To put it down to name recognition when he’s been in for three months (having led the polls before) and having his record from Nixon years blared out in the media and being challenged on race (I don’t think you are a racist but…) and still leading is a cop out IMO.
Bernie has as much name recognition, if not more in the first two years of Trump’s presidency because he is a sitting senator while Joe is a former Vice President. One still has office in Washington to take it to task daily while the other has been on the sidelines. Joe was a popular surrogate in the Midterms but kept a low profile for the most part before then.
How are you calculating “weakest frontrunner since the 80s”? Biden detractors are saying that too and it rather confuses me how they are getting there.
Because he’s got an extremely long history. And with that comes a historical re-examination using the standards of today. And it’s not dependent on the mainstream media to do so when you can pull up CSPAN, find a clip, spin it out of context, post it to Twitter and it goes viral. This has already happened with Biden.
Furthermore Trump acted as if he was on the Left of Hillary on some subjects and to an extent was aided by prominent figures on the Left who bought into that and attacked Hillary. He can do the same with Biden with regards to NAFTA and TPP.
His being the weakest frontrunner has nothing to do with his record and everything to do with his personality. If he had spoken with the authoritative voice and posture of Buttigieg during that debate, he could have said all the same things and still appeared competitive. Instead he seemed weak, soft, and tired. That is why he is the weakest frontrunner, because he comes off, personally, as being weak, full stop. It’s nothing to do with his record.
I know I may as well be asking for a rainbow pony, but it would be nice if Democrats would spend more time selling us on their candidates(s), and less time tearing down other Democrats. Circular firing squads are stupid.
I’d like to beat Trump. Tell me why to vote *for *someone instead of shitting all over someone you don’t like.
Biden. Is authentic. Positions on the issues are where most of the D voters actually are and appeals to some that are swingable too. Strong with Black voters, working class voters, and older ones.
Warren. Is authentic. Tells a good origin story that connects. Smart. And is a good balance of knowing the system and wanting to change it. Therefore appeals to those who want something different. That could be both progressives and Obama Trump voters which is killer combo if pulled off. Her steady rise shows some strength.
Harris. Would be very strong prosecuting the case against Trump. Has enough progressive cred while still being of system. Tough.
Sanders. Gets younger voters involved more than others. Also gets authentic points.
pretty much no other candidate was serving in 1981, and in any case: Biden was concerned that wealthier families shouldn’t get government assistance for child care. …To be clear: Biden did not oppose the child care tax credit. He supported expanding it for couples making less than $30,000 (about $88,000 in today’s terms). The amendment he voted against benefited people earning more than $30,000 …
So, saying "Biden was the only no vote." makes it seem like he was against the Child care credit, when the opposite was true. And that was then, this is 2019. If anyone brings that up in the debates I hope it gets the horselaugh it deserves.
Nobody laughed at Kamala Harris for bringing up his 1970’s-era record on busing. They should have, but they didn’t.
When you cast a bazillion votes over the course of 40 years, there’s a lot of ammunition there for your opponents. Of course times change, people change, but that doesn’t matter if you’re just trying to land a viral moment and score gotcha points.
Listen to her tell “The Dress” story. It’s been connecting emotionally with the crowds. Her origins are working class church going economically stressed folk with a strong mother figure. It resonates. Now she can’t keep telling the same story forever again and again but is good.
No the family lore of Native American heritage is not an origin story. And her DNA test was a fumble.
But yes each of the top four have things that are good about them. Agree that I’d prefer to hear what each has as special strengths than attacks on the others. Skittle farts are fun.
I don’t think Bill Clinton or Carter were off the wall candidates. They were moderate southern governors rather than a northern liberal like Dukakis and Kerry. Obama was different of course since he’s black.
