I'm completely sick of "Beto for president" threads.

[GaYellowDawg]

Not enough experience, people. And I know the same thing was said about President Obama, but I'm gonna lay it out: I'm sure Beto is quite intelligent, but he's not in the same ZIP code as President Obama for outright brilliance. I like him as a VP candidate, but I don't want him as a presidential candidate. I don't think he's electable as a presidential candidate.

I'm sick of the same old "new bright shiny white guy" for president stuff. No to Beto. HELL no to Kennedy. Way too young, and I am not a fan of dynasties, either. Outside of his name, I think Kennedy's average as grits. Earnest and a good but not great speaker. Definitely not electable. Give him 20 years of seasoning and maybe. I - and I say this as a white man - I am damn ready for us to put up another tough as nails, brilliant woman for president. I know some of you have issues with Kamala Harris, but watching her run rings around everyone she's gone after in Senate meetings has convinced me she's sharp as hell and can win.

[Kaleva]

1. Use the auto trash by keyword function

[violetpastille]

18. +1 I have never opened a thread that had "Seth Myers" or "SNL" in the title. But that doesn't mean I

don't think other people have a right to enjoy them.

[former9thward]

43. If you trash a thread everyone but you can see it.

You are not denying anyone the right to enjoy them.

[TheBlackAdder]

49. I don't block any threads, because inside all of them there are little nuggets of wealth to extract.

.

While this seems to be a coping mechanism, for whatever reason, denying posts could make the reader miss out on something of value, such as a counter argument, position, concept or nuanced thought that one could use for the future or be used to develop better reasoning and debate skills.

But, TEHO (To Each His Own)

.

[violetpastille]

69. I love your attitude.

I don't put people on ignore either. For the same reason.

[dewsgirl]

128. I agree with you both, I never trash threads.

[Kaleva]

96. I would have to be here all day every day in order to mine all those nuggets of wealth

Even then, I'd limited to giving each post just a quick look over before going on to the next one. Auto trashing OPs discussing subjects I don't think all that important really can clean up the pages by moving up OPs on subjects that I am interested back to the 1st page.

[violetpastille]

74. Yes I understand.

I've never felt the need to trash a thread. I just scroll on by.

[TheBlackAdder]

90. ...

.

.

[smirkymonkey]

93. Love that song!

And Dionne Warwick!

[Kaleva]

97. I like the Auto trash feature

Because it eliminates OP's discussing subjects I'm not interested in and moves up OPs from the 2nd page or even lower that might have sunk off the 1st page before I saw them.

[crazycatlady]

112. +1

I trash threads with the word "Al Franken" in the title

[Kaleva]

117. I have Franken and several others on my list

Ocasio-Cortez
AOC
Sanders
Hillary
Bernie
Franken

[SoCalDem]

133. My list is "HUGH"

because I always forget to clean it up...

[apcalc]

2. +1

[applegrove]

3. I like both Beto and Harris.

[Demsrule86]

106. It is my opinion that neither Beto or Harris will win in 20. I don't know

who will run in the primary, but we will and we have some great choices. At the end of the day, I will vote for whoever is the Democratic candidate. One caveat, we need to stop looking for a savior. We need to save ourselves folks by voting Democratic in every election...a president can do nothing without Congress. And we will never have another judge without a senate majority. Also, electability must be considered in all primary races.

[manor321]

4. It's December 2018 and you're already sick of threads for particular candidates?

Wow, you are going to have a long year.

Everyone is going to have their candidate. And we'll vote in the primaries for them.

You can't stop people talking about them.

[GaYellowDawg]

5. Yes, because it's a stupid idea.

I know I can't stop people talking about their candidates. But I sure can express how I feel about Beto/xxxx proposals: they're dumb.

[dem4decades]

6. She should have reacted quicker to her staffer.

Congresswoman Esty lost her job for something similar.

Maybe Biden/Harris, or Biden/Kobachar , or even Biden/Beto.

Does the 2020 ticket demand a woman?

[GaYellowDawg]

7. I want to see one.

Women are 50.8% of the population in the US. Damn right half of the ticket should be female.

[question everything]

50. None of the above. And... it is Klobuchar.

Still, in 2002 Lieberman led the pack so will have to wait for some to come forward.

I just hope we will not have our own "Clown Car."

[Guppy]

8. Twenty years really?

Beto went to Columbia which is an Ivy. and the same school that Obama went to. Kamala went to Howard. My wife used to recruit Howard and Florida A&M and thought the kids at A&M were better. The Howard kids thought their shit didn't stink.

They both have about the same experience in Federal Government. Her 2 years Beto six.She has never been tested. it is not exactly hard to get elected in CA as a democrat.

There is only 8 years in age difference. Why does he have to wait 20?

Do you have something against white guy? I am a minority myself.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

15. Agree and Disagree. I think they are both bright and qualified.

Last edited Sat Dec 15, 2018, 11:16 PM - Edit history (1)

You have to factor in Kamala has an advanced degree, a JD, albeit from a middling law school. I think a Beto-Kamala ticket would kick ass. The reason I have Beto as the presidential candidate is because his skills would be wasted as a vice presidential candidate. Again, both are bright and qualified.




ON EDIT-John Kennedy wanted to be Adlai Stevenson's running mate in 1956. Not being chosen was the best thing to ever happen to him.

[Guppy]

16. UC Hastings is not a middling Law school

It is quite good. I work with top attorneys all the time. Honestly, Howard is not Columbia. He has much more charisma and in this society charisma is important.

[former9thward]

44. UC Hastings is ranked #58 amoung law schools.

One quarter of its students fail the bar exam. So I guess it depends on what you call a "middling law school".

https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/university-of-california-hastings-college-of-law-03015

[Guppy]

47. You do know

that Hilary failed the bar exam. It depends which state you take it. I was surprised she failed it.

[sheshe2]

29. Kamala's skills wouldn't be wasted?

Hmmm.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

33. Beto is a dynamic campaigner.

If he's not going to be at the top of the ticket better to just pass him by.

[question everything]

54. Harris will have to explain her stand on Civil forfeiture that she promoted while the CA AG

[BannonsLiver]

131. Nobody cares about that outside the libertarian fever swamp

[violetpastille]

21. Guppy, since you have been mentioning it

What minority are you? If you don't mind my asking.

Full disclosure, I'm a woman and I'm left-handed. I am of Mexican and Irish descent. I don't consider myself a minority though. Except for the lefty thing.

[Guppy]

32. I am chinese

and grew up in the fifties. My dad was from St. Louis and my grandmother who was German was arrested in Springfield for cavorting with my Grandfather. I have the newspaper article. My dad couldn't swim in the public pools.

[violetpastille]

71. Thank you for sharing your story.

I have had the opportunity to go to China a couple of times, and to live in Penang for a year. Sometimes it felt like my family and I were the only three Americans in Penang.

[oberliner]

22. I'm sorry but what are you saying here about Howard University?

[metroins]

80. It's nothing special.

My words, not theirs.

It's an okay place to learn in general. Not bad, not great, just okay.

[EffieBlack]

28. Howard has an excellent law school

Among others, it produced Thurgood Marshall. I’ve worked with many, many Howard Law School grads. One of the biggest mistakes anyone makes is to underestimate them because they went to an HBCU.

Maybe they think their shit doesn’t stink because they actually are all that ... not to mention how much they need to compensate and steel themselves against people with attitudes like yours and your wife’s.

[Guppy]

36. She went to Berkeley law school which is a very good school

and considered better than Howard's law school.

You don't get it. She recruited for the Chicago Fed. They were recruiting at traditional black schools. She liked the Florida A&M kids more because they didn't think they were great. They were much nicer kids. Howard kids were full of themselves.

[EffieBlack]

37. No, dear - I get it ...

[Guppy]

40. Okay.

What is wrong about one traditional African American school had nicer kids who were more down to earth than the other school. It was just an observation. There is no attitude.

[JHan]

42. you know , I almost responded seriously..

and then I realised.



There's no other explanation.

[NewJeffCT]

46. Who is she?

Harris went to UC-Hastings for law school, I thought? A good law school, but not at the level of Berkeley.

US News rates UC-Hastings law as #58, but Berkeley is up at #9
https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/law-rankings

This one rates only the top 50, with UC-Berkeley also at #9 and UC-Hastings not on the list.
https://www.velocitylsat.com/resources/top-law-schools

[pnwmom]

61. She was Attorney General for CA. Who the hell cares where her law degree came from?

It's beside the point after your first few years out of law school. What matters after that is what you accomplish, and she's accomplished a great deal.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

107. Yes, it should be more about Kamala's record than her education.

[Autumn]

151. Which law school did you go to?

[harumph]

39. I'm a white male Texan - and I damn well believe we need an black woman on the

ticket. I've watched Kamala Harris and I'm extremely impressed. She would make
a great candidate for president. I watched Beto in the Texas debates. Beto had several
chances to take down Cruz - but he didn't (...or couldn't).


I'm convinced that Harris would've wiped the floor with Cruz and then stomped on
his sorry carcass.


Moreover, having an Ivy league on a CV is overrated. It's more important to me that a candidate sees
clearly - and is able to argue passionately for what is right.

[Guppy]

41. Whether you want to admit it

Cruz won many debate competitions. He is an asshole but he is an excellent debater.

[harumph]

53. He's better than most (today)

which is not saying much.

Obama was a reprieve from "junior" - but the rhetorical and oratorical arts
continue to decline in this country.

For example, at one point in (I think the second debate) Cruz was defending
arming teachers and metal detectors as an answer to school shootings.
The obvious line of attack would've been "So, you basically want our schools
to be more like prisons..." and then followed up quickly with a comment about
"...it's not surprising - just look at republican support for the industrial
prison complex..."

A person who was reasonably quick could have countered with something like those
comebacks. Whether you want to admit it or not, Beto provided consistently weak performances
during the debates. Did you watch them?

[pnwmom]

57. And that's why we'd need someone who could surpass him in debating skills.

Someone like Kamala Harris, who has demonstrated her abilities in numerous public settings.

[harumph]

58. Bingo.

[NewJeffCT]

48. sure you don't need an Ivy League school on your resume

FDR - Harvard and Columbia

JFK - Harvard

Bill Clinton - Yale law school

Barack Obama - Harvard law school

Truman came in after the death of FDR, LBJ came in on the coattails of JFK, and Carter came in on the heels of Watergate (and did graduate from the Naval Academy), so had extenuating circumstances.

but, it kind of seems like a trend.

[harumph]

55. I believe their influence will wane - and rightly so.

Bush W. Bush went to Yale - and he was so damn bright, a regular polymath he was.

[pnwmom]

59. Harris was the Attorney General of the largest state in the country.

And she is a U.S. Senator from that same state.

No one is going to not vote for her because her law degree came from UC rather than Ivy league.

[MrsCoffee]

30. Do you have something against a black woman?

You seem to be all over the place insisting we run a white man and this bullshit about Howard kids is just ridiculous and means squat.

[Guppy]

38. You don't get it

My wife recruited at traditional black schools. She liked the Florida A&M kids more than the Howard kids. She thought the Howard kids were stuck up. The Florida A&M kids were much nicer and down to earth.

[MrsCoffee]

51. Purely anecdotal baloney.

[pnwmom]

56. Obama was on the Law Review at Harvard Law, not Columbia.

Columbia was where he transferred to after two years at Occidental.

[brush]

67. You keep making the bogus claim that it's not hard to get elected in California...

as a Democrat. What's escaping you is to get elected in California you have to beat several other Democrats, sometimes even in the general election.

Google is your friend so you don't keep making the same mistake.

[Polybius]

120. He is an outgoing House member

She's a sitting Senator. Massive difference.

[Sneederbunk]

9. Let the primaries run their course. May best candidate win.

[Horizens]

10. Brown/Klobucher

Klobucher/Brown

[BlueWI]

23. This.

A winning ticket with Midwest charisma.

[W_HAMILTON]

11. But Beto has more experience in the federal government than Kamala...?

[Guppy]

17. yes six vs two

and honestly is there really a difference in a senator than a congressman.

[EffieBlack]

76. Yes, there is

But that said, Barack Obama and George HW Bush are the only presidents elected in the last 50 years with any federal government experience. Every other president during the last half century. except Trump, of course, got most of their government experience in and came directly from state government.

And I have no doubt that if Barack Obama had lost his Senate race and then tried to run for president, he'd never have been taken seriously as a serious contender for the White House - in fact, he'd probably have been laughed out of the primaries.

But, then, being a white man has its privileges ... While a black man had to be damned Barack Obama to even get compared favorably to a Beto O'Rourke.

[Guppy]

94. So lets play reality

since you said white men have privilege that is something we can agree on. What are the realistic chances that a Black woman from California is going to get elected nationwide. Not great compared to a white guy who ran the best any democrat has run in a state that hasn't elected a democrat in 25 years.

I'm Chinese and I know my race would have zero chance in a national election. Kamala might win but it would be an uphill battle. My goal is to get the best candidate out there with the best chance of winning.

When I made the statement that Cory Booker is in the wrong place at the wrong time is that the reality is unfortunately it would be very hard for another African American male to get elected. It is just the racism in America that does that.

You of anybody should know that.

The goal here is not to make a statement, not demand that we have a woman or a minority on the ticket but to put a candidate with the best chance to win on the ticket.

The only other person besides Beto is Kamala. The rest of our candidates are really so so.

What works against us is the electoral college.

I do think the Governor thing for elections is waning.

[BumRushDaShow]

124. "I'm Chinese and I know my race would have zero chance in a national election."

If Ted Lieu ran (and despite whatever technicality was actually eligible to do so given he is a naturalized citizen), I would certainly vote for him in a hot minute. He was a Stanford undergrad/Georgetown Law grad & and an Air Force veteran. He's also dynamic in terms of engaging people and is fluent in social media, something the millennials seem to cling to.

Few if any from my race (black) ever thought someone like Barack Obama would ever get elected in our lifetimes or many of our future generations' lifetimes, yet here we are (and it happened twice). The demographics changes in this country helped to make it so.

If you pick someone who is truly able to connect to people, their "race" will often suddenly fade away to all but the most hardcore virulent racists because that person has learned to communicate with other cultures or often grew up in an environment that allowed them to do so at a deeper, more subconscious level.

I have posted a number of times on DU about the fact that despite Obama having had a white mother and black father, he ALSO had an Asian stepfather because his mother re-married and took him to live in Indonesia. Subsequently, he ended up with a half-sister who he grew up with that came from that 2nd marriage. His having been born and raised in Hawai'i also meant that he grew up with Asians (I expect mostly Japanese) and native Islanders and could not help but be immersed in that culture.

Similarly, Kamala Harris is half Tamil (from her mother who was from India, which is considered Asian for U.S. census purposes) and her mother raised her after divorcing her Jamaican father, so there is no way that the Tamil culture suddenly disappeared from her perspective.

IMHO, if we didn't have such crapping up of the elections in numerous states that have larger minority populations, then I expect you would see a whole different voting dynamic despite the rampant racism. That is because at this point, white supremacy is hanging by the thread of RW media brainwashing, cheating and suppression.

[TeamPooka]

123. Kamala has won multiple state wide elections. As AG and Senator. Beto has won 0 statewide elections

this is why Congressmen don't jump straight to the White House for the last 140 or so years.
Winning any state wide election is the litmus test.
If he had won the Senate race I would be like Yes, do it, run and win, like Obama did because he's a winning streak.
I'm sorry that he's in Texas and that's a tough thing to do but it's what needs to be done to prove your electoral bona fides for national office.
I'm also against Eric Garcetti in LA running.
Mayors, even of our largest cities, are not experienced or qualified to be President either.

[W_HAMILTON]

125. I would say that a Democrat getting within 2% of winning a statewide race in Texas...

...is more impressive than a Democrat winning a statewide race in California.

Beto is good enough to keep Democratic strongholds and he has shown that he can turn out the vote even in the reddest of states.

He also isn't afraid to put himself out there, unlike Kamala, who seems to shy away from doing interviews and the type of press needed to become a real player on the national stage.

[TeamPooka]

139. Your accusation that Senator Harris doesn't do press and interviews is a falsehood.

Like I said, too bad it was Texas.
But winning is winning.
Harris is a Senator.

[W_HAMILTON]

145. Your characterization of my "accusation" is the falsehood.

Kamala most certainly does NOT put herself out there as much as other Democratic notables, including many of the people she will potentially be competing against for the Democratic presidential nomination. Of the top contenders, she is easily the least visible. Biden, Booker, Warren, Klobuchar, Beto, Sanders, etc. -- they are all more frequently campaigning, giving speeches, and/or making appearances on TV.

[TeamPooka]

147. please. history is full of people telling black women they're doing it wrong. Whatever it is.

get in line.

[mahina]

12. First, if our candidates have to be as smart as Barack Obama, that's a high bar.

Especially when the republican candidates have to be so stupid.

I'm not going to hold any criteria of gender or color. I want to win.

I care what they care about, how clearly they can communicate our values, and if they can win.

I would love a female and a black or latino or all of the above. We don't get to change the color of our skin and mostly don't get to change our gender.

You do you.

[Devil Child]

13. I'm completely sick of complaint threads about candidates not preferred by the OP

The primaries are approaching soon enough. I welcome each and every thread discussing candidate possibilities so I can learn more about them as individuals in addition to their policies and histories. We need more discussion not less.

[USALiberal]

20. +1000 nt

[True Dough]

34. Agreed!

It takes the "discussion" out of the discussion forum otherwise.

[crazycatlady]

113. Years ago there was GD Presidential

Perhaps we should bring that back

[NightWatcher]

136. The AA vote saved the Dems and we're going to repay them by running a young white guy who lost to

Ted Cruz?

[Devil Child]

140. I'm sorry, I must have missed the part where O'Rourke was selected as our nominee

Who is we you are referencing when you say we're running a young white guy. Don't we have a primary to get through first?

I care not if nominee has a white penis or black vagina. The only thing that matters to me is securing victory in 2020.

[Chemisse]

144. We're going to run whoever wins the primary, regardless of color or sex.

Running a candidate because somebody 'owes a debt' was done in 2016. I'm not going to say that's why we lost, because it wasn't, I don't think, but I will say it's wrong and it cost us some voter turnout.

All that said, I would love to see a POC and/or a female (or both!) on the ticket somewhere. If the winner is a white male, the VP could be a black female.

[NightWatcher]

14. Another for Team Harris here

Harris would unite the African American voter block as well as the educated women block in addition to all of the regular Dems and Progressives.

[Glamrock]

126. That's a good point.

That's what I was looking for in my thread....

[USALiberal]

19. Then don't read them. Easy. Nt

[912gdm]

24. "I'm sick of the same old "new bright shiny white guy" for president stuff."

I didn't know there was a contingent of DU that was focused on being part of the NBSWG brigade.

[Lithos]

25. Meh...

Beto is far more qualified than the grifter in the office today. He's sharp and has lots of great ideas.

And more importantly - and I take this personally - he's better than any GOP candidate out there. *IF* he wins the primacy, posts like this are not helpful in the long run.

I respect if you have others you prefer in the primary - support them. Support their strengths, not focus on what you perceive as other's weaknesses. I have a few whose ideas and personalities I like as well. We have a surfeit of strengths. Please do not diss on any one please and respect the differences please.

L-

[still_one]

26. If it makes you sick then don't read them

[chillfactor]

27. i would like to see a

Joe-Beto ticket.

[harumph]

31. He should've mopped the floor with Cruz in the Texas debates -

...but he just wasn't able to.

IMO, he's not that fast on his feet. I've been watching his performances
carefully.

OTOH, Harris is fast on her
feet. She's a puke "killa" - he's not. If she had debated Cruz, he would've just dropped dead.

Beto is likable - but sorry, we need more than that. And no. he's not the reincarnation
of RFK. Listen to his public performances - and compare to archival RFK. No comparison.

[Guppy]

45. Debates have very little effect

on elections.

[harumph]

66. Debates have the effect of narrowing the field during the primary

- thereby effecting
the election. Furthermore, they have an
affect on undecided voters in the general.

[JI7]

75. yup, Debates took out Rick Perry, Rubio, and Paul Ryan(in vp debate)

by exposing them as empty suits that did not live up to the hype and other bs the media tried to prop them up as.

[phleshdef]

70. Texas is still red as hell. Thats absurd.

[harumph]

81. Do you live in Texas? I do - and the cities are mostly blue.

Cruz got 50.9% and Beto 48.3%

That's not "red as hell."

Texas is not Alabama.

[phleshdef]

85. My sister and best friend do. Trump won Texas big in 2016.

Texas might turn purple over the next 5-10 years but its still red as hell. Beto even coming that close is a testament to his appeal and Cruz having the most punchable face in the country.

[EffieBlack]

86. Stacey Abrams came even closer than Beto to winning her statewide race

and, as a black woman running in the deep South, she didn''t have the built-in advantage of being a white man.

Andrew Gillum also ran a strong race in Florida, even though, like Stacey, he was running with one hand tied behind his back.

But funny thing - I don't see thread after thread urging THEM to run for president.

Wyzzat?

[phleshdef]

89. No one is stopping you from making those threads.

[Kurt V.]

103. I'm hoping stacey abrams jumps in. great pol and great person

[Polybius]

121. Cruz's number 1 talent is his debating skills

He's among the best that the Republicans have. Beto wasn't expected to out-debate him, but he preformed better than expected.

[Jarqui]

35. I have the luxury of time to absorb the capabilities of the prospective candidates

I'm going to use it. I need to. I don't know them well enough yet.

Enthusiasm for a candidate is a good thing. It can be infectious and bring others along to the party. So carry on with the enthusiasm for Beto - even though I'm not close to picking a favorite.

I think Democrats are lucky to have such a long list of decent people kicking tires.

I'm looking forward to many threads debating their pros and cons.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

52. You can always not read them.

[Jake Stern]

60. Beto is my choice so far

Kamala Harris choosing to defend the death penalty by claiming it was her duty when her refusal to defend Prop 8 clearly demonstrated that was a bullshit excuse just made her look duplicitous.

Also dismayed with her full throated defense of civil asset forfeiture.

On Edit:

The Larsen case was a travesty of justice from start to finish. In 1999, when two police officers claimed they saw Larsen, who had earlier in his life been convicted for burglary, pull a six-inch-long knife from his waistband and throw it under a car, he was sentenced to twenty-seven years to life under the three-strikes law supported by Harris.
...

Eleven years later, a judge reversed the conviction due to the lack of evidence and incompetence of Larson’s attorney’s. Yet two years later, Larsen was still in jail. Why? Because Harris, now a vocal opponent of mass incarceration, appealed the judge’s decision on the basis that Larsen had filed his paperwork too late — a technicality.

https://www.jacobinmag.com/2017/08/kamala-harris-trump-obama-california-attorney-general

No thanks.

[questionseverything]

156. her stance on that case was immoral

I don't want the dems to become the lock em up and toss the key party

I don't want any ag type...putting people in prison to gain a record

[zentrum]

62. Glad we have a deep bench.

Not seeing the point of trashing any of these new faces.

[Journeyman]

63. Well, just hang on. If others agree with you, Beto threads will gradually disappear . . .

And if not, maybe the building crescendo of such threads will gradually bring you around.

Either way, the process of selection will play itself out.

[Chakaconcarne]

64. Kinda early to be eating our own....maybe?

[harumph]

68. Eating our own is a democratic tradition.

It all comes out in the wash.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

65. If you are going strictly by resume it is Cory Boiker

By a mile

[DoctorJoJo]

72. Let's Look a Little Further:

Could he win Texas? Because Texas/Calif/NY is 120 EVs, only needing 150 more. Hell I could get 150 more! He has more Congressional service than Obama and will be the same age in 2020 as Obama was in 2008. I'm not saying he is necessarily the BEST candidate, but he is in the top three! Pair him with Kamala Harris and I think it is a sure thing! Of course there are all you purists who love Bernie, Jill Stein, and Susan Sarandon, and all that got you was TRUMP! Democrats eating their own--WTF ELSE is new!

[phleshdef]

73. Well you are gonna be in for a rough year or so.

[camelfan]

77. If you don't like him as a presidential candidate

then you shouldn't like him as a VP candidate, either. The VP could become president on inauguration day, after all. One heart attack, or, in this country, bullet, and things could change just like that.

[certainot]

78. these discussions are irrelevant as long as dems keep ignoring talk radio

it's really fucking stupid

dems go through a process of picking frontrunners and meanwhile the gop and ALEC think tanks have profiles they blast out of 1500 radio stations

it really doesnt matter while dems ignore talk radio. they trash the dem all day long and NO ONE defends them

we just saw that - hillary clinton

[harumph]

84. That's a good point.

But, I'm not sure that Dems can compete in that marketplace. Weren't most
of the station licenses bought up in the mid 80s - 90s? Clear channel & Sinclair?

[Trumpocalypse]

79. I'm sick of all the 2020 threads

It is just way too early and most polls are meaningless. But you’re right the whole O’Rouke thing is becoming a cult of personality.

[StevieM]

82. I like Beto well enough. But I plan on supporting Tom Steyer. (eom)

[Prof.Higgins]

83. In 2008 and 2016 proponents of our candidates became exceedingly hostile toward other candidates and

their supporters in some of the blogs, such as Daily Kos.. Hopefully, that level of rancor will not eventuate here in our DU forums. Debates about the candidates’ qualifications, policies, experience, special talents etc. are healthy. Trash talking is not, needless to say.

In any case, I’m still sky high over the 40 seat House of Representatives Blue Wave and will continue celebrating for a few months yet. 😎🏆🎺♥️

[left-of-center2012]

87. Weren't we told it had to be Oprah?

[TheFarseer]

88. Agree

Not enough experience

[earthshine]

91. They can all fight it out in the debates, and the winner, as declared by me, will have my vote.

Beto's inexperience is not necessarily a disqualifier.

Biden, Bernie, Harris, others ... I can wait patiently to choose when the field is so full of good players.

[Awsi Dooger]

92. Kamala Harris is not in Beto's league

As a handicapper I have no problem emphasizing that. It is incredible to me that anyone could view it the other way, other than predetermined bias.

Senate hearings could not be a worse guideline. All the power belongs to the elected official. No kidding they can be aggressive and effective.

Get them out from behind that desk and now they have to connect with the American public. That is real world presidential politics. Margin for error is next to nothing. I have to laugh every time I read a post about winning by landslide in 2020.

Too many Democrats seemingly are looking for a barker. Someone who can mock Donald Trump the loudest. Kamala Harris strikes me as just the type who would be shocked when her background is being questioned, when everything in her past is exaggerated or misrepresented. Essentially when she is on the other side of that podium. The last thing we need is someone who comes across as a nasty prosecutor type when one lie after another is being thrown at her. I will be rooting against Kamala Harris during the primaries because I don't trust her personality during a general election. It is as simple as that.

Beto has already been through a mini-presidential race and handled it exceptionally well. Trump would be lying and slinging against someone who has his own version of 5th Avenue.

[oberliner]

95. "Beto has already been through a mini-presidential race and handled it exceptionally well"

What is this in reference to?

[EffieBlack]

100. Of course, she's not ...

[Midwestern Democrat]

118. I'm keeping an open mind, but my initial gut feeling is that nominating Kamala Harris could

result in a very ugly electoral college map - I could see her getting blown out badly everywhere except the nation's largest cities. I think she could easily lose every state Hillary lost in 2016 plus some additional ones (Minnesota, Virginia, and Colorado would be the most likely). One thing is clear - the Upper Midwest is the whole ballgame - if our nominee in 2020 can't win back PA, MI, and WI, Trump's getting a second term.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

142. IMHO you are a bit too bearish on her chances.

I think she can do as well as Hillary and subtle demographic shifts will take care of the rest:

• 2016 baseline: Democrats would win the popular vote by 3 points, and they would take
back Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin to carry the Electoral College 279-259.

https://www.prri.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/States-of-Change-2018-Americas-Electoral-Future.pdf


I think she is somebody who suburban voters would be comfortable with, which is where the presidency will be won or lost.

[GoCubsGo]

98. Same here, and not for the same reason you are.

I am sick of ALL of the "Insert name here for President." posts. Until the field is set, I don't care. I'm not into playing "Fantasy Elections", and I will continue to trash such threads without opening them.

As for Beto, if he runs, I will consider him. Just as I will consider everyone else who decides to run. Right now, all we have are a bunch of exploratory committees.

I am already fucking sick of hearing about the 2020 election, and it has barely started yet.

[demmiblue]

102. same here.

I think I am going to trash by keyword polls and 2020 (I may add some names, also).

[Vinca]

99. I don't care if we end up with the child of a Martian who raised a family at Area 51.

As long as he or she can beat Trump, they've got my vote . . . horns and all.

[EffieBlack]

101. I'm not sick of the "Beto for president" threads ...

I AM sick of the "Beto is the Great White Hope and is superior in every way to every other potential candidate because he's white, male, young and almost won a Senate seat" threads.

[Bradshaw3]

129. Can you link to one of those threads?

The ones where people on DU said "Beto is the Great White Hope and is superior in every way to every other potential candidate because he's white, male, young and almost won a Senate seat"?

Or just ONE thread where ONE person posted that line, or even anything like it? Or are you just making things up to discredit your fellow DUers who happen to believe differently than you do as a bunch of racists?

[violetpastille]

132. There have been quite few people who have said

That we need to run a white man (implied hetero) to be safe.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that those people are white. And they know about white thinking and they are speaking from their own white frame.

But I don't recall any threads where Effieblack called her fellow DUers who believe that racist either.

It's good to talk about the construct of race. If we can't do it here, where can we?

[Bradshaw3]

137. Again, can you link to one thread where people said that?

I would recommend you reread her post here. It calls people out for saying we have to run a "white, young male, etc." Right there on the page. Who has said that, or even implied that? I wait for examples of what you say is "quite a few people" who said we have to run a white man - not that they like someone (who happens to be white), but that it has to be a white person.

I never said we can't talk about race. What we can't do is accuse people of things they aren't saying. I believe the talk of Beto is directly related to the impression he made while running for Senate, not because he's white or young or male. I saw Obama speak when he ran for Senate in the primary and had the same feeling of inspiration from him that I got from Beto.

I don't know if he is the right candidate for 2020, but most of the things being used against him also apply to others, but they get a pass for some reason. Some of us look at the various candidates and have pros and cons about all of them, but apparently some of those candidates won't even get a chance. Again for some reason that hasn't been explained.

[violetpastille]

138. Didn't you say that Effieblack was calling us racists?

I don't have a link, because I wasn't offended by people posting their opinions. I didn't take down names.

But if you can share a link where Effie calls us racist then you win, I guess?

[Bradshaw3]

153. No I didn't say that but mischaracterizing is what some people do

When they can't back up their claims. I asked a question if that is what she was doing, based on her statements that I quoted. And I asked her to back up her claims with threads, and asked you to back up your claims about many people saying we have to have a white male as the candidate with some links to threads. You can't (because there aren't any) and you instead try to deflect with talk about taking offense, taking names and "winning". If you're going to make wild claims about people's motives on here, you should be prepared to back them up.

[violetpastille]

154. Brad

I've got some other stuff to do. I see you in another thread going after Effie again.

I gotta go drink some tea and do some yoga.

[Bradshaw3]

158. Asking people to defend what they write is not "going after them"

Nor is pointing out when they are wrong. Going after someone is what you did here and in a previous post; it's what people do when they can't defend what they write.

[Chemisse]

148. Actually I have seen people say that our candidate would be more likely to win if it's a white male.

And that beating Trump is the most important thing. I'm certainly not searching for threads, but I have seen that a couple of times.

I don't attribute those comments to racism/sexism particularly since it's pretty clear that a white man will ruffle the fewest feathers among the nation's populace.

My own opinion is that we get the best candidate period, without regard to race or gender, then bolster that person with a complementary VP. If we choose a black woman, then pick a white man for VP, for example.

[Bradshaw3]

152. I would agree with most of that

However, I would say we picked the best candidate in 2016 and that didn't work out. To me it has more to do with broad appeal (especially in the upper Midwest where we have to get those states back for Dems and win the Senate) and that doesn't have to be a white person, or a male. My top candidate at this point would be one who's not even being talked about, Tammy Duckworth.

[Chemisse]

155. I think our pool for 2016 was limited because of Clinton's perceived inevitability.

I don't think we picked the best candidate we could have found if the pool had been wide open like it is now.

More people would have jumped into the race if it were not evident that Clinton was already the choice of the DNC.

I like Hilary; I think she was well-qualified and did the best job she could on the campaign, but she came with a ton of baggage that dragged her down every step of the way.

But you are right, broad appeal is really important. And as time goes on, being a white male becomes less significant.

I think it would be an act of timidity for Dems to put forward a white male JUST to make winning more likely. Now is the time to continue pushing forward with a beautifully diverse group of candidates, and let the best one lead us into 2020.

[samnsara]

104. i agree.. i think its unfair to him all this prez talk. I cant see him go toe to toe with..

...Putin or China....NOT YET. Hes got tons of potential (as does Kennedy) and I would have loved for him to get into the Senate. Now I read a group of 'progressives' are talking trash about him cuz hes not 'progressive' enough? Good Lord...no wonder good people don't go into politics.

I'm still rooting for Biden/Harris or Harris/Biden or Sherrod Brown/Harris or Harris/Brown.......either at the head of the ticket. I like to picture in my head a prez standing up to the enemy ( foreign or GOP) and not backing down..I can see any of these 3 doing that.

I am also sick of the word "progressive' when its used to divide Dems. WE ARE ALL PROGRESSIVE! We ALL want universal health care, free or at least affordable education, common sense gun control, climate change, equality for all. Why does one group get to claim they are the torch bearers for such long standing ideas?

But whoever it is that gets the Dem (DEM!) nom...I will support and vote for.

We all need to pinky promise to do the same.

[watoos]

105. Whether Beto is the right choice for president or not,

I bet if he were a Republican his resume' wouldn't be questioned. Politicians with charisma are hard to come by, I'm glad as hell he is on our side. Good luck Beto if you decide to run for president or V.P.

[pwb]

108. A lot of Texans voted for him , that says something. Lets hear him out.

May the best candidate win?

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

109. Are you suggesting the Democratic presidential primary should be democratic?!

[pwb]

110. That would be nice.

Instead of so called leaders of the party and old school delegates.choosing for us. Them and all the news talkers trying to decide for us or divide us. So yea. A Primary with all the candidates instead of just two. Give the young blood a chance.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

114. Absolutely, people should decide who our candidate will be, not organizations, corporations, PACs

or other entities.

[elocs]

111. It's way too early to settle on a nominee. Like putting up Xmas decorations in August. n/t

[dalton99a]

115. Let them run, and let them fight.

[Bettie]

116. People are going to speculate and have preferences

they won't always match yours.

Scroll past if it really bugs you.

[NurseJackie]

119. I hear ya! I try to ignore them. They're all motivated by extreme disappointment...

I hear ya! I try to ignore them. They're all motivated by extreme disappointment that he didn't win in Texas.

Not enough experience, people. And I know the same thing was said about President Obama, but I'm gonna lay it out: I'm sure Beto is quite intelligent, but he's not in the same ZIP code as President Obama for outright brilliance. I like him as a VP candidate, but I don't want him as a presidential candidate. I don't think he's electable as a presidential candidate.

You've explained it very well. You've been polite and truthful; you've been thoughtful in your analysis and response. Still, I'm afraid that it won't be long before others start hurling their shoes at you.

[Iggo]

122. Click the X.

[bearsfootball516]

127. If you're already tired of them, you're REALLY gonna be miserable for the next year.

[BannonsLiver]

130. Womp womp

[Adrahil]

134. Beto 2020. ;)

Better get used to it!

[roody]

135. Harris puts on a good show.

But she failed to prosecute Mnuchin and One West bank for illegal foreclosures as AG of California.

[northoftheborder]

141. My 2 bits:

I do not have a favorite at this time; many fine people in the line up; I just think we need someone who can speak clearly, strongly, and truthfully; can stand up to Trump or whoever the Repubs put up.

[MrGrieves]

143. Pretty sick of reading threads that

Pretty sick of reading threads that try to dictate what other people want to write about.... especially in the General forum.

[EffieBlack]

146. Oh, the irony ...

[Gothmog]

149. I like Beto but it is early

I voted for Beto and contributed to his campaign. I like Beto but it is early. Beto has a good chance of building the small dollar fundraising operation that could help win

Link to tweet

[cynatnite]

150. Wait until the debates before making up your mind...

Not every candidate is going to come across the same from one venue to the next.

Plus, I do hope that even if the nominee is someone you don't care for, you will still support them nonetheless.

[GaYellowDawg]

157. Oh, it's straight ticket Democratic candidates for me.

No matter who we put up, they have my vote. I'm never voting Republican and I'm never sitting it out. If it's Beto, I'll be a dang Betomaniac. Stickers on the car, signs in the yard. Once the primary is over, I will be ALL IN for our nominee.