I'm waiting for former Idaho Governor Butch Otter to throw his hat in the ring before I take this rhyming thing seriously.
3
You pan Joe Biden after a 6 person panel gave him a thumbs down. Six is a tiny number, too tiny. Have you forgotten how direct Joe is, how he addresses the elephant in the room which other people ignore. And he is most articulate and funny. Best of all, he would NAIL Pres. Dumpy to the wall and he's stay there. No one else has that ability. No one has that gravitas that comes from losing a wife and a son and other losses.
His commitment to the country is unquestioned, as is his love of the USA. Don't dismiss Uncle Joe.
5
A piece on candidates without mentioning Mitt's dog. Surely some of these candidates have pets and at least one a car with a roof top carrier.
3
607 days from now
our election will be done.
But at that length just who can say
That it was any fun?
The Brits have a much better plan
No dawdling over picks!
Their last election’s days
Were only 36!
(From dissolution of Parliament to polling day in 2017 was 36 days.)
3
Wonderful column!!! Gail Collins always seems to get right to the essence of these wannabes!
2
I’m for the Hickenlooper Buttigieg ticket.
It’s my pick of the Democrat thicket.
They have funny names,
But won’t play any games,
And if there’s a can in the road you can be darned sure they won’t up and kick it.
3
Drop me a 4/4 beat, please...
We're talkin bout candidates in the Democratic primary race who are showing their traits and their grace, telling the Fates and giving a trace of the face they'll show on the primary trail where some will flail and fail, too stale to get the Grail of the nomination to fight for the soul of our nation with Democratic anticipation against the abomination currently in that station.
(Sorry Gail, I only get a few minutes to write these, and God only knows why a middle-aged white guy thinks he can do a decent rap...)
3
It’s time for Biden to take the gloves and declare his intentions.
No more waiting, Joe. We all know that Trump must be defeated in 2020.
And you’ve got a real good chance to do it.
Please. For the good our nation.
2
Wonderful! Never knew you could be Larry Eisenberg! I I know you are the queen of fact phrases. " The dog on the car roof ". Who can forget that! It brought down a slick flip-flopper Presidential Candidate, Romney into the dog house. Ms Collins keep your poetry flowing. It'll save the primary hopefuls a trip to Iowa and New Hampshire!
2
I won't vote Bernie
I won't vote Joe
Warren won't come out in front
Amy's in the snow.
We Dems want fresh and fiery
And someone in the know.
Sometimes is simply feels as if
We're waiting for Godot!
69
Sorry, Gail, but none of this is funny. You did your best, but it’s totally not your fault. We’re only a couple of months past an extremely contentious midterms, and here we are already in the throes of our next Presidential election. In our system, governance is done in the service of the perpetual election cycle. I’m refusing to even take a look at the many candidates. I might be bothered around, say, Thanksgiving, when I get bored at the dinner table and the NFL games are over. ‘Til then, I have other things to do: rearranging the sock drawer, getting my tires rotated, etc. You know, stuff that really matters.
52
I won’t pay attention until the New York State primary is near. Since that happens in June of the presidential election year (over a year from now!) the field will be thoroughly winnowed by then.
But thank you Gail for bringing a little levity to the subject.
16
@ProSkeptic
I understand your frustration with politics, but the country is desperate for change now. We need hope that the disaster-in-chief will be replaced ASAP. Our impatience for that to happen is why so many are paying attention to the next election.
14
A haiku for Ms. Collins :
spring and politics
a harbinger for our lives
sunshine and Gail, Joy.
152
@Phyliss Dalmatian - a nice note to end the day on!
11
This Millennial would rather not vote for a person who will be 70-ish in Jan. 2019. The generational divide is extremely real and no one is comfortable talking about it. This country deserves a government that knows how the Internet works
72
@brcw
Over 70 here
The internet I don't fear
Of the Silent Generation,
I care deeply for our nation.
To me, age-ism is just another "ism". The important things in a candidate are character, and ideas.
167
@brcw
This baby-boomer would rather not vote for a person older than 60. But you are expressing ageism - most of the people I know in their 70s use the internet quite a lot. That's not the issue to me - I want someone with the physical fortitude to meet the presidency at its max power, and last for 8 years. No matter how healthy and vital you are at 70, you are still at a disadvantage running the gauntlet of one of the world's most demanding jobs.
130
@brcw
It’s not that no one is comfortable talking about it; it’s that it’s not worth talking about. The internet is important to you, fine. What makes you think it’s important for a president to “know how it works,” as every 10-year old does? One person doesn’t run the country; far from it. In fact, politicians don’t run the country; private interests do. And they know all about the internet - after all, they were able to make you think it was important, right?
75
Sorry, Gail, I know this is not the alternative you yourself favor, but I'd have to go with (a): Climate change is crucial, and you cannot bring it up too much.
If we don't prioritize this, in a few years nothing else will much matter.
245
@Ellen Valle some days seems like nothing matters already !!!!
5
Larry Eisenberg would have had so much fun with this. Goodness- how i miss our Poet Laureate!
409
@TokyoBeth
Totally agree, heavy sigh .. He had a magic touch with words. I won't forget you, Larry.
8
@TokyoBeth
Agreed! We need an annual Larry Eisenberg day, where all comments are written in verse, preferably limericks!
16
@TokyoBeth What happened to him?
3
Warren's my favorite;
but Bernie would do.
Kinda like Beto
and Kamala too.
Some of the others
are strangers to me;
I'll watch the debates
and see what we'll see.
I'm older than any --
(Even Ancient Old Bernie)
FDR was the Prez
when I started this journey.
But whether he's old,
or she's not even fifty,
I already think that
Our Candidate's Nifty!
455
@gradyjerome
Recommended for the prose! (even if don't agree with a couple of the choices proposed)
4
I don't mean to show my age and be bitter
But please give me a president who won't govern by Twitter
689
@stu freeman - Agree 100%! If there is one issue that will weigh heavily on my vote it is abandoning Twitter!
22
@stu freeman
Excellent!
10
@sarah
You meant this sarcastically, yes?
12
This country
shall never see
A worse president
than Donald T.
Or a worse
political party
than the GOP.
36
This circus is called democracy. It costs a lot, yet we need it. It's so exciting.
4
et tu Gail. Only Amy K. gets a derogatory rhyme?
5
@Michelle
I agree. Amy K. needs a double or triple look. Don't count her out. And I'm real progressive. She has lots of potential.
5
I want to add: D) Can most effectively call Trump to account, because if she/he cannot (ref: all Republican primary candidates 2016, and Hillary, same) none of the above (A, B, C) will matter.
Having watched most of the candidates being interviewed on MSNBC, my impression is that Elizabeth Warren is least susceptible to being sucked into his maelstrom and can stay on message.
9
I love the fact that the Democrats have no shortage of candidates as Hillary Clintons Campaign time clock has run out. We need fresh faces.
5
This was removed after I had several recommends. Any idea why, this is not the first time it has happened?
Well Gail you just left yourself out, 73 it says for your profile. Remember when the mantra was don't trust anyone over 30, you may have been too young then, Berkeley in the late 50s, the same people that now don't trust anyone under 40 or 50.
I can not keep track of all the people who think they qualify for the presidency, but I cant think of any one of them that would not be better than Donald the Swindler, none of them could be that dishonest. It used to be that politician was an honorable profession, we did not agree with them a lot of the times, but they were able to make deals, that is real deals, not deal my way or sue me.
Jay Inslee seems to be qualified, but his name does not rhyme with rain, or Olympia, his home is on the
Sound and he gets around. Hickenlooper is clever,he hails from Denver, and makes beer, the city also has weed, two things we need, to help us through the current show of GOP greed.
I have a dau9ghter named Elizabeth, her little sister called he Wizzybuff, So Wizzybuff,or Buffy for pres, they all sound better than Frump, or Drump, or tRump. The biggest problem with age is the energy level, but there are many 80 year olds who do not spend half the day watching Faux Noise, and they all have a better sense of humor than the current grump in the Washington dump.
Even Donald Duck would be better luck in the funny farm on Pennsylvania Ave.
9
Stormy Dans and Tweedle-Trump agreed to have a battle
Said Tweedle-Trump to Stormy Dans, "Come hit me with a paddle."
Just then flew down a monstrous Pence along with his dear mother.
"Those NDAs have got to stand! These women, we must smother!"
6
Love the article. Wasn't Teddy Roosevelt age 39 when he assumed the presidency?
2
At his elevation, T.R. was 42. But JFK is the youngest elected.
1
A. Climate change is crucial, and you can't bring it up too often.
8
Beto is using Metallica to get some old age cred. I saw more walkers and wheelchairs outside a Rolling Stones concert (in 2004) than I've ever seen in one place!
5
@Don Jones
I'll never be your beast of burden
My back is broad but it's a hurting
All I want is for you to get me Aspercreme.
6
At least if we voted in President Buttigieg,
He wouldn't disparage or try to refute a judge.
5
This just gets verse and verse!
23
@Stewart Wilber - I think you win the comment section today!
5
At least any of these candidates will have their primary allegiance be to the U.S. instead of Russia.
15
To the task given me today
I ask please go away
It is to rhyme the candidates
That we must evaluate
I must admit
I just wanted to quit
Confronted by the likes of Hickenlooper
I'll play the roper doper
And take all the punches
While others play their hunches
And live to fight another day
All Hail Gail!
4
Sorry folks, but my inability to write a sonnet has forced me to reconsider my candidacy for.........well.....ANY office!
6
I love me some Gail, but I do miss Larry Eisenberg!
22
It is shaping up to be a pretty interesting group but can it compete for entertainment value with the seventeen Republicans from 2016. Remember, that group, most surprisingly, produced the current POTUS. Imagine ! Is there anyone in this field capable of appointing such a rich administration with so many of the "best people" and this level of turnover or this number of indictments ? Is there anybody in this field even capable of driving to Canada with their family dog on the roof of their car ? It's a hard act to follow.
6
@Pete Giunta
Sometimes when I’m trying to be optimistic I say to myself at least we didn’t end up with Cruz. Wasn’t he the second to the last standing?
6
I would like to formally announce my candidacy. Yours, John Jacob Dinglehiemer Schmidt.
14
Bernie Sanders attracted crowds of 15,000 in Brooklyn and Chicago, raised $10 million in one week & the TIMES' big political story of the week . . . was the frenzy sweeping the country for. . . . former Governor Hickenlooper! . . .
Some of the laffs are provoked by the candidates, some by the coverage . . . .
8
Under Putin’s watchful eyes
The President his fate espies,
Sure enough it’s sinking in—
All the trouble he is in:
How he’s certain to be caught,
By the jaws of justice, wrought
To catch, ensnare, and triply crush
A villain daubed in orange blush.
11
My vote: climate change is crucial and you cannot bring it up too much. My dream team is Elizabeth Warren to repair financial inequality and Jay Inslee as the climate change pro. He is very clear in stating that fighting global warming will create a massive number of jobs which is a win-win as we redo our dated, crumbling infrastructure. Inslee is a even-tempered, mature guy without baggage who could beat Trump, if he just gets some name recognition and support.
7
Gail, I love you, but verse is not your thing. Lines need to rhyme ("work" and "fork" do not), and they need to scan (the number and pattern of stressed and unstressed syllable needs to be clear and consistent). You're a wonderful prose writer; play to your strength!
5
Biden needs to retire, as well as Bernie whose ego is so large cannot stand others now running with his agenda. He has had little negative press and will never beat the GOP machine. Without Brown I see Amy Klobuchar as the best bet as much as I love Liz Warren. Inslee is also convincing. Please unite around the best to beat 45.
16
@Marylee,
Agree with much of your pithy post prognostications
(alliteration is fun too) but here's my take on the Democrat candidates so far--Sen. Warren has the best life story, intellect and education, Democratic Party/Federal Government Policy achievements, and
mature temperament/ability to stand up to the
repub attacks of all declared candidates--Governor Inslee has an excellent and clean record as a Democrat Center-Left Washington State executive, has been a highly-informed, respected advocate and activist for addressing and combating Climate-Change/Global Warming--but has little national name recognition or reputation for all his efforts for decades. Hence my idea--how about if Warren and Inslee joined forces, early in the campaign, with her
having the best chance of being the President candidate, and Inslee running as Vice-President candidate, with their campaign running on the commitment that President Warren would have overall responsibility for Presidential duties, and Vice-President Inslee would have as his primary official duty the huge task of creating, mobilizing, and running the US' CC-GW project, which he correctly sees as a clear and present danger to the security and economy of the country.
9
@Marylee
Agree wth the “B” boys, Biden and Bernie, needing to drop out.
I’m in the Silent Generation and think they’re too old
11
@April Kane
I somewhyagree with you, but I think Bernie is too in-your-face. We’ve had a loud mouth for two+ years, and that’s enough. Biden would get my vote, but I doubt he could win. I think he’d be great in a cabinet position. Bernie should stay where he is.
3
Further apologies to Gilbert & Sullivan.
Roger Stone:
"I am the very model of the modern co-conspirator,
I’ve never been to Moscow, St. Petersburg or Siberia,
I’ve never heard of Vladimir or Julian or Manafort,
Just minding my own business down in sunny, lovely Florida."
39
@Phil Please, sir, can we have some more?
10
There once was a candidate from Nantucket...
20
@Rahn
who went to H in a bucket , ,
he was late to the dais;
"No more room" they did say,
"No PAC" so he just had to chuck it.
2
Joe's bidin' his time
Waitin' for rhyme
As Mark Twain might have said but probably didn't:
"History never repeats itself but it rhymes.”
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2014/01/12/history-rhymes/
9
For an instant, I thought I was doing the Times crossword, not reading an editorial. But, that's okay.
I was more of a math head instead of a language guy, and fortunately or unfortunately the sum of all the parts don't add up to an amount greater than Big Yellow's 40%.
Please, please, please Gail. Find us a 41 Plus! Then we can do a sing along.
6
@Demien Relax. You weren't reading an editorial. You were reading Gail's Op-Ed column.
2
Then there are all the words that rhyme with Trump.
Hatred on the stump. Who will trump him? Bump him out of office. Cohen, his chump. Anything to do with hump is hush hush. A big fat lump. Economy in a slump. Then there's grump, clump, sump and pump, oh goodie, rump and plump, clump as in hair, getting a thumping at the polls. As for jump, it goes well with suit . . . . (Here's hoping.)
19
@Thoughtful Woman
How could you miss "dump" with its multitude of meanings?
2
Kirsten and Beto are in it to win it!
7
I would feel better about Amy and the comb if she had ordered a staff member to wash it before she used it to eat her salad. Also, how do you eat a salad with a comb anyhow?
5
I almost passed my breakfast cereal through my nose when I read the Buttigieg definition.
6
What about Marianne Williamson?
She announced her candidacy and has more experience than Trump, having already run for Congress.
Did you forget her because of her gender and age?
Or because her bestsellers sold millions and men are jealous and fear her?
1
No, it’s because she’s totally incompetent. We will have already had four years of an incompetent president and don’t need anymore of that!
Most of these candidates soon will be famous,
but sadly, nary a one has a doggo named Seamus.
22
The parade of presidential candidates could be likened to a
Vaudeville dog act, examples of which can be found on YouTube.
How was Amy supposed to eat her salad, with her fingers?
Her comb was perfect. Or she could have been civil and
asked for crackers and a fork. She might be tougher to
work for than Trump, but a lot less loony. But, hey, if Britain
can have their mad King George, we can have our own
mad King Donald.
1
Some rhymes should be relegated to the walls on bathroom stalls!
3
"It’s already March. Time to get into the rhyme."
No, Gail, it's not quite time.
National Poetry Month is April.
Hmm... but still...
7
It's time for an Okie to run the whole show,
So come on Elizabeth, to the White House you go!
4
I am just very upset that Gail thinks she can pull the wool over our eyes and that no one will notice her use of fork and work as rhyming words. Busted!
3
@Craig Katz
That's called "slant rhyme," Craig, and it's perfectly legitimate.
6
No offense, Gail, but I'm really missing Larry Eisenberg.
13
@Kate
Oh he is missed!
He would have had this down in a Gilbert and Sullivan ditty, to boot.
5
Work and fork??
As Trump went strolling down the street,
His face quite full of Pride.
He slipped, fell in the gutter
And Pig came and laid down by his side.
(A Passerby was heard to say)
One can always tell a loser,
By the company it chooses,
And the Pig got up to quickly go away.
26
Larry, where are you when we need you most
12
Hilarious!!!
4
Democrats! Time to unite! Now's
The time to get busy and fight--douse
A huge conflagration
Consuming the nation
Contrived by that guy in the White House.
8
While Biden's deciden' and scratchin his chin
Ancillary to Hillary is where to begin.
She won by the vote count with Trump in his prime
This should be a cake walk, Trump's covered in slime
And Fox will make fun of our Hillary's chances
But this time we'll stick with our girl at the dances .
Bengazi and emails still have a bouquet,
They stink to high heaven, there's no more to say.
3
Roses are red
Violets are blue
If you're not Trump
I'll vote for you
67
Gail, your columns are always fun, even when they don't rhyme. I'd try my own hand at a epic poem here, like some readers, but it would take too long, and I have to go to work.
I see that in a recent poll, 60% of Dem leaning respondents favor either Biden or Bernie as their top choice for the Dem candidate next year. So, how about a Biden/Bernie ticket (Pres and VP to be determined later), with the slogan "Hey, if one of us dies in our first term, the other might not"?
Beyond, that, while I'm on a roll, how about also throwing in that they've approached Obama about being Secretary of State (the 22nd Amendment only term limits Presidents, not cabinet members) and would try to include other prominent, popular Dems for other cabinet positions (e.g., Warren as Secretary of the Treasury or Commerce, Holder or Booker or Harris as Attorney General, etc.)
So, with advance apologies to Shakespeare and Whitman:
When our opponents are morons like Trump and Pence,
we can't afford to stay on the fence.
16
Let me help.
Buttigieg: Dredge, sledge, hedge, wedge, ledge
2
It's not Hickenlooper, it's just 'Hick' - no one here bothers with his full name.
3
Count ‘em, you’re welcome, each launch a thud,
Our hopefuls, a borefest, count each a dud
Spouting their pablum ad infinitum
Month after month of infinite boredom,
Best case go topside and shut down the sound -
Shut down the pols, these losers astound.
Whoever becomes president, I pray that we stop giving white nationalists license to walk around saying racist things whenever possible. I pray for a civil society, where I don't have to watch the news and worry about the assinine phrases of the leader of the free world.
11
Your rhymes were a tad sad. Haiku would have been better:
John Hickenlooper
Colorado Governor
Beer man over Trump.
3
Ah, the old comb in the salad routine brings back fond memories of Shamus. Speaking of which, guessing Mitt has recused himself as his name rhymes with “unfit”. Same for Ryan who’s name too obviously rhymes with lying.
5
I've got the Donald Trump Blues
Can't even turn on the news
Cause every time I do
I see that horrible hair on the tube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NezhU0oIpk
14
The candidate whose campaign theme rhymes with ‘I’m Honest As Abe’ gets my vote.
3
Is Gail going to take up Larry Eisenberg's mantle?
5
Klobuchar, Booker, and Hickenlooper
Throw in their hats to shape our future
Buttigieg, Gabbard, and Castro
All want our votes and fast, yo
Gillibrand, Delaney, and Yang
Hoping to win the game
Harris, Sanders, and Inslee
2020 president? we shall see
Or Warren or Williamson
Against Trump?
May the best Dem
destroy that
greasy,
lying,
cheating,
orange haired,
need to impeach,
gross-out groping
bad example
for our children.
11
Dignity, integrity, grace under pressure, emotional intelligence, curiosity and intellect are a few things I want in a presidential candidate.
Here are a few things I don’t want in a presidential candidate-
No nighttime Twitterers, no exec-time fritterers,
No anti-vaxxers, no rich non-taxers,
No Prez minus manners, no orange self-tanners,
No “Old Glory” huggers, no climate change muggers,
No “Bill of Rights” flouters, no Blasey Ford doubters,
No offspring appointers, no sleazeball annointers,
No Putin appeasers, no “bin Salman” pleasers,
No refugee cagers, no allies enragers,
No misogynist gropers, no US carnage no-hopers,
No NRA praisers, no Parkland betrayers,
No one like McConnell, but especially not DONALD!!
36
Without the biweekly column from Gail
Thursday and Saturday'd crawl like a snail.
11
My ticket is
Pesident Sherrod Brown
VP Stacey Abrams.
Bringing the center and left together.
A solid emotional and intellectual dignity rhat will leave President Trump looking like a total ranting idiot with only the quietist reference to the truth needed.
4
I can manage to comb my hair with a fork,
But not grab with comb from my salad the pork.
More dextrous Amy, she's no dork!
Rah! Rah! Klo-bu-char!
We r headed into the fight for our nations very existence as a democracy for the middle class and poor !!!
No time for glib !
U r not appreciated Gail!
We hold media fully responsible for aiding the dirty dealing trumpian nightmare.
Your journalistic talent is sorely missing.
You just make it worse. Yuch !!!
@nurseJacki And, yet here you are--reading Gail's opinion column, which is much appreciated by the majority of her readers.
3
Sorry, Joe, but old, white, been-at-it-a-long-time and the Anita Hill thingy won't cut it.
5
I really don't mean to be a pedantic jerk but I don't think you can rhyme fork with work
4
Yes but who are smiling and smirking Benjamin Netanyahu, Abdel el-Sisi, Rodrigo Duterte, Kim Jong Un. Vladimir Putin, Recep Erdogan, Mohammed bin Salman and Xi Jinping supporting in the 2020 Presidential race in order to show " No collusion" and to MAGA?
3
@Blackmamba Great list of trump's heros.
1
About President: if we could only choose the perfect one,
We’d all pitch in and help their run.
We’d make signs and scream and loudly yell,
Anything is better than Donald Trump’s hell.
So let’s get serious, let’s get tough,
After all, with the Trumps - we’ve had enough!
11
Without Gail Collins, sometimes it isn't woryh trying to take the NYT seriously.
3
Interesting how many incoming nursery rhymes have a villain named Kirsten...
If she were a NYC pre-k teacher, probably've been relegated to the rubber room, terms ago...
At full pay and pension accrual, of course...
Now, for NYC pre-K teacher of the year, don't even have to wait for the formal vote...
You know who...
By now so well-known, we'll just use her initials - YKH...
Have never seen pre-K's relate to any teacher like they relate to YKH...
She just seems to "get" them...
Principal's in a quandary, though...
YKH redistributing all the meals during lunch period...
Even the ones some kids paid for...
See, it's not like stealing your lunch money - if we let you buy the lunch first...
And who needs both of their sandwich halves, anyway...
It's not like we're redistributing 70% of the first half...
1
I guess we can assume Gail will not be leaving NYT for L A Time
1
I wonder how Larry Eisenberg would handle 'Hickenlooper.'
3
no, no, no
it is far too early
talk of candidates
just makes me surly
I don't want to get
fundraising calls,
newletters, emails
or invites to glittering balls
I prefer other systems'
six weeks to run
then vote, it's over
and someone has won
11
I am dreading a possible Hillary announcement. Sure, she would be the only Democratic hopeful who has already proven capable of winning the popular vote. But my gut tells me that if she were to win the nomination, that would be one sure way for Trump to be re-elected.
Tulsi Gabbard announced her candidacy with tourists paddling themselves around in little boats behind her, all while Amy Klobuchar was delivering a speech in a blizzard in Minnesota. My gut is telling me that Gabbard is an idiot.
Beto takes us to the dentist. Biden seems to be playing games. Warren engages in a foolish DNA test. Gillibrand puts a knife in Al Franken's back.
I don't know who the eventual Democratic nominee will be, but whoever it is better have their head screwed on straight.
The Atomic Scientists have us at two minutes to midnight based on the imminent threats of climate change and nuclear war. Trump has been playing with fire on both of these fronts.
I don't think the American people will make the same mistake twice, and I have faith in younger voters. They know it's their future that is on the line. My gut is telling me these things, with a vengeance.
Democrats, please. No more foolishness. No more mistakes. We are counting on you.
We have no one else.
6
Gail, your column is always a bright spot in my week, but dear God, stick to prose.
3
Trump and the GOP on your bed
Is as ugly as that stupid hat on your head.
Get rid of the art of the backroom deal
Trump's self aggrandizing claims are not real.
He's the Liar n' Thief, he's a dullwitted con.
He's more useful to Putin than us that cheat, Don.
He walks into rallies with Trump sweatshop garments
And slogans yelled out by white "supremacist" varmints.
Have you no sense of decency? No sense of shame.
You allowed him to do anything due to his TV fame.
Our white house is filled with his toxic waste.
Get rid of that felon, that slob, NOW. Make haste.
Access Hollywood Busted and Rusted Old Traitor
He's nothing but an incompetent narcissist and race-baiter.
4
I'm just Biden my time
"Til I fit him in a rhyme.
And I'll send some mittens
To Iowa for the Clintons.
But I'll jump off a ledge
Before dealing with
Buttigieg,
1
thanks for the rhyming but let me make a useful suggestion here, that i am surprised that no one else has. do the obama inclusive thingbut even more so. obama brought in and collaborated with hilary and joe. if hilary had made bernie her vp and said will have major input into commerce, labor, treassury, hud, justice, and the domestic economy. she'd be president now and bernie would be kicking corporate and billionaire ***. so let's get a coalition of all these good democrats running. and give them real power, but they have to follow the lead and they have to pull together. i've always liked the coalition building of european governments, it allows smaller voices to be heard and represented and gain power, access and recognition. come on dem's be inclusive and say that if i win i will bring in these folks to the vp and the cabinet and other major positions in government. why hasn't anybody thought of and done this. i liked how obama brought in his rivals and groomed them to receive and carry the ball forward. first rule of soccer and politics: keep control of the ball/power. tighten the coalition by giving more of the segment leaders seats at the table.
3
@wfcollins bernie "I am not a Democrat! I am a socialist" sanders is still not a Democrat. He lists himself as an Independent on the Congressional Roll. If he ran as a socialist or an Independent, he would have credibility, but borrowing the Democrat label will not help him or real Democrats.
3
I think resorting to the use of ‘scabbard’ is quite a reach. Amusing, though.
3
Like swelling flocks, their plumage puffed
Their prideful songs sung clear and loud
They swarm the Hawkeye/Granite states
To try to claim the topmost bough
And is there any one of them that any one would not regard
As far more suited to that place
Than that which vilely squats there now?
That 'stable genius' (he says)
Without the sense of pig or cow
But flocks divide themselves by song,
By feathers' hues, by shapes of beaks
And our flocks needs to sing as one
With ALL the flocks with shared beliefs
We are no rainbow; we are one
Or must be if we hope to win
Let's vote him out and lock him up
And let a more just day begin
14
Oh dear. An AABB rhyme scheme is SO '60s it makes me think of ICBMs, Asians in conical hats and Richard Nixon. It's also very common in Rap, which sums up my critique nicely.
So try ABBA ABBA CDCD. Or even more challenging, a Villanelle! But you must jump onto a table top and make it up on the fly. That's how it's done. (Or at least that's how Villanelle WANTED us to think it was done after a night of sweating out thirteen lines at a time during the dark of the dawn.)
If you think from the above that I have a sinking feeling in my belly about the Democratic lineup in 2020, you'd be close to the mark. Certainly it's unlikely to produce a tingling feeling running up my leg.
I watched the Magnificent 17 duke it out in 2016, and couldn't get "The Race of 1,000 Clowns" out of my head, but only 16 peasants - rather than 50 or so - were gunned down in the last scene.
And now the Democrats, my brethren and sometime colleagues, are lining up for a repeat performance? Saints presairve us, and where's Martin Scorsese when we need him?
1
If only Larry Eisenberg were here, he would produce a masterpiece poem!
2
In NH at present, Bernie Sanders and Mr. Trump are the headline favorites.
Bernie "all for you" and Trump "all for me".
IMO, America doesn't stand a chance of getting the presidency right again.
1
I cannot abide
by the great divide
'tween center and progressive
'twill ruin the success of
saving our country from old orange-dyed.
2
Until he falls out Pete is my guy. He's smart; he has his eye on the ball and he's not running a campaign sub-titled "me, me, me, I, I, I, mine, mine, mine, mine".
I'll be 59 this year and I'm no fan of millennials. This guy has got a better grasp of the issues than most of the rest of the field combined. He's very measured and knows just what has to be addressed.
If you haven't seen him, take a look. He will be doing a town hall on Sunday on CNN at 9pm.
5
The perennial (I hate, hate, hate being called a senior) thinks life is too short to get my knickers in a twist about this gaggle of hopefuls. But I may be able to cross one off the list. Call it name-ism, but in my wildest I can't imagine having a president named Hickenlooper.
1
@Joan1009
think "seasoned citizen"
3
Al Franken should run, get his name back in the ring, if not President, then Senator.
4
Or any old thing!
1
I'm hoping for a Hickenlooper/Buttigieg ticket because it will be fun to say!
5
I will vote for the Democratic nominee no matter what.
Too many people insisted "Hillary has to EARN my vote!" and said the loss of Supreme Court justices, abortion rights and health care were little to risk in the service of their "principles".
The ONLY thing that mattered on Election Day was Hillary was far superior to Trump.
The only thing that will matter to me in 2020 is voting for the Democrat, even if God forbid it's Bernie. He will lose.
Rupert Murdoch, who created Fox News, is a genius, he knew there was a neglected audience out there--white people, especially men, who are convinced the changing times are the source of all their problems. Affirmative action, feminism, a black president, gays actually daring to say they deserved equal rights too. And a woman for President? How dare she!
These are the Trump voters, he will never, repeat NEVER, lose their support.
3
I like your op-ed piece too, perhaps a follow-up of Christine Lagarde blog. (See:https://blogs.imf.org/bloggers/christine-lagarde/)
I think this book should be in every philosophers library. It was obvious the Skidelsky's were having a lot of fun.
https://www.amazon.com/How-Much-Enough-Money-Good/dp/152267795X
Seriously, many of the books I'd like to read are not at my public library. Books are expensive.
1
You know, that rhyme really DID make it better!
Thanks Gail!
4
C'mon, the Democratic pool isn't unduly large (yet, anyway). There were so many Republican candidates last time around, they took two debate stages!
1
It would be nice to have a president who could handle simple sentences in English (I say this with probably absolute surety).
3
Round the stretch It's Hickenlooper, Wynkoop, Knickerbocker and Van Winkle. On the outside it's Huidekoper.
3
Setting aside that this column wasn’t very funny or informative, climate change is deadly serious like cancer or death itself.
In Hart's Location, if you're smart, you'll check into the wonderful Notchland Inn bed and breakfast.
1
Gail,thanks for bringing some levity to the chaos.
Time for the classic 60’s hit, the Name Game by Shirley Ellis to have a redo.
Has anyone heard from Diamond Joe Lieberman announcing another POTUS run, for the good of the country? Joe and Joe could be the Biden and Lieberman ticket. They could face off with Trump & Pence. Four, aging Caucasian 70 somethings who roam the Senior Circuit. The bingo game bylines would add spice to the stew.
Gail, I propose a Dodge Ball elimination tournament. It seems the quickest way to winnow the field. You need a cheese slicer to separate them from positions and it would make for family entertainment. A Sheldon Adeleson, Steve Wynn Vegas production the natural venue.
1
@Tabula Rasa
Did you ever run "Chuck" thorough verses of "The Name Game?"
2
Vaudeville dog act (see YouTube for examples).
My apologies to Gilbert & Sullivan.
"On a throne in the White House a little Don tweets:
No collusion no collusion, no collusion!
And I said to him 'little Don why do you tweet, no collusion, no collusion, no collusion?
Is it weakness of intellect" Donnie I cried
Or does Vlad have some video you'd rather hide?
With a shake of his fake orange hair he replied, no collusion, no collusion, no collusion!"
7
I know we're all down in a slump,
The world looks not like a jewel but a dump.
That last word has more than one meaning,
And the one toward which I am leaning
Is an activity I now call a trump.
Before this place resembles a ghetto,
Don't sell short a young man named Beto,
He's a campaigning phenom
And does so sans venom.
After Trump a refreshing libretto.
4
I would make my own attempt at campaign versifying, but I would eventually have to get around to our current mistake in the Oval, and as every serious practitioner of the English language is aware, there is nothing that rhymes with Orange.
3
@Glenn Ribotsky
Tom Lehrer disproved that myth:
Eating an orange
While making love
Will guarantee morenj-
Oyment thereof
5
So in a country of 330 million you think a 6 person focus group is scientifically selected to be statistically significant. Come on Gail, it is about as statistically significant as the comments about women in their 40s and 50s. Let's get real!
1
I do feel like singing!
On the first day of campaigning my columnist gave to me:
One Buttigieg,
Two ex-governors,
Five varied background females,
Six males not too far left,
and a Booker with a money tree!
2
@Steven Kurtz
Never Bernie, never, ever.
1
@AMM Unfortunately, it probably will be Bernie. The field is so large that he will likely pick them off one by one, simply by name recognition. Just like Trump did to the Republicans last time around. Which is sad, because he is the one Democrat most likely to lose to Trump in November.
@laolaohu
However, in 2016 I listened to a radio interview with Libertarian candidate and numerous callers said if it were Bernie they’d go Dem but couldn’t vote for Hillary! Just saying.
3
Got it!
A tongue-twisting name like Buttigieg
Doesn’t give Pete much of an edge
True, he’s young and he’s keen
Has a military mien
But on him all bets I must hedge
5
Elizabeth and Bernie stay where you are,
Cory, Kamala, and Kirsten
That’s a bridge too far.
Julian and the guy from South Bend
I just don’t think it’s right in 2020
If I want youth, Give me AOC in ‘28,
Of time she has plenty.
Inslee and Hickenlooper you’re nice guys but,
Are you really ready to get punched in the gut?
Amy could take it and dish it out too,
But for every red state win, she might lose a blue.
Say it ain’t so Joe,
though I do get the sell.
Get someone close to Obama, yes.
But my vote goes to Michelle!
2
Anyone would do better than what is now in the WH.
It really does not matter who will be at the top of the Democratic ticket in 2020.
The ONLY thing that is important is that if you support Democracy, you will vote for the candidates from the Democratic Party.
Nothing else matters.
3
Apparently I had not been paying attention; I did not realize until these letters that Larry Eisenberg had died. His limericks were insightful. His anecdotes were a brief antidote to the mess we are in.
4
What a fun way to say the hopeful gang
But if you are from New York
Then Work and Fork
Is no more than a clang
4
My answer is “A.” We need someone to reverse all the anti-Earth actions of the current administration.
3
You forgot Andrew Yang. Many words rhyme with him. Don't count him out.
2
So – you’ve spurned my ditty
Say it’s less than half-witty
I’ll turn that rejection
Into more than dejection
Will run for ombudsman
In next year’s election
As mayor of New York
Redistributing pork
Will plot my ascent
To atop your big tent
As Prez, I’d be good
Be one big happy ‘hood
As my polls would confirm
That I’d win a third term
22’s not a rule, 25’s for a fool
Outlive every justice, now that would be cool
(wanna see my iambic haiku???)
1
Sorry to say, but this is quantity over quality. When Obama declared I knew. My main reaction to these 11 is that there must be someone better out there.
2
Gail gets a couple of nice zingers in, but let's not lose sight of the gravity of the situation. There's much to do, and defeating Trump is a deadly serious matter. There's one very important task Democrats must attend to if they're to have any hope.
The key to winning in 2020 is coming up with a perfect derogatory moniker for Trump. Forget issues, forget policy...for the most part, we have little substantive exchange of ideas anyway. Americans are not a big fan of (so-called) experts--they're the dreaded and despised elite. On the other hand, Trump easily picked off his opponents one by one, just by calling them names...little Ted, low-energy Jeb, and of course, crooked Hillary. That's what stirs "passion". An ounce of "gut" beats 10 pounds of brain every time. Imagine a candidate avowing, or shall we say admitting, that he was an intellectual. Of course you're laughing--it's a joke.
I wish this comment was sarcastic. It's not.
"No matter how cynical you become, it's never enough to keep up".
1
@bobg
Whiny Donnie?
1
For all the'anyone but Hillary' nonsense, she is the only person who got more votes than Trump in the last election. She was and still is the most qualified candidate.
This time, even with Putin, Fox News, Bengazi, and Emails, the voters will be much harder to fool. The stakes are too high and too much has been lost.
She was and still is the best , most qualified candidate, now more than ever.There were many good people, believing Hillary would win, who remained on the sideline, not wishing to appear to interfere .There won't be anyone left on the sideline this time.
2
I remember McGovern. I even attended the convention and worked for him. Was rather young and dumb. Seems like we’ll be stuck with Trump and my Democrats have learned nothing in the intervening years.
1
The 1967 Age Discrimination in Employment Act doesn't mention what, exactly, is a job. And it doesn't suggest, anywhere, that the presidency of the U.S. should be considered as employment. Nothing about campaigning or golfing, either.
So why are so many Americans so eager to go on record -- even in The New York Times (in editorial and comments) -- as supporters of ageism? When any one of you wouldn't publicly hate a man for his race, or ethnicity, or national origin, why do you feel you may spit on him for being old?
How dare anyone use a phrase such as "the age issue" and think that it's not just as hateful as saying something like, "the Jewish question?"
1
My instincts tell me that Amy Klobuchar, a moderate, is the one best suited to beat President Missfit.
Some people say she is too tough on staff. Really? Would that be because SHE is a SHE? How about the guy in the Oval Office now? How's he doing with his staff?
2
Larry Eisenberg, we need you now.
We just do not have the know-how.
Can you message what you think
Of all our Dems throwing their hats in the rink?
Many "sisters" have come into view,
Kamala, Amy, and Beth to name a few.
Our people are young, middle-aged and..well..old,
I'm shooting for those less than 70, truth be told.
Lots of senators and a few governors, too.
Fine with me, 'cause any one will do.
Just think of the joy to behold
To send Trump out in the cold.
He's in trouble, you know.
His character hitting an all time low.
So let your memory keep us on our toes,
And may 2020 bring winning poems and prose.
4
Wait: “work” and “fork” rhyme?
Sheesh, I’ve been mispronuncing one of them for years.
1
I think I ask Krugman or Brooks about Soros, and knowing I am not anti semitic, am I incorrect that Soros profited of the "London whale" or the "Great Recession"? Was his thinking if you can't beat them join them? He (Soros) has huge ties with California democrats. I read an piece by Sherrod Brown and the terminology is loaded, eg., "communal." This is doctrine terminology.
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/jul/06/the-george-soros-philosophy-and-its-fatal-flaw
I liked the graph that The Times published a few days ago that
showed the steep and early rise in the cumulative count of declared candidates compared to previous presidential campaigns. Or, just think of the parade as a Vaudeville dog act (examples on YouTube).
South Bend mayor: by all odds, in my opinion, is the most thoughtful, well-spoken, and sensible (in terms of policies) politician I’ve heard in a long while. For a person closer to 80 than 75, I have to hope he has a long and successful career!!
2
I think that it's great the we'll have no shortages of Buttigiegs in the race.
2
Intergenerational Justice. That's actually the best argument I've heard in favor of Pete Buttigieg so far. I can't pronounce his name either though so I give him slim chances.
Let's be honest about the rest. Many of the Democratic candidates are single issue candidates or VP hopefuls. Jay Inslee is only in the race to get climate change on the platform. Julian Castro is advertising himself as the man who can deliver Florida. I have no idea what Tulsi Gabbard brings to the table aside from baggage but Obama is from Hawaii. I guess that's something.
By the way, I suspect Beto is sitting this one out. I think Obama scared him off the ticket. When asked whether Obama had encouraged him to run, Beto said no. However, Beto was never asked whether Obama discouraged him from running. The answer is probably yes. Obama has a bad habit of putting his thumb on the scale. Exhibit A: President Trump. Just saying.
Biden is probably going to enter even though he knows he shouldn't. Biden is about as hopeful as running Al Gore again. Sorry, the ship has sailed. Back to intergenerational justice, Biden hasn't got it. You'll lose one-third of the left leaning electorate if you run an old guard Democrat. Sanders is definitely old. Older than I'd like. However, he is not an old guard Democrats. There's an important difference.
Remember how people criticize Sanders for not being a Democrat. That's a feature, not a bug.
1
@Andy
Bidin's just bidin' his time,
'cause, as he would say,
"that's the kind of guy I'm."
I know it's hard to do,
with only 3.2 beer,
but we're all supposed
to be rhyming here.
3
@Andy
Why don’t we just say “Pete for Prez”. Also there are some homophobes who won’t like Buttigieg but I do!
1
It's too early. Wake me in November.
1
Watching the presidential candidates is like trying handicap next year's Kentucky Derby. We don't even know who this year's entrants are. Geez, let's give it a rest.
1
"It’s already March. Time to get into the rhyme."
Ah, it's columns like this that especially make me miss Dr. Larry Eisenberg, poet laureate of the NY Times comment section and author of over 13,000 comments.
I know I'm not the only one who wishes Larry was around to meet the challenge of fitting in Buttigieg into a limerick.
3
From Biden to Beto, almost anyone breathing will be preferable to Trump. I don't care about age or ideas. Just don't be a crazy, egotistical emotional baby!
2
Are nursery rhymes indoctrination? In any event, I remember Joe Biden speaking with the Ukrainian president stating that Ukraine needed to clean up its act for the United States to support their domestic policies.
It's difficult to talk policy when family trauma is, in my opinion, in that "in between" space, regarding conceptual blending and how we utilize AI.
I say this with compassion; it depletes my energy. It's stifling. And, I am not speaking about cigarette smoking. I would imagine some of us have come to terms with our sins with a small 's'. I think we are ready to move on. I am, speaking for myself.
It's obvious anyone that will not stick to the party narrative is excluded from events like Maria Shriver speaking at Mercyhurst University or Linda Greenhouse speaking at the Chautauqua Institution.
How was Trump elected? Common.
It’s high time for rhyme, to not sing – be a crime
Misdemeanors – their grime coats our bylaws with rime
Now there’s still much to slime, and so little time
#’020 just a meme till am next votin’ I’m
Should go from ridiculous to the sublime
Be less than a cover-up, more than a crime
So many contesting for steep polling climb
So many unready – or long past – for prime
Democrat Socialists spend my last dime
Lots more where those came from, they knowingly chime
GOP Pols say they’re cutting my taxes
But the things they most chain-sawed were deduction maxes
On Harris, on Sanders, on Booker and Biden
Klobuchar and Warren, less likable ridin’
Billionaires in or billionaires out
Their lucre’s no lever versus socialist rout
The good times may end – the Republic will bend
But it will not be broken, if the people have spoken
1
Rhymes with Boot-edge-edge:
Dredge, hedge, pledge, sledge and--not least--wedge.
Brilliant and wonderful as always and I love you Gail, but work does not rhyme with fork.
Spoiler alert - let the campaigning begin.
I really like Jay Inslee. See his introduction by Rachel Maddow, https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/gov-inslee-climate-change-is-a-true-national-emergency-1452119107923. While people categorize him as a one issue candidate, in reality he can build a whole country around that issue - jobs, health, economics - it all goes together, with, of course, joining the rest of the world on this important issue. And he even has a good record as a governor....
Gail, since you bypassed some last names:
For me, Mayor Pete
Is hard to beat.
1
"We will then instantly subtract the spiritual lecturer, the former tech executive and the guy-who-was-once-in-the-House."
In 1860 a certain fellow named Abraham Lincoln was a guy-who-was-once-in-the-House.
1
Gail, Gail, we know you want to run.
Grab Bret for Vice
And we'll really have some fun.
2
Gail, there's rhyme and then there's meter. The first you got; the second you ain't.
3
If you're gonna be president
we need to pronounce your name
be it Billy Sue or Betty Lang
With the office will come the fame
don't forget to bring your A game
On your every word we'll hang
We the People need someone to blame.
1
Gail,
Biden has draw backs, as you point out, but he is dignified and battle tested and he has the potential to unite the party behind him decisively.
Be humble. I recall well that you rallied behind Hillary Clinton early and often. And here we are.
2
Though it does give me hope for the future, I do wish that we wouldn't start our presidential election cycle so early. It seems like we are simply constantly dealing with people running for office and everything that entails.
6
Many of these candidates enumerate their qualifications to be President of the United States. How quaint. Don't they realize that this is irrelevant in 2020? The ONLY issue is whether they can beat Trump. Tell me about that instead!!
9
JFK used Ernest Hemingway's phrase "grace under pressure" in his book "Profiles in Courage," but now we have Trump who is "disgrace under pressure" every day he is in office.
Decades ago, I read a political science study that reported Americans tend to vote for a presidential candidate who has the opposite qualities of the current president. That is encouraging. Trump really is the very opposite of Obama, who had to use the executive order to protect the environment, because certainly Mitch McConnell and the entire GOP was against taking care of the environment for future generations.
The Republicans are also against quality, affordable health care for anyone but themselves, and, as Trump demonstrated, see nothing wrong with taking children away from their parents, putting them in cages, and then completely losing track of where these children are. The GOP solution to the refugee "problem."
Who stands against a clean environment, healthy citizens, well-educated children, quality roads, a livable wage, integrity and honesty, and has Trump, McConnell, & Sarah Sanders as its spokespersons? The Republicans, that's Who.
The GOP does not solve problems; it creates them for Democrats to fix. See the pattern?
So the question is: Which Democratic presidential candidate is a problem solver, a uniter, someone who cares, and is not mean and crazy?
Blue baseball hats with: Make America Decent--Again!
19
A rhythmic balance for Progressives in '20 would be words that rhyme with bankruptcy. For that is where the political philosophy has led.
1
@Jabin
"Tell a liberal he's wrong and he's liable to say something like, 'Well, you may have something in what you say, let me think about it.' You tell a conservative he's wrong, and he's liable to punch you in the nose." - Molly Ivins
4
@Cheryl
The good old white conservative men of the 50's lifted America out of debt. Where were women, then? Why we didn't stick with what was working?
I don't want to vote for anyone 70 and up.
I'm in my sixties.
7
I have only experienced one 5 year span with more mental and physical changes than 68-72, that was 12-17, Please Democrats, don't pick from the old, and oldest choices. The U.S. or the planet won't survive 4 more years of a Trump administration.
7
@Le Jeune
That's a pretty apt summary. And I have a feeling, tho' it's ahead yet that those 76 to 81 years might be equally surprising, and for certain, don't want to be faced with an over 80 candidate for a second term. So I really do not want anyone past 75 in the race. Not Biden, not Sanders.
Both Biden and the Democrats are in a bind. If Biden declines, it’s almost woe is me from a large fraction, maybe the majority, of the party. If he runs, the Democrats are going to worry about the age factor.
Bloomberg should jump back into the ring if Biden declines. In any case, Al Franken should get up off the floor and get back to at least the senate floor. In six years, Al’s back in the big race. Kristan Gillibrand, you may take your seat. You’ve done enough damage.
9
As we ponder all the DNC contenders
Lo! My hands wringing
Can our expansive choices deliver more than one type of winner?
Lest we forget about the Senate and the anti-democratic gerrymander.
Athena! I pray heavenly muse
Give us the choices that will not make us lose —
All.
4
We need the best person in this election for the democrats to win, otherwise this administrative nightmare will never end, most of us outside of DC don’t worry about race, sex, age and all other nonsense. We want the best individual who can represent us all and be a true American not a Russian or Middle East supporter
I am looking forward to listening to policy ideas creative thoughts looking to the future and moving the country forward not culture wars.
Right now (we have excluding maybe one or two candidates running on hot air )great candidates. If they don’t get the nomination they would be outstanding cabinet members. We can’t lose , Ready to work hard for the country on the first day. Governing in the fashion of President Obama and his brilliant administration. Unlike Trump they never put kids in cages or stole them from their parents.
We need to fight for the best candidate, register and take our friends ,strangers to the polls and vote . Stay on top of our game.
Till we right our ship of democracy there isn’t a great deal of joy while reading this piece, the candidates are going to be in the fight of there lives for our country and that is no joke . We may disagree with their policies but they have earned our respect for even wanting to run .
4
All the presidential candidates should focus on California. We’re the only state large enough to host them all without them tripping over each other.
1
Happiness.
When Don's gone.
8
The time to get passionate about your candidate is long before the primaries. Those people come up from somewhere, running for president isn't an instant thing, and that's when you VOLUNTEER and work to bring them to attention and office -- at the local and state levels. Go to your local precinct meetins and get involved. Once that day in November rolls around, you will have TWO CHOICES. Period. And I think we know better than to mark that space for another Republican.
Our Founders set this up to NOT be one of those self-driving vehicles -- it's all manually operated by We the People, the first three words in our founding document.
5
Now Jay Inslee has dived in , move over Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg , my two favorite.
Now I am inclined to vote for Jay Inslee in the primaries.
Now Jared is so very qualified in every avenue he touches, could he be another candidate ?
Of course no one have seen him talk, he just acts like a pretty boy.
4
Desire to douse the dumpster fire
is a candidate multiplier
but who can acquire
the skill to drain the quagmire
8
I think it finally occurred to Bloomberg that he couldn't buy the Democratic nomination for president the same way he bought the Republican one for mayor of NYC (he had been a Democrat before that but knew he had no chance of winning its primary so what else is a billionaire going to do.
But I have to say that the funniest thing in this campaign that I've heard was Bloomberg denouncing attempts at voter suppression. During his last mayoral campaign when he was running against a black candidate, he secretly gave money to hire people to challenge voters at the polls in predominantly black and Latino precincts. This only came out during the trial of an Independence Party official who had stolen much of the money. And, of course, he did donate money to Republicans state and nation wide who opposed gun control and reproductive rights.
Anyone under 65 will do for me. It's time for the next generation to take over. The baby boomers have created enough of a mess and need to go.
7
@AMM
Simplistic bumper-sticker “wisdom.”
5
You know who else hasn't absolutely, totally ruled himself out? Well, he did last year, but that was then, when he was running for reelection as govenor. In his latest interview with the Atlantic, and again on the radio, Andrew Cuomo is no longer saying God would strike him dead if he ran for president. Thats as good as an announcement of candidacy, in Cuomo world.
The millenials supported Bernie, so I don't think ageism for a male candidate is an issue. But if it's going to be Bernie, I think it would be wise for him to choose a female running mate from the mid-west and Amy fits the bill. She just needs to sterilize her combs before she eats with them.
2
How about Jared Kushner?
They say he hangs out with Democrats -- like Chelsea Clinton.
Plus, he already has his security clearance.
He would have to run against his father-in-law, though, which could be a bit awkward.
And where does he stand on Israel and Saudi Arabia?
I guess it might depend on whether they will pay upfront the entire payment for a 100-year lease for another Devil's Number skyscraper -- 666 Pennsylvania Avenue.
4
I was asked, "Are you upset that you can't find a job?" My answer is I am disappointed but I am not upset. What does upset me is that a family is in utter debt for a public or private education.
Since I can't afford either, I utilize what I can afford, I pay for my New York Times subscription.
1
Let’s not quit before we get to Buttigieg (Mayor Pete)! I’ve heard him interviewed a couple of times. Really smart and insightful. Nothing he said made me cringe. I can’t say that about any other Dem candidate, even good ole Bernie.
Charismatic would be great, but not cringeworthy counts for a lot!
6
Gail, you say Bloomberg's "departure came just after Fortune announced he was ranked the ninth-richest billionaire on the planet, which is 706 places higher than Donald Trump."
But, unlike Lying Trump, Bloomberg doesn't overstate his wealth and understate his liabilities. So to be accurate, if Fortune required Lying Trump to prove his assets then subtract what he owes to the Russian mafia, Lying Trump wouldn't even be a thousandaire, much less make the Fortune billionaire list.
Moving on, here's my rhyme....
The field of candidates running is a tad wide,
The nomination being the sought after prize.
Let's pick the one who will tan Donald's hide,
Forsooth, we are tired of his non-ending lies.
11
"Work" and "fork" don't rhyme. That needs to be made clear.
7
I think this is a so-called "visual rhyme," like the line "singin' in the rain. . .happy again." Of course, in Canada and Great Britain this actually rhymes. But Gail can claim poetic license here: "I'm wielding the pen," she might say, "so I say it rhymes." Ogden Nash was an extreme (and hilarious) exemplar of poetic license.
1
@Joe Mc
I cited Ogden Nash in my previous reply. He might have handled the work/fork non-rhyme this way (with a small spelling tweak):
If you can't make your chopsticks work,
Then eat your kung pao with a ferk.
2
I'll go with climate change being crucial, but just as important is showing how - beyond our planet's well-being - it will be tied to new jobs, renewed interest in education and a rekindled national spirit. Candidates have to clearly articulate the connections.
5
Don’t forget, scions of Larry, that now we bards are allowed to use Great American four-letter and other resonant vulgarities to add more punch to the uni-verse. Maybe we can have the Times even print such alongside the measured tweets of our lyrical Chief. I have heard Eisenberg is now partnered with Carlin on a parallel project. I’m off to a school bathroom to practice on the stall walls.
5
This is on topic, there was a wonderful article in Foreign Affairs written by Kenan Malik, regarding multiculturalism in contrast to Christine Lagrade's blog piece addressing multilateralism. I don't believe they are mutually exclusive. Addressing climate change has long been debated discussing GNP and GDP in macro and micro economics. Joe Stiglitz is one of many economists that mentions this in his book, The Price of Inequality.
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/western-europe/2019-02-18/failure-multiculturalism
2
Any of the mentioned candidates, plus the unmentioned republican who is running, would be better than what we have. Last week Trump denied, on Twitter of course, that he was just kidding about whatever it was that he wrote what he said or said what he wrote. How does one wink on twitter? We won’t ever know. In his world, he has plausible deniability with anything he says (writes) on Twitter. How can anyone (foreign of domestic) believe whatever he says since he often contradicts himself.
6
How is Andrew Yang not relevant to include. He is the only candidate talking about the enormous economic change we're experiencing because of automation and job loss. His signature issue is universal basic income, which is the most novel policy being presented by anyone.
He at least has a lane as a unique candidate, unlike someone like Gabbard or Castro who've basically gained no traction since announcing, and don't seem headed in any direction. Meanwhile, Yang had added donations at a record pace this month.
4
@Dr. J
Agreed, I heard him on a Joe Rogan podcast, and he impressed me. What he is saying is relevant, crucial and deserving of a wider audience. I think he will wind up being a wild card in the race.
1
@Dr. J
I agree!
The list don't mean a thang if it ain't got that Yang.
8
America is a centrist country overall and even if we were to elect a very left of center Democrat president and congress in 2020 as a well-deserved repudiation of Trumpism, we will have the usual loss in the midterms. We need centralist policies and those who are articulate enough to educate Americans that Social Security and Medicare are "socialist" programs that people want. Most Americans believe in science. Most want abortion rights protected. Most understand that roads and bridges need to be repaired. Many know that the Republican tax overhaul was a sham and gift to the ultra wealthy. I am glad that women are in the race and the presence of Gillibrand reminds us that they can be as shallow as any man. And age brings experience and knowledge. AOC will someday be a brilliant AND experienced NY Senator. But today I want the Democrats to celebrate and perfect the big tent politics of centralism.
17
@Linda Jean The American ruling oligarchy and their stenographers in the Acela Village are the only centrists these days. Unfortunately for the rest of us, they are they only ones that have any say in how we are governed in the land of money is speech, corporations are people and dark money is the most sacred speech of all.
6
@Linda Jean While those programs and issues you mention are indeed what the majority of Americans want (75% want Roe maintained, for instance), they are not LEFT or LIBERAL or any of those other words that get thrown around. They're what the majority want, period. Stop separating us with labels and start talking about the issues. With the exception of the usual 34-40% of any large population that are borderline radicals, religious or whatever, the rest of us want the same or similar things.
3
@Linda Jean
A "centrist" country? I'm not sure what election results you've been looking at but four of our last six presidents have been Republicans and their party has moved so far right that Barry Goldwater who, when he ran in 1964, was considered to be on the extreme fringes of the right wing today would be too liberal to even be a Republican (he supported reproductive and gay rights).
Somehow the Dems are always being told they need to be more centrist to succeed while the Republicans have been successful moving further and further to the right.
6
Thanks for reminding us about Margaret Chase Smith’s defense of her age as a presidential contender. I feel that ages 48-58 are ideal for a president of either gender. The problem is only one person can have the job at one time and the incumbents generally reign for 8 years. This means each person has only one shot in the ideal age window and there are many over-70s seeking the job. One solution is to open Speaker of the House, and the four party leaders In congress to be elected nationally. This gives more talent a chance for national prominence. People like Pete Buttigieg could be viable candidates for some post now instead of never. Why should only the people of Kentucky elect a man with the power to decide on whether the senate takes up a president’s Supreme Court nominee?
8
@Jay Herson
We can't even get rid of the electoral college so one can't become president while losing the popular vote.
The Democrats are hopeful,
Of candidates they have a plethora,
Time to dance a hora,
And consign the losers to Gomorrah.
8
@Stephen Kurtz
There once was a Donald named Trump
whose brain was a cold lifeless lump
he ranted and raved
and still misbehaved
and Trump was consigned to the dump
-------
Trump autocrat is
election opens the door
democracy lives
I fear a number of commenters are falling into “The Trap” unless when they say who they would or wouldn’t vote for they mean the Democratic Primary exclusively. That’s fine. But remember when the Primary is done and the Democratic Party settles on a nominee that’s the one you vote for. You don’t vote for unelectable third party candidates; you don’t stay home in pique. You vote for the Democrat!
Don’t contribute to the mistakes made in 2016.
ANYBODY BUT TRUMP!
106
@William Flynn
I'm with you. I would prefer x over y, but there'll be no questioning who to go for before, probably with help, and certainly in the booth, but for the candidate for the Democratic Party. No other possible way to move us from the terrible person hoisted upon the country but to do so.
15
@William Flynn Eugene Debs said it best, "I'd rather vote for something I want and not get it than vote for something I don't want, and get it."
I'll vote for what I want, not what the DNC wants.
1
@William Flynn Yes, but the Democratic Party does not select the candidate. We voters do, in the primary.
5
I'm for bringing back the clown car meme, and will be using it in my comments for the next year. It never too early to bring up Elizabeth's indigenous background, Corey's Spartacus moment, Kamala's stint as a DA, Bernie's breadlines, or Amy's comb. As for the rest, opposition research will certainly turn up equally amusing anecdotes.
I'm excited about Hickenlooper myself. He and Bret can get together over a couple of brews.
4
Geezer here, over 70 by far,
Can't afford an electric car,
Not looking to vote for a movie star,
Just someone like FDR.
125
@Ellen
86 yr old here and I would cheerfully vote for someone like Truman.
Seems our generation had far better choices IMO.
18
@Sajwert
Ah, Truman. Remember his walks, Bess, Margaret the piano player. Back then, politicians didn't have to try to do the right thing by "the people" while being so much in the pockets of corporations and the 1% - corruption by Citizens United. Not that there weren't "special interests" - but not like this.
11
@Ellen you win!
4
Really missing Larry Eisenberg now.
116
yes!
politics was much less scary
with brilliant, simple-rhymin' Larry!
7
CTMD: Well, he too, would frequently make a mess of limerick rhythm and rhyme, but sometimes get it right. And his heart/humor were clearly in the right place. This is a new format for Ms. Collins. Give her some time.
5
@CTMD thought the same thing.
1
The melancholy and nostalgia, for myself, is knowing that great thinkers, such as Christine Lagarde, Angela Merkel, and other European women that have shaped foreign and domestic policy are retiring. We have so much to learn. I just don't want to stop learning. Thank you for an education.
https://blogs.imf.org/bloggers/christine-lagarde/
10
It's heartening to see so many responses to this column invoking the brilliant Dr. Eisenberg, or channeling their own "inner Larry."
54
I want to remind the youngsters who are running on the left edge of the Democratic party, some who were in high school school in 1972: George McGovern. The DNC let itself get swept up in the enriched air of the idealistic left and nominated a guy who won only his own state in the race against Nixon. We already knew Watergate had been broken into. We already knew Nixon had no "Plan" to get us out of Vietnam. We knew Nixon had his Machiavellian Kissinger advising him. Will someone please tell these kids that their ideals and idealism are great, but they should stay in their Senate or House seats for another term or two and grow up before trying again? They are no match for Trump's campaign techniques, no matter how much people say they will not vote for him again; they are lying to the pollsters out of shame. They will vote for Trump or a 3rd party (thus for Trump). Russia will interfere again, as they have suffered no consequences for interfering last time. And, sorry to say it, but I do not think the US electorate will vote for anyone who is not a white man. We can moan and complain, and nominate an unelectable brilliant honest and overqualified minority, or we can nominate a brilliant honest and and overqualified electable man. Right now the stakes are too high to be making another "statement" nomination. We need a winner. We need a man who can channel JFK or LBJ. And whoever it is, MUST hire Obama's statisticians, and mount a precinct by precinct get out the vote campaign.
61
@Patricia J Thomas
I remember the 1972 election differently.
George McGovern was the Democratic candidate left standing after Nixon's men took out the candidate they feared most: Edmund Muskie.
Muskie's wife got smeared by Nixon's operatives. Ed Muskie was outraged at the attack which led him to publicly shed tears in anger. After that, the take on Muskie was that he was too weak to be trusted with national defense.
After all 'how can we trust a man with his finger on the nuclear trigger who cries?' Muskie was out and McGovern stepped up.
Now attacking spouses wasn't really considered fair play, but from what we know about Nixon, winning is everything. Republican Party election rot goes back decades.
So if McGovern was a "statement" nomination, his candidacy was more of a statement about Republican dirty politics. Oh, and every time I see a Republican cry, and they are legion, I think of Ed Muskie.
34
@JD Ripper
McGovern was also smeared by Nixon's dirty tricks (which included the Watergate break-in - but hey at least Nixon used people from the United States to burglarize the DNC headquarters instead of Russians)...
McGovern is actually a case of how low Republicans are willing to go when it comes to smearing someone.
McGovern was a World War II decorated hero, he led a campaign for hunger relief all over the world and here in the US was an advocate for labor rights, focusing on the rights of coal-minders.
If that's what is "leftist" I'll take it. In fact, I'll embrace that whole-heartedly as very admirable core values for the Democratic Party.
And you Republicans can have Trump, Pence, and his cesspool of an administration as your 2020 - mainly because if he gets another 4 years the statute of limitations on some of the felonies he'll get indicted for might run out.
We'll see how that goes.
9
@JD Ripper
I have always leaned Democratic, but in 1972 I thought McGovern was a weak presidential candidate and Nixon, despite his very questionable politics over had in fact been a decent president.
However, Watergate was unresolved and was smelling like the worst of Nixon, so I did then vote for McGovern. And that was BEFORE I really understood what Nixon had done with the Vietnam war, which was basically treasonous.
3
In Time to say thank you for a fine Rhyme, with a note of congratulations for leaving out a tiring name, while bringing to mind the Limericks of Larry Eisenberg.
Joining in adding that I felt regret that Michael Bloomberg has decided not to throw his hat in the ring, and appreciate his letting us know sooner this decision on his part.
Setting aside the Ides of March, two young friends busy at school were prompted for their views on the current president, and he is no Mister Rogers. Children have a knack for knowing when things are out of whack, and are able to enjoy Disneyland too, while showing caution when taking a roller-coaster ride.
Before reading this verse, received a reminder that only one donation away, and a mug is coming this way from The Republican Party organizers, with a mug-shot to make it look less bland to this March Hare.
The weather in this part of the woods is sunny, cold and icy as of now, and careful while driving on the road. Who are these candidates running for the Big Race? What happened to John Delaney? Some of the above names are reminiscent of Mark Twain on a river raft.
If Americans are in need of a mascot at the White House, Mr. Moliere, an industrious mole in a groomed suit, skilled at building tunnels in the darkest of places and digging up dirt, is ready, willing and fit to help the Nation in its endeavors to wake up the Dormouse, whose head remains plunged in his big tea-cup.
Joe Biden will show in time to get into the rhyme.
5
Buttigieg - we're going to have to call him 'Pete.'
Youth is always a nice pitch, but often it ends up with people realizing how very complex this job is & how very dangerous the world is, then going for a bit more experience.
I realize that the bar is currently so low that a wiener dog could easily clear it, but the current chaos will likely make a bit of more mature gravitas and experience look very appealing.
12
I wish Pete Buttigieg had more of a chance, and more of a resume. He'd make a fine candidate for Senate, but he just doesn't come across as ready for presidential prime time.
That said, he's likely the most articulate, interesting, and well-read of the bunch.
I'm keeping an open mind because there are so many candidates (and so many stumbles) before us. In keeping with the endless campaign we always face, we're already getting sucked in.
The Democratic field is a bit thin on charisma. Trump has charisma, if you call a phony populist with a big mouth and no qualms about opening it. It's a pretty sorry state of affairs when you read the president has to run and win to stay out of jail.
So far, Dems in the pack don't seem to have crimes in their past.
Just wait. I'm sure well-funded GOP oppo research teams are on a mission to either find out, or find something they can turn into scandal.
93
I love your work! But 99% of Americans are struggling to keep their heads above water, literally and figuratively speaking for those who have been flooded out of their homes by Mother Nature. Our middle class and veterans provide a human carpet of homeless in the states like California, the medical industry has the power to kill us through pharmaceuticals. Hospitals evict patients before they heal or just kill them off because insurance refuses to pay, for 4 years Flint Michigan still lacks potable water, etc., etc, etc.
If the media, controlled by the corporate blueprint which is killing Americans every moment, believes that we have time to read every detail about politics from now until November 2020, then they are disconnected with the truth and writing to the 1%.
29
@MF. I feel your frustration, but one of the reasons that our country and the middle class are in this mess is that people blindly follow FOX without taking 5 minutes to think through the issues, use logic, or google a non-partisan source. Too many people, especially Republicans, vote against their interests without even knowing it and the result is the nightmare occupying the White House.
97
@J.
That's why we need a new Great Awakening in Red country. Proselytize morality. Bring back democracy. Tell 'em Jesus was a democrat.
Hallelujah and amen.
3
@J.
Dear J.
The demise of our country began full fledged during the Reagan years.
D.T. did not win. Congress never abolished the electoral law.
Critical thinking skills were extinguished in the public school curriculums during George W. Bush's presidency. ( I was a public teacher)
TV news is controlled by corporations, sole interest? Profits. But, glad to hear that you are practicing critical thinking skills.
4
Gee, Gail, what rhymes with: "More governors make it to the Oval Office than Senators", or "Will Americans vote for a snap-back candidate as the pendulum swings back", or "Will Weasel 45* dump Pence for Pompeo" ?
15
The Pod Save America podcast with Pete Boutigieg was eye opening. So articulate, humble, willing to take on the hard issues and able to frame them in a way we can all get behind.
And there's a little surprise in his candidacy, not mentioned much yet. It will drive the Repubs crazy. ;-)
58
@Colleen Adl
Heard the podcast with Pete Boutigieg too. I agree with your assessment. Not often can I listen to a candidate and be left wanting to listen to more.
11
It is way to early to pay attention to any of the 47 people who say they are running for president as a Democrat. I am, however, interested in who will Attorney General of New York on January 17, 2021, because that will be the day the real fun will begin for to-be former President Trump,
83
"Excuse me, who is Jay Inslee again?"
In March 1991, twenty months before the 1992 election, how many people had heard of Bill Clinton?
40
I don’t live in New York, don’t watch reality tv, and don’t read People magazine, so I hadn’t known about trump before he entered the race. Too bad I learned too much, too soon.
I think the dream ticket would be Joe Kennedy for President/ Robert Beto O'Rourke for Vice-President. They would be resistant to conservative backlash in the lower races so the election would be a top-to-bottom blow out of the Republican Party. A new generation of Americans are stepping forward to answer the leadership call of democracy - the rest of us older citizens should encourage them.
12
"...the most dramatic thing [O'Rourke's] done lately was to show up for a Metallica concert. It is possible to be too cool to rule."
Metallica is cool? What is cool about geriatric heavy metal?
At 68 yrs old I don't know, or much care, about what is cool these days, but i wager it isn't Metallica.
Full disclosure; the standard of cool is Miles Davis, followed close behind by Pat Metheny.
28
@Ralph Averill
Cool to people like me would be Fleetwood Mac or maybe Dire Straits with their "Sultans of Swing." I'm 75 and I remember Fleetwood Mac's songs from the mid 70s. It would not be "Metallica."
6
@tom boyd Steely Dan (The Donald Fagen Band, as it were) and Pink Floyd are STILL, after all these years, totally cool.
7
@tom boyd
Yes I agree if you mean Fleetwood Mac's Kiln House, Futures Games, and no further than Bare Trees. After that, not cool.
RIP Danny Kirwin. You are missed.
As for Dire Straits, Sultans of Swing was way cool.
3
Thanks for your wrap-up of the current field, which helped me do some serious thinking about the candidates. Well, it did.
I find that there's not a single anybody-but candidate among the eleven. Of course, that may change as I learn more about them. I've already learned a bit too much about a couple, but it hasn't caused me to shut the door on them completely.
A couple of people I'd like to start following, probably with a longer view than this election cycle but not necessarily so, are Tulsi Gabbard and Pete Buttigieg.
That was serious. Now, as far as names are concerned, we need to recognize that John Hickenlooper must sooner or later come to grips with the lapel-button issue.
Kirsten Gillibrand's name requires study, though it's not hard to say once you know your way around it. In contrast, I found that I had hit on the correct pronunciation of "Klobuchar" in one try. With "Kamala", you just need to know which syllable to stress and all is well.
But then, as you say, there's Pete Buttigieg's name. (I'm touch-typing this without slowing down, if I do say so myself.) His last name is going to be a problem at rallies when somebody wants to start up a chant. However, his first name is campaign gold. As far as I can see, he's among the front runners when it comes to writing a catchy slogan along the lines of "I like Ike" or "All the way with LBJ." But of course you're 'way ahead of me. After all, "You can't beat Pete" practically writes itself.
39
@Longestaffe
"Now, as far as names are concerned, we need to recognize that John Hickenlooper must sooner or later come to grips with the lapel-button issue."
"Dwight D. Eisenhower" has more syllables than "John Hickenlooper."
DDE's pin said "I like Ike."
JH might choose "I pIck Hick."
4
Don't make fun of Jay (Inslee). He's done a perfectly decent job here (and WA is politically two states separated by the Cascade Mountains (except Lewis Counties and Walla Walla Counties need to swap places so that west is Blue and east is Red) so he's used to dealing with that kind of divide. Plus we here in the upper west corner of the Lower 48 (both sides of the divide) have experienced the effects of climate change for most of the 21st century so red or blue, east or west, we should all support taking action. Still some folks think that they should not feel some of the pain we all will need to pay to ensure that the damage out children and grandchildren (and onward) experience is minimized.
Plus you gotta give Jay credit for announcing it at A&R Solar, the folks who put in my 3.9 KW solar panels in 2012 as part of Solarize NE Seattle (and did a fabulous job of it). A shout out to Andy and Reeves for making the company a Certified B Corporation too.
48
Poor Melania. There she waits, desperately hoping for liberation in 2020. And yet the Democrats seem determined to repeat the George McGovern candidacy.
One of the lessons of the 2016 race is that America probably isn't ready for a female President. So of course the Democrats are running 6 females. Then there is the unmarried Cory Booker and some dude with a name nobody can pronounce.
As a former governor Inslee could be a serious candidate, but he wants to build his candidacy on an issue that regularly polls at the bottom of America's list of concerns. He's probably trying to suck up to Tom Steyer.
Bernie is a socialist, but at least he had the courage to run against Hillary in 2016. Hickenlooper is the best of the bunch, but he isn't extreme enough for the modern Democratic party.
Biden polls better than any of the declared candidates, but he has a reputation as a walking gaffe machine. Meanwhile, the real leader of the Democratic party is a social media addicted socialist from a far left wing New York city district.
If I was Melania, I would be very depressed right now.
23
@Schrodinger
On the other hand, every single one of the candidates is
— more competent to run the United States than the current occupant of the White House,
—knows and respects the Constitution,
—can both propose and explain policy, and
—does not require a phalanx of fact checkers every time he or she speaks, and
—will not be subject to countless investigations into criminal activity, including possible conspiracy with foreign powers/or vulnerability to blackmail by those powers because of financial and other misdeeds
—doesn't leave his or her umbrella behind for someone else to deal with.
So there's that.
175
@Schrodinger I voted for McGovern in that '72 election, but hey guess what? Things have changed a LOT since then, and anything that happened back in those days can basically not be applied to now. We're not the same demographic and thinking has evolved by light years, especially in the younger generations. Younger than 70, at least.
1
@Schrodinger Why should Melania be depressed all of the sudden. She has not been so far, since the day she attached herself to Donald Trumps monies. This lovely lady will be fine.
1
"But if you’ve got over $55 billion there are probably more fun things to do over the next year than introducing yourself to every person in Iowa."
That's a problem. The only sort of candidate we'll get out is someone who DOES think the most fun thing to do is to meet every person in Iowa. More likely, who will do anything for ambition, and pretend whatever they have got to do to serve that outsize ambition is all they ever wanted in life.
It even has a name, "fire in the belly." We can only get someone who has real character defects, just to be there.
Teddy Roosevelt campaigned from his front porch. So did all the Presidents before him, and some after.
Our present methods are a choice, and not the only choice we've ever made on this subject. Nor the best choice we've ever made on this subject.
24
@Mark Thomason Indeed. What it takes to GET the job is the opposite of what it takes to DO the job.
2
"Amy’s the one who used her comb for a fork."
Sen. Amy Klobuchar once ate a salad with a comb, then made the staffer who lost her fork wipe it off.
This has bothered me since it was published. Was this a clean comb? A new one? Or was a comb that had been used? That last option makes me sick just to think about it.
Personally, I would have a hard time supporting anybody who could not eat under emergency circumstances with one's fingers. What she did smacks of a rigidity that does not portend well for creative (I would suggest reading the biblical Book of Judges 7:5-7 on reacting creatively ) leadership.
32
@Joshua Schwartz
Gotta disagree with you here. The use of the comb as an eating utensil strikes me as a very creative solution. I probably wouldn't have thought of it. Your obsessive contemplation of the cleanliness of said comb strikes me as more your problem than the Senators. And her treatment of her staff, and their reaction to it, is an entirely separate issue.
4
@Joshua Schwartz: Klobuchar was on a plane. Now....one cannot tell me that on a commercial airplane, there couldn't be found one fork in the galley.
It breaks my heart about Amy. She was my only choice for over a year now. But I don't want another humiliating, demeaning, angry, bullying, shaming/blaming person sitting in our White House even if she has ovaries and not testes.
Never again.
5
@Joshua Schwartz
Funny where our minds go when we hear stories "in need of a visual." I wondered if she used the teeth as tines, used the flat edge as one would a spoon, or held the salad to her face and just shoveled it in?
5
I agree with the commenter below noting the outsized influence of Iowa and NH. It has been made very clear that there are a few states that are critical to this election, primarily in the rust belt. Wouldn't it make sense for those states to have the most influence in determining who the candidate is for the Democrats?
The way the electoral college is set up, they are all that really matters - as a Democrat in NY, my vote is useless - as Hillary learned, there are no moral victories for winning the popular vote.
91
@NYC BD
If Iowa and NH had a baby, it would be something like most Rust Belt states (other than the bigger cities, but these are heavily D anyway so neither party fights too hard).
The problem with an actual Rust Belt state is they are very large and would require a lot of resources to campaign in - far more than IA and NH. This would really limit who could run, and how much running would detract from their duties as a Senator, Governor or scammer.
15
I'm kinda burned out on politics, and at this point just know who I will not vote for. And I'll go with:
"A) Climate change is crucial, and you cannot bring it up too much."
Because there is no post-environment economy, or anything else either. Whatever we can do to mitigate, prepare for and adapt to climate change. I couldn't look grandson in the eye otherwise...
270
The pertinent question, however, is who the GOP candidate will be. Surely Trump cannot make it another 2 years without resigning and getting a pardon from Pence. Then he can fly to a country with no extradition to avoid the SDNY problems. Perhaps Russia?
71
@Kate Parina.
If Trump resigned, the SDNY would pounce on him with handcuffs. He wants to be re-elected to escape that fate for four more years.
5
@Kate Parina - Russia for summers, Saudi Arabia
in the winter. Vlad and MBS will welcome their BFF.
5
Putin will have no use for Trump once Trump is no longer President.
8
So far the Democrats have a very good group of candidates running for the presidential nomination. To my knowledge every one of them wants to make America a better country for all of us — not just the wealthiest few. They are all morally superior and better qualified than our current president. I look forward to the debates. May the best one win the nomination and become #46!
293
@Jeff What?
"They are all morally superior and better qualified than our current president."
Jeff the dog catcher in my neighborhood is morally superior and better qualified than our current president. The democrats are moral giants and are all people of great accomplishments. Of course they are better qualified than Trump the moral weakling with six bankruptcies to his name!
4
The most (darkly) humorous thing about the US Presidential primaries is the prominence of little Iowa.
Candidates are forced to eat pork chops on a stick to celebrate the status of Iowa as a top recipient of Federal subsidies, in spite of Joni Ernst, who cited her background in castrating pigs as a way to change Washington from her US Senate seat.
And who can forget Iowa Rep Steve King, the head of the racist caucus in the US House, the only role left after he was removed from other Committee assignments for his "views". His District remains solidly behind him.
The idea that Iowa and New Hampshire should have such a prominent role in winnowing the Presidential candidate pool is being challenged by states moving their primaries forward.
The State of Washington, home of Gov Jay Inslee, will move its 2020 primary to March, as befitting a state that is a net contributor to Federal revenues, an export trade powerhouse and far more diversified economy than say, Iowa or New Hampshire.
Other populous states are also moving their primaries up, which will change the nature of the primary season, in a way that doesn't favor the best bankrolled candidates going in.
And then there is a possibility that the Electoral College will be neutered, without Joni's help, by the National Popular Vote initiative.
Then national elections would be national instead of being decided in Ohio. Nothing against Iowa and Ohok, except for their outsized roles.
233
But moving the primaries up makes the campaign even longer. And isn’t it long enough already?
6
This Iowan would be delighted not to have candidates and media descending on us every four years, encouraging ridiculous stereotypes about the state and its residents. If I see one more reporter standing in a cornfield, one more shot of a silo and a grain elevator, one more interview in a run-down Pizza Ranch, I'm going to choke on my porkchop on a stick.
15
@Look Ahead
Ah, but you forget Flawduh, who's doing all it can to lead the pack! We should do so, inasmuch as we have the second place (just behind Texas) for producing the dumbest politicians this side of Venezuela.
16
Why are we instantly removing the former tech executive (Andrew Yang) from the list? He speaks more sensibly than the politicians on so many points, and if Trump taught us anything, it’s that Americans are not happy with politics as usual (even what used to be usual).
16
@Jay Moody
I respectfully disagree.
If Individual-1 has taught us anything, it is the value of having a President who actually KNOWS how to govern, and adheres to his/her oath to "Preserve, Protect, and Defend the Constitution." Not a rank, contemptuous, amateur, who also happens to be a criminal.
3
The Democrats need a name to put the man at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue on the street. I don't see a lot of name in these candidates yet, except for Bernie Sanders.
11
@Stephen Kurtz
I'd vote for almost anyone on that list except Sanders. I'd prefer candidates no older than 60, and if it was going to be someone older it wouldn't be Sanders.
89
@Stephen Kurtz - Sanders is not a Democrat.
41
@jahnay
I would venture to say that Bernie is more of a Democrat then most on the list. He is an FDR Democrat, a Civil Rights fighter and believes in leveling the playing field. These are the ideals that Democrats have supported in the past and need to support now. Only he and Warren appear to speak openly and honestly about the issues that are worth our votes.
13
I’ll take anyone, a he or a she,
Or some other gender identity.
Or whether they’re young
Or withered and old,
Or staunch independent
Or does what they’re told.
(There’s just one exception:
Kirsten, that dope,
For railroading Franken,
She won’t get my vote.)
But anyone breathing
Can’t be worse than the tool
Who squats on the throne
And acts like a fool.
So bring on a Democrat
In any condition
And send the Republicans
Straight to perdition.
886
@gemli
Well this is new -- and much appreciated!
And I'm feeling a bit of the spirit of Larry Eisenberg...
189
@MDF Me too. Miss his genius very much.
Thank you gemli that was great. I agree with you 100%.
105
@gemli. I agree with you on Kirsten. We are in the majority and can only lose when we let the Republicans divide and conquer us or we eat our own. And they will be doing a lot of encouraging this over the next 2 years. We've seen the results of playing to our sense of principal and self-righteousness over winning; promoting purity tests. We can expect false witnesses, false accusations and all-out attacks on all of our front-runners. We need to be ready.
56
While I appreciate Gail's lighter take on the Democratic race, she did touch on two very significant issues... ageism and sexism. The fact that some would say that a female over 60 is too old but make no mention of age for the men shows that there is still a long way to go for some to accept a female president. At this point I don't have an absolute favorite but am leaning towards Klobuchar. Although her name isn't as much fun as Hickenlooper, I like most of what I have seen from her (salad eating aside). We have watched her in MN for the last dozen years and she has been very effective. She is not out on the left limb, but is certainly a progressive in most senses of the word. She is more pragmatic, thinking along the lines of what can actually get done, rather than just touting the idealistic. I was young and idealistic once but have learned as I aged that sometimes it pays to take what you can get, just to get the momentum in your direction. Then you can keep moving in the correct direction.
177
@BigFootMN: Amy Klobuchar was my first choice for over a year now. But I have looked into the stories about her poor choices around her staff. And those stories have gone on since her prosecutorial duties, under the radar. But now she's stepped into the spotlight and it doesn't look good for her. We don't need another bully in the White House, even if she does has the exterior of 'nice'.
I can't tell you how disappointed I am that this is so. I don't know who I think can beat Trump. But I know, now, it's not Amy. Now he'd make mincemeat of her because of this.
27
@sophia
I disagree. I think Amy could get down in the mud with Trump. It's not what I'd like to see, but the country would get another dose of their Reality TV fix. Our superficial society has reduced everything to entertainment. Too bad.
6
@sophia We know that Kaptain Kaos will attack anyone who runs against him, because that is all he knows. Yes, Amy has been tough on her aides. But so have most people that have gotten to the top. K.K. has been so tough that he fires them. I think with her history as a prosecutor she is able to handle what comes her way. But she doesn't have the 'it' factor that some of the candidates have, so it will affect her name recognition. She will do well in Iowa, but that is only a small part of the process. And yes, I am biased, since she grew up in our neighborhood.
5