The DNC disqualifies Tulsi, and declares the next debate will be between the two old Bs
Rules? What rules? The DNC changes them as the spirit moves them.
And right now it moves them to exclude Tulsi Gabbard from the March 15th debate, for glaringly obvious reasons. The optics of a fresh young woman who looks young enough to be their granddaughter, standing right next to two old geezers, wouldn’t be so great. But more to the point, Tulsi is fearless and would attack them both. We can’t have that.
What’s more, she might suddenly seem to the viewers to be a good alternative. We really can’t have that, because she’s a loose cannon as far as the DNC is concerned, even though she checks several important boxes: young, ethnic, female, attractive.
So, with it just Bernie and Biden duking it out, will they attack each other? Biden has a motive to differentiate himself from the supposedly more leftist Bernie, so he probably will go after him. But I doubt Bernie will attack Biden especially hard. I think it will be somewhat of a repeat of 2016, and there are two main reasons why I say that. The first is that I don’t really think Bernie wants the presidency or wants to run against Trump. He’d rather talk. He knows his chances of winning the whole thing are less than Biden’s. He also is a true believer, and he knows that Biden as president and the Democrats in control will move the country far to the left anyway, so if Biden gets elected it’s good enough for Bernie.
Bernie’s job of moving the Overton Window has been accomplished. The Democrats embrace the left, and Biden just does a much better job than Bernie of hiding what the ultimate goal is. The future of the party belongs (they believe) to the AOCs, not to the Gabbards. And so Bernie will be content.
I could be wrong. But that’s what I think.
If either Biden or Sanders were true to their alleged liberal and social justice values, they would refuse to join the debate unless SHE was there. It would demonstrate class and honour.
They’re consistent here, if they’re to be found consistent asserting we have a “living Constitution”, as they do. Just means they get to shape the way things go to their pleasure.
Move a new right they like?: it’s permanent. Move a return to an original understanding of the Constitution as written?: oh hell’s no, we can’t have that.
I was not a Gabbard supporter, but I hate this kind of machination; it smacks of one set of rules for us and a totally different set of rules for you. I know this is wishful thinking, but Gabbard should retaliate by purchasing air time then play the Biden/Sanders debate tape and carefully intercut her own answers to respond to both Biden and Bernie.
She couldn’t do this for the entire debate (she doesn’t have Bloomberg’s money, and no one would watch the multi-hour tape) but if she strategically picked 5 responses from Biden and Sanders and responded to them in kind, I think she would make some serious waves and get points for being as spirited as Donald Trump.
Neo: I agree with you re Bernie.
He’s really not in it to win.
If he did win he wouldn’t know what to do with himself.
Biden is obviously non compos mentis – but he’s a useful idiot for the left.
I think Bernie will be content…Bernie Bros? Not so much.
John Guilfoyle:
I think the vast majority of Sanders’ supporters will vote for Biden. Just as most of Hillary’s supporters voted for Obama in 2008 and 2012.
If there’s some collateral damage for some others who don’t share our view… well, so be it.
– Nancy Pelosi
It’s a universal left phenomenon. The desire for their preferred candidates to win supersedes liberty, fairness, and free expression. And “so be it.”
I suspect Gabbard is a “plan B”.
Most, if not all, of the current crop of dem candidates are in it not to win it but in the hopes that it makes them proof against prosecution.
I keep in mind that among the dems, the reality of “voting” is just a game played to keep the proles happy. Elites make the decisions. Sometimes, heck, most times, the decisions are stupid on steroids, but that’s Elites for you.
What most of us know about Gabbard is whatever the msm has chosen to share, shape and produce about Gabbard. I seriously doubt she’d have been allowed a seat at the big boy’s political table unless she was proven beyond question to be lock step with The Narrative. And her “voting record” is meaningless, in just the same way our own Rhino’s were. Its easy to vote against something if it is known that something wont pass anyway. Or vote against something that’s gonna win anyway. But the vote is there to “show” (bamboozle) the proles.
So, now, we have this Gabbard being, for all practical appearances, set up as the Ultimate Outsider. The Strong Woman that can force her way into the ring (if It is decided necessary by the Elites). And she’s a Woman of Integrity that is like, so totally mainstream and “middle America”!
I believe Gabbard is being held back as a strategic Trojan Horse in case it proves necessary. And if it doesn’t prove necessary, groomed for a later run.
I believe Gabbard is being held back as a strategic Trojan Horse in case it proves necessary. And if it doesn’t prove necessary, groomed for a later run.
Thank’s for the non-falsifiable hypotheses. Been an education.
T,
That’s a good idea.
Herogar,
No. It’s the opposite. The DNC, especially Hillary, wanted her out and hit her hard, early.
Tulsi had early support from Joe Rogan and Tucker Carlson; two broadcasters with a huge, national following, one on the left, one on the right. And Dave Smith, a comedian with a big, Libertarian following, was also in early and vociferously for Tulsi. All three have a lot of young, male listeners and Tucker also has female viewers and older viewers. She was gathering steam. The only thing all three share politically is there against U.S. military intervention.
I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but it is odd how she has been treated.
Regarding her being attractive, as Neo put it. Speaking as a red blooded male, she is, but there is something more she has that few women in politics share. Sarah Palin had it also. I think this is also why so many women, of a certain type loathe her.
She is a strong, feminine woman. Unlike Warren, or Hillary, or Klobuchar, or AOC, or Tlaib… You can tell she is a real mother and a real spouse. Feminists of a certain stripe hate actual women, like Gabbard, who really can do it all.
Rufus T. Firefly:
Tulsi is married, but I don’t believe she has any children.
I believe this debate will be conducted with a half-time so that both Biden & Sanders can take a nap. Reagan left office at 78 and Biden or Sanders will assume office when they are 78 and 79 respectively.
Can we expect something like this from NYT? This from 1990.
https://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/24/opinion/what-mr-reagan-remembers.html
Nobody expected Ronald Reagan to shed much new light on the Iran-contra affair. But the former President’s recorded testimony was even more vague and dismaying than anticipated. Yet he survived with the same mixture of affability and innocence that saw him through the gravest blunders of his incumbency….
Mr. Reagan’s performance was embarrassing.
Art Deco on March 7, 2020 at 4:38 pm said:
“I believe Gabbard is being held back as a strategic Trojan Horse in case it proves necessary. And if it doesn’t prove necessary, groomed for a later run.”
**********
Thank’s for the non-falsifiable hypotheses. Been an education.
**********
I never claimed it to be anything other than my current opinion.
How many times over the last half century or so have we been played for fools by pretenders and the professional political class?
How many times over the last half century or so have we been played for fools by pretenders and the professional political class?
Dunno. They probably spread fewer falsehoods per paragraph that the people purporting to see through them. See, for example, Kennedy Assassination buffs.
Sarah Palin had it also. I think this is also why so many women, of a certain type loathe her.
By and large, I think Gov. Palin’s bad press was derived from class and subcultural prejudices (see, for example, Charles Fried’s remarks about her).
“The Democrats embrace the left, and Biden just does a much better job than Bernie of hiding what the ultimate goal is.” neo
That’s certainly true but Biden has another “Achilles heel”. That is besides his advancing senility, which by itself may invalidate Biden either before the convention or as the nominee.
The way to attack Biden is to attack the party’s actions, such as: “Majority of [House] Democrats Vote Against Amendment to Prevent Sex Offenders and Terrorists From Working at TSA”
https://pjmedia.com/trending/majority-of-democrats-vote-against-amendment-to-prevent-sex-offenders-and-terrorists-from-working-at-tsa/
Make Biden try to defend the indefensible. Not only will it be devastating for his campaign but it will alert voters to the rot below Biden.
When conducted by ideologues, special interests and the self-seeking… politics is the dirtiest of ‘legal’ businesses.
I would vote for Tulsi just to keep her in the mix.
The comparison to Palin is appropriate. Democrats, especially, I think, Democrat women, are frightened of strong, attractive, patriotic women.
I hadn’t thought about it till now, but I think you’re correct about Bernie, Neo. He loves to speechify and preach the old time socialism, but I don’t think he really, really wants the job. I do think a segment of his supporters are going to be very upset if he doesn’t get the nod this time. There have been threats to burn down Milwaukee if the Dem establishment steals it from Bernie. I don’t think those bros will vote for Biden. We’ll see.
Here’s a short comment on the overall race.
There are three kinds of people:
Those who make things happen – Trump
Those who take from those that make things happen – Bernie
Those who have no idea what’s happening – Biden
neo,
You are correct (again!), Wikipedia does not list any children. But she still seems “maternal,” not in a matronly way, but in a good, trusting way. She has a look and countenance about her, like Palin, and I think that quality makes certain women spiteful and vengeful.
I know everything I’m writing is impossible to quantify, but I really think it is a factor, along with her principled stance against unnecessary, foreign entanglements, backed up by her personal experience. Hillary had her knives out very early.
Geoffrey Britain,
Trump seems to have smart people running his campaign. It’s tough for long serving Senators who seek the Presidency because they have a history of compromise and a long record to defend. As you write, it is a big, Achilles heel.
I know it’ sounds nuts, but I think some of the people predicting a Biden fade and Hillary stepping are not nuts. The media would love it. “The rematch!” “The thrilla in Novemba!”
I also agree with those who claim Bernie doesn’t really want the nomination. He was way too docile when Hillary and the DNC shivved him four years ago. There’s more money and a lot less stress in being an also ran with a cadre of devotees.
The proverbial dog who caught the car.
Funny that now that Warren has dropped out some “Feminist” are saying that there are no women running. Poor Tulsi, not a woman according to Dems.
Herogar on March 7, 2020 at 4:30 pm said:
…
I keep in mind that among the dems, the reality of “voting” is just a game played to keep the proles happy. Elites make the decisions. Sometimes, heck, most times, the decisions are stupid on steroids, but that’s Elites for you.
* * *
See this about how the left is already shaping the battle-space so the voters will be happy to have the Elites take over from whichever old man (on their side) wins.
(copied from comment on the Biden thread)
Back on the SCOTUS vs Schumer thread, Jamie linked an interesting post by Ann Althouse, which is just a long excerpt of a Graeme Wood post at Atlantic.
https://althouse.blogspot.com/2020/03/but-its-just-possible-that-creaky.html?showComment=1583525207945#c1068071842679084467
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/weekend-bernies-theory-presidency/607489/
From Althouse, because The Atlantic has a paywall.
I saw in the comments that I was not the only one wondering (a) how long this breaking news sat on Wood’s spindle waiting for Biden to finally make it back to the front; (b) how many more we will see from the rest of the MSM Event Presenters aka propagandists.
See if you can spot the glaring inconsistency.
Jamie noticed it, among others.
https://althouse.blogspot.com/2020/03/but-its-just-possible-that-creaky.html?showComment=1583522277579#c4028976672291178947
Taibbi weighs in. I think he is an exasperated Bernie Bro.
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/bernie-sanders-attack-joe-biden-democratic-primary-963934/
Using same tablet, I now have to enter name email? To comment? FUBAR.
“In Virginia, one described a lifetime of seeing corruption working for the Inspector General of the Department of Agriculture.*”
That struck a chord with me, as I read the following post earlier today:
https://thefederalist.com/2020/03/06/obamas-homeland-security-ig-indicted-on-fraud-theft-charges/
The Administrative State appears to be corrupt in all of its branches.
Even if Bernie wanted to win, CTH is convinced the DNC will not let him.
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2020/03/06/dnc-wants-bernie-defeated-this-month-well-ahead-of-milwaukee-convention/
Also remarked upon here:
https://thefederalist.com/2020/03/06/soviet-union-documents-reveal-plans-to-exploit-bernie-sanders-for-propaganda/
Someone noted in one of those posts that the Times didn’t seem bothered so much about his Russia! Collusion! in 2016.
History often repeats itself, first as tragedy, then as farce.
https://www.breitbart.com/2020-election/2020/03/07/pinkerton-joe-biden-meet-the-deplorables-and-some-ghosts-from-the-past/
Pinkerton continues with a long, but interesting, history lesson about 19th-century France, whose revolutions, counter-revolutions, restorations, and new revolutions were an agonizing, ever-changing kaleidoscope of death and destruction.
Joe Biden is cast as King Louis XVIII.
Why shouldn’t the Democrats shiv Bernie? He’s not a Democrat! He’s had plenty of time to change his party affiliation to Democratic, but he’s never done so. I don’t know why they even let him run in their primaries. If I were a Dem, I wouldn’t have the slightest hesitation in saying, “Go take a long walk off a short pier, Bernie!”
Steven Hayward, who is fast becoming my favorite blog comedian:
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/03/the-power-line-show-ep-171-wot-happened-who-knows-the-thing.php
From comments at PowerLine’s Pictures of the Week.
Trump asks an important question about Biden
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f04e749cd59eacb26d4d9a30f03e3f27937b66dc0875fb15569c5088d27991cf.jpg
Bernie-opoly.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/055cf2f77cbb8cdd21db710306091f76543bc94d158ef76d138e967ab9d5ecd2.jpg
Which is really funny, because the original game actually was supposed to be a critique of capitalism.
neo – “I think the vast majority of Sanders’ supporters will vote for Biden. Just as most of Hillary’s supporters voted for Obama in 2008 and 2012.”
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/mar/6/bernie-sanders-youths-abandoned-him-bong/
At the moment it doesn’t even look like they’re voting for him…so I’m not sure they’ll just run right out and vote for Gropey Joe…or anyone else for the matter.
I don’t have any hard data on the “bong” but I’m pretty sure it ain’t running for President. 😉
Indeed, it could well be that the precedent is not 2008/2012, but rather 2016, where it was reported (at least) that significant numbers of Sanders supporters stayed home rather than vote for Hillary. (Is it even possible that some may have voted for Trump, such was the depth of their disappointment? I don’t even know how one might begin to research this.
This is not to say that it’ll happen again if (or rather, “when”) Sanders is passed over in favor of Biden.
The answer ultimately depends on to what extent the berserk, non-stop demonization of Donald Trump will have galvanized even the “They-betrayed-us-once-again” minions of the Marxist manipulator to eject Trump from the Oval Office.
Whatever happens, it won’t be pretty.
“I don’t even know how one might being to research this.”
FWIW, just came across a post that actually includes statistics that answer the question:
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/joe-biden-2020-duplicates-hillary-clinton-2016
(H/T Zero Hedge blog)
…which quotes this post:
https://www.npr.org/2017/08/24/545812242/1-in-10-sanders-primary-voters-ended-up-supporting-trump-survey-finds
in:
Pinkerton continues with a long, but interesting, history lesson about 19th-century France, whose revolutions, counter-revolutions, restorations, and new revolutions were an agonizing, ever-changing kaleidoscope of death and destruction.
After 1815, there were two major episodes of domestic political violence. Both were in Paris, not in the rest of the country. The first (in 1848) had a four digit death toll and the second (in 1871) had a low-end-of-five digit death toll.
Barry – I think Eric Zuesse is onto something in your Zerohedge link.
It wasn’t Warren’s gender that turned off Democrat donors — it was her agenda.
Sanders is just as toxic to them. They don’t have him feeding out of the usual troughs (his are somewhat more esoteric).
The non-presidential elections are far more important, because that’s where the “rubber hist the road” – donor priorities are legislated and enforced. To some extent, the President really is a quasi-figurehead; although the office still has a great deal of nominal power, it can only be expressed through influencing lawmaking, or directing enforcement (or not) of existing laws.
This was an interesting note in the NPR post, about a survey of voters in 2017.
It doesn’t get talked about as much as the Sanders to Trump voters, but shows that is not a unique occurrence when primary choices don’t make it to the general election.
https://www.npr.org/2017/08/24/545812242/1-in-10-sanders-primary-voters-ended-up-supporting-trump-survey-finds
with it just Bernie
Let’s take a look to Bernie at 1979……..
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ERW9qKIXkAAcPRD?format=jpg&name=medium
https://twitter.com/ChiefSteveGeorg/status/1231098609493520384?s=20