2020 Presidential Election

[bundabergdevil]

I hate to keep bringing up race, but it’s just such an overt part of the culture now. Identity politics has completely taken over our political system, particularly the Democratic Party. I think it would be a catastrophic mistake to have two elderly whites as the party’s representatives for President and Vice President at this point in history, particularly while running against an ideologue like Trump.

While I do agree that identify plays a central role in politics, I strongly disagree that it is just the Democrats. It's just that the Republicans are a much more uniform identity, particularly the base. I'd argue white, evangelical conservatism is among the strongest, most vocal identities in America today. It's more diverse than a lot of people unfamiliar with it give it credit for --- but it's among the most powerful, leveraged identities in politics hands down.

[Steven43]

I get your point and will refrain from making any Native American arguments here in the interest of group harmony! I'm just not sure about the race impact, we just didn't see that much support in the primaries for folks like Booker, Harris...
I think if Joe can get the Obamas to campaign really hard for him, that will more than negate the ticket's racial imbalance...

We didn’t see huge support for Booker and Harris because they weren’t great (or even good) candidates and, crucially, Biden had the black vote locked up before the race even began. But if the party were to double-down on the elderly/white thing for the big election in November it would stand out more starkly, and not in a good way to many potential democratic voters. That’s my suspicion, anyway.

I wish it weren’t this way. I wish it didn’t matter. But it does. Not to me, mind you, but to millions of other Americans it matters, and not just a little, either. It’s a huge factor. That’s what this party has signed on for; there’s no going back now.

[budwom]

If I had to take a wild guess on a (white) dark horse, I might go with Gina Raimondo...very bright woman (Harvard, Rhodes Scholar, Yale Law) who has done some very good work in Rhode Island. Competence is worth something.

[Steven43]

If I had to take a wild guess on a (white) dark horse, I might go with Gina Raimondo...very bright woman (Harvard, Rhodes Scholar, Yale Law) who has done some very good work in Rhode Island. Competence is worth something.

Hmm, interesting. I hadn’t thought of her.

[rsvman]

Believe me, I know how different Pittsburgh and Philly are. Pittsburgh is basically a slightly more northern West Virginia.

Philly and Pittsburgh might just as well be two thousand miles apart.

[Nick]

In campaign news, Biden has apologized for accusing black voters of being insufficiently black:

Former Vice President Joe Biden said Friday that he regrets telling radio host Charlamagne Tha God earlier in the day that if you support President Trump “then you ain’t black.”

Speaking on a call with black business leaders, Biden described the remarks as “cavalier” and said he never meant to seem as if he was taking black voters for granted or telling them who they ought to support.

“I shouldn’t have been such a wise guy. I shouldn’t have been so cavalier,” Biden said.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

Believe me, I know how different Pittsburgh and Philly are. Pittsburgh is basically a slightly more northern West Virginia.

Philly and Pittsburgh might just as well be two thousand miles apart.

Pittsburgh and Philly are very different in some ways but they both tend to vote the same way, which is what is most relevant here. But you don't have to get very far out of Pittsburgh before you are basically in West Virginia, while you have to get a lot further out of Philly before things really start to change. As someone noted above, the close-in Pennsylvania suburbs of Philly were historically Republican but have now moved towards being more Democrat. The area outside of about a 10-15 mile radius of Pittsburgh is more Republican but it is a very different type of Republican.

[bundabergdevil]

In campaign news, Biden has apologized for accusing black voters of being insufficiently black:

Biden obviously has a long history of gaffe-level comments that appears to have been accelerated by age, to say the least. He also, I think it's clear, is more likely to lose or de-motivate voters the more gaffes he has because you could probably combine all of Biden's greatest gaffes and Trump would call it a regular Tuesday morning tweet-storm. The point is, if you're riding with Trump at this point, nothing is gonna buck you but I don't think the same can be said of Biden and I think there's a very real chance the more he says stuff like this, the more voters who were already not enthusiastic about him just decide to stay home. How many, I don't know but some.

[sagegrouse]

Biden obviously has a long history of gaffe-level comments that appears to have been accelerated by age, to say the least. He also, I think it's clear, is more likely to lose or de-motivate voters the more gaffes he has because you could probably combine all of Biden's greatest gaffes and Trump would call it a regular Tuesday morning tweet-storm. The point is, if you're riding with Trump at this point, nothing is gonna buck you but I don't think the same can be said of Biden and I think there's a very real chance the more he says stuff like this, the more voters who were already not enthusiastic about him just decide to stay home. How many, I don't know but some.

As columnist and sage Michael Kinsley said, "A gaffe is when a politician tells the truth – some obvious truth he isn't supposed to say."

[bundabergdevil]

As columnist and sage Michael Kinsley said, "A gaffe is when a politician tells the truth – some obvious truth he isn't supposed to say."

That's basically the premise of Bulworth...


...been long time since I've seen it, will have to re-watch and see if it holds up.

[elvis14]

Biden obviously has a long history of gaffe-level comments that appears to have been accelerated by age, to say the least. He also, I think it's clear, is more likely to lose or de-motivate voters the more gaffes he has because you could probably combine all of Biden's greatest gaffes and Trump would call it a regular Tuesday morning tweet-storm. The point is, if you're riding with Trump at this point, nothing is gonna buck you but I don't think the same can be said of Biden and I think there's a very real chance the more he says stuff like this, the more voters who were already not enthusiastic about him just decide to stay home. How many, I don't know but some.

I think that Biden is good for an occasional gaffe but let's not kid ourselves, this concentration on gaffes is an attack from the right on his competence. One of their main lines of rhetoric for this campaign will be "Joe can't make an appearance without making a mistake, he's too senile to be president". That we already see people saying this propaganda as if it's a fact (or as if gaffes will effect policy) is proof that's it's working and people don't even know how much they have already been manipulated.

For comparison this week I give you

Joe saying "you ain't black" in jest vs this from DT not in jest: "I tested very positively in another sense," DT added. "I tested positively toward negative, right? So no, I tested perfectly this morning. Meaning I tested negative. But that's a way of saying it. Positively toward the negative".

[bundabergdevil]

I think that Biden is good for an occasional gaffe but let's not kid ourselves, this concentration on gaffes is an attack from the right on his competence. One of their main lines of rhetoric for this campaign will be "Joe can't make an appearance without making a mistake, he's too senile to be president". That we already see people saying this propaganda as if it's a fact (or as if gaffes will effect policy) is proof that's it's working and people don't even know how much they have already been manipulated.

For comparison this week I give you

Joe saying "you ain't black" in jest vs this from DT not in jest: "I tested very positively in another sense," DT added. "I tested positively toward negative, right? So no, I tested perfectly this morning. Meaning I tested negative. But that's a way of saying it. Positively toward the negative".

Oh yeah, I thought I was clear if you added up all of Biden’s gaffes, it’d be a slow Tuesday morning for Trump. 😂

[elvis14]

Oh yeah, I thought I was clear if you added up all of Biden’s gaffes, it’d be a slow Tuesday morning for Trump. 😂

Just to be clear, Joe does have too many gaffes for his own good. But the focus on these is very systematically and carefully emphasized.

[Steven43]

I think that Biden is good for an occasional gaffe but let's not kid ourselves, this concentration on gaffes is an attack from the right on his competence. One of their main lines of rhetoric for this campaign will be "Joe can't make an appearance without making a mistake, he's too senile to be president". That we already see people saying this propaganda as if it's a fact (or as if gaffes will effect policy) is proof that's it's working and people don't even know how much they have already been manipulated.

For comparison this week I give you

Joe saying "you ain't black" in jest vs this from DT not in jest: "I tested very positively in another sense," DT added. "I tested positively toward negative, right? So no, I tested perfectly this morning. Meaning I tested negative. But that's a way of saying it. Positively toward the negative".

Of course the GOP is coordinating this massive effort to make Biden seem incompetent simply because he misspeaks at times —like every other politician does, by the way. It’s certainly not unique to Joe Biden.

What’s behind this partisan effort to discredit Biden is simply politics and ageism. I can hardly get in a heated debate with one of my teenage kids or my wife without misspeaking at least once. It’s difficult to always say exactly what you are trying to say, especially when the spotlight is on you and there’s a microphone in front of your face.

Biden almost always realizes his mistake and promptly corrects himself. That’s a lot better than some other politicians I know who aren’t misspeaking — they just often have the actual facts wrong or just outright lie. That’s infinitely worse than simply misspeaking.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Of course the GOP is coordinating this massive effort to make Biden seem incompetent simply because he misspeaks at times —like every other politician does, by the way. It’s certainly not unique to Joe Biden.

What’s behind this partisan effort to discredit Biden is simply politics and ageism. I can hardly get in a heated debate with one of my teenage kids or my wife without misspeaking at least once. It’s difficult to always say exactly what you are trying to say, especially when the spotlight is on you and there’s a microphone in front of your face.

Biden almost always realizes his mistake and promptly corrects himself. That’s a lot better than some other politicians I know who aren’t misspeaking — they just often have the actual facts wrong or just outright lie. That’s infinitely worse than simply misspeaking.

It's hard for me to imagine Trump folks attacking Biden on his awkward speaking. But then again, a lot of things that are hard for me to imagine are rather commonplace nowadays.

[PackMan97]

It's hard for me to imagine Trump folks attacking Biden on his awkward speaking. But then again, a lot of things that are hard for me to imagine are rather commonplace nowadays.

Half the time with Trump, I often wonder if he isn't trolling the media.

To be honest, now that I'm dealing with my in-laws now suffering from cognitive decline...I long for a candidate with some youth and inexperience.

[OldPhiKap]

I long for a candidate with some youth and inexperience.

I’m here for you. “Tan, rested and really — OPK 2020”

(What I lack in youth, I make up for in immaturity)

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Half the time with Trump, I often wonder if he isn't trolling the media.

To be honest, now that I'm dealing with my in-laws now suffering from cognitive decline...I long for a candidate with some youth and inexperience.

Dems had plenty of chances to nominate youth and went instead with the oldest (I think) and safest option.

[mpj96]

Do people think there are actually people who are undecided or are willing to be swayed to the other side at this point? I just think that Trump is so divisive, and his policies so entrenched, that if you haven't made up your mind at this point then you never will.

Yes. I think there are still votes to be won or lost. Unemployment, mass sickness, shut downs, the economy and a fall recurrence will have a significant impact pushing these votes one way or the other.

The great majority know how they will vote, but the race is close enough to be won at the margins with those whose minds could be changed.

I would also submit there are 2 gates in this smaller group: (1) vote or don't, then (2) vote T or B.

[acdevil]

I think vote or don’t is big even in the groups that are decided. Trump probably won in 2016 because enough Hillary leans decided not to show up for whatever reason.