Tulsi Gabbard is a Democratic presidential candidate to watch

[oberliner]

The 2020 election is slowly approaching, and there is already a pool filling with potential presidential candidates for the Democratic party. Of those running, there is a variety of candidates of different races, genders and political experience. Most known within those declaring candidacy are former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Development Julian Castro, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, California Senator Kamala Harris and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren.

Less known, but equally a contender, is Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. Representative Gabbard is on the younger side of candidates at 37- years-old but has been involved in politics since 2002 when she was elected to Hawaii’s State Legislature. Right after committing to this position, the attacks on 9/11 occurred. Representative Gabbard couldn’t stand still and wanted to take part in fighting for this country. To do this, she joined the Hawaii Army National Guard and voluntarily stepped down from Legislature to serve two tours of duty in the Middle East. Between the tours, she still worked with the U.S. Senate to advise on certain issues which added to the commendible nature of her want to serve.

The platform that she is running on stems heavily from environmental passions, civil liberties and changing economic allocations. Her enthusiasm for protecting the environment, our air and water quality and sustainable energy stems from experience. She began Healthy Hawai’i Coalition when she was a teenager, a non-profit focused on educating about and protecting the environment. Her drive for unity and serving the American people can also be rooted in her past service to the country through her time dedicated to the National Guard, with whom she still serves as a Major.

https://duclarion.com/2019/01/tulsi-gabbard-is-a-democratic-presidential-candidate-to-watch/

[violetpastille]

29. +1

[oberliner]

36. Jill Stein was 100 percent against the Democratic Party

Tulsi Gabbard is a proud Democrat seeking the nomination of the party.

[themaguffin]

63. Based on her history, I don't see a reason to trust her. She's another flavor of Lieberman.

[oberliner]

70. In what ways is she similar to Joe Lieberman?

[themaguffin]

77. She shits on Democrats.

[mahina]

117. Specifically President Obama and Mazie Hirono.

Though I wouldn’t put it that way, I can’t disagree.

[John Fante]

152. So does the OP!

[honest.abe]

71. She has a sketchy background and inconsistent in her views especially regarding LGBT issues.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/13/politics/kfile-tulsi-gabbard-lgbt/index.html

[calimary]

84. That's a good one, themaguffin. "Another flavor of Lieberman."

[Hortensis]

130. :) Lieberman concentrate.

[sarcasmo]

66. +2

[Gothmog]

2. Time will tell

Link to tweet

?s=20

[oberliner]

33. Here's a photo of the author of that Rolling Stone piece

Last edited Tue Jan 29, 2019, 01:14 PM - Edit history (1)

[honest.abe]

59. The content of the article appears to be factual.

BTW, what does that photo have to do with anything? What point are you trying to make?

[oberliner]

75. People are commenting on the author of the OP being a college student

The author of the Rolling Stone piece also seems to be on the young side.

[honest.abe]

78. Any issues with the content he wrote?

Like incorrect dates or facts wrong.

[BannonsLiver]

105. This poster thinks it's somehow profound to do that.

It’s supposed to mean something, apparently. The poster did that frequently when he/she was actively defending the Covington kids while trying to smear Nathan Phillips.

[RhodeIslandOne]

165. Oh boy I missed that weekend....

Wow. Woooooowee. Unreal.

[Gothmog]

102. Are there any facts that are wrong in that article?

[obamanut2012]

88. Wut?

[charlyvi]

89. You don't like what he says

So you attack him personally by trying to show him in an unflattering photo? Not cool. Argue with his facts, point out where you think he is wrong, cite evidence that oppose his facts, but don't attack him ad hominem. It reflects poorly on you, not him.

[dawg day]

158. Gee, a young reporter tries out VR goggles

When I was a young reporter, I had to help deliver a baby calf at the state fair.
So your point is...?

[reACTIONary]

162. Cool...

... I bet he flys a drone also.

[lapucelle]

200. Here's the photo Newsweek uses.

[hlthe2b]

3. I think most of us have already seen "Titanic" multiple times....

and we know the ending....

[Initech]

15. Shit, we're currently living it!

[TheBlackAdder]

146. Yeah, I'll take a pass. I think there's a rerun of The Orville playing somewhere.

.



.

[Autumn]

4. I've never paid much attention to her so I don't know a lot about her other than

a few threads here I have read and trashed about her. I had no idea she is running on the environment civil liberties and changing economic allocations. I knew she was the National Guard, but didn't know she still served as a Major. I'm going to be looking at her closer

This I found kind of laughable. Her 2017 meeting with Bashar al-Assad, the incumbent president of Syria? Does she meet with him often? Trump/Putin anyone?
"weak on Syria and the humanitarian crisis."? I don't hear a lot from anyone on that.

Many see her as being too close to al-Assad as well as weak on Syria and the humanitarian crisis. This could be an issue as individuals do not want the acts of Syria or its leaders to be legitimized or supported by the leaders of the U.S.

Seems that these thing are only an issue for Dems if someone wants them to be an issue.

[oberliner]

28. What is the Democratic Party position with respect to US troops in Syria?

It seems like that is still an open question among the candidates. I'd be interested in hearing more from them about it - and about war and peace in general.

[Autumn]

40. I don't know what it is and all honestly I have paid no attention to Syria other than hearing

a few things about the humanitarian crisis from the bombings and a few blurbs about withdrawing troops from Syria. It seems like the fucking wall and the boogeymen attacking us from the south is all that's discussed, it almost seems like those things are being used as a distraction.

[oberliner]

46. Yes, agreed

I wish that the networks could devote more time to a greater variety of issues. They definitely seem to spend more time on analysis of dumb Trump tweets than analysis of US foreign policy, for example.

[mahina]

121. Oh no, people here in her district her very upset when she met w Assad.

This is a good article from the Honolulu Star Advertiser last Synday. It’s our newspaper.

https://www.staradvertiser.com/2019/01/27/hawaii-news/butler-and-his-organization-criticize-the-press-decline-interviews/?HSA=72bb47cbf37cb9fee9ab9c8a2ca401668c4b4615

There are positives and negatives about Tulsi Gabbard but one of her gifts is discerning progressives’ emotional buttons and hitting them, leading some to assume we understand her values and can trust her. You don’t and you can’t.

Speaking as her constituent.

[Autumn]

131. Then I'll respect her constituents should they decide to vote her out of office and not support

her running for president. She's held the seat for 6 years so obviously she's been re elected a few times. There are other Dems that I don't trust also and as has been said here time and again the worst Dem is better than any Republican. I agree with her on her support for abortion rights, Medicare for All, her call for a restoration of the Glass–Steagall Act, and I applaud her changing her stance to support same-sex marriage in 2012 and as some here would say, she evolved. She is critical of U.S. foreign policy re Iraq, Libya and Syria. Opposing removing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from power by force seems to be a problem for some but we have seen removing dictators by US force has never worked out very well for the people in those countries.

I didn't know a lot about her till this thread and I goggled her. Any thread on usually turned into a Bernie thing so until I cleaned out my trashed key words I have seen nothing about her. She looks like a mixed bag to me and not being a constituent I'm happy to see her in the race and on the Democratic side.

[manor321]

5. Why post shit like this? Seriously.

[Autumn]

13. Because she's a Democratic presidential candidate would be my guess.

[Glimmer of Hope]

17. Seriously. It looks like an opinion by some college student.

[oberliner]

26. Yes, it looks to be an op-ed by someone affiliated with Denver University

Written in support of a Democratic candidate for president. What's the problem?

[oberliner]

25. A positive article by a young person written in support of a prominent Democrat running for POTUS

Why would that be a problem?

[disillusioned73]

38. Apparently a Democratic WOC..

running for president isn't a big deal?? Frowned upon?? At a loss...

[BannonsLiver]

115. Lol

Gabbard’s not a WOC.

[disillusioned73]

139. Oh, she's white???...

I did not know this - thanks for the update..

Is AOC white as well??.. for future reference.. cause I guess I'm white now too..

[spooky3]

201. FWIW, Wikipedia says her father is of Samoan

(And other) descent. Wouldn’t Samoan ancestry (of some percentage) qualify as a person of color?

[FSogol]

6. LOL. SSDD!

[oberliner]

23. Posting positive articles supporting Democratic candidates is what DU is all about

Nothing is more important than advocating for Democrats.

At least, in my view.

[FSogol]

24. Cool story, bro

[JHan]

101. ++++++

[Moostache]

7. Dates do not match...

Says got into politics in 2002....then says 9/11 happened...that was in 2001.

I am not doubting her service, but this is sloppy bio puffery at best. Attention to detail is pretty important to me.

I wish her well but her candidacy seems to raise her personal profile more than anything else.

[oberliner]

19. I think this was written by a college student

The source is affiliated with a DU (Denver University) college fraternal organization.

[pnwmom]

167. Exactly. This was a puff piece written by a naive college student. n/t

[KitSileya]

8. Yeah, Like a snake.

To make sure she doesn't bite - because she has a tendency to hit at the Democratic party instead of the Repubs, and to support dictators like Assad and other awful men, like Modi and Trump.

[oberliner]

20. "I have seen this cost of war firsthand, which is why I fight so hard for peace"

She does make a persuasive case for not having troops in Syria (and some other places), in my view.

[TwistOneUp]

154. Snore ... nt

[Tommy_Carcetti]

9. Still nope. nt

[roscoeroscoe]

10. Um, no

Not respected in Hawaii for refusing to debate her primary challenger

[rufus dog]

11. She is someone to watch alright!

[happybird]

134. TBH, I have concerns ...

https://www.meanwhileinhawaii.org/home/butlersweb

An excellent 3-part investigative piece written by a local Hawaiian journalist.

I am normally a big proponent of supporting all Dems and not tearing down our candidates ... but Gabbard's not gonna go very far in this horserace. Nor should she, IMHO.
Squirrely cults that operate international pyramid schemes is just a bridge too damn far. She, and her top staffers, still have strong ties to the cult.

We can do better, and we are:
We already have several much, much better candidates to choose from, and the contender list is just going to keep growing. It's still very early.

[rufus dog]

157. She won't get over 2%

But she will get a huge amount of airtime, especially on Faux News.

[spanone]

12. naw.

[NurseJackie]

14. Okayyyy.

[ZeroSomeBrains]

16. Not a fan of Gabbard

Her support of Assad and her embrace of the far right in India is disconcerting. She also worked with an anti-LGBT organization that was tied to conversion therapy. There are much better candidates either running or soon to be running.

[oberliner]

18. I think she has pros and cons

Clearly, not popular around these parts, but I feel like she could be an interesting addition to the mix.

[FSogol]

22. Interesting or disruptive?

I'm sensing a theme.

[disillusioned73]

39. Republicans will not like her...

we know that much..

[FSogol]

50. Do those guys like anyone?

[Cha]

129. What the poster asserted is not true..

Why Conservative Media and the Far Right Love Tulsi Gabbard for President

https://www.thedailybeast.com/why-conservative-media-and-the-far-right-love-tulsi-gabbard-for-president

[Drunken Irishman]

90. No - but a lot of Trump supporters will like her.

And that raises a major red flag for me.

https://ivn.us/2017/02/09/why-do-trump-supporters-love-democrat-tulsi-gabbard/

[Cha]

128. Why Conservative Media and the Far Right Love Tulsi Gabbard for President

https://www.thedailybeast.com/why-conservative-media-and-the-far-right-love-tulsi-gabbard-for-president

No we don't.

[pnwmom]

166. Steve Bannon, the National Review, Tucker Carlson, and Stephen Spencer (white nationalist)

are among the right-wingers who love her.

Maybe it started when she was attacking Obama for not using the term "radical Islamic terrorists" to refer to ISIS.

[oberliner]

47. For one thing she is a veteran

I think that gives her a unique perspective on issues related to war and peace.

She is also non-white and non-Christian which adds another unique dimension to her campaign.

[disillusioned73]

60. Good points..

sounds like +++ in my book...

I wonder what she did to get so much vitriol from her own party.. I wish I could put my finger on it..

[brush]

156. Try her Obama-bashing on FOX and her cozying up to Assad and trump.

That should give you an idea. You actually haven't heard any of that?

She's wasting her time.

[disillusioned73]

186. Obama "bashing"..

good talking point..

[brush]

199. Not hard to find. Try google.

Get informed.

[disillusioned73]

203. Here is the problem..

when you believe someone is "perfect" as a lot of naive ppl believe - any criticism, large or small is seen as "bashing"..

[brush]

205. Ridiculous. An alleged Dem going on right wing FOX and speaking against///

the President and leader of her party.

She's wasting her time ad has no shot, as witnessrd by her disastrous rollout compared to Harris'.

And now she's pitting herself against Hirono of her own state.

Not the best move.

[disillusioned73]

206. When former repub loyalist

go on CNN & MSNBC & criticize the Orange one, I assume you applaud - or do you say... shame on you, party loyalty should be maintained!! Or do you say, they have some valid points here...

see alleged R's Max Boot, Anna Navvarro, Steve Schmitt & many...many & many/many/many others - the new darlings of the "resistance"..

I'm not the one being ridiculous here...

[brush]

207. Clearly you are. Neither Obama nor the Dem party is suspected of treason.

And now back to Gabbard's disjointed roll-out. She didn't even alert her campaign that she was going to announce. Her campaign manager has resigned, and she didn't even go to Iowa or New Hampshire after announcing.

Waste of time.

[oberliner]

208. President Obama Endorses Tulsi Gabbard (2012)

President Barack Obama has endorsed Tulsi Gabbard’s bid to become the representative for
Hawaii’s second Congressional District. The president released the following statement.

“America's middle class needs Tulsi Gabbard in Congress to stand up and fight for
them. Tulsi will create jobs here at home by building from the middle out, not the
top down. She will protect Medicare for our seniors and education for our next
generation. Middle class families can count on Tulsi Gabbard and she needs their
support on Election Day."

Tulsi Gabbard issued the following response: “President Obama has great aloha for the people
of Hawai‘i and the people of our country, so I am very happy to receive his support and look
forward to working closely with him to improve our economy, get our troops out of Afghanistan
as quickly and safely as possible, and work for the well-being of all of our people.”

https://www.votetulsi.com/sites/default/files/attachments/press-releases/president_obama_statement_on_tulsi_gabbard_campaign.pdf

[brush]

209. That was 2012. I doubt he'll be endorsing her pres. bid after the things she's done since 2012.

She's wasting her time.

[oberliner]

211. He will endorse her if she gets the Democratic nomination

But I think the likelihood of that happening is quite small.

[Autumn]

74. I didn't know that she's a Hindu and not a Christian, I like that.

Religious diversity is a refreshing change.

[BannonsLiver]

106. Like spending a week defending the Covington kids?

[ZeroSomeBrains]

42. Warren and Bernie are much better candidates than Gabbard

Gabbard still is better than a Republican but she would need to change a lot of her positions to actually have a chance at becoming a US Senator from Hawaii let alone become President.

[oberliner]

48. I think there is a great slate of candidates emerging

I look forward to hearing from and learning more about each and every one of them.

[LanternWaste]

112. Odd. Last week you entertained conjecture there are too many candidates.

But I get it... an objective premise can often change, predicated wholly on the convenience of the day or the mere direction of the wind.

[BannonsLiver]

119. And, in some cases, instructions from up top.

[marble falls]

197. Or a coin toss. Or just a general mendacity.

[MineralMan]

21. She hasn't a prayer.

Her past positions on several things will eliminate her early. I don't know why she's bothering with this, really.

[oberliner]

68. Stranger things have happened

See 2016.

[Adrahil]

93. With all due respect...

The rise of Trump depended on a certain amount of sheer gullibility in the GOP and the electorate in general... not to mention suppressive effort of people like Gabbard.

The Democratic Party in general is not THAT gullible. She fades fast and early, IMHO.

[oberliner]

171. It definitely does not look promising for her thus far

[pnwmom]

168. And that's why smart people like you should not be taking her seriously. n/t

[oberliner]

172. All the Democratic candidates are worth a look

There are a lot of interesting options. Of course, all but one of them will end up not getting the nomination. Gabbard is definitely a long shot. Personally, the candidate I am most excited about right now is Kamala Harris, but I think they are all good.

[pnwmom]

191. Gabbard's refusal to acknowledge that Assad chemically attacked his own citizens, and her

secret meeting with him; and her wrong-headed attacks on Obama for not using the words "radical Islamic terrorism" instead of ISIS; and her refusal to support gay marriage in Hawaii as recently as 2013, are among the reasons I'm convinced we can immediately narrow the field down by one now.

While it is still early, I do like Kamala a lot at this point.

[oberliner]

193. What do you think US policy should be with respect to Syria?

Which Democratic candidate has views that most closely align with your own on this topic and what are those views?

[pnwmom]

195. I haven't investigated all of their varying positions. As far as I know, none of them

insist on using the term "radical Islamic terrorism" instead of ISIS -- because they believe, as I do, that all Muslims shouldn't be smeared with that brush.

All of them accept the view of the intelligence community that Assad chemically attacked his own people -- and I do, too.

And as far as I know, Tulsi is the only one who voted AGAINST accepting Syrian refugees (along with Republicans).

But I haven't looked at all of the other candidates positions on Syria, and I don't know the best way to withdraw -- I only know I'm not comfortable with Tulsi's positions so far.

[oberliner]

196. Here is what she said in terms of terminology

"You know, I understand and appreciate the president's concern which is he doesn't want all Muslims to be cast with the same targeting or the same look at this handful of radical jihadists, and I agree with that. No one wants that to happen, but that's why I think it is important that we make the distinction between the vast majority of Muslims who are practicing their spiritual path, who appreciate and support a pluralistic society and government that's free, versus the small handful of people who like ISIS and al-Qaeda, who believe that unless you abide by their caliphate and their theocracy, you should be killed. And obviously that's something we need to be able to identify in order to defeat this threat."

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1606/17/sitroom.02.html

Here's her position on Syria (per her campaign website):

Tulsi is the leading voice in Congress calling for an end America's interventionist wars of regime change that have cost our nation trillions of dollars and thousands of lives. She has introduced a resolution that would end our illegal and counterproductive war to overthrow the Syrian government of Assad which is creating more devastation, human suffering, and refugees while strengthening terrorist groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda.

https://www.votetulsi.com/node/25114

[Gothmog]

145. I doubt that she will do well in the primaries

[honest.abe]

27. Just as an FYI.. this is a university paper and the author is a student.

Could be why some information in the article is not consistent like the dates in these sentences:

"since 2002 when she was elected to Hawaii’s State Legislature. Right after committing to this position, the attacks on 9/11 occurred."

BTW, Tulsi will not be a factor despite this student's opinion.

[oberliner]

67. Yes, a tad sloppy for sure

But it's always good to get the POV of younger potential Democratic Party voters.

[honest.abe]

76. Next time you post a student op-ed I suggest noting that.

It will help to alleviate confusion when the content is garbage.

[VOX]

30. Crackerjack reportage from the "official student newspaper of the University of Denver."

Article is positioned right between the “Dormitory Doings” column and the “Kampus Krazies” cartoon. Don't to forget to clip the 15-cents-off coupon when you purchase a small frozen yogurt at the cooperage.

[oberliner]

64. College students are the future

[GulfCoast66]

160. I agree. The Future.

There is a reason 21 year olds and very few people in the 20’s have leadership roles or other positions of power. Education and passion are important. But nothing beats hard earned experience.

Well, except in college newspapers. They have leadership roles in college newspapers which make many of the entertaining to read.

[aeromanKC]

31. Tulsi Gabbard the candidate to watch!!

To be the next one to drop out of race!!

[stonecutter357]

32. fuck putin!

[oberliner]

62. What does Putin have to do with Gabbard?

[Timewas]

34. She is

One of the worst cases of DINO I have ever seen

[disillusioned73]

41. That would be Mccaskill..

who now works for CNN - anyone surprised??

Corporate media always takes care of their own...

[Timewas]

45. Maybe but

She is not actively trying to run as Dem.as far as I know.

[disillusioned73]

55. Nor should she...

she could challenge Trump for the R nomination, as that is where her ideology/ loyalties are..

Regarding Tulsi, if you call someone a "DINO" at least show some evidence;

[link:http://politicsthatwork.com/voting-record/Tulsi-Gabbard-412532|

"Summary of voting record: Representative Gabbard opposes big business, foreign and humanitarian aid, taxing the middle class, domestic surveillance and supports consumer protection, disaster relief, funding education, environmental protection, financial sector regulation, gun control, public health, humane immigration policy, labor rights and wages, lgbt rights, avoiding default, poverty amelioration, racial equality, increasing revenues, taxing the wealthy, countering russian interference, a robust safety net, higher spending, women's rights."

[samplegirl]

189. She is?

Go figure. Now she can speak for her party!

[disillusioned73]

190. Which party would that be??,,,

cause last we heard from her during her failed campaign she was FOR trumps wall and against shiny new "things" like AOC - so she fits right in @ CNN

I just don't know who she speaks FOR.. other than old, privileged white women that got trump elected.. like Shakiras hips, stats don't lie

[Squinch]

35. So you should go watch her. And definitely you should watch the WHOLE video.

[FSogol]

37. LOL n/t

[Kingofalldems]

51. Boom!

[oberliner]

57. What video are you talking about? She hasn't officially launched yet (Feb 2)

Are you still referencing the Nathan Phillips video?

[Squinch]

122. Watch the video.

[mcar]

43. ...

[brooklynite]

44. I'm still looking for evidence that any House-based candidate is viable...

[oberliner]

53. Nineteen Representatives have served as President

Including Abraham Lincoln.

[brooklynite]

56. ...and the last was elected in...?

[oberliner]

61. Gerald Ford, right?

[themaguffin]

69. Gerald Ford, the Vice President?

[oberliner]

72. Right - wasn't he House minority leader before that?

[themaguffin]

81. Nixon picked Ford to replace Agnew, who resigned in disgrace & then of course Nixon did too..

[brooklynite]

73. Ford was never elected as President...

[themaguffin]

80. Exactly

[oberliner]

83. So who was the last House member to be elected President?

I give up.

[Adsos Letter]

202. James Garfield.

From Ohio (1880)

[oberliner]

204. Wow - it has been a while

[George II]

110. Gerald Ford was appointed to be VP, Nixon resigned and he became President. Not elected to either.

[Kingofalldems]

49. I get the strong impression republicans would love to see her nominated.

[FSogol]

54. Or the Russian Internet Research Agency.

[disillusioned73]

65. Oh, those darn roooskies!!

[safeinOhio]

52. Thank you for the post.

Not at the top of my list, but I'll be voting for the Dem nominee. I'm going to make an effort not to dis on anyone yet.

Right now I really like Warren's tax plan and Harris's charisma.

[oberliner]

58. You're welcome

There are so many exciting and interesting Democratic candidate to get to know better!

[LongtimeAZDem]

79. Her aunt agrees that she should be watched, but not the way you mean:

The Real Tulsi Gabbard

As Representative Tulsi Gabbard’s aunt, it gives me no pleasure to publicly air my doubts regarding my niece’s political agenda, which Kelefa Sanneh describes in his Profile (“Against the Tide,” November 6th). However, I take my role as a citizen seriously, and I would be remiss not to share my concerns. Sanneh raises the issue of Gabbard’s lifelong immersion in the Science of Identity Foundation, an opaque religious organization that she and its founder, Chris Butler, have attempted to reframe as a “resource.” Gabbard’s answer to a basic question about Butler is troubling: despite calling him her “guru dev” (spiritual master) in her own promotional video, she denies that he is more important than any of her other teachers. She also has a notably mixed voting record, and associations that veer from certain progressive causes to the apparent courting of such strongmen as Narendra Modi, Bashar al-Assad, and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (not to mention Trump)—this zigzagging path through positions is vexing. Sanneh’s article walks the fine line of investigation and exposition in a way that points to shadows worthy of further illumination.

Caroline Sinavaiana Gabbard

Honolulu, Hawaii

Letter to The New Yorker, November 13, 2017

[honest.abe]

82. Wow.. is that for real??

[mahina]

92. Very true.

[oberliner]

85. That reminds me of when Republicans posted negative crap from Obama's half-brother

To try to discredit him.

Also reminds me of when Republicans honed in on Rev. Wright as a way of attacking Obama's religious beliefs.

[LongtimeAZDem]

87. Of course it does

[mahina]

95. Sina, as she is known to friends here in Hawai'i, is a brilliant and very ethical person. It took

Courage to make her concerns known.

Tulsi’s father is her brother. She knows what she is talking about.

She is a recently retired professor of English. She is speaking for herself.

[honest.abe]

96. Thank you for this.

+1

[mahina]

114. You bet. Did you read the article in the Sunday Honolulu

Star Advertiser by Sophie Cocke? It’s worth reading.

https://www.staradvertiser.com/2019/01/27/hawaii-news/butler-and-his-organization-criticize-the-press-decline-interviews/?HSA=72bb47cbf37cb9fee9ab9c8a2ca401668c4b4615

[honest.abe]

142. Thanks for the link. I will read it a bit later.

[LanternWaste]

113. I too, pretend a spurious correlation "reminds me" of whatever is most convenient at the moment.

[LAS14]

99. Huh. Never mind her political positions, if this is all true it means...

... she's very vulnerable to swift-boating. We need someone crispy clean, like Obama, so they have to resort to something as ridiculous as the birther campaign.

[happybird]

140. Here's another link re: Butler's organization

https://www.meanwhileinhawaii.org/home/butlersweb

A fascinating read, very thorough, written by local Hawaiian journalist..

[Freethinker65]

86. So is there a specific Democratic candidate we should ignore?

Honestly, if you have the time, you should probably look at all of the candidates- Democratic, Republican, and Independent.

Truth is, unless you live in an early primary state, many of these early candidates will have already dropped out. That is how it works. One hopes that if their passions and political platforms resonate with voters they will either do well themselves or those ideas will be encorporated into those of other more viable candidates.

[disillusioned73]

103. You're just too reasonable..

we need outrage... outrage I tell ya!!!

[Freethinker65]

108. Ha!

[Bleacher Creature]

91. To watch and vomit. Absolutely!

[Devil Child]

94. Thanks for posting! K&R

[Bettie]

97. There are a lot of choices out there

this one isn't one of my top five.

And that is fine. If people choose to vote for her, well, I guess they can. I doubt she'll be our nominee though.

[Blue_Tires]

98. Until the moment all her homophobic slurs get dredged up, of course...

Then there's that whole Assad-Putin thing...

There's more but I'll stop here for now

[Callado119]

100. ..to watch crash and burn the fastest?

[Apollyonus]

104. Great post. Very useful. Almost prophetic.

[FrankBooth]

107. She's not a serious candidate IMO

Despite the OPs protestations.

In my opinion, this is a vanity campaign intended to raise her profile among conservative Dems/Indys and Fox News viewers. This rep has no support with party brass, suffers from a serious case of whataboutism, and will not finish in the top 5 in any primary outside of Hawaii.

But please, by all means, tell us all about her 'legit' candidacy ... for the 20th time in the last month.

[BannonsLiver]

109. Oh my, this is the best thread yet!

Unintentional comedy at its finest.

[Claritie Pixie]

116. That's a very well-written promotion piece. Still NO for me.

I don not find her trustworthy based on past actions and statements.

[LongtimeAZDem]

118. Gabbard on the Shutdown: "Both sides...unwilling to come together..."

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211699705

[IronLionZion]

120. Sounds like the perfect candidate for you

[obamanut2012]

136. ...

[in2herbs]

123. Not. Will not support her and will not vote for her --- ever. nt

[Hekate]

124. Tulsi's bio has been deeply researched by good sources & given here. She's a Dem like...

...I'm the Queen of Rumania.

She's a very pretty face, raised in a highly authoritarian American cult (Hindu in name only), and groomed for what she's doing.

It is not "bashing a Dem" to point this out.

[Hortensis]

126. :) She's a liberal like I'm cozy with Sheldon Adelson.

And that's not bashing a Dem because some Dems are proudly conservative, some are far-left or -right authoritarian, others are...uncategorizable. And in some cases perhaps all depending on the mood of the moment.

[Squinch]

125. As we get closer to an election, I urge my fellow DUers to be

on the lookout for two kinds of threads.

First, of course, are threads whose purpose is to sow division among us and set us at each other.

Second is threads that are designed as "honey traps." In these, a poster will start a thread that is obviously controversial, and then ask "innocent" questions of the responders in an effort to get them to say something negative that could get their post hidden. Its all quite skillfully done, but there are examples of this kind of ratfucking daily here.

Generally the same posters create both kinds of threads, so beware, DUers, and be safe out there.

[LongtimeAZDem]

127. +1

[Kingofalldems]

132. +1,000,000

[sheshe2]

133. +++++++

[obamanut2012]

135. Yup -- too many take the bait

[FSogol]

137. Awesome PSA. n/t

[Tommy_Carcetti]

138. ...........

[betsuni]

141. +1

[oberliner]

143. Supporting Democrats is an essential component of the DU mission

If we all focus on highlighting the best of every Democrat running in 2020, then we can help stay united in ensuring that whoever wins the nomination gets full-throated support and eventual victory.

Let's stick to positive posts about the many talented Democrats that have thrown their hats into the ring this far. We can avoid division, stand united, and work together to ensure the success of our party.

[Squinch]

144. You didn't watch the video.

[Hortensis]

148. Imo, not all who call themselves Democrats have the

right stuff to be our national leader, though. Although we should not attack those who wear our party label, I disagree that we have a duty to "highlight the best" of those we believe have too little of that.

Fwiw, I also believe that encouraging all Democratic candidates who represent an extreme range of views is a luxury for safer times. The last time I felt even remotely that way was with Ralph Nader in 2000. After that dreadful electoral disaster, I didn't need losses in 2002, 2004, 2010, 2014, and 2016 to understand the problem. Not when whole nations are lost by razor-thin margins and whole populations are being manipulated by sophisticated IT techniques from right-wing enemies domestic and foreign.

Of course, we should continually educate ourselves about all candidates who choose to run under our label. New material to consider is frequently turned up. This January 14 Vanity Fair article, for instance, points out many questions but also has many links which connect readers with other sources who will continue digging for further information.

IS TULSI GABBARD THE JILL STEIN OF 2020?
The Democratic candidate’s perplexing, Bannonesque foreign policy and passivity toward Assad may make her radioactive. And then there is the homophobia.

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/01/tulsi-gabbard-2020-presidential-run

[FSogol]

150. You want to avoid division?

[marble falls]

198. Just for yesterday.

[MrGrieves]

164. You are spot on

I posted about this phenomenon in the help forum. There are a number of things that get posted here with the motives that you describe and you have to be careful in how you respond.

[Recursion]

147. Tulsi Gabbard is on Narendra Modi's payroll

I'd prefer not to trade one foreign puppet for another, thank you.

[brooklynite]

149. If Tulsi calls, I'll take a meeting with her...

...but based on who I've seen so far, I think it'll be a hard sell.

[Beakybird]

151. There you go

She's on the bottom of my list, but I'd fight like a dog for her if she won the nomination.

[brooklynite]

159. And so would I, knowing the odds weren't good.

I'm referring to choices for the nomination. I've met with Harris, Swalwell, Bullock and Hickenlooper (and I know Brown), so there are clearly better options.

[John Fante]

153. The OP seems to gravitate to the most divisive, least electable

candidates in the field. IOW the candidates most likely to breed apathy in the Democratic base, thus ensuring a Trump victory.

How peculiar.

[oberliner]

161. My top candidate is Kamala Harris

I think the other Democratic candidates are also very good, but Harris is my #1 as of now.

[Gothmog]

155. Tulsi Gabbard campaign in disarray

This is a very interesting article https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/29/tulsi-gabbard-2020-election-1134055

Tulsi Gabbard’s presidential campaign hasn’t officially launched yet but it’s already melting down.

Two-and-a-half weeks after she told CNN she had decided to run for the White House—an announcement that even her own staff didn't know was coming, after weeks of debating the timing of the rollout—the 37-year-old congresswoman has struggled to contain the chaos.

Campaign manager Rania Batrice and Gabbard’s consulting firm Revolution Messaging are set to depart after this weekend’s official kickoff in Hawaii, two sources familiar with the situation told POLITICO. Gabbard is leaning on her sister, Vrindavan, to fill the void.

Meanwhile, the congresswoman is under fire back home after picking a fight with Sen. Mazie Hirono, and a prominent Democratic state lawmaker is already challenging Gabbard in next year’s congressional primary. That means she faces the possibility of losing the presidential race and her House seat as well.

[oberliner]

170. Definitely off to a rough start

[pnwmom]

163. According to somebody writing for the University of Denver online publication. I wonder

if Tulsi's publicist, Chris Cooper of the Potomac Group, is placing these articles in university sites, or paying students to do so.

The named writer, Cameron Elder, isn't listed among the staff of the publication.

https://duclarion.com/staff-directory/

[oberliner]

169. It's her first year in college

I would think it would be unusual for her to be an editor in her first year at the school.

She has written about ten articles for the publication.

https://duclarion.com/author/cameronelder/

[pnwmom]

192. So you posted a puff piece by a 19 year old just because she's young or something?

Because she doesn't seem very informed.

[oberliner]

194. Yes

I thought it was interesting to read a young college student's take on one of the 2020 Democratic candidates.

[UCmeNdc]

173. Tulsi Gabbard is a big NOOOOOOOOO!

She is a Joe Lieberman lite candidate.

[oberliner]

174. Her campaign definitely seems to be off to a rough start

[honest.abe]

175. I trust Howard Dean regarding Tulsi Gabbard..

Dean: Tulsi Gabbard. I don’t think she knows what she’s doing and I don’t think she should be qualified. She’s not qualified.”

Link to tweet

[disillusioned73]

184. I don't...

he's a lobbyist, and not on our side (anymore), if he ever was..

CNN also recently hired McCaskill for her "leftist" views( hilarious, I know).. and Flake also got a corporate news gig.. it seems "news" has an affinity for right wing talking points

[honest.abe]

185. Howard Dean is not on our side?!?

Have I logged into Bizarrro World?

[disillusioned73]

187. Yeah, I know what you mean..

it's crazy sometimes..

[smb]

176. Why Would Anyone Need To Watch Her, Specifically?

I can hear the exact same "both parties are equally to blame" idiocy from any of a plethora of pundits.

[Mojo2]

177. Not True

Her campaign is already unraveling before it even really starts! Her campaign manager is leaving and her past statements leaning to the right views are surfacing. I have added her to the Sanders and Gillibrand column, of folks, that I will not support.

[Pisces]

178. Ill watch to see how quickly she drops from the race

[liberalnarb]

179. I'm DEEPLY suspicious of Gabbard.

People need to be aware of her past.

[DanTex]

180. I doubt it.

The only group of people I've seen her actually appeal to are the Bernie-or-Bust crowd from last primary season, who like her because she quit the DNC.

Other than that, there's not much there. And, she's got a bunch of unpleasant things in her political history, from anti-LGBT positions to Hindu nationalism to sort-of being an apologist for Assad.

I don't see her getting much mainstream Democratic support.

[oberliner]

181. She certainly doesn't seem to have much support here

[DanTex]

182. Honestly, I don't see her getting much support anywhere except for places like the Jimmy Dore show.

The lack of support here probably has a lot to do with her choice to join the "primaries were rigged" crowd in 2016, which is the same reason she has support from the JPR crowd.

And it's true that DU is not the Democratic Party as a whole, but she's alienated large swathes of the party outside of DU, not just with the DNC stunt, but also with Assad and other things, for example, comments blaming "both sides" for the recent shutdown, etc.

The question, to me, is what else does she have going for her besides giving the finger to the Democratic establishment? She's obviously trying to be a form of Bernie 2.0, but I don't see it. Even a fair number of people on the left (e.g. Sam Seder) have suspicions about her apparent sympathies for people like Modi and Assad. Also, given that one of the "standard knocks" on Bernie-type candidates is that they prioritize economic issues over social issues, her anti-LGBT past is not going to play well.

Unlike someone like AOC, who does have the potential to someday become Bernie 2.0, I don't see Gabbard as having much appeal outside of people who simply dislike the Democratic Party.

[Javaman]

183. no thanks. nt

[Gothmog]

188. Tulsi Gabbard's campaign already loses campaign manager, consultants

Link to tweet

[Vinca]

210. As people get into the race you can almost pick the top 3 contenders who will be standing

as the primaries wind down and I doubt Tulsi will be among them.

[oberliner]

212. Agreed

Long odds for sure.

But stranger things have happened.