Booker is out...
https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/13/polit...ace/index.html
"The future ain't what it used to be."
Deval Patrick is theoretically still a candidate. But, yeah. Try telling me that starting in Iowa and NH does not have an impact. . . .
I know that challenging the current system is sort of a third rail (Bloomberg can do it because he doesn't plan to compete in either) but it really should rotate between a few different states. IA and NH are not very representative of the Democratic Party as a whole, let alone the national electorate.
Here's an irony. Bloomberg has an Op-Ed on CNN.com today bemoaning that holding the first primaries in Iowa and NH helps Trump and hurts the Dems because those states are too white.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/13/opini...erg/index.html
Q "Why do you like Duke, you didn't even go there." A "Because my art school didn't have a basketball team."
Booker is out.
In fairness, it is worth noting that the minority candidates who have dropped out did little to show they were viable in minority-heavy states like Nevada and South Carolina. Now, I know that media attention and viability as a candidate can be traced to success in Iowa and NH polls, but if Booker had ever been anywhere close to 10% in South Carolina, I think the "white states should not get to pick the candidate" argument would carry more weight.
That said, I would certainly welcome more diversity of states early in the process and I don't even begin to understand why the position of Iowa and NH is so sacrosanct. I get that we probably need to avoid huge states with expensive media markets out of fear that it will become a game of money, not personal connection and organization. But what about Arkansas, New Mexico, Louisiana, or Alabama? Heck, I think Rhode Island or Delaware could be ideal... really small and fairly diverse.
Rhode Island - 7.5% AfAm, 15.4% Hispanic/Latino
Delaware - 20.9% AfAm, 9.3% Hispanic/Latino
-Jason "the whole US is 12.3% AfAm and 16.7% Hispanic" Evans
Last edited by JasonEvans; 01-13-2020 at 12:30 PM.
Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?
Q "Why do you like Duke, you didn't even go there." A "Because my art school didn't have a basketball team."
Out of curiosity, I looked up the women to men ratio in the US. Guess what? Women are the majority! I know why they are considered otherwise, but now that I know that tidbit, it's rather fascinating. Of course every other "minority" in terms of politics and otherwise are truly in that category.
There's two more pennies for you.
As OPK suggests, on to other news. The debate stage has been set for tomorrow, Biden and Sanders are in the center. Buttigieg and Warren flank them, with Steyer and Klobuchar on the edges.
Q "Why do you like Duke, you didn't even go there." A "Because my art school didn't have a basketball team."
^ Bloomberg will be suspended from the rafters as he flutters fistfuls of cash onto the stage. Sending some sort of message.
NY Times is going to endorse one of the Democrats next week. The whole editorial board sat down with nine of the candidates (including Booker) for extended interviews to prepare for this. Usually in these situations the editorial board would summarize the conversations, but they are publishing the full transcript of the conversations - it looks like Sanders and Steyer are up, and the others should be published in the next few days. They are extremely long reads but are likely interesting if you have the time. The editorial page editor is Michael Bennet's brother so he recused himself from the process.
There are some good examples of where this dynamic exists in other parts of the world. The United Arab Emirates comes to mind. Something like 15% of the population is native and most of the state benefits, rights, oil wealth, etc flow to the Emirati. There's a HUGE SE Asian migrant worker population, they're the ones throwing up those colossal structures in the desert and they outnumber the Emirati but have virtually no rights. A lot of the minority rights movements in UAE focus on these migrant workers.
Just an interesting (at least I think so) tidbit...
"Hi, I'm bajillionaire Mike Bloomberg, and I need a slogan. Top dollar to whoever comes up with the best one!"
Bloomberg-Judge-Judy-620x436.jpg
"Sold!!!"
(The Life cereal commercial tagline would have been better.)
Q "Why do you like Duke, you didn't even go there." A "Because my art school didn't have a basketball team."