Tulsi Gabbard Is Reaching Out to Staffers for Possible 2020 Run

[oberliner]

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) and her advisers are reaching out to staffers for a possible 2020 presidential bid, according to three sources with knowledge of the moves who spoke to The Daily Beast.

Gabbard, a 37-year-old Hawaii Democrat, has not been shy about her consideration of a White House run, even telling the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that she was “seriously thinking of how I can best be of service to our country.” But the act of trying to find top aides suggests that the idea is further along than her public utterances suggest.

The congresswoman already has a relationship with a top progressive communications firm with experience in presidential campaigns. She has used Revolution Messaging for her prior congressional runs and sources say that she is making inquiries to see if the firm, which helped Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) raise millions in his 2016 presidential bid, will assist her in 2020.

Arun Chaudhary, a partner at the firm who had previously done video work for Gabbard, told The Daily Beast he “can't do any 2020 talk,” but did not confirm or deny whether the agency was doing any work for a prospective run.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/tulsi-gabbard-is-reaching-out-to-staffers-for-possible-2020-run

[Tommy_Carcetti]

1. Nope. nt

[Tiggeroshii]

2. She would be one of the more conservative, hawk-ish, options

I'll pass for now

[oberliner]

5. That's definitely not true

[irresistable]

8. the opposite of hawkish.....more like cautious and thoughtful.

[Tiggeroshii]

16. "When it comes to the war on terrorism, I'm a hawk."

http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/10/tulsi-gabbards-foreign-policy-and-the-progressive-left.html

[oberliner]

25. "When it comes to counterproductive wars of regime change, I'm a dove."

From the same link.

[WeekiWater]

26. Blue Jay or Mocking Bird?

[Tiggeroshii]

34. The former is enough for me

Fragments of patriot missiles in infants on a daily basis, are an almost direct result of that state of mind. We dont need it.

[oberliner]

37. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Calls to End US Military Support of War in Yemen

Last Wednesday, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard called on congress to vote against a Republican rule to block a vote on a bipartisan resolution that would have ended US military support for Saudi Arabiaʻs war in Yemen. The congresswoman also urged to bring the resolution to the floor for a vote.

https://mauinow.com/2018/11/19/rep-tulsi-gabbard-calls-to-end-us-military-support-of-war-in-yemen/

[Tiggeroshii]

47. That is a bare minimum standard for our nominee

I say go the full monty and stop the nearly indiscriminate targeting of people who may or may not be terrorists. Outside of the war in Yemen, the "war on terror" continues to kill innocent people on a daily basis through "precision bombing" and other methods. By saying she is a hawk in the war on terror, she is saying she supports this. I support Bernies vision in regard to our foreign policy, not hers.

https://www.atimes.com%2Fmapping-world-hell-76-countries-now-involved-us-war-terror%2F&psig=AOvVaw2-bj0JgaoltnRXVb7AmGvn&ust=1544653317931189

[oberliner]

49. She has opposed the war in Yemen from the outset

One of the loudest and most consistent voices in that regard.

She also opposed invading Syria, under both administrations.

[Tiggeroshii]

51. Love it

It isnt enough for me. That's why I support Bernie.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

82. Okay, well Bernie IS the gold standard when it comes to these matters...

Not sure he's running though, in which case, it'll be up to Tulsi, and others like her, to carry the mantle.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

81. Yup, Tulsi has shown people she is no warmonger, despite her military background.

What a fine example she is setting... hope she runs!! I could see her catching fire.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

83. Love that quote!! We've had enough of silly wars and the killing of innocents!!

Glad to see this potential Commander-in-Chief is unafraid to take a principled stand against the war machine.

[LanternWaste]

23. I dig how you always manage to support your premise

with evidence, rather than simply making an allegation.

Most consistent in that regard.

[oberliner]

24. Thank you

It's frustrating when others don't adhere to that standard.

[NewJeffCT]

30. According to this website

she is rated as the 133rd most progressive member of the Democratic caucus in the House - based on Lifetime votes on "key" Democratic issues. There were 195 Democrats in the House last year.

Mark Pocan of Wisconsin is the "most liberal" rated House member who has been there longer than 1 term.

https://progressivepunch.org/scores.htm?x=45&y=13&house=house&party=D&sort=crucial-lifetime&order=down

[irresistable]

3. I'm on board. Go Tulsi.

[mahina]

4. NO thank you!

Both posters above: agreed.

[Cha]

33. There was a whole slew of

tweets the other week beginning with.. "Gabbard's so progressive she.. " with citations.

There's seems to be a whole lot of people who know her only too well.

[mahina]

50. Hi Cha!

Crazy days, hm?

And cold.

I am a little worried people are underestimating her ability to manipulate perception. This encouraging that DU sees through her mostly though. Hope you’re staying warm over there!

Aloha no sister

[Cha]

52. I don't think

she's going to get very far. People were concerned Beto was only a Rep if he ran, but he's popular for excellent reasons. Gabbard not so much.. too much documented baggage.

It has been cold like it's winter or something.. and the weather changes every 5 minutes lately with rain, wind, some heat seeping through and then back to cold evenings and nights.

Aloha, no sister

[manor321]

6. nope. nope. nope.

[Horse with no Name]

7. Not interested. N/t

[Renew Deal]

9. Can anyone say with certainty that she wouldn't accept a VP nomination from Trump?

I don't think so.

[oberliner]

13. What the hell are you talking about?

[Tiggeroshii]

19. She is galvanized by the bernie base for endorsing him in 16 but she is absolutely nothing like him

She is the opposite of him in almost every way and to me has acted mostly in her self interest as opposed to ours.

[oberliner]

28. She and Bernie mutually support one another

She nominated him at the convention.

[Tiggeroshii]

35. And it is a mutually beneficial pact for the both of them

I dont think that extends to us, though.

[phleshdef]

10. Hard pass.

[John Fante]

11. No thanks.

[Tavarious Jackson]

14. Hahahahaha.

[mcar]

15. No thanks

[RelativelyJones]

17. Nope

[LakeArenal]

18. No thank you.

[brush]

20. No DINOs for me.

[oberliner]

32. That is an unfair smear

[brush]

45. Too many times on FOX bashing Obama.

Wonder if she'll announce her run on FOX as well.

[oberliner]

46. Did you support the invasion of Syria?

[LanternWaste]

21. Dec-March post election is the season of internal polling

A lot of people will pretend these polls mean so much more than they do.

[oberliner]

29. Do you have a favorite potential candidate?

[Cha]

22. Hell NO.

[msongs]

27. she would no longer be congreswoman from Hawai'? hmmm. nt

[Bucky]

116. US Reps and presidential candidates answer to different calendars.

Which makes sense. This isn't about gambling, so you shouldn't have to stake your job in Congress in order to offer yourself for leadership nationally.

I always thought with Texas and Delaware do is wisest, allowing favorite sons to run for both national office and US Senate simultaneously.

[samnsara]

31. nope!

[oasis]

36. Many believed Syria's Assad used chemical weapons on his own people.

A few "skeptics" were not totally on board with that idea.

[oberliner]

39. Did you support the bombing of Syria?

[oasis]

43. What was Tulsi's statement in regards to Assad's chemical attack?

BTW, I'll answer your question when I throw my hat in the ring for the Oval Office.

[Cha]

104. ..

Link to tweet

[nycbos]

38. Makes common cause with Assad...

... NO THANK YOU

[oberliner]

41. Did you support Trump's airstrikes in Syria?

She condemned them.

[LongtimeAZDem]

40. Nope; she was one of the ones that kept the Sanders campaign going until the convention.

She's one of the very few suggestions I reject out of hand.

[LiberalFighter]

42. Not interested in her.

[GulfCoast66]

44. In other breaking news: Gulfcoast66 is putting together a crew

To run in NASCAR next year.

Some say he has a chance.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

48. In case you haven't gathered a sense of things yet.....

.....DU doesn't care for her that much.

Frankly, I wonder who really does at this point beyond some suspect BoBers.

She seems to draw the Tim Canova crowd and that's about it.

[oberliner]

53. Civil Beat Poll: Tulsi Gabbard Is Hawaii's Most Popular Politician

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has the highest approval rating among Hawaii’s top leaders, according to the Civil Beat Poll.

In a survey of voters statewide, 61 percent said they have a positive opinion of the congresswoman.

She is viewed even more positively (69 percent) by the voters of the 2nd Congressional District, which Gabbard has represented since January 2013.

The only major politician with Hawaii ties that polls better than Gabbard is the Oahu-born ex-president, Barack Obama. Sixty-four percent of voters surveyed like the 44th POTUS.

https://www.civilbeat.org/2018/05/civil-beat-poll-tulsi-gabbard-is-hawaiis-most-popular-politician/

The people who know her best seem to like her a lot for the most part.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

55. And in the 49 other states? nt

[BannonsLiver]

95. It's not about posting stuff people agree with

It’s about dividing. See: the NGT nuttery.

[Gothmog]

54. I am not interested in supporting this candidate

[oberliner]

58. But you will

If she gets the nomination. So that's good!

[Gothmog]

59. I will support the nominee of the party

I seriously doubt that this candidate has a chance.

[kcr]

61. And she doesn't have a chance in hell. So that's good!

[oberliner]

79. That's what people said about Trump

[kcr]

85. When did Trump transform into Tulsi Gabbard?

[Devil Child]

56. I would give Rep. Gabbard due consideration in the primaries if she chooses to run

If she secures the nomination or get picked for VP I'd give unconditional support. Same for any candidate. Only thing that matters is victory in 2020.

Thanks for sharing. Kicked and rec'd!

[OilemFirchen]

57. What could go wrong?

From the bastion of Bernie bromance, Jacobin:

But suspicion of Gabbard lingers. Her state Democratic Party LGBT caucus, for instance, openly distrusts her, and backed her Democratic primary opponent in 2016. When questioned why the LGBT caucus, which had actually supported her three years earlier, had turned against her, the chairman cited two things. One was her less-than-stellar answers to a questionnaire the LGBT Caucus had sent. The other was a 2015 interview with Ozy, in which she confirmed that her personal views on gay marriage and abortion hadn’t changed, just her view on whether the government should enforce its vision of morality.

Gabbard’s campaign subsequently cancelled an interview with the LGBT Caucus, citing a number of private Facebook posts by its chairman and vice chairman in support of her primary opponent as evidence the group was “campaigning” for her. Gabbard’s press aide told Golojuch that “it unfortunately appears that your leadership is out of touch.”

-snip-

Gabbard was subsequently one of three Democrats — the others being New Jersey senator Cory Booker and Maryland congressman John Delaney — who secured an invitation to AEI’s annual closed-to-the-press retreat, where she hobnobbed with the likes of Dick Cheney, Bill Kristol, Mike Pence, Rupert Murdoch, the DeVoses, and a host of other major conservative figures. At the AEI’s urging, she had earlier spoken at the Halifax International Security Forum, an annual gathering of national security wonks sponsored by Lockheed Martin, Canada’s Department of National Defence, and others.

Another reason Gabbard started receiving applause from the Right was her very public skepticism of the Iran deal.

The Obama administration may have continued much of the Bush approach to the “war on terror,” but it at least recognized the value of diplomacy. Not Gabbard, however, who told Fox News she was “cynical” toward the pact, and agreed with host Greta van Susteren that it was akin to Neville Chamberlain’s infamous Munich agreement with Hitler in 1938.

Much, much more at the link.

[peggysue2]

62. What could go wrong, indeed!

Hobnobbing with the likes of Dick Cheney et al? That's a chilling thought.

She may be reaching out to staffers but as far as I'm concerned her arms aren't long enough to stretch to the WH as our Democratic nominee.

Not if we want to win. And win we must.

It's still early. I'll most likely rock around with a number of strong candidates before latching down a clear personal favorite for 2020. Right now I'm leaning Biden with VPs O'Rourke or Harris or Abrams. Or some combination of the four.

Gabbard is not on my radar.

[Cha]

102. Gabbard's quote on Michael Flynn that didn't age well..

Link to tweet

[peggysue2]

105. Ouch!

Flynn particularly but also Kelly for some of his dickish remarks.

Doesn't say much for Gabbard's ability to judge character. And sorry, Generals don't get a pass on civilian placement suitability simply because of rank.

These comments definitely haven't aged well.

[Cha]

106. Right.. it wasn't even

valid at the time. And, that doesn't say much for Gabbard, either.

Now, it just looks horrible.

[oberliner]

78. Branko Marcetic does not like her

That is for sure.

[Cha]

103. Mahalo, Oilem.. Gabbard's quote on Flynn that has come back

to haunt..

Link to tweet

[octoberlib]

60. No way.

The Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria has had a quiet but well-funded lobbying effort in Washington since well before he began murdering his own people. But that influence campaign’s clearest triumph came only this month, when it succeeded in bringing Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) to Damascus and having her parrot Assad’s propaganda on her return.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/how-tulsi-gabbard-became-assads-mouthpiece-in-washington/2017/01/29/215e9c70-e4bf-11e6-a547-5fb9411d332c_story.html?utm_term=.97235ceae1c5

[oberliner]

76. Do you support US military intervention in Syria?

[octoberlib]

84. No. Neither do I support kissing the ass and making excuses for a mass murdering dictator.

[Adrahil]

63. LOL.... not a snowball's chance in hell....

Zero.... Zilch... Nada.....

[oberliner]

75. That's what people said about Trump

[Adrahil]

89. Yeah, but Republicans are morons. NT

[Mosby]

91. great answer. nt

[tenderfoot]

64. Anything to draw attention away from Trump being made an ass today by Schumer and Pelosi

eom

[oberliner]

74. What a weird comment

Are the posts about Beto O'Rourke winning the MoveOn straw poll also meant to draw attention away from that?

[Blue_true]

66. A run is a no lose deal for her.

She does not have to give up her house seat unless she becomes President. If she loses, but avoids looking like a complete idiot, she is in a prime spot to take the Hawaii Senate seat if Macie retires. In all, not a bad spot for her to try, she may hit the trifecta and either win the Presidency, or end up as #2 at 39 years old.

[oberliner]

73. Definitely seems like it would be worth giving it a go

[Blue_true]

101. Yep, ideal time for her.

All she has to do is look and act credible and I think she mostly has that. Her telegenic looks and military background could prove to be rocket fuel for her if she comes off as credible and can explain her gotchas. At 38-39, even her young age won't be an issue given how long she has been in Congress. I certainly can accept her leading our ticket or being in the number 2 spot. I think that she is smart enough to know that even at her age, running is the only option if she ever expects to get the job - becoming a Cabinet Secretary mostly has been a dead end in recent history in regards to the Presidency, although early on in the country's history, a handful of Executive Branch staff members later became President.

[jmowreader]

67. One question, and one question only

"Can you, Ms. Gabbard, beat Donald Trump in 2020?"

Anyone we can come up with who's an actual Democrat, including a random name chosen from the San Francisco phone book, would be better than Donald Trump. We can put a lot of Clinton and Obama veterans into our president's Cabinet, back our president up with a solid Democratic Congress, and return our country to the greatness it was in before Donald Fucking Trump decided to "drain the swamp" by increasing the number of alligators in it.

Like they say, it's all good.

But here's the thing: No matter how good of a Democrat you are, no matter how pure, progressive or whatever, if you can't beat Trump you're no good to us.

Once we know all the politicians who can beat Donald Trump, we'll look at who would be best in the job.

[oberliner]

72. It's hard to know who can beat Trump

How does one evaluate that question?

[jmowreader]

98. Hard to say, but Tulsi Gabbard may be one who can

She definitely kills one GOP talking point - that Democrats don’t support the troops. Tulsi IS the troops - she deployed to Iraq at least once and she’s a major in the MP Corps.

This is the ticket I’d like to see.

One veteran and one business person.
At least one being a gun owner.
One of them should be an elected official.
Both should be church goers.
We stand up at the convention and say something like “We are not going to take your guns away. We are not going to raise your taxes. We are not going to destroy your job or your way of life. We are not going to close your church. And we are going to work to reduce the abortion rate while still making it available for people who need one. What we are going to do is make your life better. Trump is going to make his life better and the hell with you. Let’s talk about what really matters in this campaign.”

[OilemFirchen]

68. Here's a fun tidbit from a New Yorker puff piece:

When Gabbard appeared in Syria, last January, many wondered whether she was carrying a message to Assad from Trump. She says that she was not, and that she didn’t even tell the incoming Administration that she was going there. She met twice with Assad, who wanted to convince her of the threat posed by groups like ISIS and Al Nusra. She travelled with her husband, Abraham Williams, a cinematographer, who made a couple of stark but stylish videos of the trip: Gabbard talking to university students in Damascus, assuring them that she wants to stop the United States from supporting “terrorist groups”; Gabbard touring the rubble of a destroyed church with a local pastor, who said that Christians were being targeted by “rebels” loyal to the Islamic State. The videos conveyed the impression that these outsiders had brought chaos to Syria, and that the only path to peace was to put down the insurgency. Upon her return, Gabbard gave an interview in which she intimated that she and Assad—who is known to viciously punish dissent—had negotiated an agreement to bring democracy to Syria. “I challenged him, and talked to him about having fair and open elections, objective international observers, and making it so that the Syrian people can determine the future of Syria for themselves,” she told a reporter. “And these are things that he agreed to.”

Gabbard’s trip was widely regarded as a political disaster; Adam Kinzinger, a Republican congressman from Illinois, called Assad a “mass murderer,” and accused Gabbard of having “legitimized his genocide against the Syrian people.” After reporters revealed that the trip had been funded by a pair of Lebanese-American businessmen with ties to a pro-Assad political party, Gabbard agreed to repay her travel costs. And yet, instead of distancing herself from this episode, she has embraced it. In April, after a sarin-gas attack in Syria, Gabbard said that she was “skeptical” of claims that Assad’s government was to blame. Howard Dean, the former D.N.C. chair, responded on Twitter, “This is a disgrace. Gabbard should not be in Congress.”

My emphasis.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/11/06/what-does-tulsi-gabbard-believe

[oberliner]

70. Do you support US military intervention in Syria?

[oasis]

80. Former DNC chair, Howard Dean, with a hard hitting comment.

[Garrett78]

69. It might be easier to list those who aren't thinking about running.

[oberliner]

71. Good point

There are quite a few names out there already.

[disillusioned73]

77. She would make a great candidate..

[VOX]

86. ABSOLUTELY NOT. She's a favorite of Steve Bannon.

And that fact, seemingly reciprocal, by her criticisms of President Obama, which thrilled Bannon, to her silence about Bannon’s overt racism, to her “free pass” at Breitbart— should not sit well with any Democrat. Something stinks here, and it’s Bannon’s unwashed, musty, skunk-whiz stench.

https://mauitime.com/news/politics/why-didnt-rep-tulsi-gabbard-join-169-of-her-colleagues-in-denouncing-trump-appointee-stephen-bannon/
Maui Time
November 18, 2016
By Anthony Pignataro
Why didn’t Rep. Tulsi Gabbard join 169 of her colleagues in denouncing Trump appointee Stephen Bannon?

Though Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is a rising star within the Democratic Party, ultimately endorsed Hillary Clinton for president (after first endorsing Bernie Sanders, of course) and easily won reelection this year, she’s been ominously quiet on the issue of President-elect Donald Trump’s appalling appointees and nominations. Most notably, her signature did NOT appear with 169 of her colleagues in the House of Representatives on a Nov. 16 letter to Trump denouncing his nomination of notorious white nationalist Stephen Bannon to be his “chief strategist”...
<snip>
That Gabbard wouldn’t sign such a letter is remarkable (though Democrat Colleen Hanabusa just took office to replace the late Mark Takai as 1st District Representative, she signed the letter, according to this printed list of all the signees compiled by The Boston Globe). Though Gabbard’s view on Bannon’s appointment isn’t publicly known, what is known is that Bannon seems to like Gabbard. In fact, according to a Nov. 15 article in The Hill, Bannon is a “big fan” of Gabbard.
<snip>

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/307106-bannon-set-up-trump-gabbard-meeting
The Hill
November 21, 2016
Bannon set up Trump-Gabbard meeting

Donald Trump’s chief strategist Steve Bannon contacted Tulsi Gabbard to arrange Monday’s meeting with the president-elect, according to a source close to Bannon.

“He reached out to her, not vice versa,” the source told The Hill on Monday.

Many in the media raised their eyebrows when the news broke that Trump was meeting at Trump Tower Monday morning with Hawaii’s Democratic congresswoman.

But for those who know Bannon best, there was no surprise at all.

Bannon, who hates the entrenched two-party system, has long admired Gabbard. She’s an Iraq War veteran with an independent streak. Bannon, a navy veteran, was drawn to her when she began publicly excoriating the Obama administration over its plan to defeat ISIS.


“He loves Tulsi Gabbard. Loves her,” a second source familiar with Bannon’s thinking told The Hill. “Wants to work with her on everything.”

“She would fit perfectly too [inside the Trump administration],” the source added. “She gets the foreign policy stuff, the Islamic terrorism stuff.”

Bannon appreciates Gabbard’s willingness to publicly criticize President Obama for refusing to name the enemy, “radical Islamic terrorism.”

“For him it’s a win-win when a Democrat is saying those things,” said a third source, who used to work under Bannon at Breitbart News.
<snip>
As chairman of Breitbart, Bannon rarely left his reporters guessing about what he thought about a political issue or politician. He would tell his staff, in what were often expletive-laden and abrupt phone calls, exactly what he thought...
<snip>
It appears that Bannon’s view of Gabbard as an ally was shared by the Breitbart team. A search of "Gabbard" in the Breitbart News archive turns up five pages of archived stories, many of them reported over the past year.

The stories highlight Gabbard’s criticism of the Obama administration over its plans to defeat ISIS, including the president’s convening of a White House summit on violent extremism, an event Gabbard described on Fox News as a “diversion from what our real focus needs to be.”

Other Breitbart stories on Gabbard note her full-throated support for Israel, her support for the Kurds and her backing of a bill that would make it all but impossible to admit Syrian refugees into the U.S.

Gabbard meshes with Trump’s foreign policy views in that she vehemently opposes U.S.-led regime change. She argues the U.S. government has no business removing from power the brutal Syrian dictator Bashar Assad.

Describing her conversation with Trump as “frank and positive,” Gabbard said she shared with him her “grave concerns that escalating the war in Syria by implementing a so-called no fly/safe zone would be disastrous for the Syrian people, our country, and the world.”
<snip>
A Trump transition source told The Hill on Monday that Gabbard could potentially fill “a number of positions” inside the incoming administration. CNN and the New York Times have reported that she’s under consideration for United Nations ambassador. CNN also reported that she’s under consideration for State and Defense.
<snip>

[seaglass]

87. No. Tulsi Gabbard Is Not What You Think She Is

By Stan Goff, long-time anti-war activist and retired veteran of the U.S. Army Special Forces. First published on Goff’s blog, Chasin’ Jesus. (this came from Medium but couldn't get link to work so went to the source)

http://chasinjesus.blogspot.com/2017/04/tulsi-gabbard-just-no.html

...
Perhaps more troubling than her essentially centrist politics and her cozy relationship with Adelson, however, is her selective if vicious Islamophobia and her willingness to associate with anti-immigration reactionaries. When sharing the stage with the execrable Islamophobe and nitwit Bill Maher, she dressed down then-President Obama for not calling “violent extremism” “Islamic extremism,” adding that we have to “identify our enemy to defeat them.”

...
And during the bloodthirsty seven-week Israeli attack on Gaza in 2014, Gabbard co-sponsored a lying Congressional Resolution that claimed Israel has restrained itself and attacked only “terrorist” targets during that campaign.

When Donald Trump began appointing generals to cabinet positions, Gabbard came to his support, calling opposition to Trump’s Strangelovian clambake of uniformed lumpen-intelligentsia nominees “discrimination against veterans,” and claiming that military people are “far more deeply personally committed to upholding and protecting our democracy than their critics.”

...
Gabbard has refused to support a ban on assault weapons. She has supported Trump’s anti-immigration initiatives. And her connections to her own father’s friends and staff — who were at the forefront of conservative campaigns against what she herself in 2004 called “homosexual extremists” (people who wanted to get married) — remain firmly in place. Google “Devon Bull.” And in 2014, she shielded the violent, right-wing, Islamophobic BJP in India from Congressional review.

[oberliner]

88. "When sharing the stage with the execrable Islamophobe and nitwit Bill Maher..."

"And during the bloodthirsty seven-week Israeli attack on Gaza in 2014..."

[seaglass]

90. Harsh. I wouldn't use the same terminology the author did but there is a point there. Nothing to

say about "homosexual extremists" wanting equal rights?

[oberliner]

96. Fair enough

The "homosexual extremists" comment was awful but it is a quote from 15 years ago and she has drastically changed her views since then on that topic.

From her campaign website:

Tulsi Gabbard Remains a Committed Ally of the LGBT Community as America Celebrates National Coming Out Day

National Coming Out Day is an opportunity to celebrate brave individuals and their unique stories. As a member of the LGBT community and proud member of Team Tulsi, I'd also like to celebrate one of our allies, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.

When Tulsi Gabbard enlisted to serve in the Hawai'i Army National Guard, she embarked on a life-changing journey that truly magnified her passion and commitment to living aloha in all that she does for the American people.

In 2004, Gabbard volunteered to serve an 18-month deployment to Iraq, where she was assigned to a medical unit and tasked with caring for her fellow soldiers -- who became more like brothers and sisters. She witnessed first-hand the brutality of a government that inflicts violence on its own people in the name of so-called morality.

Recognizing that no government should have a say in the matters of our personal lives and freedoms, Tulsi Gabbard has been an ally of the LGBT community for years. From signing the Supreme Court Amicus On Marriage Equality, to supporting the repeal of DOMA in 2013 (the Defense of Marriage Act), to co-sponsoring The Equality Act, which amends the 1964 Civil Rights Act to include "sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity among the prohibited categories of discrimination or segregation in places of public accommodation," Tulsi has been there for us every step of the way.

...

As a member of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus and a long-time LGBT ally, Tulsi Gabbard stands with us on this National Coming Out Day through her commitment to ensuring freedom, equality, and aloha for our LGBT community.

https://www.votetulsi.com/node/33044

[DemocratSinceBirth]

92. If she gains traction it will be at the expense of Bernie.

[JCanete]

112. Yeah, definitely, but hmmm. I think I'd love to see Warren Sanders and Gabbard on stage just

for what it would do to the dialogue of the debates and the race overall. Obviously the three of them are likely to split votes, but then that's the case with the rest of the potential field between one another as well, and this could impact just how many people start hearing left-wing progressive policies championed and supported as rational and mainstream. It could pull the whole race to the left, though Biden may try to distinguish himself as the "moderate." I think Booker and Harris and Gillibrand are going to need a piece of that.

Not that I think that will happen. Campaigns are expensive and you can't easily have 3 candidates splitting not just votes but the enthusiasm of individual donors, and expect to compete.....yet. I'd expect one or two of them to either sit out or bow out once there was a clear gap in support.

[krawhitham]

93. We are going to need at least two kid tables for the debates

[oberliner]

94. Who is at the grownup table?

[LongtimeAZDem]

97. She was anti-abortion and anti-gay just 14 years ago, now she's pro. She was vice-chair of the DNC

but split to endorse an independent.

She didn't sign the letter calling for protection of State Department employees until it made news that she didn't.

She pledged to work with President Trump after privately meeting with him, and was described as having a lot of "common ground".

It took her three days to repudiate an endorsement from David Duke.


I think she's an opportunist, and I don't trust her motives at all. And if anyone else had said something like:

"It’s clear to me that you’re acting as a conduit for … homosexual extremist supporters of Ed Case”

we wouldn't stand for letting them host the Oscars, let alone run for President.

[oberliner]

99. She evolved with respect to LGBTQ issues

As many other Democrats have. If you look at her statements and record over the last ten years on those issues, I think you would agree that her views are aligned with the current views of the Democratic Party.

About David Duke she said "Your white nationalism is pure evil" so her disgust about him was made quite clear.

Pelosi and Schumer pledged to work with President Trump as well and said that they had some common ground. In fact, this was a sentiment expressed by many Congressional Democrats shortly after he was elected.

[LongtimeAZDem]

100. No, I will agree that her current public positions are aligned with the current views of the

Democratic Party.

I don't know what her real views are, and for the reasons I listed, and others that have been brought up before, I do not take her public positions at face value.

As long as she holds to them, great; she's valuable to our side.

But President? Not a chance. Not any time soon, anyway.

[oberliner]

108. The primaries are going to be interesting around here

People already seem to have pretty strong feelings, positive and negative, about the various potential candidates.

[LongtimeAZDem]

109. It's always like that; that's why I think that her past positions will sink her pretty quickly /nt

[oberliner]

110. Do you have a favorite potential candidate?

(Apologies if this has already been asked and answered)

[LongtimeAZDem]

117. Yeah, but I've been pretty disillusioned by the sexism, racism, ageism, and other crap, so I'm done

advocating for the moment.

[Garrett78]

111. A lot of candidates will never gain traction and won't have the means to continue.

Of course, not gaining traction can be attributed to positions.

[NurseJackie]

113. No thank you.

[Celerity]

114. I love her, she is the boss on foreign policy

I hate our foreign policy on Syria

It is like our foreign policy on Libya

That said she will never win the Dem POTUS primary

I am all in for Kamala Harris
or Beto

anyone but Biden, Sanders or Hillary

[Bucky]

115. As long as she has her husband's permission, I think she'd be a great addition to the debates

[elocs]

118. Who? I feel like I'm reasonably well-informed and I didn't know who she was.

I'm guessing most of America does not either. So she would have under 2 years to become known to those who might vote for her.
At least Obama was nationally known after he gave the keynote speech for Kerry. I never heard of him before but after seeing him that night I remember saying that he would be a viable candidate for president someday, not realizing it would happen in 4 years.
Obama was born in Hawaii but at least at the time he was running for the nomination he was a senator from Illinois. Frankly I don't think your average American relates to someone from Hawaii.

There's certainly no need to anoint anyone this soon and lots of people will run whose campaigns will go nowhere. The important thing for 2020 is for the Left to unite behind the Democratic nominee because if Trump is still here and running it will either be him that wins or the Democratic candidate. So no pouting because your candidate didn't win or that the nominee is not perfect enough. Vote for the Democratic candidate for president.