2020 Democratic Field

[Angelsjunky]

4 hours ago, yvangelfan said:

To the left, or Dems: You've seen your choices. Who are you excited about?  

I remain excited about Bernie and Tulsi. I'm a bit mixed on Warren but will be happy to vote for her. I like Yang and Williamson, but they're not serious candidates.

Worst possible candidate: Biden, or maybe Beta Male O'Rourke.

As far as tactics go, I think the strongest ticket to beat Trump would be Bernie-Kamala, or possibly Warren-Castro or Warren-Booker. I kind of like the idea of Buttigieg as VP just so we can see Pence get all squirmy when he has to debate a gay dude.

[yvangelfan]

Do you think Harris would take the VP spot with Bernie? They seem like an odd couple.

I, too, would enjoy watching a Pence/Buttigieg debate.

[yvangelfan]

Maybe a two women ticket?

Harris/warren

"Vote for me,  everything's free!"

[Angelsjunky]

8 minutes ago, yvangelfan said:

Do you think Harris would take the VP spot with Bernie? They seem like an odd couple.

I, too, would enjoy watching a Pence/Buttigieg debate.

I think she'd take it but he probably wouldn't offer it. I just think it covers a wide demographic. Bernie's got the "old white male" thing, which is a problem for Democrats in 2019. He needs either a woman or POC as VP, probably both. 

Anyhow, my dream ticket is Bernie-Tulsi.

As for Harris-Warren, more likely Warren-Harris....Warren won't be VP, except maybe to Bernie to unite the party. 

As for the bigger picture, I think Biden is toast. He'll hang around for another couple rounds but he was exposed and it likely won't get better. Here's how I'd group the candidates:

Main contenders: Bernie, Warren

On the way up: Harris, Booker, maybe Castro

On the way down: Biden, O'Rourke, Klobuchar

On the fringe/dark horse candidates: Castro, Buttigieg, Gabbard, Gillenbrand

No chance, Part 1 (aka "Random White Dude Club"): Hickenlooper, Ryan, Bennett, Inslee, Delaney, de Blasio, Swalwell

No chance, Part 2 (outsiders): Williamson, Yang

[yvangelfan]

I agree Biden is toast.

I think your dream ticket has a good chance of happening. Bernie still draws large crowds and Tulsi is hot.

[Jason]

[fan_since79]

Harris' national press secretary Ian Sams insists she will support busing kids to achieve integration.

That's sure to be a winning strategy in 2020.

[UndertheHalo]

Lol

[Taylor]

After the first debate, I wouldn't be surprised to see a Warren/Castro ticket.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

On 6/27/2019 at 10:24 PM, LAAMike said:

My early pick of Kamala Harris is looking pretty good now.  I do not know how giving free medical care to 11-20 M illegal immigrants is going to fly when there are at least 20-30 M legal Americans that are not insured or cannot afford their premiums.  The three trillion budget for Medicare For All just became more expensive.  Even as objectionable as Trump can be, giving him the economy, immigration, gun control, socialism, late term abortions, losing your existing health care plan and far left unaffordable health care plans to run on will prove too be insurmountable for any Democrat.   

Except that Trump wants to leave millions more uninsured by repealing the Affordable Care Act and replacing it with nothing. The economy is a bit of an illusion too. If you have a stock portfolio, you are doing great. If you are piecing together two or three part time jobs with no benefits, not so much.

[LAAMike]

2 hours ago, Vegas Halo Fan said:

Except that Trump wants to leave millions more uninsured by repealing the Affordable Care Act and replacing it with nothing. The economy is a bit of an illusion too. If you have a stock portfolio, you are doing great. If you are piecing together two or three part time jobs with no benefits, not so much.

You do not have to have a stock portfolio to be affected by the economy.  All pensions, all IRA's, all 401-k's, Social Security and all businesses that might be your employer are affected by the health of the economy.  

[UndertheHalo]

2 hours ago, LAAMike said:

You do not have to have a stock portfolio to be affected by the economy.  All pensions, all IRA's, all 401-k's, Social Security and all businesses that might be your employer are affected by the health of the economy.  

Even so, for most people I think it’s extremely debatable that they’ve felt the benefits of the stronger market in any substantial way.  Retirement plans rise and fall and rise.  That’s nothing special.  Interest rates aren’t really that great for depository accounts they went up a bit but just recently they’ve slid back a bit.  Anyway that’s nothing new but I always find it kind of funny when people talk about how great the economy is.  Mostly it’s been good for wealthy people.  Which is exactly the point of the policies we’re eternally stuck with.

For a lot of people, particularly young people it’s not great.  And I’ve read that in some ways it’s continually getting worse.  The gig economy jobs are awful and those trash jobs represent a substantial portion of the new jobs created in this “great” economy. 

 

Edited June 30, 2019 by UndertheHalo

[Adam]

[floplag]

And this is only the first salvo... by next summer they could be speaking greek and giving away free mansions with every vote. 

[gotbeer]

1 hour ago, floplag said:

And this is only the first salvo... by next summer they could be speaking greek and giving away free mansions with every vote. 

If that's going to be the case.  Let her throw her hat in the ring.  At least she'll do it right.

[LAAMike]

14 hours ago, UndertheHalo said:

Even so, for most people I think it’s extremely debatable that they’ve felt the benefits of the stronger market in any substantial way.  Retirement plans rise and fall and rise.  That’s nothing special.  Interest rates aren’t really that great for depository accounts they went up a bit but just recently they’ve slid back a bit.  Anyway that’s nothing new but I always find it kind of funny when people talk about how great the economy is.  Mostly it’s been good for wealthy people.  Which is exactly the point of the policies we’re eternally stuck with.

For a lot of people, particularly young people it’s not great.  And I’ve read that in some ways it’s continually getting worse.  The gig economy jobs are awful and those trash jobs represent a substantial portion of the new jobs created in this “great” economy. 

 

A stronger market implies the stock market.  A strong economy helps in reaching the lowest unemployment levels in forty years.  I know that trickle down economics has not worked that great but think for a minute what the job market would be if the economy was in the toilet.  

[UndertheHalo]

9 hours ago, LAAMike said:

A stronger market implies the stock market.  A strong economy helps in reaching the lowest unemployment levels in forty years.  I know that trickle down economics has not worked that great but think for a minute what the job market would be if the economy was in the toilet.  

What do you mean where the job market would be ? The economy has been adding jobs for years.  They’re just shitty, poorly paying jobs. Mostly.  And lots of people left the work force and just never came back.  Now they aren’t counted at all.  The economy is presently where it is as a consequence of the upward trajectory it’s been on for 8 years.  Not just because of Paul Ryan’s tax breaks or Donald Trump.  

The bottom line is, young people aren’t accumulating wealth and for a large potion of the population that lost wealth in the 08 crash they still have not been able to recover it.  Rich people have mostly, and they’ve done even better ! The point being that even within the context of this supposedly strong economy most regular people really aren’t able the reap the benefits of its fruit.  Republicans will tell you how great the stock market is and how because of this your life is better and because liberal democrats are idiots they’ll take that gift and throw it in the trash and try and tell you that actually it’s Obama that made the market great.  It’s all bullshit. 

Edited July 1, 2019 by UndertheHalo

[Jason]

https://babylonbee.com/news/reanimated-che-guevara-announces-2020-run-quickly-criticized-as-too-moderate

[floplag]

The problem withe the economy talk is that its artificial, and based on wall street not main street.  It is frankly frustrating to me as though its supposed to mean my life is somehow better, when it isnt. 

I personally dont care about the DOW, im not wealthy enough to have much there or have it affect my life either way.  ands the jobs talk is nonsense as well as  i think it was UTH pointed out most of the jobs added are eiterh not full times jobs or are grossly under compensated in comparison to the cost of living so its still bullshit. 

The economy doesn't reflect the status of the people, it reflects corporations.. and at some point that gap is going to become so wide  it wont be sustainable.

We make nothing anymore, we consume.  we get nearly everything from off shore, we have a crumbling infrastructure and no way to change it will all our industry in other parts of the world. 

We better pray there is never another global war, we will lose it, and it wont even be close.  We've lost everything we once were.   This is what people mean when they say Make America Great Again... not the racial bullshit or the sexist crap... getting back to what made us a power... right now we are not one. 

[UndertheHalo]

Oh look.  Flop and I kind of agree on something.  This has to mean that the Angels will win today. 

[floplag]

41 minutes ago, UndertheHalo said:

Oh look.  Flop and I kind of agree on something.  This has to mean that the Angels will win today. 

or its the end of times..    seriously though man its not personal, i enjoy the debate, and i can be wrong as much as anyone else. 

[UndertheHalo]

Well.  So much for the Angels winning. 

[Jason]

2 hours ago, UndertheHalo said:

Well.  So much for the Angels winning. 

Go back to arguing please 

[LAAMike]

8 hours ago, floplag said:

The problem withe the economy talk is that its artificial, and based on wall street not main street.  It is frankly frustrating to me as though its supposed to mean my life is somehow better, when it isnt. 

I personally dont care about the DOW, im not wealthy enough to have much there or have it affect my life either way.  ands the jobs talk is nonsense as well as  i think it was UTH pointed out most of the jobs added are eiterh not full times jobs or are grossly under compensated in comparison to the cost of living so its still bullshit. 

The economy doesn't reflect the status of the people, it reflects corporations.. and at some point that gap is going to become so wide  it wont be sustainable.

We make nothing anymore, we consume.  we get nearly everything from off shore, we have a crumbling infrastructure and no way to change it will all our industry in other parts of the world. 

We better pray there is never another global war, we will lose it, and it wont even be close.  We've lost everything we once were.   This is what people mean when they say Make America Great Again... not the racial bullshit or the sexist crap... getting back to what made us a power... right now we are not one. 

The stock market reflects the perceived future growth of corporation's earnings.  If the corporations are not growing and prospering, who will supply the jobs?  If jobs are grossly underpaid relative to the cost of living, then I think a possible cause is the high cost of living, led by housing prices, high taxes and high medical expenses.  With the logistics becoming less expensive, we are forced to compete for jobs in a global economy.  80% of the jobs paying $20.00/ hour will be replaced by AI or robots by 2034.  Expecting to have a full time job is probably going to be unrealistic.  What's wrong with several part time jobs that add up to 40  hours or more?  The gig economy is probably the future for most of us and I think that it will be more satisfying working for yourself or in a small company.  

[floplag]

6 minutes ago, LAAMike said:

The stock market reflects the perceived future growth of corporation's earnings.  If the corporations are not growing and prospering, who will supply the jobs?  If jobs are grossly underpaid relative to the cost of living, then I think a possible cause is the high cost of living, led by housing prices, high taxes and high medical expenses.  With the logistics becoming less expensive, we are forced to compete for jobs in a global economy.  80% of the jobs paying $20.00/ hour will be replaced by AI or robots by 2034.  Expecting to have a full time job is probably going to be unrealistic.  What's wrong with several part time jobs that add up to 40  hours or more?  The gig economy is probably the future for most of us and I think that it will be more satisfying working for yourself or in a small company.  

Small to medium business creates jobs, were not limited to corporate employment.  corporations are not competing for talent, they are simply taking the jobs elsewhere to pay less or importing foreign workers under bullshit programs like H1-B.  

Youre right, those things are the cause, they have gone up 10+ times more than wages have, thus the problem.  since were not going to get those prices back to 1950 levels wages need to go up in like manner or it is a problem that has no solution.   Yes, that means profits reduction for corporations but how many private jets do they need anyway?  

You ask whats wrong with many jobs, logistics, its never works, youve clearly never tried it.  Eventually one of them makes you quite the others or lose them, its a never ending nightmare.   40 hours or work takes 60 hours of effort, how does that make sense to anyone but the corporations offering the bullshit part time jobs?  Who do you think is baking the wage hikes anyway... its the perfect justification to do as you say replace them with robots. 

At  some point, people wont be able to afford the things they want us to buy as often as they want us to buy them, what will happen to the corporations then?  

It isnt sustainable, were not cattle... something has to balance the ledger.