CNN focus group rejects Biden

[workinclasszero]

By Joe Concha March 05, 2019 - 09:22 AM

A CNN focus group comprised of Democratic voters has rejected former Vice President Joe Biden as their presidential nominee.

The focus group's dismissal of Biden is notable since the former vice president, who is expected to join the Democratic primary soon, has been leading a number of public opinion polls and is seen as the potential front-runner.

The Democrats gathered by CNN, however, said they weren't interested in Biden. Some said they wanted a candidate who was further to the left.

When she asked if any of the focus group members would like Biden to enter the race, none of the six people raised their hands.

“His time is done," Evans said.

“I will be honest. He was riding the Obama wave and I thought he was a person that would unite the party, but to be honest, Sen. Biden really comes from kind of the good old boy politics of the past," Democrat Russel Banks said.

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/432611-cnn-focus-group-rejects-biden

[PoliticAverse]

1. "a panel of six Democrats" - chosen by who and how? n/t

[namahage]

4. Why, CNN of course.

Except that we need to believe THESE Democrats, and not the OTHER ones who were at Bernie's town hall.

[LongtimeAZDem]

8. But these one's are just expressing opinions; the ones at the town hall were asking QUESTIONS!

[DemocratSinceBirth]

6. Reminds me of a FOX panel headed by Frank Luntz after a Republican debate.

To a one they all hated Trump. The rest as they say is history...

[Autumn]

14. Scroll down and watch the video. They were Clinton voters.

[namahage]

16. And you think CNN couldn't find six Clinton voters

who don't like Biden?

Hell, we could probably find six such people HERE.

Since everyone here voted for Clinton...right?

[Autumn]

17. Scroll and watch the video or don't. I just offered the information. I don't know how people

voted, I only know how I voted.

[Mr. Smith]

20. What is CNN's nefarious plan, do you think?

[namahage]

22. Didn't say they had one, did I?

But funnily enough, CNN has to be given the benefit of the doubt NOW, which is a far cry from back when questioners on a CNN-sponsored town hall had the audacity-oh, the AUDACITY-to be politically motivated Democrats questioning Bernie.
To the point where people excused the doxxing of the questioners involved, even saying that it was what they deserved for daring to try to make Bernie look bad.

[R B Garr]

23. Oh yeah, LOL! That was just a couple weeks ago, too.

Almost forgot. A big conspiracy if anyone dares question Sanders. But anything remotely not positive about Biden is 100% legit. Such hypocrisy. Good catch!

[at140]

27. If I was on the panel, Biden would be fine!

CNN prefers AOC, but she is not 35 y.o. yet to run for president.

[duforsure]

28. Exactly!

[LongtimeAZDem]

2. Good to know that Sanders' supporters are happy with CNN's Democratic voter picks THIS week

[Docreed2003]

9. Lmao...

Clearly this focus group isn't made up of democratic insiders!! Or something like that

[Autumn]

13. If you scroll down and watch the video it says they were Clinton voters. nt

[gateley]

3. Do they even realize Biden was rated far left of Obama?

I'm guessing no. He is one of the most liberal of the "old school" out there. I'd like to see him go up against some of those whose "time ISN'T done" item by item. I think he would surprise a lot of people.

Democrat Russel Banks doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about.

But thanks for posting this poll, I'm sure Democrat Russel Banks isn't the only one who feels this way.

[karynnj]

7. Biden's votes were not to the left of Obama for the period both were in the Senate

In 2005, Biden was a vote for the terrible bankruptcy bill than Kennedy fought a good fight against - even though he lost on every amendment to make it better. Neither were good on the Alito filibuster. Obama was late to come out as a yes and Biden was later and made the statement that he would vote for it just once - which if followed would have made him useless if he were the 41st vote. They both voted against Kerry/Feingold.

[gateley]

11. I have no justification for the bankruptcy bill

but guess he voted for it (and convinced himself it was the right thing to do -- just projecting) because MBNA was the largest employer in Delaware -- kind of like Washington State senators voting to keep Boeing happy in the old days.

I don't know why he voted against Kerry/Feingold (I didn't remember that) but I do know he fought a virtually lone-voice tough battle to get MRAP vehicles funding for the troops in Iraq.

I also didn't like the Anita Hill hearings - never mind that he didn't vote for Thomas.

"For the period they were both in the Senate". Obama wasn't there for a full term, Biden was there for over 30 years. I'm not basing my opinion on a 4 year period, but rather Biden's overall performance over his time.

I'm not a doe-eyed devotee, but I'm of the belief that over the years he's been one of the most liberal in DC.

[karynnj]

24. I like Biden - in spite of knowing that he was never among the most liberal in DC

Biden became a Senator in 1972. From 1972 to 1980, we had probably the most liberal Senate in our lifetime. This included 10 liberal Senators, including people like Birch Bayh (who was the person most behind title 9) and George McGovern, who was the one most behind food stamps who lost in 1980. Biden was not then among the most liberal in that time frame.

He was terrible leading the Anita Hill hearings in the GHWB years. He blocked witnesses with similar accusations to Hill's that would have lent hers credibility. There were Democrats who spoke against that -- including a very junior John Kerry, who was not on the Judiciary committee.

You faulted that I compared him to Obama in the years when they were both in the Senate. That was intentional as it is the only period where a fair comparison is possible. For those years, the various groups that "score" records placed Obama in the left half of the Democratic and Biden in the right half. Scoring Senate records is an art more than a science and depends on which litmus test votes they select. (Among the worst ideas is to favor any vote that was cast by the majority of the Democrats as there times when it was clear that the "liberal" vote was the other way.) However, there was NO time in Biden's long tenure in the Senate, that he would have been considered in the liberal half.

However, there are issues where Biden was liberal. On most economic issues - other than notably Bankruptcy - he voted for helping those in need. It on these issues where his personal history of being one of the poorest Senators - coming from Scranton PA - that he has a real resonance and where he is an articulate voice.

However, it is NOT necessarily a plus to be "more liberal" or "most liberal". The questions should be where is he now on various issues that are important to you (and each of us) and whether his positions ring true looking at his past. He will need to explain his own growth and evolving views on several issues. His terrible handling of Anita Hill is balanced by his being the lead sponsor on the violence against women act - for which he followed up with an international version that was not passed. He voted for DOMA, but was a voice for gay marriage within the Obama administration.

I would suggest that having the ability to reevaluate positions and change them is not a negative, but a positive IF changes happen in a way that can be explained and which ring true - rather than appearing to be just reflecting the way the wind is blowing. These two issues differ to some degree. On gay rights, they reflect that he, like most of his generation, became more accepting. On violence against women, he has likely always felt the same and it may reflect his time as a prosecutor. The Thomas hearings might better be seen as an aberration where it may have been a reluctance to be seen attacking a black nominee.

In addition, it might come down to people's perception of him as a good, honest person, who has shown himself to be willing to fight for people who need advocates. If people accept that and agree that the agenda he sets in his campaign is one that will make the country better, he is someone who is easy to support.

[R B Garr]

29. I recall the justification for the bankruptcy bill is that

child support payments could not be discharged. Every Senator usually votes to help their own states, too, with employment.

Sanders gun votes for his home state hunters come to mind as helping his state but not being “progressive”. He also wanted to attract military industry to his state, although that’s a no/no for other Senators.

[R B Garr]

26. Wasn't a provision in the bankruptcy bill about child support

payments not being allowed for discharge? Isn’t that a good thing for single mothers??

[karynnj]

5. Focus groups can easily be swayed by one or more articulate person

I think Biden's current lead in polls is because of name recognition and the huge field splitting the votes. I know I want to know more about several possibilities and to see how they handle the process. Biden is not one I need to know more about. Like HRC, last time I know he could serve capably, which is a big plus. However, I was not always impressed with him as a Senator. On the other hand, I could see him putting people who are very good in important positions and would likely consider their input.

I would be interested in hearing what or who excites the group and would hope they show the discussion.

[Autumn]

15. There's video of the discussion in the link.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

10. The voting public has moved left... why Bernie's the odds on favorite.

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[gateley]

12. In 2016 I met so many radical right-wingers who were excited

about Trump who would say -- with a note of incredulity in their voice -- I like what Bernie is saying, too.

I think he would appeal to many of the Trump voters if they've become disillusioned.

[Awsi Dooger]

18. Nobody is remotely close to an odds-on favorite

An odds-on favorite means greater theoretical likelihood than the rest of the field combined...i.e. above 50%. For example, a horse at 1/2 odds is on odds-on favorite while a horse that is favored at 2/1 odds is merely the betting favorite.

In our field even the top tier candidates are in the 4/1 range or higher to win the nomination.

That term odds-on favorite has been steadily butchered since horse racing became less prominent. Golf is probably the worst offender and specifically the Golf Channel. Tiger Woods has never been an odds-on favorite in his life in a PGA event. The lowest odds ever assigned to him were 6/5 in both the 2000 British Open and PGA Championship. But that hasn't prevented Steve Sands and many others on Golf Channel from repeatedly proclaiming that Tiger (or another golfer) is the odds-on favorite this week.

We'll have an odds-on favorite sometime early in 2020. Hillary was always odds-on in 2015 and 2016. Here is the PaddyPower (betting site) chart from March 2015. Scroll down to see that 1/3 on Hillary to win the nomination:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/odds-win-2016-233704895.html

[ucrdem]

19. Would they have gotten their names in the news if they hadn't?

Just pointing out the obvious . . .

[Mr. Smith]

21. You think the members of the focus group are publicity hounds...

...who seek to make their names by not being excited by Joe Biden?

Maybe just accept that this particular group isn't that excited by old Joe. Doesn't have to be some plot.

[R B Garr]

31. Yet it was a plot against Sanders when CNN had Democrats

ask him questions at a townhall just last week. The questioners were doxxed. Thanks to a poster upthread for reminding us about that.

[Gatoloco]

25. 6-person group without a Biden supporter in it

Sounds legit.

[EveHammond13]

30. Joe Concha is a trumper. He is not our friend.

[Stellar]

32. Just because people worked with Obama...

they are not him. We couldn't wait to get rid of Rham Emmanuel, and he knew not to run for re-election. William Daley, Obama's Whitehouse chief of staff, had more money invested in the mayoral race and even had Al Gore stumping for him only to come in third.