# Is there a Democratic candidate for POTUS I can support? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 20, 2019, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-democratic-candidate-for-potus-i-can-support/843714 "2019-11-20T17:28:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-democratic-candidate-for-potus-i-can-support/843714/181 "2019-11-22T22:56:26Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > What is insane to me is voting for someone who says he supports doing something I do not want done. Dude says I will do X. I find X unacceptable. It matters not whether the current congress critters are likely to pas X. There will be more congressional elections during this guy’s term, and those may go in the direction of X. Therefore, I won’t vote for Dude. Don’t give a damn what other people think I should do with my vote. Really. Look at me. This is me not giving a damn what anyone thinks about how I vote. I might even shake my booty while I’m busy not giving a damn…and voting for whoever I please, from any party…even a party unlikely to win. How do you find a politician who agrees with you about everything? I don’t even agree with my wife about everything. I voted for Carter, for god’s sake, and he instituted a registration requirement for the Selective Service just when I turned 18. I found that “unacceptable” to a degree that I committed a felony to protest that policy. I still voted for him over Reagan and never regretted it. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-democratic-candidate-for-potus-i-can-support/843714/182 "2019-11-22T23:02:51Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > How do you find a politician who agrees with you about everything? I don’t even agree with my wife about everything. I voted for Carter, for god’s sake, and he instituted a registration requirement for the Selective Service just when I turned 18. I found that “unacceptable” to a degree that I committed a felony to protest that policy. I still voted for him over Reagan and never regretted it. I don’t need a politician that agrees with me on everything. I do need one that does not endorse things I find unacceptable. Gun bans and registration are two of those things. Reversing Roe v Wade is another, but no national Dem candidate has done that as far as I know. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-democratic-candidate-for-potus-i-can-support/843714/183 "2019-11-22T23:05:31Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > … > You are disenfranchised by leaving the big two. > > But accepting the big two is basically accepting greenlighting irrational people to lead everything. > > We’ve reached the end point of feasibility for that strategy. Yeah, I used to think 3 or even more parties would be better. Then I saw the mess the UK and Israel are in, and thought- **nope.** ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-democratic-candidate-for-potus-i-can-support/843714/184 "2019-11-22T23:09:08Z")
> [@oakminster](#): > > what is insane to me is voting for someone who says he supports doing something i do not want done. Dude says i will do x. I find x unacceptable. It matters not whether the current congress critters are likely to pas x. There will be more congressional elections during this guy’s term, and those may go in the direction of x. Therefore, i won’t vote for dude. Don’t give a damn what other people think i should do with my vote. Really. Look at me. This is me not giving a damn what anyone thinks about how i vote. I might even shake my booty while i’m busy not giving a damn…and voting for whoever i please, from any party…even a party unlikely to win. +1 qft ---
**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:** [November 23, 2019, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-democratic-candidate-for-potus-i-can-support/843714/185 "2019-11-23T00:27:46Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > When I hear people bitching about other people voting third party, I wonder why they can’t grok the idea of “neither major party represents me.” > > Both major parties want greater control over major aspects of society and my personal life that I do not wish them to control. They only differ on which aspects. I will not throw a vote to either just so (general) you can feel like your party is a little closer to winning. I think you can accept that one way or the other one of the major parties’ candidates will be elected president in November 2020 to presumptively serve the next four years? Whether you vote for one the other or neither. If you feel that our current president is less likely to do harm to this country’s and the world’s long term interests than the D nominee (whoever it ends up being) would do, then ISTM that voting for him makes the most sense. I don’t grok how anyone could think that but if they do then they should. OTOH if you comprehend the harms this individual represents to the long term interests of both the country and the world, and do not see the D nominee as likely to result in similar level harms, then voting for that D nominee makes sense even if the party as a whole does not represent you. Mind you I will vote for almost any of the D nominees gladly as the direction they all want to pull is the same direction I believe is the correct one. The differences between what they’d actually do is, to my read, slight. The differences are to me more packaging than substance for most (a couple of complete whackadoodles aside). But even if it came down to making what would be the less poor choice, I see a poor choice and a disastrous choice as an important decision to take part in. Reference was made to the classic trolley problem. Accepted that neither track is a direction you’d pick. From _your_ POV both tracks are bad choices. If neither is, from that POV, a worse choice, then keeping your hands unbloodied and letting it go whichever direction it goes, is a fine action. But if you believe that one is some increased chance of a moderately bad thing (from your POV) happening later, and the other is several people die now, is inaction ethically justifiable. Again, that analysis is contingent on what values you place on the harms of Trump vs the degree of increased future risk of gun regulation that you’d object to. If you see Trump as very little harm then that should be your choice. But I’d prefer you stay home! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-democratic-candidate-for-potus-i-can-support/843714/186 "2019-11-23T01:19:06Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > You do you. If the only possible reason a person could disagree with you is that s/he doesn’t understand you, That’s a ridiculous non sequitur, but I’m not sure you understand that, either. Thanks for the permission, though! ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-democratic-candidate-for-potus-i-can-support/843714/187 "2019-11-23T01:41:47Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Yeah, I used to think 3 or even more parties would be better. Then I saw the mess the UK and Israel are in, and thought- **nope.** Parties are an emergent phenomenon of the general rules of the game. Depending on how you organize things, you’ll get different results. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-democratic-candidate-for-potus-i-can-support/843714/188 "2019-11-23T02:37:19Z")
> [@cuauhtemoc](#): > > I’m pretty dumb that I need this explained to me, I guess… > > But why the vehement opposition to gun registration? Guns aren’t a big part of my life and I don’t pretend to understand all the issues, but having to register your weapon just doesn’t seem like a huge burden to me. > > I’m sincerely asking because I want to understand, not trying to make a point. I’d like an answer to this too, please. ETA: When I posted this, I didn’t realize how long this thread was, and that I hadn’t seen all of it. Now I see that a couple of posters have addressed this, but has the OP ever done so? ---
**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:** [November 23, 2019, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-democratic-candidate-for-potus-i-can-support/843714/189 "2019-11-23T09:01:38Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > [snipped very long discussion, mostly built on the same misconception] > > a solution which would satisfy “Universal” proponents, _and_ opponents? how about this… > > a private sale accessible NICS style check system that returns _only_ the three results to the private seller (Proceed/Delay/Decline) but retains _NO_ information, the firearm isn’t even the issue, it’s a background check on the _person_, not a firearms sale/transfer transaction record, its a truly _instant_ and temporary check that generates _no_ paper trail, it’d give the seller peace of mind that the buyer isn’t a prohibited person, and would generate no paper trail It sounds like you think the only public interest in a gun purchase is the seller’s peace of mind. And that that seller, presumably by virtue of being a gun owner, is automatically a good person who would never sell to a potential gun abuser. No; I do not think this solution would appeal to proponents of gun regulation. > [@Scumpup](#): > > I am doing that by not voting for him. > Voting for your guy just because he isn’t Trump would mean betraying myself… If you want me to vote for Joe “Peckerhead” Biden, or whoever you end up running, you have to convince me how wonderful s/he is. It’s a matter of simple mathematics that Trump is more likely to defeat Biden if you don’t vote for Biden than if you do. Surely you understand that? BTW, why is Biden “Peckerhead”? > [@control-z](#): > > Put me down as another in-between and wishes the two parties would get less extreme. Healthcare for all, sure. Legalize marijuana, sure why not, people shouldn’t be in jail for smoking plants. LGBT/minority rights, yes, everyone should be treated equally. But I have never understood why Democrats support all the Constitution except the 2nd Amendment. “Healthcare for all, sure.” _(So you’re a radical leftist.)_ “Legalize marijuana, sure why not” _(So you’re a radical leftist!)_ “LGBT/minority rights, yes, everyone should be treated equally.” _(So you’re a radical leftist!!)_ “_ **But …** _” … Without reading on to the Spoiler, I venture a guess that the Big Gotcha is going to be that Number One Issue; the Natural Freedom that has unified philosophers for thousands of years; the Quintessential Human Value; the Purpose of Life; the Reason GOD Created the Universe. “… the 2nd Amendment.” _(Got it! What do I win?)_ ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-democratic-candidate-for-potus-i-can-support/843714/190 "2019-11-23T16:05:27Z")
In those misty days when I was an undergrad, dinosaurs prowled the Earth, and Biden made his first run at the White House, one of my professors wondered aloud why that peckerhead thought he was qualified to be POTUS. It became something of a catchphrase amongst the science majors to refer to Biden as “Peckerhead” and I use it here as a shout-out to any of my old classmates that might be members. Also, Biden is a peckerhead. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-democratic-candidate-for-potus-i-can-support/843714/191 "2019-11-23T17:14:18Z")
> [@cuauhtemoc](#): > > I’m pretty dumb that I need this explained to me, I guess… > > But why the vehement opposition to gun registration? Guns aren’t a big part of my life and I don’t pretend to understand all the issues, but having to register your weapon just doesn’t seem like a huge burden to me. > > I’m sincerely asking because I want to understand, not trying to make a point. Because if they were gonna come for your guns - and it has happened and several Dem candidates promised it- then they’d have a list. It since there are like 400 Millions guns in the USA, registration would simply be used as a tool to harass those that forgot. And tell me, what good would it do? Even the FBI and other Agencies doent ask for Gun registration. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-democratic-candidate-for-potus-i-can-support/843714/192 "2019-11-24T03:07:16Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > I am doing that by not voting for him. > Voting for your guy just because he isn’t Trump would mean betraying myself. > > FTR, Democrats and Progressives telling me how awful Trump is are wasting their time. I’ve known that since Reagan was POTUS. I didn’t vote Trump last time and have no intention of doing so this time. If you want me to vote for Joe “Peckerhead” Biden, or whoever you end up running, you have to convince me how wonderful s/he is. Mebbe. [New data makes it clear that non-voters elected Trump.](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/08/09/new-data-makes-it-clear-nonvoters-handed-trump-the-presidency/) ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-democratic-candidate-for-potus-i-can-support/843714/193 "2019-11-24T03:18:46Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Since you’re a Moderator you may be able to correct the typo in your post, despite missing the 5-minute window 🙂 > > Quote > > * * * > > Originally Posted by Dictionary > > ☎ … nut·job > > /ˈnətjäb/ > noun INFORMAL > > noun: nut-job > a crazy or foolish person. Ex.: Gary Johnson: Two points: If one intends to quote an off-site source, it would behoove one to link to the actual source. If one is going to ascribe text to an offsite source, the standard rules regarding quotes apply: one may not change or add to the actual text within the quote tags. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-democratic-candidate-for-potus-i-can-support/843714/194 "2019-11-24T07:12:17Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > I agree. Earlier I said it was a trolley problem, and we have one of two tracks the trolley could be pushed onto, and lots of much better tracks it won’t get pushed onto. > > On election day, if you’re not helping to push the trolley onto the less-harmful of the two possible tracks, you’re fucking up. > > And if you’re not trying to build a better set of tracks for the rest of the time, you’re also fucking up. > > I’m 100% in favor of making stronger third parties all year long. But when it comes to election day, if an election is anywhere close, ya gotta vote for a possible winner. In India, everyone just drives where they want and how they want, ignoring all the rules of the road. They get where they want to go slower and a lot more people die than if they followed the rules. But, if you tried to follow the rules, it wouldn’t help you out at all because everyone else is being self-destructive. And if it was just India, and that was the only sample you had to look at, you would believe that humanity simply can’t obey the rules or operate in a sane and logical manner. In our universe, we know that’s not the case, people can obey the rules of the road, and it’s just a matter of how each particular society has developed over time. I don’t know if this is a case where things can be changed to something that works better. But I would say that the question, if you’re in India and trying to drive on Indian roads isn’t, “Should I drive like everyone else, so at least I don’t die in an accident immediately, or drive according to the rules even if that really just harms myself?” The better question is what steps need to be taken to push society in a more healthy direction? ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-democratic-candidate-for-potus-i-can-support/843714/195 "2019-11-24T13:06:10Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > When I hear people bitching about “neither major party represents me” I wonder how entitled one must be to assume that one of the parties must align perfectly with their own personal views. Guess what, you are one of over 300 million of us. Nobody gets their own personal party that aligns 100 percent with us. Nobody. Why are you special? I know this was a couple of days ago but thinking like this is what has us in the political situations we are in where is it asshole vs jut job. People are to focused on winning instead of what is best for the country. Sure you win with your marginally less bad candidate but you could have voted to improve th country by voting for someone else. If more people voted for the candidate that was going to improve the country then either people with good policies would win or the big parties would have to change their candidate selection so they were less extreme and crazy. The people doing the most harm to this country are the intelectiectially lazy who vote straight tickets. I’m really bummed the Bill Weld ran as a Republican this cycle rather than taking over the top of the libertarian ticket from gary johnson who’s obviously smoked himself retarded. There would have been a good chance of splitting the republicans and stealing the middle from the dems. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-democratic-candidate-for-potus-i-can-support/843714/196 "2019-11-24T14:43:25Z")
So, this is it, then? At long last, the rise of the Libertarian Party to national prominence and power? And the Vikings win the SuperBowl? ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-democratic-candidate-for-potus-i-can-support/843714/197 "2019-11-24T15:51:16Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > So, this is it, then? At long last, the rise of the Libertarian Party to national prominence and power? And the Vikings win the SuperBowl? Yes, when bill weld runs as the lib candidate and trump and warren are the mainstream candidates. Let me know when that happens. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-democratic-candidate-for-potus-i-can-support/843714/198 "2019-11-24T16:52:15Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > > [@MacTech](#): > > > > [snipped very long discussion, mostly built on the same misconception]… > > It sounds like you think the only public interest in a gun purchase is the seller’s peace of mind. And that that seller, presumably by virtue of being a gun owner, is automatically a good person who would never sell to a potential gun abuser. > [@Terms of Service and FAQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-of-service-and-faq/823562/2): > > **Quote Box** – Do not modify another poster’s words inside the quote box. For SDMB posters, the quote must be accurate, whether displayed using [QUOTE] tags or ordinary quotation marks. Normal editorial rules apply: that is, you may indicate omitted portions of a quote by the use of ellipses “…” or devices such as [snip]. You may add text to clarify a word using square brackets (e.g., “her [the sister’s] friend”), but you may not add editorial comments or edit a quote so as to change the substantive meaning; nor may you substitute text such as “some blather” or “more nonsense” inside the [QUOTE] tags or quotation marks. We encourage accurate quoting of off-board individuals in a serious discussion; links are recommended. If it becomes apparent you’re derailing a discussion with fake or misleading quotes of off-board individuals, we reserve the right to take action. Unattributed parody quotes are permitted in all forums provided they don’t violate other SDMB rules. In the BBQ Pit forum only, parody quotes may be attributed to a parody username, provided that (a) the parody username is obviously satirical - we’ll be the judge of obviousness; and (b) no other rules are violated. Quotes attributed to parody usernames are not permitted in other forums. The bracketed section in the first quote above was not in the original. This is a warning for altering text in the quote box. [/moderating] ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-democratic-candidate-for-potus-i-can-support/843714/199 "2019-11-24T18:09:46Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Because if they were gonna come for your guns - and it has happened and several Dem candidates promised it- then they’d have a list. It since there are like 400 Millions guns in the USA, registration would simply be used as a tool to harass those that forgot. > > And tell me, what good would it do? Even the FBI and other Agencies doent ask for Gun registration. They are coming for our guns! ! ! What good would it do! ! ! ! I just wanted to take a second and see how that feels. Oh man. I don’t envy you. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2019, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-democratic-candidate-for-potus-i-can-support/843714/200 "2019-11-24T18:16:49Z")
You know I could vote Dem if they weren’t so hell bent on racing towards socialism. Quite a bit of the ideas are good. But as a package it’s completely unpalatable and that’s a damn shame. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-democratic-candidate-for-potus-i-can-support/843714.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-democratic-candidate-for-potus-i-can-support/843714.md?page=11)