February 28, 2020

Third Challenge Coming Up!

I'm feeling really optimistic about Saturday's South Carolina results. This will be the 3rd challenge Biden needs to meet in a convincing way to keep his campaign rolling forward. Polls indicate he'll win in SC. The question is the margin. We've read that the Trumpers have called on supporters to vote for Sanders, anything to screw the vote.

Will the MAGAs come out in substantial numbers, enough to affect the numbers?

We don't know. But I've read the Trumpers and Trumpettes are getting nervous about COVID-19, the way Trump and his gang of incompetents are handling the virus threat. Maybe it's sinking in that viruses have no political affiliation.

Whatever.

This I do know, the polls are fluid right now. In North Carolina, for instance, the early vote is down. The politicos on the ground claim it's because voters are waiting, they simply have not made up their minds. I'm predicting that if Biden blows out South Carolina, states like NC will cast their votes for Joe. Biden's numbers are back up in Florida (party-hearty for Castro is proving unpopular in the Sunshine State. Shocker). Texas also looks promising. As for the others? Biden has a good shot of racking up the southern sector and with a decisive win, more money will pour into campaign coffers equaling more ads and staff on the ground for future state-by-state competitions. The money has already started flowing since the last debate with Joe's strongest performance to date. At the moment, Bloomberg has stalled. His ads and his in-the-flesh debates are a 'can't compute' for many voters. That could change but right now it works to Biden's advantage. As for Sanders? He's getting whacked with is own personal history, the vetting that never happened in 2016.

We're definitely in turnaround country. Nothing is sure but possibility abounds.

Saturday night can't come quick enough!

February 26, 2020

Two Challenges Met With An Extra Debate For a WIN

Joe gave a good showing at last week's debate. He took 2nd place in Nevada despite the headwinds.. Tonight he clearly won the debate bringing his A game to the stage. Tomorrow Clyburn is expected to endorse Joe--a BFD--and a boost heading into South Carolina.

We're almost there, gang. The turnaround is in motion.

February 20, 2020

First of Three Challenges Met

Joe had a strong debate performance, sounded and looked presidential. Second challenge for Joe will be Nevada's results, and then onto South Carolina.

But tonight? Team Joe should be happy and proud. Joe Biden rose to the occasion!

GOJOE2020

Btw, I think Bloomberg was brought down to earth this evening. He may have more money than God but he has neither the presence nor delivery.

February 18, 2020

Tales from Tennessee

Sadly, the storyline is short and bland. Voted today at my regular polling place. The weather down here is miserable, gray and rainy, a continuation of a very wet winter. The traffic was nonexistent and the conversation nil.

But I voted for Joe and left with a smile. So, it wasn't completely shabby.

January 3, 2020

Joe Biden's comments on US strike and killing of Qassem Soleimani

https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1212954848666234880


This is right in Joe Biden's wheelhouse. Biden is right to point out that the unintended consequences of this action could be explosive. For the entire region and beyond. Including the United States.

Trump may have thought this was an ideal distraction from his impeachment/criminal woes as well as payback: you hit me, I hit you back 10x harder. Only schoolyard bullies have no place on the world stage because the consequences of thoughtless action can be catastrophic. For everyone.

Donald Trump may have inadvertently just handed Joe Biden the White House. Because no one is looking to start WWIII and the Democratic candidate most solidly rooted in foreign affairs, diplomacy and geopolitics is the former Vice President.

Incredibly dangerous moment.

December 11, 2019

Okay, I'd like to know why I'm suddenly receiving contribution pleas from Bernie Sanders

Never voted for the man, never made a contribution to his campaign. I donated to Hillary Clinton in 2016 and have donated to Joe Biden this cycle.

That's it.

Yet today, I received another plea for money with the enticement that any contribution entitles the contributor to a copy of "Our Revolution."

No, thank you.

I've been sending my donations through ACTBLUE. Is there some sort of connection there because if there is I'm going to be pissed that my email address has been handed out.

Btw, I've received no donation plea from any other candidate. Biden's inquiries I expect. Bernie Sanders? Not so much.

November 3, 2019

A Telling Reminder from October

https://twitter.com/NateSilver538/status/1190966317718921221

Yes, the numbers can always turn but from last month the headlines do not reflect the numbers.

October 17, 2019

Refereeing Pete Buttigieg and Elizabeth Warren on Public Support for Medicare for All

Interesting article on the very subject we've all been 'discussing' of late--the popularity of Medicare 4 All vs a Medicare Who Want It (public option) Program. This is provided through Kaiser Healthcare News and Politifact.

According to the polls, choice in healthcare decisions wins the day as opposed to a single national healthcare system where everyone is required to join and private insurance goes bye-bye. Interestingly, the preference to open Medicare to those between the ages of 50-64 pulls the largest support (77%) crossing partisan lines where Democrats, Independents and Republicans actually agree on something. If I remember correctly this was, in fact, Elizabeth Warren's position a few short years ago.

The conclusion?

Buttigieg said that Americans “say that what they want is a choice” to join a single-payer system like Medicare rather than ending private insurance.

Polling on this question shows higher levels of support for an opt-in approach to expanding Medicare than for a required switch away from private insurance. We rate the statement True.



https://khn.org/news/refereeing-pete-buttigieg-elizabeth-warren-on-public-support-for-medicare-for-all/

September 12, 2019

I like Elizabeth Warren. Too Bad She's a Hypocrite.

Ed Rendell, former Pennsylvania Governor, called out Elizabeth Warren this morning for her flip-flops on corporate funding. It's a fair assessment, made by someone who admires Senator Warren and has supported her in the past, politically and through fund-raising. In fact, I sense Rendell's biggest gripe is the fact that he put together fund-raising events for Warren, only to have the Senator turn around and criticize the same outreach for Joe Biden as:

. . . “a swanky private fund-raiser for wealthy donors,” a line from an email to supporters the next day.

Rendell goes on to say:

Warren didn’t seem to have any trouble taking our money in 2018, but suddenly we were power brokers and influence peddlers in 2019. The year before, we were wonderful. I co-chaired one of the events for the senator and received a glowing, handwritten thank-you letter from her for my hard work.


He also takes umbrage with this:

I also take issue with the notion, raised by Warren in her criticism of the Biden fundraiser in April, that people who give the maximum allowable individual donation of $2,800 to a presidential candidate are doing so because they believe it will get them a federal job, win their business a federal contract or even gain special access.


Rendell admits that some contributors may have ulterior motives but that most donate because they believe in a candidate, the positions he/she holds and in the leadership said candidate brings to the table.

From my read, this is less a hit piece than some advice from a friend: waving purity banners has a downside, as in getting tangled in your own threads.

Rendell concludes with this:

So, despite my feelings, Elizabeth, if you’re reading this and you win the Democratic nomination, I will be happy to support you and will campaign for you with all my heart. And, by the way, Philadelphia has a lot more swanky restaurants that you haven’t seen yet.


Because Ed Rendell is a loyal Democrat down to his tippy toes.


https://beta.washingtonpost.com/opinions/i-like-elizabeth-warren-too-bad-shes-a-hypocrite/2019/09/11/409d5ed0-d4d3-11e9-86ac-0f250cc91758_story.html

September 4, 2019

The Ground Has Shifted

Interesting Op-Ed over at TPM by Josh Marshall. From Marshall's concluding remarks, I think he sees (as I do) a head-to-head primary match ultimately between Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren. This from the beginning of the piece:

For months now I’ve been in a back and forth with readers over what many have wrongly interpreted as support for Joe Biden. That’s not really right. It’s more like Biden Realism, which I’d describe as a focus on Biden’s apparent strengths despite many people’s wish that they weren’t strengths. The primary polls themselves are inherently volatile and heavily driven by perceptions of electability. That’s not the case with general election polls, which focus on voters who by definition don’t care about “electability.” Those polls have been very, very consistent all year. Specifically, Joe Biden is the only Democrat who consistently bests President Trump by big margins. Most of the others are closer to a tie. The exception is Bernie Sanders who has usually been between Biden and the rest of the pack.

Some people claim those numbers mean next to nothing more than a year from the general election. They’re wrong. When one candidate consistently does significantly better, it suggests they pull an electoral coalition that is different and larger than the others. The fact that things can change does not mean they will change or (more importantly) that they will change to conform to your hopes. But something has shifted over the last month.

Biden Realism. I like that. Seems spot on, too.

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/prime/the-2020-dynamic-is-shifting