# Hee-haw, y'all. The 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hee-haw-yall-the-2020-democratic-presidential-primary/824415>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Created:** [November 12, 2018, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hee-haw-yall-the-2020-democratic-presidential-primary/824415 "2018-11-12T17:52:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 65

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**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2019, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hee-haw-yall-the-2020-democratic-presidential-primary/824415/1281 "2019-06-25T19:46:22Z")

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“Political correctness” is simply respecting other people, nothing more. A party which thrives on divisiveness will naturally disdain it.

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**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2019, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hee-haw-yall-the-2020-democratic-presidential-primary/824415/1282 "2019-06-25T19:48:43Z")

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I’d say 90%+ of the time, that’s true, but PC is a desire to modify or monitor language that usually, but not _always_, _is_ simply about politeness and respect.

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**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2019, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hee-haw-yall-the-2020-democratic-presidential-primary/824415/1283 "2019-06-26T20:50:36Z")

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> [@ElvisL1ves](#):
>
> “Political correctness” is simply respecting other people, nothing more. A party which thrives on divisiveness will naturally disdain it.

So 80 percent of the population does not want to respect other people? 😕

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**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2019, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hee-haw-yall-the-2020-democratic-presidential-primary/824415/1284 "2019-06-26T23:27:23Z")

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Oh goody! According to PBS News Hour, Trump (very stable genius!) is planning, if that’s an appropriate term for what he does, to live tweet his brain thoughts in response to the Democratic debate tonight! Yay!

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**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hee-haw-yall-the-2020-democratic-presidential-primary/824415/1285 "2019-06-27T00:43:19Z")

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> [@SlackerInc](#):
>
> So 80 percent of the population does not want to respect other people? 😕

Pretty much right. Or perhaps more accurately they want do not want to believe that what they are doing is disrespectful to others, while they demand what they consider respect from them.

Mind you that goes in every direction. Not only those who complain about political correctness demand to be respected by their own standards while denigrating the disrespect felt by others, but quite a few of those who demand what gets called “political correctness” are very dismissive of the respect as requested by others. So 80% is probably an understatement. Very very few would describe themselves as not showing others respect and most perceive themselves as not being shown the respect they desire.

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**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hee-haw-yall-the-2020-democratic-presidential-primary/824415/1286 "2019-06-27T02:38:18Z")

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Watching the debate. First candidate to say they would put Trump on trial for treason gets my vote. So far, no takers.

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**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hee-haw-yall-the-2020-democratic-presidential-primary/824415/1287 "2019-06-27T02:54:06Z")

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Warren and DeBlasio were the clear standouts IMO. (with a honorable mention to Castro).

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**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hee-haw-yall-the-2020-democratic-presidential-primary/824415/1288 "2019-06-27T03:09:02Z")

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Warren disappointed honestly. But not a good format for her to shine. Castro Booker and Klobuchar all gain a notch. Not enough to break out but enough not to wither. O’Rourke is done. DeBlasio still done.

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**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hee-haw-yall-the-2020-democratic-presidential-primary/824415/1289 "2019-06-27T03:09:36Z")

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Debate winners: Warren, De Blasio, and Castro

Debate survivors: Booker, Klobuchar, Gabbard, Inslee, and Delaney

Debate loser: Beto O’Rourke and Tim Ryan. Done. Over and Out. Good night now!!!

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**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hee-haw-yall-the-2020-democratic-presidential-primary/824415/1290 "2019-06-27T03:16:55Z")

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How is Delaney a survivor? All he demonstrated tonight is that he can’t shut the fuck up even after being told five times to stop talking. “Thank you congressman”…[blah blah blah] “thank you congressman” [blah blah blah] “THANK YOU CONGRESSMAN” [blah blah blah]. In all my years of watching election debates I’ll never understand why they don’t just cut the mics of the people who can’t shut their yap when their time is up. They want to be President, they can start by demonstrating that they’re capable of obeying a simple rule.

The guy is a tool.

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**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hee-haw-yall-the-2020-democratic-presidential-primary/824415/1291 "2019-06-27T03:19:44Z")

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> [@Lamoral](#):
>
> How is Delaney a survivor? All he demonstrated tonight is that he can’t shut the fuck up even after being told five times to stop talking. “Thank you congressman”…[blah blah blah] “thank you congressman” [blah blah blah] “THANK YOU CONGRESSMAN” [blah blah blah]. In all my years of watching election debates I’ll never understand why they don’t just cut the mics of the people who can’t shut their yap when their time is up. They want to be President, they can start by demonstrating that they’re capable of obeying a simple rule.
> 
> The guy is a tool.

I thought he had a few intelligent responses, more so in the beginning. I’d rate him lower among the ‘survivors’. In any case, I don’t see him surviving much longer.

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**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hee-haw-yall-the-2020-democratic-presidential-primary/824415/1292 "2019-06-27T03:23:46Z")

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> [@DSeid](#):
>
> Warren disappointed honestly. But not a good format for her to shine. Castro Booker and Klobuchar all gain a notch. Not enough to break out but enough not to wither. O’Rourke is done. DeBlasio still done.

Whether debate performances will move the needle or not, I don’t know, but I thought De Blasio looked like a tough New York guy, which I think is what people want to see. O’Rourke, OTOH? Toast.

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**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hee-haw-yall-the-2020-democratic-presidential-primary/824415/1293 "2019-06-27T03:26:08Z")

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Tulsi Gabbard is an intimidating woman. She stood like a trained killer, looking straight ahead, unblinking, and with a slight smirk, for the entire time she wasn’t speaking.

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**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hee-haw-yall-the-2020-democratic-presidential-primary/824415/1294 "2019-06-27T03:26:40Z")

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I was looking forward to hearing from some of these candidates because I didn’t know much about their personal priorities. A thumbs up and thumbs down judgement on two only:  
Thumbs up- Castro, I didn’t know much about him at all.  
Thumbs down- O’Rourke, he’s a superstar? I don’t see it.

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**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hee-haw-yall-the-2020-democratic-presidential-primary/824415/1295 "2019-06-27T03:28:59Z")

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I really, really want to be all-in for Booker. But he brings every issue back to race. Gun violence, health care, LGBTQ…everything. This isn’t going to play well in the communities he needs to energize against Trump in the Industrial Midwest. The only headlines he seems to make these days are things like reparation bills and calling Joe Biden out for racism. A black guy from Newark who spends a good chunk of his time calling out racism with the passion of a football coach at halftime isn’t going to do well with burb or rural voters, imo.

Beto: boring.  
Inslee: came out of the gate talking union, which was solid. But then spent most of the night politely signaling the waiter for his check.  
Gabbard: toast. stumbled over most of her lame talking points.  
DiBlasio: tried reeeeeeeal hard, but toast.  
Klobuchar: meh. Still not impressed, and I think she’d be a disaster in the general.  
Delaney: man, that guy couldn’t catch a break with the moderators. But toast before the lights even went on. My wife said, “Dude’s got crazy eyes.”  
Ryan: Was he even there?  
Castro: didn’t do himself any damage, imo. But didn’t necessarily shine.  
Warren: geez, she seemed to be talking every two minutes. I like her a lot, and want her in the WH, but I don’t want her at the top of the ticket, if that makes sense.  
Booker: I just don’t know.

None of the people on stage tonight gave me much confidence in their ability to win the nomination or beat Trump. Maybe a couple of potential running mates up there.

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**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hee-haw-yall-the-2020-democratic-presidential-primary/824415/1296 "2019-06-27T03:35:13Z")

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My take:

Warren, Booker, Inslee and Klobuchar did well.

O’Rourke did ok but struggled at times.

Castro and Gabbard didn’t move the needle one way or the other.

Delaney, Ryan and De Blasio, meh. Won’t be around long.

Republicans, by all means: Carry on treating children like prisoners of war; turn a blind eye to desperate asylum seekers and/or treat them all like criminals; keep attacking women’s right to control their own bodies and shrug as your sexual predator “president” solicits help from foreign governments to “win” in 2020.

Women will win for Dems in 2020. They are so pissed.

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**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hee-haw-yall-the-2020-democratic-presidential-primary/824415/1297 "2019-06-27T03:46:42Z")

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I am mesmerized by Ryan’s perfectly sculpted hair.

Beto is really good at posing well while others are talking.

Warren is the perfect avatar of a certain type of schoolmarmish women who make up a solid chunk of the “Resistance”.

Does Gabbard have lingering head trauma?

Castro is leading the veepstakes right now.

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**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hee-haw-yall-the-2020-democratic-presidential-primary/824415/1298 "2019-06-27T04:56:26Z")

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It was a benefit of the crowded stage that no candidate wanted to waste their precious moments of air time. So they actually talked about their position on the issues, and spent very little time on Trump, and none on Biden (some pundits thought that the long-shots would use their time to drag down the leader). Also, nobody went for the “desperate shot at going viral”, doing something clownish or going for the “memorable” one-liner. (Though maybe Beto giving his opening response in Spanish might have been such a move.)

It was refreshing to see politicians talk about policy.

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**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hee-haw-yall-the-2020-democratic-presidential-primary/824415/1299 "2019-06-27T05:02:25Z")

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A few random impressions from the first night of Candidate Salad:

1. AFAI could tell, the only time the words “Joe Biden” were uttered was when one of the moderators mentioned he would be appearing on the second night;
2. The women in general, for whatever reason, in general left me with a better impression than the men;
3. With that said, Gabbard at several points came off like a Disney animatronic playing a previously recorded tape of her remarks;
4. I have been coming to the conclusion that Beto is a bit of an empty suit, and his performance tonight did little to convince me otherwise;
5. Assuming Bill di’ makes it to a nominee debate, the prospect of listening to di Blasio and Trump shout talking points at each other in their foghorn voices is something I’m not sure I’m prepared to endure.

My rankings, based entirely on how the candidates carried themselves on TV, and considering that I was seeing and hearing about half of them for the first time:

Positive impresssion: Warren, Klobuchar, Castro

Lukewarm: Booker, Gabbard, di Blasio

Get off my viddy box: Beto, Delany, Inslee, Ryan

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hee-haw-yall-the-2020-democratic-presidential-primary/824415/1300 "2019-06-27T05:05:55Z")

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Continue to be puzzled by all the negativity toward Beto. I have somehow never been to Texas, but I apparently resonate on a Texas Dem frequency.

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