On Saturday, February 29, 2020, the members of the Democratic Party of South Carolina had a choice to make. Should they vote for the White guy from New England with lots of big promises, or should they vote for the White guy from Delaware, a state that is 21% African American, who spent 36 years trying to make life better for Black Americans, and then spent eight years working with Barack Obama pushing through legislation like Obamacare? Saturday night, we got our answer. The African Americans of South Carolina chose the guy who spent decades forging alliances with Black America and working with Black America over the guy from New England with big promises.

This is just one of the reasons why I love African Americans. They may have the finest sense of who to vote for of anyone in the last 50 years. It was Black America who came out in droves to vote for Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. It was Black America who was most resistant to Reagan's idea that tax cuts would pay for themselves. Finally, it was Black America who never once even considered voting for Donald Trump.

The strength of the Democratic Party has always been rooted in the South. Originally, the Democratic Party was the Party of White racist slaveowners, whose evil sense of economics allowed them to justify holding African Americans in bondage. However, when African Americans wisely forged an alliance first with Robert Kennedy, then John F. Kennedy, and then Lyndon Johnson, the Democratic Party moved from representing the forces of evil in the South to the forces of liberty in the South. The Democratic Party moved from being a big part of the problem to a huge part of the solution, and it was Black America, especially in the South, that led the way.

Since then, African Americans have had to ask themselves over and over again, "Who in America will help us to move things forward? Who spends more time making big promises, and who is interested in actually rolling up their sleeves and doing the work that needs to be done?" On Saturday, Black America choose the person who has spent decades working with Black Americans trying to make things better over the guy who made big promises. This is the very heart of wisdom. We should have expected nothing less from Black Americans for this is what they have always done. They are leading the way again. Who among us will wisely follow?

[link:https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/nevada-caucuses-live-results-updates-2020/index.html|]

Biden looks to win South Carolina primary after caucuses

After the caucuses wrap in Nevada tonight, the race will quickly turn to South Carolina, a state considered to be Joe Biden’s firewall.

The former vice president has expressed confidence he could win South Carolina, but when CNN spoke to him he wouldn’t call it a must-win.

Biden told CNN he believes his campaign could move forward if he loses South Carolina as long as he does well there.

The reality is Biden has staked a large part of his campaign on South Carolina and what he believes to be his bedrock of support — black voters. But other candidates have started to make inroads with that key constituency of the Democratic party.

Biden told CNN Democrats are now getting to the “meat” campaign with these more diverse states approaching.

On the South Carolina primary, one Biden supporter who fundraises for him told CNN "he’s gotta win it” after staking so much of his campaign on the state.

I am not really sure how they are doing it, but you can take a look for yourself.

Go to the following link and scroll down below the pictures of the candidates.

[link:https://www.huffpost.com/|]

From The Atlantic

[link:https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/02/bernie-sanders-george-mcgovern/606883/|

...
To start, let’s play a game of “Name That Year.” Here are four clues.

A profoundly unethical Republican sits in the White House during a fairly strong economy.
In the Democratic primary, the early front-runner and establishment favorite is a veteran East Coast senator.
But after months of leading in the polls, he falters in the early primaries, soon after the GOP president and his cronies concoct a scheme to undermine him —part of a dirty-tricks campaign that ultimately figures in an impeachment inquiry.
Rising at the perfect moment to steal his momentum is a left-wing senator from a small, lily-white state. This senator advocates for single-payer health care and calls for the redistribution of wealth to the middle and lower classes. Over time, he consolidates the left-wing vote and bypasses an apoplectic Democratic elite with a grassroots campaign that—somewhat ironically, given his age— depends on the enthusiasm of young voters.

This is clearly a fitting description of the 2020 political landscape. Clues one through four refer, respectively, to Donald Trump, Joe Biden, the Ukraine scandal involving Burisma and Hunter Biden, and the thriving campaign of Bernie Sanders.

Every word of this description applies just as equally to 1972. Nixon was the incumbent. For much of the Democratic primary, his most likely challenger seemed to be Edmund Muskie, the long-serving senator from Maine, who had been nominated for vice president four years earlier. In February 1972, operatives for the Nixon campaign placed a forged letter in the Manchester Union-Leader newspaper, claiming that Muskie was prejudiced against French Americans. (The forgery is now known as the “Canuck letter.”) Muskie’s downfall provided an opening for McGovern. The left-wing senator drew enthusiastic support from newly enfranchised teenagers and won the Democratic nomination—before getting trounced by Nixon in November.

The similarities between McGovern and Sanders go far beyond the plot points that connect the stories of their ascendance. In matters of policy, rhetoric, and demographics, there is little doubt that McGovernism animates the Sanders campaign.

Many of Sanders’s policy priorities were central to McGovern’s platform 48 years ago, starting with health care. “McGovern called health care a human right and backed a free-at-the-point-of-service single-payer health-care plan,” says Joshua Mound, a historian at the University of Virginia who has written about the similarities between Sanders and McGovern. “He also proposed increased Social Security benefits, boosting union rights, steep hikes in taxes on the rich, and a universal basic income,” which he ultimately reworked into a jobs-guarantee proposal. Sanders’s policy platform includes all of those measures, right down to the federal jobs guarantee. It’s also worth pointing out that while McGovern’s pacifism (which was core to his rise to prominence on the left) finds its clear echo in Sanders, the Vietnam War made his foreign policy position more salient in 1972.
...

Read the whole article if you can.

purity test?

First, we had Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senator Bernie Sanders apparently make an alliance not to attack each other. This meant that they could stand together on Socialist and almost Socialist mountain and take potshots at everyone else for not being Lefty and Progressive enough. So, Liz and Bernie said that no one should take any corporate money ever. Perhaps one of the reasons that they keep insisting on this is because they were so far left that they knew that few corporations will actually want to give them much money and perhaps they were hoping to get everyone else to get into the same boat that they were in.

So, starting with last summer, we lost 20 candidates one by one, for one reason or another:

--Eric Swalwell said older people should get out of the way, so he's guilty of ageism.
--Former Senator Mike Gravel was too Moderate.
--Governor John Hickenlooper wasn't Lefty enough.
--Governor Jay Inslee was too Moderate.
--U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton was too far to the Right.

--Gillibrand pushed for Franken to resign, so she had to go.
--Former NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio wasn't Lefty enough.
--U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan was too Moderate.
--Castro accused Beto of actually not wanting to scrap the entire immigration system and just let people in, so Beto was not pure enough.
--Mayor Wayne Messam never made it to any debate, so he was toast.

--Former Congressperson Joe Sestak was too Moderate.
--Governor Steve Bullock wasn't Progressive enough.
--Senator Kamala Harris actually put Black people to jail when she was a prosecutor, so that, of course, made her not pure enough.
--Julian Castro had color, but was not a woman, so adios Castro.
--Marianne Williamson just was never going to fly.

--Senator Cory Booker had color but was not a woman and was not Lefty enough, so goodbye Cory.
--Former U.S. Rep John Delaney was too Moderate.
--Senator Michael Bennet was too Moderate.
--Andrew Yang had color and some wealth, but was not a woman, did not have enough wealth, and was not Lefty enough, so goodbye to the Yang Gang.
--Former Governor Deval Patrick had color, but he worked for Bain, so he was history.

As for the remaining eight candidates that are still running?

--U.S. Rep Tulsi Gabbard is too far to the Right to win.
--Tom Steyer has enough money to stay in as long as he likes, but he is not a woman, not a person of color, and not super Lefty, so he probably won't win.
--Senator Amy Klobuchar is a Moderate, so she's probably going to be toast eventually.
--Warren is a woman and Lefty, but not as Lefty as Senator Bernie Sanders, so she's will probably eventually go away as well.
--Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg has that whole black cop thing, so he's probably going away in the next month or two.

This leaves Joe Biden, Michael Bloomberg, and Senator Bernie Sanders. Joe Biden still has a chance, but he's been beaten up over and over again for his age, for being a Moderate, for not being a Person Of Color, and for being male. I'm still hoping for Joe.

Bloomberg is only doing as well as he is because he is massively rich and used his money to buy a whole lot of commercials and to set up a lot of people across the country for a huge ground game. He can stay in the race as long as he likes, but he also has massive baggage related to race, sexual harassment, and other things.

Finally, we have Bernie Sanders. He's the candidate who is oh so pure because he's actually a Socialist. Here's the problem with a candidate so "pure" and so far to the left. Out of the 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, only *three* are Democratic Socialists. This means that DSA Reps represent about seven-tenths of a percent of the entire House of Representatives. You can check this out at the link below:

[link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Democratic_Socialists_of_America_members_who_have_held_office_in_the_United_States|]

In the U.S. Senate, the only Socialist that I know about is Bernie Sanders. That means he represents one percent of the hundred member Senate. That is how popular Socialists and Democratic Socialists are in America--around one percent.

Also, all of the districts that these DSA Reps live in are *super blue*. In other words, if a district is not super lopsided with Democrats, DSA Reps do not get elected. Bernie Sanders is in a super blue state. That's how he got elected.

Democrats had a slight advantage in the 2016 Presidential election over Republicans--around 2-4 percent, depending upon how you measure things. But those DSA Reps and Bernie Sanders got elected in places where Democrats have from a 20 to 60 point advantage over Republicans. That is the only place in America where DSA Reps and Socialist Senators get elected. America as a country certainly does not have a 20 to 60 point advantage of Democrats over Republicans.

This is what happens when you insist on so much purity that you end up with a guy leading the Primaries in votes that is so far to the left that he almost falls off the scoreboard. Before the current crop of Socialists that hold national office, including both Bernie Sanders in the Senate and the three DSA members in the House, there were only four DSA members to be members of the U.S. House of Representatives since 1965. That is how hard it is for Socialists to achieve national office in America. Also, they were only able to do this by being in very, very blue districts. America is not even close to that Blue.

If it comes down to Bernie Sanders versus Trump, by all means vote for Bernie. However, those people who are not Democrats who want to make some money at the betting pools may very well be betting on Trump. No one as far Left as Bernie Sanders has ever been elected President or has even gotten the Democratic nomination. And the fact the Socialists only have a national penetration of about one percent, and then only in the bluest of districts or states, explains why I keep reading articles about how much Republicans want Bernie Sanders to be the nominee. For Bernie Sanders to win the Presidency would defy the election history of the United States since it became a country.

Donald Trump is a weak President. I believe that all we need to do to beat him is to run someone pretty darn normal. Bernie Sanders' positions, being so far from the center, are the least "normal" of any of the 28 Presidential candidates we have had (with the possible exception of Marianne Williamson).

I like Bernie Sanders just fine, and if I could snap my finges and replace Trump with Bernie, I would be more than happy with that. However, I don't like his chances if he's the nominee at all. As far as I am concerned, if Bernie Sanders wins the nomination, I will be sure to vote for him, but the race will already be over. Trump will have already won, and we Democrats will have done this to ourselves by always looking for the purest of pure candidates, and always thinking that almost every candidate was never pure enough.

Over the years, I have worked at a lot of different jobs, which means I have spent my fair share of time looking for work. I've also hired and trained a number of people. When I hired people, it basically came down to two things: knowledge and experience. If a person had both the knowledge and experience to do the job, plus the actual desire to do that job, that is what really mattered.

The top five Democratic Presidential Candidates all have knowledge and Experience. Bernie Sanders has been a Senator for a good while and has been active in politics for more than 40 years. Pete Buttigieg was a successful mayor in a red state, has military experience, has a great education, and is sharp as a tack. Elizabeth Warren is a successful Senator and college professor. Joe Biden was VP for 8 years and a Senator for 6 terms. Finally, Amy Klobuchar is a Senator who has been very successful in getting Progressive bills passed with Republican cooperation.

They all have knowledge and experience, which is why they are here, and knowledge and experience is the main thing people need to get hired. Knowing who a candidate is and what they have done in the past is critical in deciding who to hire as the next President. Of all of the candidates, the candidate who has more national political experience and knowledge, by far, is Joe Biden. This is one of the reasons that he is my choice.

Yet, Joe Biden is not just about what he's done in the past. Take a look at some of the issues that his website covers:

[link:https://joebiden.com/joes-vision/|]

Latest Plans

Joe’s Plan to Secure Our Values as a Nation of Immigrants >>
Joe’s Plan to Build Security and Prosperity in Partnership with the People of Central America >>
Joe’s Plan to End Violence Against Women >>
Joe’s Plan to Invest in Middle Class Competitiveness >>
Joe’s Plan to Keep Our Sacred Obligation to Our Veterans >>
Joe’s Plan to Fulfill Our Commitment to Military Families >>
Joe’s Plan for Strengthening Worker Organizing, Collective Bargaining, and Unions >>
Joe’s Plan for a Government That Works For The People>>
Joe’s Plan for Education Beyond High School >>
Joe’s Plan to End Gun Violence >>
Joe’s Plan to Lead the Democratic World >>
Joe’s Plan for Strengthening America’s Commitment to Justice >>
Joe’s Plan to Protect & Build on the Affordable Care Act >>
Joe’s Plan for Older Americans >>
Joe’s Plan for Rural America >>
Joe’s Plan for a Clean Energy Revolution and Environmental Justice >>
Joe’s Plan for Educators, Students, and our Future >>

Joe Biden is looking forward to what can realistically be done to help all Americans. He's not about Pie In The Sky ideas that won't happen for years and years. He's about what can be done a year from now when Joe Biden is in office. This is why I support Joe Biden, and I will be supporting him at least through the Democratic Convention--no matter what!

Go, Joe!

Link:

[link:https://www.monmouth.edu/polling-institute/reports/MonmouthPoll_IA_011320/|


MofE 4.9%

Biden: 24%
Sanders: 18%
Buttigieg: 17%
Warren: 15%
Klobuchar: 8%
Booker (poll taken prior to him dropping out): 4%
Steyer: 4%
Yang: 3%

Four candidates are currently vying for the top spot in next month’s Iowa caucuses – Biden (24%), Sanders (18%), Buttigieg (17%), and Warren (15%). Compared with Monmouth’s November poll, Biden has gained 5 points (up from 19%) and Sanders has gained 5 points (up from 13%), while Buttigieg has lost 5 points (down from 22%) and Warren has declined by 3 points (down from 18%). Klobuchar is knocking on the door of the top tier with 8% support in the current poll (up from 5% in November).

Most of the demographic shifts since November are within the poll’s margin of error, but there was a particularly notable swing among voters age 65 and older away from Buttigieg (11% now, 26% in November) and toward Biden (44% now, 29% in November). Klobuchar has also gained support among these older voters (13% now, 5% in November).

“A plurality of older voters line up behind Biden, but others in that age group seem to be looking for a fresher face. They appear to be split between Buttigieg and Klobuchar right now,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute.

Other candidates register single digit support among likely caucusgoers, including New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker (4%), former hedge fund manager Tom Steyer (4%), entrepreneur Andrew Yang (3%), and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (2%). Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet, former Maryland Rep. John Delaney, and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick earn less than 1% support. [Note: Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg was not included in the poll because he has indicated he will not participate in the Iowa caucus process.] [With supporters of Booker – who dropped out after the poll was conducted – assigned to their second choice, the race stands at Biden 25%, Sanders 18%, Buttigieg 17%, Warren 16%, and Klobuchar 9%.]

Woohoo!

Sing it with me now!

Biden's in front!
Biden's in front!
Biden's in front!
Biden's in front!

Now all of you green guys bounce now!

We are now, in a way, at the halfway point of the 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary. Of the 28 candidates who announced their intention to run for Democratic Presidential Nomination, 14 of them have now dropped out. Note that while Marianne Williamson has not technically dropped out yet, I have read that she has fired all of her staff.

This primary may seem like it is going on forever, but a lot has actually happened. If your candidate is still alive and kicking, congratulations. Your candidate has already outlasted half of the field. If your preferred candidate did not make it this far, I am sorry. Maybe he or she will do better next time. If you have not already, see if you can still find someone else to back. Remember, Vote Blue...no matter who!


Joe Biden.................Active
Bernie Sanders.........Active
Elizabeth Warren.......Active
Pete Buttigieg...........Active
Amy Klobuchar..........Active
Andrew Yang.............Active
Michael Bloomberg.....Active
Tulsi Gabbard.............Active
Cory Booker................Active
Tom Steyer..................Active
Michael Bennet.............Active
John Delaney................Active
Marianne Williamson......Active
Deval Patrick.................Active
Julian Castro.................Dropped
Kamala Harris...............Dropped
Steve Bullock...............Dropped
Joe Sestak..................Dropped
Wayne Messam...........Dropped
Beto O'Rourke............Dropped
Tim Ryan..................Dropped
Bill de Blasio.............Dropped
Kirsten Gillibrand......Dropped
Seth Moulton...........Dropped
Jay Inslee...............Dropped
John Hickenlooper...Dropped
Mike Gravel...........Dropped
Eric Swalwell.........Dropped

By Katie Glueck Dec. 25, 2019

NYTimes.com Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/25/us/politics/joe-biden-2020-republicans.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

...
Some Democrats have been warning the party not to obsess over these potential swing voters, arguing that electability calculations about mythical undecided moderates are futile at this moment of extreme political polarization.

But for many Biden supporters, those voters are their Republican-leaning relatives and friends. And their perspectives are an increasingly prominent consideration as the Iowa caucuses near.

“I think he could get the independents and moderate Republicans who refuse to vote for Donald Trump,” said Bailey Smith, 27, a leader in Atlantic, Iowa’s business community and an undecided voter who attended a Biden campaign event on Sunday. Asked whether she had any moderate Republicans in mind, she replied, “My dad.”

It’s a dynamic that helps explain why, despite Mr. Biden’s series of missteps and uneven debate performances, many Democratic voters still believe the former vice president would stand the best chance against President Trump in a general election, polls show.
...

By the way, more than 90% of the time in Presidential elections, whoever wins the majority of Independent voters, wins the election. That's because Democrats tend to vote for Democrats, and Republicans tend to vote for Republicans. It's the Independents that tend to do the most swinging. They are currently the largest single voting block, followed by Democrats, and last of all Republicans.

The name of recursion's DU posting is, "A really good Twitter thread explaining how stupid the fundraising fight is"

Here is the link: https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287392558

In the posting, DU member recursion posts a twitter tweet from a twitter member named Old Lady Dem. Double click on the text of the twitter message and read her entire tweetstorm. It is Jaw Droppingly Good.