Democrat candidates

[Spider-Dan]

If the effort is to try to capture the will of the electorate, I'm much more OK with it.  But I don't want them to craft their own candidate.  The DNC doesn't want Bernie -- that's obvious.  So, if they take steps to make that happen (like encouraging candidates to drop out at the right time) and then they also pick the candidate with fewer votes, that would rub me wrong.

There's a word for leaning on your allies to pressure your competitors to drop out and support you.  The word is "politics."

This is the downside of failing to build political allies because you prefer to maintain your independence as an outsider: you don't have any allies to lean upon.  At it's core, that's what "the establishment" is... a network of people who have built up trust through years of support.  And without that network of support, even if Bernie wins he'll just be another Jimmy Carter: a loner President that his own party in Congress ignores.

Even if Bernie didn't have the voter problem he keeps running into, his lack of ability to work with others means he has no leverage to get anything done.  Why would any Senator put their own neck on the line voting for his priorities?  He's never done the same for them; quite the contrary, he bashes them as "the establishment" every chance he gets.

This is why I supported Warren over Bernie.  She has similar progressive priorities, but unlike Bernie, she doesn't cast fellow Democrats broadly as the enemy.

One more thing:

The only one I think I couldn't have voted for was Bloomberg, but that's because I think he was a Republican anyway and that's just what the party would become.

If Democrats lose in 2020 - be it with Biden or Bernie - I would put my money on Bloomberg as the 2024 nominee.  And the fact that he was a Republican would help him, not hurt him.

When the country elects a Republican President, Democratic voters don't reach for the stars; they start looking to minimize their losses.  If Bill Clinton were legally allowed to run in this election, he would be absolutely smashing the field.  The only reason Obama was able to win the nomination in 2008 was because the GOP had screwed up the country so badly that it was obvious any Dem was going to win.

[Tenshot13]

If Bill Clinton were legally allowed to run in this election, he would be absolutely smashing the field. 

Is that when he's not too busy smashing interns?

[Phishfan]

Did i miss something? Why would Bill Clinton not be allowed to run for President if he wanted?

[Spider-Dan]

22nd Amendment

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Did i miss something? Why would Bill Clinton not be allowed to run for President if he wanted?

Are you serious?  Twenty second amendment of the US constitution.  

[Dolphster]

Like or dislike Trump, the Democratic party has essentially formed a circular firing squad and already guaranteed him another 4 years in office.   

[Spider-Dan]

Perhaps we should wait until the primary is over before we declare the Democratic Party hopelessly lost to infighting.

[CF DolFan]

Perhaps we should wait until the primary is over before we declare the Democratic Party hopelessly lost to infighting.

LMAO ...  the primary was over before it started. They chose Biden and are sticking with it. I honestly have no idea why the DNC even holds primaries since they rig everything to get their way. Changed rules to get Mike on the podium and then changed them again to get Gabbard off of it.  The only thing more surprising is how many of you who are getting screwed by them will continue to support them. Bernie should start a progressive movement and stick with it. No reason to call it Democratic Socialism if Democrats aren't going to ever support him.

[Tenshot13]

Trump was accused of not being mentally fit to be the president by the left, and they decide to go with Joe Biden?  If there is any candidate that isn't mentally fit, it's him, he's going senile.

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/dementia-early-signs

Although the early signs vary, common early symptoms of dementia include:

    memory problems, particularly remembering recent events. (CHECK, he can't even remember Obama's name.......Biden--"By the way, are you gonna stick with President on the following, President [awkward pause], the last guy, on this issue?"...Biden--"Because they invaded another country and annexed a significant portion of it called Crimea. He's saying that it was President [awkward long pause] my boss. It was his fault." )

    increasing confusion. (CHECK...Joe Biden forgets that Barack Obama, not George W. Bush, was “the last president.” )

    reduced concentration. (CHECK)

    personality or behaviour changes. (CHECK)

    apathy and withdrawal or depression.

    loss of ability to do everyday tasks.

[Dave Gray]

Joe Biden is definitely slipping.

He's old as dirt.  I wish we would not have a geriocracy.  Sanders is old as shit, too, but at least I feel like he has all his faculties.

Both Biden and Trump seem to be edging into crazy old man status.

[Spider-Dan]

LMAO ...  the primary was over before it started. They chose Biden and are sticking with it.

Funny, I didn't hear anyone saying this before SC.

Biden's campaign was saved by black Democrats in SC, full stop.   His campaign was broke and he wasn't even running ads in most Super Tuesday states!  The idea that the establishment "chose" Biden is ridiculous.  The Democratic voters chose him, and the establishment jumped on board.

I honestly have no idea why the DNC even holds primaries since they rig everything to get their way. Changed rules to get Mike on the podium and then changed them again to get Gabbard off of it.

Changing the rules to get Bloomberg on the stage was the single worst thing that could have happened to him.  Elizabeth Warren publicly pantsed him, and singlehandedly tossed Bloomberg 2020 in the garbage.  Tulsi Gabbard hasn't qualified for a debate since November, and the fact that she refuses to drop out despite having no support (she still hasn't won a single delegate in any state) makes it clear that her only role in this campaign is to set up her Fox News career.  It makes no sense to allow her on the stage when everyone with more delegates than her has already had the good sense to drop out.

My personal prediction is that Tulsi is waiting for Bernie to be eliminated, at which point she will declare that The Corrupt DNC Has Stolen The Primary From Bernie Again and declare a third-party run.  This maximizes her grifting potential before she moves to the final stage of the plan and spends the next few years flashing her legs on Fox News while spewing the right-wing talking points she already loves.

The only thing more surprising is how many of you who are getting screwed by them will continue to support them. Bernie should start a progressive movement and stick with it.

Yes, Bernie should form a third-party and run in the general election every cycle until he dies.  This will produce incredible results for the left.
Thanks again for your earnest concern and advice.

Although I am curious:

Spider to answer your question. No, I would not vote for Bernie Sanders. He's a quack in my opinion. But if the Democrats put up someone more credible I could see myself voting for them. Someone from the Blue Dog Coalition maybe?  Joe Biden would have even been a better option.

What has Joe Biden done between August 2016 and today that makes you now think he's a bad option?  I mean, you claimed you could "see yourself" voting for Biden over Trump before.

[Spider-Dan]

Trump was accused of not being mentally fit to be the president by the left, and they decide to go with Joe Biden?  If there is any candidate that isn't mentally fit, it's him, he's going senile.

I believe the appropriate response is We aren't electing a Professor-in-Chief.

The American people have clearly indicated that mental capacity, rank ignorance, and brazen lying are no barriers to the White House; if Colonel Covfefe is lucid enough to be president, there is no bar to clear.  Donald Trump has claimed that he invented the term "priming the pump."  I'm not worried about the voters rejecting Uncle Joe because of too many gaffes.  There is no such thing as too many gaffes in the Age of Trump.

[Phishfan]

Maybe not relevant to the last few posts but I never thought Bloomberg was a Democrat anyway. Some of these sorry ass candidates are so eager that they grab on to whichever party. I was just watching John Oliver and he quoted a tweet from Mekita Davis (don't know her but it doesn't make this irrelevant). Bloomberg spent $500M on ads (a number I hear but haven't fact checked), and the U.S. population is 327M. He could have given every American $1M and saved money.  Imagine what good that could have done and the hubris of this asshole.

[Spider-Dan]

$500,000,000 / 327,000,000 != $1,000,000 each

To give every American $1 million would require $327 trillion dollars.

[Tenshot13]

I believe the appropriate response is We aren't electing a Professor-in-Chief.

The American people have clearly indicated that mental capacity, rank ignorance, and brazen lying are no barriers to the White House; if Colonel Covfefe is lucid enough to be president, there is no bar to clear.  Donald Trump has claimed that he invented the term "priming the pump."  I'm not worried about the voters rejecting Uncle Joe because of too many gaffes.  There is no such thing as too many gaffes in the Age of Trump.

Oh yeah, it's both!  Both sides are mentally incompetent! 

BTW, brazen lying has always been a thing in the White House, don't act like it hasn't been just because you don't like Trump.  I'm not worried about Trumps mental capacity, but I am worried about Joe going senile within the next 4 years, and that you'd rather have a senile man as president than Trump.