This is the quarter finals of the single-elimination stage matches up for our Democratic Primary World Cup. Everyone is invited to vote in the poll. Feel free to add comments about why you chose one of these candidates over the other one.
I’ve combined these into one poll. Please vote for one candidate in each pair, or else you will effectively cancel your other vote.
If the primary were today with these options, who of each pair do you vote for?
These were all easy for me. Inslee, Warren, Harris, Klobuchar.
For once I don’t feel like I’m going against the rest of the board.
*Inslee over Biden. *When Democrats are telling Biden to run as a Republicanit’s time to drop out, Joe.
Warren over Hickenlooper. I’ve made my opinions on these two clear by now.
Kamala over Pete. I think Group C were all bad candidates. The victors of that group can fall out now.
Amy over Beto. Neither is perfect, but here I’m going with the more senior pol over the Cute Young Thing.
The last two were easy for me: I consider senators sufficiently qualified, and do not consider mayors or Representatives sufficiently qualified. Experience matters.
The second one was the toughest: My “magic wand” choice would be one of either Sanders or Warren (I consider them mostly interchangeable), but I don’t know how electable Warren would be in the general (Trump’s attacks on her seem to have been quite effective, never mind that they shouldn’t have been). Hickenlooper would probably stand a much better chance against Trump, and that’s just barely enough to make me go with him.
The first one was the same dilemma, but to a lesser degree. While I favor Inslee over Biden, it’s not to the same degree, and the polls seem to show Biden as having the best chance over Trump. So, again, I voted for electability over my own preferences.
foolsguinea, what Democrats are telling Biden to run as a Republican? And why?
Inslee seems a mixed bag on foreign policy so he gets it over Biden.
Warren is too deranged and ideogical. Hickenlooper is the only one of my original picks still standing.
Harris is far too hawkish and authoritarian. Buttigieg is a sleeper establishment favorite and former spook. Eek. A rebranded WJ Clinton perhaps? I could deal.
Klobuchar is a Syria hawk. Beto seems less frightening as Commander in Chief.
Inslee over Biden = Inslee is a lesser-known underdog whereas Biden is a holdover from the 1980s, and even older than Trump himself
Hickenlooper = don’t know much about him, but Warren is like a female Biden, in the sense that she’s around Trump’s age and it’s time for new blood. Hickenlooper vote.
Kamala = don’t agree with her views necessarily, but at least she isn’t contradictory or uses selective logic like Buttigieg
Beto is all talk and no substance, so I’m going with Klobuchar
Just FYI–Warren is indeed older than Hickenlooper, but by just 2+ years: warren born June 1949, Hickenlooper February 1952. Not sure the age difference is large enough to base a vote on, but of course YMMV.
And couple that with women tending to live longer than men.
Another Inslee, Warren, Harris, Klobuchar voter.
Inslee because (a) I really don’t have much use for Biden, (b) Inslee’s been putting forward an ambitious and detailed framework for addressing climate change, which I regard as the issue above all other issues (and can’t see how it can be otherwise at this time), and © Inslee’s been good as a governor on a number of other fronts; he could have run on his record. He’s easily my favorite dark horse.
Warren because ahe’s terrific across the board, and Hickenlooper should be running for Senate.
Harris is probably my favorite other than Warren, and while I like what Mayor Pete has to say, the jump from mayor of South Bend to President is just too damn big.
Klobuchar over Beto was my only mildly tough choice. The best argument for Beto, though, was his charisma and star quality, and that’s been either missing from or just had little impact on the national race. Plus he’s only been a Representative. Klobuchar’s been a governor, and AFAICT a pretty good one. So really not all that hard a choice.
Bolding mine. I assume you mean senator?
In every round so far, before seeing the poll results and despite having done no research on the candidates except for half-watching a few video snippets of them speaking (mostly on MSNBC), I have invariably picked the most popular candidates in this poll, except for maybe one candidate pair in each round. For example, I selected Biden over Inslee in this round; the other choices followed the trend. Not sure exactly what this may mean, but I’m fairly certain I’m not clairvoyant.
I should mention I’m waiting until the debates later this month before thinking about the candidates in earnest; I don’t plan on carrying my ignorance right up to the primaries.
I think it’s more social media snark than anything, and it’s not actual party operatives as far as I know. I’m not sure who started it, but Cody Johnston did a show on the idea:
Joe Biden, Primary Donald Trump As A Republican - SOME MORE NEWS
So maybe it’s just Cody Johnston fans right now.
Pleonast, it seems that people are using the dash line vote as an abstention even though you seemed to only intend it as a divider. Maybe you should roll with it and put a dash line after your final pairing in future threads.
Warren is like Biden because they’re around the same age? Wow, now that you mention it, Buddy Guy and Pope Francis are basically the same person too.
Oops!
Thanks for the correction! 
Gov. Hogan of Maryland has often been suggested as a potential primary challenger to Trump. (IIRC, he’s already said that won’t happen.)
Hogan’s way too moderate a Republican to peel off more than a handful of votes in a challenge to Trump. And Biden is well to Hogan’s left.
So I expect this was just snark, but anyone seriously proposing this should be laughed off the Interwebs. Even given my antipathy towards Biden, yes, he is a freakin’ Democrat. He is nowhere near being a Republican. Hopefully that’s enough said.
Huh, I hadn’t looked at dash votes, but it appears you’re right. Doesn’t affect the outcome and easy to do, so I will.
My bad, I’d thought Hickenlooper was in his 50s-ish.
I agree with the Biden result. Warren and Hickenlooper are equally uncharismatic IMO so I don’t care about that one. I’m definitely in strong disagreement with the Buttigieg/Harris result. Buttigieg comes across far better than Harris, IMO, and so is far more likely to beat Trump. I agree with the last result because, while I don’t know much about Klobuchar, I can’t imagine Beto defeating Trump.
El Kabong, most people vote with the majority. That’s what “majority” means.
And I’ve been voting for the dashed line just to be snarky, but doing so in addition to the real races.