I think this is a paraphrase. I wish it weren’t.
I totally skipped out on the Democratic debate last night because nowadays my usual reaction to any political event involves daydreaming about beheadings and skulls and ripping out hearts and leveling the senate already, and the visceral loathing makes me uncomfortable. If you want to talk about your takeaway from the ridiculous mob of chattering wannabes, go ahead, distill it down for me.
To be fair, Warren didn’t really have a plan – or, at least, couldn’t describe it in any detail in the time allotted (I do think she was the best overall). Anyone really think Mitch is going to bend to pressure from activists?
The only answers are:
-I will do everything I can to help down ballot democrats win
-Statehood for DC, Puerto Rico
-Expand the size of the House (not directly relevant to the Senate problem, but in the same category)
I suppose the only other path forward is radical changes to Senate rules, but what was the answer supposed to be? Anyone who says “work with him” are either lying or stupid. May be a good political answer, but totally useless.
I for one support Elizabeth Warren in her admirable campaign goals!
This might not be as satisfying as you would think.
https://www.oglaf.com/skulls/
Note: this Oglaf comic is actually safe for work.
I knew it couldn’t be true, because as a stickler for accuracy, Warren would have suggested using his skull as a shot glass.
time pressure limited them from really speaking. Warren plans are all details and the time didn;t allow enough to explain any of them, she wisely opted for broad generalities of subjects she will focus on correcting.
Holt also harped on the hypothetical of never giving enough time to let them say how unlikely McTurt will still be there, being unlikely to get reelected. I think Booker [maybe a different on, can’t fully remember] tried to bring up how he would get the voters to get behind the issue to sway the Repukeians to accommodate their proposals, which would get around McTurts blockage. [as I inferred the silent part of his response]
What stood out to me, was Tim Ryan, in a negative way. At first he started to make sense, coming from Youngstown OH and all the devastation “45” has wrought. He then blurted out a brain fart of Taliban being responsible for planes flying in the WTC on 9/11, as his reason for staying active in Afghanistan instead of withdrawing. Tulsi Gabbard quickly interjected that it was Al Quaida, NOT Taliban, who performed 9-11 (and whispered Saudi Arabia), which he quickly dismissed and continued ranting about Taliban and they are a minor nuisance only because we’re there and withdrawing will allow them to balloon and infest more of the region.
I would like to have argued that perhaps Taliban still exists, only to resist our presence, that our withdrawal would make them evaporate due to local pressure. I know the conclusion I’m jumping to on this slim statement is that he is essentially a HAWK, which the Democrats should not put forward into the office of President. Crossing him off my list of possibilities.
Holt also tried a gotcha question with the one about what they would do about all the guns currently owned by so many people. . None fell into the trap of , nor the , which would also have been a blow to whoever said that. They all tried to squeeze reasonable proposals into the 30sec answer timeslot with little success. Warren, wisely, went a little tangential and talked about treating guns as a health issue, like measles, being a threat to the lives of ourselves and our children. That was all she could get out. I agree with addressing the issue that way, as a medical issue, and not simply as dangerous objects.
The mildly deranged penguin points out not all invertebrates have skulls, and in the specific case of M. Mcconnell, the famous vast quantities of slime are so toxic and corrosive that any skull would be so ridden with holes it is unable to hold anything except a dense stuffing of high-denomination notes.
I’m pretty sure that no invertebrates have skulls.
I suppose the chitinous head segment of arthropods that have them could serve as a skull substitute.
@PZ Myers
Her answer was, “Pressure from the White House, keep people engaged after the election.”
If that’s the savagery McConnell has coming his way, I think he’s probably going to sleep well tonight.
I think that tweet artfully captures the essence of the non-Warren answers and ascribes to Warren an intensity of response that really wasn’t there.
But folks can disagree.
Apologies. On reread it appears I didn’t interpret PZ’s post correctly. Disregard my bad post.
That’s perhaps the case on Earth, which is supposedly a backwater in the unfashionable dregs of the Milky Way. Sentient beings who have visited, however, report — usually on densely-scribbled notes on rolls of toilet paper — that the creatures inhabiting the planet not only have not discovered blit, most of them still think penguins cannot fly, and peas have taste. “Extremely dense”, “astonishingly stupid”, “überparanoid with extra paranoia”, and “cannot find a decent — or indeed any — genuine Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster on the entire heap of rock” are typical reviews. The only known planet to rate a triple ultra minus infinity rating (the scale had to be especially extended to adequately describe the place).
Elsewhere, skull-full invertebrates exist, such as Zardoz, albeit they tend to be about as popular as headless horseman (a species allegedly found on Earth). Headless horseman are vertebrates (usually), albeit skull-less, and somewhat similar to Earth politicians, in that they charge about the place alot, swinging not-always-sharp swords totally blindly, and basically making a mess. Fortunately, it is possible to herd them off a cliff, albeit a great many other supposedly-sentient creatures tend to follow.
I legitimately had trouble telling the hopelessly naive and strikingly mediocre white men on stage apart. Beto just got back from senior trip through.
Why do we have to “work with” people who are demonstrably wrong?
Delaney was honestly the worst in this respect. He idolized bipartisanship throughout the debate and seems to believe, like Biden, that Trump is the cause of all this, and if he is defeated, the Republican party will suddenly desire compromise. Most of the rest all seemed to believe that they’d just win the Senate, which would be fine if it happens, but you’ve got to have a contingency plan.
Do these people have fricken amnesia? Did they forget the years 2011 through 2016?
specialffrog: silly Oglaf. Obviously you hold the skull with the cap at the bottom, not the top.
Skål!
Warren was as much her usual bad-ass self as the time she had allowed. Booker was pretty good. Castro too. DeBlasio surprised me by being ok. Klobuchar burned one of the old white guys pretty hard, but it was her only stand out moment. Beto bombed. But that’s all just my opinion.
Tonight might be more interesting with 4 of the top pollers onstage, but I’m REALLY hoping we can get down to 6 or 7 of the stronger candidates a.s.a.p. so these debates can actually be somewhat substantive and maybe tackle topics in-depth.
I’m not sure if they believe that, or if they just think that the demographic they’re targeting right now does. There seems to be a real split in candidates, one group with bold ideas hoping to fire up millenials and new voters, the other selling the same old pablum to the good ol’ reliable boomers and old folks.
I discovered a succinct summary of the Democratic debate that seems to illustrate the main points of the candidates.
Please put down tea and coffee cups before reading.
yes that is a serious split alright but i would characterize slightly different.
It has been some time since the democrats ran a campaign aimed at democrats and not one which targeted “moderate republicans” .they have been running away from labor since the 70’s and toward big business “the market” they folded on health care with barely a fight completely dropping a choice of government option and giving the insurance industry a monopoly and favoring the banks over the customers of the banks the people..
the result has been low turnout and a confused and apathetic and frustrated electorate who have proven vulnerable to be coned by lies and deceit by posers and frauds.
uncle frogy
jrkrideau, your link needs tidying up. Otherwise very good.
Ragutis wrote:
Aside from that, she was essentially indistinguishable from the old white guys. Gabbard was interesting and fairly good except for the “when I was in the military” parts, which she dipped into too often (a minor criticism). She addressed her past opposition to LGBT rights about as well as possible and committed to defending those rights, so that was good. Strange that she was one of the only people who had to address her past.
unclefrogy wrote:
It’s become so common that Meghan McCain whined on Twitter that no one in the debate was trying to win over Republicans. She eventually deleted the tweet, but she was entirely serious. They’re so used to setting Democratic policy, they write endless op-eds when the party goes its own direction. The GOP operatives warn, if the party goes left, the Democrats will lose elections. They just have the Dem’s best interests at heart!
re @13:
YES, it must remembered that “45” is the result, not the cause.
The GOP are still solidly Grumpy Oligarchic Patricians and cannot be worked with.
Their constituents can get them to sway a bit. Focus on their constituents as agents to sway the goops.
I recommend “piss pot,” rather than “pint glass.”
Sorry, PZ – I live in Ky and I side with Liz….
Akira MacKenzie @12: Why do we have to “work with” people who’ve so demonstrably made it a point to refuse to work with us on anything?
Oooh.I know she had that line in her back pocket waiting for a chance to use it, but Kamala might as well have just run across the stage slapping everyone in the face.
Couldn’t stand to watch the whole. For me, a key “tell” was the support of an insurance company. Insurance can wisely spread the cost of disaster with careful selection by the purchaser. But politicians purchasing for me!!!
jack16
Which one would get in the best talking points and soundbites did not interest or impress me.
Christ, we’re Green Lanterning the prospective Democratic POTUS already? I think it’d be wise for some residents chez here to review Murc’s Law, and stop pretending sheer will / gumption / bootstraps can override the forces of our anti-democratic nation-state and its machinery. That kind of childish, craven optimism, inevitably disappointed by reality, is what eventually gives rise to the pessimistic cult of ever-heightening contradictions.