I like Joe as a human being, but we can do better.

[Voltaire2]

We have many very qualified very electable candidates, none of whom have the baggage Biden is dragging around. His latest revelation: that not only did he vote for the Hyde Amendment while in congress, but that he continues to support it now, is quite simply disqualifying.

We can do better.

[crazytown]

1. (sigh)

In a group, I In a group, I play defence attorney of last resort. It won’t hurt Biden in the GE:

A 2016 poll from Politico and Harvard University asked voters whether they think Medicaid, the federal program that pays for health care for people with low incomes, should cover abortions. Just 36 percent of likely voters said yes; 57 percent of self-identified Clinton voters said yes.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/06/joe-biden-abortion-stance/591112/

[Lordquinton]

25. It's not about wether it will hurt him

it's about not putting up a candidate that has said he doesn't support women's healthcare. Which he did say (or his campaign did) today, a couple hours ago.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

29. It's about doing the right thing for women who can't afford a critical healthcare choice.

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[riverine]

2. Sure we could.

But Biden is the best chance to beat Trump.

(which you probably already knew)

[Lordquinton]

24. He's really not

(Which you probably already knew)

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

32. I agree with you, though I do think Joe can win... but, so many better choices, why take the chance?

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[zentrum]

3. I worry about this too.

And there's more baggage than Hyde that is not being recognized yet on DU.

Of course all the candidates probably have some baggage too--which the Repugs will ferret out and enlarge.

All to be revisited after the Democratic primary debates.

[LenaBaby61]

16. Friends who were supportive of him initially ...

Have soured on or are on their way to souring on him and are now back in the undecided camp.

I tried to tell them that although folks think that he's the only one who can beat tRumputin, I believe that there are other alternatives to beating the fat hog, but since we know that the Russians were given an invitation to intrefere by thuglicans and by tRump ....

[Indygram]

36. There is an excellent candidate who just went through extreme vetting in the last year or so...

He doesn't scare the bejesus out of moderates and doesn't turn off progressives. Ironically, he also has PROVEN he can increase young (NEW) voter turnout by 500%. He's got some pretty damn good plans too....and he has MAD charisma and works harder than any politician I've ever seen.

He also supports REPEALING the disgusting Hyde Amendment.

[zentrum]

39. Like Beto a lot.

Just need to see the debates before jumping.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

40. Yes:

[JI7]

4. i think Warren Harris Inslee Beto Booker would be better

[Voltaire2]

5. Absolutely.

[yuiyoshida]

10. I agree

[Kurt V.]

6. agree

[progressoid]

7. He has name recognition.

But when it gets down to the nitty gritty, he's kind of a hard sell.

[JI7]

8. so does Sanders

[riverine]

18. You're not the customer. Independent voters are.

Even if only 3% of voters are truly independent they will decide the election.

[Indygram]

37. I am an Independent voter in a red county of a battleground state

And to be perfectly honest...Beto O'Rourke is the only one running who I REALLY, REALLY like. I donate to him and my old ass will volunteer and work to help get him elected if he's the nominee. No one else inspires me to do that. Not even close.

[progressoid]

38. If the Democratic base isn't motivated to show up, it'll take a lot more than 3%

to make up the difference.

For instance, in Wisconsin, in 2012, Clinton got 230,000 fewer votes than Obama did in 2012. Obama's 200,000-vote victory margin became a 30,000-vote defeat for Clinton. Trump got the same number of votes that Romney did.

The same thing happened in Michigan. Obama won MI in 2012 by 350,000 votes, Clinton lost by roughly 10,000. She received 300,000 votes less than Obama did in 2012.

In just those two states over a half million voters didn't show up.

[ancianita]

9. Who can do better. Against Trump in debate. Against Trump across states in the General.

My guess is Bernie, but the Trump slams about commie/red real intentions, along with his not impressive legislative record, might discourage votes.

If not Bernie, who do you think we can do better with.

I'm just asking because I'm interested in the case you will make.

[Indygram]

45. I don't think Trump will agree to debates

eom

[Gothmog]

11. Joe Biden is the most electable candidate that the Democratic Party has available

We need to beat trump which will not be easy. We cannot nominate a weaker candidate and expect to win

[emmaverybo]

19. And the most qualified all the way around. I won't get into it. Other threads have. nt

[Lordquinton]

23. So was Hillary, so was Kerry, so was Gore

You know who wasn't? A black man named Hussein. An Orange man who was a reality TV star. Electable is not the only metric, nor is it something we can predict success on.

Why won't beating trump be easy? It should be an task any capable Democratic candidate can do, and we have a whole bunch of them, let's not force someone out of touch.

[still_one]

12. It isn't what he did 30 years ago, people can and do change. That he supports the Hyde Amendement

TODAY, that is a problem from my perspective.

[LakeArenal]

13. Joe Biden2020.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

14. Agreed.

He's a good man. But when it comes to candidates, we can do better.

[demosincebirth]

20. ...and sure to win?

[WhiskeyGrinder]

21. I'm not convinced he's the only one who can beat Trump.

It's all in the campaign, and this one has hardly even started. To which I add, I'm not convinced *he* can beat Trump.

[Lordquinton]

22. Yes, and sure to win.

[Hassler]

15. I'm ready to vote for any of the two dozen candidates.

They're all better than The Lout.

[colsohlibgal]

17. Could Be

I think people think Joe will pull some working class white men from Orange Baby, not sure he will peel enough away. I think we need to energize millennials, women, etc, mobilize the base.

So I think Harris and Warren are better bets.

And....was taken aback when Joe said he thought republicans would all of a sudden not stonewall if he won. That seems extremely unlikely, hope he doesn’t really believe that.

[guillaumeb]

26. The Hyde Amendment was essentially a repudiation of Roe v Wade.

And in my view, it is an attempt to control women.

[onetexan]

27. Keep looking for the perfect candidate. He/she doesnt exist.

All of them have some baggage. Question in this critical 2020 election is who has highest chance of kicking out this idiot in WH. Biden can.

[Bleacher Creature]

28. I agree 100%.

I like him as well, and if he's our nominee I will work my tail off for him, but I don't believe he's the right person for the times we're in, and his insistence that he'll be able to restore bipartisanship is the perfect example. His campaign has also been a bit of a cluster.

I really believe that he'll fade as soon as the campaign really gets in gear, so things are likely to take care of themselves. And if Biden makes it through the primary and becomes our nominee, it will have made him a better candidate and he will have my unconditional support.

[pat_k]

30. My fear...

My fear is that Biden can be too easily be branded as "insider" "ineffective establishment" "wishy washy"... etc against Trumps "maverick" "outsider" "strong man" "stir up the pot" bullshit. People across the political spectrum have had it with "business as usual." The only thing that makes "business as usual" acceptable is that DT is so horrific. But I don't think "business as usual" inspires the kind of passion, activism, and turnout we need.

There are so many candidates vying for attention, I think the only reason Biden is "ahead of the pack" is name recognition. He may stay there by default, but I really don't think he is the best to inspire the kind of activism and turnout we need to win. It can't all be driven by "anti-trump." Anti-trump was a powerful force in 2016, and it was not enough to overcome Trumpeteers + the "I've had it with things the way they are" blocks.

[ucrdem]

31. Good luck with that. nt

[Turin_C3PO]

33. I think Biden is our best shot.

Ideologically, I align more with Warren and Sanders but I don’t believe they can win.

[treestar]

34. How long ago was the Hyde Amendment?

His experience is his asset. It is not baggage because not everyone agrees with everything he did decades ago.

[Turin_C3PO]

35. His campaign said that he still supports the amendment.

He needs to walk that back, IMO.

[treestar]

43. At this point we need the Dotard out

Or the Hyde Amendment isn't even going to be an issue. Roe v. Wade could be overturned.

[Turin_C3PO]

44. That's why I still support him.

Because I believe he’s our best chance to oust Trump.

[Demsrule86]

41. We dont have better options. Biden is able to take back blue wall states. No other candidate can do

that.

[Jose Garcia]

42. I agree, but better isn't running