Biden / Harris Focused Discussion

[Edge-]

To have a coalition those other factions have to have power.

https://prospect.org/politics/sander...stay-reformed/
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/ho...licy-proposals

I mean...the progressive Sanders wing has power and influence. They don't lead the party, but the progressive wing of the Democratic party has quickly gained some political muscle between the Sanders-led wing in the Senate and the more recent Squad-led wing in the House.

They have power, they just don't control the DNC.

[Blur4stuff]

Progressives are a hell of a lot more influential now than they were prior to 2016 election. If we're lucky, people won't recognize either the democrat or republican party by the end of the decade for very different reasons.

[Cthulhu 2020]

https://prospect.org/politics/sander...stay-reformed/
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/ho...licy-proposals

I mean...the progressive Sanders wing has power and influence. They don't lead the party, but the progressive wing of the Democratic party has quickly gained some political muscle between the Sanders-led wing in the Senate and the more recent Squad-led wing in the House.

They have power, they just don't control the DNC.

Theo's just mad that democracy doesn't mean that the 0.1% of society that shares her views can have complete control of government. Of course, she's repeatedly stated that she despises compromise in politics.

"Hey, why would I want to compromise when I can just bitch on the MMOC politics forums that everyone but me is ruining the world?"

- - - Updated - - -

Progressives are a hell of a lot more influential now than they were prior to 2016 election. If we're lucky, people won't recognize either the democrat or republican party by the end of the decade for very different reasons.

Political progress doesn't happen that fast without bloody revolution. As I've stated on the last page, the Democratic party SEEMS a lot more right wing than it actually is, because there's a lot of farther left legislation sitting on McConnell's desk. You want a hard shift left? Boot Republicans out of power. Republicans have controlled at least one of the three branches of government for the last three decades, save for a few short years. Guess what that means? They get to control what is and isn't passed.

You're not going to see a shift in politics on that scale for at least 50 years if not more. This is not me saying I wouldn't want a hard shift left. This is a reality check.

[PACOX]

Political progress doesn't happen that fast without bloody revolution. As I've stated on the last page, the Democratic party SEEMS a lot more right wing than it actually is, because there's a lot of farther left legislation sitting on McConnell's desk. You want a hard shift left? Boot Republicans out of power. Republicans have controlled at least one of the three branches of government for the last three decades, save for a few short years. Guess what that means? They get to control what is and isn't passed.

You're not going to see a shift in politics on that scale for at least 50 years if not more. This is not me saying I wouldn't want a hard shift left. This is a reality check.

He is right that party affiliation is shrinking. The active voting population is 1/3 Democrat, 1/3 Republican, 1/3 NPA. The parties trade a point while NPAs slowly trend upward.

Thats not to say the parties are going anywhere, they aren't They will have to adjust to a more competitive political environment where voters are less loyal. They will also face more competition from within via inner factions that a functionally their own party but know its better to take advantage of attaching themselves to a major party.

[Felya]

This is a fairly wild given that the DNC is not this coalition, it is a Neo-Liberalism party with some extra voters, To have a coalition those other factions have to have power.

Ridiculous... You act like ACA didn’t require convincing DNC factions or that Biden’s student loan forgiveness, going carbon neutral, getting off oil and making drug offenses no longer criminal, has nothing to do with progressive coalition... which implies DNC is progressive as whole...

Again, this seems like "Once only my party rules everything THEN things will be different."

Well, you do understand how politics works in US? If Democrats didn’t control everything, then ACA wouldn’t have passed. If GOP didn’t control everything, than Trump’s tax cut to corporations wouldn’t pass.

By the way, don’t worry about democrats compromising on the Covid relief bill that you demonized them over... McConnell is now refusing to even put it up for a vote. Not that you will ever say anything negative about your corporate owners.

[Shadowferal]

McConnell is now refusing to even put it up for a vote. Not that you will ever say anything negative about your corporate owners.

As posted earlier, (as predicted) he'll wait until after the GA has their runoff election.

[Felya]

As posted earlier, (as predicted) he'll wait until after the GA has their runoff election.

It will leave 2 weeks before Biden takes office and pushes the bill he promised. That’s the thing, this bill was already a major compromise by DNC, with Palosi straight up saying they will take unemployment insurance extension now, but will go for an extensive relief bill, when the Trump impediment is gone.

Also, by that time, both unemployment ends and months of rent is due... January 5th is a week too late...

[Shadowferal]

You really think McConnell cares? He revels in his position and reputation. He kowtows to political reality readily enough. But here we have him doing his due diligence to the businesses that are more his concern.

[Ivanstone]

I had a great discussion with @NeeraTanden today about how the Office of Management and Budget can help working families and strengthen our economy. Neera has exceptional management experience and vast budget and policy expertise to help make this government work for the people.

Was Tanden helping working families when she shitcanned ThinkProgress for unionizing?

[Elegiac]

Gonna say I'm quite disappointed that Michele Flournoy was passed over - like the last thing we need at this juncture is yet more military people in civilian positions.

[Thekri]

Gonna say I'm quite disappointed that Michele Flournoy was passed over - like the last thing we need at this juncture is yet more military people in civilian positions.

100% Agree. I have liked most of Biden's picks, but I am very against this one, it is a terrible pick and it isn't good for the country. I have nothing against Gen. Austin, he is a perfectly fine officer, has good character, and is highly competent. The DoD should not be led by Generals, ever. The role of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs is to be the advisor to the SecDef, which is a bit pointless when the SecDef was a four star general himself only a few years ago. Any problems with the culture of military leadership are compounded by a SecDef who was a general, because there are no non-Military voices in the room at that point. It doubles down on the nepotism and shielding from accountability that already exists in the military.

Terrible pick, and Congress should absolutely not approve the waver.

[Cthulhu 2020]

He is right that party affiliation is shrinking. The active voting population is 1/3 Democrat, 1/3 Republican, 1/3 NPA. The parties trade a point while NPAs slowly trend upward.

Thats not to say the parties are going anywhere, they aren't They will have to adjust to a more competitive political environment where voters are less loyal. They will also face more competition from within via inner factions that a functionally their own party but know its better to take advantage of attaching themselves to a major party.

The numbers are a bit more complicated than that. There's actually a non insignificant higher number of people who affiliate with Democrats than there are Republicans.



I couldn't find an image with more recent data, but I do know I've seen one around, and the Republican side has shrunk even more, while Democrats have actually remained fairly stable over the last few decades.

That is to say, people who used to identify as Republicans are now embarrassed to admit that they align with Republicans, so they poll as independent. But when it comes time to vote, a greater number of the "indepedents" vote Republican anyway, because they were right wing all along and pretending to be something else because both Bush and Trump have been embarrassments.

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That is a rather charitable reading of the DNC's history. While you could say "Big Tent" but really only one ideological faction actually you know, has power or enacts policy. And given how readily the DNC has absorbed Bush era NeoConservatism; it is wildly optimistic to suggest this is just "Big Tent" or what have you.

Or, this is a pitch of "When my party is the sole party of government, THEN things will actually improve" which is essentially never going to happen.

This is probably one of the most ignorant posts I've seen in awhile. You have to be highly unaware of what actually goes on in the DNC, and be some kind of shill who only listens to Tim Pool or other garbage media to believe this.

[Paranoid Android]

BREAKING: President-elect Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, says he's facing a tax investigation by the US Attorney's Office in Delaware https://t.co/azrxUicY1w https://t.co/5g9bVkn2G4

https://twitter.com/CNNPolitics/stat...876186113?s=19

Haha! Trump using DOJ for political hit jobs can't get much dirtier.

Now I'm a Woke Independent and a good chance they will find something. Hunter has had a checkered past to say least. Plus you could find much in a phishing expedition with many people.

Now besides Trump being scum, I expect this was done late since I'm guessing this carries over to Biden's term and of course would not look good if he dismisses. Again let's say there is a nothingbuger, still red meat for right wing.

[Rasulis]

That is to say, people who used to identify as Republicans are now embarrassed to admit that they align with Republicans, so they poll as independent. But when it comes time to vote, a greater number of the "indepedents" vote Republican anyway, because they were right wing all along and pretending to be something else because both Bush and Trump have been embarrassments.

I think it varies state by state. In CA, CO, OR and WA, NPA voters heavily lean Democratic. Much less so in TX and FL. Due to the population size and one-sided politic, I think CA's numbers skew the national statistic.

A good example is the popular vote. Biden won the US popular vote by 7.1M. In CA he won the popular vote by 5.1M. That's over 70% of his US popular vote margin.

[noidentity]

https://twitter.com/CNNPolitics/stat...876186113?s=19

Haha! Trump using DOJ for political hit jobs can't get much dirtier.

Now I'm a Woke Independent and a good chance they will find something. Hunter has had a checkered past to say least. Plus you could find much in a phishing expedition with many people.

Now besides Trump being scum, I expect this was done late since I'm guessing this carries over to Biden's term and of course would not look good if he dismisses. Again let's say there is a nothingbuger, still red meat for right wing.

And the standard answer to any idiot Trump supporter is Hunter is not Joe Biden so they can go pound sand with their righteous indignation.

[Thekri]

And the standard answer to any idiot Trump supporter is Hunter is not Biden so they can go pound sand with their righteous indignation.

Well, Hunter is a Biden. Just not Joe Biden.

Yeah, this is where double standards apply in full force though. Joe Biden isn't likely to instruct the government to cover it up, so the investigation will continue, GOP Congressmen will keep bringing it up, and it very well may actually find something. So expect Fox News to cover it for 4-8 hours a day for the next year or so, because Biden won't bury it like Trump buried investigations into his family.

[noidentity]

Well, Hunter is a Biden. Just not Joe Biden.

Yeah, this is where double standards apply in full force though. Joe Biden isn't likely to instruct the government to cover it up, so the investigation will continue, GOP Congressmen will keep bringing it up, and it very well may actually find something. So expect Fox News to cover it for 4-8 hours a day for the next year or so, because Biden won't bury it like Trump buried investigations into his family.

Ha whoops corrected

[PACOX]

The numbers are a bit more complicated than that. There's actually a non insignificant higher number of people who affiliate with Democrats than there are Republicans.



I couldn't find an image with more recent data, but I do know I've seen one around, and the Republican side has shrunk even more, while Democrats have actually remained fairly stable over the last few decades.

That is to say, people who used to identify as Republicans are now embarrassed to admit that they align with Republicans, so they poll as independent. But when it comes time to vote, a greater number of the "indepedents" vote Republican anyway, because they were right wing all along and pretending to be something else because both Bush and Trump have been embarrassments.

I got my information for Gallup.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/15370/P...filiation.aspx

I had a chart but I can't find it but heres a shot of the most recent table. The parties are generally equal.

[Endus]

Which bit is the sad face bit?

Getting kids back in classrooms is pretty damned shitty, for the following reasons;

1> They're a vector. Doesn't matter if kids are the least vulnerable to COVID-19 (debateable, since there are developmental effects that are poorly understood), they can be carriers who'll spread it. The idea that once a flu hits a school, it hits EVERYONE in that school, and everyone's families, that exists for a reason.

2> The only help it really provides parents is in letting those parents go back to being exploited by their employers. Working in a public setting is another transfer vector. If parents were working from home, they wouldn't need their kids in classrooms in the first place. Ditto parents doing well enough they can afford child care while they continue working.

3> While remote learning isn't ideal, it isn't ideal because we've done fuck-all to prep for it. Schools have well over a century of precedence with which they were built in response to, and the systems that went into producing them are thus fairly resilient. That doesn't mean remote learning can't be comparable, it just means we need to make a lot more effort in the short term to catch it up. Which, yes, may require more investment. And no; I'm not suggesting overworking existing teachers. I'm suggesting expanding staff to handle it.

What becomes clear is that kids are being sent back into classrooms because it's more important to the administration, both Trump's and Biden's, that shareholders and corporations make a profit off the working class workers who need to be made to go back to work and need to have as few excuses to avoid doing so as can be managed. That's more important than the health of Americans. When we've got a working vaccine coming, we should be holding off on getting kids back into classrooms until we can get teachers and students vaccinated. After that, sure, but the next 100 days are the wrong window of time to be making that a goal.

[Felya]

Which bit is the sad face bit?

Either the schools part or him not mentioning the stimulus. Call me... Nostradumbass... it’s a gift...