Octopus Overlords

Defiant wrote:The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget has released an analysis on the costs of the major candidate's health plans

As part of our US Budget Watch 2020 project, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget has analyzed the plans of the four candidates polling the highest in the majority of national polls and polls in the first four primary states: Vice President Joe Biden, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Senator Bernie Sanders, and Senator Elizabeth Warren.

For each plan, we score the fiscal impact of coverage and other spending provisions, reductions in current and proposed health care costs, direct offsets proposed as part of their plans to expand coverage, and further offsets meant to finance remaining costs. We focus on federal fiscal impact rather than the effect on total national health expenditures.

Our estimates are rough and rounded, based on our best understanding of how campaign-level detail translates into specific policies, and subject to change as more details are made available.2 This report is for educational purposes and does not represent an endorsement of any candidate or any policy. It will be followed by further analysis of the candidates’ tax and spending proposals in the coming months.

Jaymon wrote:Here is what I find frustrating. Now I know this is not a new frustration, but this is the only place to put it.

There are some candidates I like more than others, I can make a effort to decide which one best represents me, and attempt to get that person elected. Thats the promise of democracy I learned in elementary school.

But here we are in the real world, The state I live in will go all in for the democrat, regardless of which democrat ends up on top. Thats just how it is. I could use my vote for a third party, in an attempt to hopefully spread the field in a future election. But there are real, immediate, and significant consequences for a republican victory, so I will spend my vote for a democrat.

But I don't even get the luxury of choosing which democrat candidate best represents me. Please allow me to explain. My state will go all in with electoral college for whichever democrat is on top, regardless of which one it is. Thats just the reality of it. So the only way to make a difference is to support a candidate that will appeal to voters in one of the so called "swing states" such as Florida, Iowa, etc in an effort to garner votes there. So my only option for affecting the outcome of this election is to try and figure out which of the candidates is most likely to appeal to Florida Man, Retirees, and Midwesterners?, all of whom I know very little about and have no connection to.

That is why I am frustrated.

Former Vice President Joe Biden said the impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump haven't "shaken my faith" with regards to working with Republicans, adding that "no one's" found that his son Hunter Biden did anything untoward in Ukraine.

Impeachment "hasn't shaken my faith in being able to work with at least" some Republicans, Biden told "TODAY" show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie in an exclusive interview ahead of Monday's Iowa caucuses.

"I think you're going to see the world change with [President Donald] Trump gone," Biden added.

Senator Joni Ernst said the impeachment of President Trump has opened the door for Republicans to follow suit if Joe Biden were to win the presidency.

“I think this door of impeachable whatever has been opened,” the Republican senator from Iowa told Bloomberg News on Sunday.

Ernst then specifically warned Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.

“Joe Biden should be very careful what he’s asking for because, you know, we can have a situation where if it should ever be President Biden, that immediately, people right the day after he would be elected would be saying, ‘Well, we’re going to impeach him,’” Ernst said.

Ernst explained that an impeachment case against Biden could be made “for being assigned to take on Ukrainian corruption yet turning a blind eye to Burisma because his son was on the board making over a million dollars a year” during his time as vice president under Obama.

YellowKing wrote: Mon Feb 03, 2020 11:28 am I'd rather have someone who is at least willing to entertain the prospect of working with Republicans than continuing the hardline partisan stalemate we currently find ourselves in.

Working with does not mean "giving in to."

Kurth wrote: Mon Feb 03, 2020 11:56 am

YellowKing wrote: Mon Feb 03, 2020 11:28 am I'd rather have someone who is at least willing to entertain the prospect of working with Republicans than continuing the hardline partisan stalemate we currently find ourselves in.

Working with does not mean "giving in to."

You, me, and most of America, I firmly believe.

YellowKing wrote: Mon Feb 03, 2020 11:28 am I'd rather have someone who is at least willing to entertain the prospect of working with Republicans than continuing the hardline partisan stalemate we currently find ourselves in.

LordMortis wrote: Mon Feb 03, 2020 1:38 pm I remember "get in the back seat while Americans and Democrats drive" around the first midterms.

President Obama wrote: Finally we got this car up on level ground. And, yes, it's a little beat up. It needs to go to the body shop. It's got some dents; it needs a tune-up. But it's pointing in the right direction. And now we've got the Republicans tapping us on the shoulder, saying, we want the keys back.

You can't have the keys back. You don't know how to drive. You can ride with us if you want, but you got to sit in the backseat. We're going to put middle-class America in the front seat. We're looking out for them.

gilraen wrote:Obama tried that in earnest. How'd that work out for him?

YellowKing wrote: Mon Feb 03, 2020 2:33 pm

gilraen wrote:Obama tried that in earnest. How'd that work out for him?

Biden has a history with most of these senators that Obama did not.

I'd rather the onus of obstructionism be on the Republicans, not the Democratic President. Because if the Democrats take office with that attitude, they're no better than Trump. We should be better than that.

f you're a Democrat and could wave a magic wand

that would nominate any candidate for 2020, who you would pick? New polling by @Civiqs
@DataProgress
says:

***Elizabeth Warren***

That was true in June 2019, as well.

Jaymann wrote: Tue Feb 04, 2020 12:44 pm Starting this year California is allowing everyone to mail in their ballot. A brilliant way to combat voter suppression.

Jaymann wrote: Tue Feb 04, 2020 12:44 pm Starting this year California is allowing everyone to mail in their ballot. A brilliant way to combat voter suppression.

LordMortis wrote: Tue Feb 04, 2020 12:58 pm

Jaymann wrote: Tue Feb 04, 2020 12:44 pm Starting this year California is allowing everyone to mail in their ballot. A brilliant way to combat voter suppression.

Michigan as well. The GOP fought against this tooth and nail, as they did with the anti-gerrymandering law. The GOP have fought for only military and elderly and out of town work as viable absentee ballot voting. Somehow we won.

Dance!!!

https://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,4670,7-1 ... --,00.html

hepcat wrote: Wed Feb 05, 2020 8:50 am Trump has completely dropped any semblance of wanting to repair the rift in our nation and now just openly declares anyone who doesn’t follow him the enemy. That’s my takeaway from last night’s speech.

I’m pretty sure he’ll be re-elected at this point.

LordMortis wrote:and it's hard letting go of people you love over this because they empower a man who empowers hatred and takes brazen corruption to a level I've never seen

YellowKing wrote: Thu Feb 06, 2020 9:40 am

LordMortis wrote:and it's hard letting go of people you love over this because they empower a man who empowers hatred and takes brazen corruption to a level I've never seen

My family knows better than to talk politics these days with me, but on the rare occasions Trump does come up, I've taken the "politics aside" route. That is, I explained that my major problem with Trump is that I don't agree with his character. I don't agree with the way he paid for abortions to cover up affairs, cheated on his wife with porn stars, values money over humanity, can't speak the truth, engaged in shady business deals for decades, etc. I feel like he's a bad example to my kids with his practice of mocking other people and races, and his constant bullying. And furthermore, I wouldn't support a Democratic candidate like that either.

That usually shuts them up.

noxiousdog wrote: Thu Feb 06, 2020 11:41 am 538 now has Sanders leading with a 50% chance of the nomination.

People are insane.

Holman wrote: Thu Feb 06, 2020 11:59 am

noxiousdog wrote: Thu Feb 06, 2020 11:41 am 538 now has Sanders leading with a 50% chance of the nomination.

People are insane.

It's waaaay too early (as 538 will tell you themselves) for such a projection to be anything but an assessment of the current state of play.

A single caucus just now jumbled up that very model, and there's no reason to expect the 50+ remaining primaries to behave as predicted.

hepcat wrote: Thu Feb 06, 2020 12:24 pm Color me surprised to witness this (what appears to be) momentous decline of Biden's campaign.

Ralph-Wiggum wrote: Thu Feb 06, 2020 1:09 pm I wouldn't assume Biden's campaign is dead; they've known for awhile now that he was unlikely to win Iowa or New Hampshire. More telling would be if he doesn't win or perform as expected in SC or Nevada.

Smoove_B wrote: Thu Feb 06, 2020 1:27 pm Plus Trump was just FULLY EXONERATED by the Senate which means Hunter Biden is a criminal and Joe Biden is a corrupt, invalid candidate.

Jaymann wrote: Thu Feb 06, 2020 12:56 pm Bernie may be in the rare position of getting Trump elected - twice!

noxiousdog wrote: Thu Feb 06, 2020 2:54 pm Bernie is going to push moderates back to Republicans. Even if there's folks that can't stand Trump, there's going to be folks who refuse to vote for president and then vote for Republican congressmen to balance Sanders.

Smoove_B wrote: Thu Feb 06, 2020 3:01 pm

noxiousdog wrote: Thu Feb 06, 2020 2:54 pm Bernie is going to push moderates back to Republicans. Even if there's folks that can't stand Trump, there's going to be folks who refuse to vote for president and then vote for Republican congressmen to balance Sanders.

That's not entirely true. They also seemingly like Tulsi Gabbard - perfectly reasonable pivot. Regardless, the article is an interesting slice of Bernie supporters. I always appreciate these types of articles because I'm not a rabid supporter of any politician.