TrickstaPriest

I don't disagree with you, TP; but as I tried to illustrate in my previous post, every society holds certain values that they consider self-evidently right and good, woven into the fabric of their interactions to the point that they don't even recognize them as not universally held. Following those isn't necessarily incompetence or weakness, although it certainly often is, as a factor if not the primary motivator.

The fat lady hasn't sung yet, Doc. The caucuses are just the first stage. Next comes the convention, and then the election. Not until that's over will we know what America, as a whole, really wants.
 
Personally I would like the Democratic candidate to be Sanders, not just because I like his stated policies, but because he's articulated a clear vision of where he wants to lead his country, one diametrically opposed to Trump's. That would give Americans a meaningful choice, not just for President, but for what they want their country to stand for going forward.

I won't lie. I was really hoping America was serious about wanting real substantial change. These results are showing otherwise. America has a greater disparity of income than France in 1789. We have less worker rights than most First World countries, worse health care, and a poorer educational system. Sadly, Americans seem fine with this. I'm just disgusted with it all. I was hoping the peaceful revolution was coming, but it seems inevitable that we're heading towards something nasty.

The costs of secrecy

So you can't just buy the American Presidency. That's a positive note.

If the decision on a candidate comes down to what it looks to be -- Biden or Sanders -- it will be a defining moment for the Democratic Party. Choosing Biden means going back to the status quo, before Trump. Choosing Sanders means endorsing systemic change. My own perception is that dissatisfaction and frustration with the status quo contributed to the election of Trump in the first place. I've seen and heard nothing to convince me that Biden is willing to address that.
 
I also dread the Presidential candidate debates if Biden gets the nod. Between Donnie's incoherence and Joey's stumblemouth, they'll be excruciating to try to listen to.

Early indications are one common thread is- People under 40 just aren't voting.
I'm not going to shake my fist at every younger person  I see, but I do wish they'd found the motivation to get out more.
 
Warren's gonna catch some unfair flack for this from the more extreme Bernie supporters (And perhaps others pretending to be Bernie supporters) but I don't begrudge her staying in. If we get a brokered convention she can have enough influence to push for some of her agendas even if I don't think she's going to have the superdelegates look at her and go 'hey, you! how did we not see you?'
 
The good news is, maybe I've been wrong, and Biden inspires more folks than I thought he did. 
 
Of course, a lot of the states were in the South... and in the General Election it's gonna go 90% Red anyway. We'll see how the others go, but it looks like ultimately the super delegates will decide.
 
 
 
 

*Sigh* SUper Tuesday is not going as well for Bernie as I hoped.
Ah well, Better Biden that Bloomberg IMO

Bernie Sanders IS reasonable and moderate. The fact that anyone here would consider him in any way radical is a substantial condemnation of how the Overton Window has been shifted way to far to the right. A moderate, centrist position on "the left" is considered radical, and on the right . . . well, we're at the place where concentration camps for brown people is at the "policy" level of acceptance.

Well, I think it is safe to say with a Tornado, turn out for the primaries in Nashville has every reason to be low.
 
Here in Eastern TN, I voted at roughly 9:30. I was the only voter in the room though I did see a guy leave the building as I came in. It's rainy and miserable, and most importantly most folks are at work and won't get a chance till lunch. Technically TN has a law where you get a few hours to go vote but most Tennesseans don't know that rule or even if they do are cautious of chancing in a state that wants to put 'Right to Hire" (Read as 'Right to fire") in it's state constitution.
 
We'll see if I"m wrong, but I don't predict any record breaking turnouts for my state.
 
 

Yup. "Conservative" is relative. And you have to be careful to separate local political and economic populism from a broader socio-economic philosophy.
 
Granted, Canada's federal and provincial Conservative parties have picked up their share of climate-change-deniers, racists, and the like, notably in recent years; but when their views become public they're usually muzzled at minimum, or expelled if too egregious. (I get the impression that some of what's happening down south is leaking across our border.)

Remember when even a rumor of impropriety was enough to sink a politician's career? Yeah, it's getting hard for me to remember, too.
 
Integrity doesn't seem to matter anymore. Truth doesn't seem to matter anymore. It's all about us versus them, and me getting mine.

YUP.
Or taken it for granted.
 

ironically, the Dems have forgotten the value of the workers' vote.

There are plenty of disaffected Republicans (and ex-Republicans) who would vote for a reasonable (e.g., moderate) Democrat if one were presented. It would help, of course, if that Democrat didn't publicly disparage everyone who holds different political views than (s)he does. 
 
In terms of the EC, win Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania...you know, the Labor-rich states that Democrats traditionally win. Florida would help, too.

I am getting sick of so many people, even within the Democratic Party, characterizing Bernie Sanders as a Socialist, even a radical. Sanders is definitely not a radical, and also isn't a Socialist. He's an old-school, New Deal Social Democrat. In any other developed democracy on the planet, he'd be considered a centrist. To the true Socialists in American society he's a compromise candidate. But if he has the most support within the party come the convention, and the DNC tries to shut him out or smear him further, those left-leaning Americans will decide compromise isn't possible in the USA today, and they'll become more radical. That's a formula for social polarization that may make what we're going through now look like a folk dance.

Yeah, I am aware.  Hard to know with people other than yourself, where dislike begins in their opinion forming.  Which was probably why in hindsight, my train of thought didn't let me continue. (and it isn't like I am Trump's fan, either).  I just know enough it is impossible to keep things 100% rational. It is how things are, and will likely always will be (with humanity)

On the plus side, at least we only do this every 4 years.
 
We have to deal with Christmas every year.

My theory is that subversion of the upper middle class enables this kind of thievery.  So long as the more affluent members of the bourgeoisie/working class identify more strongly with the Executive/Investor class, they will support and defend them against what ought to be coming to them.  They may even come to believe that they are better off than their middle middle class and lower middle class brethren because they "work harder" or "work smarter" or some such meritocratic delusions.  Pish tosh!  In reality the 1% still won't invite you to their coolest parties, just the beat ones.  And they'll give you raises just good enough to keep you "loyal".  Without that (purchased) loyalty, that 1% would be extremely susceptible to turns in public sentiment.  My .02.  😜

Just to add to this
 
CEO compensation has risen 940% since 1978, while typical worker compensation has risen only 12%

You can espouse this to any cause, but I have been wholly talking about this for some time (wrt politics):
 
 

I figured it out, they should have Taylor Swift background music for Bloomberg ads.  Because if there are 2 things I am forced to endure, I might as well get them done in one shot.

Exactly.  We've been counting him out after his disastrous performance in the last debate, and this one is almost as bad, but the man has some seriously deep pockets the likes of which we have not yet seen in American politics.  He won't drop out, ever.

Like the GOP managed to stop Trump in 2016?
 
I'm certainly not a fan of Sanders, but I strongly suspect he's tapping into the same vein that got us Trump in the first place.
 
People aren't happy with the way things have been and offering "more of the same" isn't going to be a strong contender.  Almost the standard rule of advertising, you have to be offering "NEW! and IMPROVED!" or you're just background noise.
 
Trump is guaranteed neither defeat or victory in 2020, but if the Democrats want to win they're going to have to offer more than "I'm not Donald Trump" as their central campaign theme.  Not being a registered member of either party, I'm just waiting for the Dems to stop playing musical chairs so we can move on to the main event.

Sad thing is, Bloomberg appears to be quite popular with the older generation of Democrats, y'know, the ones that VOTE the most. They're the most likely to be watching TV and bombarded by Bloomberg's ads (Though he swarms other media too) and most likely to buy the 'Democratic Socialist means Communist" angle