Friendly advice to Biden.

[Baitball Blogger]

Although I prefer Elizabeth Warren, I will vote for the Dem candidate who makes it through the primary. If that's Joe Biden, then my plea is that you look very closely to the current political environment. Saying that we need to reach out across the aisle is a throw back to the past. It didn't work for Bill Nelson, and it is going to make you sound dated as well.

The times have changed. Integrity and civility are no longer to be found on the Right. We don't live in the times when the Republican Congress was composed of people who played fair, or were interested in negotiation. Everything we once held dear has changed. Remember how it was just a given that military men had the highest integrity? We just assumed that meant that they would play fair, and stand down if the decision would go against their personal interests? It's not that way anymore. Now it's all about mission and duty and loyalty to the brotherhood. It has permeated throughout our society. The Right's mission is to defeat Democrats at all costs and the duty is unconditional loyalty to the Republican brotherhood.

Simply stated, we have no time for naive leaders in the Dem party. I hope, if Biden wins, that he acts like a man who can change with the times.

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. Love Joe for real, would vote for him in a heartbeat.

But, you are right. I dont want anything to do with rump slime or GOP who would associate with him or reaching out at all, meaning no GOP appeasement

[OilemFirchen]

2. Friendly advice to Warren.

Warren: 'I'll work with anyone'

“People who voted for Senator Brown, I think a lot of them were saying: ‘You got to be willing to reach across the aisle,’” Warren said. “And I want them to know I heard them loud and clear, and it’s what I want to do. … I want to go to Washington because I want to help get something done.”

“This isn’t about party,” Warren said. “I’ll work with anyone, and I really do mean that. Democrat, Republican, independent, Libertarian, contrarian, vegetarian, I don’t care.”

My friendly bold.

[Baitball Blogger]

5. It sounds like she'll work with anyone that has the same agenda she has.

Which is a fierce correction of our capitalist system. That is her platform.

[OilemFirchen]

6. As opposed to Biden?

Are you suggesting that he's willing to work across the aisle in opposition to his agenda?

Happy to be corrected on this presumption...

[Baitball Blogger]

7. Biden does have some history to overcome.

Like the high interest rates that his State benefited from at everyone else's expense. Not exactly the kind of get along that we want to see in our Dem leaders. Hope he's changed.

[OilemFirchen]

9. As does Warren.

Being a Republican until she was 47 years old is a pretty fucking high hurdle. Hope she's changed.

[Baitball Blogger]

13. Touche.

[LongtimeAZDem]

14. +∞

[shanny]

27. Just what his agenda would be is what I care about.

Anita Hill fiasco; the terrible 90s crime bill was his baby (he wanted to take the law-n-order label away from the Rs); the even-more horrific 2005 bankruptcy bill....

even beyond the reaching-across-the-aisle issue, what are his policies and how do they well do they suit the current party?

[OilemFirchen]

40. Simple algebra tells you...

that impatience is a vice.

[shanny]

42. codswollop

dawg save me from reasonable moderates who tell me to be patient, sit down and all good things will come in good time.

we have at best 12 years to really come to grips with catastrophic climate change--which is the biggest but hardly the only crisis we face--and the last candidate we need right now is one who wants to unite with country by reaching across the aisle to a bunch of out-and-out fascists.

if Joe is not that guy, fine. if he is, he needs to get out of the way.

so. assuming he gets in, I want to know what his policies are and what he is prepared to fight for.

[OilemFirchen]

43. As in...

at least wait until he announces his candidacy, should that occur.

Goodness! Such angst about what might be!

[shanny]

44. sorry for popping off

but concern about climate change is not "angst"

[spooky3]

23. To be fair, your link is from 2012 - a different era from today. Her statement may have

been appropriate in that context, but would she say that today?

[pwb]

3. My advice to Joe is run with a strong woman, for vice president .

A woman that would run strong for president in 2024.

[Otto Lidenbrock]

8. What's the point in electing him if he's going to stand aside after one term

In this hypothetical scenario, unless it is kept secret right up to 2024 that Biden will not seek re-election (knowing Joe he'd probably blurt it out himself!) then he is pretty much a lame duck by the next mid-terms. In that case there's no point in nominating him because it's practically a waste of a term that someone else can devote full time to with the power of the office and vision for the future in mind.

In addition what if said VP runs and loses. Then there will be regret that Biden didn't run for 4 more years and then it will definitely be a waste of a term as the GOP return to the White House.

[pwb]

25. Point is Joe is retired from politics but he can beat Trump easy.

I am fine with him as a one term President . Let him retire again after saving our country. A woman vice president would not have any guarantee that they would be elected. It sure would give the first woman vice President some good exposure for the presidency was my point.
We all have our what ifs and this is opinion and ideas

[Autumn]

36. I won't support anyone willing to step down after one term. nt

[R B Garr]

4. We're also in the Never Trump era. They may not show

themselves as much anymore, but they are out there. Nothing wrong with acknowledging those types. It seems we are entering a phase where the more things change, the more they stay the same. Some things are coming full circle — the drain the swamp phoniness and the shrill populism have people wanting familiarity and stability more.

[people]

10. We need to bring much more of our base out to vote - republican lite is not our base.

There are plenty of progressive and minority people who would have voted democratic if they had voted. These are the people we have to reach out to and make sure we give them something real to vote for. Forget about Joe Schmoe who kind of liked Trump and who either voted for him or didn't vote for him. We have a base -- that's who our politicians need to represent - not so-called "moderate" (non-existent) republicans. Republican lite hasn't worked for democrats. Look at the young new progressives elected to the house. They didn't get there by being in the old boys club. I agree with Baitball Blogger - that club is very dated. Move on.

[shanny]

29. Well said.

[Baclava]

11. wait, has he announced he's running yet?

I didn't see it, give him a few more weeks to decide is what I heard

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

12. The days of "reaching out across the aisle" are definitely OVER!!

I prefer Bernie's leadership approach in promoting a progressive agenda supported by most Democrats... RepubliKKKans are welcome to join in, or go fuck themselves, plain and simple.


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

[sacto95834]

37. So sad but true...

The spirit of compromise was really killed when Gingrich was Speaker and it seems to have died on the Senate side when McConnell became Majority Leader. Congress was poisoned when Republicans started to absolutely hated Democrats and would rather have nothing done rather than compromise on what is good for the nation unless they got credit. I'm sure the Republicans will say the same about Democrats. But I really think it all fell apart when Gingrich came to national prominence.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

38. Not so sure it's sad, as you say... did it ever get us anywhere? In a few instances, perhaps.

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

[sacto95834]

39. I think if you look back before the Reagan Years...

There was more compromise and not so much hatred "take no prisoners" attitude. The congress critters could get along yet still disagree as to policy. Maybe I romanticize too much, but it just seemed that way. And until Trump it was unthinkable for a President to punch down on his "opponents."

[colsohlibgal]

15. Just Say No Joe

We need a younger non apologetic progressive as our candidate. My politics match Bernie/AOC not so much Biden.

[redstatebluegirl]

26. I think there is room for Joe in the primaries.

I also think the more polarized we become as a party along age and policy lines the less likely it is we win. Just saying I think there are valid points for all of the candidates we have going right now. Older folks like me have to be careful not to alienate the young members of the party and the young members need to make sure they don't drive older folks out of the party. We are going to need the whole tent to win this time.

Young ones bring the energy, and those of us who are retired or semi retired have the time to knock on doors, stuff envelopes, and make calls. We need everyone this time.

[CrossingTheRubicon]

16. Good grief. Joe Biden hardly requires a lecture on the nature of today's Republican Party.

He is spot on in understanding that we Americans share a common destiny.

Villianizing people the way populists on the right and left are so prone to do only rives us further towards the extremes. Extremism serves some people's purposes, but it undermines the foundations of a civilized liberal democratic society.

Joe Biden is anything but naive. He knows this nation needs to heal. We are in a pretty sick place.

[ancianita]

17. He's got to have a progressive ticket to show he's evolved.

[Roy Rolling]

18. Naive?

It isn't naive to accomplish Democratic goals and have Republicans assist the effort. That's what true leaders do, they engage the defeated---the defeated people who eventually experience that Democratic governance is superior to Republican scams and abandon the loser policies of the right.

A strong leader can do that. A leader without the grounding of reality to anchor their ideas cannot.

[shanny]

31. Seems to me that approach was recently tried....to no avail.

[JoeOtterbein]

19. I agree. People love a nice girl (ok sometimes a guy too) who stands up against the bully...

...it's always a winning story!

[AlexSFCA]

20. He may not be running at all.

With each passing day, the likelihood of him not joining the race is increasing. We have plenty highly qualified candidates to choose from so he probably think there is no need for him to run.

[R B Garr]

21. Can't recall exactly where I heard, but April was

the go time.

[lastlib]

22. I would happily reach across the aisle to the GOP.....

...with a f*cking CROWBAR!! or Baseball bat, or dimensional lumber--anything else I could bash the SH*T out of them with.

I HATE those futhermuckers with a SEETHING passion!

[pansypoo53219]

24. yes. call for unity, but demand the opposition to move closer. because we have stopped moving rite.

[scheming daemons]

28. He saw first hand how the GOP operates as Obama's VP for 8 years. Don't worry.

Joe knows the game the right plays.

His rhetoric about "working across the aisle" is to give him cover for the general election. He knows that at 12:01pm on January 20, 2021... that the right will attempt to block everything he wants to do.

[shanny]

32. Then why try to placate them in the general?

It is not as if any of the troglodytes will vote for him, and the implied willingness to compromise would hurt turnout on our side.

[zaj]

30. Democracy requires reaching out to the other side

Right now, only the Dems care about saving democracy. Thank God at least the Dems care about saving democracy.

Everyone on the Dem side should be thinking that we must reach out across the aisle.

It's not easy fending off authoritarian impulses, but I assure you, the winner of the race to... government by the strongest and fastest... won't be the
- Democracy seeking,
- consensuses requiring,
- minority group defending,
- diversity empowering

... Democratic Party.

It will be the homogeneous, authoritarian, will-imposing Republican Party to win that race to the bottom, every time.

It sucks being the only party that cares about protecting Democracy any more... But we still have to protect it.

[Power 2 the People]

33. +1

Really well said, Baitball.

[Vinca]

34. I don't know who I will support, but my advice to Joe would be shit or get off the pot.

As it is, the second he announces he will go from the media darling to the media target. It just happened to Beto. Overnight he morphed from media golden boy to inexperienced fluff candidate. When Joe announces every gaff he's ever made will be played on a continuous loop and past problems will be blown up to major issues. Meanwhile, back at the White House, the Mad King eyes the nuclear buttons.

[Gothmog]

35. Joe Biden is the most electable candidate that the Democratic Party has available

[cwydro]

41. Beto wants to reach across the aisle also. nt