Why on Earth are we even talking about Joe Biden??? This is the continued ridiculousness of the DNC. Can you not hear us... It is a progressive's turn; not more of the same milquetoast corporate Democrat types.
3
@Nature Why are you separating the democrats into an "us" and "them"? That's no way to win this election. It has to be "us democrats" or even better "us those who are against Trump" including republicans and independents. This election is about Trump vs Not Trump, period. If you don't feel that way, I hope that you change your mind by November.
3
In case no one noticed the Hunter and Ukraine talk emanating from the WH etc. stopped after Sanders appeared to be leading. If Biden is the candidate or comes out near the top after Tuesday it will be all Ukraine all the time again, complete with proposed
Senate hearings and "leaks" of investigations and / or findings.
1
A Sanders nomination would be a trainwreck.
1. He is least likely to win vs. Trump.
2. He will drag down Senate and House candidates in swing districts.
3. Even if elected he wouldn't be able to get much done. Even assuming the Democrats win the Senate, it would only be a one- or two-vote majority, and there are too many Red State Democratic senators who will vote with Republicans on many of Sanders' initiatives.
4. His candidacy will polarize the country even more.
5. He would only be a one-term President
6. He doesn't have the kind of accomplishments and personal skills to make things happen in Washington.
2
@Peter
5. He would only be a one-term President
- What's wrong with that?
- But yes, we should pay attention to who he picks for Veep.
6. He doesn't have the kind of accomplishments and personal skills to make things happen in Washington.
- Sanders single-handedly redefined the issues that most Americans are now talking about: healthcare, climate change, income inequality, and so forth.
- He re-framed the national conversation.
- That is leadership.
Bernie Sanders was not my first choice among the Democratic hopefuls. But he is my favorite among those who are left. And I enthusiastically support him as the Democratic nominee for president.
4
@Peter
1. He is least likely to win vs. Trump.
- False. Sanders does as well or better than Biden or Bloomberg against Trump in polls, especially in the swing states where the electoral college matters.
-https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-general/
2. He will drag down Senate and House candidates in swing districts.
- Possible, but dubious.
- It is a tradeoff between increased D turnout, and hardened Trumpy R turnout in response. Probably a wash.
3. Even if elected he wouldn't be able to get much done.
- That is true for any Democrat who wins the White House in 2020.
- Look at what McConnell did to obstruct Obama from 2010 to 2016. That would happen to any Democratic president in 2021, including Biden or Bloomberg (unless we take back the Senate).
4. His candidacy will polarize the country even more.
- I don't think it is possible to polarize our country any more than it already is under Mr. Trump.
- At least Bernie wants to help people. Mr. Trump (and his supporters) are only concerned about how much he can "hurt the right people" (as one of them said).
Bernie Sanders was not my first choice among the Democratic hopefuls. But he is my favorite among those who are left. And I enthusiastically support him as the Democratic nominee for president.
3
Well now, I guess the Democratic hot shots are going to crow now, as Amy Klobuchar has thrown in the towel. Democrats espousing the moderate mantra may not be so thrilled after super Tuesday. Bernie Sanders is very strong still, he's got a seasons campaign machine and he's drawn even more support than he did during his first national campaign. Besides, a lot of people especially among the young who don't general turn out to vote, are very excited about someone who proposes real change. Does anyone really think Joe Biden or Michael Bloomberg with all their distasteful baggage going to win the hearts and minds? South Carolina was an outlier. I think this nomination will be Sanders in the end, so Democrats take care what names you use.
5
@GMT I'm not a Sanders supporter but if he's the nominee I will support him against Trump. If only because he will stop the dismemberment of our government Cabinet functions, and the loyalist right-wing appointments of unqualified jurists. But I don't think he will accomplish much beyond that -- he'll have Congress in his way.
If he doesn't win the nomination though, will his fervent supporters do the same? If they sit on their hands again, we get four more years of corrupt ineptitude and mafia-don machinations with Trump. I really hope they 'vote blue no matter who.'
1
It is the greatest of ironies that we now have a Democratic Socialist as our leading candidate who chose the USSR for his honeymoon at a time when its leader was the first to be younger than 74 years old in twenty years.
At 78 years old this otherwise geriatric with a bad ticker is now 20 years older than was Gorbachev was at the time of Gorbachev became Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
@Mary Elizabeth Lease
What is your point?
We have a fascist currently sitting in the oval office. It can, and has, happened here.
I'll take a "socialist" any day over a fascist.
4
I wish Mayor Pete well, and a long future in American politics.
I hope he spends some quiet time reflecting on ways he could have been a candidate whose words and policies resonate for people of color.
I think he has the open mind and compassion to be a great president if he does that.
And so we are clear: I don’t mean just sound better but actually be better. He is young. He has time to do this.
2
@Lydia: your implication is that Mayor Pete somehow didn't promise you enough? If you want better times, "ask not what your country can do for you..."
we are definitely at the apotheosis of the political dynamic of two competing political entities taking on the characteristics their opponent.
Russia's leader is 67 and in power for as long as he wants to be.
The top three contenders for leadership of the US have an average age of 77.
Our youngest candidates are women and one of them is being hounded out of the race—purged— by those with an agenda other than defeating Trump in November.
Putin is smiling and Trump is laughing up his sleeve.
Bloomberg is the unknown factor. Will his crazed ad blitz actually produce a sizable number of votes for him?
Without Bloomberg we'd have a two person race with Senator Warren as a largely irrelevant extra factor and Senator Klobuchar as a completely irrelevant extra.
Bloomberg is the one major Democratic candidate that I despise. Aside from my personal attitude there is a major, major problem with a Sanders v Bloomberg contest.
Said problem is that very few Sanders supporters would come out to vote for Bloomberg in November and quite likely vice versa.
That leaves Biden & Warren as the possible "unity" candidates. Neither of them is that well suited to the role. Biden is too "establishment" and Warren is too "insurgent".
If Biden does better on Tuesday than Bloomberg then Bloomberg should definitely drop out. Then we'll find out where Democratic voters are, reform or revolution.
To be clear, I will support the eventual nominee and not just with my vote. I'm just not that confident that some others won't sit out November or waste their votes.
1
@Jack Toner
I despise him, too. And I note that some of the accomplishments his ads claim belong to him actually occurred during Giuliano’s years in Gracie Mansion.
And I am forever grateful to Warren for the last two debated.
Re: "...unite behind a single stop-Sanders candidate..."
Why stop Sanders?
What could Trump offer against these?:
Medicare for All
Green New Deal
College For All
Housing for All
Expand Social Security
Honoring Our Commitment to Veterans
Free Child Care and Pre-K for All
Eliminating Medical Debt
Reinvest in Public Education
Tax on Extreme Wealth
Racial Justice
Free and Fair Elections
Revitalizing Rural America
Responsible Foreign Policy
Women's Rights
Get Corporate Money Out of Politics
LGBTQ+ Equality
Fighting for Disability Rights
Empower Puerto Rico
Gun Safety
Legalizing Marijuana
Empowering Tribal Nations
Jobs for All
Fair Trade
Corporate Accountability and Democracy
1
If we as democratic voters don't see the greed, avarice, fraud, and downright unpatriotic nature of neoliberals like Biden, we will continue to suffer from massive income inequality, we will continue with constant wars in order for corporations to make a blessed buck, continue with corporations putting profit over the environment, continue to be the only industrialized democracy without healthcare for its taxpaying citizens as a right. Republicans are a lost cause but must we be?
6
Time for Amy Klobuchar to drop out as well and for both to endorse Joe Biden.
@MR
Time for Amy Klobuchar to receive equal treatment as a woman.
2
Biden vs. Sanders comes down to the battle between two "selfish old guys" just wanting their final glory, their "last hurrah" like Ralph Nader tried for in 2000. The only hope with them is for a dynamic vice president running mate who can appeal to disaffected Republicans as well as 2016 stay at home Democrats.
On another point, I am puzzled by all the writing for Super Tuesday's differing outcome after the South Carolina primary. The writers seem to not consider all the early mail-in voting these days. In California, we could mail in our ballots as early as February 4th. If this was true in other Super Tuesday states, the primary tomorrow was decided long ago.
1
@Lynne Shapiro
Stacey Abrams for VP with Biden
It may be a two man contest but I don’t expect everyone else to drop out... the potential reward for second place is huge. Both of the leaders are old men who are very unlikely to run (or survive) for a second term and thus the VP slot will be a huge step up for 2024 and everyone except Biden and Sanders is running for second place.
1
I do hope Joe Biden isn't expecting to pick up Pete Buttigieg's supporters. Everyone I know who planned to vote for him have shifted their support to Elizabeth Warren. She is the next closest thing to Pete intellectually and in the well thought out details of her plans for the country.
6
@Robert Adams Hardly! Pete is against Medicare for all and college debt forgiveness. If anything, his views are more aligned with Biden's. Buttigieg was impressive in his own right. But he was also the centrist choice for people who had misgivings about Biden's age and slurred speech. If anything, Buttigieg was the anyone-but-Bernie-and-Warren choice.
So, your choice will be Biden or Sanders? The election will then come down to a choice between your loyalty to your candidate or your loyalty to the survival of this country. Put your candidate before your country and it’s four more years of Trump. It’s that simple!
1
@J
Yes, Sanders knows how to talk to rural voters with outsized power in the electoral college.
Sanders gets 70% of the vote in rural Vermont, including Republican and Independent votes.
Sanders gets standing ovations from rural Republicans and rural Independents in his healthcare town Halls.
Sanders has individual donors in rural, suburban, as urban districts, all across the country. See "The Donors That Power the Campaign of Bernie Sanders." (NY Times 2/1/20).
Sanders doesn't focus on gun control because it would lose him rural votes.
Sanders has the most individual donors and their money is more than the Bidens donations, including corporate donations. Sanders got $46 million last month all from Individual Donors, who can keep giving, because they are nowhere near the limit.
Sanders has the biggest ground game with volunteers in every state, and they are the most internet savvy.
The only candidate besides Trump who can fill stadiums besides Trump is Bernie Sanders.
Most of the polls show Sanders has the biggest advantage over Trump.
Republicans and Independents hate establishment Democrats MORE than they hate socialsts. Every time the establishment attacks Bernie he picks up more support.
Stop assuming Sanders can't win and start looking at the actual evidence that he will win.
Sanders is the candidate that can win in the electoral college.
4
@McGloin Bernie is also way, way behind in black support and that is pretty much the death knell for his presidential prospects. He gets the angry white millennial vote for sure, but that is a notoriously fickle demographic. It is entirely feasible that a number of them, in college, will take an economics course and learn how stunningly damaging Bernie's policy positions are to the viability of the U.S. economy.
1
The Florida presidential primary is in two weeks. My sample ballot has 16 candidates, most of whom are no longer campaigning. Under Florida law, however, a candidate who dropped out of the race after the formal deadline in early December 2019 remains on the list. While those who have withdrawn are unlikely to receive many votes, they will probably get some and could conceivably have an impact on the outcome.
In 2008, five individuals who had dropped out collectively received almost 6% in Florida. In 2016, Martin O'Malley quit six weeks before the primary and still received more than 2%. True, neither example affected the order of results, but that could happen in a close contest.
2
Two questions about the implications of Biden's win in South Carolina: 1) Are African-Americans there any more politically representative of African-Americans generally than are white Americans there; or is that unjustifiable racial stereo typing?
2) Why is so much attention paid to Democrate voters in those states that have no chance of electorially going Democrate in November?
6
I’ve lived in S.C. for 12 years before recently moving to Georgia and the African American community is incredibly socially conservative and that drives their politics. I don’t know if more urban areas are willing to support a liberal democrat but I suspect that they are based on what I’ve read here and elsewhere
2
@Greg Harper Your two points are, of course, tied together. A yes answer to #1 also answers #2. Are you trying to make a point without coming out and stating it?
Black voters in SC may or may not be fairly similar in their approach to politics as compared to black voters in other states. It's an empirical question and no it's not racial stereotyping to consider such a question.
Now I know that back in the day states that were supportive of a given party had more delegates to the convention than their population would have indicated. And less supportive states had less. No one talks about this anymore.
I took a look. From Ballotopedia: "The number of delegates awarded to each state is determined by a formula that factors the state's popular vote for the Democratic nominee in the previous three elections, the state's electoral votes, and when the state's primary is held."
So SC had fewer delegates than they could have. Which seems reasonable to me. I wouldn't want to shut out the Democrats in a red state. We'd like to grow our party in such states and cutting them off would imply that we aren't ever even going to try. But blue states deserve a larger voice.
So that brings us back to your first question except I would ditch the comparison with white voters, seems completely irrelevant. Either SC's black voters can give us insights into black voters elsewhere or not. This question is eminently researchable. Or we can wait and see what happens this year.
I hope to see Buttigieg in the cabinet of the Democratic administration in 2021!
10
Democrats cannot put too much stock in Joe Biden's victory in South Carolina for two simple reasons:
1) South Carolina will be in Trump's column in November.
2) The Black vote is not monolithic.
Firstly, if the Democrats win South Carolina in November, that would indicate that we have pulled off the greatest national victory since LBJ. I would expect a Senate supermajority for the Democrats and a start to realigning the Supreme Court toward something resembling a "normal" non-partisan branch of the government, yes, what it was originally intended to be under the Constitution!
It is far more important to see who - among the remaining candidates - has the greatest support in "swing states" such as Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Want to win Ohio and the Midwest? Offer Pete or Amy the Veep spot!
Secondly, why is the Black community treated like lemmings? Blacks in South Carolina do not speak for those in Miami, Pittsburgh and Cleveland! Let's quit stereotyping. Want to win Texas and Florida? Kamala, Cory or even Julian as our second.
We keep hearing about "people of color" and "the black and brown communities" but the real challenge is to get to the point where we stop seeing the divisions among citizens of this country. In the meantime, the Democrats have to put their money where their mouths are, that is, a real commitment to a platform for reform rather than lip service.
Build it and they will vote!
5
Pundits and armchair critics have been doubting Biden for the last year, looking for the downside in his every accomplishment. They swore his candidacy was over even when the polls showed, time and time again, that the people were still with him. His age, his gaffes, his vote on Iraq--all these things were supposed to end Biden's campaign, but didn't.
This gatekeeping has gone on long enough. It's time that Democratic "experts" finally stop trying to convince the electorate that they don't know their own choices. Most voters don't care about gaffes or a vote someone cast almost twenty years ago and already apologized for. Let the people speak for themselves.
5
@Autumn
In the first week of his campaign Biden bragged about his ability to work with White Supremacists when he was in the Senate.
That's a gaffe from a few months ago.
The fact that Biden would say such a thing shows that he does not understand the modern electorate. He cannot complete a full sentence (a stutter is not an excuse for a presidential candidate to further what he was talking about), got caught plagiarizing, etc.
@McGloin Why is that a gaffe? An effective politician makes lemonade out of lemons rather than pouting, tantruming and refusing to get things done until someone meets their level of purity. That's simply not how the real world works.
1
@McGloin
And yet, he still won by an overwhelming margin in South Carolina, a Deep Southern state where the Democratic electorate is mainly black. If those voters cared about Biden's gaffes, they wouldn't have voted for him. It's not like they lacked for other options, after all.
Have any of the pundits considered that my Buttegig vote may actually go to Bernie, now that Pete is no longer an option?
I guess we shall see how things transpire tomorrow and if they’re in line with everyone’s predictions.
9
@Rikki Jensen The question then is why you didn't support Bernie over Buttigieg in the first place. There must be something about Bernie's positions or candidacy that gives you pause. Hmm... something to think about.
1
Neither Bernie nor Biden is my first choice, but it does look like it has boiled down to those two. There are lots of reasons I don't want Sanders, so it looks like I'll be voting for Biden.
On the plus side, Biden will pick competent staff and listen to them. He still has a lot of good will out there. And if we're worried about him running out of steam once in a while, just remember Ronald Reagan (the Republican Messiah) served two successful terms with dementia.
16
@Madeline Conant and look where that got us.
3
@Madeline Conant you do still have more than two choices, you know. Just because the media is attempting to narrow everything down, doesn't mean your vote tomorrow, and that of others, can't lift up Warren, for example.
@Barbara Harman Yes, Madeline Conant could simply toss her vote into the rubbish bin by supporting a candidate like Warren who now has zero chance of winning the nomination.
A contest between Biden and Sanders is a good test of the true character and mindset of the Democratic voters. I believe the rest of the field should now graciously fold, as did Mayor Pete, so that we have more clarity. I believe both Biden and Sanders could beat Trump, and would make good presidents (as indeed the entire democratic field). Now we need to let the primary voters decide who is their nominee, and stop the gossiping. As Nancy Pelosi made clear, we will whole-heartedly support the eventual Democratic nominee, whoever it is.
10
I strongly supported Mayor Pete and do not regret my early vote for him. But he made a wise decision. It is time for the other moderates (and Warren) to drop out and back Biden so that Sanders can be stopped. Bernie will never defeat Trump, and I'm not even confident that Biden can either, but he has the best chance of all of them.
34
@John
Bernie knows how to talk to rural voters that the electoral college helped put Trump in the White House.
The only thing Republicans and Independents hate more than socialists is establishment Democrats. Not being a "real Democrat" is an ADVANTAGE against Trump.
If swing voters wanted an establishment Centrist, Jeb or Hillary would be president now. Every establishment center candidate lost in 2016.
Stop assuming that billionaire owned. MSNBC has your best interest at heart. They keep attacking Bernie to protect their profits and corporate tax cuts
4
@McGloin
I'm just not sure how I feel about someone from Brooklyn telling me Bernie how to talk to me....
1
@McGloin Bernie will lose for two simple reasons: higher taxes on the middle class and SOCIALISM. Both are complete non-starters. And then when you factor in the fact that he has not been fully vetted (and the GOP's dossiers on him are extensive), there is that element of uncertainty that will always follow Bernie. Biden has nothing to hide and his been in full view of the public for decades with a track record that goes along with it. For all of Bernie's platitudes, he has only a couple of minor bills with his name on it along with some unfortunate votes (e.g., against the Brady Bill) on his track record. Between his lack of accomplishments, the ill will he has generated from without/within the DNC and the prospect of a tanking Bernie economy in a country full of boomers relying on nest eggs that provide reliable returns, Bernie is simply radioactive. There is a reason why the MAJORITY of Democrats in this country are still not supporting him and that his base of support comes from low-information voters, i.e., millennials.
1
It would be disastrous for the Democrats to select Bernie or Warren and go far, far left. They will not only lose the general election but likely damage the party for years to come.
I happen to be a Mike Bloomberg fan but it has become clear that his lack of preparedness to address his past sins and his "Mr Spock" lack of empathy are likely fatal. It's time for the Democrats to get behind a centrist and the only viable one is Biden. It's time for Mike Bloomberg to acknowledge this and put his vast fortune behind Joe Biden. Biden + Stacy Abrams+ Mike Bloomberg's funds and the Democrats have a real shot of winning.
31
@Chris you obviously have not only not been paying any attention to national favorability polling, exit polling from the caucuses and primaries, head to head match up polls, polling on where people stand on issues like M4A, etc or pretty much any polls in the last 3/4 years.....
14
@Chris Please enlighten us about what medicare for all or the wealthy paying their fair share is "far left"? Ideas that are widely popular by most Americans.
19
Democrats have a problem with the electoral college because it gives rural voters who lean Republican more power than urban voters.
Who has the most individual donors that are most spread out across RURAL, suburban, and urban districts all over the map?
Who gets standing ovations from rural Republicans and rural Independents in his healthcare town halls?
Who can't be accused of trying to take guns (or super-sized sodas) from rural voters?
Who gets 70% of the vote in rural Vermont, including Republican and Independent voters?
Who has real a movement of energetic, smart, creative activists (who the Democratic establishment keeps attacking as extreme, while they demand we compromise with violent white supremacists). This movement is by far the biggest ground game and online presence.
Who actually wants to invest in America and Americans instead of global corporations owned by global shareholders? (Warren dropped over 10% in polls after watering down her M4All plan!)
Who raised the most money from actual voters?
Who is the only candidate besides Trump that FILLS STADIUMS?
The only thing Republicans and Independents hate more than socialists is establishment Democrats.. They hate Biden. Who gains credibility with them every time the establishment Democrats attack him?
Don't assume.
All of the evidence says that Bernie Sanders gets the rural votes that wins the electoral college, and that Bernie has the grassroots energy, the money, and the broad support to beat Trump.
8
Buttigieg is the rock star of the Democratic party and of America. Of all the candidates he has the highest sizzle. His concepts and plans too have huge merit and are right up there. He got stalled only because of his baggage towards the minorities. His baggage does not look like it was due to prejudice but rather because of lack of experience. He has grown since then.
The fact that he has pulled himself out at this stage shows that he has put the party and country above his own ego. His withdrawal will help Biden and if Biden now wins it will be due to Buttigieg's move.
He is an out of the box leader in so many ways. America needs his incisive competence and he deserves a place in the next cabinet. He will also make a shinning, sizzling Vice President.
Buttigieg has cast history in such a winning way that his loss is a win win for himself, for the Democratic party and for America.
61
Democrats have a problem with the electoral college because it gives rural voters who lean Republican more power than urban voters.
Who has the most individual donors that are most spread out across RURAL, suburban, and urban districts all over the map?
Who gets standing ovations from rural Republicans and rural Independents in his healthcare town halls?
Who can't be accused of trying to take guns (or super-sized sodas) from rural voters?
Who gets 70% of the vote in rural Vermont, including Republican and Independent voters?
Who has real a movement of energetic, smart, creative activists (who the Democratic establishment keeps attacking as extreme, while they demand we compromise with violent white supremacists). This movement is by far the biggest ground game and online presence.
Who actually wants to invest in America and Americans instead of global corporations owned by global shareholders? (Warren dropped over 10% in polls after watering down her M4All plan!)
Who raised the most money from actual voters?
Who is the only candidate besides Trump that FILLS STADIUMS?
The only thing Republicans and Independents hate more than socialists is establishment Democrats.. They hate Biden. Who gains credibility with them every time the establishment Democrats attack him
All of the evidence says that Bernie Sanders gets the rural votes that wins the electoral college, and that Bernie has the grassroots energy, the money, and the broad support to beat Trump.
3
@Sajidkhan I agree, but will add the constant harping about lack of minority support by the NYT including Mr. Epstein did not help. No other candidate got this...Amy was at 0%-1% and they endorsed her. Congratulations editorial board for helping to bring a great candidate down.
Democrats have a problem with the electoral college because it gives rural voters who lean Republican more power than urban voters.
Who has the most individual donors that are most spread out across RURAL, suburban, and urban districts all over the map?
Who gets standing ovations from rural Republicans and rural Independents in his healthcare town halls?
Who can't be accused of trying to take guns (or super-sized sodas) from rural voters?
Who gets 70% of the vote in rural Vermont, including Republican and Independent voters?
Who has real a movement of energetic, smart, creative activists (who the Democratic establishment keeps attacking as extreme, while they demand we compromise with violent white supremacists). This movement is by far the biggest ground game and online presence.
Who actually wants to invest in America and Americans instead of global corporations owned by global shareholders? (Warren dropped over 10% in polls after watering down her M4All plan!)
Who raised the most money from actual voters?
Who is the only candidate besides Trump that FILLS STADIUMS?
The only thing Republicans and Independents hate more than socialists is establishment Democrats.. They hate Biden. Who gains credibility with them every time the establishment Democrats attack him?
Don't assume.
All of the evidence says that Bernie Sanders gets the rural votes that wins the electoral college, and that Bernie has the grassroots energy, the money, and the broad support to beat Trump.
5
What does moderate mean? Which Democrat is gonna vote no on universal health care? Gun measures? Child care assistance? Climate action? What tha flip is a moderate? They are all going to divert funds from rich to poor and middle class.
Im glad that S. Carolina evidently wasn't listening to media and voted Biden. I love Uncle Joe but I never really believed he was in this race due to desire but more out in a sense of duty to save America and all that she stands for. I'm glad Steyer and Mayor Pete dropped out. Tulsi needs to go b4 she got started but won't. Probably looking to stir up the pot. GOP would be better for her. While I do believe in the impossible that Bernie is running on, his health is concerning. We got people to the moon when no one believed it would happen. Universal health care is possible. But we already have a guy that won't show his taxes and clean bill of health. Transparency is important.
2
South Carolina and Alabama haven't decided anything in Democratic politics since desegregation.
9
@Don Ritchie 100% wrong. South Carolina has consistently selected the eventual Democratic nominee. I believe one of the only exceptions was John Edwards; however, he was the hometown favorite, so that was an anomaly.
BIDEN / WARREN is a truly winning ticket.
5
@Brez Nope. Too old. Too white. I think having a younger person of color, especially a woman of color, is essential for a Biden ticket. I think Stacy Abrams, Kamala Harris, Corey Booker and Andrew Gillum would be no-brainers. Andrew Yang would be an interesting choice too.
Biden should team with Klobuchar as VP. That would be a slam dunk and assure Klobuchar the presidency next cycle should he choose not to run.
2
People have strange views about how Butigeg dropping out effects the race. People act like like this will result in a Biden surge. Based on polling data, the mayor's supporters go roughly equally between Sanders, Warren, and Biden.
Pundits make a big to do about political "lanes" but people rarely vote based on policy or ideology. Many people supported Butigeg because he was young. Many did because he would be the first gay president. Many did because he was attractive looking. Manu did because they liked his speeches. Many did because their friends and family did. Many did because they liked his ads. Many did because they were from Indiana and wanted a president from the same region they were. Many did because they thought him more electable than the rest
The better predictor of where votes will end up is not ideology but rather demographics. Sanders gets the youn part of the South Bend mayor's coalition. Biden gets the old without college degree part of his coalition. And Warren gets the college educated.
This dies hurt the Vermont senator, but not because of a Biden surge. He is hurt because it may push more candidates above the viability threshold on Super Tuesday.
5
@Matt ...and many did because he was not from the radical left wing of the party (Bernie, Warren). Supporting Bernie or Warren after supporting Buttigieg is too sharp of a leftward turn for most.
A Bernie nomination would be Money Mike's best contribution to the Democratic process this year.
2
I commend Pete Buttiegieg for making a self-sacrificing, mature decision for the best of the Democratic Party. There are others still around who have not have not been so selfless. I hope Democrats remember this in the future.
11
Don't get "lost in ideology."
I fear that that is synonymous with not really standing for anything other than the status quo. As Mr. Buttigieg was selling himself and not really any proposals other than the safest ones, for example, being in favor of a public option, it's not surprising that that is what he wants.
Mr. Buttigieg came from an upper middle class background and has had a life faced with few financial challenges which might make him think that our economic system was fixed against those who have faced them on a continuing basis.
2
You're insulting Buttigieg supporters in asserting we'd support Bloomberg.
One is articulate, disciplined, thoughtful, inspiring, and middle or upper-middle class. The other is transactional, arrogant, completely out of touch with the population, and has a record of trampling on civil liberties.
One has run a campaign focused on the electorate; effectively recast the religious debate; and raised money by earning the respect and support of millions of Americans. The other is completely self-referential, a television candidate, and has bought his way into the race with his billion-dollar fortune.
Where's the empirical support for the claim in this article?
12
Sanders is much too divisive and explosive. We would have another 4 years of chaos. Biden is the only choice. The others should drop out with the same dignity as Buttigieg.
12
Huh? Trump will wipe the floor with Biden. Why don't you people get this? This is how we lost 2016. Sanders is out to make real change. America is going to fall behind. Like Nina Simone said, going to slow will bring more tragedy.
10
@Philip W
Stop believing ridiculous propaganda.
Bernie pushes programs that would help most people. That is uniting.
Bernie has the most individual donors and they are speaking across rural, suburban, and urban areas. The corner is already untilling behind him.
Biden is the explosive one. Biden is the one that was yelling at a voter in a town hall, called him fat, then challenging him to a wrestling match! Biden is the one that keeps threatening to take Trump behind a barn, calling for violence just like Trump.
You can't beat Trump on his own turf, by calling for violence, and throwing insults around. Ask Rubio how effective insulting Trump's was.
You have to offer a contrast to Trump.
@Mr. Pious
No. Bernie, like Trump, wants chaos. He and his followers want to tear down the U.S. like Bernie has done since praising Castro, the Sandinista, and Russia during the Cold war.
You and the other chaos clowns seem to forhey that most of the Democratic party members live in the center of this country and they don't want Bernie-type socialist regimes.
You also forget that the battleground States dont like Bernie.
Bernie is just like Ralph Nader..a spoiler wjo only cares about destruction.
1
Biden had one win and he acts hes the frontrunner again lol. Those are older, more conservative African Americans(AA,) also it is ONE state. He acts like they speak for all AA. Nationally, Bernie Sanders is now surpassing Biden with AA, and he definitely surpasses him with Hispanics. Say what you want about Sanders' "radical" ideas, (although...really? Lol) if your argument is we need someone to beat Trump...Sanders beats Trump more than Biden and any other candidate. In 2016 he brought voters from the Republican and Independent sides, and will do it this time in bigger numbers. Come on DNC, mainstream/corporate media etc admit it....the REAL issue is the elite not wanting to pay more taxes ,even though they will still be filthy, ungodly rich. Its gross!!
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@Lauren Demascola
Sanders and his socialist followers dont beling in the Democratic Party. If you think that there are enough to take control of the US government then form your own party and run on Bernies chaos theories
1
What happens to Buttigieg's delegates?
With Coronavirus/CORVID, we are moving toward a major global crisis of both health and economics.
Trump is completely incompetent – things will continue to get worse.
But could Sanders really deal with a crisis of world financial markets?
We need an American leader who can work together with our allies and trading partners on this.
Biden, as a boring but reliable unifier, is looking better and better.
13
@AKJersey
Sanders would put money in the pockets of workers, who are the consumers that drive the economy. This would grow demand which gives companies income for investment. Supply Side Economics never works. Belle wants to go back to demand side economics because it used to work.
Biden would throw more American money at global corporations (with shareholders all over the world) because he is still afraid to counter Right-wing economics, even though it never works.
Sanders wants to invest in Americans and America. Biden wants to invest in global banks.
As an American, with degrees in economics and political science, I don't see how Biden beats Trump by running to Trump's right, while Trump is promising all things to all people. No one will all Trump how he is going to pay for his "beautiful healthcare for EVERYONE."
Give the young voters we need to win the candidate they want, so you don't have to spend the next four years blaming young people for staying home.
Bernie knows how to talk to rural voters. Bernie is the candidate that can win in the electoral college.
6
@McGloin
Edits:
"Belle" should have been Bernie.
"No one will all Trump..." should have been No one will ask Trump....
Biden has to be careful here. Yes call out Trump for being an ego maniac bigot pathological liar (and those are some of the nicer things I can say about him) and also boost that he is consistently shows the best results re Trump in swing states but don't dwell on it.
He is liked in swing states simply because he is not Trump or Hillary but he has to do a better job of addressing the issues of importance to swing state voters like blue collar job losses, wars, immigration etc. that Trump demagogued.
Stress moderate progressive answers to this issues that he has otherwise he could favor could die out in these swing states.
2
I'm so tired of Elizabeth Warren's lies and petty remarks. Yes, Bloomberg is "acting like he's the President," because we NEED someone to act like they're the president and we don't have that now!!
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To @mimi: yes on Warren- couldn’t agree more. All politicians lie, but Warren lies about lying.
3
@mimi
Bloomberg is not president, so he has no right to act like he is, any more than Trump has a right to act as if he is King.
Bloomberg has the same tendency to overstep his authority as Trump. Mini-Trump cannot beat real Trump. We need a contrast to evil, not lesser evil.
5
Her remarks are TRUTHS and should be out there. We New Yorkers already know but the nation needs to know. No more status quo. Plus he won’t inspire voters and will lose to Dump.
It'll be really hard to stop Bernie if he wins the most delegates as his supporters feel he was cheated last time and too many won't vote for another candidate. Seems to me Warren takes from Bernie and possibly a bit from the others and Klobuchar and Bloomberg take a lot from Biden.I understand why they are all staying until after Tuesday but If Biden does well and they don't they should follow Mayor Pete and exit leaving a 2 person contest
4
@AVIEL We don't really need the Bernie Bros, if you really think about it. They balked when Hillary won in 2016 fair and square, so they simply stayed home or voted for Jill Stein (eyeroll). Hillary still received 3 million more votes than Trump and would have won outright if not for Russian meddling in a few battleground states.
So the primaries have been reduced to one question: who can beat Sanders. Not who can beat Trump, because Sanders does better in scores of polls. Not which policies are best for the country. Biden is a weak candidate by several measures, both his ability on the stump and his record (banks, Iraq, social safety net). I know it shouldn't be shocking but still, it's painful to see the NYTimes continue on this path.
38
It’s shocking to see the New York Times frame the question this way in a news story. I’m a longtime reader and I don’t want to “stop” Sanders. I want Democrats to vote in the primaries to determine the candidate. If it’s Sanders, so be it. What is this editorializing in the lead of a story?”
21
Desperate times need desperate measures. Would it be possible for Biden to recruit Klobuchar now as his potential VP running mate ? Her votes could pass to Biden and as YP she would be primed for the next Presidential election. I frankly don't give Sanders much hope of defeating Trump and at the same time the Democrats might lose the House. Trump must fervently hope that Sanders is his opponent.
6
I would say Warren is deluded about her chances. Unless something dramatic happens on Super Tuesday, her electability factor is not looking good. And unless there’s a contested convention and someone comes in out of the blue—someone whose electability factor hasn’t been proven bad—it looks like it’s going to be one of the oldies. The VP pick will be incredibly important, not only for winning 2020, but for 2024. I hope none of them thinks they should run at ages 81 and 82.
And what is up with Tulsi Gabbard?
5
@Kally Tulsi is another Manchurian candidate. Even Putin picks wrong sometimes. He still has Donnie.
2
@Charles
Based on what? Can you offer a link or at least cite a fact or two rather than making wild accusations?
1
It is time for the democratic party to define our position. Biden or Sanders. All the other candidates should drop and commit to Sanders or Biden
2
Pete read the tea leaves. Good for him.
Biden/Buttigieg
Bloomberg/Buttigieg
Both sound good to me.
10
@dc Mayor Pete would not align himself with Bloomberg; he's too intelligent and principled for that.
3
“ ...Patti Solis Doyle, a Democratic strategist and former campaign manager for Hillary Clinton in 2008, said of the Biden operation.”
It’s emblematic of the silliness of punditry that journalists are seeking wisdom from Ms. Solis Doyle. I’m sure she’s a nice person, but when I want to learn about ocean navigation I don’t ask the captain of the Titanic.
Nobody knows anything. Forget strategic voting, and stop reading the polls and the pundits. Vote for the Democrat you would most like to see in the Oval Office, and then work for whoever wins the nomination.
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@Charlie B
Excellent advice.
I watch politics like most people watch sports, and have a Masters in Political Science. I will be voting for the candidate I think will make the best president. I know enough to know, I don't know who will win.
I use evidence to make arguments for Bernie and Warren, because I think they would be the best presidents.
If you want bad presidents vote for lesser candidates who you think will win.
If you want the best possible president, stop voting for lesser candidates.
Your values are your power. If you sacrifice your values to win, you lose before the election.
Trump supporters don't care what you have to say, because they already "know" everything. They are true believers.
The Left knows what we do not know. That is what it means to follow science, facts, math, and logic.
The media supplies information that you need to question and double check. If you just believe what corporate media tells you, you might as well just believe what Fox tells you.
Doubt your assumptions and dig into the evidence. Follow the money as read between the lines.
Then follow your values through the evidence to the truth.
1
Pete was offered something to drop out and what ever it was, you can bet it was undemocratic.
4
@MDM It is a tacit agreement. Everyone, but Bernie is offered something.
Proof, please.
3
@MDMBased on what evidence?
4
Biden is definitely a wiser choice for Democrats and the nation than Sanders. Buttigieg’s exit was good for the moderates to beat back crazy Bernie.
15
Simple question I haven’t seen answered: What happens to the delegates already won by a candidate who drops out? Does he/she control them? Do they become free agents?
7
Depends on the state. Many are now uncommitted although they are “pledged” to a candidate and may still vote for them in first round of balloting. Some states - Virginia and Nevada - require delegates vote for their pledged candidate in the first round of the convention, says The Atlanta Journal Constitution. Candidates who drop out also ask their delegates to support a certain candidate.
Give Bloomberg a chance. He speak to why, what and how. He has run something and achieved. He knows both parties and can cross the isle. He speaks to TEAMS and empowerment. He is low key, but effective. The nation needs a leader not a debater. He is committed to beating Trump. He has the resources and the message to accomplish. In a sea of hand waving, criticism, negatives, and unrealistic platforms, I chose a proven performer, with a history of pragmatic and a calm demeanor that is Presidential.
9
@Bob
Bloomberg is a REPUBLICAN who donated almost A BILLION dollars to Republicans, including Half a Billion to Republican Senators that protect Trump from accountability for his High Crimes.
Nominating Bloomberg would be a surrender to the Republican Party.
Bloomberg would take charge of the DNC and make the Democratic Party the official mascot of the Republican Party.
Fox News would spend years laughing at Democrats for nominating a Republican.
Democrats that support Bloomberg are really Republicans. Don't listen to them.
Pete Buttigieg ran a classy campaign and reminded us what it's like to have a incredibly brilliant, thoughtful candidate - something we haven't seen since Barack Obama.
Pete also had the class to drop out when as soon as it became apparent he can't win.
Very impressive.
Elizabeth Warren is going to stay in til the last dog dies - and lose her home state of Massachusetts.
24
@fast/furious
Too bad Pete went negative at the last minute. It didn't help.
3
Last April I met Pete at a fundraiser in DC. I wanted to speak with him one on one and paid $500 to ensure that I would be in a situation to do this. I have never spent so much money in a political race but figured this would be the only way. We spent 5 minutes talking. I told him that when he was 5 I did an internship in South Bend Osteopathic Hospital and how inspired we were by his running as a gay, married man.
A few weeks ago I realized he would not get the nomination. I volunteered for the other mayor, the smartest person running, Mike Bloomberg.
Last Saturday I went to Northern Va to see Mike. No one in DC goes to a political rally at 8 am on a Saturday morning. The place was packed. I felt the energy and realized, this guy is going to win.
I saw several Yang bumper stickers in the parking lot.
The supporters of Pete will never vote for Bernie or Warren, both of whom have relentlessly attacked and defamed us.
Some will go for Biden but most will go to Mike. Soon Amy will leave and the same thing will happen.
Last night I watched Mike on Sixty minutes, viewed by over 11 million people. Then his commercial on CBS and NBC where he showed us how a real president, an engineer who believes in science, handles a crisis like we are in.
He is going to eject Trump and be our best president.
What a relief, finally, to get back on track.
12
@Simon Sez
Bloomberg was very impressive on 60 Minutes and in his interview with Kasie Hunt on MSNBC a few days before.
It will be a shame if people can't get past his performances in the dumb debate cage matches.
Bloomberg does well when he has a chance to calmly articulate why he's running and what he wants to do.
He's been appearing before huge crowds this week in northern Virginia. You may be right about him.
8
@Simon Sez
Bloomberg is a Republican.
According to the NY Times Bloomberg has donated $950,000,0000 to REPUBLICAN canidates and super-pacs. That is almost a billion dollars for the Party of Trump!
Bloomberg gave at least half a billion to elect Republican Senators, like Lindsey Graham, who keep protecting Trump from accountability for his High Crimes.
If you nominate Republican Bloomberg half of the Democratic Party will stay home.
By the time election day comes around, I will be applying for political asylum in an actual democracy, that is not owned by, for, and of global billionaires.
If you put Bloomberg in charge of the DNC, he will make the Democratic Party the official mascot of the Republican Party.
If Democratic "moderates" really like billionaires better than the base of their own party which just gave Bernie more money than Biden got from his corporate donors, Trump will be "president for life."
If you want to beat the Right, you need to start explaining why the Left is better than the Right.
2
Hunter Hunter Hunter is all Republicans will talk about.
10
@William True. It's like Benghazi, except even more trivial. Compared to the astonishing conflicts of interest, nepotism and corruption during the first few years of the Trump regime, it is not even a blip.
Well I voted early for Buttigieg. I think he could’ve been the one to unite the country.
9
@Chris He is the President the country needs but evidently does not deserve.
5
Go, Joe, go.
Humble, tiny words with powerful directive.
5
Mayor Pete is being a good doobie, which helps set him up for a continued career in politics.
26
Wow !! Just wow !!! Joe now has $10 Million to spend, that will make a huge difference. His win Saturday shows him to be one of the great Presidential candidates ever. He can save us from both socialism and billionaires. Middle Class Joe, what a comeback for America !!
6
@drcmd
!0$ million is chump change.
Donald Trump is planning to spend a billion $$ in the fall.
Nobody on the Democratic side has any chance at having resources like that except Bloomberg.
3
@fast/furious Except for the fact that Bloomberg has already committed to financially backing the Democratic nominee regardless of who it is.
Bloom passes the riches to Joe in exchange for Secretary of treasury, Commerce, EPA, Energy, Labor...?
Joe passing the riches to Bloomie doesnt seem likely...
Tuesday is super big!
Its hard to tell where our voices count....
Large communities who don’t subscribe to the NYT speak louder than we do, and we sit in painful awe.
With deep cultural threads at play common sense gets drowned out in a sad and unfortunate way. Decades of growth may be at stake.
Can we find the rationale or data or respect to speak to the others?
3
@nancy novice Decades of growth? Growth for who? You can rationalize to “the others” about how they should not vote for the one candidate who will fight to make their lives better, or you can respect them. But you can’t do both.
Ah, yes, stopping Bernie seems more important than stopping Trump!
29
@Therese B. Bernie is more intelligent than Trump but that might just mean that he could do more damage to the country. If he governs as he has campaigned, his administration would be staffed with ideologues chosen for personal loyalty to Dear Leader rather than for competence, and the government's resources would assist the troll armies to harass and threaten disloyal Democrats who don't vote for his ill-conceived legislative initiatives or, horror, want to amend them, as if Dear Leader ever makes any mistakes.
4
@Therese B.
Not that I necessarily agree, but I believe the thinking is that is one and the same.
@Therese B. They're going to cut their nose to spite their face.... they need to stay out of it and let things go on naturally. If they mess with Bernie to stop him -smh. They will surely give us more Trump. And their tax cuts and what not is most certainly more important to them than Trump destroying our country.
5
Biden is a losing, terrible choice for the Democrats, and the promotion of him by the media and the DNC is as dangerous as their promotion of Hillary and anti-Sanders campaign was in 2016. You may be surprised how many Buttigieg supporters go toward Sanders as well as Warren and Bloomberg. Any of these would be preferable to Biden. It is shocking to me that he has any traction at all except with those who are only interested in their own retention of power.
25
@jer
The Democratic establishment is now going to triple down on Biden because they want to hold onto power - and the rise of Bernie threatens their hold on power.
They believe Biden can dispatch Bernie the same way they thought they could be rid of Bernie in 2016 by having Hillary's surrogates endlessly trash Bernie
They were wrong.
It's not just that Biden is a terrible candidate.
If Biden's the nominee, the fall campaign is going to be an endless referendum by the Republicans on Hunter Biden.
If Biden was smart enough to look at what has already happened with Trump going after his son and how that has damaged his candidacy, he's swallow his ego and get out now.
We don't need Biden or all the baggage he's .bringing with him. We'll be lucky if he doesn't sink us.
It's terrible Biden is running for president after he stood by while he was vice president and ignored Hunter making those money grabs in Ukraine and China by trading on his office.
A more honest, thoughtful politician would have told their son to knock it off.
That Biden didn't even realize that was going to disqualify him tells you how out of touch he is.
Trump is going to hammer Hunter taking all that money the same way he hammered Hillary for her paid speeches and the funding of the Clinton Foundation.
When Trump is through with Joe and Hunter Biden in November, a lot of people are going to think the Bidens robbed the bank.
How I wish Biden would do us all a favor and drop out.
10
@jer
I agree with all except Bloomberg. Bloomberg is a Republican. I don't vote for Republicans and niether do many Democrats or anyone in the Left base.
2
@fast/furious If there’s a food fight about which candidate helped their unqualified children feather their nests, are we sure that’s one Trump will win?
1
I previously supported Pete Buttigieg. I am now supporting Bernie Sanders.
I doubt I am the only one. So much for the so-called "lanes" that the pundits think voters clearly fall within.
36
@MidtownATL
Pete and Bernie have very different visions about the direction of our country and what it takes to get there. One is plainly a moderate, the other a "revolutionary." So with Pete dropping out, a former Pete supporter would presumably support a candidate whose policies are more aligned with Pete's.
Are you supporting policies or a persona?
16
@dc
I am supporting the end goals, and a vision for a better future with opportunity for all Americans.
Pete and Bernie may have different tactics for how to get there. But they, along with most of the other Democratic candidates, do share most of the same goals and vision for where we want to take our country.
11
@MidtownATL
Why? Of all the candidates, Sanders seems to think and act least like Buttigieg.
6