The ice box for every American suggestion for a Biden campaign slogan was clever. Calling the fridge an ice box implies that one is about a hundred years old.
2
Whatever. What really matters is that we have to get rid of Trump before he gets rid of us. I fear that his mocking by Europe may make him do something really stupid, like ending food stamps and Social Security. This person is mentally unstable. Let's keep his finger away from the red button.
3
Unlike Warren with all the plans, Kamala Harris backed every plan and no plan. She shimmied from one side to the other to please everyone. She should stick to the Senate and prepare for the next time and by then she should be able to articulate what she will do for the country instead of just wanting to be President.
Quick what's the similarity and the difference between Trump and Bloomberg? Both want to keep their money and add some more to it. They both dislike onerous taxes. The main difference is Trump is Putin's puppet and Bloomberg is not. Did I leave anything out?
Bloomberg is a formidable candidate. Let's see more about him Gail. Personality doesn't count anymore, leadership does.
I cringe when I read that a Harris fan blames her withdrawal on her race or lack of funds. I have NO problem with a woman president, I have NO problem with a black woman president, but I just didn't find Harris to have a presidential temperament. She is a prosecutor, and that ability always signified to me that she would be a great AG.
Now, if only Michelle Obama had been running . . . ;-)
Depressing!
I still maintain that Mike Bloomberg was the best lead guitarist the Paul Butterfield Blues Band ever had.
Ouch! And Bravo. Never let anybody say that you’re “antiTrump all the time.” Mocking that poor dude who walked New Hampshire...I would love to do that! While seeking no political office! Great column.
I count 16 (at present, 9:42 p.m. PST, Wed 12/4/19):
1. Elizabeth Warren MA declared 12/31/18
2. Tulsi Gabbard HI declared 1/11/19
3. Julián Castro TX declared 1/12/19 (Stanford ’96)
4. Pete Buttigieg IN declared 1/23/19
5. Cory Booker NJ declared 2/1/19 (Stanford ’91)
6. Amy Klobuchar MN declared 2/10/19
7. Marianne Williamson declared 2/10/19
8. Bernie Sanders VT declared 2/19/19
9. John Delaney MD declared
10. Andrew Yang (NY) declared
11. Wayne Messam FL added 4/8/19 (per NYTimes)
12. Joseph Biden (DE) declared 4/25/19
13. Michael Bennet CO declared 5/2/19
14. Tom Steyer (CA) declared 7/9/19
15. Deval Patrick (MA) declared 11/14/19
16. Michael Bloomberg (NY) declared 11/24/19
Bloomberg is the only option at this point. All the other candidacies are completely sullied by this impeachment inquiry. They are not even worthy of local news, because Congress did not even believe in them enough not to think it was worth it to try something that had a 0% chance at success, even though it would destroy all of their campaigns. Not that they are the only one's to blame, as each of the candidates outside of Gabbert jumped on the bandwagon and showed a total lack of leadership in leading a parade to a plan that was always doomed. We do not need to be led by hedonists who sacrifice the future to feel that satisfaction of righteousness in any given moment. All the pre-impeachment candidates showed themselves to be bums, stiffs, without a backbone. They could not stand up to the feelings of a loud cohert of idiots, despite obvious signs that that loud cohort of fools was leading them to certain defeat. We are supposed to choose leaders and you want us to choose from these herd-jumping suit-wearing clowns? Give me a break.
Bloomberg is the only choice. He shows leadership. He takes hits from the herds of idiots when it is necessary to reach his objectives. He does not cave, like EACH of these other so-called leaders He is smart. He is not on a crusade to promote his own self-righteousness. He is not trying to be a symbol. He is a LEADER. The one we need, and the only one who can beat Trump. Everyone else should drop out and stop humiliating the party
"No Malarkey." Jeez, I guess this IS real. What, did Shufflin' Joe wander on down to Allen's Alley and ask Fibber McGee's advice for a snappy campaign slogan?
And is there anyone out there old enough to even understand what I'm referring to here?
This is dire. Democrats are constipating my brain.
We will never have the best candidates for President until Congress and the courts eliminate Citizens United and makes Public Financing of all elections mandatory. Today it's all about the money and billionaires in one form or another. And, it limits the people who can run and represent each party. In other words, the system is completely screwed up and dominated by big money.
2
Not only “at least 46.9 million of whom think they’d do a better job than Donald Trump”, the vast majority of them ACTUALLY WOULD do a better job. How many would be worse white supremacists, narcissists, liars, cheats, bullies, and tax evaders — all at the same time?
2
Can we throw Tulsi under the No Malarkey bus?
2
Great column, but can you really knock Biden for using “malarkey” when you comment on Bloomberg’s “pin money?”
1
Dagnabbit, there's nothing wrong with the word malarkey!
1
Gail, we need you to toss your own hat in the ring.
As a candidate, you have more credibility and appeal than anyone currently running. As president, you most likely do a better job than anyone in recent memory, and NATO leaders would be laughing with you instead of at you.
It wold punch all of Trump's buttons: smart woman from The Times, who actually founded and ran a successful business, and who can pierce his pomposity at will.
The primary votes that would have gone to Harris will go to
somebody else. This will happen for each subsequent dropout.
The way those votes distribute themselves will be visible
to savvy pollsters using sophisticated statistics and will amplify
the power to predict the final winner in each relevant
jurisdiction. Those private polls will not likely be made public.
The Democratic party should have created a primary system that features the voting majority, not states and convention delegates. In an age of voter suppression, gerrymandering, the electoral collage, and election tampering by the rich and powerful from anywhere on earth, the Democratic party should be exciting the public by doing the most democratic primary possible.
1
Ernest Shackleton, the famous Arctic explorer is said to have placed an ad in the London Times on December 29, 1913 seeking men to join him on an expedition to the Antarctic. Although the ad never appeared in the paper that day, and still hasn’t been located in print in any newspaper, it was reported to have said:
“Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages. Bitter cold. Long months of complete darkness. Constant danger. Safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success.”
27 men answered his call and joined the expedition.
All that can be said about them today with absolute certainty is that none of them were Republicans.
6
While I was sad Ms. Harris had to drop out, I am super happy she will be asking tough questions at Trump’s Impeachment Trial. And we sorely need her voice in that Senate!
4
We're sad up here in Montreal that Kamala bailed out. She spent some time in the city going to school while her parents were researchers at McGill. And we didn't have any particular shool busing at the time.
She's welcome back up here anytime, Justin has a few jokes he'd like to share with her..
2
I'm glad that Kamala Harris decided to drop out now, before the Iowa caucuses. A crowded field hurts Democrats.
Also, she won this Twitter exchange with Trump:
Trump: "Too bad. We will miss you Kamala!"
Harris: "Don't worry, Mr. President, I'll see you at your trial."
259
@ACounter
If that twitter exchange is true, I want to declare my love for Kamala (with apologies to my dear wife)!
12
@ACounter
Do you really think Trump is done with her? Dream on.
2
How great we are! Imagine, 49 million eligible Dems smart enough to avoid running for president!
I got turned off to Kamala Harris when she made the condescending qualifier, "I don't believe you are a racist ..." before launching into an attack on Joe Biden for his position on busing to integrate schools in the 1970's -- more than forty years ago. Segregated schools is a big problem, but I never heard Senator Harris' solution. VP? Not for me.
1
Yo, Gail, "Malarky" is not an alien or ancient or arcane word where I come from. Wasn't where you came from either. Remember your roots!
I'm not sure why anybody wouldn't want Donald Trump to be president for a second term. He's doing a wonderful job.
xoxo
Vladimir Putin
1
With Beto putting his energies into sensible gun education, gun control awareness, and finding politicians in Texas that are like minded and willing to run, I find him to be in an exciting, enviable position.
1
I'm with those who say Senator Harris should not have tried so hard to be what she wasn't. She is by all accounts a Biden Obama moderate whose record and credentials are impressive. When she spoke from the heart, it showed. And on that single debate evening when she spoke from the heart she won us over. (If her public committee appearances had not already done so.) Her natural constituencies could and should have been impressive. Black Americans are not all Sanders progressives. Anything but, in fact. And here in this liberal bastion of Seattle, the women young and old with whom we are acquainted, women of all races: They truly loved and respected the real Senator Harris. And they were very sad yesterday to see her go. Sometimes it seemed she did not know how wonderful the real Senator Harris was.
2
Harris had two hurdles that made her task doubly difficult - she is a woman and she is black.
The press was much harder on her with their negative articles and snide remarks than say on Mayor Pete or others.
Harris is a very bright, articulate, attractive, engaging, and a caring woman.
So pray tell, what is this about her purpose for running? What's Mayor Pete's? What's anyone else's? Truly I believe a lot of the criticism was prompted by fear - they knew she was a formidable candidate.
As with all candidates she has her faults, but her mostly white, male critics could just not envision a black woman as president. Or perhaps any woman based on media's attempt to take down Warren as well.
I find it tiresome that we women still have to be nearly perfect to get anywhere and be taken seriously.
5
We shouldn't underestimate the effect the Obama presidency had on the success of the black candidates running for President in 2020. While I'm not black, many of my black friends and acquaintances have told me that Obama confirmed for them that a black President could ignore their plight as much as any white President. Obama's conspicuous near-silence on heinous police shootings of unarmed black men, on black financial inequality and discrimination in general of black people, his lack of action to help black financial victims of the mortgage crisis--while spending enormous political capital in securing bathroom privileges for transsexuals convinced many that a black President is no guarantee that their interests would be more strongly represented than they would be with a white President.
1
Kamala's the happiest candidate to exit the presidential race to date. She appears aware to be chosen as running mate of the successful victor is a huge win. We the people want a victory in 2020. With a foreign policy expert at the top of the ticket, and Senator Harris as vice competency and expertise should be a winning combination.
3
I thought Kamala was the best of the Democratic candidates to prosecute Trump.
She demonstrated strong prosecutorial skills in the debates, and unlike Trump, she (a) had a sense of humor, and (b) appeared to be able to talk to small children by bending down and looking them in the eye while giving a warm smile as she listened to them.
Trump never listens to anyone, as is evident on a daily/hourly basis. Plus, we would never see Trump talk to children, much less listen to what they say. Presidents need to show they represent and like everybody--including our best allies.
Speaking of allies: Judge a man by the company he keeps. Who would you rather see our president hang out with? Trump's pals like Giuliani, Hannity, Nunes, Barr, and Erdogan, or with our allies such as Macron, Trudeau, and Angela Merkel?
Miserable, prune-face Trump stood next to Erdogan in the photo op yesterday at the meeting of world leaders. And Trudeau can say what he wants about Trump, because no one insults more allies and high level American diplomats who tell the truth than the very un-presidential Trump.
I would be happy to see Kamala as VP and prosecute Trump on the campaign trail. Also, maybe use her skills as VP to see that Trump gets what he deserves legally--a baggy orange jumpsuit. A girl can always dream.
4
We need Harris in the Senate.
Howsabout Stacey Abrams as VP? She's out of office currently, and she checks all the boxes.
So, the democratic field is slowly winding down to the candidate that can yell" Get of my yard!" loudest.
I know what No Malarkey means but I am still having trouble with OK Boomer and I don’t know what Woke is.
The Three Stooges were forming exploration committees. They decided it was not their year, as they are all too old, and already dead.
Oh my, I’ve never heard of Joe Sestak. I can never remember if it is Devel Patrick or Patrick Devel. Biden and Sanders are too old and if either is elected will only serve one term which means the 2024 election will start in February 2021. And if Bloomberg happens to read this, I would like an exercise bike!
Prosecutorial personality not necessarily appropriate for the position of President.
1
Et tu, Gail? The debate's going to be all white now and not diverse?
There are still two women who have qualified for the next debate, and unless the country snuck in a female president sometime when I wasn't looking, that's diversity.
As for the rest of the pack — which includes people of color! and more women! — who aren't polling high enough to make the debate stage, well maybe it's because the very diverse Democratic base doesn't like them.
2
If Kamala Harris served as Vice President for four years with President Joe Biden, she would be a formidable presidential candidate in 2024.
1
The last time I tried to remember all of the candidates, which was yesterday, I got nine: ("Good old Uncle") Joe Biden, ("Socialist") Bernie Sanders, ("I've got a plan for that") Elizabeth Warren, ("the gay guy, Mayor") Pete Buttegiege, ("Kool-Aid") Cory Booker, ('Middle-road, middle-age, middle-country") Amy Klobechar, ("Billionaire") Mike Bloomberg, ("Nice Guy") Tom Steyers, and ("$1000/month") Andrew Yang. I can't remember the names of the other ones. (Sorry.)
The thing is, if I can't remember their names, then I am probably not going to donate to their cause or vote for them in the primary, and they should just drop out of the Presidential running. To my mind, they, and those who have already dropped out, could do far more good for their states and for the country by running for and winning seats in the currently GOP-dominated Senate.
I’m disappointed to see that Bernie is outpolling Elizabeth Warren in California. Their policies are quite similar, but she is younger and a lot less grouchy and gravel-voiced. Best of all she hasn’t had a heart attack. I can only conclude there is sexism at play. I suppose I would have to vote for Bernie over Trump, but I would have to hold my nose as they say. Only Tulsi Gabbard is beneath him in my list of best candidates still in the race.
4
A few thoughts:
1. I can't imagine that only 46.9 out of 47 million "native born Democrats of presidential age think they'd do a better job than [d]onald [t]rump" -- or that fewer than all could not.
2. It's kinda depressing that I'm old enough not to ask, "What's malarkey?" … or "What's an ice-box?"
3. It's most depressing that, as I regard the field of Democrats pursuing the party's 2020 presidential nomination, I think of them 'along lines' akin to the pessimism of an A&R 'guy' for a "Record" Company who, having just listened to an artist's proposed 'cuts' for an expected "album," says "I don't here a single."
I was born and raised in Iowa; and every four years, I thank God that I left.
The endless political ads, commercials, mailers, and doorbell ringers would be unbearable.
1
It was encouraging a week or so ago to read the article outlining some of Sanders history and political tactics, successes and failures by of all people Ross Douthat. Now in her post mortems we are getting the same background on Ms. Harris. It would be nice if the journalists/pundits at the NYT could spend more time giving us this background on the various candidates. I really don't care about their buses, t-shirts, whose fingers they are nibbling and how much money they have or have raised. I want to know their histories, their plans and their vision for a better America post trump. I am encouraged and not discouraged by the numbers of people who have the courage and faith in our country to try and run for office. We have witnessed so far a number of very good prospects and their color or gender should not be our top priority. We need a leader regardless of whether we call them Mr. President or Madam President.
3
Deval Patrick should take heart - reminds me when in 1975 my best friend and I went to a Presidential Campaign event at Union College in Schenectady NY. We were the only 2 who showed up.
The candidate was extremely gracious, called us up to the table and spent almost an hour talking with us. He earned my support right then and there.
The failing candidate: James Earl Carter.
6
Kamala Harris maybe eying for a VP spot. Either Joe Biden or Mike Bloomberg, even Pete Buttiegieg might pick her if any one of them gets the nomination. It maybe a longshot ambition. But she wisely may have chosen that path. Staying for the top spot is fruitless, she inferred.
So far her performance has been uneven at best. And she's not a solid VP choice. But she has the credentials, female and black. She may not energize either group that much. But then again, you can't have a perfect candidate - the three named above are imperfect as well. I would enthusiastically support any of these combinations.
1
Harris showed her chops during Barr's confirmation hearings when she asked him two questions that made him squirm. In fact, he looked downright incompetent admitting he had not read the testimonies and evidence behind the Mueller report and couldn't answer whether Trump ordered him to investigate his political enemies. We need that sort of prosecutor in the Senate impeachment hearings and in the naval observatory home of the vice president. I would love to see her debate Nilki Haley if/when Trump dumpd Pence.
3
Re Santa Claus in Des Moines for a merry little Christmas, dear Gail; no man has run for president of the U.S. over the age of 75. That you posit 3 elder Democratic candidates running next year (Biden 76, Sanders 78, Bloomberg 78) is scary as hell. Not to mention that Trump (74 in June 2020) will be the youngest in that lot of septuagenarians. Oldies but goodies?
2
Some commenters are saying that we "really need Kamala in the Senate". That's exactly what I've said about Bernie ever since around 2012, more emphatically so before 2016. He didn't listen to me, and now we're even more screwed up.
4
I agree with those commenters here who fault the press for focusing too much on poll numbers, i.e. those things that can be measured and quantified. An important quality that can't be adequately measured is likability. Obama was likable. Joe Biden has some faults, but he's likable. Same for Bernie. I couldn't warm to Kamala and can't to Warren, either.
1
As a Harris fan I'm sad to see her depart. On a brighter note,I would really like to see her appointed Attorney General in the next administration.
13
"He (Joe Sestak) tried really hard. (“The rain is pouring, and the wind is blowing, but I’m still walking across New Hampshire.”) And got zip."
I have to differ with you on this. Walking 105 miles is a great low impact cardio exercise for old guys. I bet the congressman's resting heart rate is under 80. That's not nothing, sister!
4
@mather
I'm only 4 years younger than Sestak and my resting heart rate is 62.
I guess Maya Rudolph can't play Kamala on SNL any more-- sad. As for Joe Biden being too old, I just checked Woody Harrelson's age (58). He plays a mean Joe Biden on SNL, and some people might not even notice if he replaced Joe.
I don't mean to make SNL an intellectual force, but considering our Presidential choices, it gives comic relief to our horrible situation.
As for Harris being a VP hopeful, note that Trump doesn't seem to be going anywhere despite his love for McDonald's.
It’s only 105 miles across New Hampshire? I learned something.
6
Your comment about Bloomberg not being lovable highlights the problem with our system of primaries. The attributes a candidate now needs to win primaries bear no relation to those needed by a competent president.
15
As our American system of free enterprise continues to evolve, future billionaire would-be Presidents will no doubt simply put in their bids to buy the White House openly. Merging oligarchy and democracy, in future elections, upon receiving a certified receipt of your vote, Mr. Moneybags will send you back your monetary compensation. (Even today, Mr. Bloomberg could easily send every one of his voters $100 dollars each and have tens of billions left.) A system like this might be more efficient. It would certainly be less hypocritical.
4
She’s in line for VP. Has to be a woman, assuming Biden is the nominee (and he will be the nominee). Warren would overshadow him and is too far left for Ohio, etc. My guess is that Harris has already talked to Biden, and to remain viable and untarnished, dropped out before she garnered low numbers in Iowa and NH.
Biden-Harris would be a good ticket in the states that the Democrats need to win to beat Trump. Before all the Bernie/Warren people start howling and screaming: I prefer Warren, too, but check out the polls. The progressives aren’t hiding in caves to avoid pollsters. Nate Silver isn’t secretly working for Biden or the DNC. Those progressives are simply - not - there, not in those states that will decided the election .
Or would you rather 4 more years of Trump?
8
It isn’t that much of a different world that one cannot is be incensed by billionaires claiming to be concerned about environmental degradation from which they profited mightily. It is insulting that the two billionaires are trying to buy the presidency. It is an affront to the intelligence and the presumed naïveté of the public. We’ve got one crooked billionaire currently occupying the White House, so it is possible (likely even) that those who are paying attention are very wary of the motives of such candidates. Few welcome Johnny-come-latelies into this race, especially when they haven’t borne the scrutiny of voters to the same degree that pre-existing candidates have endured.
4
I sincerely hope that Steve Bullock decides to run for the US Senate. The Nation needs him there...desperately.
Kamala Harris will land on her feet. She is a formidable force in the Senate and she will not be forgotten.
Lastly, Gail, your column was terrific today. Had more than one chuckle reading it. Kudos.
5
Glad the field is smaller by one. Sorry it was Harris who dropped. But we need to reduce the number of candidates in the debates if we are to get a good look at the real prospects. People will complain about losing their personal favorite, but people will be claiming, "We wuz robbed!" right up to and after November.
And regardless of gender or race or wallet size, or even competence, I have no interest in people who suddenly decided the world needed them after skipping the debates.
4
Those disappointed that Kamala Harris has left the primary race (I am one) should remember that her campaign never had a resonant theme. Instead, she sought constantly to relate her female blackness to nearly every issue. A single glance is all anyone needed to get that.
That was a huge management error and Harris cannot blame anyone but herself for that. Further, the late resignation/defection of at least two Harris campaign staffers may reveal that campaign management/organizational skills are not her strong points.
That said, Kamala Harris is an intelligent, tough-minded lawyer who became District Attorney of San Francisco, and served two terms as California's Attorney General before winning her US Senate seat in 2016. Her successful background as a prosecutor produced a resume overflowing with varied experience.
Which is why I think Harris would be best choice as US Attorney General in a Democratic administration...an immensely important job considering the erosion of the rule of law in America we have seen under Trump/Barr.
Hopefully Kamala Harris's promise to "stay in the fight" will also position her to be America's next Attorney General.
3
Remember all the comments Lindsey Graham made about Trump being incompetent in the Republican pre- convention primaries last election cycle? Remember how Ted Cruz constantly said Trump was amoral and completely uninformed, not temperamental fit to be prez? Remember how Jim Jordan absolutely ranted constantly that Trump wasn’t really a Republican and wasn’t fit to carry a banner for conservatives?
If Bloomberg would just do a continual ad blitz starting NOW playing those comments, it would be most powerful and a great service to our nation.
I also wish Bloomberg would buy out Fox News!
240
@Jean At first I thought "yeah, that'd be an amazing ad." Then I thought about the GOP retort and realized: it wouldn't move the needle much. Lindsey, Cruz, and Jordan would happily record an ad, from the Rose Garden, Oval Office, Trump's lap, wherever he asks, saying: "After three years of glorious Trump leadership, we can say with certainty: he's been better than any of us dreamed and Americans should agree. Just look at the Dow Jones! The job reports! His beautiful wall, tough stance on illegals, all the amazing things he's done. We love him and so should you. Four more years of this and we'll all be rich, probably you, too!" And anyone who doesn't already know Trump is a dumpster fire will nod right on along.
5
@Jean
Great comment!
2
@Jean Both fine ideas.
2
This column doesn't sound all that hopeful that Trump will get much of a fight.
1
For integrity, bold ideas, vision and courage, I will vote for Bernie Sanders!
I look forward to knowing his pick for VP.
It certainly won't be Kamala Harris who had middling integrity, no ideas, courage or vision.
Tom Steyer for CA Senator!
1
Aw, Gail, don't knock Beto! He's the best Texas has had to offer in a verrrrry long time. Kamala, too, offered much of which to be proud as a candidate for the presidency of the US. Impossible to compare anyone to Trump as it is insulting, inconceivable as he himself would proclaim in his usual modest style, and please, sir, no more of you and your multiple shenanigans. What an exhausting time w/Trump in the "White" House. Yeltsin didn't have it this rough. To avoid the noise and fury, Trump might consider resigning. That would be a patriotic thing to do which for him might be the first patriotic duty of his.
3
Blah, Blah, so if Biden get the nomination, ALL he has to do is pick Booker as VP and hope he can remember stuff.
Whereas (considering my choice, since Mayor Pete is a hard sell except for me!) if Bloomberg with his outstanding commercials can run with Booker. IT'S A WIN PEOPLE!!!!
1
Sorry, Ms. Collins; stop and frisk means that Michael Bloomberg is not a very qualified candidate.
2
All to say that it is looking less and less like we have a viable candidate to defeat Trump, unless most Americans are so worn out and fed up with the corruption and our nation being humiliated before the world and the lying and the lack of dignity and the trashing of our laws and Constitution that they will vote for anyone who isn't Trump. That is my hope at least.
1
We have the worst President in US History - who else brought images of autocratic fascism to their Administration? - and the Democrats have a rash of candidates who could not win an election as class President. What is going on?
Is it really too much for us to ask our other party to pony up an electable candidate? Y'know, one people in Wisconsin and PA and NY, and CA can vote for? One who will win the system we have with electors, and not the system we wish we had in which one person has one vote?
When you cannot defeat a terrible President, the worst in history, who buys influence with federal money and panders to each constituency with an astounding lack of principle, morality or understanding, you are a dead party, just as the GOP is.
What should we name our two new parties? The Bullies and the Losers?
2
I elected Kamala Harris as my senator, and I'd appreciate it if she'd do the job she was elected to. We need her in the senate.
3
When you are running against a cult, just being a smart dedicated public servant is not enough, you need to be a consummate lying snake oil salesperson with the principles of a reptile, a celebrity or have so much money you can buy all the votes you need to win. Trump has turned the Presidency into a circus and if your not a freak you won’t make the big top.
1
I, and probley all DEMs and many GOP, are sick of seeing and hearing trump and pals everywhere hollering and yelling and waving their arms about everything. When I saw Harris on the debate stage and making a speech she reminded me of them. Of course if she was the candidate I would of voted for her however I prefer someone more statesperson like.
3
"Everybody’s complaining about billionaires, but imagine if we were writing stories right now about all the candidates who were unemployed and running for president out of an aunt’s attic."
(Picture a tearfully laughing emoji here.) Gail, that's one of your best bits in quite a while, and it's the pick of a sharp column from start to finish.
It seems we're not supposed to be cracking jokes on the day after Kamala Harris dropped out of the race for president, but let's recognize that it's a personal failure, not a societal one. Without even one other black-identifying woman in the race for comparison, it doesn't begin to make sense to divine either prejudice or caution in voters' withdrawal of support from her candidacy.
A review of my comments to the Times (any volunteers?) would show that I once touted Harris as one of my top preferences; certainly above Biden. Now I feel that she has earned the right to drop out.
1
I doubt Kamala will become VP. She's from California. Why would you need a VP from California? The Golden State is a gimme for Democrats. If you're looking to balance the ticket Stacey Abrams makes a lot more sense. Charismatic, black, female, younger than the dead sea scrolls. She's got the whole package. If Democrats are lucky, they might even turn Georgia too. Kamala should retreat to the Senate. She's already outmatched.
5
Thank you Gail for telling me something about Joe Sestak I didn’t already know!
There are one hundred thousand Democrats who don't think that they can do a better job than Donald Trump? That is so sad.
1
A late-night comedy show recently featured interviews with millennials about Joe Biden's "No Malarkey" tour. After a half-dozen or so bewildered people, the last one finally knew what "malarkey" meant. I get that Biden's base is over 50, but you would think he'd try to broaden his appeal. So clueless.
4
@PL
Biden used the word effectively against Paul Ryan in the 2008 debates. Is the voting public so changed that it doesn't recognize this as a pejorative term? Maybe they can learn and accept its tang. How many know what kovfefe is?
Right now the Dems are arranged in a circular firing squad and the only winner will be the atrocious monster currently in the White House. They absolutely must come to some consensus soon. Four more years of trump and that is pretty much it.
2
Kamala is gone, but at least we still have Tulsi. Oy vey!
2
" Everybody’s complaining about billionaires, but imagine if we were writing stories right now about all the candidates who were unemployed and running for president out of an aunt’s attic."
Hahaha! It's funny because the press picks the winners and losers before we have a chance to vote!
The 'No Malarkey' tour. Bought to you by Benson and Hedges cigarettes. Man you can't make this stuff up. Isn't there anyone on Biden's staff that sits there and says No Malarkey, Hmmm. Let me think....No. We are not going to use that. Absolutely not. No way. I will quit if you do. Not a single person under 40 will vote for him if he uses stuff like that. It reminds me of my father who , in the 60's and 70's, called record players Victrolas and electric guitars banjos. Joe you are square, man. He probably still has 8 track tapes to listen to music. Trump watches Fox all day. Biden likely has the full The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis VCR tapes (not DVD's) he watches while on the road. Maynard G Krebs for VP!!!!! Apparently, though, his 'No Malarkey" schtick sells. Still at 44%. I'll just sit here, shake my head and utter "Huh?".
2
If the Democrats want to beat Trump, they are simply going to have to pull a few Trump voters away. I suspect more Trump voters this year would be happy to abandon him that we guess but it'll take a candidate who is not too much a stretch for them. Unfortunately but truthfully, Elizabeth Warren will leave every last Trump voter in place, voting for Trump. They simply won't go that far. Biden is in the process of drifting off somewhere so he's not viable anymore. I see the logical winning alternative as Mayor Bloomberg. I know he came in late. I know he's spending his own money. But consider the alternative. Another four years of our baby President. Be thoughtful Democrats and win.
1
Kamala Harris would make a good Attorney General in a Buttigieg or Biden or ....whoever the Democrats nominate, administration. If she's smart, she'll forgo a chance to be Veep. Not many of them have much of a after-life in politics, and she's too young to retire then.
1
I will vote for Michael Bloomberg if he buys me a Peloton bike for Christmas. Other than that happening I'm putting my money on a Mayor Pete/Amy Klobuchar ticket. Not sure which one will be at the the top of the ticket though. Kamala will be the next Attorney General which Donal Trump is just going to love to no end ;)
@Frank Anthony
That all Mid-Western ticket would be a sure disaster if they wanted coastal votes.
1
"No Malarkey" wasn't cool in the '50s. Maybe in the '30s?
2
In Anglophile America, the extinction of Ireland's Celtic culture--of which a few stray words like 'malarchy' are the only survival--is regarded as a subject for for mirth and mocking while, in contrast, the destruction of other Native cultures are rightly regarded as tragic.
@Red Allover
Celtic culture is alive and well in Ireland. My Irish ancestors didn't come here to remain Irish... they came to become American.
Identity politics and politics of impeachment will backfire. In 2020 not only could the Democratic party make it a smooth sailing for the reelection of Trump but it could result in the loss of the congressional majority (those are the words of the former speaker Gingrich and I have been saying that even before Newt). But then who cares what an independent in an urban area, a blue city says. If Pear harbor attack in the last century by the Japanese has lived in infamy and woken up a sleeping giant, yesterday's Pearl harbor shipyard attack by a US sailor will go down in history to show the failure of the Democratic congress to stem the tide of gun violence by controlling gun use to kill, on which they got the majority in the first place.
The African Americans no longer are going to blindly support without thinking another African American based only on a candidate 's color of his or her skin or even the content of their character. Millionaire Kamala Harris claims to not continue to run because she is not a billionaire. What happened to the millions that she did get from donors initially. That was allegedly mismanaged and failed to impact her poll numbers. There are biomedical researchers around the country working day and night to finding federal dollars to fight the real diseases that are causing disasters in our country and there are very few billionaire donors ready to donate to such worthy causes and yet these ungrateful politicians have no difficulty getting $$$s. Sick.
2
Kamala will make a great attorney general for President Biden.
1
Yesterday, I saw an appealing blue and red bumper sticker:
Any Sane Adult
2020
10
If Biden would please sit in the driver’s seat of his own bus, and drive-baby-drive, he’s my man! Guess who’s under the bus?
2
THREE billionaires are running — Steyer, Bloomberg and Trump. Unless you think Trump is lying . . . or dropping out. (Be still my foolish heart!)
1
Always love your columns, Gale. But you show how out of touch you are when you talk about Biden and Sanders as being old. Excuse me, but I’m going on 85, and those guys are just punk kids to me. When I was in high school, Biden and Sanders were still grade school kids lining up to go to the bathroom. You make fun of Biden for his outdated expressions, but then you talk about ‘pin money’ — an expression your aunt might have used when she was paying the neighbor boy to clean out her attic. Tell us how many millennials use the expression, ‘pin money.’ My daughter is a millennial — she gives you this week’s ‘raised eyebrow’ award. But we do love you anyway.
4
I wish you would stop mocking Democratic presidential candidates. The only one who deserves your snark is Trump. But I guess you are hoping for four more years of The Donald. It would certainly make your job easier.
2
Thanks, Gail. That was the best round-up that I've read in a long time. I really appreciate your wit and humor.
I am worried about Deval Patrick tanking, tho'. Why can't good candidates of color get traction? Wish I knew...
It has become clear to me, now approaching my seventieth decade, that we've reached the sad state in which a candidate who speaks truth, refuses corporate money, refuses to pander, and talks in detail terms on the issues that confront us and on the policies necessary to address them is categorically unelectable. Too boring for the media, too deep for the electorate. Too bad for us.
7
just want to reiterate what you said about Bloomberg's not being able to raise funds on his own. The man is not easily likeable, he is a prig, he is anti union, and anti anything that he didn't think up himself, he is anti science (when it comes to the statistical evidence that stop and frisk weren't working while he was mayor) unless he came up with the science.
No one would give him a dime, and it is a travesty that he is running. He is diluting the field with his ego swamp, but I don't think anyone is really buying this time.
2
Definitively, B and, I hope Biden does not start practicing the technique with others.
Kamala will make a great VP or whatever she wants to be. Now she has this extra experience and exposure to the media.
1
Would you rather have a candidate for the Democrat party whose response to Trump would be...Come on mannnnn!.... or, a handsome middle age man with a soothing and reassuring voice? Let me introduce a new possibility, former Fox news man Shep Smith?
You might say Shep is not running. Shep doesn't want to be president. Do we need another gay, white male in the race? All good responses.
Even so I am starting a DRAFT SHEP SMITH campaign. I just think Shep would be a great candidate. He knows how to smile and react when on camera and I can assure you his campaign slogan will not be "No Malarkey!"
1
Gail says: “The only truly disturbing thing about her departure is that the field she’s leaving behind isn’t exactly diverse.”
Well, hardly the most disturbing thing, which is that the only persuasive candidate is Bernie. And the only cogent candidate is Elizabeth. And the only relatable candidate is Joe.
The future isn’t bright.
1
Maybe they could share the Oval Office? Two days a week each, with Sunday’s off for good behavior?
Fifteen remain, thirteen have dropped out of the "race" to see who can defeat Donald Trump.
At the moment, it seems more likely to snow at Mar-a-Lago than anyone of these worthies beating Trump.
Trump in London: All the hallmarks of a Monty Python skit.
1
"The immediate question for Harris fans is whether she might get tapped for vice president"
I would giggle all the way to the voting booth.
Can you even imagine the conniption fits those on the far right would be throwing if they woke up next November to find Elizabeth Warren was President and Kamala Harris was Vice President?
That result would zoom past delicious irony and merge into schadenfreude.
3
Perhaps she couldn’t raise the money because she couldn’t come up with a coherent message. Or a coherent strategy. Or a coherent campaign organization.
5
The obvious question that has to be asked here is does Iowa actually represent the United States of America. A state which is predominately white, basically rural, and heavily populated by farmers, where the pig population outnumbers people. Does that sound like a state that is a good cross section of our country?
That would be a resounding no.
Iowa is suppose to narrow the field of candidates and yet we still have 15 in the Democratic primary.
Plus there is the mental health of a state where on the Republican side Trump has universal support from people whose lives are being ruined by Trump's economic policies.
No wonder most people call it fly over country.
5
Sen. Harris is no longer be in the running for the Democratic nomination, but she retains an even mere important job: Senate juror to convict Corrupt Trump of bribery, high crimes, and obstruction of Congress and justice.
We will be pleased with whomever Democrats nominate, until then the nation has a responsibility to pay attention to the impeachment inquiry, consider the mounting and compelling evidence of wrongdoing, and decide if we want to retain our republic or allow Republicans to turn it into a monarchy.
So all eyes, all ears on the impeachment of Corrupt Trump. There's ample time to focus on electing a Democratic president AND voting out Republicans who violate their oath of office in an attempt to crown Corrupt Trump king.
2
Now I feel guilty for not having contributed to her campaign. She was my favorite. She's smart, eloquent, good-hearted, and attractive (don't kill me for that last statement). She'd have made...and could still make...a great president. And yes, she'd hand Trump his hide in a debate.
1
"... there are approximately 47 million native-born Democrats of presidential age in this country, at least 46.9 million of whom think they’d do a better job than Donald Trump."
That does it - I am hereby announcing my candidacy to be the Democratic nominee for the Office of the Presidency. My slogan is "Better than Donald Trump."
1
What a pleasant text to read. Thank you.
I have always been impressed by Ms. Harris. I look at it this way, we need qualified Democrats in the Senate (as well as the Oval Office). She still has a lot to contribute in the Senate.
Your brilliant wit lightens the load of the unfortunate news about Kamala Harris. Thanks for the morning chuckle. I'm with the whippersnapper, by the way, so I don't want to presume aged leadership just yet.
When I was a kid back in the late 1950's, my dad (who would now be 103) teased my grandfather for using "malarkey." He and other members of the Greatest Generation were at least a decade into "baloney." What next for Biden: proposing an end to Prohibition?
3
Say what you want about Kamala, folks. I for one am dang happy she is my Senator. There has been a lot written about her lately in the Times, including from my "commenting" peers. And there has been a bit of unfair judgment from people who do not live in CA. Let's be clear: A good many - and more - of us want her as our representative in the Senate. She is a hard worker. And we even wouldn't mind her being the future AG. Her credentials surpass Barr's exponentially..and ethically. She actually has a sense of justice (no marijuana cracks, please) and a moral compass, Now, I will get off my pulpit and mention who I think should be the next ones to go. Let's start with Tulsi. I swear she is a Trump plant in the guise of a Democrat. Next up...let's start weaning out the old guys. If not Biden or Bernie, at least Bloomberg. Ditto for the billionaires, to wit Bloomberg again and Steyer. After Trump, I have a really bad taste for the mega-rich, no matter what Party. All I can say is that I am glad my state will not be first, second, or third to vote in the primaries. Too many candidates right now for me to wrap my limited mind around.
117
@Kathy Lollock .
I am not proud of her as my Senator.
She got her seat by knowing the "right" people.
Ambition is her motivation... absolutely lacking in a vision to make the US a better country,
Ethnic allure, diversity is absolutely unimpressive without substance.
I will be excited to vote for Tom Steyer for Senator!
3
@Lucy Cooke Well, as long as we stick together to vote for whomever is our nominee. Most important is that we remove Trump. If Steyer is our choice, I would certainly support him. However, I somehow think Biden will be the guy although I would love to see Warren.
11
@Kathy Lollock
A problem I have with Ms. Harris is that she is a professional politician first, last, and always. Even while she serves at one post, she is running for the next higher office. This failed run for the White House is but a trial run for a future election cycle. Perhaps for the next two or three years she can concentrate more on being a senator and less on being a presidential candidate.
4
It's too bad that Steve Bullock dropped out. He would have been a great candidate. People would have really liked him if they had gotten a chance to know him. Even Trump supporters would have liked him, and that's what matters in winning this election. But he just couldn't compete with the more noisy and exciting candidates, who are - as any palindromist will tell you - the "star comedy democrats." The term really fits: the remaining candidates all have that undefinable "star" quality and their debates can be pretty funny at times. They're much better than SNL (which, by the way, is doing a terrible job at this point in time when we really need SNL to help us get out of this mess). With the field that's left in the race, I've completely given up on finding much sanity from either party. It seems that the Democrats are all crazy and the Republicans are all totally evil, so all I can say is- bring on those star comedy Democrats! At least they're amusing.
2
@Rick "Star comedy democrats" is indeed a palindrome. Wow. Good one! I agree with you on Bullock. He was good at the first debate and on Bill Maher. But sanity and common sense are not much in style.
1
I like Stacey Abrams for VP. She is smart and deserves the spot
4
How does one “ deserve” to be VP? Like Beto, she gained national attention by losing in her home state. I don’t get the clamor for either.
2
She almost won her home state in the south. Her campaign for voter’s rights is cred. She is smart. She looks like America
We often hear the question, "Why do Congressional Republicans still support President Trump?"
The answer is simple.
When you are a Tyranny of the Minority, you need every single vote from your minority coalition (your "base"), as well as Citizens United, the Electoral College, the obsession to overrule Roe v. Wade, dark money, gerrymandering, voter suppression, and propaganda tools like social media, Fox News, conspiracy websites, etc., to maintain it.
The fear is that without Donald Trump constantly stoking fear and hatred among the members of your minority coalition (the rich, whites, men, Evangelicals, and racists), they won't vote; your structural impediments to majority rule will be eliminated; and, a Progressive or even, God forbid, another African-American, might be elected President.
5
I recently cancelled CNN and MSNBC. I just can't take it anymore. They aren't news channels, they're Trump news channels, and Trump-on-the-brain is a life-threatening medical condition. If talking heads are being interviewed, it's 98% certain that Trump is the subject. The other 2% of the time, it's a mass shooting. Meanwhile, the two news channels in Canada, CBC and Newsworld, while they don't leave Trump alone, actually cover other events. But I wouldn't want to stop reading Gail Collins. Not yet.
3
I still like a Warren/Booker ticket.
Harris was always a bit out of focus.
6
"Let’s just hope this doesn’t become a trend. I do not like the idea of Bernie Sanders taking a nip out of Jane’s thumb somewhere around Cedar Rapids?
Why Sanders? Is it because he is old?
Why not conjure up an image of Bret Stephens and Gail rather Bernie and Jane?
1
Some of US like the Bidenisms.
He is a comforting presence after the last decade of constant fighting. We had to fight GOP obstruction throughout the Obama years. We are fighting Trump and GOP criminality now.
If the Dems can win the White House, take the Senate and hold the House of Representatives, the country will be on the road to recovery.
Trump has shown that there are holes in the system that need to be filled with new law -- a federal requirement that candidates for president release their tax teturns, and restrictions on presidential declaration of emergency powers -- just to name two.
VOTE BLUE NO MATTER WHO!!!
5
Kamala, we NEED you in the Senate, where you can support legislation, and develop a clear idea of what kind of policies to develop should you gain sufficient power.
Wishing the Vice Presidency upon her is a curse, folks if Biden wins and survives a full term, she will get to do NOTHING, relegated to the useless figurehead role. And I don't think that becomes her.
79
@cheryl Biden wasn't doing nothing as Vice President, neither was Cheney. I think that role has changed. Sure, it can be a curse, but one thing I've learned after a nearly 40-year career, the job's what you make it to be.
1
@cheryl Today's vice Prez has lots to offer. Smart Presidents allow and enable their VP's. Biden didn't take a backseat working with Obama. He spoke his mind on important issues of the day. I'm pretty sure he'll allow his own VP the same courtesy.
I love your columns. They keep me sane.
I hope you will turn you gift to the Senate and the prospects for a achieving a Democratic majority. The GOP majority has demonstrated that nothing happens unless the Senate says so and the Senate deliberates on what the Senate majority decides to take up.
That is why I am mystified that some very bright and talented Democrats seek to bail out or not run for for the Senate. Think about what a great Senator like Beto would make, he has sort of a Jimmy Stewart look about him.
What triggered my thoughts was your mention of Montana Gov. Steve Bullock. He would be a shoo in. Same for Sestak.
The beauty of the Senate is you can stay there long enough to learn something and can grow into being a great legislator.
So I am happy that Kamala Harris has decided to continue her career as a Senator.
3
The only unifying themes among all the Democrat candidates
is that Trump is a crook, 99% of Republican senators and congressmen are cowards and things are going to get worse if we don't get them out of office. No arguments there, all true enough. Most candidates will make good cabinet members.
Besides money and disorganization Kamala Harris has another problem that most of the candidates share- a lack of charisma and a failure to inspire. Even old jaded cranks like me want to be inspired. I don't know if it can be taught or you either have it or you don't.
Failing that I'll settle for anyone who pours their heart out and shows a trace of wisdom.
4
"Donald Trump will say he’s forgotten more things, perhaps including Rudy Giuliani."
Yes, but, Gail, you know Rudy probably hasn't forgotten what Biden said about Giuliani's 2007-08 presidential campaign.
Biden said, Giuliani is "probably the most underqualified man since George Bush to seek the presidency," and added a zinger, "I mean, think about it! Rudy Giuliani. There's only three things he mentions in a sentence -- a noun, a verb, and 9/11. There's nothing else! There's nothing else!"
That zinger may be costing Biden more than he thought back then.
1
I am sorry to see Harris go (she was my top pick) but I am now thinking Bloomberg/Klobuchar. Bloomberg would have a great chance to win Florida and Klobuchar would connect well with Wisconsin and Michigan voters. Harris would be a great AG.
1
I liked Harris although it is true she never developed a platform of the things she wanted to do. I think her real problem, which unfortunately she shares with many female candidates, was her wanting to seem down home and likable. Her hook should have been.....Senator Harris for President...Put the title up first then fill in the blanks of what she was going to do. The title gives her stature and legitimacy that most of the men running didn't need.
Ms. Collins, Please! No ageist jokes during the coming election year.
Older people are like all other people who are just trying to have good lives and do some good. I am 77 years old, still working, and having a good time. I do not fit the dingbat portrayals of an older person.
No one would make jokes about other demographic groups -- why pick on us? It's demeaning.
11
Do you honestly think you'd be at the top of your game with one of the most demanding and stressful jobs on the planet? I imagine you're more spry than Joe Biden, but come on.
@Susan I am not thinking of running for president, nor was I contesting the candidacy of Joe Biden. I am requesting of everyone that we all be careful of ageist jokes during the coming election year.
4
I see the media blackout of Sen. Bernie Sanders is holding .
The corporations that own these news outlet do not want to pay more taxes so they either completely ignore Sanders campaign or red bait like Hillary.
Are these media outlets conferring with each other to remove Sanders from contention?
4
There may be 15 candidates left, but only one can win--Michael Bloomberg. (maybe that number will increase if Trump is heavily damaged by the impeachment process-a big if, unfortunately).
1
I had high hopes for Kamala Harris. I wanted to vote for her. And then she started talking...
Not a good candidate.
I wish it weren't true but it was.
I think she should go back to the Senate where her temperament is needed.
And Michael Bloomberg just needs to go away.
7
I laughed out loud throughout this entire column. Thank you Gail, that was much needed.
4
Sen. Harris lost my support when she attacked Biden last summer. It just seemed so opportunistic and in bad faith. Democrats shouldn't attack other Democrats, because in the end all Harris was doing was providing the Republicans ammo for the general election if Biden was the nominee, and he was leading at the time.
9
A modest proposal. Instead of 55 primaries and caucuses, the Democratic candidates all take an exam, covering American and global history, law and government, economics, military and national security affairs, and foreign policy. Whoever gets the best score gets nominated. And consider: if the Republicans had had a similar system in 2016, where would Trump be? Answer: in the corner, humiliated and wearing a dunce cap for the lowest score.
20
Some day a Democratic candidate will actually be chosen. When that occurs, I can't wait to hear their campaign slogan. I sort of like French president Emmanuel Macron's indirect suggestion:
"Let's be serious."
But Donald Trump himself has provided a good one:
“We need a President who isn’t a laughingstock to the entire World.”
Too long-winded, normal for Trump being Trump, but for one time in his life he was entirely accurate.
23
I’m sad to see Harris go but it makes the choice much easier for me. I’m now rooting for 4 nominees instead of 5: Sanders, Warren, Booker and Castro.
3
The story of the Democrat’s 2020 presidential race reads like the tale of Goldilocks! Instead of the porridge being too hot or too cold or just right-we have candidates too young, too old and have not yet found the “ Just right”.The real problem is that the lengthy primary process requires too much money and too much time spent in early voting states.This is no way to get to “ just right”.
18
Why does Iowa deserve the honor every presidential election of being first and wielding this much power, especially when their vote is a caucus rather than a primary? And the New Hampshire thing is a cute anachronism given its size, but of what true relevance? And when did South Carolina become a defacto proxy for all of the South?
My points are that, first, it seems like very few actual voters will have the privilege of whittling down our choices, and second, every four years it is the same three states that get this privilege. Why not rotate the order of the primaries every four years so that different states get that opportunity? And instead of forcing candidates to focus an inordinate amount of time and resources on one state (Iowa), why not have a "Super Tuesday" equivalent first, so a few states (rotating every four years) get to start the weeding out process?
Some folks complain about the elitism of the electoral college. It seems to me that we have inadvertently created a permanent electorate class in these three states, and especially Iowa, who have an outsized influence on the entire process.
50
As a resident of Pennsylvania, whose primary is always scheduled late in the process, I agree entirely. Of course I will vote for any Democratic nominee in November 2020, but it is difficult to become invested in the primary race when so few of the candidates will be left by the time we in PA have a chance to vote for one of them. Given PA’s importance in the general election, the current primary arrangement seems quite misguided.
By the way, former Representative Sestak (from PA) would have been an excellent possibility for the Democratic nomination. It’s a pity that he did not gain more attention in this crowded field.
1
its the Party organization that forces candidates to get lots of small donors in lots of states to make the debates which is causing problems, Once again the Party stacks the deck in favor of its preferences.
And now that impeachment vote won't happen until after Christmas break - the Party will give a further gift to the non-Senators by forcing an impeachment trial. It could be that Kamala could not see a way to win given she could not campaign well for the first couple primary/caucus months.
1
You joke about age but Warren, Biden and Sanders all would be the oldest first termers, the latter two by a mile. Trump is the same age as Bill Clinton and W, guys who have been retired (from president) for a long time.
6
I finally learned something about Tom Steyer other than what his ubiquitous and very well-made ads tell us. He certainly has a more dynamic personality than any one else in the race, with the possible exception of a very old guy who just had a heart attack, and he says all the right things, so I think he needs to get more scrutiny than he does.
4
Those of us who are Democrats have a problem. Even with a prominent candidate like Kamala Harris dropping out, the number of contenders seeking to be the party’s presidential nominee is still much too large.
If only there were some way to postpone Iowa and New Hampshire, it might be possible to winnow the field in time for Super Tuesday.
This darned 2020 election campaign is beginning to distract people from the impeachment.
5
I don't get why someone who ran a really dysfunctional campaign and couldn't raise money or settle on any policy positions is suddenly prime vice-presidential timber -- just a heartbeat or two away...
39
Agreed. If you flame out so spectacularly you don't need to be president, ever.
@GBM Why? Joe Biden fit that profile, twice. Yet he became VP, did he not.
Steve Bullock would have made a great president. He consistently talked more good sense than all the rest of them put together. Too bad that's out of fashion in today's tribal political environment.
38
@We'll always have Paris Bullock would not rule out a first strike nuclear attack. That knocked him off my dance card.
Kamala Harris stood out more for her social background. She did not put in enough effort to highlight her career background to those who did not relate to her except in terms of her parents' race. And she did not project her personality and image as she is in her career, into a viable proposition as a President for today and against Him, where it mattered. She also did not play the 'generation / age' card well against entrenched opponents.
She has a lot to learn to be more of a politician.
Surprising considering any tab focused, social media hooked teenager or housewife could have done a better job in her position and given her credentials, in at least tweeting against the current incumbent in the WH.
I think she was surprised by the rigors of campaigning. Getting elected in a statewide contest here in California as a Democrat just isn’t that hard and doesn’t require much in the way of retail politics as the state’s size pretty much dictates media heavy campaigning. No one I know has ever actually seen Harris. This is not a criticism but just a comment on how different CA is.
I am 63. My mother died 11 years ago at the age of 95. Not since her death have I heard anyone use the word ‘malarkey.’ In fact, I’m not sure I have ever heard anyone younger than her use the word.
I just assumed it was from her generation.
64
I’m just a kid, 78, but I’m very familiar with the expression “malarkey”, it’s been around for quite a while and probably ought to be seen and used far more these days especially given the current state of affairs in the US.
25
@Allan Docherty
I don’t disagree with your sentiment. The word ‘malarkey’ entered the American vocabulary in the 1920s when my mother would have been quite young. It means ‘to speak nonsense’. Its roots are debated.
I agree that there should be ‘no speaking nonsense.’ Having said that, if that’s your message as a politician trying to appeal to a wide swath of voters, I think using a word that most have actually heard would help.
6
@celia I think the word "malarkey" has gone through a bit of a resurgence lately.
Check out this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BepGz98KyIg
Maybe Joe is on to something?
1
Harris outsmarted herself and her supporters by assuming her time had come and she was ready to claim the brass ring. Yet she wasn't. Nothing more, nothing less. If she's ready, willing and able to be patient with her passion while formulating strategies instead of tactics, she'll be back.
3
I think we ought to be looking very carefully at the VP candidates this election. Besides DJT, Bernie, Elizabeth, (and Mike) are over 70, and I think the VP candidates ought to be scrutinized a whole lot more than they have been, excepting perhaps Thomas Eagleton in 1968. Back then, treatment for depression was stigmatized. Nowadays, a bit more than half those planning to vote probably have been treated, and it is covered by insurance.
Gail, you could take all of this a lot further than I can.
11
@Mike S. Good point on the need to thoroughly vet the VP choice, particularly if Biden, Sanders, or Warren win the nomination. It's been 56 years since a president died in office, so history tells us that it's time for that misfortune to happen. Eagleton was McGovern's pick in 1972. Humphrey, the Democratic nominee in 1968, chose Edmund Muskie as his running mate that year.
1
@Mike S. Anybody who's not depressed these days has no business on the Dem ticket...
I liked having so many qualified people, men and more than one woman, in the beginning. By now we should have winnowed it down much further. With all those candidates trying to raise millions of campaign dollars from the voters, and Bloomberg jumping in with his billions, is the big money going to drown out other viable voices? We need to get down to three or four candidates and then get behind the one who wins in the most state primaries. There isn't much time before the 2020 election!
8
Kamala will be fine whatever she does, either back in the Senate or in the new Cabinet. She's super smart and motivated to help our country out of the colossal mess that is Trump-ville.
Now who needs a lift into the limelight, imho, is Stacy Abrams. She'd make an insanely bold choice for either of the Bs (who will probably get the nomination). Just watched her Ted talk--very inspiring. Her almost-win in GA was inspiring. Her life story is inspiring. Geez, couldn't we all use something uplifting right about now...
Signed,
Your Average Centrist Voter
379
@AllisonatAPLUS :with respect, what
exactly has Stacy Abrams ever done,
besides writing some steamy romance
novels? she ran for Governor of Georgia and lost and she makes a
great deal of money making a great
deal of speeches. we need an experienced, dare I say it, politician,
especially if Biden, 77,years old ,gets
the nomination. Harris will do nicely
as will Booker or Bennett or Klobuchar.
in other words, we need someone who
has enough experience to take over
on Day 1,should anything befall Biden.
Abrams may be a celebrity, but she
is not Vice Presidential material, at
least not now.
57
@Frank
Stacy Abrams served several terms in the Georgia legislature and was a minority leader. Even the Republicans respected her leadership.
24
@Frank,
With respect, she is very involved with voting rights at this time. A Google search will provide more information.
7
I never got a clear sense of what a Harris administration would do. The vagueness of her campaign surprised me, because she had proven herself a skillful prosecutor. I hope she considers running again in the future. She clearly has talent, if she can better articulate her vision.
202
@Mary
She'd make a great Attorney General, but she doesn't have an over-arching vision for the country as a whole. Glad she dropped out. Hope to soon see her in a role that matches her talents.
29
@Frank
Whoa: Ms. Abrams spent 10 years serving in the Georgia House of Representatives so she knows her way around government. She has focused on voter suppression issues since barely missing being elected Georgia’s governor in 2015. She has the legislative experience to deal with Congress if she’s the VP candidate but I don’t know much else about her background so she needs a thorough vetting as does any other VP candidate.
13
@Mary - assuming she HAS a vision.
3
Kamala should have been a better candidate, considering her credentials and charisma. But I was really disappointed in her personal attack on Joe Biden during the summer debates. I don’t mind candidates criticizing one another over policy, but I remember being upset that she was attacking Joe Biden’s character. And I’m not even a Biden fan. Her rhetoric, at least in the debates, was often combative for no discernible purpose, and I never felt that she was being totally sincere. That being said, I think she’s hugely talented and should be considered for a cabinet post in the NEW president’s administration.
325
Agreed! Harris would make an amazing Attorney General.
51
@R Martini
I’m not there yet on Kamala being US Attorney General, there are too many issues clouding her tenure as California’s AG. Tulsi Gabbard dismantled Kamala on that record, with a shaky, somewhat incoherent response from the candidate. It was surprising Kamala didn’t expect to be challenged on her last job and I came away from that exchange thinking she was being a bit elitist not being prepared.
12
@Carol
I agree with all of this except the cabinet position. Sorry. I don't see a team player in Kamala Harris and I don't see a leader.
She'll be fabulous in the Senate where she can carve her own path and make her own name. Much like Elizabeth Warren, also not a leader or a team player.
10
It's become obvious to me that we're experiencing a regression to the mean, and the average democrat is 88 standard deviations above the Man from Failed Steaks!
Personally, I saw Kamala as ethnically 1/Trump, but egregiously similar in ego. Her career as attorney general was horrific.
So here we are, "A penny in the hand is worth two in the bush." An average democrat is worth more than absolute zero!
2
It is not a big news that Kamala Harris is out. More Democratic candidates will be out on the next weeks and months, maybe all (?). The big news is that Trump is till now Trump.
Bloomberg's campaign will be conducted entirely through the media because he has the humor of a stone effigy and the charisma of yesterday's cold oatmeal. When he ran for his illegal third term as mayor, he ended up spending about $180 per vote in order to eke out a measly few point advantage over Bill Thompson his capable but lackluster opponent. Most of Bloomberg's spending went to his slavering camp of consultants and content producers, while voters were inundated with a stultifying avalanche of ads, calls and mailbox-choking literature. My advice to you Mayor Mike, is to eliminate the middleman; why should these hangers-on get all the money? You seem to believe, like our current President, that everyone and everything is for sale, so I am hereby declaring that I will vote for you if you send me a check for $250, which accounting for inflation, is about what $180 in 2009 is today, (plus fees and expenses). I don't need to see your onslaught of gauzy ads saying precisely nothing about what you'd actually do as President, just send me the money.
41
Bye bye Kamala - wishing you all the best with your over inflated political ambitions!
6
Iowa is not a bellwether state. Too white, too rural, and too stuck in the past. The primaries, and the election, will be won in states that see and understand the future: California, Washington, Colorado, Vermont.
Trump can hold all the rallies he wants in South Carolina, Kentucky, and West Virginia. When they awaken from their opioid haze, and see how they have been played, it will be over for the GOP. It’s already happening in Texas and Georgia; only irrelevant gun loving racists from Wyoming, Indiana, and Oklahoma will remain, stranded on their oil derricks and soybean fields. Time for the grownups to return, after we boycott all Fox and Sinclair advertisers.
163
@Mike Roddy Right on, Mike. It might take another election cycle — even another recession — but the Republicans and their oligarchical, authoritarian policies have definitely run their course.
20
@Mike Roddy
We can dream!
5
@Mike Roddy Thank you. Iowa, the state currently being propped up by billions in federal tax dollars, elected Steve King. Enough said.
3
It's a bit disappointing that the Democratic primary seems to have resolved itself into the battle of the geriatrics with the Mayor of Mayberry playing spoiler. Looks like we'll have our choice between a geriatric yawn or a geriatric with a plan for everything except a way to pass any of it in congress. I guess I'll wind up going with the yawn since the latter is guaranteed to disappoint - and after 8 years of the Obama presidency I've had enough of that.
Kind of remarkable that Obama cultivated no potential successors leaving the party to default to yesterday's news. At least Hillary was 1990s; Sanders is kind of 80s; but Biden hearkens all the way back to the 70s. Think about it: Biden is so retro he can actually be attacked for his stand on busing!
7
@Gary FS: Biden was Obama's VP. He would have succeeded Obama if he had decided to run but family matters prevented him. Biden would have made a great president and I was disappointed when the dems pushed HRC forward when she had so much baggage. But I voted for her because she was the most experienced candidate by far. And this geriatric democrat will vote for ANY democrat that gets the nomination. I suggest that if this election is such a snoozer for you, you can always count on Texas being a red state. But not for long...your state is going purple as I write this. As far as you've had enough of Obama's 8 years. Yeah, no scandals, no insults from foreigners, no buddying up to putin, just constant whining about a tan suit from the GOP. I'll take boring any day over the clown car crashing the White House!
She would make a great U.S. Attorney General. Pete would make a tremendous U.S Ambassador to the United Nations if he also drops out.
4
@logic my thoughts as well. Now, we just need a winner for the top spot!
1
Pete should be VP if he doesn't get the nomination.
Even for those of us who follow poltics, I get to say Bullock and Sestak, do I know what they look like, nope. Their full names, nope. Prior jobs, nope. May the field keep shrinking and it becomes too late for anyone else to jump in.
1
Thank you Gail - you made me laugh and forget about Trump - for about 28 seconds. Then reality came crashing back into my brain with the thought that I'm not sure the Democrats have a candidate who I feel confidant about even though he/she would be running against the worst President in the history of the country. Frown.
27
Who will be the first to drive around Iowa in a corn-cob car running on ethanol?
15
If this wasn’t so funny, it would be sad. Or if this wasn’t so sad, it would be funny. Either way, thanks for a much needed laugh, again, Gail.
26
Scrabble accepts 'eeew' but not 'ewww'. Both are OK for the Biden finger bite.
20
@Lynn Ochberg
Sorry, I consider either of those spellings as something that should only come out of the mouth of 8 year old girls. From anyone older, it makes me cringe and disregard their opinion. But, in any case, I'm sorry that no one ever had such affection for you. AWWWW..
Please. We need to remember to work toward a Democrat-dominated Senate. Let's let Kamala get some experience before sending her off into the most useless of government jobs, vice president.
23
So Sestak is being ridiculed because "He tried really hard," but failed. Gail, you're better than this. By all means go after the guys who have it coming, but making fun of people just because they came up short is beneath you. Please stop it.
8
Biden is an embarrassment. He should drop out of the race.
22
@PAW -- because still leading the polls for the nomination, and still polling as most likely to beat Trump is unseemly?
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/us/2020_democratic_presidential_nomination-6730.html
There's a president who has to be voted out of office. You want embarrassment? Think of the Democrats losing again. Do that before trying to push the front runner out. Please keep the winners in the race and nominate one of them.
4
@PAW Just wait until the GOP subpoena Biden to testify in the Impeachment trial - in the middle of the nomination process. Then we might get to see some vintage Robinette.
@PAW
But you forget that the electoral college is dominated by those who like big bully clowns. I don't think of Biden so much as an embarrassment but as someone whose personality might appeal to these voters (see his NATO laugh ad) and, regardless of his gaffs, he would bring back civility, decency, intelligence, honesty, compassion, and dignity back to our nation.
4
I think that remark, "I was that little girl", kinda sent her into that slow downhill spiral, and she never was able to turn it around. Joe Biden is old, and has a bad case of foot in mouth disease, but he hasn't a racist bone in his body. Bad example for Ms. Harris to use.
56
@cherrylog754
Poor judgement from her all around. This is just the most egregious example.
My problem was everything was all about her. Management 101, Us, We, Our. Not, me, I, mine..
2
Oh, Gail. For your family and friends' sakes, I hope you're this amusing in person.
11
I used to read Gail's columns as soon as they appeared. She's keen, astute, and devilishly clever. In the age of Trump, however, I find much of what she writes silly and useless. Mild satire, particularly when it sweeps the image of the ugly, lying, pathological narcissist (and president of our country) up into it's mocking tone. It's almost an endorsement.
4
Ship of fools going up the Mississippi to Iowa. Bloomberg is the only normal one in the bunch. You know the slate is incredibly weak when even SNL universally mocks them.
6
In related news, angry Donald took his ball and went home early from the London NATO meeting after finding out that some of the other kids were making fun of him.
Donald's feelings were hurt.
At least Donald will be treated with the impeachment respect he deserves when lands back on good old patriotic American soil.
The United States Constitution and its separation of powers will be waiting for Donald when Air Force One touches down.
There will be plenty of time for the Democratic caucuses and primaries in 2020 as Democrats make the American case for reforming healthcare, infrastructure, our 0.1% Welfare Queen programs, voting rights, free and fair elections, green energy, environmental protection, rejoining the civilized world and defeating Grand Old Propaganda and the Trump Titanic on November 3 2020.
But now, it's time for the nation to prepare for a very festive, celebratory Trump Impeachment Christmas !
All in favor of holding Donald Trump accountable for the first time in his life...say 'Aye' !
Merry Impeachment, everybody....Noel....Noel !!
490
@Socrates I think there is a 50/50 chance of no impeachment vote = they will go censure and save impeachment for if Pres Trump gets re-elected. the effect of the trial on the nomination process could be huge.
5
@Socrates Trump said that because of him we can say Merry Christmas. Guess he was right.
6
@Socrates - not sure why you're so happy. He'll get impeached in the house but the senate will turn it down. He'll remain in office, and in 3 months the public will have forgotten and the news media would have moved on. Trump will continue to spin this thing as a witch hunt and that Democrats lost. The public will lap up the narrative that he is a winner who beat the losers. Not good.
2
Your comments about Tom Steyer are cheap, Gail, indeed propagandish. You fail to give him the Prodigal Son benefit of the doubt. Let those without sin cast the first stone. What else can you say is bad about Tom? What other unethical thing has he done?
Registered a million young people to vote? Funded the campaign to throw the Criminal out of the White House? Rather than be a Nero, is he wrong to want to do something to save the planet by halting global warming and, if elected President, on day one making it a national emergency. Stop with the cynicism. The hour is getting late...
14
Hints for the Biden campaign: 1) Too many syllables in malarkey. Go for one syllable like, "No Dung". 2) Start using a shock collar, like people that probably shouldn't have a dog and don't want to build a fence but want to keep their dog away from foolish adventures. 3) Always remember, how ever many faults people say you have, the President has you beat by miles and miles because he sees himself as the winner no matter the sport.
3
Whatever the problems she may have had, I am still dismayed at the oversize role money plays in these campaigns. Do I need an expensive ad campaign to tell me that Twittie is a disaster? I suspect we will never get money out of our politics and that we will continue to 'pay the price' for this arrangement.
3
I'm not a moderate and not a fan of Harris, but I'm just furious that a well-qualified women is out while no experience Mayo Pete keeps moving along.
111
@jk - now that we’re slowly (too slowly) moving down the road, I have a feeling that the bloom is starting to come off the rose for the boy wonder. Sorta like AOC (now that the progressive media frenzy has passed, her 15 minutes of fame may be over). Could it be that experience matters after all??
15
@jk Mayor Pete, Sanders and Booker are the only candidates with any executive experience. The rest are committee people.
15
@jk Pete makes sense and he has ideas that are solidified and carefully explained, especially to those of us who are paying attention to him. I don't agree with all of them, but I agree with more of his than anyone else's (and nobody's been as clear as he has on the issues). That is soooooo darned refreshing that you can't help but move him along.
42
Ho hum.
I just laugh when candidates drop out because "they can't raise money".
How about the truth? Substitute the word 'votes' for 'money' and you could start an honesty trend:
"I'm dropping out of the race because nobody is going to vote for me" is so much more honest than "I'm dropping out of the race because nobody is going to contribute to me"
Speaking of contributions, Bloomberg is not a stupid man, but his decision not to accept contributions is frankly stupid. He could probably get at least a million people to contribute a dollar each. Obviously the money isn't important to him, but showing that people are willing to contribute is. I suggest that he put a 'contribute' icon on his website, where the only option is one dollar.
Dan Kravitz
158
@Dan Kravitz Speaking of "truth", how about a candidate that stands up in front of an Iowan audience and says "No more subsidies for ethanol. It's a waste of money, and a dead end as far as a fuel additive. You'll have to sell your corn on the open market, or find something else to grow, because we can't afford as a nation to continue to pay people to grow corn we don't need." I would vote for that candidate.
43
@Dan Kravitz
At least she didn't say that she's dropping out because she wants to spend more time with her family.
19
@Dan Kravitz
Or that other tired howler - "I want to spend more time with my family"
No you don't.
5
"Harris blamed her campaign’s collapse on a lack of money. “I am not a billionaire,” she said in her farewell tweet."
- did she take responsibility for her disorganized campaign? don't recall that she did
- she lacked money because she ran a badly managed campaign and had a flip floppy message
This so-called "electability" issue versus how a candidate runs a campaign and sticks to a solid, consistent message are two different things. The former has no bearing on the latter, but the latter determines the former.
The media blabberers who try to make “electability” about an -ism are not doing our democracy any good.
4
It's actually pretty simple, I think. The Democratic field represents, more or less, our indecision about how much risk to take to do 2 things: destroy trump and start moving ahead again.
Are we satisfied with just defeating trump and then go back to 2016? Or do we want to defeat him and leap forward to tackle the gigantic problems that trump is worsening?
Moreover, with Biden winning, would we even go back to 2016? Would he do the necessary thing by reversing all trump policies as soon as humanly possible? At the same time as pivoting to a truly progressive future needed to come even close to solving our problems? I don't think he would. I don't see energy and ideas emanating from Biden. I don't see much at all, except a perceived "safe bet" combined with Obama nostalgia.
Obama is wonderful but times have changed, even in just 4 years. Safe bets are no longer enough. We do need to tear down a corrupt system. Climate and social injustice are titanic threats to the planet. We need more than Biden can offer.
67
@Murray Bolesta - great! Come up with a plan to win control of the Senate and keep the House so actual legislation can be put into effect.
PS - I think Biden, with his experience in the White House and the sheer number of people in government he knows, would be a good choice to undo the vandalism going on in the Executive Branch.
16
@Murray Bolesta I think Biden speaks the Progressive talk because this campaign requires it - but he doesn't believe it really. He is a pro-wall street elitest like Hilary Clinton and Barak Obama.
VP choice is going to be key with a likely 70+ year old in the top spot - and possibly a needed 51st vote in the Senate.
There is not much any Democratic President can do about Climate and Social Injustice without a Congress to go with it. And when any party takes control - their internal factions cause them problems.
4
Biden is well past his prime and needs to drop out of the race as soon as possible. We need to stop pretending that a fading old man can both beat Trump and be a halfway decent president, and pick a viable nominee.
1
In 2016, Trump won because enough people thought he would eventually "become presidential" and HRC simply lacked the capacity to inspire voters in sufficient numbers (at least as far as the Electoral College was concerned). Now everyone has had three long years to see who Trump really is. From bogus inauguration crowd numbers to falsified hurricane maps, to emoluments violations and obvious nepotism, to tax cuts for the wealthy, to trying to repeal the ACA and replace it with nothing, to eviscerating environmental regulations and wholly abdicating leadership responsibility in the fight against climate change, to Charlottesville, to "enemies of the people," to Putin and Erdogan and Kim and on and on. Anyone ... Anyone ... that Democrats nominate should be able to beat Trump at this point. Those who still support him should be written off as lost causes. And impeachment should help Democrats with the election next year. At this stage, we should be focused on turning out the Democratic vote. That would be the most effective use of our time right now.
136
@Blue Moon Democrats can still lose by making a wing of their party angry for being left out. And if the Dems make the mistake of an all white ticket - then you can be certain that Pence will have health problems necessitating him to leave the ticket.
I lived the PA 7th district when Joe Sestak ran for congress. I voted for him. In spite of his self opinion, he is not presidential material. But the PA 7th district would be well seved by him in congress.
9
One of the more fascinating aspects of the presidential race is the mystery of what makes a person acceptable and eventually electable. In a huge and diverse nation like the USA, it gets incredibly complicated, but there are some basics. I happen to like Elizabeth Warren both for her smarts and for her crisp personality (OK, I'm a pushover for her dog too). I liked laid-back Obama and his family. Republicans seem stiff and a bit mean, but maybe one reason Trump "won" (by what congressional Republicans call an "Electoral College landslide," an oxymoron meaning "the loser takes it all"), was his difference from the crowd. I'm hoping that won't hold for his second try--sure, a lot of his mesmerized followers will stay the course, but will that carnival chutzpah hold out with the majority? If it does, we may all be taking Russian classes by 2022.
55
Candidates who decide to jump into a national election on the spur of the moment, even with gazillions of money, will fail. It’s apparent that it takes a lot of organization and a lot of thinking about policies and issues. Regrettably, Senator Harris had neither. Bloomberg is also pretty poor on the hope in the future ideas. He just wants to save the status quote. Though he could connect with voters if he could only share with them his trading algorithms, or the friendly information he gets from his Wall Street and corporate chums - now, that would be a game changer.
8
The current new 'status quote' is 'No Malarkey'.
"I’ll bet you don’t even know what Bullock and Sestak look like. "
I do, actually (watched their talks on line, even went to a Sestak reception)
I also know that Bullock fought for campaign finance reform both as AG (where he took a case to the Supreme Court) and Governor of Montana (where he passed restrictions on the use of PAC money through a Republican-controlled legislature).
Joe Sestak was an excellent Congressman, an Admiral who led a carrier group in the Persian Gulf and served on Clinton's national security council and, in addition to foreign policy expertise has, among other ideas, good plans for retraining displaced workers.
Every place they spoke about these issues they contributed value to our democracy. Campaigns should be seen as a conversation on important issues, not March Madness brackets or a show of America's Got Political Talent.
The press should have used some of the column inches wasted with obsessive early days polling and demographics to tell us a lot more about these two public servants.
Just because they hadn't built up national name recognition by leaping in front of microphones for years (or being billionaires buying ads) doesn't mean that accomplished people like Sestak and Bullock should be dismissed by the national press from day one of their campaigns.
422
@Lynn
“The press should have used some of the column inches wasted with obsessive early days polling and demographics to tell us a lot more about these two public servants.”
Yes! Precisely this! I am only passingly familiar with these two candidates, but not for want of reading the news. If a fraction of the space devoted to polls and popularity projections were spent on the actual substance of the policy proposals and character of candidates, we would be much better served.
113
@Lynn Yes. One of the good things about having so many Democratic candidates is that these people are running around the country spreading good ideas — the green new deal, universal health care, strengthening social security in town halls and other meetings all over the country. They might not get the coverage of Trump's Hitleresque rallies, but they are persuading and educating thousands of people.
68
@Lynn It was the debate rules that sunk their campaigns. Montana should have moved their primary/caucus into Feb or March and then his high standing in the state could have gotten Bullock in a debate. I think a lot of people might have taken a second look.
23
Funny... but, alas, not funny. Starting to think Plato and Madison were right about democracy.
10
Kamala Harris's timing was all wrong. She stirred up controversy with candidates such as Biden then could not follow through with anything but a criticism. Then Biden was targeted by Trump and her complaints just seemed mean spirited. She could have been a law and order candidates but some things she did as California AG seemed , how should I put this, out of sink with Democrat's ideals. As a Senator she has time to show us her true stuff. There is more to her than meets the eye, and I wish her well.
52
Maybe this wasn’t such a bad week for the Democratic party, though.
On the other side, we just heard a compelling case that the sitting president has committed impeachable offenses, and his defenders have only grandstanding to their name. Even Giuliani let slip that he has ‘insurance’ against Trump.
Whomever we nominate will be better than the incumbent. Literally, anyone would be.
205
@NM perhaps - but if the Democrats choose an all non-progressive ticket you can expect a lot of progressives to stay home - again.
To many far left progressives up to 4 more years of trump is better for their cause than 16 years of Dem Moderates (Pres and then Vice Pres as Pres)
@Paul - If these far-left “progressives” want to petulantly hurt our country by not voting blue even if their preferred candidate(s) isn’t the primary winner (as many of them did when Bernie didn’t win), well, the majority of Democrats and Independents, and even some Republicans, will just have to win without the help of the lefties. And are those lefties really so ignorant as to think that an authoritarian government will treat them kindly before that revolution they expect to happen under Trump?
3
@Paul
This progressive will not stay home and I doubt any of my progressive friends will. We as a nation cannot suffer through four more years of a man who is obviously mentally and emotionally off balance.
3
Harris's choice for campaign manager was probably not the best, given the lack of organization.
Harris has many positives, AG of California is a pretty good credential and she would be good matchup as VP nominee in a tough 2020 campaign, regardless of who Pence chooses as his running mate.
And Kamala would be a great US AG, especially when the most immediate comparison is William Barr, who holds some medievel views of executive authority.
132
@Look Ahead
If Kamala Harris can't manage a presidential campaign, how will she manage the DOJ? It would be better to bring back Sally Yates, who is really impressive and has many years of experience at DOJ.
1