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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#269376: Jan 29th 2019 at 10:01:10 PM

Freestyle martial arts

Biden starts glowing "AHHHHHHHHHH!"

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Jan 29th 2019 at 10:01:34 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
MrHellboy The Shadow from A world of my own Since: Dec, 2017 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
The Shadow
#269377: Jan 29th 2019 at 10:01:46 PM

Honestly, it worries me.

The Democrats have made A LOT of bad decisions in the past. Remember that quote from Spaceballs? "Evil will always triumph because good is dumb".

Yeah...

That said, I will vote whoever they put forth. Not sure it'll do much good, but still

The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#269378: Jan 29th 2019 at 10:06:37 PM

Taking life lessons from Dark Helmet does not strike me as the best idea.

Disgusted, but not surprised
MrHellboy The Shadow from A world of my own Since: Dec, 2017 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
The Shadow
#269379: Jan 29th 2019 at 10:09:25 PM

It's hardly an incorrect statement though.

The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.
Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#269380: Jan 29th 2019 at 10:09:43 PM

No, it's a pretty incorrect statement in general.

Leviticus 19:34
CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#269381: Jan 29th 2019 at 10:13:14 PM

"How do you guys think the veritable cornucopia of democratic presidental candidates will work for the party in 2020?"

I think it will winnow out quickly. We don't hate each other like Republicans hate each other. There's no gain in sixteen people campaigning to the bitter end.

"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
MrHellboy The Shadow from A world of my own Since: Dec, 2017 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
The Shadow
#269382: Jan 29th 2019 at 10:14:57 PM

I don't know. Maybe I'm just overly cynical.

I just feel like we on the left want our candidates to be perfect, so we pick them apart to uncover every little flaw, and then use that not to vote for them. As a self-admitted social justice warrior, I'm certainly guilty of this (I will never not vote again, though)

It's terrible that it really is a "lesser of two evils" decision when it comes to Trump, but there you go

Edited by MrHellboy on Jan 29th 2019 at 12:17:53 PM

The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.
Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#269383: Jan 29th 2019 at 10:23:28 PM

If I wanted perfect, I'd dig up Abraham Lincoln's mummified corpse and vote for that.

I'm fine with qualified candidates hashing it out in the courtroom of public opinion. Let them make their stances clear and work hard to convince me why I should support them. This is a healthy part of democracy and we should not discourage it just because of Trump.

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#269384: Jan 29th 2019 at 10:23:56 PM

We saw what happened when the same thing happened to the Republicans in 2016.

One candidate will quickly overshadow the others.

And we will all praise and raise our hands in glory to Biden/Bloomberg 2020!

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Jan 29th 2019 at 10:24:39 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#269385: Jan 29th 2019 at 10:26:40 PM

Weren't there like 17 people running on the Republican side and that's how Trump squeaked by despite only having like 30% or something of Republican voters?

I don't think we can really say the situation is the same as that just yet.

Gilphon (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#269386: Jan 29th 2019 at 10:26:59 PM

The whole 'lesser of two evils' framing bothers me, because, well, of course it will be a 'lesser of two evils' situation. Every decision ever is about choosing the least evil option. Especially when you're choosing between two different people, because people are inherently flawed.

So it really doesn't strike me as a meaningful concept.

Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#269387: Jan 29th 2019 at 10:29:28 PM

To me, lesser of two evils as a phrase has always implied that the two candidates in offer are both deeply flawed and that the decision is about who will be the least terrible.

It's an iffy concept to apply to our current situation because there isn't a single democratic candidate I can think of that is anywhere near as terrible as Trump (though some of them like Gabbard are obviously pretty awful in their own right).

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#269388: Jan 29th 2019 at 10:32:05 PM

The other problem with the "Lesser of two evils" logic is that it is not universally persuading. See 2016 where most "both candidates suck" voters broke for Trump as an example.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#269389: Jan 29th 2019 at 10:32:05 PM

One thing Pod Save America pointed out about the 2016 Democratic Primary was that having just two candidates in the unique situation of that year made bitter polarization inevitable. If you liked Sanders, you had to hate Clinton and vice versa.

That won't be the case this year. Liking one candidate won't make you hate all the others, if for no other reason than it's too hard to keep track of them all and you'll need a back-up or two in case your preferred candidate drops out.

MrHellboy The Shadow from A world of my own Since: Dec, 2017 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
The Shadow
#269390: Jan 29th 2019 at 10:33:15 PM

Well, I will always believe a severely-flawed Democrat is better than a Republican anyday.

Sanders or Warren seem like the best choices IMO. But then, the fear becomes that that unconscionable moron Howard Schultz will run to oppose him/her and end up siphoning votes from the Dem, thus guaranteeing Trump another win.

The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.
Eschaton Since: Jul, 2010
#269391: Jan 29th 2019 at 10:41:18 PM

I wouldn't be entirely sure about Schultz running at all, since he's going to spend the rest of the year getting pilloried for campaigning that the world must be made safe for billionaries.

Hylarn (Don’t ask)
#269392: Jan 29th 2019 at 10:41:56 PM

I feel like Schultz is going to steal votes from Trump more than whoever the Dems run. He's basically a libertarian, at a point where leftist economic ideas are fairly popular...

As far as the massive number of Democratic candidates goes, I imagine it'll be down to around three serious options by the time voting actually starts

Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#269393: Jan 29th 2019 at 10:47:04 PM

Shultz’ platform right now is basically “AOC was mean to me and wants to take my money! And what’s so bad about the current healthcare system anyway?”

He won’t be much of a draw on the left.

MrHellboy The Shadow from A world of my own Since: Dec, 2017 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
The Shadow
#269394: Jan 29th 2019 at 10:49:49 PM

Which is precisely why the left needs to be extra careful in who they choose to nominate.

Part of the reason Trump won is many left-wingers and independents who hated Hillary threw their votes to him

Edited by MrHellboy on Jan 29th 2019 at 12:50:13 PM

The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.
Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#269395: Jan 29th 2019 at 10:52:12 PM

I don't think any Democrat atm has the particular history of smear campaigns that Hillary did, which I consider a big part of why certain people weren't keen on her.

AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#269396: Jan 29th 2019 at 11:02:11 PM

I kind of think that Schulz will be a flavor of the week and then forgotten. He has money, but not exactly heavy name recognition. (How many people knew who owned Starbucks before he decided to do this?) And while he has money, he doesn't exactly have a lot of access to infrastructure or political experience, and doesn't seem like the kind of person to take advantage of the Run For Something organization. Independents, for good reason, tend not to get a lot of air time.

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#269397: Jan 29th 2019 at 11:15:52 PM

I don't think any Democrat atm has the particular history of smear campaigns that Hillary did, which I consider a big part of why certain people weren't keen on her.

Hillary was coming off from a very popular President in Democrat circles and a very unpopular one in Republican so she had her work cut out for her. Quite a few people who voted for Obama weren't terribly keen on her as well. Not necessarily a lot of them but enough.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
PushoverMediaCritic I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out. from the Italy of America Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out.
#269398: Jan 30th 2019 at 3:04:17 AM

"Evil will always triumph because good is dumb".

I dunno, I think the last two years have given us plenty of evidence to say that evil is PRETTY DAMN DUMB.

Kayeka (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#269399: Jan 30th 2019 at 3:34:34 AM

Good is not dumb. In fact, "Good", as in engaging in mutually beneficial behaviour towards other humans, is the rational choice (assuming there is such a thing as "rational" in this cold material universe that doesn't give a crap about the goals of certain molecular configurations). However, it only works because of a certain degree of mutual trust in your fellow human beings, and people can abuse said trust for personal gain. This is not smart, it is literally the easiest thing in the world.

"Good" can seem powerless because of how easily evil can exploit it and steal stuff, but it is only because of "Good" that there is any stuff worth stealing.

Edited by Kayeka on Jan 30th 2019 at 12:35:24 PM

HailMuffins Since: May, 2016 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
#269400: Jan 30th 2019 at 4:06:51 AM

I'm currently cheering for Warren to win the race, but it's a whole year until the whole deal gets hot, so who the hell knows what I'll be thinking until then.

Personally, I think it's a mistake to dismiss Starbucks Guy note  out of hand. Sure, he was far more well-known, but your current President was also written off at first, and look at what happened.

Even if Starbucks Guy doesn't win, him syphoning off enough votes from more moderate Democrats could end up being what keeps Trump on the White House for another 4 years.

Edited by HailMuffins on Jan 30th 2019 at 9:07:26 AM


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