Remember Hubert Humphrey? He was supposedly the safe choice against the despised Richard Nixon.

[Skidmore]

110. We are in a very different time

and have endured several years of chaos and insanity. Our institutions have been gutted, laws subverted, alliances and treaties abrogated, have concentration camps throughout every state. We are being catapulted into a dictatorship which is usurping our judiciary and justice system. Separation of church and state is hanging by a thread. Civil and women's rights are being assaulted. Education is being handed over to for profit and religions. Voters' rights are suppressed and we are not assured that our elections are secure. It is a matter of time before our military is turned against us on the streets.

I watched a variation of this play out elsewhere and it was ugly. Theocracies must be stamped out at their inception. They are not benign entities. When a nation is moved to lawlessness by extremists, its foundations must be reclaimed from them. I am looking for restoration, not chaos added. Return Article 1 powers to the Congress. Reorganize Cabinet by evaluating the mess now and examining lines of responsibility. Build on ACA with a public option until we can sort out budget priorities and reinstate progressive taxation. Hit the ground running to shore up tattered relations with our allies. Have a list of Ambassadors who are qualified ready to go. Get a plan ready for restoring the justice system and the courts. Remove all Trump appointees and replace with a spectrum of moderate to left people who are team players. Start tasks forces on restoration of rights of all types and education with clearly defined agendas and task assignments with hard action step deadlines for implementation. Continue to push for gun laws, reregulation of industry and banking and finance.. Demand transparency and reportability.

At this time, I see most of those running as good candidates for Cabinet appointments, with some serving better by staying put. I see Biden as having a steady hand and an unparalleled breadth of experience in international relations. I would welcome either Harris or Stacey Abrams as potential VP choices. Harris could deal with justice issues. Abrams has excellent skills at navigating legislative and executive systems.Democrats and progressives need to pull together since impeachment is sure to start and Trump will be playing crazy with gusto. He breaks the system but he and his supporters will only remain aggrieved and separate. We need to be steady and firm, careful not to replace chaos with chaotic ideas, lines of responsibility, and processes or excluding willing allies.

This is my thinking now in the primary thus far. We generally see many issues in a similar way, my dear friend. Now my priorities derive from my personal experiences. This nascent theocracy must be stopped.