A minor one, only 25 bucks, but I gave to Pete Buttigieg. He’s young, smart, blunt, and honest, and precisely what we need in the race. Of course he’s a longshot, but he’s a valuable voice and I just like the guy, and he isn’t raising the kind of money the other people I like are, so I sent him some to enable him to stay in the race.
Plus, his husband is awesome:
Always make time for smoothies and sunsets with your love #SWSW pic.twitter.com/P3bMXj858h
— Chasten Buttigieg (@Chas10Buttigieg) March 10, 2019
Superficially, I just feel like these are good people. Doesn’t hurt that I agree with him on almost every issue (or does he agree with me since I am older?).
Ubu Imperator
A friend of mine is married to Buttigieg’s husband’s cousin—no, seriously, it’s not the setup for a joke—and says he really is All That. I know that he’s trying to get to 65,000 individual donations, which is evidently the DNC’s floor for being competitive enough to take part in any debates, so you’re definitely helping out, Cole! I threw in a few bucks to him over the weekend as well.
Baud
I wish you could give negative money to campaigns to try to keep them out of the debates.
Baud
One thing that the last few months have made clear is that we have a lot of talent that’s being wasted because they live in deep red states.
Barbara
I made my first donation to Harris and I will be making my second to Warren.
Baud
This is a good time to recall that it wasn’t that long ago that people were complaining about the lack of depth in our bench.
Barbara
@Baud: Yes. This is a real shame — O’Rourke and Abrams are the two potential stars who have high hurdles to statewide office, but I am reluctant to vote for someone for president who hasn’t won a statewide office. Of course, I will vote for any Democrat in 2020, regardless. On the other hand, it’s not like Republicans can make a lot of noise about the lack of statewide experience since Trump had no prior elective office. Ugh. Still can’t believe we are where we are.
Baud
@Barbara: Republicans have no shame. They can make a lot of noise about anything, and the media will support them.
RedDirtGirl
@Ubu Imperator: I gave him some yesterday after watching his SXSW town hall. Any contribution, even a dollar, counts towards those 65,000 donations.
different-church-lady
I am going to make a mean comment.
Gonna do it. Now.
…
How bad does your own name have to be for you to decide to take your husband’s name of “Buttigieg”?
…
Now I am ashamed…
comrade scotts agenda of rage
Way to go John! Pete’s damned impressive and needs to be behind a lectern with the rest of them.
lollipopguild
@Baud: “Shame’? What is this word you speak of? “Shame, come back, come back Shame!”
DHD
I gave to Inslee because there needs to be a single-issue climate candidate. But after seeing this I might have to give to Pete as well:
https://twitter.com/petebuttigieg/status/1075530991429664768?lang=en
Betty Cracker
As I said yesterday, I encourage anyone who hasn’t given Buttigieg a look to check out his CNN town hall appearance from this weekend. (Link) He is Obama-level awesome, IMO — intelligent, thoughtful, calm, empathetic, the whole package. He’s not my first choice in the primary, for reasons I’ll explain in a later post, but if by some miracle he wins the nomination, I’d be thrilled to pieces to volunteer for his campaign and vote for him.
JPL
@Barbara: She was the State House minority leader and Beto was in the House of Representatives. They are both far more qualified than trump. just sayin I think that some candidates who are running are actually positioning themselves for Veep.
Kay
I like him too. I’ll donate if it means he hits the cut score for the debates, or whatever it is.
I donated to Warren solely because I feel she was treated unfairly by political media, and they hate her :)
They aren’t allowed to be so petty! I DON’T CARE who they like personally! God. Enough about YOU.
Dopealope
I watched his town hall with Jake Tapper the other day, and was very impressed. You inspired me to kick $50 his way.
Betty Cracker
@Baud: I know you were being sarcastic, but damn, that’s such a great idea! Instead of measuring voter interest by donations, maybe the party could give every registered Democrat 100 uh, donkeybucks — fake money to spend on a credit or debit basis. So, for example, I could give 25 each to Warren, Harris and Buttigieg and -25 to Sanders or whatever. My theory is antipathy is maybe just as important as enthusiasm, and our donkeybucks scheme could suss out the levels.
Gin & Tonic
@different-church-lady: Uh, his first name is apparently “Chasten.”
zhena gogolia
@Baud:
Truth.
Princess
I’ve donated to Warren and I’ll donate to Castro and Buttigieg because I want them on stage. I too wish we could negative-donate to keep people out.
WaterGirl
I just donated $25 because I want him to qualify for the debates.
Here’s an ActBlue link: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/buttigiegablog?refcode=web&amount=20.20
Two things of note:
1) I didn’t see this until AFTER i gave my $25, but that link automatically splits 50/50 between Pete and something called AMERICAblog Action, whatever that is. Good reminder that with ActBlue you have to look for the fine print.
2) there was a note (I didn’t think to copy the exact wording before I went on to the next page) that asks if you want to share your details so the campaign can keep you up to date. I am hoping that means that going forward donating through ActBlue doesn’t necessarily add you to someone’s email list.
WaterGirl
@different-church-lady: By the way, I think it was on Preet’s podcast with Pete that Preet commented that Pete’s name could be pronounced as “But da Judge” all run together, as if you were complaining about a judge in a courtroom.
different-church-lady
@Gin & Tonic: I’m hoping for a Hickenlooper/Buttigieg ticket.
(There’s probably a “phrasing” joke to be found here, but I’m too lazy to set it up properly…)
Betty Cracker
@WaterGirl: The pronunciation came up during the CNN town hall, and it turns out Mayor Pete and his husband use different pronunciation explainers. Mayor Pete says it’s pronounced “Boot-edge-edge,” whereas the husband says it’s “Buddha-judge.” Mayor Pete displayed masterful diplomacy by noting that there’s really no difference if you say it quickly.
gammyjill
I kicked $200 to Mark Kelly when he announced for Arizona Senate seat and the same amount to Pete. My son who is a partner in a Democratic campaign firm has been impressed with Pete since early last year when he met him professionally.
WaterGirl
Paging DougJ.
Maybe we could make a BJ ActBlue “give to the little guys (not intended as gender specific) we want to make it to the debates” account. It could split between them with the ability to override and split as you wish.
WaterGirl
Oh my god, I think there must be something in the water at The Washington Monthly today.
I normally like Nancy LeTourneau, but geez, has everyone lost the plot? It’s so stupid I won’t even link to it, but here’s the title so you can find it if you wish.
Is Warren a Hypocrite for Taking Money From Employees of Big Tech?
skerry
I’m in for $25
rikyrah
it’s 65,000 individual donations?
just go to their websites?
Definitely gonna go donate to Castro, and I’ll donate to Pete too.
NotMax
@WaterGirl
Have the new web wizards been hired?
mrmoshpotato
@WaterGirl:
Ummm…so the Dems are deciding debate worthiness by dollars?
WaterGirl
@Betty Cracker: I have the town hall open in a tab to watch later. I think he and Beto are both Obama-level awesome.
I could not be more delighted by the bench this time around! My short list at this point is Baud!, Beto, Kamala, Pete, in alphabetical order. Hopefully one of them will be the Democratic nominee.
Gin & Tonic
@WaterGirl: Didn’t Willie Brown have some famous line about taking their money, drinking their booze and then voting against them?
Baud
@WaterGirl: Baud! comes before Beto in the alphabet.
@mrmoshpotato: Not dollars. Number and location of donations, or polling.
Mike J
@mrmoshpotato: Not by dollars but by number of people willing to donate.
WaterGirl
@NotMax: Hoping for definitive news from John this week.
WaterGirl
@Baud: Most humble apologies! Fixed!
Zelma
Time for some strategic giving. If one wants Pete to be at the debate, giving a small amount monthly will probably count as multiple donations. I guess I’ll give to Castro too.
Mandalay
@Barbara:
Barely lost a rigged election for Governor of Georgia. JD from Yale Law School. Minority Leader in the Georgia House of Representatives for six years. Public Official of the Year in 2014. First African-American woman to deliver a SOTU response.
There are more absurd reasons to be reluctant to vote for her (“She must run for the Senate instead!” being one), but objecting to her not having won statewide office is pretty bizarre given that door knobs like Matt Gaetz and Louie Gohmert pass that test with flying colors.
(I freely admit to bias – I think she is head and shoulders above all of our alternatives.)
eclare
@Gin & Tonic: I thought it was LBJ. Obligatory fuck LBJ.
Betty Cracker
@Mandalay: Neither Gaetz nor Gohmert have won statewide office; both represent districts within states, and neither has ever held a statewide office, AFAIK.
WaterGirl
@Gin & Tonic: I didn’t know it was Willie Brown, but I do seem to recall the quote. It’s idiotic to think a candidate shouldn’t take someone’s money based on who they work for. (I’m talking about regular people here, not ultra-rich or corrupt.)
mali muso
Well if it helps demonstrate that we the people are open to fresh ideas and new faces, count me in for a few bucks. Just donated via his ActBlue site.
WaterGirl
@Zelma: I thought each person only counted as one, regardless of how many donations they made. Surely someone less lazy than me will look that up at some point.
mrmoshpotato
@Baud: @Mike J: Ah, campaign donations doing double duty.
(((CassandraLeo)))
@Gin & Tonic: @eclare: It was neither, actually. It was Jesse M. Unruh, who was California State Treasurer under Jerry Brown: “If you can’t take their money, eat their food, drink their booze, screw their women, and then vote against them, you’ve got no business being up here.”
satby
Well, as I’ve said in multiple threads, Mayor Pete is a really good guy and very well liked (verging on beloved) around these parts. He and his husband are big boosters of rescue dog adoptions and are fairly often at the Farmer’s Market. Where I continually fail to realize it’s him until after he’s gone by. Even Republicans like him though they probably seldom vote for him, because his innate decency shows.
eclare
@(((CassandraLeo))): Thanks! Just googled that myself, impressive pol. “Big Daddy”.
--bd
If you go to the hubby’s page, one of the tweets is suggesting a $3 donation. As in “Queer as a $3 bill”. Nice spin there.
Barbara
OT: The second vote on May’s Brexit plan failed, predictably. It sounds like the path forward is going to be chaotic whatever happens.
chris
Just can’t decide? Here you go.
debbie
@Barbara:
Please don’t let them be stupid enough to leave the EU without some kind of deal. That way lies chaos.
surfk9
@WaterGirl: I think it was Jesse Unruh. It also included f**king their women
TOP123
Glad to see this here, and on a much bigger forum than I could reach on twitter. My brother emailed all of us sibs just yesterday with exactly this point. Thanks, John
Martin
He’s a longshot to win in 2020, but a good showing still can pay dividends. No shame in a cabinet appt. or a boost toward a run for governor or senate.
RedDirtGirl
@satby: Hey Satby! How goes it? He mentioned in the townhall that he was reelected with 80% of the vote, so some republicans must have voted for him…
NotMax
@debbie
Seceding from the Union is never pretty, historically speaking.
;)
R-Jud
@debbie: One thing I think all of us have learned about Theresa May by now: she gets an actual erotic charge from chaos and humiliating losses.
Myself, I’m doing some light stockpiling here in ye olde Birmingham. And glad I earn mostly in USD.
eemom
What….no more love for Kirsten the Sexual Harassment Warrior Princess? She used to have a BIG fan club around here. ?
Gin & Tonic
@(((CassandraLeo))): Thanks. Although it sounds like something Willie Brown could have said.
Betty Cracker
@eemom: Wrong thread — check out the morning edition.
Gin & Tonic
@R-Jud: Ah, Birmingham. You think the FA will mete out any actual punishment, or just sweep that event under the rug?
mrmoshpotato
@debbie:
If by chaos you mean mummified chicken fajitas from a paint can, then yes.
Last Week Tonight – Brexit III
R-Jud
@Gin & Tonic: Being an immigrant from Pennsylvania who still stays up late to watch baseball, I must defer and pass this comment on to a football-enabled native friend for analysis. :-)
sdhays
@(((CassandraLeo))): I’ve seen that quote attributed to Huey Long. I wonder how far back it actually goes.
Redshift
Pete was on Preet Bharara’s podcast last week, and I was very impressed. And I want all the candidates to be on there, because he’s so much better an interviewer than most of the media types who’ve had that as their main job for years.
Barbara
@debbie: They aren’t looking very smart right now but who knows.
Brachiator
@Barbara:
Wow. Some MPs appear to be insisting on madness
I get the impression that some Tory MPs are absolutely certain that they will be able to get a favorable deal (Norway keeps popping up as an example) and that somehow magically, there will be no problems concerning Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
tobie
I’ve been meaning to check out Pete Buttigieg’s town hall and will try to do so in the next few days. I’ve given to Harris and Klobuchar thus far and might make a small donation to Castro if he needs to meet a certain threshold of donors to stay in the race. I’m really fine with any of the candidates except Sanders, Gabbard, and yes, Warren, which makes me an outlier on this site. I find her brand of populism anti-democratic (small d), and just when I think I can look past it, she steps in it again, for example with a statement like, “The monopolist will make fewer monopoly profits — boohoo.” I don’t need to put a face on a problem to understand something is a problem and believe it’s dangerous to do so. And the focus of some of her latest proposals strikes me as somewhat off the mark. Digital privacy concerns me a lot more than tech monopolies. And if you really want to tackle wealth inequality in this country, revise the corporate tax code. The wealth tax won’t do it.
Uncle Cosmo
@WaterGirl: Jesse Unruh IIRC. WIki sez Yes!
ETA: “Up here” of course being the CA State Assembly where he was Speaker from 1961 to 1969.
ETA2: Why the fuck do I bother – scooped yet again, by (((CassandraLeo))) at #46 supra. Grrrr…
debbie
@R-Jud:
What are the chances of a second referendum? After all, the first vote was based on nothing but lies.
geg6
@WaterGirl:
Did you read it, though? She hasn’t lost the plot at all.
zzyzx
You inspired me to kick in a few dollars. I don’t think he’ll win, but he definitely projects a genuine nature, like Biden without the history and the age issues.
Baud
@geg6:
FTA
I agree with you.
Uncle Cosmo
Good on ya, Cole. I’m gonna throw some small change Buttigieg’s way to help him onto the debate platform. I first heard about him when he threw his hat into the ring as a longshot for DNC chairman – in an e-mail from my friend Martin O’Malley**, who was impressed by him & let his e-mail list know he supported Pete’s bid.
——-
**Cue the snickering & snide cracks. MOM is a friend, & was a damn fine two-term Governor of MD, & you can all fuck the hell off in advance.
WaterGirl
@geg6: I read part of it, got pissed and skimmed the rest. I hated this: “I would suggest that a stronger reply is necessary.”
Even titling the article the way she did is a mistake, in my opinion: Is Warren a Hypocrite for Taking Money From Employees of Big Tech?
Why even put that out there in the title unless you follow it with the word “NO” also in the title. Or add “Faux Outrage:” in front of the title. She never even answered her own question with a clear “NO” in the article. (unless I missed it) I found the whole thing disappointing.
WaterGirl
@Baud: That was the best part of the article. But she buried the lede, in my opinion. Or maybe I’m just cranky today.
Don K
@Gin & Tonic:
Actually, it was Jesse Unruh (Speaker of the CA Assembly in the 60s, i.e., before Willie), and the line included a phrase about screwing their girls IIRC.
WaterGirl
@Uncle Cosmo: For good or for ill, timing is everything. 2016 was not the year for him, and I’m sure that changed everything for his prospects for the future.
Baud
@WaterGirl: I agree with you that the title was clickbaity, and it wasn’t written very forcefully. But I didn’t agree that she lost the plot, which I understood to mean that her view was off-base.
Brachiator
@Uncle Cosmo:
This is why Jesse Unruh is my spirit animal.
lamh36
All I want is to beat Chump, even though Kamala Harris is my choice…I just want that orange fuq’er defeated!
VeniceRiley
@Barbara: I’m monthly for Harris. And I wore my KAMALA cap at lunch today- it gave me a story. This impossibly young, handsome, well dress AfAm man (eye candy for real) almost ran into me as I was exiting the resto. After we both exclaimed “excuse me” he smiled (perfect teeth, natch) and held the door open for me and said “Nice hat!” and I smiled an thanked him. And that made my day. I’m wearing it everywhere I go from now on.
J R in WV
@mrmoshpotato:
Nope, by number of donors, could be $1 each, but you need 65,000 contributors, not a certain amount of money to get into the debates. IIRC…
Kraux Pas
My plan is to donate to three candidates the first time I have a little free cash. My first two choices are Harris and Warren. I’m still deciding on the third. I’m gonna watch that town hall with Buttigieg. Also, Klobuchar and Booker are on my radar. Anyone want to make a recommendation or show me somewhere they think a favored candidate shines?
Kraux Pas
@mrmoshpotato:
A combination of factors: how high in the polls, how much money raised, and from how many disparate sources money was raised.
Can’t let the debate stage get TOO full. Also, the multiple small donation thing may help candidates who are struggling in the polls at least get a chance to be seen on stage.
MisterForkbeard
@VeniceRiley: I’m not monthly, but I do contribute decently to the Kamala Harris campaign. I really want some Kamala merch, but her store kinda sucks.
The shirt is alright, I suppose. But it’s not really my style. And I don’t wear ballcaps. :(
Dan B
Mayor Pete has impressed me with every sentence he speaks. He has the ability to seem genuine, completely genuine, and it’s easy to understand him.
Two things about him are important to remember. He’s a veteran, a reminder of how It’s important that LGBT are serving. He is the face of patriotism – a contrast to Trump and much of the GOP. The other is he is an antidote to Pence. He knows how to reach religious people and he knows Pence’s weaknesses.
BTW a friend saw him at a book signing in South Bend (friend is a Notre Dame alum and has worked with Phil Donahue and others to get representation of LGBT at Notre Dame. Doesn’t suffer fools… He was impressed.)
chris
From Charlie Stross in the United For Now Kingdom
Marcopolo
Glad folks are starting to donate. What took y’all so long? I’m already in for small donations to Castro, Inslee, Warren, and Buttigieg.
I’ve also kicked a little to Mark Kelly in AZ & McReady in NC for the redo election & to a local candidate who ran our Indivisible group & is running for office for the first time.
Now I just need to get a check in the mail to Cole for the site rebuild…ActBlue really does make parting with your money so much easier :).
zzyzx
https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2019/03/11/pete-buttgieg-town-hall-pence-or-trump-sot-vpx.cnn
That answer impresses me so much. It was a question he obviously wasn’t expecting, he answered in a way that at least felt genuine, intelligent, and had a great soundbite quote at the end.
Mandalay
@Betty Cracker: You’re right. I completely misinterpreted Barbara’s comment – my bad. Regardless, I’m not sure that imposing that limitation makes much sense – presumably it would mean that the only acceptable candidates for the presidency would be senators and governors?
I’m not real keen on de Blasio or Bloomberg, but although they have not held a statewide office they are surely qualified to run in terms of experience. Being Mayor of New York is way above being a Senator from Wyoming IMO.
Brachiator
@chris:
Wow. Strong, but nails it.
rikyrah
@Kraux Pas:
I like Castro. Take a look at his question and answer sessions.
Jacel
@different-church-lady: Reminds me of the old Comedy Central show “Viva Variety!”. Two of the show’s host characters were divorced and referred to as Mr. Lapin and The Former Mrs. Lapin. That raised the question of why she was still wanting to be called by her ex-husband’s name. Eventually came the reveal that her maiden name was Lipschitz.
WaterGirl
@Baud: I agree with your assessment. Once I got frustrated, I just skimmed the article and I missed the one good paragraph that made the point that seemed to be missing. I stand corrected. I normally appreciate her writing.
Marcopolo
@Kraux Pas: We’ll have to see how many more folks jump in but the DNC was saying there would be two first debates on back to back nights w/ a 10 person limit per debate. I’m only counting up to about 14-15 folks so far & that would be with both Beto & Biden jumping in.
As for Stacey Abrams, would there be any downside if she announced for Prez but then pivoted to the GA senate race say this time next year if her candidacy didn’t catch fire? Curious as to folks thoughts on that. Or for Beto for that matter.
schrodingers_cat
Meanwhile, we-are-only-against-illegal-immigration administration is closing down all overseas USCIS field offices.
VeniceRiley
@MisterForkbeard: I saw a logo on a button circle that should definitely be in the store: ,la
I want to make them. You can always go the custom route!
eemom
@tobie:
wrt Warren, though, I am increasingly wondering this: if her same bold, cutting edge, mainstream rejecting policy proposals were emanating from a certain hot young media darling instead of an elderly female senator, would they be getting more attention/enthusiasm?
Why, just the other day I was told that AOC is a hero for singlehandedly bringing climate change into the headlines.
satby
@RedDirtGirl: yeah, he’s popular even with Republicans, even as a married gay guy in a purple area of a deep red state. He’s just a very decent human being. He gets out and about and listens to his constituents.
Baud
CNN
Looks like he’s likely to make the debate cut-off.
chris
@Brachiator: Not strong enough IMO. Brexit, however it turns out, will be a divisive disaster for at least a generation. I can’t decide whether it’s worse than the election of trump but if not it’s close.
zhena gogolia
@VeniceRiley:
Maybe I have to go monthly for Harris. This Buttigieg guy is also impressive.
Brachiator
@schrodingers_cat:
Holy shit! Trump is intent on creating Fortress America.
And the dopes applaud this move. “I’m ‘murrican. We don’t need no more ‘merricans. Hell, we barely got enough for the people here. Once Daddy Trump squeezes out the freeloaders and finishes the Wall, we will be eating high on the hog again.”
The fight continues. The stakes are clear, except for those who refuse to pay attention.
Ohio Mom
@Mandalay: The one thing the proverbial Senator from Wyoming might have over someone who has been a Mayor or a Governor is exposure to, and involvement in international affairs.
I watched parts of the Buttigieg town hall and I swooned as hard as anybody. Looking over most all of the people who have announced, or are rumored to be about to announce, gives me the same kid in the candy store feeling as it does everybody else.
But repairing our relations with the rest of the world is going to be a big part of the next presidency.
Who is talking about this? Was it in the parts of the Buttigieg tape I didn’t watch?
Marcopolo
@Baud: Here’s the New Yorker article on the D selection process for the first debate: http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/02/first-democratic-debate-will-be-two-day-20-candidate-event.html (sorry posting from phone in Drs office so no nice link/text embed).
Since the donor metric is 65,000 from 20 states Saturday got Mayor Pete about a third of the way there.
Baud
CNN Prognostication
joel hanes
@Betty Cracker:
donkeybucks — fake money
Taking it one step farther : we could use a similar system suitable for making worthless contributions to Republican campaigns. Call it Pretend To Act Red, and have contributions denominated in Confederate dollars.
Marcopolo
@chris: let’s just say both are catastrophic for their respective nations and leave it at that—no need to rank them against each other.
satby
@Ohio Mom: the New Yorker did a profile on him. Haven’t read it all but may have an answer for you.
Brachiator
@eemom:
Fair question. But I kinda think not. Then again, I am not all that impressed with Warren’s “bold, cutting edge policies.”
Hell, I’m not sold on a lot of AOC’s policies, but I like her moxie. I like both Warren and AOC, and hope that both continue to grow and find ways to lead.
Marcopolo
@Brachiator: I think it was Matt Yglesias who noted that if the US pop were 1billion we’d have a population density about where Germany is now (and for all the pedants out there I do realize a lot more of the US landmass is marginal (AK & deserts) than Germany’s but the overall point is a good one.
And I’m finally up…have a good rest of the day everyone.
Mike in NC
@Brachiator: Trump and Miller are trying to hang a CLOSED sign on the country. Why do we even need embassies and consulates overseas (except to create jobs for donors at Mar-A-Lago)? Next they’ll ask the French to find another taker for the Statue of Liberty. MAGA!
Ohio Mom
@satby: Thanks. I’ll look at it.
I’m sure Buttigieg has smart things to say about foreign affairs. He’s clearly brilliant. And it is also true that most of the other candidates don’t have much or any international relations experience on their resume. Except (shudder) Biden.
MisterForkbeard
@Baud: Sigh. I like him, I really do. But I’d prefer he go for Senate. The same would be good for Stacey Abrams, too – we NEED the Senate to make viable, lasting change.
If they lose their Senate bid, they should be assured of a spot in the incoming Dem administration. That way everyone wins.
chris
@Marcopolo: Easy for you but here in Canada we’re being hit with both trumpian politics and Brexit-like talk of separation. Oh, and yellow vests too.
Baud
@MisterForkbeard: I wonder why Buttigieg doesn’t try for the Senate. Indiana is really red, but they had both Donnelly and Bayh as Senators not to long ago. Given how personable Buttigieg is, I would think he’d have a good shot.
ETA: Indiana also went for Obama in 2008.
WaterGirl
@Baud: I am on the list to get a text when he announces. It kind of reminds me of being on the list for Obama to announce his choice for VP. He announced on a Saturday morning, and I don’t recall whether the text came in at 4:30 am or 5:30 am, but it was very early and (obviously) woke me up.
That day we drove to the rally in Springfield. It was an amazing day in the blazing hot sun, with people dropping like flies from the heat. What a happy memory for me.
Baud
@WaterGirl: I bet. You were part of history.
tobie
@eemom: Yeah, using the effort to tackle climate change as an occasion for bold investments in infrastructure, a plan to rejuvenate manufacturing, and a jobs proposal is pretty standard fare on the Democratic side. I remember Obama in 2008 talking about stopping rising ocean levels and being lampooned as too messianic. Maybe if he had framed it as anti-establishment, it would have gotten more mileage. Gore wrote a book and did a documentary on climate change, and that seems to have gone down the rabbit hole.
Warren is getting plenty of attention on twitter and the blogosphere as far as I can tell. She just strikes me as a demagogic populist. Recently she said that even if someone changed their citizenship, they would still have to pay her proposed wealth tax. Would she provoke a diplomatic row for what is in the end peanuts for the Treasury? I dunno. That and statements like, “The monopolist will make fewer monopoly profits — boohoo,” makes me think she’s losing it.
Baud
The other thing about both Beto and Buttigieg is that they go against the grain of this primary’s Proud Progressive candidates. Beto has already been the subject of attacks because of that, and I suspect Buttigieg might get that as well if he continues to pick up steam.
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
Don’t know if this has been discussed around here yet, but Harris came out in favor of “some kind of reparations”. The morons on Tumblr of course think it’s a terrible idea, not because it won’t have a realistic chance of becoming law in today’s political environment, but the very concept itself. Here’s an argument someone made against reparations:
Another chimed in:
The OP again:
What do you all think?
MisterForkbeard
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??: Wasn’t Harris pushing some of her other anti-poverty plans as the answer to reparations, since they were easier to administer, politically simpler and also helped other people?
Did that change?
Baud
@MisterForkbeard: Yes. Her “reparations” wasn’t what people think about when they say “reparations”; she was pushing broad anti-poverty programs.
MisterForkbeard
@Baud: Buttigieg is pretty good, I like him. I’m planning on throwing some money his way later today.
On the other hand, going from Mayor to President is kind of a jump. I think he’d lose the Senate race, which is why he’s not going for it. Or maybe this gives him more name recognition to try and take the Senate seat. But he’s someone I’d really like to see get more experience and bit more of a national profile before giving him the White House – and so much the better if he can take a Senate seat from the republicans.
satby
@Baud:
Nope, outside of St. Joseph County and maybe Goshen and Indy, he’d be toast I think.
MisterForkbeard
@Baud: Yeah. Goku’s post had me wondering if she’d changed her tune and explicitly endorsed reparations like Goku’s quoted commenters seem to think.
Baud
@MisterForkbeard: To be fair, she did call her plan a form of reparations. It’s not something that was made up.
satby
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??: I think that Tumblr is not where I listen to reasoned policy discussions.
Try reading Ta-Nehisi Coates on the subject.
louc
@Barbara: Abraham Lincoln only served one term as a US Congressman and some few years as a state legislator….
Dan B
@Ohio Mom: It feels like Buttegieg has a clear set of principles that communicate well to people from many different backgrounds and perspectives. Thst plus his time in Afghanistan and the Rhodes Scholarship give him at least a toe in the water. It would be good to pay attention to who he brings on board. It feels like he will elevate the debate in the dems and not by throwing bombs – a metaphor for a stabke hand at foreign relations.
WaterGirl
@Baud:
How so? I seem both of them as progressive.
Baud
@WaterGirl: Beto’s voting record is slightly to the right within the Dem caucus. Buttigieg hasn’t put out many ideas yet, but he did indicate he did not think Medicare for All is viable right now. Maybe their plans will end up being solidly progressive, but they don’t seem to be on the left end of the spectrum of this year’s candidates.
Brachiator
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??: As another poster has noted, “Try reading Ta-Nehisi Coates on the subject.” I think he makes a strong case, even though there is also a strong counter-case. But reparations is a political trap.
Politically, pushing reparations hard ensures Trump’s re-election.
Trump will sit back and let the racists push the lie that the Democrats don’t care about white people. “See, look at reparations. They are going to take our tax dollars and throw them away.”
WaterGirl
@Baud: Thanks for that. They are both smart and connect so well with people; I’m glad they are both running.
K Adams
I donated also just so he’ll be on the debate stage. Hope enough people do so early so he’ll qualify.
Cheryl from Maryland
I’m focusing on the Senate — gave to Mark Kelly and Doug Jones. I want D candidates for Senate to get a giant headwind to back the D Presidential winner.
Ohio Mom
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??: Germany does pay Holocaust reparations to its victims.I forget the details but they are easily googled.
And we eventually paid some token reparations to the Japanese-American families we put in concentration camps during the Second World War.
All that said, and However, even saying the word “reparations” in a speech about anti-poverty programs strikes me as a bad move politically. You just know it is going to be taken out of context.
RedDirtGirl
@VeniceRiley: @MisterForkbeard: I’ve got a button making machine. I’ll start working on some ideas for a variety of contenders. Watch this space for updates!
gwangung
Surprised Mayor Pete hasn’t made it when Andrew Yang has.
Ohio Mom
One of the pleasant surprises of my life was that Hillary won my Red suburban neighborhood. It seems that at least some white college-educated Republican saw through Trump.
We we lose these votes with words like “reparations” even if what is being talked about is broad anti-poverty programs (my neighbors do have some sympathy for the needy). Not too far under the surface, there is a good amount of genteel racism.
I am reminded of the joke, “Candidate Stevenson, you have the vote of every thinking American.” “I’m going to need more than that if I’m going to win.”
Ella in New Mexico
I’ve heard him interviewed before and was already impressed, but saw his CNN town hall and decided I want that guy running so I signed up to donate $25/ month. He’s everything John Cole said and I’d really love to see him get a lot more exposure. He’s definitely a a quality candidate.
The only other candidate I’m currently donating to is Liz Warren, same $25/month. I’m not that excited about anyone else right now.
As a westerner, someone I’d like to see enter the race is John Tester, but my guess is he’s happy where he is right now.
Original Lee
Is there a way to find out if Mayor Pete has hit 65,000 donors yet? I just kicked in for the first time this election cycle, too.