What are Democrat voters to do?

[UnseenParticipant]

“A fish rots from the head” is the old saying. Probably untrue generally but it does apply to the Democratic Party’s leadership. They are so out of touch with the voters, 2/3 of whom don’t want to have to vote for Joe Biden again, that they operate on the assumption that, of course the party will run him again.

This is evidenced by the fact that the party will not run a primary debate schedule, robbing rivals of any chance to become adequately exposed to voters. Hopefully, the networks will run such debates on their own, but will Biden bother to attend them? I doubt it.

This is because the party is run by a bunch of corrupt geriatric deadheads steeped in a patronage culture and unable to grasp that we no longer live in a world where newspaper editorial boards move voters and incumbents are shoo-ins. Because it’s how patronage works, Biden got the 2020 nod because he was next in line to be rewarded for his loyalty to the party.

Is the only solution to go third-party, which in today’s world may hand the election over to the GOP’s proto-dictator? They have the voters by the short hairs and they know it, so they figure they’ll just keep on misbehaving for as long as they can.

Do we Democrats have any choice other than to give in and jump on the Biden train?

[PopeBeanieModerator]

Unseen wrote:

Is the only solution to go third-party, which in today’s world may hand the election over to the GOP’s proto-dictator?

Culture’s changed quite a lot and unpredictably since the Constitution was written. Gerrymandering and other processes enable two parties alone to run all politics, recently even packing SCOTUS by the most currently, arrogant and self-entitled acting party. If the other party acted similarly to regain power, it would just entrench both parties more deeply.

This is also happening at the state level, making it several times more difficult to remedy. Good old republicanism, i.e. states rights, giving the most selfish politicians power to work against democratic principles.

I think the only possible way to dig ourselves out of this partisanship ball of roots would be with a constitutional convention to bypass self-serving politicians unwilling to release their grip voluntarily, e.g. passing an amendment against gerrymandering.

I’d hope also for an amendment that severely limits campaign contributions, especially (e.g.) from corporations and other big money citizens; all corporations and big money citizens consist of individuals who already have voting and public speech rights, so there’s no need to allow larger entities to exercise even larger powers over elections. I.e., allow only one, reasonable contribution per citizen, just like there’s only one vote per citizen. Perhaps even disallow financial contributions altogether, other than to provide stages and soap boxes in publically available venues.

But the majority of citizens just aren’t self-informed, savvy, and motivated enough to make a constitutional convention happen, while they’re also addicted to their own partisan identities.

[TheEncogitationerParticipant]

Unseen,

If Democratic or Republican voters keep doing what they’re doing, it’ll take the Cool Hand Luke treatment for them to “get their mind right” because that’s where their way leads…and maybe they won’t “get their mind right” even then:

I hope they like saunas and raw eggs.

[_Robert_Participant]

How many Americans even know what Biden has accomplished besides lowering the cost of key drugs and calling out the GOP freaks who want to squash social security and Medicare.

– a bipartisan infrastructure package. Bridges and other structures are getting repaired.

-the inflation reduction act that included all sorts of green energy aspects

-a firearms bill that funds mental health programs and school security, as well as legislative measures to close the “boyfriend loophole” that let domestic abusers purchase guns and expanded background checks for certain types of prospective gun buyers. He acknowledges Its not nearly enough, but he took what he could get.

He also salvaged relationships with our allies and brough sanity and some dignity back to the office. It’s not an easy time to be a president. He is a victim of outright agism. Lardass Trump is only 4 years younger, and I doubt their life expectancy even differs. I think you really just get better with experience even if you have moments that may seem otherwise. Hell, when I was a young engineer and thought I had the greatest ideas, some old timer would easily shoot holes in it.

Yet, I do think there should always be a contest to determine candidates.  I looked into Kennedy. No thanks. Don’t want yet another conspiracy anti-science, anti-vaccine asshat. After thousands died needlessly (thanks to idiotic politicians and religious leaders) we will and end up with a smallpox epidemic or something worse.

I would really like to hear what Bernie, Mayor Pete, Amy Klobuchar, Gretchen Whitmer and Jared Polis have to say. I rarely disagree with Bernie on anything. He talks like a true progressive with boundless energy and has great experience.

[RichRaelianParticipant]

Hi! A even better question to ask is,”What are independent voters to do?”

[_Robert_Participant]

Well don’t throw away a vote would be a start. The lesser of two evils is better than the worst of two evils.

I started becoming a liberal around 2000 when the presidential election actually was stolen from Gore. The supreme court blocked a recount in my swing state of Florida after rampant voting eligibility issues were discovered, cancelling thousands of mostly black voters. Even so. Gore still won the popular vote.

When Chaney became acting president, he and his lackies, Bush Jr, Rumsfeld, and Rice backed us out of nuclear treaties, reversed a surplus budget into the backbreaking deficit we have today, failed to continue the talks we had with N Korea, ignored both the Middle Eastern peace talks and many warnings about the threat of Al Qaeda, and tried to control oil instead of a proactive green agenda.

Of course, then he attacked the wrong country and we had a terrible war. You really can’t screw things up more than that. No wonder the Republicans reversed from the big business Globalists to Nationalists after fucking it ALL up so badly. They are literally reacting to their own decades-long agenda. Morons.

[PopeBeanieModerator]

_Robert_ wrote:

Don’t want yet another conspiracy anti-science, anti-vaccine asshat. After thousands died needlessly (thanks to idiotic politicians and religious leaders) we will and end up with a smallpox epidemic or something worse.

I think we can actually vaccinate against smallpox, although I don’t know when that first came out. I agree that dealing quickly and intelligently with pandemics is still one of the most significant challenges wrt how humanity needs to protect itself. While people argue/bicker/politicize/bloviate over whether covid-19 spread from a wet market or a lab leak, they lose sight of the fact that we need to understand and mitigate both possibilities, and other possibilities, regarding possible future outbreaks.

I wish we could mark favorite posts. Instead, for my own reference, I’ll hashtag a couple here:
#PBfave #favorite #48209 #48221
Thanks for your insight and concise posts.

[_Robert_Participant]

PopeBeanie wrote:

_Robert_ wrote:

Don’t want yet another conspiracy anti-science, anti-vaccine asshat. After thousands died needlessly (thanks to idiotic politicians and religious leaders) we will and end up with a smallpox epidemic or something worse.

I think we can actually vaccinate against smallpox…

Yes, we actually eradicated the disease but if it reemerged nowadays, good luck.

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