2020 Democratic Presidential Primary | OT2 | Warren's college tuition plan includes cancelling college debt

[pigeon]

yas queen

Any new information will be threadmarked, so check the small bar at the top of each page, under threadmarks, if you want to easily keep track of any and all major developments in the primary.

This thread is to serve as a unified thread for all discussions of the approximately twelve million people running for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. I will try to keep the first post updated with short dossiers on every apparent candidate assuming I don't die of old age trying to finish listing them. Suggestions and submissions are encouraged. I will literally add anybody you send me to the list if you can make a good argument for it. I'm making the best effort I can to be neutral and mock each candidate equally, but if you don't find the jokes I wrote about your preferred candidate funny, feel free to submit alternatives and I will explain what I don't like about them.

IMPORTANT DATES
January 2019: The Democratic Party announces requirements for debate participation
June 2019: Forums and debates officially begin
February 3rd, 2020: Iowa caucus
February 11th, 2020: New Hampshire primary
February 22, 2020: Nevada caucus
February 29th, 2020: South Carolina primary
March 3rd, 2020: Super Tuesday

THE CANDIDATES
(alphabetically)

JOE BIDEN

Also Known As: Diamond Joe
Currently: Unemployed
Accomplishments: Thirty-odd years as Senator from Delaware, including Foreign Relations and Judicial experience. Ran for president twice and lost badly both times. Eight years as Barack Obama's vice president. Memes.
Policy Focus: Strongly opposes Brexit. Stop the privatization of the NHS. No, wait, sorry, those are Neil Kinnock's policies.
Website: https://bidenfoundation.org/
Strengths: Everybody knows who he is. Elaborate satire about his wild vice-presidential life distracts from the reality of his boring and inconsequential vice-presidential life.
Weaknesses: Remembers the old days when men were men and Democrats were also men.
Primary Status: Unofficially considering running.

JULIÁN CASTRO

Also Known As: Joaquin Castro
Currently: Unemployed, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Accomplishments: Won the mayorship of San Antonio 50% of the times he ran for it.
Policy Focus: Since his political offices have all been citywide, presumably something like "San Antonio is great."
Strengths: Extremely popular with the constituency of former Democratic candidates for President. Beat his twin brother into the world by one minute and thus won the right to run for president before him.
Weaknesses: Managed to actually get criticized for violating the Hatch Act. Hasn't actually run for or won any federal or statewide office, something that is often a good idea before running for president.
Primary Status: Has formed an exploratory committee and has an upcoming announcement of...something on January 12th, 2019.

JOHN DELANEY

Also Known As: No, Not The Guy Who Had That TV Show, Delaney. With a D.
Currently: Unemployed, after not running for reelection to the House from Maryland's 6th district
Accomplishments: Successfully won a district that was explicitly gerrymandered to be winnable for him, then introduced legislation to end partisan gerrymandering. You have to admire the chutzpah.
Policy Focus: I genuinely have no idea.
Strengths: Founded multiple banks.
Weaknesses: Early contender for the Lincoln Chafee Memorial Award for the Candidate Whose Run for President is Least Explicable. This in an election cycle which also contains Julian Castro!
Primary Status: Has filed FEC papers and officially announced his candidacy for president.

KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND

Also Known As: Hillary From An Alternate Timeline Where She Did Fewer Crimes
Currently: Senator from New York
Accomplishments: Tacked right to win a conservative House district in New York, then way left after she was appointed Senator to replace Hillary. Successfully pushed for the repeal of DADT and the passage of the 9/11 Compensation Act, and wrote part of the STOCK Act.
Policy Focus: What's cool now? I support that. Back when I didn't support that it was because I was stupid.
Website: https://kirstengillibrand.com/
Strengths: Terrifyingly adept at identifying the maximally left position she can safely take and taking it while other senators are still declining comment. With her comments that Bill should've resigned, killed all her MeToo darlings already.
Weaknesses: America is ready for a woman president, but maybe not this particular woman. Lots of Democrats are still mad at her for suggesting a sexual harasser should resign. Wait, what?
Primary Status: Unofficially considering running.

KAMALA HARRIS

Also Known As: Yas Attorney General
Currently: Senator from California
Accomplishments: Attorney General of California for six years before successfully running to replace Barbara Boxer. Yelled at a bunch of dummies in her official senate capacity.
Policy Focus: Trump is bad.
Website: https://kamalaharris.org/
Strengths: Reminds people of Barack Obama for some reason. No, YOU'RE racist.
Weaknesses: America is ready for a woman president, but maybe not this particular woman. "I was only following orders" maybe not the best defense for her actions as CA Attorney General.
Primary Status: Unofficially considering running. Said she would decide over the recent holidays whether to run.

JAY INSLEE

Also Known As: The Governor in the North
Currently: Governor of Washington
Accomplishments: Served eight terms in the House before becoming governor. Supported the Green New Deal back in 2002 when it was called the New Apollo Project. Introduced legislation to impeach Attorney General Alberto Gonzales for doing Trump stuff before it was cool.
Policy Focus: Technology is good. Climate change must be stopped. Trump is bad.
Website: https://www.jayinslee.com/home
Strengths: Has literally been staunchly progressive for longer than many forumgoers have been alive. Right about everything if only people had listened to him before it was too late.
Weaknesses: If he's so great, why is the Hanford Nuclear Reservation still there?
Primary Status: Has begun forming an exploratory committee to run for president.

BETO O'ROURKE

Also Known As: Senator Calf Cramper
Currently: Texas Senator runner-up
Accomplishments: I just said he was the Texas Senator runner-up. But seriously, given that he ran in Texas he kept it very close, raised a lot of money and helped a lot of other candidates over the finish line.
Policy Focus: Basically the mainstream Democratic Party platform. Not the parts about oil.
Website: https://betofortexas.com/
Strengths: Through some superhuman act of will manages to livestream constantly without yelling racial slurs. Feist was a big fan of his band. Obama has anointed his head with holy oil, crowning him the true king of the Democratic Party, according to sources familiar with the holy oil.
Weaknesses: Texas Senator runner-up.
Primary Status: Unofficially considering running.

BERNIE SANDERS

Also Known As: The Curb Your Enthusiasm Guy
Currently: Independent Senator from Vermont
Accomplishments: Longest-serving Independent in Congressional history. Second place in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary. Moved the party significantly leftwards on many issues. Marched with Martin Luther King Jr.
Policy Focus: Socialism is good. Break up the big banks.
Website: https://berniesanders.com/
Strengths: Is a socialist. Can control birds with his mind. As the second best candidate in 2016, arguably the logical establishment choice.
Weaknesses: Not actually a Democrat. Not actually not a Democrat. Martin Luther King Jr. turns out to have been dead for some time.
Primary Status: Unofficially considering running.

ELIZABETH WARREN

Also Known As: The Persister
Currently: Senator from Massachusetts
Accomplishments: Chaired the Congressional Oversight Panel for managing TARP. Yelled at banks a lot. Successfully led an advocacy campaign for the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, then, when Republicans blocked her from being appointed to it, ran for office instead and won.
Policy Focus: Financial regulation. Consumer protection.
Website: https://elizabethwarren.com
Strengths: Actually gets a lot done. Willing to just call people bad guys when they, for instance, melt down the global economy with a massive mortgage fraud conspiracy.
Weaknesses: America is ready for a woman president, but maybe not this particular woman. Has the proportionate strength, speed, and Native American ancestry of a white person.
Primary status: Has formed a presidential exploratory committee.

MARIANNE WILLIAMSON
Sorry, your heart does not support the clarifying power of pure love, which is necessary to view this content. Please consult your vendor for a firmware update.

ANDREW YANG

Also Known As: Democratic Mitt Romney
Currently: Rich
Accomplishments: Founded Venture For America, which is like AmeriCorps but for startups. Has a bunch of honorariums from Obama for being one of the good ones. No, I mean one of the good rich people.
Policy Focus: Universal Basic Income. Human capitalism, whatever that means.
Website: https://www.yang2020.com/
Strengths: Politically inexperienced billionaires are in this year. Doesn't want to coerce workers with starvation.
Weaknesses: Partly that's because he already got rich coercing workers with starvation, so you wonder about his commitment.
Primary status: Has officially declared his intention to run for president.

ELIMINATED CANDIDATES

Michael Avenatti
Deval Patrick
Martin O'Malley
RICHARD OJEDA
(Also Known As: The Most Liberal Man in West Virginia
Currently: West Virginia State Senator from the 7th district
Accomplishments: Took a lot of credit for the teacher's strike in West Virginia. Didn't lose by nearly as much as Democrats usually lose by in West Virginia when he ran for the House.
Policy Focus: What if Democrats were more like Republicans?
Website: https://voteojeda.com/
Strengths: Popular with the military due to being shaped approximately like a bullet.
Weaknesses: Voted for Donald Trump in 2016. I mean, cmon.
Primary Status: Has filed FEC papers and officially begun his candidacy for president.)

 

[B-Dubs]

bumping as new thread

 

[Deleted member 31817]

Reposting from the last page

We all knew Biden was gonna be a shitty candidate for us but if this is his campaign's reaction to legitimate accusations of just being inconsiderate of personal space then woo boy he's gonna flop harder than I thought.

 

[Deleted member 5666]

Per poll entirely after Flores article...Biden's numbers went up a bit lol.

Their tracking showed Biden going from 27 to 31 and Bernie going from 20 to 16.

 

[Tukarrs]

Can we add a straw poll of candidates? There's been threads in the past which were shut down.

 

[Latpri]

Im very excited to continue cheering on Bernard Sanders and feeling the Bern alongside my ResetERA friends in the new Democratic Primary Thread.

So just to make a little bit of continuity from the last thread, what were we talking about? Joe Bidens sexual harrassment scandal?

 

[galv]

You should update that write up with the current status of these candidates.

 

[Deleted member 4346]

Joe Biden does present a great foil for Bernie, though. He's like both Bill and Hillary Clinton wrapped into one. Bernie can point to Biden and show how much we need change in the party. Biden is wrong on social, economic, and foreign policy issues.

However, I still don't think he should run. The right is going to have a party with Biden. And we've only had two women come out so far. There will be more when Biden announces his candidacy, and maybe even worse accusations.

 

[Ahhthe90s]

The world we live in where the current president gets away with "I grab them by the pussy" (not to mention sex scandals, dozens of sex allegations, etc) but then Biden can't run because of pictures.

That's what's wrong with the Democrats, when they go low and win at all costs the Dem's just fuck it all up and sabotage themselves. The cry like babies when the GOP draft and pass bill after bill.

lulz

 

[Surfinn]

So many people jumping in with "well Trump is worse and he's president", no shit. That is completely irrelevant, morally, to what Biden has done over the years.

Shame on people who excuse it.

 

[Bradbatross]

It's going to take more than 1 story to affect Biden.

 

[samoyed]

The world we live in where the current president gets away with "I grab them by the pussy" (not to mention sex scandals, dozens of sex allegations, etc) but then Biden can't run because of pictures.

That's what's wrong with the Democrats, when they go low and win at all costs the Dem's just fuck it all up and sabotage themselves. The cry like babies when the GOP draft and pass bill after bill.

lulz

Click to shrink...

The GOP machine was against Trump up until when he became the clear forerunner of the primary.

Primaries haven't even officially started yet.

 

[Deleted member 4346]

The world we live in where the current president gets away with "I grab them by the pussy" (not to mention sex scandals, dozens of sex allegations, etc) but then Biden can't run because of pictures.

That's what's wrong with the Democrats, when they go low and win at all costs the Dem's just fuck it all up and sabotage themselves. The cry like babies when the GOP draft and pass bill after bill.

lulz

Click to shrink...

So the Republicans standards are dogshit, and your answer is that the Democratic Party's standards should be just as low? It is takes like this which allow shitheads like Pelosi to run coverage for Biden.

 

[Latpri]

The world we live in where the current president gets away with "I grab them by the pussy" (not to mention sex scandals, dozens of sex allegations, etc) but then Biden can't run because of pictures.

Click to shrink...

Damn if only wed allow Biden to run then he could be the President of the United States of Bank of America.... a dream shattered....

 

[Deleted member 5666]

So many people jumping in with "well Trump is worse and he's president", no shit. That is completely irrelevant, morally, to what Biden has done over the years.

Shame on people who excuse it.

Click to shrink...

Flores said she'd back Biden 100% if he was the nominee. Which is where everyone in this thread also are. I don't think anyone here is planning on voting for him in the primary, however everyone in here would back him in the general.

Picking Biden in a primary when I have great options like Pete, Kamala, and Beto? Fuck no.


Edit: Oh, missed Ahhthe90s post you are referring to.

 

[Deleted member 2145]

The world we live in where the current president gets away with "I grab them by the pussy" (not to mention sex scandals, dozens of sex allegations, etc) but then Biden can't run because of pictures.

That's what's wrong with the Democrats, when they go low and win at all costs the Dem's just fuck it all up and sabotage themselves. The cry like babies when the GOP draft and pass bill after bill.

lulz

Click to shrink...

didn't take long for the new thread to turn to shit!

 

[Latpri]

didn't take long for the new thread to turn to shit!

Click to shrink...

Its a primary thread when the first vote is still 10 months away. Just embrace the shit.

 

[Ahhthe90s]

So the Republicans standards are dogshit, and your answer is that the Democratic Party's standards should be just as low? It is takes like this which allow shitheads like Pelosi to run coverage for Biden.

Click to shrink...

Be honest:

- Another 4 years of Trump
- Or Joe Biden potentially wining the 2020?

Can you really take another 4 years, 4 years of dog shit? Just so your standards are held high? Can you? Can you take seeing Trump on the news doing god knows what in his unhinged second term every single day?

 

[Surfinn]

It's going to take more than 1 story to affect Biden.

Click to shrink...

There are two accusers.

Flores said she'd back Biden 100% if he was the nominee. Which is where everyone in this thread also are. I don't think anyone here is planning on voting for him in the primary, however everyone in here would back him in the general.

Click to shrink...

The focus should be on how it should be morally disqualifying in the primaries, before we get there.

You said it wouldn't matter until there are accusers. Now there are two. You still on the "Biden over Bernie" shit with these developments?

 

[Zach]

Can we add a straw poll of candidates? There's been threads in the past which were shut down.

Click to shrink...

Heck yeah. With the ability to change it.

 

[Deleted member 31817]

The world we live in where the current president gets away with "I grab them by the pussy" (not to mention sex scandals, dozens of sex allegations, etc) but then Biden can't run because of pictures.

That's what's wrong with the Democrats, when they go low and win at all costs the Dem's just fuck it all up and sabotage themselves. The cry like babies when the GOP draft and pass bill after bill.

lulz

Click to shrink...

Talk to me again if Biden actually wins the nom. At this point he's a liability and it'll only get worse.

Jesus the bad Biden takes started already.

 

[Deleted member 5666]

Be honest:

- Another 4 years of Trump
- Or Joe Biden potentially wining the 2020?

Click to shrink...

No one here would vote against Biden in the general. Every single person here would vote Biden. Obviously.

What we are talking about is the primary. Why pick him when we have young fresh talent with no baggage like he and Bernie have?

 

[sphagnum]

Per poll entirely after Flores article...Biden's numbers went up a bit lol.

Their tracking showed Biden going from 27 to 31 and Bernie going from 20 to 16.

Click to shrink...

Bizarre. Rally 'round the flag effect from moderates? Bernie and Harris have tended down, Beto is kind of about the same, Biden has gone up.

 

[Deleted member 2426]

I think Beto will out-raise Bernie. Mercury Fred won!

 

[Latpri]

Be honest:

- Another 4 years of Trump
- Or Joe Biden potentially wining the 2020?

Can you really take another 4 years, 4 years of dog shit? Just so your standards are held high?

Click to shrink...

Lmfao yea Joe Biden is the only one who can defeat Trump. Awesome post my man.

 

[RailWays]

New thread, and we haven't even had the first debates yet...

Can we add a straw poll of candidates? There's been threads in the past which were shut down.

Click to shrink...

I too, would like a poll

 

[Deleted member 31817]

Be honest:

- Another 4 years of Trump
- Or Joe Biden potentially wining the 2020?

Can you really take another 4 years, 4 years of dog shit? Just so your standards are held high? Can you? Can you take seeing Trump on the news doing god knows what in his unhinged second term every single day?

Click to shrink...

Stop writing up your own dogshit and think.

 

[Surfinn]

I like how everybody has jumped to "the ends justify the means" to excuse Biden's trashcan behavior when people are still fucking announcing in the primary lol.

 

[Deleted member 2145]

Be honest:

- Another 4 years of Trump
- Or Joe Biden potentially wining the 2020?

Can you really take another 4 years, 4 years of dog shit? Just so your standards are held high? Can you? Can you take seeing Trump on the news doing god knows what in his unhinged second term every single day?

Click to shrink...

this is the 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary thread

I think you're lost

 

[Deleted member 31817]

I like how everybody has jumped to "the ends justify the means" when people are still fucking announcing in the primary lol.

Click to shrink...

Biden hasn't even announced yet but his staffers and supporters are already going into the extreme attack and making themselves look like fools for no reason.

Gotta love it.

 

[Deleted member 5666]

There are two accusers.

The focus should be on how it should be morally disqualifying in the primaries, before we get there.

You said it wouldn't matter until there are accusers. Now there are two. You still on the "Biden over Bernie" shit with these developments?

Click to shrink...

Nope, not voting Biden in primary no matter what now. Same with Bernie.

Both are completely disqualified under any circumstance in the primary for me for moral reasons.

Biden for this. Bernie for his awful past statements on race and women. There is no chance in hell I would lower my moral standards to vote for either in this primary. I honestly question the morality of willing to vote for either in a primary with so many candidates with zero past awful statements and encounters with women and minorities but that is a different story.

Pete is my moral protest vote if the final two are Bernie and Biden.

 

[BoboBrazil]

Beto has done 0 media so far. He needs to start doing some town halls.

 

[Deleted member 5666]

Beto has done 0 media so far. He needs to start doing some town halls.

Click to shrink...

He is doing like 29489248892 events in NH starting tomorrow.

 

[Reverse Giraffe]

Be honest:

- Another 4 years of Trump
- Or Joe Biden potentially wining the 2020?

Can you really take another 4 years, 4 years of dog shit? Just so your standards are held high? Can you? Can you take seeing Trump on the news doing god knows what in his unhinged second term every single day?

Click to shrink...

What makes you feel that other candidates could not win in 2020?

 

[Baladium]

What was the point of starting a new thread? Just to change the title?

Is it really that hard to add a poll and Mayor Pete to the OP?

 

[Reverse Giraffe]

He is doing like 29489248892 events in NH starting tomorrow.

Click to shrink...

and in Iowa and Texas and South Carolina.
It will be difficult for Biden to keep up with that pace, given his age and total lack of grassroots support.

 

[BoboBrazil]

He is doing like 29489248892 events in NH starting tomorrow.

Click to shrink...

Campaigning is good, but he should also do some media appearances. A town hall on CNN would be huge.

 

[Deleted member 5666]

Campaigning is good, but he should also do some media appearances. A town hall on CNN would be huge.

Click to shrink...

CNN is doing one with everyone, that will happen.

 

[Deleted member 2145]

also it's super fucking gross that those kinds of posts have become common in threads on here

the sort of posts where dems need to be ok with foul shit "because trump". the takeaway from a serial harasser being elected president isn't to become ok with that as voters, it's to fight as hard as we can to make sure it doesn't happen again and to damn sure not willingly elect one during a primary. you know what would really suck? having to vote for joe biden to beat trump. let's maybe, you know, make sure that doesn't happen. you know, vote for someone else or something like that. I think there might even be a name for that process.

 

[Liha]

Also Known As: Hillary From An Alternate Timeline Where She Did Fewer Crimes

Click to shrink...

LMAO

 

[Bradbatross]

There are two accusers.

Click to shrink...

I know. This poll took place like a day after the Flores story. You're not going to see a change after one day and one story.

 

[Deleted member 5666]

also it's super fucking gross that those kinds of posts have become common in threads on here

the sort of posts where dems need to be ok with foul shit "because trump". the takeaway from a serial harasser being elected president isn't to become ok with that as voters, it's to fight as hard as we can to make sure it doesn't happen again and to damn sure not willingly elect one during a primary. you know what would really suck? having to vote for joe biden to beat trump. let's maybe, you know, make sure that doesn't happen. you know, vote for someone else or something like that. I think there might even be a name for that process.

Click to shrink...

I can get these posts in the general since hell, the women themselves said they'd back Biden in the general....but its March 2019. No one has voted. We don't have to resign ourselves to settling right now. We have soooooo many good candidates.

 

[Surfinn]

also it's super fucking gross that those kinds of posts have become common in threads on here

the sort of posts where dems need to be ok with foul shit "because trump". the takeaway from a serial harasser being elected president isn't to become ok with that as voters, it's to fight as hard as we can to make sure it doesn't happen again and to damn sure not willingly elect one during a primary. you know what would really suck? having to vote for joe biden to beat trump. let's maybe, you know, make sure that doesn't happen. you know, vote for someone else or something like that. I think there might even be a name for that process.

Click to shrink...

How the fuck is this not the takeaway. Enough with "time to lower our standards".

I know. This poll took place like a day after the Flores story. You're not going to see a change after one day and one story.

Click to shrink...

I was just recognizing that there are two. I dunno how people are going to respond to it but I'm assuming unless there are more serious allegations, it's getting brushed aside by people with no fucking moral compass.

It's already happening in this very thread.

 

[A Syrian Communist]

Be honest:

- Another 4 years of Trump
- Or Joe Biden potentially wining the 2020?

Can you really take another 4 years, 4 years of dog shit? Just so your standards are held high? Can you? Can you take seeing Trump on the news doing god knows what in his unhinged second term every single day?

Click to shrink...

Maybe save it for when that dichotomy is actually relevant on a ballot. Frankly I'm very doubtful Biden makes it to the primary with any momentum at all.

Fuck Joe Biden.

 

[jack_package_200]

Imagine seeing this diverse set of candidates and saying "time to settle do Biden"

 

[Bronx-Man]

If you're doing these "Who cares about Biden's creepiness, Trump is worse!" posts, you are a piece of shit and you represent what's wrong with the Democratic Party.

 

[Surfinn]

If you're doing these "Who cares about Biden's creepiness, Trump is worse!" posts, you are a piece of shit and you represent what's wrong with the Democratic Party.

Click to shrink...

This is it

 

[Ahhthe90s]

What makes you feel that other candidates could not win in 2020?

Click to shrink...

- My favourite candidate so far is Pete but unfortunately I don't think the USA is ready for a gay president.
- Bernie is good and I thought people would have been tired of him but polling shows otherwise, he's still attracting crowds. Thing is if he couldn't win against Hillary I don't think he can win against Biden.
- Beto has a good chance, he can garner support and the grass roots feeling from Bernie in 2016 is well and alive in his campaign but I dunno if he can create enough momentum going into the primaries. Won't Beto/Bernie be sharing voters come the primaries?
- Biden I think will raise the most amount of money, has good polling, can appeal to the Obama/Hillary crowd and doesn't seem to be afraid to go toe to toe against Trump - there's a good narrative if Biden plays his cards right, but lets focus on the gifs and pictures and rule out the best candidate. Funny thing is Biden isn't even my preferred candidate, some of you need to toughen up and get off your high horses.

 

[Madison]

Beto doesnt make me feel anything

Biden makes me angry

 

[Ahhthe90s]

Now we're calling people pieces of shit for having opinions on a discussion forum about politics, right or wrong?

Heh, this is exactly what's wrong with the current Democratic party.