Who are the top democratic presidential candidates for 2020?

[Dee*Jay]

Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, IN, has thrown his hat in the ring.

A Rhodes scholar, veteran, and former McKinsey consultant... but alas, openly gay, and I think The Demon Dog has a better chance of being elected than a gay man right now. Some more years on the political map would also benefit him in terms of people thinking he's got enough experience. My hope is this is a way for Pete to get on peoples' radar and groom a path for a future election. Not sure how long it will take this country though to accept a gay man as Pres, despite all his qualifications. I hope I live long enough to see it.

 

[Dancing Fire]

I wish Manchin would run. He would be a good Prez. not way left.

 

[AGBF]

I wish Manchin would run. He would be a good Prez. not way left.

Joe Manchin would would make a good candidate for the Republican Party. He always votes with them anyway. We can pick our own candidates for the Democratic Party, DF.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris is offering FREE health care and FREE college for all. The first candidate to throw in a FREE new car will get my vote. Only fools would believe them.

You ask them where is the $$$ coming from? and they'll go..

 

[redwood66]

Howard Schultz can run. I might even vote for him depending on his platform. If it is full of ridiculous freebies then no.

 

[AGBF]

Howard Schultz can run. I might even vote for him depending on his platform. If it is full of ridiculous freebies then no.

Just what we need: another rich businessman with no experience in government.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Howard Schultz can run. I might even vote for him depending on his platform. If it is full of ridiculous freebies then no.

The Dems. will do their best to stop him from running. There are no such thing as FREEBIES.

 

[redwood66]

Just what we need: another rich businessman with no experience in government.

Many are tired of the fringe on both sides deciding the political debate. If he is fiscally conservative while being more socially liberal then he will appeal to those in the middle like me. If the democrats stick with a far left candidate they will lose the centrists.

 

[Maria D]

I would love to see ranked choice voting, which Mainers successfully used in the congressional elections last fall and the primaries before that, spread to other states, including for presidential elections. The "spoiler" effect would be eliminated and who knows, maybe an Independent *could* become president!

 

[AGBF]

I would love to see ranked choice voting, which Mainers successfully used in the congressional elections last fall and the primaries before that, spread to other states, including for presidential elections. The "spoiler" effect would be eliminated and who knows, maybe an Independent *could* become president!

I am ignorant about this method of voting, but wary. Please elucidate me. And do tell me if it is how you wound up with Paul LePage as Governor of Maine because I really wouldn't like someone like him as the President of the US. I am not fond of Susan Collins, either. In fact, my states (Connecticut and Virginia) have US senators I like a lot more than Maine's: Richard Blumenthal; Chris Murphy; Tim Kaine; and Mark Warner. So I'm not sure I want to borrow from you!

 

[Maria D]

I am ignorant about this method of voting, but wary. Please elucidate me. And do tell me if it is how you wound up with Paul LePage as Governor of Maine because I really wouldn't like someone like him as the President of the US. I am not fond of Susan Collins, either. In fact, my states (Connecticut and Virginia) have US senators I like a lot more than Maine's: Richard Blumenthal; Chris Murphy; Tim Kaine; and Mark Warner. So I'm not sure I want to borrow from you!

With Maine's ranked choice voting (RCV) a winner is declared when a candidate gets a majority of votes. Voters may, but are not required, to rank their choices. I cut & paste this directly from http://www.rcvmaine.com/how_does_ranked_choice_voting_work

"On Election Night, all the ballots are counted for voters’ first choices. If one candidate receives an outright majority, he or she wins. If no candidate receives a majority, the candidate with the fewest first choices is eliminated and voters who liked that candidate the best have their ballots instantly counted for their second choice. This process repeats and last-place candidates lose until one candidate reaches a majority and wins. Your vote counts for your second choice only if your first choice has been eliminated.If after all the first choices are tallied there is no candidate with a majority, the second choices of the last place finisher are assigned."

Some would argue that we got LePage the first time because we don't have RCV, but this isn't really fair because candidates from both parties have won governorships in Maine without a majority. We can't extend RCV to state elections without a change to our state constitution. Federal election laws allow it, but I'm honestly not sure if Maine will be using it in the 2020 presidential election.

 

[vintageloves]

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm not crazy about the choices so far. I'm hopeful a more moderate voice will enter the race.

 

[redwood66]

Just what we need: another rich businessman with no experience in government.

https://reason.com/blog/2019/01/30/howard-schultz-2020-outrage?utm_medium=email

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris is offering FREE health care and FREE college for all. The first candidate to throw in a FREE new car will get my vote. Only fools would believe them.

You ask them where is the $$$ coming from? and they'll go..

Well, FREE college and MANDATORY Healthcare insurance have been working brilliantly for most of Europe for a long time now

Just something to think about from time to time

 

[Dancing Fire]

Well, FREE college and MANDATORY Healthcare insurance have been working brilliantly for most of Europe for a long time now

Just something to think about from time to time

But Europe don't have 320 million people. Both side don't have any solution on healthcare.

 

[Maria D]

RCV could be catching on!

https://www.pressherald.com/2019/01/30/new-hampshire-considers-ranked-choice-voting-for-primary/

Rep. Ellen Read (Dem) has sponsored a bill in New Hampshire that would allow RCV in both state and federal elections.

"...
the current system is a driving force in the polarization of politics and leaves too many people feeling like their votes don’t count, particularly those who support independent or third-party candidates but feel forced into voting for Democrats or Republicans.

“People cannot vote their conscience because they have to be strategic about voting, because of this thing we call the spoiler effect,” she [Read] said. “This why people are apathetic about voting. They feel that their vote doesn’t matter.” "

 

[Maria D]

But Europe don't have 320 million people. Both side don't have any solution on healthcare.

True. At 741 million, Europe's population is more than twice that of the US.

 

[Calliecake]

But Europe don't have 320 million people. Both side don't have any solution on healthcare.

But you are wrong @Dancing Fire. Surely you remember Trump saying all thru his campaign that we were ALL going to have better, much less expensive healthcare. I remember Trump saying he had a plan much better than Obamacare and only he could fix this..... instead we end up with millions of people without any health care.

 

[Dancing Fire]

But you are wrong @Dancing Fire. Surely you remember Trump saying all thru his campaign that we were ALL going to have better, much less expensive healthcare. I remember Trump saying he had a plan much better than Obamacare and only he could fix this..... instead we end up with millions of people without any health care.

If Obamacare was so great then why do I know so many young people is taking the penalty instead of paying for it?. Like I said... there are no simple solution to healthcare.

 

[Dancing Fire]

We now have 3 socialist running in 2020 so why not add a murderer to the list?.

https://thefederalist.com/2019/01/30/virginia-gov-ralph-northam-implies-babies-can-terminated-birth/

 

[Maria D]

But you are wrong @Dancing Fire. Surely you remember Trump saying all thru his campaign that we were ALL going to have better, much less expensive healthcare. I remember Trump saying he had a plan much better than Obamacare and only he could fix this..... instead we end up with millions of people without any health care.

Oh Calliecake, can't you cut the poor man-baby some slack? Yes, yes, yes he said over and over that only he could fix this AND that his health care plan was going to be "such great health care, at a tiny fraction of the cost—and it’s going to be so easy" (an actual quote). But that was before he got elected and said this "Nobody knew health care could be so complicated." He just didn't know! How could he? Nobody knew!

Let's just give up on healthcare already. Oh wait, we did...carry on.

 

[AGBF]

We now have 3 socialist running in 2020 so why not add a murderer to the list?.

https://thefederalist.com/2019/01/30/virginia-gov-ralph-northam-implies-babies-can-terminated-birth/

This is from the bill supported by the candidate you called "a murderer":

“'I think it’s always good to get a second opinion and for at least two providers to be involved in that decision because these decisions shouldn’t be taken lately, and so I would certainly more than one provider,' he said.

Tran’s bill removes the language 'substantially and irremediably,' allowing doctors to terminate a baby by determining it would put the mother’s physical or mental health at risk, and without a second or third doctor’s medical opinion."


I had never heard of this man or this bill. He is not advocating murder. he is advocating the right of a mother to choose her life over her infant's with the consent of a doctor if there has to be a choice. I will share with you here that my mother, who was willing to die in childbirth with her firstborn (me), asked her Roman Catholic doctor if he would be willing to go against his faith and save her rather than her baby if he had to choose when she was about to give birth to her second child. She did not want to leave one infant orphaned. Having been brought up a Catholic, she knew that a Catholic doctor was obligated by his faith to save the baby, not her. This is the ultimate right to choose for a mother: whether to lose a baby and be available to be a mother to another child or children or to save a life, but not be available to any of her children, ever.

A woman giving birth should have the right to choose whether she wants to save her own life or that of her baby. No MAN should take that right away from her.

 

[Calliecake]

Thank You @ABGF

@Dancing Fire, Obviously you posted this as bait. I find it so fascinating that a man who has never had to make a difficult decision in his life (you volunteered this info in another thread) feels the need to tell a woman what she can do with her own body. You never factor in how emotionally difficult some of these decisions would be to make. I so wish you could find some sliver of compassion and empathy for others.

 

[Maria D]

If Obamacare was so great then why do I know so many young people is taking the penalty instead of paying for it?. Like I said... there are no simple solution to healthcare.

Because the young people you know are apparently irresponsible drains on society who would rather pay a $695 fine than buy health insurance. They can gamble that they won't get sick or injured knowing that if they do they can just go to an emergency room and the rest of us responsible taxpayers will foot the bill. What other irresponsible unethical things are these young people you know guilty of?

 

[yssie]

That's why we need Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to become our Prez. so that we can all retire.

So... I usually find myself on pretty much the opposite side of the ballot as you, DF, but I have to say AOC's relationship with objectivity is too Trumpian for my tastes.

Answering hyperbole and misdirection with hyperbole and misdirection - even though I personally agree with everything I've heard about AOC's ideals - is not the way forward.

Edit - reputable recent summary:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/01/24/ocasio-cortezs-misfired-facts-living-wage-minimum-wage/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.e70a93089905&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

 

[Dancing Fire]

Because the young people you know are apparently irresponsible drains on society who would rather pay a $695 fine than buy health insurance. They can gamble that they won't get sick or injured knowing that if they do they can just go to an emergency room and the rest of us responsible taxpayers will foot the bill. What other irresponsible unethical things are these young people you know guilty of?

You mean like those illegal immigrants who come across the border to have babies?

They say they can't afford the insurance. Since they are single they are guilty of paying a lot of taxes to support social programs.

 

[Maria D]

You mean like those illegal immigrants who come across the border to have babies?

They say they can't afford the insurance. Since they are single they are guilty of paying a lot of taxes to support social programs.

No, I meant like those 13000 fraudulent asylum claimants who came by plane from China.

If they are paying a lot of taxes then they have jobs. If they have jobs that do not provide insurance then AOC must be right.

 

[Dancing Fire]

No, I meant like those 13000 fraudulent asylum claimants who came by plane from China.

If they are paying a lot of taxes then they have jobs. If they have jobs that do not provide insurance then AOC must be right.

Then sent them all back to China.

We can all retire when AOC becomes POTUS. Everything will be FREE!

 

[Dancing Fire]

So... I usually find myself on pretty much the opposite side of the ballot as you, DF, but I have to say AOC's relationship with objectivity is too Trumpian for my tastes.

Answering hyperbole and misdirection with hyperbole and misdirection - even though I personally agree with everything I've heard about AOC's ideals - is not the way forward.

Edit - reputable recent summary:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/01/24/ocasio-cortezs-misfired-facts-living-wage-minimum-wage/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.e70a93089905&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

The moment she opens her mouth

the more stupid she sound.

 

[yssie]

The moment she opens her mouth

the more stupid she sound.

Ahhhh. Phew. Back to my norm of disagreeing with you.
She may be many things - but stupid is certainly not one of them.