OMG I completely forgot about the fact the veeps debate. Who would make Pence’s head explode faster…Harris or Buttigieg?
Although I’m sure that such a person exists (because we live in a world of infinite weirdness), I’ve never seen one. Most of the Bernie crew (correctly) perceive Biden as a corrupt, racist imperialist; they’d rather see him in the Hague than the White House.
However, there are a lot of “first choice Bernie, second choice abandon electoralism as hopeless” people.
My daughter likes Yang as a candidate and she is Canadian and not too interested in the race. I am not sure the demographics of his supporters but based on one anecdotal Canadian I am guessing his platform has appeal that those others do not.
Also @anon61833566 now have this mental image of Pence running around a stage trying to escape Harris/Buttigieg
Yang’s biggest draw and it is definitely a left lean big idea (a la Warren and Sanders ideology) is to have a “citizen fund” type thing. He wants every person to get paid a minimum amount from a federal reserve (much like social security but for all adults) that will help bridge the gap for those under paid as well as provide a security blanket for those in transitory job markets/positions.
It’s actually a cool idea and has plenty of merit. I just think it would be more realistic to follow some of Warren/Sanders plans.
Seriously. Imagine that jackwagon having to share the stage with a gay man or a extroverted speak her mind woman of color. OH THE JOY IT WOULD BRING ME to watch him squirm!!!
I find that sort of thing more likely, not only do both Castro and Booker cut closer to a solidly progressive ticket. But the trend in VP picks recently has been very clear. Appeal to specific demographics where the presidential candidate has a gap. And increasingly we’re seeing career legislators or other people very experienced in government. As the role of a VP has become to represent the administration in congress, and shepherd the agenda through.
I don’t see a neophyte mayor who’s demographics appear to be white retirees in the purple parts of purple states fitting that too much.
Warren thus far has gaps in her support in terms of non-whites and people without college degrees, not with retirees in the purple parts of purple states. And Mayor Pete doesn’t really bring anything to the table in terms of process.
But its one poll. Even in the context of the series of polls from this one source, it could be a fluke. And most of the other polls are still showing Biden 10 points ahead. There was a Fox poll in the last cycle showing Sanders dropping to 10%, Warren at 20, and Biden holding at 30. What conclusions should we draw from that?
That’s bound to start happening eventually. But its gonna depend on who’s who. I don’t really see Harris’s voters moving in bulk to anyone but Biden. So far it looks like Warren’s climb is coming out of the undecided block, rather than off of other candidates or as people drop. There’s a few percentage points out there from those who’ve already left, but they don’t seem to be going anywhere specific.
If you focus on stuff besides just polls there certainly is. Polling right now tracks closely with volume of coverage. And Warren has been attracting more coverage based on policy announcements and non-debate appearances over just the “news cycle”. She seems to be winning over undecided dems (myself included). And her polling trend seems independent of news, debate spikes, and has been sustained from the start. All of which screams “momentum”, and lord knows the news cycle loves momentum.
It looks to me that she’s very well positioned to take advantage of a narrowing field, if she can start to shore up support in some of the demographic blocks where she lags. Non-college voters and blacks specifically, both of which are heavily behind Biden. But Hispanics are sort of spread all over in terms of candidates, with a lot of undecided so if any candidate can condense that block they’ll give Biden a run for his money.
The thing with Biden is he’s only a clear front runner because he happens to be a bit ahead. His numbers would be runner up range in a narrower field. Clinton was polling above 50% from minute one in 2016. And Biden’s 10 point lead seems more down to appealing to a fairly broad slice of the party’s coalition than to large support in any one spot. Kick a leg out from under him and he’s done.
That would be great, and she’s very good at that.
I think the one thing I remember about Kaine was how he sat there like a bump on a log while Pence gaslit the nation during the debate. I think that was a pretty critical moment in legitimizing the Trump campaign. And covering purely on a horse race basis instead of a “holy shit Pence lies a lot” was a pretty big fuck up on the media’s part.
From what I’ve seen in the coverage young, white, college educated males in the tech sector. Apparently his most avid followers are in an online fight with Bernie’s and are expending a lot of energy brigading online polls, gaming Twitter hashtags and memeifying everything.
Guy looks good superficially due to his focus on climate change. But his actual policy proposals are of the borderline sci-fi, tech sector moonshot fetish type.
his bait and switch is that you only get the money if you remove yourself from other public benefits including things like social security, food stamps, and housing.
i personally just don’t see that as a viable way forward. people will get the money, and then it will be whisked away in the same trickle up machine we see everywhere today.
the way out of where we’re at, in my opinion, is to decrease the need for money in the first place, so that every dollar a person earned at bottom income levels is actually useful. which means expanding programs which target specific needs, not closing those programs down.
surprisingly he does believe in a medicare for all plan, and it doesn’t come from that basic income - so i guess he’s like libertarian with a twist… basically appealing to the same crowd as ron paul once did.
I am a firm believer that Warren and Sanders have the right type of plan. make all waters rise…everyone will benefit.
increase the tax rates on the wealthy either through flat percentages or marginal tax rates. Force minimum wage higher which in turn forces all wages higher except those highest earners who won’t see a benefit, but will still be the top 1% anyway.
To your point…make a dollar go further by putting more dollars in the hands of those that need it most.
Frankly, that’s sad. It’s just a different form of Calvinball.
Unthinking cults of personality and messianism is, sadly, not limited to just the right wing of the political spectrum.
That’s a decent way to put it. I keep seeing him called a techno-libertarian. But that doesn’t quite capture it cause whatever he’s on about its wedged into a psuedo-progressive frame work.
I think less crazy Elon Musk is the impression I get off him.
He appeals hugely to young Democrats, because he’s essentially offering a free parachute if people don’t use public benefits that are seen as “old person issues”; he’s also got the liberal-version-of-Trump thing going on by campaigning as an outsider/businessman who’s internet-savvy.
I’m deeply hoping he drops out soon, because he’s sort of a useless distraction.
the writers at boing boing don’t get to hold political positions?
not without disappointing someone any way.
They don’t get to say “Trump is bad for highlighting singular polls, but it is OK for us to highlight singular polls” without being flagged for hypocrisy.
Or, and hear me out here, maybe @xeni is linking to a poll she finds to be of interest as the primary evolves over this too damn long election season? obviously NONE of us are going to know what happens, and polls can be unreliable, no matter how well done they are.
Trump linked to a poll he found of interest and BB rightly lambasted him for it, as cherrypicking data is wrong and disingenuous. I think it is fair to hold BB to the same standards they expect from others.
Is she saying that this is iron clad, and tight, and they are going to win now? Or is it yet one more data point in this ongoing primary saga?
It is one more data point, but BB seems to be highly selective about which singular data points they highlight, which is something they have previously said is wrong.
Well, what would you prefer then? All recent polls in a single post, so we can see the full data set? No news about the election until it’s over and we know for sure who won? I guess I’m unsure what you’d like boing boing to write about with regards to a situation that is constantly evolving?
Besides, she does say, at the very top:
Is that an endorsement? Of who? Is that your concern, that she’s biased towards Sanders and/or Warren over others?