Politics – Page 5

Should Biden’s VP be a Black Woman?

May 21, 2020

by Left Women's Rights Advocate with 5 Comments Featured highlight Politics

In an unenthusiastic race for president the light and fire for the Democratic side will come from the vice-presidential pick. Former Vice President, Joe Biden is the presumptive nominee after a long primary that hasn’t officially ended. After the last round of primary races in March, Biden announced that he would pick a woman as his running mate. To no surprise women and many liberals were ecstatic at his announcement.

That was over a month ago.

Now as we approach June many are wondering whom Biden will pick. Several women have already made their intentions clear about their desire to run alongside Biden. California US Senator Kamala Harris, Massachusetts US Senator Elizabeth Warren and Minnesota US Senator Amy Klobaucar have all expressed interest after failed primary bids for president. There’s also Stacy Abrams, who ran a tight and unsuccessful bid to become the Democratic Governor of Georgia in 2018.

While a woman as a vice presidential running mate would be historic, having a Black woman would be monumental. But does Biden owe it to the Black community to pick a black woman as his running mate? South Carolina Congressman James Clyburn doesn’t think so. Considering the Biden campaign’s win in South Carolina was a major turning point during the primary, especially because of Clyburn’s endorsement, it’s reasonable to think Biden might listen to his advice. But that advice hurts Black women and their chances to become VP, and deprives the Black community of actualizing a national Black candidate outside of former President Barack Obama.

Joe Biden should pick a woman of color and that woman of color should be a Black woman.

Black voters in America have been the driving force behind the Democratic party for decades. And Black women are the most consistent voting bloc of the Democratic party. But Biden shouldn’t pick a Black vice-presidential candidate because he owes it to loyal Black voters, but because it would signal that he values the Black vote beyond election day. It would signal he values Black voices in the policy realm and more importantly it sets up his pick to run for president in the future.

I Don’t Believe In Voting Blue No Matter Who

April 14, 2020

by Tamera Middlebrooks with No Comment Culture Featured Gen Z Politics

The first time I heard the phrase “vote for the lesser of two evils,” was when Hillary Clinton was chosen as the Democratic Nominee for the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election. I’m sure we all remember that enthusiasm for Hillary was low. She was widely disliked and many people were devastated at having to choose between her and Trump, but criticisms of her were immediately shut down by people claiming “she’s the lesser of two evils.” Basically, no matter how many valid reasons people had for rejecting Hillary, they had no choice but to shut up and vote for her because her evil was easier to swallow than Trump’s. Fast forward to 2020, and I’m hearing the same arguments all over again. Joe Biden is the Democratic frontrunner and his so-called supporters are out in full force, silencing any and all criticisms. They’re saying to “vote blue no matter who” regardless of his many faults because anyone’s better than Trump. I disagree entirely and I’m honestly sick and tired of hearing these arguments. There are many problems with this kind of mindset and I think it’s both harmful and unproductive to promote it, so here are the reasons why I don’t believe in “voting blue no matter who/voting for the lesser of two evils.”

One reason I’m not okay with these phrases is because they encourage people to settle for candidates that we *know* are unfit to lead us. We deserve better and should demand better from our elected officials, instead of just throwing our hands in the air and accepting a candidate who is proven to be unworthy in every way, shape and form. Progress is what I seek, and I know that settling for the status quo will get us nowhere.

I can’t accept “vote for the lesser of two evils” because in terms of Biden vs Trump, this phrase suggests that Joe Biden is somehow less evil than Donald Trump, which is a lie. In fact, I believe that Trump and Biden are the exact same brand of evil, the only difference being that Biden wears a blue MAGA hat while Trump wears a red one. There are too many similarities between the two, one being that Trump and Biden are both racist. Trump has labeled Mexicans as criminals and rapists, was sued by the U.S. Department of Justice for housing discrimination against Black people, proposed a ban against Muslims, and referred to African countries as “shithole countries” (these examples hardly scratch the surface of his history of racism). Biden was good friends with white supremacist James Eastland and gave a eulogy at the funeral of segregationist Strom Thurmond. He opposed desegregating schools because in his own words, he didn’t want his kids going to school in a “racial jungle.” He called Barack Obama “the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean,” said that “poor kids are just as bright and talented as White kids” during an Iowa town hall, and helped write the 1994 Crime Bill that expanded mass incarceration in the U.S.

Other similarities between Trump and Biden? They’ve both been accused of sexual assault/harassment/uncomfortable physical contact by numerous women. Trump has accusations from 20+ women, while Biden has eight, (and has also been seen on video inappropriately touching underaged girls and smelling their hair). Both have disappointing track records on LGBTQ+ rights, both have credible accusations that they’re mentally unfit to be president, both have worked for administrations that put kids in cages, and both are warmongers. Now that I’ve laid out all the reasons why Biden and Trump are horrible in pretty much all the same ways, how exactly is one better than the other? Swapping out one bigot in chief for another is not a win, giving me no reason to rally behind either candidate. I’m a marginalized person and my marginalized community will be harmed by both Trump AND Biden, which is why I cannot just sit down and “vote blue no matter who”—and anyone who tries to bully others into doing so is blatantly choosing their party affiliation over their morals.

It’s time to kill the idea that we should choose a lesser evil over another, and that we have to vote blue no matter who. I need people to realize that politicians work for us, not the other way around, so we shouldn’t give up our power by accepting less than what we deserve and by being afraid to demand what we need from them. I also need people to realize that Donald Trump is not the sole reason for all the evil in this country and that replacing him with Biden will not put an end to it. In reality, Trump is a product of the evil in the U.S. and in order to make real change in this country, we must dismantle the systems that allow him to thrive, not just focus 100% of our energy on him. Since people will always do what they want regardless, I’m not going to end this article by telling anyone who to vote for. But I will tell you not to allow the direction of the 2020 election to make you feel hopeless, because regardless of who’s in office—whether it’s a Democrat or Republican, whether you love them or hate them, there is work that needs to be done. We must stay aware, stay involved, and look out for our fellow community members, because in the words of my good friend and one of the smartest, most passionate activists I know, Brooke Solomon…

“No president is going to save my community.”

While electing a president is important, it is not the only way to create change. The power lies within us. Real change exists outside of electoral politics, and we need to be the ones to create it.

6 claps

The Coronavirus Pandemic Should Be the Jumpstart to a Revolution?

March 18, 2020

by Tamera Middlebrooks with 7 Comments Culture Featured Gen Z highlight Politics

The Coronavirus pandemic has become the #1 issue worldwide, causing widespread panic, anxiety, and isolation. I’ll admit, I originally thought the virus would be a fleeting issue; but as the death toll rises and countries lockdown, the seriousness of the situation can no longer be underestimated. I’m concerned for those who are most vulnerable to the virus, and the emotion that I find myself feeling the most is anger. The United States government has failed to properly respond to the Coronavirus outbreak, and this failure has shone a major light on the fact that the U.S. is horrifically flawed down to its’ very core, and has spent years devaluing, mistreating and oppressing anyone who doesn’t belong to the 1%. Most of us have already been aware of the many social inequities going on in this country, but this virus is now waking others up to how bad things truly are.

On March 7^th, ABC News tweeted about a man with Coronavirus that worked several shifts at Hobart’s Grand Chancellor Hotel instead of self-quarantining. This is dangerous because his actions will more than likely cause harm to those who came in contact with him. However, his actions point to the larger issue of poverty in the U.S., as he is just one of many workers that have long been forced to put their health & the health of others in jeopardy because being fired or missing a paycheck could lead to their downfall. In addition to this, people are afraid to even get tested because of the expensive medical bills, another example of just how rampant poverty is in the supposed “best country in the world.”

Moving on to the closure of K-12 schools and universities, the Mayor of New York confirmed that NYC public schools are closed until April 20^th; however, it was originally reported that the schools wouldn’t close since 114,000 homeless students depend on school meals to eat. Numerous colleges across the country have sent students home and will have classes online. But, this immediately raised concerns about the number of homeless students who depend on their college for housing and food, who were basically being thrown to the wolves. None of this is okay and it’s shameful that this country acts as if it is.

The fact that so many people are being forced to choose between their health or losing their job, and that tons of students are living in extreme poverty with no access to food or shelter outside of the schools they attend is not an individual issue, but a structural one. The United States is a rich country with enough money to guarantee things like healthcare, paid sick leave, and food/housing for its’ residents, but those who have the power to do this simply choose not to. Billions of dollars are poured into things like the military budget—so imagine what this country would be like if the money were put towards things that are actually needed, like healthcare or canceling student loan debt?

Furthermore, Coronavirus has shown that progressive policies that have been shut down for years are doable. The NYC Council Speaker, Corey Johnson, announced on March 15^ththat eviction proceedings would be suspended statewide until further notice (Miami Dade will be doing the same). In Bexar County, arrests for minor offenses have been suspended to prevent crowding in prisons. In Detroit, residents who’ve had their water shutoff will have their service turned back on. My question is, why did it take a pandemic for these things to be done? People have spent years calling for these actions to take place! Many of us are aware that evictions, mass incarceration, water shutoffs, etc. are backward, cruel and unnecessary, and should have ended a long time ago. But we were repeatedly told that this was impossible and that these things somehow needed to happen for society to function. Now that we’ve seen firsthand that that’s bullshit, and that our government has always had the power to make decisions that actually make life easier/better for us, we cannot allow things to go back to the way they were. Once the pandemic is over, those in power will attempt to go back to business as usual, but we can’t let them do that.

I urge everyone to let this moment radicalize them, and to demand that the rights being given to us during the pandemic remain. Greed and selfishness have been the heartbeat of this country for too long. People have stood up and fought back in the past, and this pandemic has been a breaking point for so many of us. It’s my hope that from this point on, people will stand up and fight back in a way that has never been seen before. In the words of Assata Shakur…

“It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.”

COVID-19 And Trump, A Modern Day Nero?

March 12, 2020

by Danielle Bingham with No Comment Culture Featured Politics

An email was sent to my employer’s special-interest lists the other day: “Does anyone know where I can find some N95 masks? All of the local stores are sold out.” I was stunned. My company is staffed by some of the most logical, reasonable, critically-thinking people I’ve ever known. People at my own company were panicking about the novel Coronavirus, also called COVID-19. Why?

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has been a reliable source of unbiased, evidence-based public health information for decades. But, they have been oddly inconsistent in their messaging concerning the coronavirus outbreak – which has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday (3/11/20), and President Trump is largely responsible.

When the virus first entered the country, the White House squabbled over whether to even share what it knew, and what plans, if any, were being made to keep Americans safe. Meanwhile, experts at the CDC were prevented from communicating with state agencies and providing information to the public. So, state and local governments, airlines, and other companies worked to devise their own plans. Conferences were canceled, airlines put new sanitation policies into play, companies began plans for allowing employees to work from home and to provide financial support to hourly workers. We were standing by until February 25th, as President Trump was preparing to return from New Delhi when he was forced into the reality of the situation. Only then did he signal any intent to address the issue.

Americans look to the president to lead them through crises with a calm demeanor, determination, and decisiveness. Trump did not deliver. Instead, he chose to turn every opportunity to provide assurances into a platform for vilifying the media, blaming the democrats, and aggrandizing himself. What vague reassurances he offered were not intended to calm the public as much as to avoid ruffling the stock market’s feathers. It didn’t work. Trump’s refusal to acknowledge the threat until late in the game may have actually caused the panic on Wall Street. The business-as-usual attitude may have intended to calm fears, but when the rest of the world is rushing to contain and mitigate the spread of the virus, some might see it as sticking one’s head in the sand, waiting for the threat to pass. Not exactly a model of decisive action.

Not surprisingly, Trump’s view of what we’re facing is out of sync with reality. While Democrats worked toward pushing through an emergency economic package to help those forced to stay away from their paying jobs, Trump pushed for a payroll tax break. Not at all useful, because you have to be paid – which means you have to work – in order to get the benefit. He explained his rationale to Republican senators, “… so taxes don’t go back up before voters decide whether to return him to office.” said, President Trump. The stimulus package that the White House is putting together is reportedly going to cost around $700 billion – on par with the Wall Street bailout of 2008 and the Recovery Act of 2009. This package is aimed at corporations, including the hotel industry, which considering that he still profits from his hotels, creates more evidence of his conflict of interest.

The Trump Administration’s anti-science stance is also reflected in its response to the COVID-19 threat. Over the last 3 years, Trump Republicans have gone out of their way to discredit evidence-based science. Budgets for research and public education were slashed, seriously hobbling the CDC in its efforts to create accurate tests and effective solutions. His willful ignorance of how science works was laid out for all to see at his visit to the CDC on Friday. He failed to grasp the simple concept that drugs cannot be created overnight. Getting medicine from the lab to the drug cabinet takes painstaking research, experimentation with consistent results, and clinical trials. All of which require money… money that Trump took away back in 2017.

Exemplified by his own tweet, Trump is fiddling, while all around him the flames get higher.

What Does It Mean To Have Two Old White Men Running For The Democratic Primary In 2020?

March 8, 2020

by Left Women's Rights Advocate with No Comment Featured Politics

The 2016 election was historic. Hillary Clinton became the first woman ever to secure the Democratic Party’s nomination for president. While her run for president was historic, unfortunately, she did not win against Donald Trump.

However, after her run, unprecedented drives of women – more than ever before – began stepping up to run for office across the country and at every level. So, it was no surprise that the 2020 election for president would see a historic level of women running. Major Democratic ticket contenders included NY Senator Kristin Gillibrand, MN Senator Amy Klobuchar, CA Senator Kamala Harris, Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, author Marianne Williamson, and MA Senator Elizabeth Warren. Of these six women, Gabbard remains in the race, but her campaign is not viable. Warren was the last serious candidate to drop out, falling hard after Super Tuesday where she had a poor showing.

So what does this mean for a primary that has seen upwards of fifteen-plus candidates enter and leave the race?

Some Americans are saying this country is ready for a woman president; however, their actions are not matching their words. Arguably, Warren was the Democratic Party’s best chance for a woman candidate, but she did not win a single state during the four early primary contests (IA, NH, NV & SC) and she fell flat during the 14-state Super Tuesday contest. She didn’t even win her home state which is a bad indication of support.

Even more than her loosing and ultimately dropping out, we now face a primary that is likely to showcase a contested convention with two old White men. Our moderate candidate being former Vice President Joe Biden and our liberal candidate being Bernie Sanders.

As a self-proclaimed woman advocate, it’s extremely hard to look at a contest that seemed so promising with a diverse field of candidates running from age, gender, race and sexual orientation to dwindle right back down to what we’ve been used to in this country – old white men.

While Gabbard remains in the race, clearly unviable, Warren dropping out sends a strong signal that what this country preaches it clearly doesn’t practice. We already have a president who has proven himself to show clear bigotry and sexism towards women. What we should be running toward are more women who can represent the more than majority voting population of this country – women.

While I believe we will have a woman president within the next decade, I can’t help but wonder what message we are continuously sending by advancing old White men.

Debate Takeaways From An Unaffiliated Voter

February 28, 2020

by The LCR Editor with No Comment Featured Politics

Warren’s continuous attacks on Bloomberg seem to be excessive. Now, he may be all the slimeball a person can possibly be and if he is then he shouldn’t be running. I have zero tolerance for a slimeball presidential candidate. However, without knowing the details behind the attacks it just seems like a cheap shot because people are not going to look into it.

Sanders is consistent; not always right but he is consistent. If he wins, the debates with Trump will be nearly impossible to watch. Two advanced aged people stuck in their ways. Trump will win and people will be trying to get rid of the electoral college… again.

(Selfishly) Biden should’ve run in 2016. I think he’s losing his ability to make his points, and he needs to stop talking about how he wrote all the bills.

Steyer is good but he needs to drop out and endorse someone. Clearly, he doesn’t like Bernie. He’d be better off boosting Klobuchar or Pete.

Klobuchar is likely the best candidate but she’ll be out after Super Tuesday. I wish I could say more. I really like her.

Bloomberg looks annoyed with the process, his jokes are bad and he needs to get Warren to sign an NDA. ??‍♂️ He nearly said, “I bought the”… rather than “I donated to” the Democrats in the house.

Pete is gifted, but feels like he’s memorized talking points to court people of color. He seems very composed and I think he’ll be the best person to take on Trump attacks.

Gabbard (#NotPresent #PunIntended) will be the 3rd party candidate. Why else is she still running when she hasn’t been on a debate stage on 3 months?

Debate Winner: Trump. This debate was a mess due to the awful moderating by CBS.

Losers: CBS Moderators, clarity of points and the filibuster.

Look, I get that people want to get rid of the filibuster and go to a simple majority vote in the Senate. Put it this way, think about all of the laws that would’ve passed in the first 2 years of the Trump presidency if he only needed 50 votes. I would much rather have a rule law that states all bills passed in either chamber have to be voted on within 60 days. It’s time to put our elected officials on the record. If that doesn’t make you happy then reduce the super-majority to 57 votes, but don’t get rid of it altogether. I agree something has to change, but change can’t be as easy as getting a simple majority in both chambers.

Still don’t know who I’m voting for.

My Summary of the Democratic Debate in South Carolina

February 27, 2020

by Amira with No Comment Featured Politics

No one won this debate.

Steyer – Seems like a nice guy. He’s not afraid to speak his mind. I used to actually think he was a Bernie Bro. ? Nope.

Klobuchar – I guess she was solid. No one went after her though that I can remember. I didn’t like how she pivoted away from condemning Bloomberg (because I loathe him). ?

Buttigieg – He seems like he’s fading and he’s fully aware. He still seems phony to me but I liked his facial expression at a certain point when Warren went after Bloomberg.

Warren – I loved her at the last debate but she should have changed the formula for this one. I felt her attacks on Bloomberg were useless tonight.

Biden – I want him to retire and be with his family. ??‍♀️

Sanders – He was on defense tonight. I’m miffed he didn’t get to respond to Pete saying something about private insurance still being offered in countries with universal health care while Sanders wanted to abolish private insurance after four years. From what I understand Buttigieg is incorrect. M4A would just limit what private insurance companies could do to avoid competition with public. Sanders had the best answer regarding marijuana.

Bloomberg – He came across as ignorant on race and marijuana. His paid for cheering section was annoying.

I think they all had somewhat equally good and bad moments. Some had more bad moments than others.

It’s all a blur.

I’ll definitely want to see the fact-checking for this debate.

Similar Read: Amira’s Debate Summaries

Amira’s Nevada Debate 2020 Summary

February 26, 2020

by Amira with No Comment Featured Politics

Warren was the clear winner. ?

I feel like Sanders needs to do a better job explaining how his plans won’t cost Americans more money in taxes. For instance, when he brought up the Green New Deal and he mentions “job creation” – all I think of is that taxes will be raised to fund all of these federally guaranteed government jobs. ? If you’re a Sanders supporter maybe you can explain this in the comments. I understand taxes will go up for M4A. Sanders is clear about that. I feel like it’s time for Sanders to say MORE about his policies during the debates to make more people feel confident in him as a leader. I’m not a fan of Sanders but if it’s between him and Bloomberg in NY, Sanders will have my vote. I’ll vote for anyone opposing Bloomberg.

Klobuchar might not have the most perfect record BUT she responds very well, isn’t evasive which is a pretty unheard of for a politician, and she seems to learn from her mistakes. I honestly like her more after each debate. I understand why her polling numbers go up with each debate.

Bloomberg IS evasive (he never answered the question regarding allegations) and doesn’t learn from his mistakes.

Besides his rambling ?, I was really disappointed with Biden’s comments about Bloomberg’s Stop & Frisk ramp up. I was expecting him to say that Bloomberg cut back after the policy was deemed unconstitutional.

Mind you, Stop & Frisk is just one of several things showing how regressive and, as Pete describes, polarizing Bloomberg is. Choosing him as the nom would give us a loss similar to 2016. He’s a bad candidate just like Clinton was.

Bloomberg likes to say he’s not taking any money. That’s not a good thing. Yes, we want corporate donors out of the equation. Receiving support from the average American; however, is a GOOD thing. It means you want to work for OUR interests instead of corporations’. Bloomberg self-funding means that he’s doing this for his own interests. He’s beholden to himself. It’s a power move. The fact that he wants to throw a ton of money behind whoever the nominee is another power move. He wants to be able to pull the strings no matter what.

Buttigieg was his typical self. He’s condescending and continues to sound manufactured. I can understand why people who miss politicians who act and sound like politicians favor him. I, personally, really don’t like him – but Bloomberg makes him look better. Oh, Pete really lost me when he attacked Amy for nonsense and NOT Bloomberg. Warren ended up swooping in and came out the victor.

1. Warren ?
2. Klobuchar (confident, clear)
3. Sanders (needs to get more specific)
4. Buttigieg (childish and got facts wrong)
5. Biden (rambled and got facts wrong)
6. Bloomberg (was ill-prepared for the expected attacks, won’t own up to his faults unless he feels he’ll benefit)

In terms of who I feel is most genuine, here’s my ranking:

1. Sanders and Warren
2. Klobuchar and Biden
3. Buttigieg and Bloomberg

EDITED TO ADD comments I’ve seen in my feed:

“It might have been just been on my stream from MSNBC, but there were multiple ads against Medicare For All (and any other options). The healthcare and pharmaceutical industries are at work trying to keep their large profits by confusing voters. The interests of big business many times doesn’t align with that of the people.” – Anonymous (not a public post)

“Let’s say it comes down to Trump and Bloomberg. Sexual assaults/harassment of women no longer matters. (especially if you can afford to get away with it.)

Singling out minorities through stop and frisk laws is ok (Bloomberg) and opposing it is divisive. (Trump)

New Muslims won’t be admitted (Trump) and those here can expect to be spied on. (Bloomberg)”

Similar Read: Amira’s Debate Summaries

Warren and Pete Showed Up… Bloomberg Hit, Amy Flustered

February 20, 2020

by The LCR Editor with One Comment Featured Politics

Bloomberg has spent nearly $400M in political ads, but nothing could save him from getting his ass handed to him by every candidate on stage at last night’s debate in Nevada. Unprepared, arrogant… considering his campaign spoke highly about his debate prep his performance was frankly embarrassing. But did anyone expect him to shine in his first debate? I don’t think so. With that being said, he better do better in the next debate or that might be the worst use of a half a billion… ever. Every candidate took their shots, but Elizabeth Warren probably landed the biggest and most memorable blows.

Speaking of Warren, she was the clear winner last night. For the first time, she realized she was in a fight and came out swinging… at everyone, particularly Klobuchar, who was the clear loser last night. Amy came across defensive and flustered. I think many would even say she lost her cool by suggesting Pete was calling her “dumb” for questioning her committee seats and apparent lack of awareness and knowledge of the region. In frustration, Klobuchar said, “’I Wish Everyone Was As Perfect As You, Pete,” which was evidence that he had gotten under her skin, and it showed. Klobuchar was under so much fire Warren decided to defend her by suggesting the moderator’s question was unfair.

Biden was typical Biden. He didn’t impress… as usual just average, and average isn’t going to get it done. If you’re a Biden supporter, watching his decline and slip in the polls I’m sure has been hard and sad to watch. He didn’t do well in Iowa or New Hampshire, and if he doesn’t do well in Nevada or Super Tuesday (especially South Carolina), the once presumptuous 2020 Democratic presidential nominee’s political career will come to a disappointing end. Bernie was Bernie… screaming instead of talking and reminding us that billionaires are evil people, it’s immoral to have that much money, and again… billionaires are evil people. But as the poll leader in Nevada and the overall race for nominee, the distraction of newcomer Bloomberg served him well. He left unscathed, will likely win Nevada, and go on to do well on Super Tuesday.

Pete shined… he was polished, he stung Bloomberg and Klobuchar often and hard.

If NBC wanted a fight, that’s exactly what they got. I’m not sure the Democratic Party and the DNC can be proud of what took place last night. But if one thing’s for sure after last night, the Dems have some fighters… and it’ll take a fighter to beat Trump.

Bloomberg’s Move to Clear the Field

February 15, 2020

by Right Army Veteran with One Comment Featured Politics

(Roughly a year ago I suggested Bloomberg would probably run, and here we are…)

Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg fired the first shot over the bow this week in the Democratic Presidential Primary with his record $1.8Bn gift to Johns Hopkins – a gift designed to ensure that future JH students can be considered for admission with no regard for ability to pay.

In doing so, Bloomberg seals his legacy of philanthropy around education, gun violence, and equal opportunity, takes “first-mover advantage” and makes clear to other primary challengers that he’s backing this with his own money and all in. That’s a single step of “clearing the field” if I ever saw it.

For those who would say a NY billionaire who switched parties and is rife with complicated financial dealings would be unelectable, may I direct your attention to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

I have my own serious issues with Bloomberg, but at least by “checkmark” his issues and point on the spectrum are very closely aligned with most Americans. In many ways, he mirrors many of the issues President Trump highlights as his own qualities while being the anti-Trump in many others. Meanwhile, his history for being cantankerous and outright impetuous are at least reduced by comparison, and his all-out war with the NRA may be OK in an environment where the President has mostly locked up the heartland anyhow.

I dunno guys… he’s maybe not the one you’d thought would be the one to beat, but just from what I’ve seen watching the US Senate sessions these last couple years, he’s not a bad option.

This article was originally published on 20 November 2018.