As much as I love Joe Biden, I don't think he should run. I think Jon Tester should.

[LaMouffette]

I know this post will incur a lot of wrath. Believe me, if Joe does decide to run, I will support him all the way and will, of course, vote for him. But we have to be realistic. We have to win the presidency in 2024 or our democracy is all but doomed.

For people like us on DU, we KNOW that Joe rescued our country from disaster following Traitor Trump and the pandemic, we KNOW all of his amazing achievements, we KNOW that during his administration millions of jobs were created and that unemployment is at a 50-year low and that the economy is booming.

But waaaaay too many voters don't pay any attention to politics until Election Day. They could not tell you what ARPA stands for, let alone any of the wonderful things that came out of ARPA, or that Joe Biden was responsible for it. I hate to say it, but I think Joe's age will be a deciding factor in the way they vote. Especially the independent voters and the disgruntled Republican voters that we need to vote Democratic in 2024.

Okay, so about Jon Tester, senator from Montana. First of all, Rachel Maddow adores Jon. How's that for a credential? Second, Jon has managed to win and hold his Senate seat three times in our ruby-red state. These days, that's nothing short of miraculous. Third, Jon is a farmer with broad appeal. He is the real deal whose down-to-earth, common-sense approach to politics and his refreshing no-bullshit demeanor would highlight DeSantis's slick, suck-up-to-the-MAGA-crowd phoniness (or the phoniness of any other Republican who wins the Republican primary).

Here's a sample of Joe's straightforward style:

[link:

|

And here is the Rachel Maddow interview with Jon Tester in which he shows his devotion to helping veterans. At the very end, Rachel says she's going to ask Jon after the break about his plans for running for the presidency, but unfortunately they don't show that part! But she did indeed encourage Jon to run.

[link:

|

So I know this post will piss off many, but seriously, I'm just being pragmatic. I still adore Joe Biden and will back him for president if he does run, but I'm terrified that his age will lose us the election.

(And, I'll be away from home and off DU the rest of the day, so won't be able to respond to any responses for a day or two. Please don't hate on me too bad!!!!!)

[mcar]

1. Joe Biden has been the most effective president in more than 50 years

and with a divided congress half full of lunatics.

But sure, let's replace him for...reasons.

[brer cat]

7. +++nt

[sheshe2]

22. I am with you 100% 🎯

[we can do it]

24. Thank you. Tester is needed in the senate as well.

[Me.]

27. DEfeat Out Of The Jaws Of Victory?

and while I admire Senator Testor he had given no indication of such ambition

[LaMouffette]

58. I agree with you 1,000 percent on Joe's effectiveness, mcar! I'm just worried that those voters

who don't pay much attention will only judge him on his age, not on his achievements. We have to win the presidency in 2024.

But if Joe decides to run, oh hell yes, I will be ridin' with Biden all the way!

[Samrob]

70. You have a right to be worried about those idiot voters. Look what some did to HRC. But I'll take

Joe over anyone else right now UNTIL HE SAYS HE's DONE. Trump was the most consequential President in a BAD way. Biden has been the most effective President in a GOOD way. We are still suffering the bad consequences of a Trump and MAGA supported presidency. And we are working on a fix.

Remember this the next time you vote (as my grandmom said) "An ounce of PREVENTION is worth a pound of CURE!!
Just think, we could have prevented Trump had we not been so foolish ourselves.

[LaMouffette]

80. I agree, and what they did to HRC is an excellent, well, horrifying, example. Thanks to the "I just

don't like her" crowd, who never bothered to consider Hillary's intelligence, education, or experience as a US senator and secretary of state, we ended up with the monster Trump, who came very close to destroying the country (and damn near the world with his eagerness to fire off some nuclear weapons: "What good are they if you can't use 'em?!&quot .

Way too many people vote based on the vague impressions they get from fleeting TV and social media political ads.

But I'm with you. I will back Joe all the way if he does decide to run and just hope that less-than-tuned-in voters don't vote against him based on his age.

[treestar]

65. +1

How many times people get a thing for a politician and think the only thing is they should be POTUS. Every day someone is touted as the next POTUS. I recall when it was Michael Avenatti - look how laughable that was.

[LiberalFighter]

72. Tester doesn't have the necessary resume. Or name recognition. Both critical.

[samnsara]

2. i like joe and hope he runs. I will support him 100%

[Duncanpup]

3. Speak your mind we're in murica

[LaMouffette]

60. Thanks for the support, Duncanpup! I hesitated to write this post, but then I thought, "This is DU.

These are Democrats. We Dems are open to hearing opposing points of view."

And I was right! Scanning the responses, looks like about everyone was kind and respectful. So very glad I found this forum!

Have a good day, Duncanpup!

[wnylib]

63. Well, after the SOTU, this OP is not aging well.

[Walleye]

4. I don't hate on you at all it's good to have ideas and opinions

It’s just a shame that so many Democrats don’t seem to understand elective politics. Nobody’s heard of Jon Tester. We have a successful incumbent Democratic president, and you want to replace him with somebody nobody knows about. There has been no candidate emerge who could replace Biden as a winner in the whole country. But winning a national election against an incumbent republican wasn’t good enough?I’m sure you are sincere, and maybe you are right. I just don’t agree that elections work that way

[Ferrets are Cool]

21. This

Plus repugs will say that Biden isn't running or didn't win his nomination because Democrats are in disarray and because of his failed policies....which are pure bullshit, but never stopped them before.

[treestar]

66. exactly

that'll be the spin.

[LaMouffette]

62. Hi Walleye! Your argument about Biden being the only candidate who could win the whole country

is exactly why I was an early supporter of Joe in 2020. All of our Democratic primary candidates in 2020 (with the exception of the vile Tulsi Gabbard) were so vastly superior to any of the Republicans' candidates, and I had a few favorites. But it was soon clear that Joe Biden was the only Democratic candidate who could win over voters on a national scale. With that big ol' heart of his, Joe was, and still is, easy to love, combined with his decades of experience, he was absolutely THE Dem candidate for 2020.

I just fear that in 2024, the voters who don't pay attention to politics will see nothing but Joe's age. But maybe I'm not giving them enough credit. After all, Joe won their hearts and their votes before. Hopefully, they will recognize all the good Joe has done and vote for him again.

And please don't think I'm saying Joe should be primaried!!! If Joe decides to run, I'm with him all the way.

[LiberalFighter]

75. That is a key. Candidates need to be known nationwide. Not just in their state.

[hlthe2b]

5. I like Tester a lot, but he'd be received similarly to Steve Bullock was for 2020 Dem race.

Voters like the candor and "against-the-odds" ability to win in the conservative mountain west states, but ultimately it is a very uphill challenge to win over voters on the coasts and even the central midwest and Southeast. Hell, I still remember how people staffing the phone ticket lines for the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics (not only those working out of GA, but in NY as well) were sending callers from New Mexico to the INTERNATIONAL lines. It was amusing, but a sad reality and I have to think it persists today. And then there are the $$$ brokers.. Backing a candidate from Montana or other neighboring states? No way.

[LaMouffette]

67. Hmm, I never thought of that, hlthe2b! You may be right that Dems in blue states might be

suspicious of a Democratic candidate from ruby-red Montana, if that's what you mean. The donors, too.

But I think Tester could win them over with enough exposure through interviews, news coverage, and campaigning. And I think he would be better received than Steve Bullock. Bullock would have made an EXCELLENT president! The main reason I liked Bullock was that he fought the good fight here in Montana against dark money donations in politics. However, Steve has too laid-back of a personality to get the masses excited over him. He just wasn't interesting enough. Sadly, American politics has become entertainment. That's how the monster Trump won. He was interesting. And Jon Tester can be pretty interesting, too. Here's an excerpt from a Politico article on Jon with the attention-grabbing title "The Foul-Mouthed Farmer Sticking His Neck Out for Democrats' Agenda":

When Jon Tester returned from a White House meeting last month, Amy Klobuchar congratulated him for his “nice quote” about the debt ceiling.

As Klobuchar read back Tester’s expletive-infused words, he recalled protesting: “‘Come on. I didn’t say fucking.’ And she said, ‘Oh no, you said fucking.’” After digesting that Klobuchar was right, Tester kicked himself: “‘Goddammit. I’m trying to wean myself off of this.’”

In fact, the burly farmer from Big Sandy, Mont., has become a reliable advocate of much of Biden’s agenda, even as he eyes a potentially perilous reelection campaign in 2024 in a state where being a Democrat is hard enough.

And as for whether Tester’s alignment with Biden and relatively liberal voting record is a clue about whether he’ll retire rather than run again … well, throw another quarter in the swear jar: “Oh, no, fuck that. That’s not my style.”

He believes that his brand of folksy, profane authenticity can appeal to Montana’s red electorate — even in a presidential election-year as splitting tickets gets more and more rare.

[link:https://www.politico.com/news/2021/10/07/jon-tester-democrat-agenda-515378|

What I also like about Jon's chances of winning a presidential run is that he appeals to Republicans, too. I mean, it absolutely sucks that we have to even consider that, when the Republicans can run any ol' corrupt dumb ass that Democrats despise for president and still win (George w. Bush, Trump) without giving any hand-wringing consideration at all to the question "But would our candidate appeal to Democratic voters?"

From the same Politico article:

There’s no one in the Senate like Tester these days, both physically and politically. He’s a hulking presence as he ambles through the chamber’s marble halls, dispensing plainspoken wisdom and pushing what he calls “positive vibes.” When he sips a bottle of beer, he cradles it in between his pinky finger and thumb — a necessary habit since he lost three fingers in a meat grinder as a child.

Tester’s still a working farmer, and it’s not making him rich: He estimates his crops only gross $100,000 to $125,000 in a good year. That intimate knowledge of rural America led Tester to become a leading advocate against raising inheritance taxes, which he said would have “major impacts” on farms. It’s now out of contention for the party’s spending plans, to the chagrin of some Democrats.

And the Montanan was a leading negotiator of this year’s bipartisan infrastructure deal. During that lengthy negotiation, Tester befriended Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, the former businessperson and GOP presidential nominee. Asked about their yin-and-yang relationship, Romney deadpanned: “He and I are almost the same.”

“He cuts through the B.S. that’s around here. And says what makes sense,” Romney said. When a Utah project was nearly excluded from the bipartisan bill, Romney added, Tester stood up and said: “’No, that’s not fair to Mitt’ … he went to bat for me without me even having to ask.”

But don't get me wrong! I'm not saying that Jon should challenge Joe in a primary! If Joe does decide to run, I'm ridin' with Biden.

[Mysterian]

6. Tester would be a strong candidate

If President Biden decides not to run.

[Fiendish Thingy]

33. No evidence to support that

I don’t th8nk Tester has the slightest inclination to run anyway.

[Mysterian]

42. He's been elected to the U.S. Senate three times

Which is more than "no evidence."

[Fiendish Thingy]

45. You think Tester's support with MT voters can generalize to nationwide support?

I’m not seeing any evidence of that.

I don’t think he could even win the nomination.

Of course, it’s all moot, since Tester has shown not even a hint of interest in running- if he did, there would have been trial balloons by now.

[Mysterian]

48. You said "no evidence"

I merely corrected you on that point.

My opinion is Tester would be a strong candidate. Your opinion is different.

[intelpug]

54. Tester

It would be like saying that Joe Manchin would have equal national appeal since he always dos well in West Virginia

[PSPS]

8. LOL. "Rachel Maddow adores Jon. How's that for a credential?"

So, let me get this straight. Limbaugh et al told republican voters whom to support, so democrats all march lockstep following the utterances of ... Rachel Maddow? Good grief.

[Bettie]

9. I was not a fan of Biden

but, he has been extraordinarily effective. He knows how government works and how to work within it.

Giving up the advantage of incumbency would be a HUGE mistake.

ETA: I do support him now, 100%, if that wasn't clear in my response. He has been a very different president than I expected him to be.

[Emile]

11. +1

[Earth-shine]

25. +2 I completely agree.

[Walleye]

28. He also knows how to win elections, people seem to forget

[marmar]

10. I just don't think Jon Tester will have much appeal to the base....

.... Democrats don't win without heavy turnout by its core voters (African American women in particular), and I just don't see Tester exciting the base.

[BeyondGeography]

12. Biden is clearly not too old for the job

But I do think he’s too old to win the job next year. Both thoughts are legitimate points of view.

If that makes me “ageist,” tell me where I can hand in my “thinking human being” card.

And let’s stop with the Konrad Adenauer stuff while we’re at it…unless you want to build a case for the degree of difficulty of conducting national campaigns in 1950s Germany being even remotely comparable to present-day America.

[W_HAMILTON]

37. Who'd you vote for in the last two primaries?

[BeyondGeography]

41. Clinton and Warren

Who you rooting for in the Super Bowl?

[jaxexpat]

13. Joe started running long ago.

He outlived and outlasted the rest. He was too familiar in an age of the outrageous to be ignored. There are any number of competent Democratic contenders. We would be wise to cultivate as many as possible.

[Johnny2X2X]

14. Joe Biden is the most effective and accomplished president in my lifetime

Got more done in 2 years than any President in generations. And I truly believe the next 2 years is when he's going to really shine in getting things done with compromise.

We're going to be lucky to get 4 more years of him.

[Mysterian]

49. That's a bold statement

considering Obama got the ACA passed.

[Johnny2X2X]

51. American Rescue Plan, infrastructure bill, and the Inflation reduction act

3 huge bills and the CHIPS and Burn Bills to go with them. And dozens of other smaller bills that did great things too. His legislative achievements are staggering. And then politically he just capped the best mid terms for the party in power in 100 years.

ACA was a big effing deal. These are bills are a big effing deal each too.

[FBaggins]

15. That's giving up a senate seat when there are few to spare

Trump won Montana by 16 points (and Daines won his senate seat by 10 against the former governor).

Tester may be the only Democrat who can win statewide. His seat is already one of the most endangered of this coming cycle.

Without clear evidence that Tester is more likely to win the White House than any other Democrat... I don't see it as a smart move.

[onecaliberal]

16. Fuck no.

We have middled ourselves all the way to the fascist side. Joe is our man.

[jrthin]

17. I am perfectly fine with Joe Biden.

If President Biden runs again, he has my full support.

[bigtree]

18. welcome to 1%

...that's as far as Tester would get.

[MrsCoffee]

19. Unrec.

Come on man.

[secondwind]

20. Biden should win the next election.

There’s nothing on the other side, except mayhem and DeSantis.

[Ocelot II]

23. Give up a senate seat in a red state? I don't think so.

[LaMouffette]

69. Yes, that would definitely be the downside of Jon Tester running for president. We desperately need

him here in Montana.

[jcgoldie]

26. no.

1. Joe Biden is running
2. No other democrat is going to win in MT so you sacrifice a senate seat in a year that already looks bad for democrats based on the places we are playing defense.
3. Tester is perfect for MT but probably not liberal enough to win a national Democratic nomination regardless of how much Rachel Maddow loves him.

[tavernier]

29. Who?

I think you would hear that a lot.

[Sympthsical]

30. I am so deeply grateful

That Costco got the huge bags of popcorn back in stock yesterday.

Going to have to bust it out when I get home from class today.

(Relevant to the thread: I think if Biden chooses to run, everything gets mooted. No one's going to challenge it. And it becomes one of those, "Oh well, nothing I can do about this," topics. It'll either work out or it won't.)

[inthewind21]

31. Sure

Let's give away the Senate AND the WH. Sounds like a sound plan! Any suggestion on how to give up the house too?

[CrispyQ]

32. Wow. You're brave!

Although you haven't gotten flamed as badly as I thought you would.

I thought Pelosi stepping down was a good move & perfect timing & I would like to see the torch passed from the old guard to the younger generation, but IDK who else can win. IMO, we haven't done a very good job showcasing our younger generation. Some of them shine anyway, but when you think of younger people on the right vs the left, a whole bunch more names come to mind. Sure, some of them not in such a great light, but we could do better getting the younger gen out there on the Sunday shows, etc. We need a marketing department so bad.

[LaMouffette]

68. Thanks! I was a bit nervous about posting, but I had faith that most DUers are open to opposing

views because . . . Democrats! We're good that way.

I strongly agree with you that we are in desperate need of a marketing department, in fact, one in each state, just blanket the whole country with laser-sharp marketing cells to promote both national and local candidates. We had an excellent candidate here in Montana for our new seat in the House of Representatives, Monica Tranell, and she got NO support or funding from the DNC. The result? Corrupt Ryan Zinke went back to Washington (at least this time, he didn't make a horse's ass of himself by actually riding a horse through the streets of Washington to announce his arrival).

[Hortensis]

34. I believe he'd go into the GE with 81 million votes

in his pocket — at a minimum. It’d likely be more, but whatever it is, that’s to build on.

[GusBob]

35. Senator Tester has recently indicated he may not run for re-election

he specifically mentioned concerns with his family ranch/farm

[Jrose]

36. Since Biden won very well in 2020...

...and considering all the horrors that have been brought upon us by DjT and the Maga-publicans over the past two years, especially Jan. 6, election denial, the acceptance of Santos, opposition to both gun control and abortion,
Biden should do even better in 2024, if he chooses to run.

[fightforfreedom]

38. I don't get it.

Biden has done a dam good job. As a matter fact he has been kicking ass. I'm sticking with a proven winner.

[Mad_Machine76]

39. May I respectfully suggest a moratorium

on these kind of posts? People are entitled to their opinions and wish fulfillment fantasies of course, but I feel like, unless it's announced that Joe and/or Kamala aren't running in 2024 or that they have an actual primary challenger(s), Joe Biden/Kamala Harris are the default nominees for 2024 and we should be supporting THEM here on DU. And I also feel that skipping right over Kamala Harris as a replacement Presidential candidate should Biden be unable to run in 2024 is disrespectful.

[emulatorloo]

40. Biden's been terrific, and he's physically and mentally younger than his age.

Biden’s legislative accomplishments to help every day Americans in the face of Republican garbage is amazing.

Tester is fine, his time will come.

[tritsofme]

43. This isn't pragmatism, it's nonsense.

Completely disconnected from reality, not even really worth unpacking.

[Mr. Sparkle]

44. Your nuts, President Biden is one of the few people who knows how to get things done in Washington

Try not an act like a republican, and think of substance over style rather than vice versa.

[BlueLucy]

46. I love Joe Biden.

Joe Biden has countless accomplishments especially for such a divisive partisan era.

[peggysue2]

47. Couldn't disagree more

Our best shot at holding the WH is supporting Joe Biden, the incumbent who by the very nature of being the incumbent has the advantage from the get-go.

Rachel Bitecofer uses the analogy of racing up a steep, difficult mountain. If one mountain climber is three-quarters up the mountainside at the start, who would you put money on to finish first???

Joe Biden is that guy with a slew of accomplishments under his belt. The media may want to dismiss those accomplishments, the Republicans definitely want to diminish them, but those policies pushed through since Biden took office will be coming on line, impossible to ignore, particularly with Dems and Biden's staff repeatedly listing the programs, taking credit for them and spreading the Good News.

We cannot allow Republican talking points, mush-brained pundits or bomb-throwers to go unchallenged. This is a time to be proud of our Democratic Administration, all of whom have been doing the People's Work from Day 1.

The conspiracies are not going to stop. The lazy journalism is not going to stop, nor will the Republican's mad dash for the political abyss stop anytime soon. Biden is an example for everyone: he's quiet, persistent and gets the job done.

This weekend Chris Christie said (among others) that Joe Biden was too old and too boring to run again.

Joe Biden is too old only if he can't fulfill his duties as POTUS. I've seen no evidence of that. In fact, considering what he's managed to undertake and complete, quite the opposite.

As far as boring? Governance is not mass entertainment; it's suppose to be boring. We had (and still have the clown show) Republicans acting out determined to kill all social welfare programs, bring the economy to its knees and/or scramble for the next Man/Woman Who Would Be King podium.

DeSantis is a perfect example of this and has a fascist policy agenda to boot.

My money is on Joe Biden. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Btw, I like Tester but I just don't see the man running for president. He's been a good senator for his state. I'd like to see him stay where he's most effective.

[LaMouffette]

76. I'm sticking with Biden, too, peggysue2, if he decides to run. But I'm just very concerned that

it seems like many voters do not vote rationally and would completely disregard Joe's accomplishments (if they are even aware of his accomplishments) and just vote against him because he's in his 80s.

If all of us here on DU could handpick the next president, I would vote with the majority here and choose Joe Biden to be the next president. I love Joe Biden. Joe is remarkable and what he has accomplished so far as president is nothing short of extraordinary. I have no qualms personally about his age. I just worry that voters who don't pay attention to politics will just vote against him because of his age.

And, sadly, although governance is supposed to be boring, I think it has become entertainment, thanks to the reality-show-star/snake-oil salesman Trump and the ludicrous clown-car Republicans in Congress you describe. Unfortunately, I think that's the reality we have to compete against, and we nominate boring candidates at our peril. We have to nominate interesting candidates with charisma that even the dumb asses at Trump's rallies might grudgingly latch onto. Interesting, with charisma, but with intelligence, integrity, and the interests of all Americans at heart. Unlike DeSantis, who seems to be trying to out-fascist himself every passing day.


But I do agree it would be a great loss to Montana if Jon Tester ran for president. That would definitely be a tremendous downside.

[brooklynite]

50. "Rachel Maddow adores Jon. How's that for a credential? "

Worthless.

The people who watch Rachel Maddow are already committed Democratic voters. You win the election by adding voters who DON'T watch hours of cable news TV shows, as well as a sprinkling of moderate Independents and Republicans.

[LaMouffette]

73. Yes, but if Joe Biden decides not to run and there is a Dem primary, I think Rachel's endorsement

would influence Democratic viewers' decision of which Dem candidate to vote for in the primary. Not that she would come out and actually say that she endorses one Dem candidate over another.

And about what you wrote about adding moderate Independents and Republicans voters, I strongly believe that Tester could do this. Tester, like Biden, has that straightforward, no bullshit, "everyman" persona.

• He's a farmer who still works his own farm, despite being a US senator. No one could accuse him of being elitist, that is for sure.
• He stands up for veterans (remember when he stood up to Trump and challenged the Dr. Feelgood Ronny Jackson nomination for head of veterans' affairs? In the end Jackson, withdrew his nomination. Thank you, Jon Tester!).
• And these two are very superficial, but I think they matter for Republican voters in particular. First, Tester is kind of an imposing figure. Like Trump, but with intelligence, integrity, kindness, and a human soul. From what I gather, Republican voters like their candidates to be big and strong and manly. I know, very superficial, but I think physically imposing leaders must make them feel more secure or something. And he cusses, something that Republican voters seem to delight in. I posted an excerpt above to a Politico article called "The Foul-Mouthed Farmer Sticking His Neck Out for Democrats' Agenda." Here's the link to that:

[link:https://www.politico.com/news/2021/10/07/jon-tester-democrat-agenda-515378|

• And second, and this is really, really superficial, but Montana is trending right now, thanks to the TV series Yellowstone. People are curious about Montana and I think Republicans in particular would be intrigued by a Montana candidate like Jon Tester.

[brooklynite]

74. Again, I think its worthless.

The viewership of cable news shows, even Rachel Maddow's is an inconsequential number of the total Democratic electorate.

I'm not arguing about the merits of Tester as a candidate, just the potential influence of Maddow (or any other news personality) on the vote outcome.

[LaMouffette]

79. Fair enough! You know, I wonder if the DNC has ever conducted a research study to find out

what media does influence Democratic voters. Are they in fact swayed by prominent news hosts or influenced by local newspaper endorsements? If not the DNC, someone else has probably done the research. Hmm . . . need to do some googling!

[LaMouffette]

81. Yup! Yale did a study and found that voters vote for the person who shares their "partisan

ideological, or policy goals, even if that means condoning undemocratic behavior."

“Our findings suggest that in the overwhelming majority of House districts, a majority-party candidate could get away with openly violating a democratic principle,” said Graham. “Voters make tradeoffs. For the most part, people support candidates who share their partisan, ideological, or policy goals, even if that means condoning undemocratic behavior.”

When Gianforte body-slammed a reporter in his campaign office the night before Montana’s 2017 congressional election, more than half of voters had already cast absentee ballots. This allowed the researchers to compare votes cast for the same pair of candidates before and after the election-eve assault. In politically moderate precincts, voters who cast ballots on Election Day punished Gianforte for the assault on the journalist by voting across party lines. In hardline Republican precincts, significantly fewer voters punished Gianforte for his undemocratic behavior on Election Day, according to the study.

[link:https://news.yale.edu/2020/08/11/study-americans-prize-party-loyalty-over-democratic-principles|

And another study that concluded that campaign ads have little influence over how people vote! So I'm wrong on that count.

Every four years, U.S. presidential campaigns collectively spend billions of dollars flooding TV screens across the country with political ads. But a new study co-authored by Yale political scientist Alexander Coppock shows that, regardless of content, context, or audience, those pricey commercials do little to persuade voters.

The study, published Sept. 2 in the journal Science Advances, measured the persuasive effects of 49 high-profile advertisements from the 2016 presidential campaign on a nationally representative sample of 34,000 people through a series of 59 randomized experiments. Expanding on prior research suggesting that political ads have little impact on voters’ preferences, the study shows that those weak effects are consistent irrespective of a number of factors, including an ad’s tone, timing, and its audience’s partisanship.

“There’s an idea that a really good ad, or one delivered in just the right context to a targeted audience, can influence voters, but we found that political ads have consistently small persuasive effects across a range of characteristics,” said Coppock, an assistant professor of political science in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. “Positive ads work no better than attack ads. Republicans, Democrats, and independents respond to ads similarly.

[link:https://news.yale.edu/2020/09/02/political-ads-have-little-persuasive-power|

So Rachel influences me because I believe she shares my ideology, but Rush Limbaugh never would have influenced me because he didn't share my ideology.

But our country is made up of "Rachel ideology" and "Rush ideology" and "Other ideology" voters. Seems like where our politics goes off the rails is when one of the sides in the debate refuses to compromise on its ideals and refuses to seek middle ground.

Okay, belly grumbling, time for breakfast! Have a good day!

[DET]

52. No Thanks

A farmer from Montana who looks and sounds like a Republican? I don’t think so. He does not represent the base.

[betsuni]

53. Farmer, down-to-earth, common sense. Biden (and Democrats) aren't out-of-touch coastal elites

ignoring the working/middle classes, that insult-stereotype often used as the (wrong) reason white swing state voters vote Republican. Clintons, Obamas, Bidens came from working/middle class backgrounds. The farmer is fine representing Montana.

In my opinion, Rachel Maddow doesn't have infallible judgement about people.

[DemocraticPatriot]

55. It is NOT "pragmatic" for a party to fail to re-nominate its incumbent president--

for whatever reason!

NO party has held onto the White House, who had an incumbent president who did not again become their nominee, in almost 100 years!

(You have to go back to the 1920s, when the GOP had a few one-term presidents in a row-- but at that time, they were still the dominant party, until the 1930s depression...)


Even if President Biden withdrew and did not run due to poor health, history says that would be very bad news for US!

I think "concerns" about his age are over-blown. In a contest against Trump, they would be irrelevant.

Yeah, Tester is a great guy, but it would be very foolish to give up the advantages of incumbency, and a historically bad idea.

[Autumn]

56. Jon Tester over Joe Biden? That's a fucking joke, a bad one.

Yeah a rich rancher worth 18 million dollars is just what we need.

[demmiblue]

57. Tester?!

[LAS14]

59. I'm 78 and that's why I wish someone else would run. nt

[DFW]

61. I've never met Tester, and from what I've seen I like him plenty

BUT--it's a big step from Senator from Montana to the world leadership from the White House. I think Tester is comfortable in his wise-farmer-Senator role, and doesn't appear interested in stepping outside his area of expertise. I just don't see a successful candidacy of his going to the White House, even if Biden does quit.

[treestar]

64. too early

how obsessed with the Presidency do we have to be? FFS.

[LiberalFighter]

71. Tester would not win.

[LaMouffette]

77. Well, I gotta get to work (finally!), but thank you to everyone who responded to my OP!

Even the posts that strongly disagreed with me were pretty kind and respectful. So glad to have found this forum!

Have a wonderful day, DU members! Love all y'all!

[MrsCoffee]

78. Golly, so much concern.

Feeling any better after last night?

If not, this is just a joke.