2016 which was not a problem back then, but now, it's cries of Socialism, radical left, and gift wrapping a second term for Trump.
I supported Hillary in 2016, but today, I'm leaning heavily towards Bernie, very, very, very heavy lean. I'm just tired of the corrupted systems and fake narratives which are much bigger threats than Trump. If we don't take out them out, they will always find another Trump.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
RazBerryBeret
(3,075 posts)watching his rally, he is making enemies, sure to make more in the coming months. I hope he can pull this off, he has the authenticity that is needed.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
blue cat
(2,415 posts)Then he is a phony.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
lunamagica
(9,967 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Mr Tibbs
(539 posts)There will be crickets
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Kurt V.
(5,624 posts)while trying to look impartial
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
lapucelle
(18,265 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Trenzalore
(2,331 posts)That should have been painfully obvious when we got to the General Election and their vetting of Trump was very light given his 40 plus year disgusting history in the public eye.
Bernie was also new. The media likes new. I'm sure there are some politics in it but most of it would come down to this his second time running, the field is a lot more crowded, and the republican party narrative is to say they are running against socialism.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
CentralMass
(15,265 posts)that there was " Bernie TV," a group that broadcast his events online.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Drunken Irishman
(34,857 posts)In 2016, the coverage was decidedly pro-GOP, specifically Trump. Trump dominated almost all the media and when they did cover Hillary, or mentioned her, it was mostly in reference to her damn e-mails or other negative stories:
The media did a horrible job on both candidates - Bernie for under-covering him and Clinton for over-covering her negative stories.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
floppyboo
(2,461 posts)263 days is a long time to be out of the spot light. Interviews, yes - 300 according to Mook.
I hope the press and the candidates will be focusing on platforms this time. I think every one is done with hearing about Trump's antics. Not that they should be silent on his blunders, just that they don't need to ask every Democratic nominee what they think about him - every one knows! Would be nice if they could separate the stories. Not make Trump THE story every time. They really hurt Clinton that way.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
BannonsLiver
(16,387 posts)That is of course not true.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Autumn
(45,096 posts)Even the debates were at times shown at odd hours on TV, when there were NFL games and stuff like that.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
LongtimeAZDem
(4,494 posts)It's even worse than CDS.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
chillfactor
(7,576 posts)and never will be a Bernie fan!
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
California_Republic
(1,826 posts)But they are going to gut anyone we bring forward. I remember they somehow managed to work John Kerry war record against. Something that was so sad for this country.
I hope our candidate is ready
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
RazBerryBeret
(3,075 posts)I'm sure this is going to be really ugly. Good luck to our candidate!!
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
AlexSFCA
(6,137 posts)as of right now I am still behind Harris but I am waiting for Brown also. Biden is ruled out entirely due to his recent comment that pence is a decent guy. Not only will I not vote for him in the primary but will advocate against him and will only support him if he wins the primary. Among Brown, Harris and Sanders, the latter one is likely to win the nomination due to cult like enthusiasm. I am much more open to him now than I was in 2016 seeing how happy he makes many of my bernie friends - I hate arguing with them like its 2016 and may just go with the flow. Bernies movement is much stronger in 2019 than 2016 seeing how he was able to expand his base. Prior to 2015, I never even heard his name.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
PatrickforO
(14,576 posts)See, I'm not a big Biden fan because of a) his chauvinistic behavior during the Anita Hill hearings and b) his vocal support of the 2005 bankruptcy laws, which have done more than anything to ensure that our children and grandchildren can never, every get out of the student loan debt they must incur to have a decent career. Never.
Millions of Americans of all ages, and certainly the Millennials, have been made debt-slaves through predatory capitalism. That was just wrong on so many levels.
I like Brown, too. Right now I'm for Warren, because I'm an economist and I love her positions - she totally 'gets it.' Consider her 'Accountable Capitalism Act,' introduced in August 2018. Sure, it won't pass...right now...but Warren has correctly, in my opinion, identified the root cause of most of the problems we everyday Americans have: crummy, rationed healthcare with financially crippling copays, fear of losing Social Security, inflation, global warming...and so on.
Here's an excerpt from an essay I wrote about the Accountable Capitalism Act, because I'm really trying to educate people - this is nuanced but very, very important:
See, if you look at what has happened with national public policy since Ronald Reagan slithered into the White House back in 1981, the New Deal has been steadily undermined with:
Union busting.
Stagnation of wages.
Unsafe working environments.
Deterioration of pension plans.
Excessive means testing in Social Security.
Planned obsolescence engineered into products.
Shrinkage of container size with the same or increased pricing.
Predatory lending practices, pernicious fees, and usurious interest rates.
Consumer safety de-emphasized if the cost of expected litigation is lower than fixing the problem.
Tax policies that essentially transfer money from the public treasury to billionaires and corporate profits (that's what trickle-down IS).
Paying merchants of doubt to create faux controversy around health issues and climate issues.
Diluted financial and environmental regulations.
See, THIS is what capitalism is, it's essential nature, and why we need a strong government that works.
The primacy of the shareholder at the expense of workers, consumers and the environment is like a corrosive acid eating at the very world we live in, not to mention the welfare of taxpaying, hard-working individuals on Main Street.
Remember what Obama told us: Americans don't care what size government is, they want a government that works.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
ZeroSomeBrains
(638 posts)She is easily my second most loved candidate right now. She has so many great positions especially her wealth tax idea.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
bhikkhu
(10,718 posts)Supporters of three different candidates having an intelligent and civil conversation on the issues and candidates. I can't even express how good that is to see - let's keep it up!
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
ZeroSomeBrains
(638 posts)I frankly am finding it hard to speak with some of the really Anti-Bernie people. They don't even want to communicate. They seem to just want to laugh at you. I have yet to block peole yet on DU but I am going to start because life is too short to have trolls keep you from enjoying life.
I loved how Senator Harris stuck the knife in to Rapenaugh and find her life story extremely compelling. I honestly don't see some people here even try to say anything nice to people who are supporting other candidates. We need to be the change we seek in the world and treat others the way we want to be treated. That is sadly very rare to see in a lot of people here on DU.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
qazplm135
(7,447 posts)now, he does not.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Farmer-Rick
(10,175 posts)Yea, yeah, yeah, we see the silly little criminals who run the GOP jumping up and down pointing; yelling socialism, socialism, socialism.
But universal health care, a green new deal, a living wage, taxing the uber rich, it is all main stream now. Even the yokels in Trump country are talking about medicare for all.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
PatrickforO
(14,576 posts)who are continuing this dialog, speaking truth to power and forcing the debate.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
InAbLuEsTaTe
(24,122 posts)Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
shanny
(6,709 posts)In 2016 he was filling stadiums and was largely ignored (while rump earned airtime for empty podia). This time he is known, and can't be ignored, so they attack.
Remember what they did to Dean, right after he discussed breaking up the corporate media.
https://www.wanttoknow.info/howarddeansdemise (scroll down)
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
PatrickforO
(14,576 posts)Thanks.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)Trump was a media creation.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Adrahil
(13,340 posts)Personally I am sick of the self-righteousness and disrespect. I'll vote for him if he gets the nom, otherwise he can GTFO, and I am not alone.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
comradebillyboy
(10,151 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
EffieBlack
(14,249 posts)Also tired of "Bernie's a victim" argument - especially since he's one of the luckiest and least vetted politicians around.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Maru Kitteh
(28,340 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
WeekiWater
(3,259 posts)There wasnt one in 2016 on our side. They did their best to make one.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
PatrickforO
(14,576 posts)I'm not sure Bernie is going to make it far this primary season - for a variety of reasons.
But he WILL act as a lightning rod for corporate hatred. They will work very hard, and spend a lot of money smearing him.
The fun thing for me is that our platform has gone to the left because many of us recognize that most Americans want either single payer or universal healthcare. Most want expanded Social Security. It bugs most of us that companies like Amazon, which had record profits of $2.5 billion in 2018 but paid NO Federal Income taxes while all of our refunds shrunk.
These cretins can yell 'socialism' all they want, but I for one am not going to be intimidated because if we're going to talk about socialism, then let's talk about Walmart. One Walmart store can cost taxpayers nearly a $billion a year because they pay low, low wages and help their people supplement those below-subsistence wages by receiving public benefits like TANF, SNAP, housing, LEAP, and Medicaid. THAT is socialism.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Yavin4
(35,441 posts)Most people are finally understanding that they will not be millionaires, let alone billionaires. They just want a level of economic security so that their lives are not in a constant state of daily chaos. That's what the corporate media does not understand. They don't get the depseration that's out there.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
samnsara
(17,622 posts)..political world to make a drastic change. Dem prez Dem Sen Dem House..then we can lift the whole party up and move a bit left. Right now its a crap shoot and no guarantee. Right now we would be fighting the left AND the right. I dont feel ideology is the right strategy.....laser focused moderation with an eye on BIGGER things down the road is where I am at....I just want trump out and short of someone taking him on a hunting trip we have to be very careful.. .......really careful! imho
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
UniteFightBack
(8,231 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
forklift
(401 posts)with the "only I can fix it" tone and a lot of offerings with no clear cut plan to achieve any of it.
Also, since 1970, only two candidates for POTUS who have not released their tax returns. Trump and Bernie.
Bernie had two whole years to gather the necessary paperwork that he should have known people would demand but he still has not produced his tax returns.
If someone wonders about what he is hiding, can you blame them?
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Gothmog
(145,291 posts)sanders will be vetted this cycle and vetting is part of the process https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/01/28/why-bernie-sanders-has-an-uphill-climb-ahead/?utm_term=.1b4f90c2a717
Which is what we could say about the Sanders candidacy as a whole: Theres no way to know how its going to go. But hes got his work cut out for him.
See also https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/19/politics/bernie-sanders-2020-campaign-donald-trump/index.html?utm_source=twCNNp&utm_content=2019-02-20T14%3A52%3A07&utm_term=image&utm_medium=social%C2%A0
One of the secrets to Sanders' success in 2016 was that no one -- most especially Clinton -- thought he had any chance of going anywhere in the race. Clinton largely ignored him for the better part of 2015, allowing some problematic parts of Sanders' record for Democrats -- most notably his voting record on guns -- to go unnoticed. (When the race began to tighten, Clinton gently prodded Sanders on guns and health care.) Sanders, too, largely flew under the radar of investigative reporters for major news outlets who were busy looking into Clinton, Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and others seen as more viable candidates. (That reality clearly benefited Donald Trump in the early days of the campaign, as well.)
Sanders will get no pass -- from either the media or his fellow candidates -- this time around. He is among the frontrunners -- and will be treated as such. His wife's time as president of Burlington College could well come up. And his opponents will do a deep dive into his nearly 30 years of votes as a member of the House and Senate. This is all very normal stuff in a campaign. But not for Sanders.
The vetting has only started and I have seen some interesting oppo on sanders. Again, a nominee needs to be vetted and I am glad that sanders will be vetted this cycle
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Gothmog
(145,291 posts)Link to tweet
And candidates must affirm in writing to the DNC chairman that they "are a Democrat... are a member of the Democratic Party; will accept the Democratic nomination; and will run and serve as a member of the Democratic Party."...
But some Democrats, Clinton supporters in particular, partly blame Sanders for her loss in 2016. They feel that by not embracing the party label, Sanders sowed a sense that there wasn't much difference between the parties and, therefore, between Trump and Clinton.
Clinton, herself, wrote in her book What Happened that Sanders did "lasting damage" to her candidacy and that he never wanted a Democrat to win.
"He didn't get into the race to make sure a Democrat won the White House," Clinton wrote, "he got in to disrupt the Democratic Party."
She called him "fundamentally wrong" about the party, ticked off the things Democrats have done and noted, "I am proud to be a Democrat and I wish Bernie were, too."
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Sherman A1
(38,958 posts)after Yang
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
TheFarseer
(9,323 posts)To put it mildly, but they also needed a horse race for ratings and he was the only other horse.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided