Joe Biden Joins Crowded Primaries

April 25, 2019

Today we learned that this dude is again running for president.

In his campaign launch video Joe Biden waxes about the "core values of America" but makes zero political proposals. He claims:

Our very democracy, everything that has made America, America, is at stake. That's why today I'm announcing my candidacy for President of the United States.

The last time Joe Biden attempted to run, he claimed that he was motivated by his son Beau's dying wish for him to become president. Biden 'leaked' that 'dying wish' himself and the details of the 'dying wish' story changed over time.

There are now 20 Democrats running in the primaries for the 2020 presidential election. Only a few of them have the potential to beat Trump.

Biden is not one of them. His biggest strength is that his well known. It is also his biggest weakness. Biden is beholden to Wall Street, supported the Iraq war resolution (vid) and the Ukrainian fascists. His speeches are full of platitudes and balderdash. Biden has no new political program. His sole point is get rid of President Trump.

There are number of 'new' Obama like Democrats running, Robert Francis O'Rourke, aka Beto, and Pete Buttigieg of whom we are warned. Another type are the known 'centrists' – Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris and Amy Klobuchar. There are also a number of nonames with no chances to win. Most of them fall into the centrist/bipartisan category.

Unfortunately the Democrats handed Trump the gift of Russiagate. For more than two years they fought him on those grounds. They lost the fight when the Mueller investigation absolved Trump. The false accusations against him will become a major campaign issue. Trump will use the issue to enrage his base. He will say that it was unjust to accuse him of being a Russian stooge. Many people will agree with him if only on that point.

The fight against Trump can not be won in the center. Turnout will be the key factor. Without strong progressive positions the turnout in the general election for any Democratic candidate will be too low to win.

Three candidates fit that corner.

Elizabeth Warren has good progressive ideas. Unfortunately her personality is as likable as Hillary Clinton's. She does not connect emotionally and is difficult to sell.

Bernie Sanders may well have the best chance to beat Trump on domestic policies. But he is no progressive on foreign policy issues.

Tulsi Gabbard has the best overall program but the media ignore her and the Democratic Party establishment is strongly against her. She has no chance to win the primaries.

A Sanders/Gabbard ticket in the general election is one I probably could support. Would it be strong enough to beat Trump?

Posted by b on April 25, 2019 at 18:04 UTC | Permalink

Comments

“Max Blumenthal
‏Verified account @MaxBlumenthal
1d1 day ago
Biden centered his launch video on resisting Nazis in Charlottesville, so it’s worth examining his record in supporting the resurgence of Nazism in Ukraine. In fact, his top advisor on the issue recently brought the founder of two Nazi parties to DC.”

Posted by: arby | Apr 27 2019 20:10 utc | 201

arby – bang on.. biden and ukraine dynamic would sink anyone else, but remember, this is amerikkka where up is down and right is wrong..

Posted by: james | Apr 27 2019 20:21 utc | 202

If one scans this thread looking for ideas and facts rather than personal attacks and justifications, one comes up short. It’s actually hard to know what this thread even refers to by now.
Congratulations are due to those who have turned it into a fight – if this was your intention you have succeeded. It used to be a discussion.
I see that real commenters are getting drawn into this fight also. One has to understand that the way a thread makes one feel is an intended thing – one is being played. The Moon of Alabama threads are going downhill – and it’s actually only a few people destroying the discussion – but I don’t know what to do to help them stay on the high ground.
So for now, bearing witness is all there is. I offer the observation.

Posted by: Grieved | Apr 28 2019 0:38 utc | 203

Grieved: bearing witness
At the risk of sounding confrontational, I’ll say that your neutrality is unhelpful. You fail to recognize that we sometimes get troll propagandists as well as the determination and passions that come with the run-up to war.
Trump has named Iran’s IRG as terrorists. The head of the DNC says we are already at war. SST (pat lang’s blog) is discussing coming hostilities with Lebanon and Iran. The US has virtually declared war on Venezuela. The Syrian conflict continues in a different form (Israeli attacks, economic war, etc.). The prospect of peace with North Korea has been all but dashed (which I warned of months ago). And we have a new arms race.
You also fail to recognize the truth of the “managed democracy” that has brought us to the precipice as well as the shills that hope to channel discontent into a useless democratic process.
Here’s my take: we’ve had an engaging conversation that has aired many issues including important meta issues like shilling/trolling.
With that said, I understand and appreciate your sentiment. I mean no offense in my remarks. If you think the conversation has been too contentious, you might try pointing out specific remarks or appealing to b.

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Apr 28 2019 1:27 utc | 204

Accusing Trump of being Russian asset, calling him racist. sexist all the fucking time (even though its kinda true), not letting him implement his terrible ideas will just make him look like a warrior for “forgotten men and women”, Democrats will not get their shit together and we have to suffer 6 more years of Trump.

Posted by: Anad | Apr 29 2019 3:21 utc | 205

You know there is no chance of Bernie/Turlsi. Democrats prefer to shoot their own leg and let Trump mind fuck us all for second term that to let someone who has favorable opinion of Assad become VP. The real problem is Democratic party this time as it was last time, they had to rig election against Bernie to hand over US presidency to Hillary because after all it was her turn? I pray to God that Iran survive Pompeo/Bolton Duo for 6more years.

Posted by: Persian Girl | Apr 29 2019 3:38 utc | 206

FYI
This conversation essentially continued in the next thread starting with Circe’s comment here.

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Apr 29 2019 14:59 utc | 207

Baalbek comment at craig Murray’s blog briefly describes why he believes that:

It is quite clear that the Atlantacist establishment in Brussels, London and DC, in collaboration with the Zionist supremacists in Jerusalem, will fight hard, and fight dirty, to the bitter end. Victory will not be easy and will eventually require actual effort in the material world. A ballot box overthrow of these forces is no longer feasible.

See more at the link.

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Apr 29 2019 15:04 utc | 208

Pete Buttigieg is an interesting and literate person, but he’s a novelty-candidate at best.

Posted by: Mister Roboto | May 1 2019 11:00 utc | 209

Back to Main