# Biggest Worry for 2020 **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 11, 2019, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-worry-for-2020/829346 "2019-02-11T17:28:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2019, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-worry-for-2020/829346/21 "2019-02-11T23:23:41Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > He’s starting an arms race to destabilize the Western Alliance in his puppetmaster Putin’s interests, yes. So it’s not warlike? Talk amongst yourselves. You may have something here. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2019, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-worry-for-2020/829346/22 "2019-02-11T23:30:17Z")
Historically, surrender is one of the more reliable ways to avoid war. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2019, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-worry-for-2020/829346/23 "2019-02-11T23:39:56Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Historically, surrender is one of the more reliable ways to avoid war. Will we be lowering our military budget and incarceration rates to Russia’s?? I for one welcome our Bolshevik overlords. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2019, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-worry-for-2020/829346/24 "2019-02-11T23:57:31Z")
> [@WillFarnaby](#): > > I fear that the dems might put up another warmonger. Nobody outside the DMV wants to hear that shit anymore. > [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I’m assuming that, by “DMV,” you’re referring to “DC / Maryland / Virginia,” and not the Department of Motor Vehicles (those warmongering clerks!) Have I mentioned how much I despise that shorthand? One of the local stations, DC-101, uses it with great regularity. It’s their surefire way of getting me to see what’s playing on WRNR instead. Because I may have lived in Maryland for 20 years now, where we have the MVA, but before that I lived for \>30 years in Virginia, where the DMV was the place that handled tags and title and driver’s license. It’s a bit late to even try to repurpose that acronym. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-worry-for-2020/829346/25 "2019-02-12T00:00:07Z")
> [@WillFarnaby](#): > > I fear that the dems might put up another warmonger. Nobody outside the DMV wants to hear that shit anymore. > [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Warmonger? Trump just canceled the nuclear treaty with Russia, the only logical outcome of which is a new nuclear arms race. What could a Democrat do that would be more warlike? Not to mention, the Trump Administration is talking about war with Iran, and military intervention in Venezuela. And a year or so ago, they were threatening war with North Korea. Nice peaceful people you’ve got there, **Will**. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-worry-for-2020/829346/26 "2019-02-12T00:14:23Z")
I remember when Obama started a war with Granada. Oh wait, that was Reagan. Trump wants to start a war every week because, well, just because. He has literally subscribed to the ancient theory that if he acts crazy he forces his enemies to be cautious. Back here in reality, look at the midterms. Turnout by liberals was through the roof higher than in recent midterms. That was very good for the Democrats. The Republicans enjoyed that in 2010, a midterm when conservatives turned out and liberals did not. This election will turn on turnout. Getting the bases energized is trivial because that’s already happened. Getting new people to vote is absolutely critical - look at the lengths to which Republicans are going in order to prevent increased turnout by perceived Democrats. They are out of their minds scared at what turnout can do. Forget about independents and centrists. They are mythical creatures. The real pool consists of disaffecteds, people who didn’t think their vote would be meaningful or cared sufficiently to overcome the barriers placed in front of them. Black turnout declined in 2016 after Obama; it alone was sufficient to swing states in favor of Trump. Get black voters back. Get Hispanics enraged by the anti-immigrant frenzy. Help the women whose grassroots organizations made a difference last year to do even more in 2020. Which Democrat will be best suited to energize the disaffecteds? No idea. Obama did so and that surprised almost everyone. The Democrats have to slog through the messy primaries to find out who clicks and who has the strength to climb to the top of that stadium-sized pile. All I can say is beware the person who claims they have to pick some centrist who doesn’t offend too many people. The best candidate will enrage some, but engage many more. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-worry-for-2020/829346/27 "2019-02-12T00:28:29Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > I remember when Obama started a war with Granada. Oh wait, that was Reagan. Trump wants to start a war every week because, well, just because. He has literally subscribed to the ancient theory that if he acts crazy he forces his enemies to be cautious. > > Back here in reality, look at the midterms. Turnout by liberals was through the roof higher than in recent midterms. That was very good for the Democrats. The Republicans enjoyed that in 2010, a midterm when conservatives turned out and liberals did not. > > This election will turn on turnout. Getting the bases energized is trivial because that’s already happened. Getting new people to vote is absolutely critical - look at the lengths to which Republicans are going in order to prevent increased turnout by perceived Democrats. They are out of their minds scared at what turnout can do. > > Forget about independents and centrists. They are mythical creatures. The real pool consists of disaffecteds, people who didn’t think their vote would be meaningful or cared sufficiently to overcome the barriers placed in front of them. Black turnout declined in 2016 after Obama; it alone was sufficient to swing states in favor of Trump. Get black voters back. Get Hispanics enraged by the anti-immigrant frenzy.(1) Help the women whose grassroots organizations made a difference last year to do even more in 2020. > > Which Democrat will be best suited to energize the disaffecteds? No idea. Obama did so(2) and that surprised almost everyone. The Democrats have to slog through the messy primaries to find out who clicks and who has the strength to climb to the top of that stadium-sized pile. All I can say is beware the person who claims they have to pick some centrist who doesn’t offend too many people.(3) The best candidate will enrage some, but engage many more. (1) I know that Miami Cubans don’t give a shit about the anti-immigration frenzy because they came legally and ‘made it’. I don’t have any info on other ethnic legal immigrants. Do you? Not being snide. Genuinely asking anyone really. (2) Obama won because he came off as a good man. So did Clinton. So did Carter. Americans REALLY do want to vote for a good man. Which leads to 3… (3) That’s why I said I think Biden can win if he can overcome the eventual accusations from all sides of being a neoliberal centrist. Whether he really is not important. The accusations will come. Assuming he runs of course. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-worry-for-2020/829346/28 "2019-02-12T01:09:17Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > (1) I know that Miami Cubans don’t give a shit about the anti-immigration frenzy because they came legally and ‘made it’. I don’t have any info on other ethnic legal immigrants. Do you? Not being snide. Genuinely asking anyone really. According to Wikipedia, 4% of Hispanics are of Cuban origin and 62% are from Mexico. I think that on a national level Cubans are rounding error. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-worry-for-2020/829346/29 "2019-02-12T04:58:49Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > My opinion is that ~40% of voters will vote Democrat no matter who is on the ticket (if you can get them to the polls), and ~40% will always vote Republican no matter what. I suspect there are ~20% of voters who we should be vying for this time around - these are the voters who put Trump in office. We ignore or vilify them again and it will show we have not learned anything from 2016. Do you think that 20% want a “moderate Democrat” or a “throw something at the wall and see if it sticks” populist? Remember that these people probably heavily voted for Perot _and_ Trump. I don’t know that the apparently reasonable, small-c conservative swing voters are any more key to turnout than the excitable, ignorant, & desperate. ---
**Author:** ![Dacien](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dacien/32/5663_2.png) [@Dacien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dacien)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-worry-for-2020/829346/30 "2019-02-12T05:11:22Z")
The only thing Democrats had to do was be normal, represent a return to normalcy and dignity and mainstream appeal. And they completely botched it. If Trump wins in 2020, it will be in no small part due to the extremism of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-worry-for-2020/829346/31 "2019-02-12T07:45:06Z")
They’ve already botched it? How is this in the past tense? What’s abnormal here? ---
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-worry-for-2020/829346/32 "2019-02-12T10:01:08Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Not to mention, the Trump Administration is talking about war with Iran, and military intervention in Venezuela. And a year or so ago, they were threatening war with North Korea. > > Nice peaceful people you’ve got there, **Will**. Please tell me where I said Trump was peaceful in absolute terms. I have called him relatively peaceful, and applauded his antiwar rhetoric but that was during the campaign. Hopefully this all remains talk and doesn’t become another Libya or Yemen, Iraq or Afganistan, … ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-worry-for-2020/829346/33 "2019-02-12T13:14:13Z")
> [@chargerrich](#): > > The democratic party is becoming splintered more by the day and whether you love or despise Ocasio-Cortez, the “new green deal” and social/progressive movement there is no question it is driving away the moderate/centrist democrats. Um, I have quite a lot of questions, actually. Is this true? How do you know it’s true - do you have evidence people are leaving the party? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-worry-for-2020/829346/34 "2019-02-12T13:36:59Z")
> [@WillFarnaby](#): > > Please tell me where I said Trump was peaceful in absolute terms. I have called him relatively peaceful, and applauded his antiwar rhetoric but that was during the campaign. > > Hopefully this all remains talk and doesn’t become another Libya or Yemen, Iraq or Afganistan, … If you’re going to accuse the Dems of being warmongers, “compared to whom?” is a fair question. You seem to be ducking it. ---
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-worry-for-2020/829346/35 "2019-02-12T13:43:30Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > If you’re going to accuse the Dems of being warmongers, “compared to whom?” is a fair question. You seem to be ducking it. If we want to compare peace-candidate-turned-president Trump to peace-candidate-turned-president Obama I gotta day its kinda murky. Compared to Clinton, still murkier. My fear is that the Dems don’t put up a good candidate. Is that too much to ask? I would just like a decent person. The bar is low. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-worry-for-2020/829346/36 "2019-02-12T13:46:44Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Um, I have quite a lot of questions, actually. Is this true? How do you know it’s true - do you have evidence people are leaving the party? It’s being reported by journalists across the spectrum from Sean Hannity to Jeanine Pirro. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-worry-for-2020/829346/37 "2019-02-12T14:10:22Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > I guess all these investigations are a waste of time and money because everybody keeps talking about how to beat Trump - which means he will be on the ballot in 2020 as if nothing happened. Can any lawyers here help us out? If Trump is convicted by the Senate, or indicted for felonies, can he run for re-election in 2020? Because his base will just trreat any indictment or conviction as another badge of honor for their man. [Here’s a video which offers insight into the 35% of the population which supports Trump without reservation.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYQX-BPUqN4) Watch it all the way through. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-worry-for-2020/829346/38 "2019-02-12T14:29:26Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Can any lawyers here help us out? If Trump is convicted by the Senate, or indicted for felonies, can he run for re-election in 2020? The Senate can choose a range of penalties if they convict. One is removal from office, another is a bar from future Federal office. What they choose to impose is up to them. I don’t think being indicted for felonies is a bar from running for Federal office. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-worry-for-2020/829346/39 "2019-02-12T14:37:07Z")
> [@WillFarnaby](#): > > I would just like a decent person. The bar is low. The trouble is that we likely have different standards on who counts as “a decent person”. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-worry-for-2020/829346/40 "2019-02-12T14:56:56Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > I don’t think being indicted for felonies is a bar from running for Federal office. It’s not. See Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-worry-for-2020/829346.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-worry-for-2020/829346.md?page=3)