It is a legitimate campaign tactic to court the supers, though I don’t think Pete (or even Biden) is in the same catbird seat that Hilary was in last round; she had spent a couple of years both courting state party leaders and helping them with local campaigns and fundraising, they owed her big time.
If Sanders and Warren are both in the race by the end of the primaries, there is a good chance that they will split the progressive vote and allow for a second round. However, both Sanders and Warren are in at least as good a position to attract superdelegates as Buttigieg. The real question is where Biden will be at that point.
Tom Steyer’s polling is interesting; I think he’s been spending like crazy on advertising. A billionaire environmentalist who supports medicare-for-all and taxing the rich might be a good person on the dais to shut up people like Bullock and Delaney.
Preach. I voted for him on the primaries last time, I’ll certainly vote for him if he gets the nomination, but he (like all candidates) comes with some serious flaws and his supporters aren’t doing anyone any favors by pretending otherwise.
New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand was at 2 percent, her first qualifying poll for the fall stage…Other candidates who are in the mix for qualifying include Julián Castro
Just in terms of debate-stage performance, I feel like these two are stars.They have consistently come across as the most prepared, passionate and calm on stage. They strike that balance of prepared and able to improvise super self-assuredly. Admittedly I don’t know much about either policy-wise or voting-record wise, but I like everything they’ve said on stage. I ship Warren/Castro hard for P/VP and Warren is my fav, but does anyone have links/thoughts on Gillibrand and Castro as to why they aren’t more popular, or maybe why I should be wary?
I think Gillibrand reminds people too much of HRC, who was her mentor. Even HRC’s strongest supporters are a little wary of repeating the 2016 disaster. Her political views today are moderate-left, but she used to be a pretty solid bluedog, with terrible positions on immigration and gun control.
Castro has been touted for years in the Democratic Party as a rising star/future candidate, and given key national exposure opportunities. I thought HRC would choose him as her running mate, but maybe it was good that she didn’t. I don’t know why he hasn’t done better this cycle, but it is early days yet and the current front-runners are mainly still those anointed by the press.
Biden told reporters in Iowa on Saturday that “those kids in Parkland came up to see me when I was vice president.” But when they visited Capitol Hill to talk with members of Congress, lawmakers were “basically cowering, not wanting to see them. They did not want to face it on camera.”
In fairness to Yang, that bit expressly mentioned by The Hill is a small part of his larger gun control plan. He appears to have at least some interest in systematic change. From the “policy proposal” link:
Close the gun show and Charlotte loopholes, requiring all gun sales and most transfers to have a background check run and completed.
Implement a purchase limit (rate, not total) on all firearms.
Implement a federal cooling-off period to decrease the incidence of suicide and impulsive crime.
Promote a stringent licensing system, with a 5-year renewal requirement, for gun ownership.
Anyone desiring a license would need to:
Go through a federal background check.
Anyone with a history of violence, domestic abuse, or violent mental illness would not be allowed to hold a license.
Interview with a federal agent, who has limited discretion on granting the license.
Pass a basic hunting or firearm safety class.
Provide a receipt for an appropriately-sized gun locker, or trigger locks (tax deductible).
Individual states will determine their concealed carry/open carry laws, and reciprocity will not be federally enforced.
Create a clear definition of “assault weapon”, and prevent their manufacture and sale.
Prohibit the manufacture and sale of bump stocks, suppressors, incendiary/exploding ammunition, and grenade launcher attachments, and other accessories that alter functionality in a way that increases their firing fate or impact.
Automatically confiscate any weapon that has been modified in a way as to increase its ammunition capacity, firing rate, or impact.
Create an agency tasked with monitoring gun manufacturing developments and addressing “design-arounds” as they arise.
Renew a ban on Large Capacity Ammo Feeding Devices (LCAFDs) and after-market non-standard large capacity magazines.
Pass a federal gun transportation law that will require people to transport guns unloaded and locked in a storage safe.
Increase liability for individuals who sell guns illegally that are used to commit a crime.
Form a commission to study the development of 3D printing technology to see ways we can minimize the risk of this technology in perpetuating gun violence.
Maintain current restrictions on and definitions of automatic weaponry.
Stridently enforce importation restrictions on weapons and accessories.
Create federal safety guidelines for gun manufacture and distribution, similar to federal car safety requirements, with strict penalties for the violation of these guidelines.
Use tax incentives to encourage gun manufacturers to implement designs that prevent interchanging parts that alter the functionality of the firearm.
Repeal laws that shield gun manufacturers from liability.
Invest in personalized gun technology that makes it difficult or impossible for someone other than a gun’s owner to fire it, and ensure that they’re for sale on the marketplace.
Provide a tax credit for the full value of upgrading a gun to use these systems, or work through the buyback program to allow “trades” of non-personalized guns to personalized ones.
Implement a federal buyback program for anyone who wants to voluntarily give up their firearm.
As stated here, invest in a more robust mental health infrastructure. This will help to identify and treat people with mental health illnesses that make them prone to suicide.
Increase funding to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and drastically increase funding to the US Department of Veterans Affairs Suicide Prevention efforts.
Direct the CDC to research gun violence, and reject any budget deal that includes the Dickey Amendment.
Require all locations where guns are sold to display information on how to receive mental health treatment or reach suicide crisis hotlines.
Initiate and fund mindfulness programs in schools and correctional facilities, which have been demonstrated to reduce violent behavior.
Invest heavily in law enforcement training to de-escalate situations involving firearms, and provide funding to programs that involve mental health professionals in de-escalation situations.
That’s good at least. Depending entirely on technology is “save us” from real world problems is a deeply problematic way of going about dealing with problems.
[ETA] I would say that I do think it’s telling that he decided on that bit of info to share from his plan with the audience.
“Create a clear definition of “assault weapon”, and prevent their manufacture and sale.“
This should be broadly defined and then implemented via regulation. New weapons will be designed and people will also keep trying to get around the intent. Like any government regs they can be updated regularly to address this via an NPRM.
Any such law needs to focus on the weapon’s capability rather than its mechanical design. I don’t care whether a weapon is semi-automatic or full auto or pistol grip or hot pink or whatever. I care about
How concealable is it? Most gun crimes still involve handguns for a reason.
How many people could a competent shooter kill with it in X amount of time? If it’s more than the number of people one would likely face off against in a home invasion or more than the number of game animals one hunter could take home then let’s make sure the gun owner has to pass a very high bar to own one.
