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

speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#277851: Apr 19th 2019 at 8:17:19 AM

Am I the only one who is extremely "meh" about Biden? I see news articles saying "He's the only candidate who statistically can beat Trump" but I'm left wondering, "Why? What makes him so special other than he was Obama's VP?"

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#277852: Apr 19th 2019 at 8:23:48 AM

I don't think of Biden as a great candidate but believe he'll probably win.

People want a return to the Obama days of yore among the Left and everyone else is either too radical (Bernie, Warren) or have no name recognition or every bit as nasty scores.

So Biden has my pick if we're taking Vegas bets.

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Apr 19th 2019 at 8:24:37 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#277853: Apr 19th 2019 at 8:23:59 AM

Am I the only one who is extremely "meh" about Biden? I see news articles saying "He's the only candidate who statistically can beat Trump" but I'm left wondering, "Why? What makes him so special other than he was Obama's VP?"

Considering how we normally talk about him... you are not the only one. tongue

Those articles assume that pre-primary polls that rely on name recognition indicate some special strength as a candidate, which is nonsense. Pre-primary polls aren't even reliable indicators of primary results, using them to suggest that he's the candidate best situated to beat Trump is ridiculous.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#277854: Apr 19th 2019 at 8:25:24 AM

We should use Alien: Isolation to make Biden campaign slogans.

"You'll always know with Working Joe."

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#277855: Apr 19th 2019 at 8:26:13 AM

Being Obama's VP is the very special thing Biden has going for him. He's going to basically run as the Return of Obama, and that's going to captivate a lot of people who either don't follow the news or don't care about his scandals, or just want the glory days back.

Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#277856: Apr 19th 2019 at 8:28:18 AM

"He's the only candidate who statistically can beat Trump"

When they start saying that it means they know Joe would lose against Trump so they want to encourage voters to back a losing candidate,a sneaky bit of suggestion

"Oh totally vote for him he'll win for sure- blink-

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
Grafite Since: Apr, 2016 Relationship Status: Less than three
#277857: Apr 19th 2019 at 8:28:20 AM

@speedyboris: With Trump's approval in the Midwest as it currently is, just about any democratic candidate, maybe apart from Gabbard, would beat him. That's why I would prefer the country go with a more progressive contender instead of an unnecessary compromise.

Life is unfair...
Clarste One Winged Egret Since: Jun, 2009 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
One Winged Egret
#277858: Apr 19th 2019 at 8:29:54 AM

Al Gore ran on "close enough to Clinton" at a time when Clinton was still pretty popular despite the impeachment, and look how that went. I'm not optimistic about Biden.

I mean, he got the popular vote, obviously, but it's not enough.

Edited by Clarste on Apr 19th 2019 at 8:30:45 AM

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#277859: Apr 19th 2019 at 8:32:01 AM

Correction:

Al Gore did NOT run close to Clinton and actively forbid Clinton from campaigning for him because of the sex scandals.

Bill, bluntly, said that cost him the election.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
wisewillow She/her Since: May, 2011
She/her
#277860: Apr 19th 2019 at 8:37:11 AM

Bill might be right or wrong; doesn’t matter.

What matters is picking a candidate who is competent and substantive, and has a plan to win, and then campaigning for them with every ounce of energy possible. Not picking whoever looks shiniest because “they have the best chance of beating Trump!”

Cause that’s a dumb attempt at a self-fulfilling prophecy except it may not work.

Edited by wisewillow on Apr 19th 2019 at 8:37:32 AM

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#277861: Apr 19th 2019 at 8:41:29 AM

The idea that Biden's polling leads (and for that matter, Bernie Sanders' strong standing) are just a matter of name recognition is probably untrue. The harassment complaints have had little effect on his polling, apparently, probably because - I can't find a link ATM - many people and especially older Democrats consider the #MeToo thing a step too far rather than a step too short.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
wisewillow She/her Since: May, 2011
She/her
#277862: Apr 19th 2019 at 8:47:10 AM

But also, things can change. Nothing has happened yet, ffs. Look at Hillary in 2007 versus spring 2008.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#277863: Apr 19th 2019 at 8:50:47 AM

As for the Roy Moore thing...

I was actually expecting this. I mean, the Alabama GOP backed him then, why wouldn't they back him now?

Disgusted, but not surprised
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#277864: Apr 19th 2019 at 8:53:10 AM

And name recognition for being a creepy stalker of teenage girls is still name recognition. Thanks to Alabama Republicans' apparent Herculean skill at denial, there's No Such Thing as Bad Publicity.

Edited by sgamer82 on Apr 19th 2019 at 9:53:40 AM

Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#277865: Apr 19th 2019 at 8:55:15 AM

Yeah, they don't understand the concept of shame, so Moore crawling back is unsurprising.

DrDougsh Since: Jan, 2001
#277866: Apr 19th 2019 at 8:58:11 AM

Question is, can he rebound and actually win that Senate seat?

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#277867: Apr 19th 2019 at 9:10:31 AM

It's within the realm of possibility. Not guaranteed, but not out of the question either.

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#277868: Apr 19th 2019 at 9:12:37 AM

How has Doug Jones term in the Senate been regarded thus far?

[down] Not sure than answers my question.

Edited by sgamer82 on Apr 19th 2019 at 10:21:04 AM

speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#277869: Apr 19th 2019 at 9:17:21 AM

[up] I don't know about public opinion, but he rejected the Green New Deal.

Edited by speedyboris on Apr 19th 2019 at 11:17:46 AM

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#277870: Apr 19th 2019 at 9:20:38 AM

Basically he was more or less what one would expect from a Democratic candidate who managed to win a Senate seat in Alabama. Closer to Joe Manchin than, say, Elizabeth Warren.

Edited by M84 on Apr 20th 2019 at 12:21:11 AM

Disgusted, but not surprised
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#277871: Apr 19th 2019 at 9:22:01 AM

Okay, and how do Alabama folk feel about that?

That's the main gist of my question, as it now occurs to me it might have been taken "how do folks here regards his term". How do the people of Alabama regard his term so far?

Edited by sgamer82 on Apr 19th 2019 at 10:22:52 AM

Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#277872: Apr 19th 2019 at 9:52:47 AM

I've been mulling over a question for a while. Is it intellectually dishonest for someone (me) who thinks that Bill Clinton (pig in chief) was an excellent President to disqualify Joe Biden because of the latter's sexual harassment allegations?

BlueNinja0 The Mod with the Migraine from Taking a left at Albuquerque Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
The Mod with the Migraine
#277873: Apr 19th 2019 at 9:52:59 AM

Am I the only one who is extremely "meh" about Biden? I see news articles saying "He's the only candidate who statistically can beat Trump" but I'm left wondering, "Why? What makes him so special other than he was Obama's VP?"
Not at all; I'm very "meh" on Biden; my preferred candidate is still Warren or Harris but I'm not locking in my vote until I actually get a ballot. What Biden has is name recognition, and (so far) less antipathy towards him than some of the other candidates.

That’s the epitome of privilege right there, not considering armed nazis a threat to your life. - Silasw
CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#277874: Apr 19th 2019 at 9:55:53 AM

"I've been mulling over a question for a while. Is it intellectually dishonest for someone (me) who thinks that Bill Clinton (pig in chief) was an excellent President to disqualify Joe Biden because of the latter's sexual harassment allegations?"

Not at all. Bill Clinton was an exceptional president in the Nineties.

I'm not keen on reproducing the same thing in 2020.

Politics is the art of the possible. A candidate can be acceptable one day and unacceptable the next, and vice versa, depending on the circumstances.

Edited by CrimsonZephyr on Apr 19th 2019 at 12:56:58 PM

"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."
Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#277875: Apr 19th 2019 at 9:59:14 AM

The most I can say about Clinton is that "it was a different time". Unfortunately back then, inappropriate behavior towards women was not taken anywhere near seriously enough. He may have been a good administrator in many regards (havent looked into his record enough), but we shouldn't vote for people like that anymore. We simply have to ask more of our politicians.

Edited by Draghinazzo on Apr 19th 2019 at 12:59:58 PM


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