I am really surprised that ‘articulate’ now means ‘a credit to his race’. I just can’t keep up.
The debate seems to have been when Gillum’s numbers started to make a move.
The Nordic model is Third Way, but it’s as far left down that path as you can probably go. Clinton and Blair occupy the center of Third Way politics, and Republicans would occupy the right. But all are in basic agreement about the basic model of the economy and the government: free markets, aid to the elderly, disabled, and poor. It’s just an argument over how much to spend and under what conditions.
Siri says its Obama’s fault, Cortana blames the Jews.
The interesting thing here is that pointing out racism, even super fucking blatant racism, doesn’t seem like a winning strategy for the dems. The more people talk about this culture war issue, the less they’re talking about other things. And that’s the key - in today’s America, the right only has one string to their bow: culture warring. It’s their strongest suit more or less by default.
There was a recent interview with Gauland from the AfD, Germany’s “republican lite” party. The mod did something clever - he asked Gauland a whole bunch of questions that had nothing to do with immigration or asylum policies. And, as it turns out, Gauland had no answers. No proposed policies on any one of these major issues facing Germany.
Republicans are in a similar position. Their actual held positions are overwhelmingly unpopular, but if they can make the conversation all about how liberals are PC weenies playing the race card, that doesn’t matter. So basically, overtly dog whistling is a winning move for them. Which is preeeetty gross.
I hate to say it, but I think DeSantis is going to win the election, and fairly easily. I hope I’m wrong, but Florida’s more conservative than liberal. And Gillum has some very real problems brewing, with the FBI investigating Tallahassee city politics.
This also has the effect of dividing the opposition, with one faction demanding (people of color) fixating on racial justice issues and another (white moderates and progressives) wanting to avoid talking about race and instead seeking to direct the focus toward economic issues. The two factions, over time, become frustrated with each other and begin going in separate directions, which strengthens the more cohesive right wing extremists.
On the other hand, we have a dynamic in which all progressives, becoming ever more outraged by blatant economic injustice and corruption of the right, conclude that the entire economic and political system is broken beyond repair and begin offering radical alternatives of their own. Thus, we’re left with a choice between a nationalist fascism on the right and variants of socialism and anti-capitalism on the right, with both sides sucking the air away from the center. Again, think Europe 1920s and 30s.
The problem is how many conservatives are going to be repelled by his crudeness and blank their ballots, or just not show up. As Scott Maxwell of the Sentinel (always a must read)points out today, there were still more Republican than Democratic ballots cast on Tuesday in Florida. It’s questionable how much of the non-Fox-obsessed party base will vote for him.
One thing we should know by now is that polling methods have been left a bit behind in the social-media age, and not to trust any of them until they catch up.
None of which has reached him personally, although he’s still open to the should-have-known charge.
Current betting markets say about 60% chance of DeSantis winning and I think that’s about right. DeSantis isn’t too conservative to win Florida. Gillum on the other hand, is too liberal. But the combination of the Blue Wave and high black turnout makes Gillum a contender.
I admit that I haven’t kept with it much but one of the articles I read (Politico, maybe?) indicated that the investigation has been pretty thorough with agents posing as contractors. The DoJ doesn’t turn a blind eye to municipal corruption. Quite the opposite: it’s one of the crimes they seem to relish prosecuting the most.
Can’t they just vote for him but say they did that?
Funny, someone made this statement upthread. And none of the more “liberal” posters has addressed the thesis that in choosing the more liberal candidate, Florida’s Democrats have most likely given away the election in the fall.
Of course, ElvisL1ves notes that polls are currently a bit dicey at predicting things. We should also note that there are two full months for someone to do something really incredibly stupid, as opposed to merely sorta stupid.
That’s meaningless. People bring it up all the time when it serves their hope or argument but primary turnout is not correlated with general election turnout.
Here’s the thing with Gillum though:
- He’s a talented candidate, which can overcome being ideologically out of step with the voters.
- Assuming he stokes black turnout, you can give Bill Nelson an extra 2 points in his race against Rick Scott.
Yep. Plus,
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A talented candidate can convince the voters to shift their own ideology his way. In fact, that’s how leadership in public service works.
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Yes, and on down the ballot too. Not just blacks, either - there are hundreds of thousands of new Florida voters who were Puerto Ricans until recently, and few of whom would have much reason to sympathize with a Trumpist.
He will have to shift his stance on ICE. We need to reform our immigration controls, but as he is interpreted now, he favors abolishing, and that just won’t fly. Creating a just and humane ICE would be a more worthy goal. For all practical purposes, such a re-ordering would be an abolishment, but that one word is enough to panic a metric buttload of Floridians.
That one is easy for even a journeyman pol to “clarify”. I don’t think it will have legs.
Voting takes conscious effort and dedication, people have to be genuinely into it to even get to a poll. Things like this do matter, people do say “fuck it” and stay home.
Not so fast there, big fella…
Whoops, ninja’d by DigitalC, sigh.
Oh. So you think this isn’t just general distractions, but distraction with a specific, defined purpose. I think that argument will appeal only to the choir. Still, I do think pointing out “monkey” is enough, and “articulate” should be left out of it. There are just too many inarticulate people for that to really read like an insult.