This thread is for Bernie discussions. :-)
Hey, I have a question for all the seers here. I've been looking at the prediction page and nowhere do I see Bernie quitting. As much as I love Bernie and would like for his policies to be set in place, I do think he is the one man who has the biggest chance of losing against Trump.
Does anyone see him leaving the candidacy and dropping out of the race?
@blackandwhite, don’t think there is much chance of him dropping out unless there is a health event. But we haven’t seen it.
I just came from an evening with a some people who feel that Bernie has one of the best chances of beating Trump depending on who runs with him. People want big change and many youth and also Trump supporters who are anti-establishment are drawn to Bernie. So there are a lot of opinions flying around.
For the last year, I've been seeing that he would waver in and out, and ultimately out, of the race—for what I feel could be health-related reasons. He's had a heart attack since then, obviously, though so far, he's hanging in. And if anyone can reengineer a timeline with some sheer old fashioned determination, he's the one.
I love Bernie, and I'm open. But I've also been reading the cogent breakdowns of mostly fair-minded people who, like you, feel Bernie can't win and why. Some of the points made in the link aren't wrong.
It's true that Bernie simply doesn't have a substantial record of legislative accomplishments which he either sponsored or co-sponsored (shockingly few, in fact), and that the reason for this may well be because he isn't especially skilled at shared leadership or consensus-building. More troubling, perhaps, is the fact that many of Bernie's supporters aren't loyal Democrats, willing to come out in support of the eventual nominee, even if it isn't Bernie. Or—just as importantly—for Democrats running for Senate.
I'm still woefully undecided, so I'm thinking hard about every fact and factor that may matter.
I also read someone (don't recall who now) who made a good point: Bernie could really exercise some leadership moxie (and maybe even smart campaign strategy) by stepping out of the race and declaring his support of Warren, maybe securing himself a VP post. They're aligned politically; he'd be showing his respect for Warren (and therefore women, since she challenged him on that point); and his declaration would easily urge many of the so-called Bros in his base to get behind her too.
For a progressive to actually win, I wonder if that isn't the best idea. (Literally just wondering aloud because I don't know..arg.) There's a fairly large percentage of my inner debate committee that's arguing for the middle-of-the-roaders, since I really want to see those disaffected former GOPers voting our way.
"Incremental change" is rational, I suppose. It also gives me hives.
Well then. Sorry for the derail. ;)
I think what we need is a fabulous President/Vice President ticket, two people lots and lots of voters can get behind. Not sure Bernie is the man. But I am voting Democrat no matter what.
Here is my 2 cents about Bernie's health:
I'm not feeling optimistic about Bernie's health. Remember when he had that heart attack - last September?? According to his numerology chart, he transited an S around his birthday.(his birthday is 9/20) Whenever I see an 'S' in someone's chart, I know something BIG and sudden is about to happen to them-and it's always personal so I have no way of knowing what will occur. And, unfortunately, he is transiting ~another~ 'S' around his birthday this September. It may not be health related, but he is 79 years old with a history of heart problems. Or it could have something to do with his campaign. But whatever happens, this does give me reason to not want to back him for potus.
I was one of the folks who have said all along that Warren with Bernie as VP would be the ticket that could win. I have also thought Warren and Mayor Pete as VP would be an alternate choice. I would rather have Warren as POTUS.
To me there are two different scenarios though that affect who should be on the ticket. 1. If T is still running and 2. If T is gone who would be the GOP candidate? I think Mitt Romney would run. IF that happens and Nikki Haley is vp running mate then the dems have to change some of their strategies.
I sense Bernie’s time window for President has passed. I firmly believe he would have won in 2016, and it saddens me that didn’t happen. But I don’t feel it will happen for him in 2020. I also have mixed feelings about Bernie. I feel there is something about him that is hidden, but I can’t say what that is. I don’t know if it’s news that will disillusion some people, or perhaps it has to do with further health problems. For as much as I support some of his bold ideas and love his fighting spirit, I feel that his ego sometimes blinds him. You always know where Bernie stands, which I’ve always loved. But Bernie is also stubborn as hell, and that’s not always a good thing when you want to get things done. I experience Warren as having that same spirit, but without that ax to grind.
I sense that in general people are craving peace and stability. Something/someone to calm their nervous systems. So people can “regroup” and see where we go from here. Does that mean our best chances are with, as @Vestralux discussed in an earlier post, a “middle of the roader” who makes incremental change? I just let out a sigh of disappointment – fortunately no hives, Vestralux! -- but could that be? I’m so sick and tired of the status quo. Would it even be worth combining a moderate/progressive Democratic ticket, or would that seem a bit schizo? Whoever it is needs to be authentic, absolutely fearless and have the moxie to take T head on.
But like I said, there’s something to be said about having time to regroup. My mind keeps going back to a job that I once had with a small publishing house. The CEO was an exciting but brazen, shameless guy (shades of the orange one). We didn’t know the full extent of his unethical shenanigans until after we lost our jobs. I’ll spare you the details, but the company went under because of his misuse of funds. It was sad because the client base was still there. Up until that point I had worked in a few creative fields, including that publishing house, but after having that experience, I felt unsteady and exhausted. So I deliberately took a job that was stable, conventional, rules legally and firmly established – and in many ways, boring. Fortunately I was emotionally fed by the friendships I made there that helped to ground and heal me. I just needed to get my bearings and regroup, so I could decide where to go from there.
I’m still not seeing a Dem in the WH in 2021. I’ve already mentioned this in some of my earlier posts. But the thing is, I feel peaceful about it and I don’t know why. Perhaps it’s because politically things are confusing and still in flux, so with no Dem nominee, the energy is not yet there to accurately determine an outcome? I’m not totally convinced of that, but maybe. I do feel some of this hinges on what happens with T from here until the election. I do believe that T will be gone which gives me enormous peace, but I would take no pleasure in seeing an R leading this country. An R will continue many of the same policies as T, but would probably be smarter and sneakier about it. Not to mention the possible continued presence of BillyB, who is dangerous and also needs to go!
The other thing I’m not sensing as strongly is N. Haley, who I’ve also posted about a few times. Funny, but up until recently, I saw her working with Rs behind the scenes and standing at the inaugural platform. I am now seeing a dark-hard man gaining prominence, but for now, not at the podium.
What’s most important is that we get T’s butt booted out of there. And I continue to pray for divine guidance and protection for all of the candidates. I am hopeful because I see a blue House and Senate in 2021, although not as blue as I would like (more time needs to be spent focused on those Congressional races!) I am also hopeful because I see a bold resurgence of progressive values and big changes in 2025 onward.
@triciact II moved your great post about the general 2020 election to the thread on the entire election. https://www.jeannemayell.com/community/u-s-presidential-candidates-for-2020/2020-election/#post-20238
Community, I'm making a likely vain attempt to get a little organized by setting up threads for each candidate and one for the 2020 election and even one for the congressional races. It might not work since we are a fluid community of intuitive types who want to just respond to each other and that is good. Maybe I shouldn't even try to get us organized in this way! The risk is that people stop posting because the discussion got moved. I will try it this one time and if it causes more problems than it solves I will just let things flow however they flow. :-)