Democratic Voters Care About Climate Change, But Not Enough To Support Jay Inslee

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee got into the presidential race because climate change is the “most urgent challenge of our time.” And although he announced on Wednesday that he was dropping out (he plans to seek a third term as governor instead), Inslee did bring more attention to his key issue — CNN is now scheduled to hold a town hall where 10 Democratic candidates will discuss the “climate crisis” in early September, for example. But that wasn’t enough to convince voters Inslee was the right choice.

Part of Inslee’s problem was that he struggled to improve his standing in the polls since he first declared he was running in March. Inslee qualified for the first two debates and even cleared one of the two hurdles for making the third debate — he hit the Democratic National Committee’s 130,000-donor threshold, but he never cracked 2 percent in a qualifying poll. That meant he wouldn’t get invited to the third debate or even to CNN’s town hall on climate change, as they used the same polling thresholds the DNC set for the third debate — 2 percent in at least four qualifying polls — to limit participation.

Nonetheless, the very existence of a climate-centered forum signals that Inslee’s campaign was at least somewhat successful. Yes, the DNC refused to focus one of the primary debates entirely on climate change, but there has still been a broader push among Democrats to address the issue head-on. For instance, most of the Democratic presidential field has either co-sponsored or endorsed the “Green New Deal,” a sweeping resolution that House Democrats introduced earlier this year that demands the government tackle climate change with ambitious actions like net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, all the candidates want to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord, and nearly all want the U.S. to strengthen its commitment to lowering emissions. And it’s not just the candidates — Democratic voters say climate change is a top issue for them and one they want to hear about in the debates. But in the end, focusing on climate change wasn’t enough for Inslee to break out.

Now Inslee will return home to focus on his reelection bid. Washington doesn’t have term limits for governors, and if Inslee does win next November, he will be only the second governor in Washington’s history to win three consecutive terms in office (Republican Dan Evans is the only governor to have done this before, serving from 1965 to 1977). And as things currently stand, Inslee has a good chance of pulling it off.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/democratic-voters-care-about-climate-change-but-not-enough-to-support-jay-inslee/?ex_cid=story-twitter

[MyOwnPeace]

1. I liked him - a lot!

However, an over-riding issue for me is "elect-ability" - critical more now than ever. I feel that there are several other candidates that stood a better chance to defeat IQ45 than the Governor did. Yes, in "normal" times I believe he would have been THE outstanding candidate. But, alas, these are certainly not "normal" times!

Thank you, Governor, for you care and concern for your country. I wish you well and certainly appreciate your care, concern, and dedication to the United States of America.

[appalachiablue]

2. Gov. Inslee was very impressive to me. What a shame so many

Americans are opposed to or ignorant of real climate change happenings and status, largely due to Red State obstruction and mainstream media blackout of demonstrations and activism and climate news and related hurricanes and storms.

[elocs]

3. I am concerned about climate change but not enough to risk seeing Trump reelected

because he faced a single issue candidate.

We should do what we can to try and slow global climate change, but I think that ship has sailed.
It's here and it will get worse before it gets better and that could take hundreds of years.
But until the wolf is at the door, when it will be too late, we are doing little or nothing to prepare for the negative impact of global climate change. Why? $$$$

[abqtommy]

4. That's bullshit!

[calimary]

5. :(

Lots of talk about how graceful and classy his exit has been.

THAT, TOO, is the kind of thing we could have had.

We had it with Hillary, too. And look what we got when too many simply had to vote the wrong way.

So now, I will begin looking more closely for a new favorite. And eagerly, too.

I am (and have been all along) in total agreement that ANY of the other Democratic candidates would be hundreds of lightyears better than the toxic dreck we have now. I am (and have been for quite awhile) impressed with quite a few who are still in there.

Because of how - uh - "swimmingly" we're doing with the current businessman "president", I tend to want to run, not walk, AWAY from the idea of another one. So I'm hesitant about Andrew Yang. Also to a lesser extent by Tom Steyer but he's aggressive against trump and has spearheaded the citizens impeachment movement, so I'm already favorably pre-disposed. But he's a businessman. Business and government are TWO VERY DIFFERENT THINGS! With OPPOSING reasons for being and OPPOSITIONAL goals and priorities. Business is there to make a profit. Government is there to provide stewardship over large collectives (be they city, state, or nation) for the benefit of the greater good. Those two are by definition AT ODDS. I'd rather have someone who's motivated toward the public good than someone who's motivated toward making money. DAMMIT, THAT'S NOT THE POINT OF GOVERNMENT!!!!!! Sorry to shout, but, meh, you know...

Then there are the others.
Biden. I'm favorably predisposed. Always was. Even though he has feet (or maybe it's mouth) of clay. You wanna compare his to trump's? NO comparison whatsoever! He has a lot going for him, and he's already proven he's evolved on various issues. He also carries the Obama brand which is looking better and better by the hour. Voted for him on the ticket both times. Would be happy to do it again. And he has a heart. The compassion and the humanity (however imperfect) is there.
Warren, I'm favorably predisposed - AND more impressed with her week after week. Already liked her, except for being annoyed that she held back on endorsing Hillary - she and Merkley were the only Dems that didn't come along til they had to. Points deducted. But she's authentic as all-get-out, and she has real fire in her belly toward issues I care about. I just LOVE that part of her! And I'd love to see another woman president - especially one who's able to make it official. I want to break all the way through that damn glass ceiling, dammit!
Harris, I'm favorably predisposed toward her, too. Biased toward her as a Californian so I'm loyal even though I'm not a Californian anymore. Smart, quick-witted, has gravitas, presidential, and wouldn't it be nice to have someone in that office who actually knows, respects, and has a track record for defending the law? You'd know when she takes that oath that she actually understands it and plans to keep it. Plus, she checks two boxes (says she whose first several jobs breaking into radio served as box-checkers). Woman in Oval Office. A woman of color, at that! And what that would say about America, as we begin to try to rehabilitate ourselves after trump!
Mayor Pete, I'm favorably predisposed, and impressed, but he's still awfully young, and he's got a few issues to work out with the black community. However, that gives him a lot of years ahead to do many great things and maybe even get there, too. The kid's got a big future though. (I can call him a kid. I'm old enough to be AT LEAST his mother.)
Beto - I was pretty favorably predisposed already, even though he carries a mark on his ledger (he lost the last big race. Sometimes "came close" doesn't make it). Saw how he handled the devastating heartbreak in his home town. MONDO impressed. He was absolutely Presidential. All I could think of was - why can't we have a president NOW who behaves like this?
Castro - I'm favorably predisposed, he was clean as a whistle in Obama's Cabinet, smart and eloquent. And it'd be neat to break another glass ceiling (for the Latino community, which has taken an OBSCENELY LARGE hit during this regime-from-Hell).
Cory Booker - I'm favorably predisposed, but I haven't had a lot of time to focus on him yet. Okay, this is pretty silly, but for all those racists out there, get OVER it. This guy is light-skinned, so consider that that throwing you a bone, okay? Blacks get to be here, too! Just like the Latinos. Shut up and Grow up, forcryingoutloud!
Amy Klobuchar - I'm favorably predisposed. Like her folksy middle-America vibe. She seems tough but still approachable, and for the laters, there's really not a whole lot to hate. But I need to dig down here, too. I don't know her all that well.
For the rest...
Bernie - If he's the nominee, I WILL vote for him, without hesitation. No further questions asked. I've already said enough regarding how I really feel about him. Out of respect to his fans here, I'll leave it at that.
Gabbard - I don't trust her. I don't trust ANYBODY the Russians seem interested in promoting.
DiBlasio - Loud and blustery. I dunno - there's something about him I do like. He's in a mixed-race marriage that's been working successfully for a long time. That'd be a way to get under the racists' skins again, 'eh?
Michael Bennet - So devoid of charisma that a bowl of vanilla pudding would be more attention-getting. Unfortunately, a successful candidate's gotta have charisma.
Marianne Williamson - WTF? Probably has a pretty nice collection of crystals, though.
Seth Moulton - Not too impressed, but don't know much about him - except that he behaves as a contrarian too frequently, when Dems should be a UNITED FRONT. I'm not a moderate Dem, and I'd rather not have to vote for one, unless they've been through several baptisms-of-fire like Biden has.
Tim Ryan - See Seth Moulton, above.
Steve Bullock - Seems like a good guy and has executive experience, plus ways to connect to voters in a red state. I'm not an expert here, though.
Kirsten Gillibrand - Two words: Al Franken.
John Delaney - Another bowl of vanilla pudding, even more boring than Michael Bennet. And Elizabeth Warren ate his lunch, dinner, midnight snack, and breakfast the following morning, at the last debate.
Wayne Messam - I know almost nothing about him. He has executive experience, though. He may fizzle soon, though.
Joe Sestak - I know almost nothing about him other than his military background, so there's leadership there. He's not exactly catching fire either.

I think that's everybody. Some of them are more easily ruled out than others. With some, if they're not catching fire by now, with Democrats, how do we know there'll be any chance they can connect with others outside the Democratic orbit later on? Unfortunately, charisma plays a large role.

So I have to look closely, and pick my best new favorite.

But I have enthusiastically taken the Indivisible Pledge, that I WILL vote for whoever carries our banner into battle. And I will work for his or her victory. Without question. Jay Inslee said he certainly would, so how can I not?