Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Prediction: the gop will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

Innocent people do not delay justice.

The words do not have to be perfect.

the 10% who apparently lack object permanence

The republican speaker is a slippery little devil.

rich, arrogant assholes who equate luck with genius

White supremacy is terrorism.

Radicalized white males who support Trump are pitching a tent in the abyss.

“Loving your country does not mean lying about its history.”

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

You’re just a puppy masquerading as an old coot.

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

It is possible to do the right thing without the promise of a cookie.

… gradually, and then suddenly.

Baby steps, because the Republican Party is full of angry babies.

Dumb motherfuckers cannot understand a consequence that most 4 year olds have fully sorted out.

If you don’t believe freedom is for everybody, then the thing you love isn’t freedom, it is privilege.

Since we are repeating ourselves, let me just say fuck that.

It is not hopeless, and we are not helpless.

We can’t confuse what’s necessary to win elections with the policies that we want to implement when we do.

The arc of the moral universe does not bend itself. it is up to us to bend it.

You are here: Home / Elections / Election 2020 / Election Year Open Thread: ICYMI

Election Year Open Thread: ICYMI

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Bloomberg wasn’t the only elderly white guy had a bad night, last night…


(A $600K ‘summer camp’, incidentally — we’re not talking outhouse & oil lamp level, people.)

Look! Over there! A new poll!

Reader Interactions

101Comments

  1. 1.

    debbie

    Huh. BS’s comment about his supporters “99.9% of them are decent human beings” is not so different from Trump’s comment about his (white supremacist) supporters “Some are very fine people.” This is not an encouraging sign.

  2. 2.

    guachi

    One or more people need to go after Sanders and highlight what a failure he is at rallying support for his positions. Point out he was 0-22 in 2018 on endorsements in Republican-held districts in a year the Democrats flipped 43 seats, the most they’ve flipped since 1974.

    How unpopular do you have to be to go 0-22 in one of the biggest Democratic waves ever?

  3. 3.

    JPL

    CBS News begins with Russia interference in the election to help trump win. Someone’s gonna be mad about fake news. I stopped watching CBS news so it’s a surprise to see them lead with that

    Now saying trump was furious that they told the house.

  5. 5.

    Jude

    Well, I’m in WI and sweating that Q poll. It doesn’t make sense though. People who voted for Evers aren’t going to vote Trump and Dems are more engaged than ever here. I met swoons of people while canvassing that voted Walker/Baldwin, sure, but not the other way around.

    I even have a few Republicans working in my local County Dem group. They’ll vote blue no matter who.

    (wish I could say that for the extreme-left people I know)

  7. 7.

    Cheryl Rofer

    For those of you who were disappointed that Warren didn’t go after Bernie last night: This is now happening.
    Much better for her to let these two duke it out. Much.

  8. 8.

    debbie

    @JPL:

    Now saying trump was furious that they told the house.

    OMG! People are obeying the Constitution again! How could they? //

  9. 9.

    Jeffro

    @JPL: yup

    I think Nancy Smash said it best, “with [trumpov] all roads lead to Putin”

    let’s have that third article of impeachment toot suite, eh House?

  10. 10.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    Like Bloomberg, what the heck does Sanders think is going to happen to him if he gets the nomination?
    Also, watching Sanders with sound off, Sanders looked quite old and frail, that is not good in a debate with Trump.
    It’s like Warren is the only in the top four who gets this whole thing about the POWN the libertard thing from the Right.

  11. 11.

    Jeffro

    @Cheryl Rofer: let’s hope that in the end, the purpose of Bloomberg’s candidacy was to unmask Sanders and then drop a s-load of funds on the eventual Dem nominee

  12. 12.

    Kent

    In Today’s New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/20/us/politics/russian-interference-trump-democrats.html

    Russia Backs Trump’s Re-election, and He Fears Democrats Will Exploit Its Support
    A classified briefing to lawmakers angered the president, who complained that Democrats would “weaponize” the disclosure.

    WASHINGTON — Intelligence officials warned House lawmakers last week that Russia was interfering in the 2020 campaign to try to get President Trump re-elected, five people familiar with the matter said, a disclosure to Congress that angered Mr. Trump, who complained that Democrats would use it against him

    And they sure as hell better fucking use it against him.  The House Intelligence Committee needs to open permanent hearings on Russian Interference during the entire 2020 Election campaign.  Every example that pops up they need to amplify and highlight for the American public.

  13. 13.

    Sab

    OT been with verizon since we got married in 2002. Have had various flip phones since then. All okay. Flip phone I got last week is totally unacceptable. Twerps on the customer service line are fine with me leaving Verizon.

    Where do I go? Customer cellular is ATT which is worse.

  14. 14.

    Cacti

    @guachi: One or more people need to go after Sanders and highlight what a failure he is at rallying support for his positions. Point out he was 0-22 in 2018 on endorsements in Republican-held districts in a year the Democrats flipped 43 seats, the most they’ve flipped since 1974.

    But my progressive betters here have assured me that what the public is really pining for is a Democratic Socialist economic revolution…

    At a time of 4% unemployment, and when Trump has a 57% approval rating on his handling of the economy.

  16. 16.

    Ohio Mom

    I don’t know what to think anymore. I’ve always been a fan of Warren’s, I appreciate her decimating Bloomberg last night, I know she is warm and wonderful on the selfie line, but to the average, not-paying-too-much-attention voter, is she coming off as too, I don’t know, too wound-up?

    I used to think people wanted a steady hand on the tiller in a president but maybe Trump has proved me wrong?

    I still think Warren would make a great president, that she is far and away better than anyone else on last night’s stage, but I am feeling more and more the need to skip the voting with my heart and go straight to voting with my head, strategically. Which might mean Biden?

    I have almost another month before Ohio’s primary, which is plenty of time to stew and fret, and hope that tne parh is clearer then.

  17. 17.

    debbie

    @Kent:

    I’m hoping Adam Schiff is preparing an invite for the just-fired DNI director to come visit him and his committee.

  18. 18.

    Kent

    @Cacti: A polite more urban Trump who didn’t do so much hating of the gays, and did some big bipartisan infrastructure projects with his name on them around the country, would probably be at 60% approval.

    That is the scary thing.

  19. 19.

    David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch

    Wilmer said, “thousands of people in Vermont have a summer camp”

    Really?

    The proletariat have a luxury lake side home in a gated community?

     

    Just imagine if Warren had a luxury lake side home in a gated community, Wilmer would have been screaming day and night about it.

  20. 20.

    trollhattan

    Warren, 2 hours ago:

    Since I stepped on the #DemDebate stage, our grassroots campaign has raised more than $5 million. We’ve not only reached our critical goal of raising $7 million before the Nevada caucuses—we’re now raising it to $12 million. I’m so grateful. Keep it up!

  21. 21.

    Kent

    @Sab: OT been with verizon since we got married in 2002. Have had various flip phones since then. All okay. Flip phone I got last week is totally unacceptable. Twerps on the customer service line are fine with me leaving Verizon.

    Where do I go? Customer cellular is ATT which is worse.

    I don’t think your main problem is Verizon.

  24. 24.

    zhena gogolia

    I also saw a really good online Bloomberg ad with Twitler calling other people “losers” and then listing all the money, court cases, etc., he’s lost.

  26. 26.

    J R in WV

    @Ohio Mom:

     

    Vote for the candidate you think would be the best president!

    I think, right now, that’s E. Warren. We are contributing to her, we are supporting her, we intend to vote for her, even tho our state is red bloody red right now…

    Come fall I expect to be able to travel to work for her, too!!

  27. 27.

    Thaddeu

    Berniebots are out in full swing on social media – “The person withe the most democratic votes should be the Democratic nominee” — seeding the idea that even if Bernie has no majority support, he should be the Dem candidate based on plurality.

    Bernie must win even if 60% does not support him !!!!

  28. 28.

    Chyron HR

    @Cacti:

    But my progressive betters here have assured me that what the public is really pining for is a Democratic Socialist economic revolution…

    Yes, Balloon Juice, that famous Berniebro blog.  You’ve sure got our number.

  31. 31.

    Kent

    @Cheryl Rofer: As long as the Bloombergs of the world are inside the tent pissing out we will be fine I think.  I mostly trust the voters.  If he decides to pull a Ross Perot then we are utterly fucked.

  32. 32.

    Incitatus for Senate

    @Sab:

    Seriously, a flip phone? None of these companies care about an individual user, particularly one who uses their cheapest service.

  33. 33.

    Kent

    @Thaddeu: Berniebots are out in full swing on social media – “The person withe the most democratic votes should be the Democratic nominee” — seeding the idea that even if Bernie has no majority support, he should be the Dem candidate based on plurality.

    Bernie must win even if 60% does not support him !!!!

    Who gives a fuck.  Twitter isn’t party of the nominating process.  We have rules.  They want to win the nomination with less than 50% then they need to CONVINCE the remaining delegates.  It’s called democracy.

  35. 35.

    Chyron HR

    @Thaddeu:

    Berniebots are out in full swing on social media – “The person withe the most democratic votes should be the Democratic nominee”

    Oh, whew.  I thought they were going to try to claim that all the Republicans voting for Bernie in the primary should actually count for MORE than Democratic voters again.

  38. 38.

    Chyron HR

    @satby:

    No, Bernie got more VOTES.  Pete only has more DELEGATES under the unfair rigged shitlib rules that Bernie demanded the DNC adopt or else he’d run third party.

  39. 39.

    Baud

    @satby:

    Heh.  The funny part is that if Biden wins the plurality, they’ll make an appeal to the superdelegates to make Bernie the nominee.

  41. 41.

    Baud

    Chris Matthews said that the NYT story about Russian interference says that the Russians are interfering with the Dem primary.

    OT? You decide.

  42. 42.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Kent: Today, six years to the day after forces allied with then-President Yanukovych of Ukraine fired on peaceful protesters on Instytutska St., killing dozens, there’s a banner hanging from a pedestrian bridge over the street saying “Russia Began The War Here.” The wounds are still raw. Large numbers of people out in solemn commemoration of those who gave their lives.

    It is instructive to note the difference in the political climate between Russia and Ukraine after these six years have passed.

  43. 43.

    David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch

    @Thaddeu: Berniebots are out in full swing on social media – “The person withe the most democratic votes should be the Democratic nominee”

     

    And yet Hillary won the nomination by a clear majority of nearly 4 million votes and Wilmer and company said she should be the nominee

  44. 44.

    smintheus

    @Ohio Mom: Why are you trying to guess what other people you don’t know may think of a leading candidate? You couldn’t know that even if you had the best possible polling. The point of primaries is for everyone to vote for the candidate they like best, then count up the votes and you will find out who is most popular.

  45. 45.

    Martin

    If Bloombergs intentions are as he states, to just have any Democrat beat Trump (big if, I concede) then his sub-strategy must be to defeat Bernie at all costs so that if he loses its to any of the other candidates. Bloomberg only went after Bernie.

    I’m not saying that he won’t take blows from Warren and not respond, but I think he’s aware of what helps Bernie and Trump and what doesn’t and going after Warren helps Bernie. He was extremely clear that Bernie as candidate is a win for Trump, and I don’t disagree.

    Pete really pissed me off with how he went after Amy. She not my #1, but that was unfair. I didn’t think any of the attacks on Bloomberg were unfair – he’s got the big mouthpiece, he needs to learn how to use it better.

  46. 46.

    Duane

    @JPL: When everyone and his sister knows that the Russians are doing everything possible to help Trumpov win, this election will be a fraud. He shouldn’t be allowed to run, let alone serve a second term. In the event he should be elected again, there has to be means to stop what would be an illegitimate government, or we truly are no better than a banana republic.

  48. 48.

    WhatsMyNym

    @Sab: I think Consumer Cellular offers T-mobile as well (though AT&T is best in my neck of the woods). Otherwise look at other flip phones that work on Verizon that are available online. You are not limited to what Verizon sells.

  49. 49.

    Peale

    @Chyron HR: the way Pete got more delegates is that he made sure his people showed up in those small precincts. In other words, he mobilized voters in the right location. It’s not a good sign that Sanders team couldn’t do that.

  50. 50.

    TS (the original)

    Nothing like the media – only democrat left on the WaPo front page is Bloomberg. I thought they were better than the NYT – beginning to have my doubts. Given as I managed to get a $19 subscription, I am loath to cancel as I doubt I will ever get that rate again.

  52. 52.

    HeleninEire

    So I am thinking about leaving here. I’m bored. There is nothing new here. I used to post a lot. Not so much now. I’m exhausted. And I thought I had an out.

  53. 53.

    Kent

    @David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch:And yet Hillary won the nomination by a clear majority of nearly 4 million votes and Wilmer and company said she shouldn’t be the nominee

    Those were mostly black Confederate votes.  They only count 3/5ths in Bernie math.

  57. 57.

    smintheus

    @Cacti: You’re talking about the house he bought in VT using the money he got from selling the house he inherited, which was remote and a long distance away. It was effectively swapping an unsuable vacation home for a usable one. The fact that you think this is a mark against him suggests to me your political opinions need to be taken with a granary assault.

  58. 58.

    Geminid

    @Sab:      I have a smart phone that I bought myself and $30/ month AT&T service. The phone constantly outsmarts me, but I have no complaints about AT&T’s coverage or customer service.

  59. 59.

    David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch

    @smintheus: Not. True.

    When his mother law passed they sold the small condo she lived in, but they had paid for the condo in the first place.

    Even it was true, why would a Socialist who argues against wealth and accumulation of resources hoard luxury real estate.

  65. 65.

    smintheus

    @Chyron HR: So he needs to “excuse” inheriting a vacation house? Some of Sanders’ harshest critics here however have been surprisingly enthusiastic in the past about Buttigieg, whose chief political achievement was seizing hundreds of houses from the poor and destroying them just because he could.

  66. 66.

    Ksmiami

    @Ohio Mom: I’m there with you- Warrens been obsessed with the economy and barely talks about in a calm voice the need for America to rebuild trust in government and strong institutions- I think she’s brilliant etc but I want a healer /rebuilder rn. I dunno

  67. 67.

    smintheus

    @David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch: Because much of the value of the inheritence would have been lost if they had not invested the money from the sale in another property. This is not hard to understand, if you’re not looking for an excuse to hate on Sanders.

  72. 72.

    smintheus

    @Cacti: You’re ever the voice of reason with regard to Sanders. I recall for example your comment describing Warren as having “beaten wife” syndrome because she didn’t attack Sanders enough during the debate to suit your taste.

  74. 74.

    Bill Arnold

    @Baud:

    Chris Matthews said that the NYT story about Russian interference says that the Russians are interfering with the Dem primary.

    It does. No details in the piece though, just this:

    Though intelligence officials have previously informed lawmakers that Russia’s interference campaign was ongoing, last week’s briefing did contain what appeared to be new information, including that Russia intends to interfere with the ongoing Democratic primaries as well as the general election.

    I/we need to be better at reliably recognizing Russian influence ops. It’s getting harder; they’re being more second-order about it, influencing Americans to amplify their messages.

    Rather than impersonating Americans as they did in 2016, Russian operatives are working to get Americans to repeat disinformation to get around social media companies’ rules that prohibit “inauthentic speech.”

  76. 76.

    David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch

    @smintheus: Not. True.

    here’s his financial disclosure form (photo) where he lists his mother-in-law’s condo as his own asset.  you can’t inherit an asset you already own.

  78. 78.

    FelonyGovt

    @Thaddeu: My Bernie-crazy friend is claiming that we should all get behind Bernie NOW because he’s “in the lead”. I pointed out that so far he’s won and tied in 2 tiny unrepresentative states.

  81. 81.

    Ohio Mom

    A clarification: Usually I agree with “Vote your heart in the primary” but this is not a typical election. My goal is winning against Trump, which I believe requires blocking Bernie, and I want to use my vote toward those efforts, rather than my dream. At this point in my life, I am used to compromising.

    HeleninErie@52: What Baud said, and me too. We are running after our tails here on these threads the primaries and it does get tiresome.

    Not that I don’t get pulled into it but I have to pace myself because the panic and gloom is awful for my mental health. I need reminders that life is bigger than politics. Because it is.

    So I get why you would want to step away. If you do, hope you’ll come back for the occasional visit after this storm of Trump has passed.

  84. 84.

    LC

    @Kent: The irony of that, of course, is that the votes in red states are already marked down in the delegate math.  The system already took the complaint that votes in States that don’t vote dem should be less represented in the dem nomination.

    But that messed with the message that it was unfair to Bernie, so my friends working for his campaign told me to stop mentioning it

  86. 86.

    David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch

    @smintheus:

    Provide the evidence.   Her saying she inherited property doesn’t make it true, especially when her “mom” died in 2005 and her condo was in a different state.  Especially when she has changed her story, first saying it was from a condo sale, then saying it was from a mystery inheritance, which just happen to coincide with their new multi millionaire status.

    The larger point is why is he hording luxury real estate and the accumulation of resources when he spent 50 years denounced such practice, including during the 2016 campaign.   Why not donate the money to the needy and take the tax deduction.  after all, under Socialist doctrine he specifically espoused in 2016, he already had more then enough.   Of course the answer is he’s a fraud.  Which why he now travels in an obscene luxury private jet – just like Marx intended.

  88. 88.

    Jim

    Well, anyone with an ounce of intelligence and integrity knows it’s a cheap shot to describe BS as a socialist without adding the “democratic” part given that it’s common knowledge he’s never advocated for the gov taking over the means of production, etc.  It’s really not that much better than the “communist” tag the oligarch used last night. But hey, those suffering from long term cases of BSDS just can’t help themselves.  https://bigthink.com/politics-current-affairs/what-is-socialism-bernie-sanders

  89. 89.

    David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch

    @Peale: nobody said that.

    they’re criticizing him for buying a luxury beach house in a gated community, while he denouncing accumulation of assets, in an era of vast income inequality, where most people don’t even own one home.  Even his own supporters said it was a bad look.  That’s why he’s so defensive about the matter, as shown in the above clip.  Lord knows if this was another candidate, Sanders would be raking him or her over the coals.

    Nobody cared about his mother’s condo. He’s the one bringing it up to use it as a shield to deflect the criticism for the purchase of his beach house.

  90. 90.

    Another Scott

    @Sab: I like Google Fi, but I use very little cellular data.  My full-up bill is routinely less than $30 a month.  It’s great if you travel overseas – your phone Just Works™ without any extra fiddling or extra cost.

    You do need a smart phone, though. (There are only a couple of flip smart phones now, but that’s up from zero about 6 months ago.) And they’re very spendy. They have reasonably priced smart phones, and you can bring your own smart phone, too.

    Fi uses T-Mobile, Sprint, and US Cellular towers.

    HTH a little. Good luck.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  92. 92.

    schrodingers_cat

    @Ohio Mom: @Ksmiami:  Me three.

    I am just not seeing what others here see in her. I have tried to like her because many people here who I respect are Warren supporters, but I just can’t. She is too close to BS. My goal in the primaries is to stop BS from becoming the nominee.

  93. 93.

    Geminid

    @Jim. Well, Sanders was a Vermont presidential Elector for the Socialist Workers Party in 1980, and they certainly advocated for the government taking over the means of production. He campaigned for their presidential candidate that year, and in 1984 also.

  94. 94.

    Cacti

    @Omnes Omnibus: No one here has told you that.

    Au contraire, counselor. I was told that just this morning, as the explanation for why EW continues to be a soft touch with BS.

    Don’t gaslight me, bro.

  96. 96.

    Anne Laurie

    @smintheus: Sanders inherited a vacation home. This is supposed to be a mark against him?

    Not true.  Jane and her five siblings inherited the ‘family’ vacation home after their parents died.  She bought the others out, in cash, using funds from her ‘golden parachute’ running a small Vermont college (into the ground).

    Or so she claimed, at the time.  Questions were raised about her partnership in Olde Towne Media, which made outsized millions doing ‘advertising’ for the 2016 Sanders campaign, but Jane *said* it was just her college money that funded her ‘camp’ purchase…

  97. 97.

    Anne Laurie

    @HeleninEire: So I am thinking about leaving here. I’m bored. There is nothing new here. I used to post a lot. Not so much now. I’m exhausted. And I thought I had an out.

    If you need a respite, you won’t be the only one!

    We’ll miss your contributions… but (I hope) we’ll still be here, once you’ve had a chance to refresh / rejuvenate…

  98. 98.

    Geminid

    @Anne Laurie:     I wish someone could get to the bottom of the Olde Towne Media deal. The Vermont Digger got partway. The customary 10-15% fee to media buyers seems designed for kickbacks and corruption. TV and radio stations have salespeople working on salary or commission who will beat a path to any advertiser’s door. Hard to see what a “media buyer” does except rake off money.

  99. 99.

    FlipYrWhig

    @Geminid: I hesitate to say this because I know it’s also a sexist stereotype, but I get an extra hinky feeling about Jane O’Meara Sanders. I feel like he’s a boringly conventional arrogant academic Marxist and she’s a scam artist whispering in his ear and egging him on.

  100. 100.

    David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch

    @FlipYrWhig:

    I know what you mean when you say “academic”, a lot of academics are blowhards, but academics have a Ph.d in their field and  produce scholarship.  Sanders on the other hand is stunningly uniformed (remember his clueless editorial board meeting with NYDN in 2016) and is famously lazy and a non-reader (I bet he hasn’t read a book since 1960).

  101. 101.

    Brohonestly

    @Kent: You can make fun of Bernie’s black support when Liz Warren polls at higher than 0% among black people ;) For all the talk about how Pete has no shot with black people, it’s amazing that nobody talks about how poorly Liz is doing with anyone who isn’t a white college-educated upper middle class voter.

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