Campaign 2016 Part XII: What Have We Done To Deserve This?

[unofan]

Leaving your silly snark aside, let's take flipping the result off the table. Do you admit the DNC has amplified Hillary's lead, or are you going to say with a straight face that you think the party has been utterly candidate-blind?

No, they haven't been candidate blind, but the system is not amplifying Clinton's lead, either.

Her lead would be triple what it is now if they played by the GOP rules, for instance.

Bernie's problem is that he's generally taking small states by small margins while Clinton has won bigger states by bigger margins. Since the DNC generally allocates delegates proportionally, her lead is insurmountable even though it looks relatively close.

That's not the system screwing Bernie, it's simply reality.

[rufus]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XII: What Have We Done To Deserve This?

As if on cue...





Give Dean an encore performance. Everybody on both sides of the rift loves him.

Really? I thought Dean was kinda forced out, as the centralized DNC power players didn't really like his ideas of spreading out the cash and empowering the grassroots, despite the results it got them in the election. They wanted to keep their power and their ability to call the shots back in DC.

[Kepler]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XII: What Have We Done To Deserve This?

I couldn't tell you exactly why they weren't buying what he was selling as well as say college kids have, but I can speculate that he views everything through the prism of income inequality, as in breaking up Wall St and taxing them solves a lot of problems. However, that won't stop unarmed blacks from being gunned down at traffic stops. It seemed to take him awhile to figure that out.

I can actually speak for Bernie on this one, because I share his theory, which is that reducing income inequality will stop unarmed blacks from being gunned down at traffic stops.

Bear with me.

Inequality reductionists like me trace all our significant problems back to poverty and inequality in the midst of a spectacularly wealthy country where wealth is dominated by an upper class. To our view, racism at the systemic level -- the kind of problems you see with minorities being treated differently by the courts, the cops, etc -- is the result of an American conflation of race and class. Simply put: Americans don't treat blacks like sh-t, we treat the poor like sh-t. Our poor, particularly in cities, happen to be conveniently color-coded, so individuals and institutions drag all their bias against the poor and drop it on minorities.

There are even some (barely) defensible reasons for treating the poor like sh-t if you don't care about opportunity and only look at outcomes. They do tend to be more criminal (because it's a rational economic strategy absent legitimate opportunity) and more violent (groups denied effective and fair rule of law evolve their own protection which is usually coercive), they do tend to not help themselves in terms of lifestyle decisions. The core of all this is that they have been denied the ability to educate and improve themselves by an American system that demonizes poverty and brutalizes the poor, in order to defend a highly undemocratic and inefficient power structure.

Break up the plutocracy and you get policies favored by the vast majority of Americans rather than the 1%, and you get the gradual alleviation of the most inhumane conditions of poverty and inequality. Ironically, even the rich benefit, since a larger middle class means more affluent consumers, and a reduction of class tension means they no longer have to self-segregate like hated feudal lords from a population that correctly perceives them as parasites. They even attain the status of community moral leaders and successes who should be congratulated, rather than exploitative robber barons deserving of nothing but the national razor.

That's our theory. I completely buy it. To the extent that Bernie hasn't been able to communicate that theory to non-whites, he has failed to show them why his policies are in their interests, so they back Hillary thinking she will serve their interests better because... I dunno, because Bill was popular with blacks I guess.

[Kepler]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XII: What Have We Done To Deserve This?

Really? I thought Dean was kinda forced out, as the centralized DNC power players didn't really like his ideas of spreading out the cash and empowering the grassroots, despite the results it got them in the election. They wanted to keep their power and their ability to call the shots back in DC.

I don't know the inside story. Certainly there was a stand-off between the McAuliffe people and the Dean people, but Jesus... scoreboard! At the end of the day the national party is a machine for winning elections, so it's actually (underneath all the patronage and nepotism) meritocratic-leaning. I would think it's no contest to bring back the Dean regime.

But I don't know the internal dynamics. THAT would be a fascinating read, but the author would have to get sovereign immunity in Russia if he ever published given how many oxen that would gore.

[Rover]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XII: What Have We Done To Deserve This?

I don't know the inside story. Certainly there was a stand-off between the McAuliffe people and the Dean people, but Jesus... scoreboard! At the end of the day the national party is a machine for winning elections, so it's actually (underneath all the patronage and nepotism) meritocratic-leaning. I would think it's no contest to bring back the Dean regime.

But I don't know the internal dynamics. THAT would be a fascinating read, but the author would have to get sovereign immunity in Russia if he ever published given how many oxen that would gore.

My understanding is it was Rahm Emmanuel related, a guy who's been a failure pretty much everywhere he's been. Back in '06 Emmanuel wanted to concentrate on winning back the House only (where he was DCCC chair I believe) and have DNC funds available for him to do so. Dean so no effin way, we're doing races up and down the ballot. Emmanuel tried to go public with this grievances but Dean stuck to his guns and the 2006 rout occurred. Obama in the single dumbest political decision of his Presidency turfed Dean in favor of Emmanuel (not for the same job but Obama's people took over the DNC). The rest is history, and not a good one. Dean is still like Executive Chairman or something. Should be easy to get him back.

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XII: What Have We Done To Deserve This?

What Dean pulled off leading up to 2008 was nothing short of invigorating for the Democrats after 6 years of cowing to Bush. It wouldn't surprise me that he'd have friction with McAuliffe and other hardcore Clintonistas. With Hillary being the presumptive nominee, her cronies might be the only wrench in a bid for him to take the party helm again (assuming he's even interested).

[Kepler]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XII: What Have We Done To Deserve This?

My understanding is it was Rahm Emmanuel related, a guy who's been a failure pretty much everywhere he's been. Back in '06 Emmanuel wanted to concentrate on winning back the House only (where he was DCCC chair I believe) and have DNC funds available for him to do so. Dean so no effin way, we're doing races up and down the ballot. Emmanuel tried to go public with this grievances but Dean stuck to his guns and the 2006 rout occurred. Obama in the single dumbest political decision of his Presidency turfed Dean in favor of Emmanuel (not for the same job but Obama's people took over the DNC). The rest is history, and not a good one. Dean is still like Executive Chairman or something. Should be easy to get him back.

That seems completely reasonable. Obama has actually been very bad about putting His People into important slots. Sec/DHS Jeh Johnson is so dumb he could drown in a rainstorm, but he got his post because he was also an A-list bundler for Obama donations. BHO has been almost as bad as Dubya when it comes to preferring loyalty to competence.

Rahm is a cancer. If there really was an Illuminati they would have sent him to the bottom of Lake Michigan long ago.

[Kepler]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XII: What Have We Done To Deserve This?

Yeah, um, stuff like this is going to happen to Trump a lot.

Trump campaign adviser Michael Caputo on Wednesday morning emailed a researcher at the Republican National Committee asking him to “work up information on HRC/Whitewater as soon as possible. This is for immediate use and for the afternoon talking points process.”

The email was obtained by POLITICO when Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks, who Caputo copied on his request to the RNC, accidentally responded instead to Marc Caputo, a POLITICO reporter who is not related to the Republican consultant.

Hope you enjoyed your career in politics, Hicks.

[rufus]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XII: What Have We Done To Deserve This?

My understanding is it was Rahm Emmanuel related, a guy who's been a failure pretty much everywhere he's been. Back in '06 Emmanuel wanted to concentrate on winning back the House only (where he was DCCC chair I believe) and have DNC funds available for him to do so. Dean so no effin way, we're doing races up and down the ballot. Emmanuel tried to go public with this grievances but Dean stuck to his guns and the 2006 rout occurred. Obama in the single dumbest political decision of his Presidency turfed Dean in favor of Emmanuel (not for the same job but Obama's people took over the DNC). The rest is history, and not a good one. Dean is still like Executive Chairman or something. Should be easy to get him back.

But that was Dean's whole thing: Get the money, the soliciting of people to run for office, the whole string-pulling operation, out of DC and out to the state and local party machines. Those people knew best who to run in their areas, where and how to spend money, what their specific region needed in order tio run a strong and effective campaign. To spread seed money, that might not bear fruit today, but will build strong and competitive party operations in all 50 states for years to come. To not just give up on Red states, or red districts, to try to be competitive and at the very least, make the other guy spend money where he thought he wouldn't have to.

I guess as you say, others like Rahm wanted to keep that decision making, power and money centralized, no sense in spending money out in podunksvile where you might not get results, give that money to us inside party operatives who know better what to do with it. And as a nice bonus effect, help us pad our little nest eggs.

[burd]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XII: What Have We Done To Deserve This?

Yeah, um, stuff like this is going to happen to Trump a lot.



Hope you enjoyed your career in politics, Hicks.

There must be a security protocol of some kind that prevents responders like Hicks from just hitting "reply" when responding? Hard to see how that mistake can happen in a reply.

[Slap Shot]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XII: What Have We Done To Deserve This?

The platform is certainly symbolic but I'd argue its not insignificant. Lets give Sanders credit where credit is due. Dems are way too squishy on issues they should be 100% behind. Minimum wage increases for example.

MW demands probably lose more votes than abortion and gun control combined. Yes I'm slightly kidding, but eff MW.

[unofan]

MW demands probably lose more votes than abortion and gun control combined. Yes I'm slightly kidding, but eff MW.

If it had kept up with inflation from the sixties, it'd be at $10.50/hr.

[mookie1995]

There must be a security protocol of some kind that prevents responders like Hicks from just hitting "reply" when responding? Hard to see how that mistake can happen in a reply.

Mookie wouldn't put it past them to have done that on purpose.... Now it's in the news.

Of course Mookie assuming intelligence and thought. But

[MaizeRage]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XII: What Have We Done To Deserve This?

There must be a security protocol of some kind that prevents responders like Hicks from just hitting "reply" when responding? Hard to see how that mistake can happen in a reply.

Look, if you're asking if Trump hired her because she's great at sending at emails, the answer is no.

As for the Whitewater stuff, I get that Trump is playing to his base(morons), but this idea that Hillary has some major skeleton hidden in her closet that will ruin her is so laughable. Has there ever been a more vetted candidate in history? These clowns have been trying for 25 years to come up with something to destroy her and the best they've come up with was the Benghazi thing where she handed them their lunch in Congress, and that she was apparently the only government employee that didn't get her email hacked.

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XII: What Have We Done To Deserve This?

If it had kept up with inflation from the sixties, it'd be at $10.50/hr.

I'd be alright with an adjustment/annual indexing to the pace of inflation. It strikes a fair compromise between the McFranchisee whiners who were always going to automate the cashier's job out of existence anyway, and the legit small businesses who would be, at best, forced to cut corners on their products & services to pay for a jump to $15/hr.